Epidermal cysts are generally benign tumors that usually originate from the skin caused by inflammation of hair cortex and proliferation of epidermal cells within the dermis; however, for these cysts to occur in the bony external auditory canal (EAC) is rare. They are often present as a solitary, painless lesion and usually asymptomatic and the diagnosis depends on the results of the histological examination. In treatment, the cyst wall must be completely removed surgically. We recently encountered a 82-year-old male with a mass in the right EAC. An otoscopic examination showed a polypoid mass on the bony EAC, which was finally diagnosed as epidermal cyst after an initial misdiagnosis as EAC carcinoma. We report the rare, unique case with literature review.
Aged, 80 and over ; Dermis ; Diagnosis ; Diagnostic Errors ; Ear Canal* ; Epidermal Cyst* ; Hair ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Male ; Skin

We studied 30 patients who participated in accelerated rehabilitation program after ACL reconstruction to evaluate the effects on knee joint function prospectively. This program emphasizes early full hyperextension, early weight bearing as tolerated, and closed-chain quadriceps functional activities with rapid return to sports. Timing of the return to occupation, activity level, manual knee test, range of motion, thigh circumference, Lysholm knee score and KT-2000 arthrometer measurement were checked at the latest follow-up which is at least more than 1 year. The result were as follows: 1. The mean time for patients to return to occupation was 7.5 weeks (2 weeks-6 months). 2. Range of motion of the knee were not limited in 25 cases (83%) at 1 year after reconstruction. 3. The mean Lysholm score was 92.7. 4. The mean manual maximum KT-2000 arthrometer score was 2.0mm. The results of this study show that patients who had an ACL reconstruction with an autogenous central 1/3 patellar tendon graft and followed an accelerated rehabilitation program obtained longterm stability, achieved full range of motion, had a low complication rate, and were able to return to full sporting activities predictably.
Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Knee Joint* ; Knee* ; Occupations ; Patellar Ligament ; Prospective Studies ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Rehabilitation* ; Sports ; Thigh ; Transplants ; Weight-Bearing

The tracheostomy directs external air into the airway tract. This process causes mucosal dryness, irritation and inflammation in the tracheo-bronchial tree. In order to prevent such problems, several methods are applied; ointment application, humidification and careful suction etc. The heat-moisture exchanger (HME) is commercially sold device that assists heating and humidification of the inhaled air. The authors experienced successful treatment outcome of intractable tracheitis caused by repetitive and vigorous intra-tracheal suction by applying HME in a total laryngectomized patient. We report an interesting and didactic case with a brief literature review.

The etiology of laryngeal hemangioma is unclear, and it is classified into infant and adult types. The former is capillary hemangioma and relatively common, the latter is cavernous type and very rare. The adult laryngeal hemangioma mainly occurs in supraglottis and glottis. A 75-year-old man came to our clinic with a voice change that started four months ago. The laryngoscopic finding showed that the surface of oval-shaped mass is covered with turbid exudates. We performed the laryngeal microsurgery with CO2 laser. The mass was pathologically proven as cavernous hemangioma. We report a very rare and didactic case with review of relevant literature.

The most common cause of primary hyperparathyroidism is a single adenoma accounts for more than 85% and about 1-2% in multiple occurrence. The adenoma arises mainly in the neck and rarely in the mediastinum. The simultaneous occurrence is extremely rare. A 73-year-old man came to our clinic complained about sense of falling forward during last eight months. The brain MRI and vestibular function test showed non-specific findings but total calcium and intact parathyroid hormone levels were markedly elevated. Radiologic studies and sesta-MIBI scan revealed multiple masses in lower paratracheal area and superior mediastinum. We performed mass excision with transcervical approach and all of them were diagnosed as parathyroid adenoma. After surgery, intact PTH and calcium levels returned to the normal range and his symptoms were dramatically improved. We report the unique and rare disease entity with a brief literature review.

A cyst in the accessory parotid gland (APG) is extremely rare, with only three cases having been reported recently in English literature. They were all treated with sclerotherapy, where a cyst may appear as a painless superficial mass in the mid-cheek area. In sclerotherapy, the most commonly used materials are ethanol and OK-432, which report good therapeutic results for the treatment of benign cervical cystic mass. An 85-year-old man came to our clinic with superficial, well-margined ovoid mass on the left cheek. The mass was diagnosed as a benign cyst in APG through imaging studies and core needle biopsy. We performed the ultrasoundguided percutaneous ethanol injection and the cyst disappeared, leaving only the fused cystic wall. We report this very rare and interesting case with a literature review.

Extrapulmonary small cell carcinoma originated from the paranasal sinus is extremely rare, and its local and distant metastasis is common and the prognosis is poor. We recently experienced a rare case of small cell carcinoma that originated from the maxillary sinus. However, the diagnosis was delayed for several reasons, one of which included accompanied bilateral fungal sinusitis. The patient received chemotherapy for four times, but the therapy was discontinued due to poor general conditions. We report our case with a review of the literature.

Parathyroid carcinoma accounts for about 0.5%-5% of all parathyroid neoplasms. Very rarely, but if the intrathyroidal parathyroid gland is present, the carcinoma can arise in that developmental anomaly. It is very difficult to distinguish a thyroid nodule from an intrathyroidal parathyroid neoplasm with preoperative radiologic and cytologic evaluations. A 59-year-old male was initially evaluated as presenting a follicular thyroid neoplasm accompanied by hyperparathyroidism. He received hemi-thyroidectomy with central neck dissection and subtotal parathyroidectomy. The final pathology evaluation revealed intrathyroidal parathyroid carcinoma and hyperplasia of contralateral parathyroid glands. We report this very rare and unique clinical situation with a literature review.

Herniation of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) into the external auditory canal is rare as TMJ and external auditory canal are separated by an anterior bony wall of external auditory canal. The bony defect of the anterior external auditory canal can be caused by trauma, otologic procedure, neoplasm, inflammation and a rare congenital bony defect. Conservative treatment is available if the severity of the symptom is mild or asymptomatic. However, surgical procedure is considered if the patient experiences severe distress. There have been no reported cases of surgical-related complications and recurrence during postoperative follow-up period. Herein we report the very first case of foreign body prolapse involving herniation from TMJ extending into the external auditory canal.

The tracheostomy directs external air into the airway tract. This process causes mucosal dryness, irritation and inflammation in the tracheo-bronchial tree. In order to prevent such problems, several methods are applied; ointment application, humidification and careful suction etc. The heat-moisture exchanger (HME) is commercially sold device that assists heating and humidification of the inhaled air. The authors experienced successful treatment outcome of intractable tracheitis caused by repetitive and vigorous intra-tracheal suction by applying HME in a total laryngectomized patient. We report an interesting and didactic case with a brief literature review.