Simultaneously presenting head and neck and lung cancer: a diagnostic and treatment dilemma.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: Synchronous tumors are defined as malignancies presenting within 6 months of the index tumors. A significant subset of patients present at initial evaluation with malignant tumors of both the head and neck (head and neck squamous cell carcinoma) and the lung, which are termed simultaneous primaries. The management and treatment outcomes in this cohort of patients have not been clearly defined and are the subject of the present review. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective chart review of previously untreated patients. METHODS: From January 1974 to December 1997, a total of 2964 patients were treated for mucosal squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Forty-two patients fulfilled the criteria for synchronous head and neck and lung malignancy. Of these, 27 patients had simultaneous tumors of the head and neck and the lung. This cohort of patients (n = 27) was stratified into three treatment groups. Patients in group A (n = 10) had resectable head and neck and lung primaries treated with curative intent. Group B (n = 8) was composed of patients who could have been treated with curative intent but declined and were given only palliative therapy. Patients in group C (n = 9) were candidates for only palliative treatment. RESULTS: The estimated 5-year disease-specific survival in group A was 47%, whereas patients in group B had a 5-year disease-specific survival of only 13% (P =.05). There were no survivors beyond 1 year in group C. The presence of mediastinal adenopathy in patients in group A portended poor clinical outcome. There was an estimated 5-year disease-specific survival of 51% in patients with no preoperative evidence of mediastinal adenopathy (n = 7), whereas 67% of patients with radiological evidence of mediastinal adenopathy died (two of three patients). CONCLUSION: The presence of simultaneous head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and pulmonary malignancies should not be a deterrent to aggressive surgical therapy because a potentially satisfactory outcome can be expected in these patients.     

Pediatric parapharyngeal lesions: Criteria for malignancy

Introduction

Parapharyngeal space (PPS) pediatric lesions represent a heterogeneous group of uncommon neoplasms of both benign and malignant nature. These tumors tend to be locally advanced by the time they are diagnosed; consequently, an early presumptive diagnosis of malignancy is of utmost importance.

Objective

To highlight the occurrence of malignant PPS tumors in pediatric population, to determine their incidence and to describe probable warning clues for diagnosis.

Patients and methods

The charts of 23 pediatric patients with PPS swellings were retrospectively reviewed to analyze clinical and pathologic data. We describe possible criteria to suspect malignancy by clinical and radiological examination.

Results

Twenty-three patients presented with neoplastic lesions in the PPS, benign tumors in 43.5% and malignant in 56.5%. Malignancy was suspected in 13 cases according to combined clinical and radiological criteria: a painless intraoral and neck swelling in children below one year old, presentation with cranial nerve palsy, nasopharyngeal mucosal or sub-mucosal irregular lesion, the presence of multiple lymph nodes with no evidence of infection, and adjacent bony skull base destruction with intracranial extension.

Conclusion

Occurrence of malignancy in PPS tumors in the pediatric population is not uncommon. Clinicians should deliberately look for associated secondary signs that predict malignancy. The surgeon must understand the pathological spectrum of tumors of this space and the proper use of imaging studies to make a preoperative diagnosis. This allows for planning of a sound surgical approach and a proper preoperative counseling.     

Pilomatrixoma of the head and neck in children

Pilomatrixoma, also known as calcifying epithelioma of Malherbe, is a benign tumor of hair cell origin. It is an unusual, but not particularly rare, tumor. Fifty percent or more of pilomatrixomas occur in the head and neck, and 40% occur in patients under 10 years of age. Pilomatrixomas may be mistaken for cysts, calcified lymph nodes, calcified hematomas or hemangiomas, or parotid gland tumors. We describe our experience with 15 children, 1 1/2-12 years of age, in whom we have excised pilomatrixomas from the head and neck.     

Value of Fine‐Needle Aspiration Cytology of Parotid Gland Masses

Objective To evaluate the usefulness and accuracy of fine‐needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) in the diagnosis of parotid gland masses. Study Design Retrospective chart review of patients undergoing FNAC. Methods Between January 1990 and December 1998, 410 parotid glands were resected at the Department of Otorhinolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Berne, Inselpital (Berne, Switzerland). Included in the study were 228 cases with preoperative FNAC. In a retrospective study the results of FNAC were analyzed and compared with the corresponding histopathological diagnosis. Results Histological evaluation revealed 65 malignant tumors and 163 benign lesions (150 neoplasms and 13 nonneoplastic lesions). The cytological findings were nondiagnostic in 13 (5.7%), true‐negative in 146 (64%), true‐positive in 39 (17%), false‐negative in 22 (9.8%) and false‐positive in 8 (4.5%) cases in detecting malignant tumors. Nineteen of 39 (49%) malignant tumors (true‐positive) and 123 of 146 (84%) benign lesions (true‐negative) were classified accurately. The accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were 86%, 64%, and 95% respectively. Conclusions Fine‐needle aspiration cytology is a valuable adjunct to preoperative assessment of parotid masses. Preoperative recognition of malignant tumors may help prepare both the surgeon and patient for an appropriate surgical procedure.     

Orbital and paraorbital tumors-clinicopathological profile and surgical management

A total number of 31 cases of proptosis caused by primary orbital tumors, paranasal tumor extensions and nasapharyngeal tumors werte analysed in a retrospective study in relation to their age, sex, clinical and histological profile. Surgical management of this group of tumors depends on the anatomical location of the tumor and CT scan was considered as the primary modality of investigation. Different modalities of surgical treatment like lateral orbitotomy, medial orbitotomy, lateral rhinotomy, etc., have been adopted according to location of tumor. Surgical approaches and histopathological profile of the lesions causing proptosis are discussed in details.     

Facial translocation approach in the management of central skull base and infratemporal tumors

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: The objectives were to systematize the indications of various types of facial translocation and to present a technical modification to avoid some sequelae of this approach. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective analysis was made of patients treated with different types of facial translocation approach to resect nasopharyngeal, infratemporal, and sinonasal tumors. METHODS: Thirty-nine patients underwent facial translocation approaches for neoplasms originally involving the nasopharynx (27) infratemporal fossa (7), and nasal cavity (5). Of the 21 malignant tumors, 2 were stage T2, 5 were stage T3, and 14 were stage T4. From the entire series of patients, 10 received a unilateral medial translocation, 3 a bilateral medial translocation, 25 a standard facial translocation, and 1 an extended medial facial translocation. RESULTS: Fifteen patients (38%) developed some kind of complication, such as wound infection (nine cases) and osteomyelitis and cerebrospinal fluid leak (five cases each). Two patients died as a result of postoperative complications (5.2%). Overall 5-year survival for malignant tumors was 43%. Neither the histological appearance of the tumor nor the T stage influenced the survival of patients. Survival of patients with intracranial involvement was significantly decreased compared with patients with involvement of other areas (P =.0003). CONCLUSION: The facial translocation approach offers an excellent exposure in tumors with large degree of involvement of the nasopharynx, infratemporal fossa, nasal cavity, and maxillary sinus. More limited osteotomies are indicated in smaller tumors. The use of midfacial degloving minimizes the number of sequelae of these approaches.     

Pulmonary metastasectomy in the treatment of recurrent ameloblastoma of the maxilla and mandible: a case report

Ameloblastoma is an aggressive benign tumor with frequent local recurrences. Although histologically benign, it occasionally metastasizes to many organs, most commonly to the lungs. The metastasis develops after multiple recurrences and many unsuccessful attempts at removal of the tumor. When distant metastasis occurs, the prognosis is poor and there is no effective treatment. A case of metastatic ameloblastoma of the mandible and maxilla is reported which was treated with pulmonary metastasectomy. The treatment options are discussed in relation to the literature. Received: 27 June 2000 / Accepted: 7 September 2000     

Laryngeal chondroma

Cartilaginous tumors of laryngeal skeleton are a rarity: Laryngeal chondroma is an unusual cause of upper airway obstruction. The present report illustrates a case of a 13 year old male presenting with mass in the subglottis. Histopathology of the mass revealed laryngeal chondroma.     

Early experience of radio frequency coblation in the management of intranasal and sinus tumors

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the use of radiofrequency coblation for endoscopic resection of intranasal and sinus tumors. A review was conducted of 15 adult patients with intranasal and or sinus tumors endoscopically treated with radio frequency coblation between November 2008 and November 2010 at St. John's Hospital at Livingston, a tertiary referral center that covers otolaryngology services for the southeast of Scotland. Fifteen patients with intranasal and sinus tumors were treated with transnasal endoscopic resection using radiofrequency coblation. The tumors included inverted papilloma (seven), paraganglioma (one), glomangiopericytoma (one), capillary hemangioma (one), hemangiopericytoma (one), juvenile angiofibroma (one), juvenile ossifying fibroma (one), oncocytic adenoma (one), and transitional cell carcinoma (one). We found that radiofrequency coblation is a useful and safe tool associated with minimal blood loss (<200 mL to 600 mL) in the resection of these tumors, and the average operating time was 1.67 hours. Radio frequency is a rapidly evolving technique and in the future will have an increasing role to play in the endoscopic resection of intranasal and sinus tumors.     

Treatment and outcomes of endoscopic surgery and traditional open resection in sinonasal mucosal melanoma

Objective: The optimal surgical approach for sinonasal mucosal melanoma (SNM) remains under debate. We aimed to compare the therapeutic efficacy of traditional open resection and endoscopic surgery for patients with SNM treated at a single center.

Methods: Thirty-three patients diagnosed with SNM who underwent surgery between January 1995 and June 2014 at a single institution were retrospectively analyzed; 18 patients were treated using an open resection approach and 15 using an endoscopic resection approach for the primary tumor. The associations between open resection and endoscopic resection with treatment-related survival outcomes were assessed using the Kaplan–Meier method and log-rank test.

Results: The most common presenting symptoms were epistaxis and abstraction; the nasal cavity was the most common anatomic location. The open resection and endoscopic resection groups did not have significantly different demographic or tumor characteristics. Overall survival (p?=?.66) and disease-free survival (p?=?.73) were modest and did not differ significantly between the open resection and endoscopic resection groups.

Conclusions: This retrospective study indicates that the endoscopic endonasal approach is an effective treatment for SNM in selected cases and, when performed by a skilled surgeon, can enable successful radical resection with a similar efficacy as traditional open resection.     

Clinical and demographic characteristics of adenomatoid odontogenic tumors: analysis of 116 new cases from a single center

IntroductionThe adenomatoid odontogenic tumor is a relatively uncommon odontogenic neoplasm representing about 4.7% of all odontogenic tumors.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to determine the demographic and clinical profile of the adenomatoid odontogenic tumors in a Sri Lankan population.MethodsData gathered from the cases received for a period of 38 years from the Department of Oral Pathology, Faculty of Dental Sciences, University of Peradeniya. Request forms, biopsy reports and electronic data base of the department were used to obtain relevant information. Demographic data including age, gender and location of the tumor were included in the analysis.ResultsOut of 116 cases of adenomatoid odontogenic tumor, the mean age was 21.02 ± 11.24. It occurs more fre quently in the second decade of life, more prevalent in females, most often associated with the maxilla, predominantly affecting anterior jaw bones and presenting mostly in the right side of the jaw bone. The results from the present study showed the statistically significant relationship with site of occurrence (maxilla/mandible) and age (p < 0.005). Further, depending on whether it occurs in anterior/mid/posterior site also showed a significant relationship with age (p ≤ 0.001). However, side of occurrence, left or right or site of occurrence, showed no statistically significance with age (p > 0.05).ConclusionAdenomatoid odontogenic tumor occurs more frequently in the second decade of life with a significant female predominance and the commonest site is anterior maxilla. This study revealed few differences on demographic and clinical presentations of adenomatoid odontogenic tumor from some regions of the world.     

Subglottic laryngeal paraganglioma

OBJECTIVES: To review the clinical and pathological picture of laryngeal paragangliomas and compare laryngeal paragangliomas with the three other types of laryngeal neuroendocrine neoplasms. STUDY DESIGN: The study presents a case review of a patient with a subglottic laryngeal paraganglioma treated at our institution, with a literature review of the laryngeal neuroendocrine neoplasms. Included is a review of all four neuroendocrine neoplasms, taking a close look at a comparison between laryngeal paragangliomas and atypical carcinoids tumors. All cases of subglottic laryngeal paragangliomas reported in the literature were also compiled and tabulated. METHODS: The patient's record was reviewed for age, symptomatology, workup, and surgical procedures performed. RESULTS: The patient was disease free 36 months after undergoing a tracheostomy for airway control, followed by a cricoid split for complete excision of the tumor. CONCLUSIONS: It is important to differentiate among the four laryngeal neuroendocrine neoplasms, especially between atypical carcinoids and paragangliomas. Each tumor requires different treatments, with the former requiring a more aggressive approach. Paragangliomas must be completely excised to prevent their recurrence, and this approach should be considered a curative treatment. In addition, the immunohistochemical battery is of paramount importance in obtaining the correct pathological diagnosis.     

Keratocysts (or keratocystic epithelial odontogenic tumors)

The aim of this study was to describe the management of keratocysts based on our own experience and on a large literature review. Keratocysts are benign odontogenic epithelial tumors. The main aspects of this lesion are described (definition, epidemiology, clinic, radiology, histology, treatment, and prognosis). In small intra-osseous tumors, surgical procedure must be as conservative as possible, most often enucleation. In large tumors with destruction of the cortical bone, or with destruction of coronoid process or notch, extensive resection can be indicated, with sometimes a transfacial approach for an accurate control, especially in soft tissues. Strict follow-up is mandatory because of the high risk of recurrence.     

Surgical management of parapharyngeal tumors - our experience

Fifteen cases of parapharyngeal tumors treated surgically in ENT department of Calcutta National Medical College in last 2 years were included, 80% cases were of benign tumors, most common being schwannomas. Most important investigation was found to be CT scan. The study gives an overview regarding the surgical approach, based upon the extent and histology of the tumor and transcervical approach was found to be most efficient for all practical purpose.     

Surgical treatment of laryngeal tumors with subglottic extension and tracheal tumors with composite nasal septal cartilage graft: technique and outcome

OBJECTIVE: Composite nasal septal cartilage grafts (CNSCG) are effective grafting materials in laryngeal and tracheal reconstruction following tumor resection. METHODS: Between 1985 and 2005, we used CNSCG for the reconstruction of defects following resection of laryngeal tumors with subglottic extension (20 cases), subglottic mesenchymal tumors (2 cases), invasive thyroid carcinoma (4 cases), tracheal tumors (3 cases) and esophagus carcinoma with tracheal invasion (1 case) in total of 30 patients. RESULTS: The patients with subglottic tumors were decanulated within 5-7 days except one case. We achieved satisfactory voice and swallowing without any sign of recurrence. Overall complications consisted of subglottic stenosis in one case, and unilateral paralysis of recurrent laryngeal nerve in two cases. One patient with subglottic laryngeal carcinoma died due to neck and distant metastases 4 years after the operation. All patients are well with a mean follow-up period 9 years. Three patients with tracheal tumors underwent lateral resection and reconstructed with CNSCG. Satisfactory healing of the grafts was seen in all cases without local recurrence or complication with a mean follow-up period of 62 months. One of the patients had distant metastases 3 years after the operation. The patient with esophagus carcinoma and tracheal invasion was treated by total esophagectomy, gastric pull-up, tracheal resection and CNSCG reconstruction. He died at postoperative 5th day due to mediastinitis as a complication of gastric pull-up. CONCLUSION: Free composite cartilage graft is a reliable material in the reconstruction of defects after surgery of laryngeal tumors with subglottic extension, invasive thyroid and esophagus tumors and well-selected tracheal tumors.     

Endoscopic endonasal intraconal orbit surgery

Endoscopic endonasal orbital surgery is evolving. With increasing knowledge, expertise, and technology, the historical limits of the endonasal endoscopic approach to the orbit have been redefined. This review discusses the clinical presentation and etiology, and highlights the pertinent anatomy, and discusses the diagnostic workup and surgical approach to orbital tumors and post-operative care. The role of the multidisciplinary team is not to be underestimated. The introduction of a classification system to ensure standardization of technical difficulty and outcome data will assist with international collaboration and further consolidate our attainment of knowledge in this developing field.     

First-bite syndrome after resection of the styloid process

BACKGROUND: First-bite syndrome (FBS) may occur after operations on parapharyngeal space. The main symptom is excruciating pain only after the first one or two bites of meals. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this article is to report a case of FBS after resection of the styloid process (SP). CASE REPORT: This 51-year-old woman had a 4-month history of pain on her left neck. Computed tomography scan showed a left hypertrophic SP. A diagnosis of Eagle syndrome (ES) was then established. She underwent excision of the left SP through a lateral cervicotomy. Postoperative recovery was uneventful with pain relief. However, 2 months postoperatively, intense pain appeared related to the first bite in every meal. She received 800 mg carbamazepine per day with good pain control. Medication was discontinued after 2 years with no further relapse. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report on FBS after surgical treatment of ES. It is important to remember the possibility of the diagnosis and to maintain the patient under heavy specific medication, sometimes for longer periods.