Mucoepidermoid carcinoma is a malignant epithelial tumour of glandular tissue, usually of the major salivary glands. However it can present in the minor salivary glands, especially in the soft palate. We report the case of a 72-year-old Malay female after presentation with sore throat, fever and odynophagia, was diagnosed with mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the soft palate.
Mucoepidermoid Tumor ; Salivary Gland Neoplasms ; Salivary Glands, Minor

Paraneoplastic neurological disorder (PND) is a condition due to immune cross-reactivity between the tumour cells and the normal tissue, whereby the “onconeural” antibodies attack the normal host nervous system. It can present within weeks to months before or after the diagnosis of malignancies. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is associated with paraneoplastic syndrome, for example, dermatomyositis, and rarely with a neurological disorder. We report on a case of nasopharyngeal carcinoma with probable PND. Otolaryngologists, oncologists and neurologists need to be aware of this condition in order to make an accurate diagnosis and to provide prompt treatment.

p style=text-align: justify;strongOBJECTIVE:/strong To describe our experience in performing the lower cheek flap for access to the infratemporal fossa combined with the neurosurgical approach. br /br /strongMETHODS:/strongbr /strongDesign:/strong Case report br /strongSetting:/strong Tertiary Referral Center br /strongPatients:/strong Two br /br /strongRESULTS:/strong Two unusual tumours involving the infratemporal and middle cranial fossa were excised using this combined appoach. The infratemporal fossa tumour was accessed via the lower cheek flap while the intracranial portion was resected from above via craniotomy.br /br /strongCONCLUSION:/strong The lower cheek flap in combination with the neurosurgical approach allows optimal exposure to tumours involving the infratemporal and middle cranial fossae. It has less complications and better aesthetic outcome compared to other approaches./p
Human ; Male ; Female ; Surgical Flaps ; Surgically-Created Structures ; Cheek ; Neoplasms ; Neurosurgical Procedures ; Cranial Fossa, Middle ; Infratentorial Neoplasms

Solitary fibrous tumours of the head and neck region are extremely rare. The clinical diagnosis is often difficult to establish, and this lesion may be indistinguishable from other soft tissue neoplasms. An 18-year old Chinese gentleman presented with a painless right submandibular swelling which was increasing in size for eight months. A computed tomography scan showed a well-defined solid mass measuring about 2.0 x 2.96 cm in the submandibular region. The tumour was resected and was confined within its capsule. Immunohistochemical staining was strongly positive for CD34, CD 99, and vimentin and negative for desmin, smooth muscle actin (SMA), cytokeratin, S100 and CD68. The microscopic and immunohistochemical profile were compatible with solitary fibrous tumour. Distinguishing solitary fibrous tumours from various spindle neoplasms can be difficult. In view of the resemblance, immunohistochemical staining can help differentiate solitary fibrous tumour from spindle neoplasm.
Neoplasms, Tumors, Cancer

INTRODUCTIONIn laryngectomised patients, tracheoesophageal speech is the gold standard for voice rehabilitation. This study evaluated complications related to the tracheoesophageal puncture (TEP) and the success rate in voice prosthesis after total laryngectomy at our institution over a 10-year period.

MATERIALS AND METHODSA retrospective review of 22 TEPs was performed between January 1998 and December 2008. The timing of TEP, type of voice prosthesis, surgical and prosthesis-related complications, and TEP closure were noted.

RESULTSEighteen percent of the patients underwent primary and 82% secondary TEP. Our patients were predominantly males (95.4%) of Chinese descent with a mean age of 62.1 years. The types of voice prostheses used were ProvoxTM (n = 15), Voicemasters (n = 6), and Blom-Singer (n = 1). Prosthesis- related complications occurred in 77.3%. Notable complications were leakage (82.5%), prosthesis displacement (41.2%), intractable aspiration (29.4%), and aspiration of prosthesis (23.5%). The most common surgical-related complication was tracheostomal stenosis. An array of interventions comprising resizing or changing prosthesis type, nasogastric catheter insertion, stomaplasty, purse string suturing, and bronchoscopic removal of bronchial aspirated prosthesis were implemented to address encountered complications. In a mean follow-up of 34.8 months, 68.2% of patients achieved functional tracheoesophageal speech (75% of primary TEP and 67% of secondary TEP). There were 7 TEP closures indicated by persistent leakage, recurrent dislodgement, phonatory failure and, in 1 patient, persistent pain.

CONCLUSIONSTEP has become an integral part in the rehabilitation of a laryngectomee. However, management of the frequent complications related to TEP requires specific efforts and specialistic commitments in order to treat them.

Academic Medical Centers ; statistics & numerical data ; Adult ; Aged ; Constriction, Pathologic ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Equipment Failure Analysis ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Laryngectomy ; rehabilitation ; Larynx, Artificial ; adverse effects ; Malaysia ; epidemiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Punctures ; adverse effects ; Retrospective Studies ; Speech, Alaryngeal ; Trachea ; surgery

Isolated laryngeal histoplasmosis is a very rare entity. It has variable clinical presentations that might mimic both benign and malignant lesions, and is usually associated with pulmonary and other disseminated forms of histoplasmosis. Herein, we report a case of primary laryngeal histoplasmosis without the involvement of other systems in a 70-year-old Chinese man, who previously worked as a miner. He presented with a history of hoarseness for two months, with no other associated symptoms. Direct laryngoscopy revealed irregularity of the posterior one-third of both vocal folds. Histopathological examination revealed the presence of Histoplasma capsulatumon periodic acidSchiff and Grocott's methenamine silver staining. The lesion resolved after one month of oral itraconazole treatment. However, the patient had to complete six months of antifungal treatment to prevent recurrence.
Aged ; Amphotericin B ; therapeutic use ; Antifungal Agents ; therapeutic use ; Histoplasma ; isolation & purification ; Histoplasmosis ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; microbiology ; Humans ; Laryngitis ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; microbiology ; Laryngoscopy ; Larynx ; microbiology ; pathology ; Male ; Occupational Diseases ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; microbiology ; Occupational Exposure ; adverse effects

OBJECTIVE/strong: To describe a case of juvenile angiofibroma with unusual protrusion out of the nasal cavity, and its management with surgery and radiotherapy.br /br /strongMETHODS:/strong br /strongDesign/strong: Case Report br /strongSetting/strong: Tertiary Public Referral Centre br /strongPatient/strong: Onebr /br /strongRESULTS/strong: A 17-year-old gentleman presented with a huge tumor protruding from his left nostril, diagnosed with juvenile angiofibroma stage IlIA by MRI and angiography. Following successful pre-operative embolization, the protruding mass was ligated and truncated, followed by surgical resection via external approach. Post-operative residual tumor was treated with adjuvant radiotherapy. There was no evidence of recurrence after nine months.br /br /strongCONCLUSION/strong: A high index of suspicion is of paramount importance in the diagnosis of JA and avoids the possibility of an unwarranted biopsy which could spell disaster. The most useful tools for diagnosis are MRI and arterial angiography. Treatment is primarily surgical. Irradiation therapy has been reported to achieve satisfactory outcomes, especially for unresectable residual disease and/or intracranial extension, where total surgical resection is unlikely to be attained without unacceptable morbidity./p
Human ; Male ; Adolescent ; Angiofibroma-diagnosis, radiotherapy, surgery ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms ; neoplasms ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Nasal Cavity ; nose

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the commonest malignant tumour affecting the oral cavity with a poor 5-year disease free survival. We present an octogenarian with a recurrent oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma, treated with salvage mandibulectomy without bony reconstruction. No immediate or intermediate perioperative complications were documented. Subsequent monthly surveillance clinical examination, endoscopy and computed tomography at six months post-operative showed no evidence of residual tumour. Geriatric syndrome, perioperative risk and oncologic stratification are three main cornerstones in evaluating feasibility of oncologic surgery in an elderly patient. A multidisciplinary approach allowed surgical extirpation of OSCC with a good outcome

Objective: To describe our experience in managing two cases of primary malignant parotid lymphoma. Methods: Design: Case Report Setting: Tertiary University Referral Center Patients: Two Results: Both patients underwent superficial parotidectomy. Despite recurrence in one, the disease was controlled with conservative management. However, the disease was more aggressive in the other, requiring additional chemo-radiotherapy. Conclusion Malignant parotid lymphoma may present with varying stages, grades and clinical courses, requiring different management approaches. The treatment options are based on grading and staging at diagnosis and should be implemented depending on individual case.
Parotid Neoplasms ; Lymphoma

Introduction: Cancer patients’ perception on the treatment they received is vital to determine their adherence to cancer treatment, but important data on how this variable affects posttraumatic growth (PTG) experience by cancer patients is lacking. This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the degree of PTG among a cohort of head and neck cancer (HNC) survivors who were within first year of diagnosis and determined the association between perception of cancer treatment received (expectation and satisfaction with cancer treatment received and the feeling about the adverse effects) and PTG controlling for socio-demographic and clinical characteristics. Methods: HNC survivors were recruited from two oncology referral centres, and they were administered socio-demographic and clinical characteristics questionnaire, the Malay version of the Cancer Therapy Satisfaction Questionnaire (CTSQ) (to assess the satisfaction, expectation and feeling about the adverse effects of cancer treatment received) and the Malay version of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory-Short Form (PTGi-SF) (to measure the degree of PTG). Results: A total of 200 HNC survivors participated in the study. The mean total PTGI-SF score was 39.5 (standard deviation [SD] = 9.3). Greater degree of positive expectation of cancer treatment and satisfaction with cancer treatment received significantly contributed to higher level of PTG, whereas feeling about side effects of treatment was not associated with PTG, after controlling for socio-demographic and clinical characteristics. Conclusion: Incorporating psychosocial interventions (such as education on cancer treatment and counselling) into the treatment regimen may facilitate development of PTG and hence, safeguard the mental well-being of HNC patients.