Missed hypopharyngeal foreign body: A case report

AbstractForeign body ingestion has been a dilemma to many physicians including Otolaryngologist. Naturally, patient turns up at the out-patient department first prior to being referred to the otolaryngologist, which may lead to possibility of missed or neglected foreign body. We report a case of a missed foreign body which turned out to be his one-month dislodged denture. The unfortunate patient visited several different clinics within this one-month period, however he was dismissed as the lateral soft tissue neck radiograph done showed no abnormality

Antifungal effect of Malaysian aloe vera leaf extract selected fungal species of pathologenic otomycosis in in-vitro culture medium

Introduction: Aloe barbadensis miller or Aloe vera has been used for therapeutic purposes since ancient time. Antifungal activity is amongst the medicinal properties owned by Aloe vera. This study proposes antifungal effect of Malaysian Aloe vera leaf extract on pathogenic otomycosis species, Aspergillus niger and Candida albicans. Methodology: This pilot study is a laboratory-controlled prospective study conducted in Universiti Sains Malaysia. Powdered form of Malaysian Aloe vera leaf was extracted with 70% ethanol and aqueous via Soxhlet extraction method, after being evaporated using rotary evaporator to a thicker compound. The concentrated extract is then freeze dried to obtain powdered form which is diluted into establish five different concentrations of 50 g/ml, 25 g/ml, 12.5 g/ml, 6.25 g/ml and 3.125 g/ml. Five replicates were performed for five different concentration. Results were statistically analysed using one-way ANOVA and independant-t test. Sabaroud Dextrose Agar lawned with tested fungal isolates were inoculated with the extracts using well-diffusion method. Zone of inhibition was measured followed by minimum inhibitory concentration. Results: For Aspergillus niger, zone of inhibition for alcohol and aqueous extract were obtained for all concentrations except 3.125g/ml. As for Candida albicans, there were no zone of inhibition for both alcohol and aqueous extract of Aloe vera leaf. The minimum inhibitory concentration value of aqueous and alcohol extracts were 5.129g/ml and 4.35g/ml for Aspergillus niger and as for Candida albicans, it was not determined as no zone of inhibition was obtained

Antifungal Effect of Malaysian Aloe vera Leaf Extract on Selected Fungal Species of Pathogenic Otomycosis Species in In Vitro Culture Medium

Objectives: Aloe barbadensis miller or Aloe vera has been used for therapeutic purposes since ancient times with antifungal activity known to be amongst its medicinal properties. We conducted a pilot study to determine the antifungal properties of Malaysian Aloe vera leaf extract on otomycosis species including Aspergillus niger and Candida albicans. Methods: This laboratory-controlled prospective study was conducted at the Universiti Sains Malaysia. Extracts of Malaysian Aloe vera leaf was prepared in ethanol and solutions via the Soxhlet extraction method. Sabouraud dextrose agar cultured with the two fungal isolates were inoculated with the five different concentrations of each extract (50 g/mL, 25 g/mL, 12.5 g/mL, 6.25 g/mL, and 3.125 g/mL) using the well-diffusion method. Zone of inhibition was measured followed by minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). Results: For A. niger, a zone of inhibition for alcohol and aqueous extract was seen for all concentrations except 3.125 g/mL. There was no zone of inhibition for both alcohol and aqueous extracts of Aloe vera leaf for C. albicans. The MIC values of aqueous and alcohol extracts were 5.1 g/mL and 4.4 g/mL for A. niger and since no zone of inhibition was obtained for C. albicans the MIC was not determined. Conclusions: The antifungal effect of alcohol extracts of Malaysian Aloe vera leaf is better than the aqueous extract for A. niger (p < 0.001). Malaysian Aloe vera has a significant antifungal effect towards A. nige

Topical gentamicin-induced acute vestibulopathy: A case report

Evidence suggests that otologic injury from ototopical aminoglycoside preparations is infrequent when used to treat ear infections with an intact tympanic membrane. Meanwhile, parenteral administration of aminoglycosides, is well known to be associated with a significant incidence of cochlear and vestibular damage. The discrepancy between topical and parenteral ototoxic effects is thought to result from a combination of factors, including the protective function of debris overlying the round window membrane, low antibiotic concentrations of topical antibiotic preparations, length of exposure and inability to detect subtle hearing or vestibular changes. Herein, we present a case of acute vestibulopathy following a 2-week course of topical gentamicinotic drops. Awareness of vestibulotoxicity following topical gentamicin therapy is prudent as vestibulopathic symptoms can be severely debilitating

Lingual choristoma

Osseous choristoma is a rare, benign tumour of the oral cavity. It is composed of normal lamellar bone occurring at an abnormal site. The aetiology and pathogenesis of this lesion remains debatable. Most are asymptomatic and usually present with mass effect. We report a case of a young lady who presented with globus pharyngeus secondary to a lingual choristoma

Carcinoma Ex Pleomorphic Adenoma Presented as a Gigantic Tumor: Treatment and Diagnostic Challenges

Parotid gland surgery can be challenging due to intricate relationship between the gland and facial nerve. Besides complete removal of the lesion, the main focus of surgery is centered on the facial nerve. Surgery can be technically demanding especially when the tumor is large or involves the deep lobe. We report a patient with a 30-year history of gigantic parotid mass, which initial fine-needle aspiration cytology reported as pleomorphic adenoma. The tumor, weighing 1.3 kg, was successfully resected with facial nerve preservation. Histopathological examination of the excised mass confirmed as carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma (CaExPA) of adenocarcinoma, not otherwise specified type. We describe the specific surgical and reconstruction techniques for successful removal of large parotid tumors with facial nerve preservation. To our knowledge, this is the heaviest CaExPA of the parotid gland in South-East Asian region

A Rare Manifestation of Cervical Yolk Sac Tumor in an Unfortunate Infant

Paediatric germ cell tumor is composed of various neoplasms which exhibit capricious clinical presentation and histological features depending on the age and the area of presentation. Yolk sac tumor is an extremely rare malignant tumor of embryonic origin which usually arises from the gonads. Its manifestation in the head and neck region is extremely rare. Here, we report a rare case of the malignant transformation of mature teratoma into yolk sac tumor of the neck in an infant. Diagnosis was confirmed following histopathological examination of the neck mass along with marked increase of the serum alpha-fetoprotein. The child unfortunately succumbed prior to chemotherapy. We highlight the challenge we faced in diagnosing and managing this rare entity. We would also like to recommend serial monitoring of serum alpha-fetoprotein in all patients with mature teratoma to detect malignant transformation early