A Rare Case of Intravascular Papillary Endothelial Hyperplasia (Masson's Tumor) of Vocal Cord.

BACKGROUND: Intravascular papillary endothelial hyperplasia (IPEH) also known as Masson's tumour named after Pierre Masson is a benign lesion of vascular origin which is characterized by reactive proliferation of endothelial cells with papillary formation. It is an extremely rare entity which can present anywhere in the body but is particularly found in the extremities and head and neck regions most commonly the lips, oral mucosa, tongue, gingiva, or buccal mucosa and due to its close resemblance to Angiosarcoma, it becomes important to distinguish between these two entities to avoid unnecessary aggressive treatment. CASE REPORT: Here, we describe a case of 23-year-old male who presented with change in voice since 8 months. Preoperatively, laryngoscopic examination showed right vocal cord polyp in the anterior one-third of the cord with hemorrhagic changes. He underwent micro-laryngeal surgery using suspension laryngoscope and the lesion was excised completely. Histopathological report was consistent with IPEH. CONCLUSION: Herein, we describe a rare benign case of IPEH arising from the vocal cord and we provide a brief review of relevant literature and a detailed report of this rare entity.

To Determine the Efficacy of Pentoxifylline in the Management of Bell's Palsy.

Background and aims: Bell's palsy is an acute, unilateral, lower motor neuron peripheral facial paralysis. It is the most common cause of facial paralysis in the ages ranging from 13 to 65 years. It not only causes physical disfigurement of face but is also associated with social stigma and psychological trauma to the patient. In Bell's Palsy, there is hypoxic damage to the nerve due to reduced blood flow and cellular injury to the capillaries. Pentoxifylline is a phosphodiesterase inhibitor that increases the cAMP and cGMP levels at the site of the RBC cell membrane thereby improving the dexterity of the cell membrane allowing the RBCs to pass through the damaged and narrowed blood vessels thereby improving the perfusion and oxygen delivery to the damaged tissues. Vasoactive agents are not routinely used as an active component in the treatment. Since vascular compromise plays a predominant role in the pathophysiology of Bell's palsy, it is proposed that the addition of a vasoactive agent like Pentoxifylline can improve the recovery rate and shorten the duration of treatment in the management of Bell's Palsy. Materials and methods: The study was conducted in the Department of ENT, BMCRI, Bangalore during the period February 2021 to August 2022. This is a prospective randomized control study which included 70 patients attending the out-patient department of ENT, Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute, Bangalore. Written informed consent was taken from all patients included in the study. A detailed history, thorough clinical examination, and relevant investigations were done for these patients. Patients were randomly divided into Group A and Group B based on random numbers generated by the WINPEPI software version 11.65. The study group (Group A) received standard treatment in addition to Tab Pentoxifylline 400 mg TID for 1 week. The control group (Group B) received only the standard treatment regimen. Patients were followed up on Days 5, 10, 15, and 6 months to assess recovery following treatment. The recovery of facial nerve function was evaluated as per the House-Brackmann Grading system for any improvement. Both pre-treatment and post-treatment HB grades were analyzed. The data collected were tabulated and subjected to statistical analysis using ANOVA. Results: The age distribution of the patients showed that the most common age group affected in this study was 18-30 years. Males were affected more than females (1.2:1). The most common HB grade at presentation noted in this study was Grade 4 in both groups (54.2%). At the beginning of the treatment, in Group A, around 43% patients had HB grade of 3 and 57% patients had HB grade of 4. In Group B, around 20% patients had HB grade 2, 28.57% patients with grade 3 and 51.43% patients with grade 4. After a follow-up period of 6 months, in Group A, around 43% of patients achieved a HB grade of 1, 51% patients achieved a grade of 2 and about 6% patients had a grade of 3. In Group B after a follow up period of 6 months, 29% patients achieved HB grade of 1, 46% patients achieved grade of 2 and 26% patients had a grade of 3. It was observed that 42.86% of patients had better outcomes (Normal facial function) in Group A (Study group) compared to 28.57% of patients in Group B (Control group). It is evident that a patient who presented with HB grades of 2 or 3 and who presented within 5 days had better chances of recovery which was statistically significant (p = 0.001). Interpretation and conclusion: From the present study, it may be concluded that Bell's palsy occurs in all age groups. It affects younger age groups more commonly (2nd decade) and affects males more than females. The study group who had received Tab Pentoxifylline along with standard treatment had better outcome. This highlights the benefit of vasoactive agent in the management of Bell's palsy by improving the oxygen delivery to the affected tissues. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12070-023-04298-9.

Our Experience of Surgically Managing Orbital Complications Due to Chronic Sinusitis: A Case Series.

Despite antibiotic treatment applied in Otorhinolaryngology, orbital complications due to chronic rhinosinusitis are considered a threat to the functions of the eyes. If timely intervention is not provided, orbital complications could rapidly progress to optic neuritis or life-threatening intracranial complications. A retrospective study included four patients between the ages of 29-70 years with orbital complications due to chronic sinusitis. Diagnosis was based on history, clinical examination, and imaging. In all cases, treatment was initiated with intravenous antibiotics and steroids. Surgical intervention was performed in all the patients when symptoms failed to resolve after 48 h of intravenous treatment. In our study, we encountered patients with orbital complications which included pre-septal cellulitis (75%) and frontal sinus fistula (25%). Average time of hospital stay was 9.5 days. All patients underwent surgery after 48 h of intravenous treatment and showed resolution of orbital symptoms within 2-6 months post-operatively. No recurrences have been encountered till date. Orbital complications are severe pathologies which require immediate attention and aggressive treatment via endoscopic approach as well as antimicrobial treatment to prevent unwanted threat to life.