| Neoplastic lesions of the parathyroid are rare, and most of these are adenomas. Even rarer is a secondary involvement of the recurrent laryngeal nerve. A case is presented of sudden onset hoarseness in a 64-year-old man caused by acute vocal cord paralysis due to bleeding within an adenoma of the lower right parathyroid gland. Acute onset of vocal cord paralysis is rarely associated with benign processes; the current case is only the second report associated with parathyroid adenoma. ( info) |
2/508. General anaesthesia for thyroplasty. A new anaesthetic technique is described for thyroplasty. Thyroplasty was performed to restore the voice in unilateral vocal cord paralysis. After skin incision and dissection down to the larynx, a window was cut in the thyroid ala and a silastic wedge used to displace the vocal cord medially. The required size of this wedge was determined by pre-operative computerized tomography scanning of the larynx. At this point the patient had to be awake and cooperative to allow repeated phonation to facilitate correct displacement of the vocal cord. ( info) |
| The present report documents the successful outcome in three patients with a unilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis managed with an intracordal injection of autologous fat who ultimately experienced a complete recovery of function. Such data demonstrates the safety of intracordal autologous fat injection in patients who ultimately recover function. ( info) |
| The authors report the case of a 16-month-old male with suspected leigh disease, which was diagnosed on the basis of the clinical manifestations, abnormal lactate stimulation test, proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and neuroradiologic findings. Progressive stridor resulting from bilateral vocal cord paralysis and hypoventilation was evident. The authors suggest that for infants or children who exhibit vocal cord paralysis, mitochondrial disorders, such as leigh disease, should be considered. ( info) |
5/508. Computerized tomography of the glottis after intracordal autologous fat injection. According to the committee on speech, voice, and swallowing disorders of the American Academy of otolaryngology-head and neck Surgery, various surgical methods such as laryngeal framework surgery, laryngeal re-innervation, and injection laryngoplasty might be used to palliate inferior laryngeal nerve paralysis. In the present case report we document the survival and exact location of the boluses of autologous fat in one patient in whom this material was used for injection laryngoplasty. ( info) |
| Although there have been few reports of serious complications with the laryngeal mask airway, we record a case of permanent unilateral vocal cord paralysis following the use of a laryngeal mask airway and review the literature describing injuries, not only to the recurrent laryngeal nerves but also to the hypoglossal and lingual nerves. ( info) |
7/508. Bilateral recurrent nerve paralysis associated with multinodular substernal goiter: a case report. Substernal goiter is an infrequent occurrence and is found in two to five per cent of all patients undergoing thyroid surgery. These lesions are well known to cause respiratory symptoms and alterations in phonation due to direct compression of airway structures. Infrequently, unilateral recurrent nerve palsy has been reported in patients with substernal goiter. We report a case of bilateral recurrent nerve palsy associated with multinodular substernal goiter in an 89-year-old female who presented in respiratory distress. ( info) |
8/508. Paroxysmal laryngospasm after laryngeal nerve injury. OBJECTIVE: Describe a clinical syndrome of laryngeal hypersensitivity following laryngeal nerve injury. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective review of six patients with laryngeal paralysis sustained during neck surgery who presented with paroxysms of coughing and stridor, progressing to brief episodes of complete airway occlusion. methods: Chart review. RESULTS: Superior laryngeal nerve blockade temporarily improved symptoms in four of five patients. Botulinum toxin relieved spasm in two of three patients and reduced symptoms in the third. Symptoms gradually diminished or resolved in four patients from 1 to 2.5 years later. One patient underwent arytenoidectomy and one patient has a tracheostomy. CONCLUSIONS: patients with laryngeal injury may present with stridor and acute airway obstruction secondary to paroxysmal laryngospasm. The authors have found that superior laryngeal nerve blockade or botulinum toxin may be effective in temporary relief of symptoms. ( info) |
9/508. technology in the assessment of voice disorder. The purpose of this article is to describe salient technologies available for assessing patients with disorders of voice. Measurements of jitter, shimmer, harmonic-to-noise ratio, fundamental frequency of the speaking voice, basal frequency, ceiling frequency, computation of pitch range, speaking intensity, intensity increase potential, vital capacity, laryngeal airflow during phonation, and laryngeal videoendoscopy-stroboscopy are covered. Some of the common instruments available to measure these voice components are described. Clinical case examples are provided to illustrate the importance of technology in the assessment of patients with voice disorder. ( info) |
10/508. Thyroplasty under general anesthesia using a laryngeal mask airway and fibreoptic bronchoscope. PURPOSE: To report the management of a patient, with unilateral vocal cord paralysis, undergoing thyroplasty, under general anesthesia. CLINICAL FEATURES: A 25-yr-old man developed hoarseness and occasional episodes of pulmonary aspiration, caused by unilateral vocal cord paralysis. He was scheduled for thyroplasty, in an attempt to ease phonation and to decrease or prevent further episodes of pulmonary aspiration. He refused local anesthesia with sedation and it was therefore decided to attempt the procedure under general anesthesia. The paralysed vocal cord was displaced inwards by a wedge inserted through a window in the thyroid cartilage. We assessed the ideal position of the wedge by using a fibreoptic bronchoscope and laryngeal mask airway during general anesthesia, instead of phonation. CONCLUSION: We describe the successful use of a general anesthetic for a thyroplasty, a procedure normally done under local anesthesia with or without sedation, in a patient who was keen to have surgery, but who refused local anesthesia with sedation. ( info) |