Ear, nose, & throat journal
-
The precise location of the sneeze center in the human brain has not been definitively identified. The aim of this report is to contribute to the effort to detect its location. We report the case of a 13-year-old boy who presented to our outpatient clinic for evaluation of an inability to sneeze. ⋯ At follow-up 21 months later, we noted that the patient was able to sneeze spontaneously as well as with nasal stimulation. Repeat MRI revealed that the Arnold-Chiari malformation had undergone a spontaneous partial regression, which resulted in relief of the compression of the medulla oblongata. We believe that the patient's earlier inability to sneeze might have been attributable to the compression of the medulla oblongata by the cerebellar tonsils and that the site of the compression might represent the location of his sneeze center.
-
We describe the case of a 36-year-old woman with a history of vitiligo who presented with an insidious onset of neurologic, vestibular, ocular, and auditory symptoms. She had recently noted the onset of vertigo, tinnitus, and hypersensitivity to sound. Findings on audiometry were within normal limits, although the patient reported some auditory discomfort during the testing. ⋯ She was diagnosed with Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) syndrome and started on corticosteroid therapy. Her neurologic, vestibular, ocular, and auditory symptoms resolved. VKH syndrome is an uncommon cause of vertigo and hearing loss, but it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients with autoimmunity-related inner ear symptoms.
-
Case Reports
Spontaneous cervicofacial subcutaneous emphysema secondary to pneumomediastinum in an otherwise asymptomatic child.
A 12-year-old boy presented with subcutaneous emphysema of the face, neck, and upper chest. He had no significant history that suggested any specific cause, and initial investigations revealed no underlying pathology. ⋯ He was discharged 7 days after admission with a complete resolution of the emphysema. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of spontaneous pneumomediastinum presenting as cervicofacial swelling in a child without any other symptoms.
-
Thyroid hematoma secondary to blunt trauma is uncommon, and no consensus exists for its management. We describe the case of a 46-year-old man who presented with neck swelling after he had sustained a blunt-trauma injury to his neck while playing soccer. Imaging revealed a large mass consistent with a thyroid hematoma. ⋯ Thyroid hematoma secondary to blunt trauma has been documented in normal thyroid glands and in glands with preexisting benign pathology, but to the best of our knowledge, no report associating this condition with a thyroid carcinoma has previously been reported in the literature. A neoplasm should be suspected in a case of thyroid hematoma that fails to resolve with conservative treatment. The management of this condition is surgeon- and case-specific, and the overall prognosis is good.
-
Foreign bodies lodged in the nasopharynx are rare. We report a case of an unusual foreign body in the nasopharynx: a hooked iron rod. ⋯ The foreign body had to be removed under general anesthesia. To the best of our knowledge, there has been no similar published report of a hooked iron rod in the nasopharynx.