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Background: Deglutition disorders are frequent in patients treated for cancer of the oropharynx, and are responsible for severe aspiration and, in some cases, may require the use of enteral nutrition by gastrostomy or tracheotomy., Methods: We present the case of a patient with a medical history of infiltrating laryngeal carcinoma treated by partial laryngectomy and radiochemotherapy, presenting severe aspiration causing significant weight loss. The patient received a new intralaryngeal prosthesis to prevent aspiration with the objective of regaining safe oral nutrition and closure of the tracheotomy., Results: Deglutition tests after postimplantation demonstrated significantly improved airway protection and recovery deglutition, allowing the patient to return home with resumption of varied solid and a liquid diet., Conclusion: For a patient presenting severe aspiration, the intralaryngeal prosthesis allowed a resumption of oral feeding without exclusion of the larynx or airway protection by tracheotomy. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38: First-E2507, 2016., (© 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Candida dubliniensis is an uncommon species of Candida which has been implicated in fungal pneumonia only very rarely. We present the case of a 75-year-old man with laryngeal cancer undergoing chemotherapy on broad-spectrum antibiotics and tuberculosis therapy with blood and endotracheal cultures positive for C. dubliniensis. Subsequent autopsy was performed with postmortem lung cultures positive for C. dubliniensis and lung histopathology demonstrating an invasive fungal infection. Molecular analysis of the lung tissue confirmed the identity of the fungi as C. dubliniensis. Since its discovery as a pathogen in the oral cavities of HIV-positive patients, C. dubliniensis has been identified in a wide spectrum of clinical scenarios and anatomic locations but manifests only rarely as pneumonia. This report represents a novel case of C. dubliniensis pneumonia confirmed by culture, histopathology, and molecular identification.

Objectives/hypothesis: Laryngeal cancer and its treatment, despite management with organ-preservation treatments, is known to negatively affect voice and functional outcomes. The aim of this study was to determine whether functional outcomes and patient perceptions were improved by combining organ preservation with post treatment function rehabilitation., Study Design: Randomized controlled trial., Method: Sixty-one patients with carcinoma in situ (Tis) to T4 size laryngeal cancers treated with radiotherapy were prospectively recruited. Thirty patients were randomized into the voice rehabilitation (VR) group and 31 received no VR (control group). The VR group underwent 10 speech pathology sessions postradiotherapy. Voice function was evaluated pre-VR and at 6 and 12 months follow-up using the auditory-perceptual Grade, Roughness, Breathiness, Asthenia, and Strain (GRBAS) scale and patient perception measures., Results: The control group demonstrated significant deterioration in vocal roughness (P = 0.02) between 6 to 12 months, whilst the VR group did not, resulting in a significant difference (P < 0.01) between the two groups at 12 months. A between-group significant difference (P = 0.02) was also observed for breathiness at 12 months. Patient perceptions of improved vocal quality, acceptability, hoarseness, vocal fatigue, and ashamed (of voice) pre- to post-VR improved significantly (P < 0.02) in the VR group, although significant difference (P = 0.03) between groups was observed post-VR for hoarseness only., Conclusion: For this study group representing Tis to T4-size laryngeal cancers, patients receiving voice rehabilitation post radiotherapy demonstrated no functional decline in vocal roughness and perceived their voice to improve to a greater extent post-VR than the control group., Level of Evidence: 1b. Laryngoscope, 126:2029-2035, 2016., (© 2016 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.)

Surgical treatment of benign vocal fold lesions can be indicated for clinical or functional reasons. The principles of phonosurgery have to be maintained in either case. The appropriate phonosurgical technique depends on the type of vocal fold lesion. Depending on the findings, phonosurgery aims to maintain or improve voice quality. The evaluation of clinical and functional results includes indirect laryngoscopy, videostroboscopy, and voice analysis.

Background: Takotsubo cardiomyopathy has been associated with the use of catecholamines; however, its development after the use of nebulised adrenaline for the management of acute airway obstruction has not previously been described., Case Report: A 66-year-old man with squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx, with tumour-node-metastasis staging of T3N2cM0, confirmed by biopsy and computed tomography, presented to the emergency department with acute airway obstruction. He was treated twice with nebulised adrenaline and intravenous dexamethasone. After a period of 24 hours, cardiac rhythm changes were noted on telemetry. A 12-lead electrocardiogram showed widespread T-wave inversion and QT prolongation suggestive of an acute coronary syndrome. Coronary angiography demonstrated no coronary artery disease, but left ventricular angiography showed marked apical ballooning and apical wall akinesia consistent with a diagnosis of takotsubo cardiomyopathy., Conclusion: Takotsubo cardiomyopathy can mimic true ischaemic heart disease and the diagnosis requires a high index of suspicion in patients managed with nebulised adrenaline.

The terms used to describe vocal fold motion impairment are confusing and not standardized. This results in a failure to communicate accurately and to major limitations of interpreting research studies involving vocal fold impairment. We propose standard nomenclature for reporting vocal fold impairment. Overarching terms of vocal fold immobility and hypomobility are rigorously defined. This includes assessment techniques and inclusion and exclusion criteria for determining vocal fold immobility and hypomobility. In addition, criteria for use of the following terms have been outlined in detail: vocal fold paralysis, vocal fold paresis, vocal fold immobility/hypomobility associated with mechanical impairment of the crico-arytenoid joint and vocal fold immobility/hypomobility related to laryngeal malignant disease. This represents the first rigorously defined vocal fold motion impairment nomenclature system. This provides detailed definitions to the terms vocal fold paralysis and vocal fold paresis.

Background: Treatment-related chronic neuropathic pain represents a major and increasing cause of discomfort in cancer survivors. Unfortunately, in approximately 10%-15% of cases, pain is scarcely relieved by opioids and common painkillers. Thus, alternative measures to manage pain have recently been adopted in these patients., Case Description: We report the case of a laryngeal cancer survivor who developed an intractable bilateral mandibular radiation-induced neuropathic pain syndrome. His pain was refractory to any pharmacological treatment, whereas the implant of bilateral subcutaneous facial electrodes led to the complete resolution of pain., Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report in literature describing peripheral nerve field stimulation as a treatment option for intractable cancer treatment-related chronic neuropathic pain. Peripheral nerve field stimulation appears to be a safe and effective procedure., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: estimate the prevalence of anxiety in laryngectomy patients in the pre and postoperative periods and its relation with the self-care level., Method: observational research of 40 patients with stage IV laryngeal cancer. Three observations took place: in the preoperative phase, at seven and at 14 days after the surgery; between June 2010 and December 2012. Two self-care levels were defined: self-sufficient and needing help for activities of daily living and treatment-related activities. To assess the anxiety levels, Zigmond's hospital anxiety scale (1983) was used., Results: in the preoperative and postoperative phases, the patients presented high levels of anxiety. Concerning self-care, on average, self-sufficient patients presented lower levels of anxiety than patients who needed help to accomplish activities of daily living and activities deriving from the surgery, without significant differences., Conclusion: anxiety is present at all times in laryngectomy patients and the reduction of the self-care deficit seems to decrease it, without putting a permanent end to it., Objetivo: estimar a prevalência de ansiedade do paciente laringectomizado no pré-operatório e pós-operatório e sua relação com o nível de autocuidado., Método: pesquisa observacional de 40 pacientes com câncer da laringe estágio IV. Foram realizadas 3 observações: no pré-operatório, a 7 e 14 dias pós-operatório, no período de junho de 2010 a dezembro de 2012. Dois níveis de autocuidado foram definidos: autossuficientes e precisar ajuda para as atividades da vida diária e relacionadas ao tratamento. Para avaliar a ansiedade, foi utilizada a escala de ansiedade hospitalar de Zigmond (1983)., Resultados: no pré-operatório e pós-operatório, os pacientes apresentaram níveis elevados de ansiedade. Com relação ao autocuidado, os pacientes autossuficientes apresentaram na média níveis inferiores de ansiedades que os pacientes que precisavam de ajuda para realizar as atividades da vida diária y as derivadas da cirurgia, sem chegar a ser significativas estas diferenças., Conclusão: a ansiedade está presente a todo momento no paciente laringectomizado e a diminuição do déficit de autocuidados parece diminuí-la sem acabar definitivamente com ela., Objetivo: estimar la prevalencia de ansiedad del paciente laringectomizado, en el preoperatorio y postoperatorio y su relación con el nivel de autocuidados., Método: investigación observacional de 40 pacientes con cáncer de laringe estadio IV. Se realizaron 3 observaciones: en el preoperatorio, a los 7 y 14 días del postoperatorio; en el periodo junio 2010 a diciembre de 2012. Se definieron dos niveles de autocuidados: autosuficientes y necesitar ayuda para las actividades de la vida diaria y derivadas del tratamiento; para evaluar la ansiedad se utilizó la escala de ansiedad hospitalaria de Zigmond (1983)., Resultados: en el preoperatorio y postoperatorio los pacientes presentaron niveles elevados de ansiedad. En relación a los autocuidados, los pacientes autosuficientes presentaron en media niveles más bajos de ansiedad que los pacientes que necesitaban ayuda para realizar las actividades de la vida diaria y las derivadas de la cirugía, sin llegar a ser significativas estas diferencias., Conclusión: la ansiedad está presente en todo momento en el paciente con laringectomia y la disminución del déficit de autocuidados parece disminuirla sin terminar definitivamente con ella.

Verruca vulgaris is a cutaneous disease manifested with a single or multiple, small painless lesions that may involve keratinized or nonkeratinized epithelium. It can be localized at skin or mucosa. It is a benign lesion; however, it is of importance to discriminate from verrucous carcinoma to plan treatment, especially in those with laryngeal localization. Total excision is adequate in the management of verruca vulgaris; thus, accurate differential diagnosis is essential to avoid unnecessary surgical interventions. Here, the authors presented a patient with verruca vulgaris which was totally excised by cold-blade surgical excision.

Background: Head and neck cancer emergency presentations are uncommon but persistent. However, there is little published literature on this aspect of cancer and patient demographics. This study aimed to assess the incidence, patient profile, tumour site and stage of emergency cancer presentations in our region., Method: Retrospective review of regional cancer database over a five-year period., Results: Emergency presentations accounted for 7 per cent of all cases. There was no difference in patient age and risk factors between the emergency and non-emergency presentations. The emergency presentation group showed a greater proportion of female patients compared to the non-emergency presentation group (30 vs 15 per cent). In all emergency presentations, the cancer was at advanced stages. Oropharyngeal cancer was the commonest emergency presentation of cancer, but the third commonest in the non-emergency group., Conclusion: Emergency presentations are increasing annually. Female patients and oropharyngeal cancer showed greater representation compared to male patients and laryngeal cancer.

Purpose: The long-term results of RTOG 91-11 suggested increased deaths not attributed to larynx cancer after concomitant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) despite no apparent increase in late effects. Because the timing of events was not reported by RTOG 91-11, one possibility is that severe late dysphagia (SLD) develops beyond five years and leads to unreported treatment-related deaths. Here we explore the timing of SLD after CRT., Methods: Patients who would have met eligibility criteria for RTOG 91-11 and were treated with CRT between 1993 and 2013 were identified. Events occurring beyond 3months after treatment and suggestive of SLD were recorded including esophageal stricture dilations, hospital admissions for aspiration pneumonia or feeding-tube insertion. Feeding-tube dependence beyond one year was also considered SLD. The cumulative incidence of SLD and its components was quantified using Gray's competing risk analysis with recurrence or death considered competing risks., Results: Eighty-four patients were included with a median follow-up of 43months. The 5-year overall survival was 70% (95% CI 58-80%). No death was directly a result of treatment-induced late dysphagia. The 5-year incidence of SLD was 26.5%. While 15 of 18 (83%) first stricture dilations occurred within 5years after CRT, 3 of 5 (60%) aspiration admissions and 5 of 8 late feeding tube insertions occurred beyond five years from CRT., Conclusions: SLD is common after CRT for larynx cancer and can occur beyond 5years from the end of treatment, emphasizing the importance of survivorship follow-up. Despite the incidence of SLD, death related to dysphagia is uncommon., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: The purpose of this study was to establish minimum clinically important difference (MCID) scores for the Swedish Self-Evaluation of Communication Experiences after Laryngeal Cancer (S-SECEL) in order to facilitate clinical interpretation and identify cutoff values for voice rehabilitation., Method: One hundred nineteen patients with laryngeal cancer completed the S-SECEL instrument and an anchor question regarding acceptability of speech in a social context pretreatment and 12-month postoncologic treatment. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves analysis was used for calculation of cutoff values., Results: Voice rehabilitation cutoff values were identified for all domains (Total = 20; General = 4; Environmental = 16, and Attitudinal = 5), presenting acceptable sensitivity and specificity. Initial MCID estimates were obtained for all domains; improvement of -13 points (p < .0001) or a deterioration of +8 points (p = .035) for the Total domain., Conclusion: MCID and cutoff scores for the S-SECEL have been identified and may be used in clinical practice to help identify patients with laryngeal cancer in need of voice rehabilitation., (© 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Objectives: To evaluate the voice changes after narrow-margin endoscopic partial laryngectomy in subjects with T1N0M0 glottic cancer., Study Design: Uncontrolled retrospective comparison of preoperative and postoperative mean phonation time; fundamental frequency, jitter, shimmer, and noise-to-harmonic ratio; and voice-related quality of life (V-RQOL) survey scores., Methods: Seventeen adults diagnosed with T1N0M0 glottic cancer who underwent narrow-margin endoscopic partial laryngectomy were included. All subjects had preoperative and postoperative acoustic evaluation and V-RQOL scores. Subjects were separated into three groups based on age and depth of resection. Group A (mean age, 52 years) consisted of seven subjects who underwent superficial resection (superficial layer of lamina propria) and were younger than 60 years. Group B (mean age, 76 years) consisted of six subjects who were older than 60 years and underwent superficial resection (superficial layer of lamina propria). The four subjects in group C were older than 60 years and underwent deep resection (into the vocal ligament and/or into the thyroarytenoid muscle)., Results: There was a statistically significant improvement in V-RQOL in group A. The acoustic measures did not change after surgery (no P<0.05)., Conclusion: For early-stage cancer, patients younger than 60 years and superficial resection of cancer are predictive for better voice., (Copyright © 2016 The Voice Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

We present a case of a 62-year-old man with a lipoma in the exceedingly rare location of the larynx, causing intermittent airway obstruction and dysphagia. The lipoma was excised endoscopically with complete resolution of symptoms. Lipomas are relatively common, accounting for 4-5% of all benign tumours in the body. They traditionally occur in areas of large depositions of subcutaneous fat, most frequently the trunk and limbs. They are recognised to occur in the head and neck but these only represent 13-15% of all lipomas. Lipomas are typically asymptomatic unless their impingement of nearby structures causes symptoms., (2016 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.)

The "cannot ventilate, cannot intubate" scenario during anesthesia induction can be lethal. We present a patient with an undiagnosed subglottic tumor who developed the "cannot ventilate, cannot intubate" situation after induction of general anesthesia, due to the presence of an undiagnosed subglottic tumor. A 93-year-old woman was brought to the operating room for repair of a femoral neck fracture. Both ventilation and intubation could not be accomplished, and the patient was awakened without complications after trials of maintaining the airway. In order to reverse muscle relaxation, sugammadex was useful to allow resumption of spontaneous breathing. A difficult airway can be caused by an undiagnosed subglottic tumor. Subglottic tumors can be misdiagnosed as asthma, because the clinical presentation can be very similar. If cricothyrotomy had been performed based on airway management algorithms, the airway may not have been controlled with a possibly fatal outcome. Ultrasound examination of the trachea may be useful to diagnose obstructive lesions in the airway.

Background: Infection with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) plays a role in the development of gastric carcinoma. However, there is controversy as to whether H. pylori infection increases laryngeal or pharyngeal cancers., Methods: We managed a systematic review of researches related to H. pylori infection in laryngeal or pharyngeal carcinomas, distributed up to December 2014. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were assessed by random effects models or according to heterogeneity I(2) ., Results: Eleven studies were involved in the meta-analysis. Overall, H. pylori infection was significantly higher in the study group compared with the normal control group (OR = 2.87; 95% CI = 1.71-4.84; I(2) = 67.1; p < .0001, random effects analysis). The ORs for laryngeal carcinoma were 3.28 (95% CI = 1.91-5.63; I(2) = 58; p < .0001, random effects model). The ORs for pharyngeal cancer were 1.35 (95% CI = 0.86-2.12; p = .188, random effects model)., Conclusion: This study supported the proposition that infection with H. pylori was related to laryngeal carcinoma, specifically in the hospital-based control group and diagnosed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Nevertheless, no significant relationship was discovered between H. pylori infection and pharyngeal cancer. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38: E2291-E2296, 2016., (© 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

A schwannoma is a neurogenic tumour arising from nerve sheaths. Between 25% and 45% of schwannomas occur in the head and neck region. Schwannomas of the larynx are extremely rare. They usually occur in women during the fourth and fifth decades of life. We present a case of a laryngeal schwannoma in a 76-year-old patient with acute stridor, hoarseness and dysphagia. Laryngeal conservation surgery was performed without the need for a tracheostomy. One year later, the patient remains symptom-free with no evidence of recurrence. Clinical presentation, diagnosis and management are discussed and the literature is reviewed., (2016 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.)

Patients with advanced or metastatic cancer have compromised nutritional, metabolic, and immune conditions. Nevertheless, little is known about gastroduodenal perforation in cancer patients. Described in the present report is the case of a 41-year old woman with stage IV recurrent laryngeal cancer, who used homeopathic anticancer therapy and who had triple peptic ulcer perforation (PUP) that required surgical repair. Triple gastric PUP is a rare complication. Self-administration of homeopathic anticancer medication should be strongly discouraged when evidence-based data regarding efficacy and toxicity is lacking.

Paraneoplastic syndromes are associated with a variety of malignant neoplasms and are systemic and non-metastatic manifestations that develop in a minority of cancer patients. This review examines all published cases of paraneoplastic syndromes associated with neuroendocrine carcinomas of the larynx. There are a total of ten patients reported with paraneoplastic syndromes associated with laryngeal neuroendocrine carcinomas in the literature. Of these, nine died and the tenth is alive with liver metastases. There were five cases of small-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma, four cases of moderately differentiated neuroendocrine carcinoma, and one case of well-differentiated neuroendocrine carcinoma associated with paraneoplastic syndromes. As these syndromes have significant clinical relevance, physicians should be aware of the possible presence of paraneoplastic syndromes in the diagnostic process of patients with neuroendocrine carcinoma of the larynx.

Background: Because of the inherent immunosuppression of cancer patients opportunistic infections by Candida spp, occur frequently. This study aimed to identify Candida species in the oral mucosa of 59 patients with orogastric cancer (OGC) and to analyze the immunological phenotype of these patients., Methods: The yeasts were identified by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry (MS). For all isolates, we performed phospholipases and proteinases assays, in vitro adherence to buccal epithelial cells (BEC), minimum inhibitory concentration of antifungal drugs and determined the cytokine profile by Cytometric Bead Array flow citometry assay., Results: C. albicans was the most prevalent species in OGC patients (51.6 %) and control group (66.7 %). Candida spp. strains isolated from OGC patients exhibited better adherence to BEC (p = 0.05) than did the control group. Phospholipases production by Candida strains from OGC patients was lower (51.6 %) than in the control group (61.9 %). Proteinases were detected in 41.9 % and 4.8 % of the yeasts from OGC patients and control group, respectively. Significant differences were found in the serum of OGC patients compared to the control group for IL-2, IL-10, TNF-α, IFN-γ and IL-17., Conclusions: The results of this work suggest increased virulence of yeasts isolated from OGC patients and, that this may interfere with the immune phenotype.

Background: The spindle cell lipoma (SCL) is a special type of lipoma and this is very rare in the head and neck regions. There are only five reported cases exist, which describes the occurrence of a SCL in the hypopharynx., Methods: Our case report presents a case of a very large SCL in the larynx. We want to describe that how we treated the patients and compared the situation with other reported cases., Results: Intraoperatively, we found a tumor mass of 7 × 5 cm. It was successfully removed with the carbon dioxide laser. No postoperative complications occurred., Conclusions: Although SCL is a very rare diagnosis in the larynx/hypopharynx, it should be included in the differential diagnosis of larynx/hypopharynx tumors. Our case is the first report of such a large SCL in the larynx. The clinical symptoms occurred relatively late and ended up in an acute situation of stridor and dyspnea.

Background: Voice and swallowing impairments can impact on both quality of life and survival. Unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP) as a result of distant metastasis can cause breathy voice and aspiration. The purpose of this study is to develop and evaluate a less invasive and effective alternative therapy for UVFP., Methods: This was a retrospective review of prospectively enrolled patients at a tertiary referral center in Taiwan. Among a cohort of 177 patients who received intracordal hyaluronate injections, 2 had UVFP from distant metastasis and met the inclusion criteria. Vocal cord motion was recorded by videostroboscopy, and the normalized glottal gap area was measured. Voice quality, defined by speech language pathologists, and swallowing status were compared, and immediate complications after the injection were investigated., Results: Two patients with UVFP with M1 lesions (both lung) accepted the procedure. The glottal gap area was significantly improved 1 month after in-office hyaluronate injection. Voice quality and aspiration were also improved. No immediate complications were noted in either patient., Conclusions: In-office intracordal hyaluronate injection is a safe and effective treatment for UVFP, providing a palliative method to help maintain the patient's voice and quality of life., (© 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

We evaluated a series of 5 patients-3 men and 2 women, aged 39 to 70 years (mean: 54.4)-with a granular cell tumor (GCT) of the head and neck in an effort to better define the clinical presentation, imaging characteristics, and surgical management of this type of tumor. In all cases, the diagnosis was established by pathologic analysis. There were 2 cases of laryngeal GCT and 1 case each of GCT arising in the nostril, hypopharynx, and the tongue base. The clinical findings were variable, depending on the location and extent of each lesion. Four of these patients underwent endoscopic examination, and in 2 cases computed tomography was performed. Treatment included wide surgical excision of the lesion in all cases. Otolaryngologists should be familiar with this unusual tumor. Although an accurate preoperative diagnosis is extremely difficult to make, appropriate therapeutic intervention is associated with a cure rate that is quite high.

Background: Gastric conduit ischemia is sometimes correlated with anastomosis-related morbidities after esophagectomy and pharyngolaryngectomy.1 (-) 5 A lack of connection between the right and left gastroepiploic vessels and intraoperative injury to these vessels could cause conduit ischemia. In addition, tensioned anastomosis due to a short gastric tube also could contribute to anastomotic leaks. This report introduces a reconstruction technique using a pedunculated gastric tube with duodenal transection for these cases., Methods: Creation of a gastric tube in the greater curvature of the stomach is performed with linear staplers. Only the right gastroepiploic vessels are preserved. The gastric tube is finally fashioned with a width of approximately 4 cm. The peripheral right gastroepiploic vessels to the pylorus are sacrificed. After the bulbs are transected, a pedunculated gastric tube is moved, with confirmation whether it has sufficient length for anastomosis in the neck. After the anal side of the gastric tube is transected, Roux-en-Y gastrointestinal anastomosis is performed. Finally, esophagogastric or pharyngogastric anastomosis is performed., Results: Between November 2011 and September 2014, 18 patients underwent the reported reconstruction technique due to short gastric tubes in 10 patients and a lack of connection between the right and left gastroepiploic vessels in 8 patients. Anastomotic leaks occurred in three patients (16.7 %), conduit necrosis in no patients, and strictures in no patients, respectively. Two patients had an anastomotic grade 2 leak, and one patient had an anastomotic grade 3 leak., Conclusion: The current reconstruction technique is a good alternative for patients at risk of conduit ischemia and patients with a short gastric tube after esophagectomy and pharyngolaryngectomy.

Objectives/hypothesis: There are few studies that discuss the issues surrounding emergent awake tracheostomy. We aim to review the indications, anesthesia used, complications, and outcomes of patients undergoing urgent awake tracheostomy., Study Design: Chart review., Methods: Medical charts of patients who underwent an emergent awake tracheostomy at our institution-affiliated tertiary care center over a 5-year period from 2009 to 2014 were reviewed. Data were collected from inpatient, outpatient, and operative records., Results: Sixty-eight patients underwent emergent awake tracheostomy. Over half presented with hoarseness (n=37, 54.4%) and/or stridor (n=37, 54.4%). Acute upper airway obstruction secondary to malignancy was the most common indication and accounted for 58 cases (85.3%). Thirty-nine (70.1%) of the 55 patients with squamous cell carcinoma presented with advanced disease (stage III or IV). Other indications included glottic or subglottic stenosis (4.4%), failure to intubate (2.9%), and other (7.4%). Local anesthesia was used alone in 35.3% of cases and in combination with conscious sedation in 64.7% of cases. Mild bleeding occurred postoperatively in five patients (7.4%). There were no other postoperative complications. Nineteen patients were lost to follow-up. The mean follow-up of 49 patients was 7.2 weeks, ranging from 2 to 261 weeks. Long-term complications occurred in three patients and included tracheitis 7.4% and suprastomal granuloma 2.9%. Eleven patients (22%) were decannulated at a mean of 11.8 months following tracheostomy., Conclusions: Emergent awake tracheostomy should be considered in patients with impeding airway obstruction and is a safe and effective method to secure an airway in these patients., Level of Evidence: 4., (© 2015 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.)

Laryngeal papillomatosis is a rare, potentially severe cause of recurrent laryngeal dyspnea. It should be known as a cause of laryngeal dyspnea resistant to the usual treatments. We report on two pediatric cases of severe laryngeal papillomatosis with respiratory distress and failure. These observations illustrate the importance of early adequate treatment., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Laryngopharyngeal reflux may cause significant morbidity in the head and neck cancer population. The goal was to determine if pharyngeal reflux is increased as a result of treatment for laryngeal cancer., Study Design: A prospective clinical trial., Setting: Tertiary care center., Subjects: Head and neck cancer patients treated at LSU Health-Shreveport with a plan for total laryngectomy., Methods: Pharyngeal pH probes with resultant reflux scores were utilized in patients with laryngeal/pharyngeal cancer with a plan for total laryngectomy., Results: Twenty-four patients were enrolled, of whom 10 underwent postlaryngectomy pH probe monitoring. The mean upright Ryan score for patients with prior radiotherapy was 238.4 (n = 8), compared with 22.0 (n = 16) in those without prior radiotherapy (P = .02). The supine score was 12.7 in the radiotherapy group and 2.7 in those without radiotherapy (P = .12). For those who completed the postlaryngectomy pH study (n = 10), the mean preoperative upright Ryan score was 106.32 ± 279.1 versus a postoperative score of 209.0 ± 352.6 (P = .04). The mean supine preoperative Ryan score in this group was 3.9 ± 3.47, as opposed to 8.1 ± 9.6 postoperatively (P = .13) CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that treatment of laryngeal cancer may increase the incidence of pharyngeal reflux. Consider screening for reflux in patients previously treated for laryngeal cancer., (© American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery Foundation 2015.)

Arytenoid chondroma is an extremely rare benign cartilaginous tumor. We report a case of a patient with arytenoid chondroma initially mimicking laryngopharyngeal reflux. Clinicians should consider the possibility of the arytenoid chondroma in the differential diagnosis of patients with vocal cord palsy, or arytenoid swelling caused by laryngopharyngeal reflux., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background and Purpose: (18)F-fluoroazomycinarabinoside ((18)F-FAZA) is a promising hypoxia radiopharmaceutical agent with outstanding biokinetic parameters. We aimed to determine the accuracy of (18)F-FAZA-PET/CT scan in detecting hypoxic regions within the tumor using immunohistochemical markers in a pilot study., Patients and Methods: Eleven patients with primary or recurrent laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma were indicated for total laryngectomy (TLE). Patients underwent (18)F-FAZA-PET/CT scan before TLE. Hypoxic regions inside the laryngeal tumor were determined. After TLE, regions with high uptake on (18)F-FAZA-PET scan were selected for immunohistochemical examination for exogenous (pimonidazole) and endogenous (HIF1α, CA-IX and GLUT-1) hypoxia markers. To assess the accuracy of (18)F-FAZA-PET scanning, radiopharmacon accumulation was related with immunohistochemical expression of hypoxia markers., Results: Inter- and intratumoral heterogeneity of tumor hypoxia was observed on (18)F-FAZA-PET scan. Nine of the eleven tumors were hypoxic with (18)F-FAZA-PET. Hypoxia could also be detected with pimonidazole, HIF1α, CA-IX and GLUT-1 expression in some tumors. No clear association was observed between (18)F-FAZA uptake and hypoxia markers., Conclusions: This pilot study could not prove the accuracy of (18)F-FAZA-PET in determining hypoxic subvolumes in laryngeal cancer. Further study is required to investigate the benefit of (18)F-FAZA-PET imaging in radiotherapy planning., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Mucosal neuromas of the larynx in the setting of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2B (MEN-2B) are extremely rare; to the best of our knowledge, only 2 other cases have been previously reported in the world literature. We describe a new case, which occurred in a 30-year old woman who presented with dysphagia, dysphonia, and cough. On examination, she was found to have multiple laryngeal mucosal neuromas throughout the glottis and supraglottis. She underwent surgical resection of these lesions with resolution of her symptoms.

Background: Hypothyroidism following radiation therapy (RT) for treatment of Head and Neck Cancer (HNC) is a common occurrence. Rates of hypothyroidism following RT for Early Stage Laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma (ES-LSCC) are among the highest. Although routine screening for hypothyroidism is recommended; its optimal schedule has not yet been established. We aim to determine the prevalence and optimal timing of testing for hypothyroidism in ES-LSCC treated with RT., Method: We conducted a population-based cohort study. Data was extracted from a prospective provincial head and neck cancer database. Demographic, survival data, and pre- and post-treatment thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels were obtained for patients diagnosed with ES-LSCC from 2008-2012. Inclusion criteria consisted of patients diagnosed clinically with ES-LSCC (T1 or 2, N0, M0) treated with curative intent. Patients were excluded if there was a history of hypothyroidism before the treatment or any previous history of head and neck cancers., Results: Ninety-five patients were included in this study. Mean age was 66.1 years (range: 44.0-88.0 years) and 82.3% of patients were male. Glottis was the most common subsite at 77.9% and the average follow-up was 40 months (Range: 12-56 months). Five-year overall survival generated using the Kaplan-Meier method was 79%. Incidence of hypothyroidism after RT was found to be 46.9%. The greatest frequency of developing hypothyroidism was at 12 months., Conclusions: We found a high prevalence of hypothyroidism for ES-LSCC treated with RT, with the highest rate at 12 months. Consequently, we recommend possible routine screening for hypothyroidism using TSH level starting at 12 months. To our knowledge, this is the first study to suggest the optimal timing for the detection of hypothyroidism.

Background: Although type 2 respiratory failure is a plausible late presentation for laryngeal tumours, very little published literature is available to support this theory., Methods: This paper describes the unusual presentation of a subglottic tumour with uncompensated type 2 respiratory failure., Results: The patient was initially managed with biphasic positive airway pressure as a bridging measure while awaiting intensive care treatment and to provide sufficient time to arrange a surgical tracheostomy., Conclusion: This case highlights the importance of clinical suspicion towards subglottic tumours in patients presenting with type 2 respiratory failure. The positive outcome indicates that biphasic positive airway pressure is a potential bridging therapy for upper airway obstruction and a safe and stable treatment option for patients in respiratory distress.

Objective: To investigate the correlation of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) and precancerous lesion with HPV infection subtypes and possible clinical relationship., Method: Eighty-three cases in paraffin embedded tissues were detected with thirty seven HPV subtypes by flow-through hybridization and gene chip (HybriMax), including 31 cases of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma, 52 cases of precancerous lesions (29 cases of vocal cord leukoplakia and 23 cases of laryngeal papilloma), and 36 cases of vocal cord polyp as normal vocal mucosa were used as control., Result: The total positive rate of HPV was 19.4% in the group of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (6/31), 0 in vocal cord leukoplakia, 65.2% in laryngeal papilloma (15/23), and the control group were all negative, HPV virus subtype of HPV-positive laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma were all high-risk HPV16; and there were 6 HPV virus subtypes in laryngeal papilloma (8: HPV6,4: HPV52, 1: HPV11, 1: HPV18, 2: HPV45, 3: HPV16), individual mixing two or more subtypes infection. HPV infection of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma and precancerous lesions has no statistically significant difference according to gender, high low-risk subtypes., Conclusion: HPV infection related to laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma and precancerous lesions, but no significant correlation with the subtype distribution of high and low risk; HPV detection is making positive sense to clinical diagnosis of laryngeal carcinoma and precancerous lesions as well as the development of specific HPV subtype vaccine.

A 56-year-old man presented with a 6-month history of progressively increasing neck swelling, dysphagia and hoarseness of voice. CT scan revealed multi-nodular goitre and also showed a lesion in the supraglottis. It also showed another lesion in the supraglottis. Fine-needle aspiration cytology of thyroid revealed follicular cells. Routine flexible laryngoscopy was performed to evaluate vocal cord function; however, we found a smooth well-defined lesion just above the glottis, obstructing the direct view of the vocal cords, and an endangered airway. A provisional diagnosis of a laryngeal cyst was made. With all necessary precautions intubation was performed with a bougie and a reinforced endotracheal tube was inserted. Total thyroidectomy was performed first. With direct suspension laryngoscopy an attempt was made to deliver the laryngeal lesion, however, the lesion could not be removed. A suprahyoid lateral pharyngotomy was performed to deliver the lesion. Histopathology of the lesion revealed hibernoma., (2015 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.)

Background: Hoarseness (dysphonia) is the reason for about 1% of all consultations in primary care. It has many causes, ranging from self-limited laryngitis to malignant tumors of the vocal cords., Methods: This review is based on literature retrieved by a selective search in PubMed employing the terms "hoarseness," "hoarse voice," and "dysphonia," on the relevant guideline of the American Academy of Otolaryngology -Head and Neck Surgery, and on Cochrane reviews., Results: Hoarseness can be caused by acute (42.1%) and chronic laryngitis (9.7%), functional vocal disturbances (30%), and benign (10.7-31%) and malignant tumors (2.2-3%), as well as by neurogenic disturbances such as vocal cord paresis (2.8-8%), physiologic aging of the voice (2%), and psychogenic factors (2-2.2 %). Hoarseness is very rarely a manifestation of internal medical illness. The treatment of hoarseness has been studied in only a few randomized controlled trials, all of which were on a small scale. Voice therapy is often successful in the treatment of functional and organic vocal disturbances (level 1a evidence). Surgery on the vocal cords is indicated to treat tumors and inadequate vocal cord closure. The only entity causing hoarseness that can be treated pharmacologically is chronic laryngitis associated with gastro-esophageal reflux, which responds to treatment of the reflux disorder. The empirical treatment of hoarseness with antibiotics or corticosteroids is not recommended., Conclusion: Voice therapy, vocal cord surgery, and drug therapy for appropriate groups of patients with hoarseness are well documented as effective by the available evidence. In patients with risk factors, especially smokers, hoarseness should be immediately evaluated by laryngos - copy.

Objective: Subglottic hemangiomas may present a diagnostic challenge in the stridorous infant without a cutaneous lesion., Methods: Consecutive case series with chart review of isolated subglottic hemangiomas without cutaneous lesions., Results: Two patients with isolated subglottic hemangiomas without cutaneous lesions were identified. Both patients presented with stridor and were initially treated with systemic corticosteroids, racemic epinephrine, and supportive medical therapy for a presumed infectious etiology. After failure to clinically improve over an expected period of time, endoscopy was performed. Propranolol was initiated immediately after the diagnosis was made. Clinical response was noted in the first 24 hours after administration. Both children were able to be safely titrated up to the therapeutic dose (2mg/kg/day). No complications or re-admissions were encountered., Conclusions: Clinical suspicion for a subglottic hemangioma in an infant with stridor may be high in cases where there is a synchronous cutaneous lesion. In infants without cutaneous involvement, diagnosis may be delayed and more challenging, given the possibility of an infectious etiology. These infants without a synchronous cutaneous lesion tend to present at an older age than infants with cutaneous lesions and may be managed successfully with propranolol., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Recurrent laryngeal papillomatosis (RLP) is, although benign, a challenging disease for both, the patient and the treating physician. Maximum disease control with minimum intervention is considered to be the gold standard. However, patients have to undergo repeating surgical interventions. Human papillomavirus (HPV), mainly so called low risk types, are thought to be responsible for the development of RLP. But, there is still some controversy over the true prevalence of HPV and the virus-specific molecular diagnostic of choice. Therefore archival tissue samples from 44 patients with RLP at laryngeal site, out of which eight developed laryngeal cancer, was screened for presence of HPV through various molecular approaches. Results from these different methodologies were compared between each other and with patient's characteristics. The overall detection rates of HPV with the various methods used in this study were: HPV16 E6/E7 PCR: 0%; GP5+/6+ PCR: 4.5%; CDKN2A/p16 immunohistochemistry: 6.8%; in-situ hybridization for low and high risk HPV types: 52.3%; HPV6/11 L1 PCR: 72.7% and HPV6/11 E6 PCR: 79.5%. Disease progression showed no apparent dependence of the detected HPV type or clinical variables like age at diagnosis, sex, or additional drug application (Cidofovir and Bevacizumab). In conclusion, the broad-spectrum PCRs alone or in combination with immunohistochemistry of CDKN2A/p16 and in-situ hybridization are unsuitable for HPV detection in RLP. Based on the findings presented in this study the type specific PCRs targeting the E6 open reading frame are clearly superior in detection of HPV in this tumor entity., (© 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Objectives/hypotheses: This study proposed the use of signal typing and acoustic measures experimentally validated for aperiodic voices to investigate voice outcomes after transoral laser microsurgery (TLM) for early glottic carcinoma. It was of interest whether signal type and pitch-tracking indicators would reveal unreliable perturbation and noise measures. As an alternative, smoothed cepstral peak prominence (CPPS) was used for the first time in this population., Study Design: A descriptive study of patients treated with TLM for early glottic carcinoma., Methods: All participants (n=14) performed a series of vocal tasks. Narrowband spectrograms were generated from voice recordings and classified into one of four signal types. The perturbation and noise measures of periodic or near-periodic signals only were reported. The CPPS for sustained vowel (CPPS-/a/) and connected speech (CPPS-s) were calculated for all participants. The relationship between voice outcomes and tumor and TLM factors was investigated., Results: Nine of 14 participants had an aperiodic type 3 signal. Three of 14 participants had voices considered reliable for perturbation analysis. Absolute jitter, %jitter, %shimmer, and signal-to-noise ratio were all low; however, CPPS-/a/ and CPPS-s amplitudes were below the normal range for most participants. Involvement of the anterior commissure, number of TLM episodes, and time post-surgery were associated with worse voice outcomes. There were strong correlations between signal type, CPPS-/a/, and pitch-tracking indicators., Conclusions: The limitations of perturbation analysis should be considered when analyzing the voice after TLM. Signal type should be considered before conducting perturbation analysis. The CPPS-/a/ and CPPS-s may be more reliable acoustic outcome measures for this population., (Copyright © 2015 The Voice Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Laryngeal schwannomas are rare, benign neurogenic tumors. They normally present as a slow-growing, encapsulated, submucosal mass in the supraglottic region. We describe a 20-year-old female presenting with a 2-year history of hoarseness and progressive worsening dyspnea. Fiberoptic laryngoscopy and computed tomography revealed a round, low-density submucosal mass at right false cord and arytenoepiglottic regions with glottic extension. Microlaryngoscopic biopsy and debulking for this solid tumor were performed without tracheostomy. Schwannoma was confirmed by histopathological study. However, rapidly worsening stridor occurred 2 weeks after the surgery. Fiberoptic laryngoscopy showed an exophytic tumor occupying the right hemilarynx with airway compromise. Definite complete excision of the tumor was performed by right vertical hemilaryngectomy. At 5-month follow-up, the laryngeal wound was clear without signs of recurrence. Rapid occurrence of airway obstruction after debulking and biopsy was demonstrated in this case. Vertical hemilaryngectomy was inevitable to cure this potentially life-threatening laryngeal schwannoma in this young female with postoperative serviceable voice.