Schwannoma of the trachea; a new resection technique

Tumors of the trachea are rare, especially schwannoma. We diagnosed a 27-year-old man with schwannoma of the trachea after he was admitted to our hospital with complaints of progressive dyspnea and wheezing. He was treated as having bronchial asthma initially, but his signs and symptoms did not improve with conventional therapy. Flexible fiberscopy revealed the presence of a submucosal tumor in the subglottic area. Tracheal tomography, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed the presence of a mass in the trachea that extended from the cricoid cartilage level to the second tracheal ring. After tracheostomy, we removed the tumor from a tracheostoma upwards to the larynx without a laryngofissure, using forceps and scissors usually used for laryngomicrosurgery and endoscopes usually used for sinus surgery. No complications developed during or after the procedure. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the removal of a tracheal schwannoma by this technique.     

颈部气管狭窄及断裂的手术治疗

报告19例颈部气管狭窄或伴声门下狭窄,颈部气管断裂患者,对气管狭窄或伴声门下狭窄行环状软骨部分切除与气管一期吻合,对气管断裂,狭窄病变气管环切除,气管端端吻合。术后长期随访效果满意。并对潜在并发症的预防及治疗进行讨论。     

碳-碳复合材料气管重建的实验研究

目的 探讨碳纤维增强碳基体复合材料(以下简称碳-碳复合材料)气管假体用于气管环形缺损修复的可行性.方法 采用的实验动物为健康成年杂种犬8只.用于制作气管假体的碳-碳复合材料分为Ⅰ、Ⅱ两型,两者分别采用了不同的碳纤维编织方法.采用Ⅰ型或Ⅱ型碳-碳复合材料制备的气管假体各用于4只犬,切除犬颈段第2气管环下4个气管环长度的气管段,将长2 cm的管型假体分别与远近两个气管残端妥善吻合固定,其中采用对端吻合的1只,外套式吻合3只,内嵌式吻合4只.术后对犬的呼吸、进食及有无感染等状况进行观察.4个月后处死存活的实验动物,取出植入的碳-碳复合材料气管假体及其周围组织,进行组织病理学和扫描电镜检查.结果 所有犬术后均有不同程度的咳喘症状,多持续1～4周便逐渐消失,2只外套式吻合犬有不同程度的进食障碍.最早采用对端吻合手术方式的1只实验犬因吻合部位断裂死于术后第3周;采用外套吻合方式的3只实验犬中2只因肉芽组织增生严重而窒息,分别死于第11、12周.1只外套式吻合与4只内嵌式吻合实验犬均正常存活,植入的气管假体4个月内位置无明显改变.假体为纤维结缔组织所包裹,Ⅰ型碳-碳复合材料气管假体与自身组织结合疏松;而Ⅱ型碳-碳复合材料气管假体与组织结合相对紧密,扫描电镜可见假体与组织间有纤维组织连接.假体内腔大部分腔面未见有上皮覆盖,仅假体两端可见有少量纤维组织长人,组织病理学检查示存在少量纤毛上皮.结论 通过正确的手术吻合方法,碳-碳复合材料气管假体能够维持实验动物的呼吸道通气功能,吻合部位的肉芽组织增生和气管假体内腔上皮化等问题有待于进一步解决.     

羟基磷灰石气管重建的实验研究

目的探讨富含微孔的管状羟基磷灰石(hydroxyapatite,HA)人工气管用于长段气管环形缺损修复的可行性.方法采用实验动物为健康家犬,共12只.切除环状软骨弓、部分软骨板以及颈段10个气管环,将长约5cm管型HA人工气管分别与环甲膜、残存的环状软骨板和气管断端吻合固定,6个月后处死存活的实验动物8只,取出植入的HA管及其周围组织,进行组织病理学和扫描电镜检查.结果HA管植入6个月后,植入位置无明显改变.显微镜下见纤维结缔组织、新生血管及组织细胞长入HA管微孔,占据HA管微孔壁的外2/3,HA内管壁未见上皮覆盖.吻合口周围出现不同程度肉芽组织增生和瘢痕形成,但气管管腔无明显狭窄,实验动物均未出现呼吸困难和窒息.结论通过确切地手术吻合固定,喉气管的正常活动不影响自体组织长入HA管,气管粘膜上皮未见移行于HA管内壁表面.单纯采用HA管型材料修复较长的环形气管缺损能维持实验动物正常的呼吸功能,吻合口附近纤维结缔组织增生和瘢痕形成等问题有待于进一步解决.     

Delayed tracheal rupture following thyroidectomy

Thyroidectomy is a commonly performed, low-risk procedure. Tracheal perforation during thyroidectomy is rare, and delayed rupture of the trachea rarer still. We present the case of a patient who underwent total thyroidectomy secondary to Grave's disease who, on postoperative day 7, developed massive subcutaneous emphysema and respiratory distress. Surgical exploration revealed a rupture of the anterolateral tracheal wall at the level of the first tracheal ring. The defect was repaired primarily and the patient recovered uneventfully. The risk factors for and the management of this rare complication are discussed.     

Primary reconstructive method for tracheal defect from invasion by differentiated thyroid carcinoma

Differentiated thyroid carcinoma is not highly malignant, and thus surgical resection is the most common treatment even if the carcinoma has invaded the trachea. Although some cases exist in which the carcinoma invades the trachea, using the tracheal window resection method allows complete resection of the carcinoma. Yet these patients must often control a large tracheocutaneous wound until reconstructive surgery is performed because such surgery occurs secondarily. Our hospital admitted three patients for which tracheally invasive, differentiated thyroid carcinoma was surgically resected. Tracheal defects of 1/2 to 2/3 of the tracheal circumference were reconstructed primarily using the free forearm flap and costal cartilage during carcinoma resection. Following surgery, only a small tracheocutaneous fistula remained open, which was closed at about three months post-operation. The reconstructed tracheal space and transferred costal cartilage thickness were monitored by CT scan imaging at about 12 months post-operation. Details of the reconstructive method and postoperative changes in the reconstructed trachea and thickness of the costal cartilage are described in this report.     

气管切开术在治疗头面颈部烧伤中的临床意义

目的探讨头面颈部烧伤病人行气管切开术的适应证、手术时机及有关注意事项。 方法对36例头面颈部烧伤行气管切开术的病人进行回顾性总结。结果 36例病人均在伤后12-72小时内行气管切开术,解除了上呼吸道梗阻,清除了下呼吸道分泌物,改善了缺氧状况,提高了严重烧伤病人的治愈率。本组治愈31例(86.1％),死亡5例(13.9％)。结论对头面颈部烧伤尤其是吸入性损伤病人,应尽早行气管切开术,时间选择在伤后12小时内为宜,拔管选择在手术后2周左右为宜。     

Successful Treatment of Tracheal Stenosis with Slide Tracheoplasty after the Failure of Resection with End-to-End Anastomosis

The combined effects of inhaled irritant gases and heat in burn patients can result in the development of laryngotracheal strictures. Several factors could adversely affect the development of tracheal stenosis and cause the growth of granulation tissue. Yet the current treatment options for this condition are limited because of the paucity of case reports. We report here on a case of a patient who experienced recurrent upper tracheal stenosis after an inhalation injury. She displayed repetitive symptoms of stenosis even after several laryngomicrosurgeries and resection with end-to-end anastomosis. Finally, 5 yr after the burn injury, slide tracheoplasty was successfully performed and the postoperative check-up findings and the increased airway volume seen on imaging were all satisfactory.     

Alkathine shell, an innovative way of neck flexion after tracheoplasty

Tracheal resection and end-to-end anastomosis is the treatment of choice for mature, isolated, segmental tracheal stenosis and tracheomalacia. Postoperatively, it is important to avoid tension at the anastomotic site. This is usually done by keeping the head in flexion, by a skin suture from chin to chest in the midline. Movement in the post-operative period often results in cutting through of this suture and also formation of scar tissue at the suture site, particularly in those prone to keloid formation. We report seven cases with tracheal stenosis who had primary repair and were managed postoperatively without the midline chin to chest suture, but with an alkathine shell, to maintain the neck in flexion for ten days postoperatively. This had good results with minimal complications.     

Resection of the sternocleidomastoid muscle during radical neck dissection

Background: Surgical therapy of lymph node metastasis is based on accessibility for en bloc resection. First described as “radical neck dissection”, this original approach has since undergone various modifications. This has produced controversy about the particular indications for the individual techniques. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether intraoperative macroscopic inspection of the sternocleidomastoid muscle (SCM) in regard to tumor infiltration is sufficient to decide about muscle resection and whether there are prognostic differences between patients undergoing radical-versus modified radical (selective) neck dissection. Materials and methods: In a retrospective study, data on the surgical treatment of cervical lymph nodes and survival rates from 438 patients with head and neck malignancies managed in our department between 1988 and 1994 were analyzed in 1994 and again in 1999. Results: 337 patients (76.9%) underwent unilateral or bilateral selective neck dissection. In 101 patients (23.1%) a radical neck dissection was performed and the SCM was completely resected. Analysis of these cases showed intraoperative macroscopic tumor invasion of the SCM in 12 patients (11.9%), which could be confirmed histologically. In the remaining 89 cases (88.1%), a macroscopically intact muscle was resected; in none of these cases did histopathological examination show tumor infiltration of the SCM. Analysis of radically or selectively neck dissected stage III or IV patients with oral cavity, oropharyngeal, hypopharyngeal or laryngeal carcinomas did not show statistical differences in 2-, 5- and 10-year survival (54.8%, 23.7%, 18.7% versus 62.6%, 25.6%, 21.8%, respectively). Conclusions: (1) Intraoperative inspection of the SCM constitutes a valid parameter for deciding whether tumor infiltration is present or not. (2) There were no prognostic differences (2-year, 5-year and 10-year-survival) between stage III and IV patients with oral cavity, oropharyngeal, hypopharyngeal and laryngeal carcinomas treated by either radical or selective neck dissection. Received: 23 January 2001 / Accepted: 8 March 2001     

Penetrating air gun wound in the neck

BACKGROUND: Injuries from air weapons can be serious and potentially fatal. It has been estimated that up to four million such weapons exist in UK households. CASE REPORT: We present the case of an 8-year-old boy who sustained a penetrating neck wound from an air gun. Use of the flexible laryngoscope in the resuscitation room allowed localization of the gun pellet in the airway. CONCLUSIONS: This approach, combined with careful clinical assessment led to immediate removal by direct laryngoscopy, thus avoiding the morbidity of unnecessary surgical exploration.     

Etiologic factors in head and neck wound infections

The use of antibiotic prophylaxis does not prevent all postoperative wound infections. The records of 245 patients undergoing major head and neck surgery were reviewed to determine the cause of wound infection which developed in 17 patients. Patients with Stage IV tumors had an increased infection rate as compared to lesser stages (p less than .01). Reconstruction with a myocutaneous flap was associated with an increased infection rate when compared to primary closure or split-thickness skin graft reconstruction (p less than .001). Probable errors in surgical technique were identified in 10 of 17 infected patients. Neither weight loss, diabetes mellitus, prior radiation therapy, nor prior tracheotomy were found to increase the risk of wound infection (p greater than .05). This study lends insight into factors that may potentiate the development of wound infection despite antibiotic prophylaxis. A strategy to minimize postoperative infection is offered.     

Overcoming wound complications in head and neck salvage surgery

Background

Loco-regional treatment failure after radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy and/or prior surgery represents a significant portion of head and neck cancer patients. Due to a wide array of biological interactions, these patients have a significantly increased risk of complications related to wound healing.

Effect of wound infections on head and neck cancer.

There seems to be a consensus in the surgical literature that wound infections after surgery for cancer have a favorable effect on the course of certain malignant diseases. In a review of laryngeal cancer during a 10-year period, the recurrence rate was statistically lower in the group that suffered wound infections than in the group that did not have a wound infection.