ABSTRACT
We report the case of an 84-year-old male patient suffering from a gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST) of the rectum who was referred to our ENT (Ear-Nose-Throat) clinic for a rapidly progressive stridor, aphagia and dysphonia. The clinical examination revealed a mass arising from the posterior wall of the pharynx, which obstructed the laryngeal inlet and thus the airway. A metastasis of the GIST was suspected. After completing the investigation with radiological imaging, the patient underwent surgery, which consisted of a tracheostomy to secure the airway and a biopsy of the mass. The pathological examination confirmed the suspected diagnosis of a GIST vertebral metastasis.
Subject(s)
Cervical Vertebrae , Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors/diagnostic imaging , Rectal Neoplasms/pathology , Spinal Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging , Aged, 80 and over , Biopsy , Deglutition Disorders/etiology , Disease Progression , Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors/complications , Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors/secondary , Humans , Male , Respiratory Sounds/etiology , Spinal Neoplasms/complications , Spinal Neoplasms/secondary , TracheostomyABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: To investigate olfactory and gustatory function in patients with maxillofacial trauma and associated fractures. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. METHODS: Olfactory and gustatory function was assessed psychophysically in 124 patients who had sustained maxillofacial trauma with an associated fracture. Five groups were defined based on the fracture type: Le Fort, mandibular, nasal, orbital, and zygomatic. Olfaction was measured with Sniffin' Sticks (threshold, discrimination, identification [TDI] score) and gustation with the taste spray method. Patients self-rated olfactory and gustatory function on a visual analog scale prior to formal testing. RESULTS: Ten out of 124 patients were found to be anosmic (8%), with half of them found in the Le Fort (skull base) group. The Le Fort fracture group had significantly lower olfactory function than other fracture types (TDI score = 22.4 ± 10.7; P = .01; possible range = 1-48). The mean gustatory spray test score was 3.82 ± 0.4 (possible range = 0-4) without any intergroup differences. Self-rated olfactory function showed a correlation with the measured scores (r = 0.61, P < .001) across all groups. CONCLUSIONS: The present data show a significant effect of maxillofacial fracture type on the development of anosmia. Maxillofacial fractures involving the skull base, such as Le Fort fractures, are more likely to cause permanent smell loss, whereas the other fracture types are rarely associated with anosmia. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4 Laryngoscope, 131:E331-E337, 2021.
