Biomedical subjects

Shih-Wei Yang

Publications and source records attributed to Shih-Wei Yang.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

A peculiar site of chondroma: the epiglottis.

Chondroma of the laryngeal cartilage is an uncommon benign cartilaginous neoplasm. The commonest location is the posterior lamina of the cricoid cartilage, followed by the thyroid cartilage. The occurrence of chondroma in the epiglottis is extremely rare. Depending on the size and location of epiglottic chondroma the clinical manifestations are variable and include a lump in the neck, difficulty in swallowing fluids and dyspnea. In this study, an additional rare case of chondroma arising in the epiglottis is reported. The mass was located over the tip of the epiglottis and caused no significant clinical manifestations except for a foreign body sensation in the throat. Endoscopic excision with an adequate free margin was achieved via suspension laryngoscopy under general anesthesia with intubation. The patient was disease-free during a 1-year follow-up period. We present this case to highlight the occurrence of this rare benign lesion in the epiglottis, and stress that it should not be neglected in the differential diagnosis of an epiglottic mass. Conservative surgical excision is the initial treatment of choice and long-term follow-up is necessary.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Migrating fish bone complicating a deep neck abscess.

Deep neck infections are not uncommon; however, a migrating fish bone is seldom a cause of a deep neck abscess. Fish bones are a sharp foreign body and can penetrate the oropharynx or esophagus. However, this rarely occurs. We report a case of deep neck abscess resulting from the intracorporeal migration of a fish bone. Initial radiography and esophagoscopy of the neck were both negative; migration of the bone was ultimately documented by computed tomography. Surgical exploration was performed via a lateral neck incision, and the fish bone was successfully retrieved. Although fish bones are a rare etiology of deep neck abscesses, should be kept in mind when a patient has the history of fish bone ingestion.

Abscess↗

PubMed2003

Primary malignant melanoma of the nasal cavity.

Malignant melanoma is a highly lethal melanocytic neoplasm, usually affecting the skin. Primary malignant melanoma of the nasal cavity is rarely seen. Clinically, most patients display initial nonspecific symptoms of unilateral nasal obstruction or epistaxis. The prognosis is generally poor, with a mean survival time of 3.5 years. Extensive local invasion and distant metastasis to other organs may occur. The usual treatment of choice is radical excision. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy appear to have little effect. We report a fatal case of intranasal cavity malignant melanoma in which the patient initially presented with blood-tinged sputum, productive cough, and intermittent fever. Preoperative hepatic metastasis was found. Palliative surgery was performed to excise the nasal cavity tumor. Then, 6 courses of chemotherapy were further administered. Unfortunately, regional cervical nodal involvement and pancreatic head metastases occurred 1.5 years after the diagnosis. The patient's condition rapidly deteriorated, followed by death. We have chosen to discuss this aggressive condition because of its rarity and also to emphasize the importance of its early detection through vigilant attention to nonspecific nasal symptoms. A review of the literature concerning intranasal malignant melanoma is presented. We further discuss its possible etiology, site of origin, incidence, clinical presentations, principles of management, and outcome.

Fatal Outcome↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Schwannoma of the upper lip: case report and literature review.

Schwannomas, arising from nerve-sheath Schwann cells, rarely occur in the lip area. A Medline search in English literature from 1966 to 2002 revealed only 6 documented cases of schwannomas of the lip. We report the unusual case of a 22-year-old female patient who developed a schwannoma of the upper lip. Histopathological examination and immunohistochemical staining studies were performed, with the relevant literature for this clinical rarity also reviewed. Complete enucleation of the schwannoma usually achieves cure. Although very rare, schwannoma should be taken into consideration in the differential diagnosis of any upper lip mass.

Adult↗