Utilization of a modified bite guard for preventing traumatic macroglossia.

This clinical report describes the treatment of a patient having traumatic macroglossia due to schwannoma in the craniocervical region. Enlarged tongue or macroglossia may compromise vital functions of the patient. To avoid a chronic tongue bite trauma, a bite guard that was inspired from a habit breaker was fabricated. Tongue injury has significantly healed with the use of this appliance, and the patient was able to masticate without biting on his tongue.

Postoperative massive macroglossia in Klippel-Feil syndrome after posterior occipitocervical fixation surgery in the sitting position.

Postoperative macroglossia is a very rare complication associated with neurosurgical procedures. There have only been 16 cases reported in the literature. With regard to spine surgery, however, only two cases have been reported. The first report was a case where the complication of postoperative macroglossia occurred during occipitocervical spine surgery in a sitting position. In this second documented incident, we report a case of massive macroglossia, in a 44-year-old man, following posterior craniocervical fixation and fusion surgery performed in a sitting position. The patient had Klippel-Feil syndrome with basilar invagination preoperatively. Postoperative macroglossia was treated by partial glossectomy, because medical management (anti-edema therapy) failed. This complication is a life-threatening complication and must be treated promptly. Diverse etiologic mechanisms are discussed along with preventive and therapeutic measures.

Macroglossia after posterior fossa surgery in the prone position--a case report.

We report a case of prominent postoperative macroglossia after posterior fossa surgery in the prone position. The potential risk factors predisposing to its generation, prophylactic measures to avoid it and treatments for its alleviation are reviewed and discussed.