Three patients with infratemporal fossa carcinomas presented with severe, unrelenting facial pain, weight loss, and 5th cranial nerve deficit. Erosion of the base of the skull at the foramen ovale was present in two of these patients. Histologic diagnosis of infratemporal fossa malignancy was obtained by needle biopsy of the foramen ovale region; the technique is described. This approach to the infratemporal fossa is preferred to the more complicated external surgical approach with its greater risk of morbidity. Surgical approaches to the infratemporal fossa are also reviewed. Two of the patients were treated with radiotherapy; the third refused further therapy. Supravoltage radiotherapy with curative intent is the recommended treatment because of the difficulty of an en bloc tumor resection in the infratemporal fossa. Radioactive gold seeds may be implanted through an external surgical approach to boost the local dose.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Diagnosis of salivary gland tumors by fine needle aspiration biopsy.

The cytologic findings of 51 smears obtained by fine needle aspiration biopsy from salivary gland masses were compared with the histologic findings of permanent sections. The overall concurrence rate between cytologic and histologic findings for being and malignant lesions was 91%. The diagnostic accuracy (exact histologic diagnosis) for the benign lesions was 87% and for the malignant tumors 60%. One case showed false-positive results and 1 case false-negative results. Fine needle aspiration biopsy has been found to be safe, free of complications, and helpful in the planning of treatment.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The use of cis-retinoic acid in recurrent respiratory papillomatosis of the larynx: a randomized pilot study.

We undertook a study of 13-cis-retinoic acid to evaluate its use as an adjuvant to laser surgery in the management of recurrent respiratory papillomatosis. In a double-blind study using placebo, four of the six subjects treated with this agent experienced recurrence while receiving therapy, with two requiring further surgical intervention. All six experienced toxicity, necessitating the withdrawal from therapy of two and dose reduction in three. When it became apparent that the therapy was ineffective, and caused toxicity, the study was closed.

Adult↗

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Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis: management with the CO2 laser.

Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis is most common in childhood but it affects all age groups; it represents a diathesis of the aerodigestive tract so that lesions amy develop at various sites - the nares, lips, pharynx, nasopharynx, larynx, tracheobronchial tree, approximately one-third of patients for one year or more; since relapses amy occasionally occur 2 to 20 years later, cure can never be assumed. At the present time, management is directed towards total ablation of all visble papilloma consistent with preservation of the airway and voice; reduction of the tumor burden to minimal proportions is thought to allow the maximum opportunity for remission. As the host-papilloma relationship is unraveled, it may be possible in the future to provoke an immune response so that remissions can be predicted and produced consistently.

Adolescent↗

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Endotracheal intubation and Venturi (jet) ventilation for laser microsurgery of the larynx.

Meeting the exacting requirements for microsurgery of the larynx is a challenge for the anesthesiologist. To accomplish, the necessary dissection, the otolaryngologist has several requirements. They are a quiet relaxed field, excellent illumination with magnification, binocular vision for depth perception, and, above all, an unobstructed field. The management of anesthesia for suspension microsurgery on the larynx presents many problems, the most vexing of which is the fact that the otolaryngologist and anesthesiologist are in competition for access to the patient's airway. In sharing this, neither has been able to perform with the degree of control that he would like due to either inadequate operating conditions or insufficient access to ventilatory mechanisms. Several anesthetic techniques have been used for inspection or operative laryngoscopy: topical anesthesia, apneic techniques, translaryngeal topical anesthesia, chest respirator, neuroleptanalgesia, and general endotracheal anesthesia with muscle relaxants. The latter has proven most popular, particularly in children, because ventilation and surgical conditions are considered to be most controllable. However, the presence of the requisite endotracheal tube obscures the full view of the larynx and vocal cords, and the tube may itself become obstructed. Additionally, use of the laser involves the further risk of heat effects on the endotracheal tube if the beam hits the tube. This report presents our experience and development of the combined technique of endotracheal intubation and Venturi (jet) ventilation. We believe it represents the safest available approach while providing near ideal working conditions for the otolaryngologist during laser microsurgery of the larynx.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Suspension microlaryngoscopy in the Boyce position with a new suspension gallows.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Humans↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Management of choanal atresia with the carbon dioxide laser.

Congenital choanal atresia frequently demands immediate recognition in the newborn, and provision of a nasal airway as soon as possible. A variety of techniques are available to correct this problem, but none is entirely satisfactory. Transpalatal procedures are associated with significant morbidity in the newborn, and transnasal microsurgical procedures are less predictable when a thick bony plate is present in the choanal obstruction. Transnasal resection with the CO2 laser has been carried out in seven patients (ten sides), whose ages ranged from 16 hours to 14 years. From this early experience, it appears that the procedure is entirely feasible and convenient. It seems to have significant advantages over conventional microsurgical techniques. Eight out of ten choanae have remained patent for four months or more. A lumen keeper is needed during the immediate postoperative period for at least two to three weeks. The procedure is associated with minimal morbidity.

Adolescent↗

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Benign tumors and lesions of the larynx in children. Surgical excision by CO2 laser.

Benign lesions of the airway in infants and children may endanger the airway and compromise laryngeal function. The CO2 laser provides an elegant method of transoral surgical excision without compromising laryngeal function or airway competence. It avoids the risks of such other treatment modalities as external surgical approaches, prolonged steroid therapy, and radiation. It is applicable to a wide variety of lesions without the necessity of tracheotomy. Hospitalization is minimized. Ten cases are presented to show the wide applicability of this technique. Gross pathology and pre- and postoperative findings are demonstrated and discussed, as is the safety and efficacy of the laser soft-tissue interaction.

Carbon Dioxide↗

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Topical chemotherapy of recurrent respiratory papillomatosis. A preliminary report.

Topical chemotherapy with the antimetabolite 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) has been used as an adjunct to surgical laser excision of squamous papillomas arising in the larynx and in the tracheobronchial tree. The drug has been administered intensively to eight patients with tracheotomies and disease in both anatomic regions. These patients received repeated instillations of 5-FU at concentrations from 0.5 to 5% into the larynx and tracheobronchial tree while in the hospital and at home. More than 4,500 doses of the drug have been administered during our phase 1 study. There has been no significant toxicity associated with repeated 5-FU instillation into the airway. Several patients developed blood-tinged tracheal secretions after the repeated use of high concentrations of the agent. Other complications included coughing, bronchospasm, and peristomal irritation. These symptoms all disappeared after temporary discontinuation of the drug. No patient has developed a systemic hypersensitivity response to the drug either detectable clinically or by repeated skin testing. There were no adverse effects on the hematologic or hepatic systems. Use of 5-FU was associated with inhibition of papilloma regrowth in six of eight patients. The major limitation to drug effectiveness is the requirement for its frequent administration.

Administration, Topical↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Predictive factors of success or failure in the endoscopic management of laryngeal and tracheal stenosis.

Stenosis of the larynx and/or trachea presents perplexing problems. No one technique has proved totally satisfactory in the management of all varieties of stenosis. Recent reports have described the successful use of the CO2 laser in the endoscopic management of stenosis of the larynx and trachea. Failures of this technique need emphasis to assure appropriate selection of therapeutic method. Retrospectively, 49 cases of laryngeal stenosis, 6 cases of tracheal stenosis and 5 cases of combined laryngeal and tracheal stenosis were studied (total 60 patients) following treatment at the Boston University Affiliated Hospitals. Follow-up ranged from 1 to 8 years. Multiple procedures were required in 35 laryngeal patients. Of the laryngeal patients 39 were successfully managed (average number of procedures in successful cases 2.18). Of 11 tracheal patients with combined laryngeal and tracheal procedures, 3 were successfully managed (average number of procedures in successful cases 6). Failures in laryngeal stenosis included four patients in whom an adequate airway was not established though voice was present while maintaining tracheostomies. Thirteen patients failing endoscopic management required open surgery with good result. Factors associated with poor result or failure include circumferential scarring with cicatricial contracture, scarring wider than 1 cm in vertical dimension, tracheomalacia and loss of cartilage, previous history of severe bacterial infection associated with tracheostomy, and posterior laryngeal inlet scarring with arytenoid fixation. In these circumstances, multiple procedures, more extensive alternative open surgical techniques, or maintenance of tracheostomy were necessary. In successful cases only three or fewer procedures on average were required. The factors associated with failure or success of endoscopic methods in the management of laryngotracheal stenosis, including use of the CO2 laser and soft Silastic stents, are analyzed.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Tracheobronchial obstruction from metastatic distant malignancies.

Tracheal or endobronchial metastases from distant primary malignancies are rare. Hemoptysis, dyspnea and cough are common nonspecific presenting symptoms. Renal, breast, thyroid and colon cancers are the most common malignancies associated with tracheobronchial metastases. Since 1979, five patients with tracheobronchial metastases from distant sites have been treated by the otolaryngology service at the Boston University Medical Center. Patients with advanced tumors previously treated by conventional modalities were referred for palliation of airway obstruction. Satisfactory palliation without significant morbidity was achieved in four out of five patients utilizing a CO2 surgical laser through a rigid bronchoscope system. Four patients died from advanced cancer, 1 to 18 months after laser surgery. Although tracheobronchial metastasis from extrathoracic malignancy is associated with a poor prognosis, palliation of airway obstruction can be achieved in most patients with endobronchial or tracheal tumor.

Airway Obstruction↗

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Venturi jet ventilation through the metal endotracheal tube: a nonflammable system.

In an effort to design a fireproof and reliable method of ventilation during CO2 laser laryngoscopies, a new Venturi jet endotracheal tube coupler has been designed. This allows microdirect laryngoscopy. Its design features are described. Sixteen clinical cases of various laryngeal pathologies treated with direct laryngoscopy and laser excision are ventilated using this system. The clinical data and experiences are discussed. The arterial blood gases done at 20 minutes after muscular paralysis showed a median value of pH 7.45/PO2 252/PCO2 36. No complications or adverse effects were noted. The Venturi jet endotracheal tube coupler allows for jet ventilation through a metal endotracheal tube with reliable ventilation. This is an alternate, reliable, and fire-safe method during laser use.

Adult↗

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Localized amyloidosis of the head and neck and upper aerodigestive and lower respiratory tracts.

Seven cases of localized amyloidosis limited to structures of the head and neck and upper aerodigestive and lower respiratory tracts evaluated and treated at Boston University Hospitals in a recent 7-year period were reviewed. Negative Congo red staining of abdominal adipose aspiration biopsy or rectal biopsy specimens established that the amyloidosis was not systemic. Localized amyloidosis occurred in discrete masses in a variety of sites in the aerodigestive tract including the orbit, nasopharynx, lips, floor of mouth, tongue, larynx, and tracheobronchial tree. Five patients required surgical excision because of significant airway obstruction or organic dysfunction. Amyloid deposits completely excised with the carbon dioxide laser have not recurred, though other amyloid masses may appear elsewhere within the same organ or region. Amyloidosis may occur primarily or secondarily to other disease states. Localized amyloidosis has not been chemically identified but is usually defined by the absence of systemic features. While rare, amyloidosis must be recognized and understood by the otolaryngologist/head and neck surgeon to allow appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic planning.

Adipose Tissue↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Synergistic effects of sequential carbon dioxide and neodymium:yttrium aluminum garnet laser injuries. Experimental observations and measurements.

The carbon dioxide and neodymium:yttrium aluminum garnet lasers have well documented but characteristically different biological effects, yet little is known about their cumulative, synergistic, or paradoxical effects when used sequentially on living tissue. Using a Merrimack ML 880 laser, a series of superimposed CO2 and Nd:YAG lesions in various combinations were produced on the undersurface of dog tongues. Therapeutic time and power settings were chosen and the number of applications varied, with suitable controls. Observations and measurements were made on acute, healing, and healed lesions. All lesions were excised and submitted for routine hematoxylin and eosin histology. Acute lesions were also assessed for cell viability using rhodamine 123 as a supravital marker. The results show that, even though all the lesions eventually heal, the actual cell damage produced by the Nd:YAG laser is much more than is suggested by the size of the acute lesion. This cell damage can be reduced by the surface carbonization produced by initial application of the CO2 laser. Higher surface temperatures are reached in this combination with less fibrosis and scarring than equal energy counterparts where the Nd:YAG laser was applied first. The knowledge of these synergistic effects can be used to advantage in the clinical setting. The rhodamine 123 technique also appears to be a valid measure of acute thermal tissue injury.

Animals↗