Clinical Study of 107 Hospitalized Patients with Peritonsillar Abscess

We conducted a retrospective analysis of the data of 107 cases of peritonsillar abscess treated at our hospital between January 2014 and December 2018. Data on age, sex, affected site, duration of hospitalization, method of drainage, presence/absence of laryngeal edema, antibacterial drugs used, and isolated bacteria were analyzed. Of the 107 patients, 71 were males and 36 were females; the median age was 44 years (range: 18–88 years).The left side was affected in 55 patients, the right side in 50 patients, and both sides in two patients. The abscess was localized in the superior pole in 71 patients, and in the inferior pole in 36 patients. Thirty-five patients had laryngeal edema, of which three underwent tracheotomy. Recurrence of the abscess was observed in 15 cases, with the recurrence developing within 3 months in 7 cases, and over a period of 3 years in 4 cases. As for the sensitivity of the causative bacteria to antibacterial drugs, 17% of the causative bacteria showed resistance to clindamycin, while none showed resistance to ampicillin/sulbactam (ABPC/SBT). We concluded that ABPC/SBT might be suitable for the initial treatment of peritonsillar abscess, and that we need to bear in mind the possibility of long-term recurrence.

Clinical Study of Postoperative Bleeding after Tonsillectomy in 497 Cases

We conducted a retrospective analysis of 497 patients who underwent tonsillectomy at Kamio Memorial Hospital from September 2015 to August 2018. A total of 35 cases (7.0%) developed postoperative bleeding and three cases (0.6%) needed a second operation under general anesthesia to stop the bleeding. Postoperative bleeding most frequently occurred between 24 hours and 6 days after the operation. The incidence of postoperative bleeding was significantly higher in males and in patients aged 20 to 39 years old. The operation time, body mass index, smoking habit, and history of hypertension were not identified as clinical risk factors for bleeding after tonsillectomy in this study.

Comparison of Scope Classifications for Predicting the Need for Airway Intervention in Acute Supraglottitis

Background Acute supraglottitis (AS) can cause airway obstruction, sometimes necessitating airway intervention. Some scope classifications were developed to predict the need for airway intervention in patients with AS; however, the most suitable classification for predicting the need for airway intervention remains unclear. Objective This study was performed to validate and compare the usefulness of three scope classifications (Katori's, Tanaka's, and Ovnat-Tamir's classifications) for predicting the need for airway intervention in patients with AS. Materials and Methods We recruited 75 patients (44 males and 31 females aged 20–94 years) with AS who visited Kurashiki Central Hospital between January 2015 and September 2019. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) of the scope classifications for predicting the need for airway intervention were measured. Results Of the 75 patients, airway intervention was needed in 23 patients. The AUC was 0.818 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.715–0.922) for Katori's classification, 0.803 (95% CI: 0.699–0.907) for Tanaka's classification, and 0.814 (95% CI: 0.705–0.922) for Ovnat-Tamir's classification. Conclusion Although all three classifications appeared to be useful, the AUC tended to be the highest for Katori's classification.

A Study on 615 Cases of Idiopathic Epistaxis

Epistaxis is one of the most common complaints encountered in the field of otorhinolaryngology. Although hemostasis can be achieved by outpatient treatment in many cases, we have also encountered some difficult-to-treat patients who developed rebleeding or required admission and surgery. We conducted a retrospective analysis of the clinical features of 615 patients with idiopathic epistaxis who were seen at our hospital between 2012 and 2019. We analyzed the patient data and clinical factors associated with epistaxis, including the age, gender, month (season) of visit to our hospital, accompanying systemic complications, bleeding points, procedures used for treatment, history of rebleeding, and history of hospitalization. The patients with epistaxis were predominantly males in their 70s. In regard to the season of presentation, patients with epistaxis were encountered more frequently in the winter than in the summer. Most patients had initially been treated by electrocoagulation. Hypertension was the most common underlying disease. Rebleeding within 7 days after the primary treatment occurred in 11.5% (71/615) of patients. Analysis identified heart and liver disease and antithrombotic drug use as significant risk factors for rebleeding. Although in the overall subject population the bleeding point was most frequently observed in Kiesselbach plexus area, the bleeding point was observed more often in the middle nasal meatus or olfactory cleft in the patients with rebleeding. The most common indication of hospitalization was difficulty in hemostasis, and the bleeding point in most of the hospitalized cases was unknown or in the posterior nasal cavity. The analysis revealed that it may be important to attempt endoscopic hemostasis in patients in whom the bleeding point is identified in the posterior nasal cavity.

A Case of Sudden Diffuse Thyroid Swelling after Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology where Changes over Time Were Confirmed by Ultrasonography

We encountered a case of diffuse thyroid swelling after fine needle aspiration (dTSaFNA) cytology, and monitored the swelling by thyroid ultrasonography. The scan findings are reported. A 57-year-old female visited our hospital complaining of swelling in her anterior neck. She had a history of metal allergy and was not taking any medications. Because a solid cystic tumor was detected in the left thyroid lobe, we decided to perform fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC). When the second aspiration was performed with a 22G needle inserted into the nodule in the left lobe, the patient immediately complained of pain in her neck. Within 2 minutes, her anterior neck swelled up and ultrasonography showed vascular dilatation in the left thyroid lobe. Neck cooling with steroid injection was undertaken. However, over the next 5 minutes, the vascular dilatation also spread to the right lobe. About 15 minutes later, the vessels gradually became unclear, and the neck pain and swelling persisted, and the patient was hospitalized for observation. By the following day, all the symptoms and signs had resolved and the patient was discharged. FNA is associated with the risk of neck swelling caused by hemorrhage or dTSaFNA. To make a prompt diagnosis and provide appropriate treatment for this complication, ultrasonography could be useful.

Peripherally Inserted Central Venous Catheters Provide Safe and Easy Central Venous Access in Patients with Head and Neck Cancer

Purpose The use of peripherally inserted central venous catheters (PICCs) has increased recently; several reports have revealed that they can be easily and safely used in patients with various diseases. However, there are few reports on the use of PICCs in patients with head and neck cancer. This study was aimed at evaluating the safety and feasibility of use of PICCs in patients with head and neck cancer. Materials and Methods We retrospectively analyzed the date of 118 PICC insertions in 85 patients with head and neck cancer from January 2014 to December 2017. The PICCs have been placed under ultrasound guidance in all cases. Results The PICC puncture success rate was 95.2%. Catheter-related bloodstream infection occurred in four cases. The most common complication necessitating PICC removal was suspected catheter-related bloodstream infection (24 cases). All cases with confirmed and suspected catheter-related bloodstream infection improved with administration of antimicrobial agents. Phlebitis occurred in five cases, in all of whom the PICC placement had been made via an antecubital vein; the condition improved without treatment in all five cases. Deep vein thrombosis occurred in two cases, both of which improved with oral anticoagulant therapy. Conclusion This study demonstrated that the complications associated with ultrasound-guided PICC insertion are manageable, and improve with conservative treatment in the majority of cases. Therefore, use of PICCs may be considered for easy and safe central venous access in patients with head and neck cancer, because the insertion success rate was acceptable.

A Case Report of Bulky Venous Malformation in the Parapharyngeal Space

Venous malformations commonly occur in the head and neck regions, in the mucous membrane of the nasal and oral cavities. Venous malformations are found in the extremities in 40% of cases, in the trunk in 20% of cases, and in the cervicofacial area in 40% of cases. However, they are rarely encountered in the parapharyngeal space. We report our experience of surgical treatment of a patient with this rare tumor. The patient was a 21-year-old man who presented with a left mandibular swelling and was admitted to a nearby hospital. He was referred to our hospital for examination and treatment. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) revealed a bulky tumor with some calcification in the parapharyngeal space; on contrast-enhanced CT, the tumor showed some enhanced effects in the arterial and venous phases. Additional enhancement magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed the lesion as low signal intensity on T1-weighted images and as high signal intensity on T2-weighted images, and contrast-enhanced MRI showed some enhanced effects of the lesion. Based on these findings, we suspected venous malformation and performed surgical excision. Histopathology confirmed the venous malformation, and the lesion was diagnosed as a cavernous angioma. Vascular malformations in the head and neck regions should be precisely diagnosed so that appropriate multimodality treatment can be undertaken.

A Study of Factors that Contribute to the Severe Progression of Peritonsillar Abscess

Background Based on the background factors and results of blood tests in patients with peritonsillar abscess, we investigated the factors involved in the prolongation of hospitalization and progression to deep neck abscess of these patients. Objective and Methods We studied the data of 113 patients with peritonsillar abscesses (including those in whom the condition progressed to deep neck abscesses) who were hospitalized at our department during the 3-year period from August 2014 to August 2017. Data of patients who needed hospitalized treatment for 7 days or more, including the age, body mass index (BMI), sickness period, white blood cell count, serum C-reactive protein (CRP), serum total protein, serum albumin, blood glucose, blood HbA1c, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) at the first examination, and the neck factors in the cases that progressed to deep cervical abscess were examined using t-tests. Results The blood test items and background factors at the first visit were compared according to the length of hospitalization. The results revealed that prolonged hospitalization was associated with higher values of age, peripheral blood white blood cell count, serum CRP value and blood glucose, and lower values of serum total protein, serum albumin, and eGFR. Conclusions Factors that were associated with a longer hospital stay in this study were relatively high values of age, peripheral blood white blood cell count, blood glucose and serum CRP, and relatively low values of the serum total protein, serum albumin, and eGFR. The disease duration, BMI, and HbA1c were not identified as significant factors. Stepwise multiple regression analysis to identify factors associated with prolonged hospitalization identified the blood glucose and serum albumin levels measured at the first visit as significant predictors of a prolonged hospital stay and higher severity of the illness. Our findings suggested the importance of measuring these factors for predicting the progression to deep cervical abscess.

A Rare Case of Intractable Laryngeal Sarcoidosis: A Case Report

Laryngeal sarcoidosis is rare, and reports of recurrences after treatment are even rarer. A 49-year-old Japanese female patient visited our clinic with a 7-day history of dysphagia. Her medical history included sarcoidosis involving the cervical lymph nodes. Endoscopic examination revealed a diffusely swollen epiglottis and bilateral edema of the arytenoids. Corticosteroids and antibiotics were administered, but the laryngeal edema did not subside. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography imaging revealed bilateral low-density areas in the arytenoids. Therefore, we performed bilateral arytenoid biopsy under direct laryngoscopic guidance. The histopathology showed noncaseating epithelioid cell granulomas with moderate to severe chronic inflammatory infiltration; based on these findings, we diagnosed the patient as having laryngeal sarcoidosis. While the laryngeal edema did not recur for several months, arytenoid edema recurred 9 months after systemic steroid therapy. The patient's medical history of sarcoidosis of other organs as well as the presentation of edema of a supraglottic lesion and histopathological findings of noncaseating epithelioid cell granulomas led us to make the diagnosis of laryngeal sarcoidosis again. Laryngeal sarcoidosis is an important consideration in the differential diagnosis of laryngeal edema, as its therapy and clinical course are different from those for other diseases that present with laryngeal edema. A cautious follow-up of patients diagnosed as having laryngeal sarcoidosis is needed, because in rare cases, the laryngeal edema can become worse over time even after therapy.

A Clinical Study on 299 Cases of Nasal Bone Fractures

We clinically investigated 299 cases of fresh nasal bone fractures diagnosed using computed tomography (CT) scan in our hospital between January 2008 and December 2017. The ages of the patients ranged from 2 to 93 years with an average of 29.4 years. There were 207 males and 92 females. The causes of the nasal bone fractures included sports (93 cases), falls (80 cases), blow or injuries (53 cases), violence or fights (40 cases), and traffic accidents (33 cases). Males in their teenage years accounted for the majority of cases, particularly in the sports-related injuries. In these cases, the most common cause was baseball (32 cases), followed by soccer (19 cases), softball (15 cases), basketball (8 cases), and so on. In the cases of traffic accidents, nasal bone fractures were caused by bicycles (18 cases), cars (10 cases), motorcycles (2 cases), and so on. Elderly males and females accounted for high numbers of falls. The external appearance of the nasal bone fractures were divided into three types: the displacement type (171 cases), depressed type (96 cases), and mixed type (32 cases). CT scan revealed nasal septum fractures in 132 cases (44.2%). Complicated facial bone fractures, apart from nasal septum fractures, were found in 35 cases (11.7%, mainly blow-out and maxillary bone fractures). In total, 221 cases (73.9%) underwent closed reductions of the nasal bone fracture. Of these, 206 cases (93.2%) were treated under general anesthesia and in 131 cases (59.3%), open reduction of the nasal septum fractures was mainly performed. In the cases of nasal bone fractures combined with nasal septum fractures, open reduction of the nasal septum fractures was helpful for the recovery of the nasal obstruction and nasal deformity.