Ancient schwannoma is a benign neoplasm of nerve origin and may cause difficulties in the differential diagnosis with other benign or malignant tumors. It is also a rare variant of schwannoma with atypical tumor cells with nuclear pleomorphism and hyperchromatism. In this report, a 44-years-old female patient with an ancient schwannoma of the submandibular gland is presented, discussed, and the literature is reviewed for head and neck location of this tumor.
Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Head ; Humans ; Neck ; Nerve Sheath Neoplasms ; Neurilemmoma ; Submandibular Gland

Head and neck cancers comprise a heterogenous group of cancers that require a multidisciplinary approach. Surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy and, more recently, target therapy are often employed in various combinations in an attempt to eradicate both clinically apparent and occult disease. The role of chemotherapy in multimodality treatment for locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, although firmly established, presents several unresolved issues. Concomitant platinum-based chemoradiation (CRT) is a standard treatment for unresectable, resectable but nonsurgically treated, and postoperative high-risk patients with locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Cetuximab administered concomitantly with radiotherapy has not been directly compared with CRT but offers a potential different approach using a noncytotoxic systemic agent. In recent years taxanes have been shown activity in head and neck cancers and are being incorporated into neo-adjuvant and concomitant chemotherapy regimens.
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Chemoradiotherapy ; Drug Therapy* ; Head ; Head and Neck Neoplasms* ; Humans ; Neck ; Radiotherapy ; Taxoids ; Cetuximab

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is not only a procedure used in treating malignant liver tumors, but is also a valuable way of treating benign thyroid nodules. RFA can be used in almost every patient, regardless of the contents of the solid component. One of the merits of RFA is that it may be used as an alternative to benign thyroid nodule surgeries. With this method, patients who so only choice in the past were to get surgeries can be treated in another way. This article reviews the indications, pre-procedural evaluations, techniques, results, and complications of thyroid radiofrequency ablation.
Catheter Ablation* ; Humans ; Liver ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Nodule* ; Ultrasonography

Ultrasonograms and thyroglobulin measurements have high sensitivity for evaluation of recurrent thyroid cancer and they allow early detection of recurrent or residual thyroid tumors. Patients treated for thyroid cancer can show recurrent or residual tumors in 5-40% of cases. Radioiodine therapy and surgical excision are effective for recurrent or residual thyroid tumors, but up to 30% of tumors will not reveal iodine uptake, and need further observation or surgical excision. Clinically, patients choose surgical excision rather than observation. During reoperation, the risk of surgical complications is increased because of fibrosis, neovascularization, and modified anatomical relationships. In the past, surgeons have occasionally used methylene blue during reoperation but it tends to spread into the surrounding tissues. Recently, charcoal injection has been used for recurrent thyroid microcarcinoma. The authors successfully used charcoal injection for the removal of tumor in two cases of recurrent microcarcinoma of the thyroid bed after total thyroidectomy.
Charcoal ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Iodine ; Methylene Blue ; Neoplasm, Residual ; Reoperation ; Thyroglobulin ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; Thyroidectomy

Intramuscular hemangiomas are uncommon tumors of the head and neck and when present, the masseter muscle is the most frequently involved site, although constituting only 0.8% of all hemangiomas. Diagnosis of intramuscular hemangioma is extremely difficult even with accurate preoperative imaging because it is not encountered frequently and is often confused with salivary gland stone, parotid neoplasm or other tumors. The definitive diagnosis is made by histological study of the surgical biopsy specimen. Treatment of choice is by complete surgical excision. This is the first case of intramuscular hemangioma of the masseter muscle reported in Korea. So I review the clinical, radiologic, histologic findings and treatment modalities of the intramuscular hemangioma.
Biopsy ; Diagnosis ; Head ; Hemangioma ; Hemangioma, Cavernous* ; Korea ; Masseter Muscle* ; Neck ; Parotid Neoplasms ; Salivary Gland Calculi

During the period from January 1980 to September 1988, 59 patients suffering from brachial plexus injury, have admitted to Seoul National University Hospital. Fifty-four patients were male and 5 patients were female, and age ranged from 6 to 58 years (mean:26.8 years). The most common cause of injury was traffic accident accounting for 66% (39patient), and among them 24 patients(62%) had the motor cycle accident. Birth injury, stab or gun shot wound, fall down and industrial hazard were following causes. Fracture and dislocation of involved limb accompanied in 19 patients(32%) and 2 patients of arterial injury were also found. EMG and cervicsl myelography with or without CT were performed in almost all the patients and MRI was performed in selected patients. Forty-five patients(76%) had supra-clavicular lesion and 14 patients (24%) had infra-clavicular lesion. In supra-clavicular lesion, upper roots or whole roots were involved in most of cases. Forty-nine cases were treated with conservative treatment for more than 8 months and operative procedures were performed in 36 cases. In operative cases, 30 patients were followed up for more than 1 year (average 24.3 months). Signs of root avulsion were found in 25 out of 31 cases of cervical myelography. MRI was performed in 7 cases, but it was inconclusive in diagnosis of root involvement. Infra-clavicular lesion showed better prognosis than supra-clavicular lesion. In supra-clavicular lesion, upper root involvement had the best prognosis. A pseudocyst detected by myelography usually precluded recovery in the root at the level of pseudocyst. Result of reparative treatment was better than that of conservative treatment. Overall satisfactory result in reparative treatment was 36%. However, if we include neurological improvement, positive result was 53%. Complete recovery was gained in half cases of neurolysis and other half showed no recovery, but all the cases of neurotization showed poor result. Reconstructive surgery including arthrodesis or muscle transfer can be effective treatment method, if it is performed properly on a selective patient.
Accidents, Traffic ; Arthrodesis ; Birth Injuries ; Brachial Plexus ; Diagnosis ; Dislocations ; Extremities ; Female ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Methods ; Myelography ; Nerve Transfer ; Prognosis ; Seoul ; Surgical Procedures, Operative ; Wounds and Injuries

Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Copper ; Disinfection ; Ethylene Oxide ; Fibroblasts ; Freezing ; Micropore Filters ; Sterilization ; Succinate Dehydrogenase ; Transplants

Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute multisystemic vasculitis, which occurs in children of less than 10 years of age. Recently, KD has become the leading cause of acquired heart diseases in children in the developed world, with coronary artery aneurysms occurring in up to 25% of untreated cases. A number of publications described patients for whom the diagnosis was delayed since the symptoms did not fulfill the required criteria to be diagnosed as KD, and, consequently heightened cardiac complications resulted. These cases are known as atypical or incomplete KD. The following case report describes patients with atypical KD, whose initial presentation mimicked a cervical lymphadenitis. Empiric antibiotics were prescribed in these cases with unsatisfactory response, initially. An awareness of this entity with its manifestations is warranted by otolaryngologists who may well be the first doctor on the scene. Prompt and early treatment with aspirin and intravenous immunoglobulin may decrease morbidity and potential mortality of this enigmatic disease.
Aneurysm ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Aspirin ; Child ; Coronary Vessels ; Diagnosis ; Heart Diseases ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins ; Lymphadenitis* ; Mortality ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome* ; Vasculitis

Lymphadenitis due to toxoplasma infection is not uncommon and should be considered in the diagnosis of unexplained lymphadenopathy at all sites, especially at the cervical region. We report four cases of toxoplasmosis diagnosed by cytologic, histologic and serologic tests. Fine needle aspiration cytologic diagnosis can help the diagnosis of toxoplasma lymphadenitis and eliminate unnecessary hospitalization or surgery.
Biopsy, Fine-Needle* ; Biopsy, Needle ; Diagnosis ; Hospitalization ; Lymphadenitis ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Mass Screening* ; Serologic Tests ; Toxoplasma ; Toxoplasmosis*

Leiomyoma is a tumor rarely occurring in the nose and the paranasal sinus. It constitutes about 1% of all benign tumors arising in the head and neck area. This is probably due to the paucity of smooth muscle in the nose. We experienced a case of leiomyoma originating in the right side of the nasal septum in a 50-year- man. It was successfully removed by endoscopic surgery, and we report this case with literature.
Head ; Leiomyoma* ; Muscle, Smooth ; Nasal Septum* ; Neck ; Nose