European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
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Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol · Aug 2005
Review Case ReportsLemierre's syndrome: three cases and a review.
Postanginal sepsis, also called Lemierre's syndrome, is a rare but acute medical condition complicating oropharyngeal infection. The pathogenesis consists of the development of internal jugular vein septic thrombophlebitis leading to metastatic infections in the lung and other sites. The causative microorganism is most often Fusobacterium necrophorum. We present three patients with Lemierre's syndrome who presented to the Leiden University Medical Center and give a review of the literature.
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Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol · Sep 2004
Review Case ReportsHyperpneumatization of the temporal, occipital and parietal bones.
Hyperpneumatization of the temporal bone with extension into the occipital bone and even the parietal bones is a rare condition. According to a review of the literature, it mostly appears unilaterally in men and on the right side. Often it is discovered when complications like pneumatocele or pneumocephalus appear. ⋯ We present a patient with extensive pneumatization found in the mastoid process, temporal bone, occipital bone and both parietal bones, who was discovered accidentally. The cause of the extension of pneumatization into the occipital and parietal bone is probably incomplete closure of the occipitomastoid synchondrosis and lambdoid and sagital sutures, which usually close in early adulthood and later, even in the 30s. Asymptomatic patients should be aware of possible complications, and in case of complications, operative therapy is often indicated.
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Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol · Jul 2003
Review Case ReportsHoarseness after laryngeal blunt trauma: a differential diagnosis between an injury to the external branch of the superior laryngeal nerve and an arytenoid subluxation. A case report and literature review.
Arytenoid subluxation is a well-known cause of hoarseness due to incomplete glottic closure with intact inferior laryngeal nerves after severe laryngeal trauma. We report the case of a young man presenting after laryngeal blunt trauma with hoarseness, easy fatigue during phonation, marked difficulty with his high-pitch and singing voice and decreased phonation time, but intact function of both inferior laryngeal nerves, intact endolaryngeal mucosa sensibility and normal CT scans of the larynx and the neck. Due to the asymmetric anteromedial position of the right arytenoid with incomplete glottic closure, the primary diagnosis was arytenoid subluxation, and the patient was referred for instantaneous relocation therapy. ⋯ In conclusion, the unilateral paresis of the external branch of the superior laryngeal nerve after laryngeal blunt trauma is reported here for the first time. Although the clinical findings are familiar sequelae of thyroid surgery, they may be misdiagnosed as arytenoid subluxation after laryngeal blunt trauma. Stroboscopy and electromyography permitted the correct diagnosis.