[Rare case of haemangioma of the pharynx]. / Rzadki przypadek duzego naczyniaka gardla.

The hemangioma is a benign tumour located mostly in the region of head and neck. It can appear at any age but especially it is diagnosed among children. The disease can be successfully treated with surgery, criotherapy, propranolol or endovascular procedures. The rare case of the 59-year-old, male patient with huge heamangioma of the pharynx was shown in this paper. The patient was mildly symptomatic - he neglected difficulty with swallowing or breathing and there was no pain. The only one complaint was experiencing a worsened hearing in the left ear. The patient was referred to the laryngologist with acute pharyngitis and with the suspicion of peritonsillar abscess. In the ENT examination apart from acute tonsillitis, the tumour of pharynx was diagnosed. Diagnostic puncture of the tumour showed blood. Ambulatory treatment with antibiotics was administered. The inflammation of pharynx was cured but the tumour remained. In the ENT department the patient underwent diagnostic process including CT of the head, angioCT of carotid arteries and consultation of vascular surgeon. The diagnosis was established and patient was referred for endovascular treatment. The outcome of the embolization of hemangioma resulted in reducing the tumour size and decreasing patient's symptoms. The epidemiology, diagnostic problems and therapy were described.

[Epidemiological analysis of posttraumatic cervical spine injury]. / Analiza epidemiologiczna pourazowych uszkodzen kregoslupa szyjnego.

The purpose of this study was epidemiological analysis of trauma causes and trauma effects including age and sex. 112 patients after cervical spine trauma, admitted in Emergency Room of Self-Financing Public District Hospital of Trauma Surgery at Piekary Slaskie were studied retrospectively. The following parameters were estimated: age, sex, cause of injury, type and localization of pathology. The mean age was 35.4 years. The largest age group consisted of patients 25-45 years old. Males predominated over females in all age groups. The most common cause of cervical spine injury was traffic accident with a patient as a car driver or as a car passenger (45.5%) The most common pathology was luxation and subluxation (36.6%). Luxations and subluxations were most often localized on C1-C2 level (50.6% of all luxations), and on C5-C6 level (19.8% of all luxations). Fractures were most often localized in C5 vertebra (24.8% of all fractures). These results suggest that causes and results of trauma and participation of both sex have changed.