Necrotizing fasciitis of the ear: an unusual case.

We describe a rare case of necrotizing fasciitis of the ear in an otherwise generally healthy 39-year-old man. The ear is rarely involved in this often-fatal disease. The diagnosis was suspected on the basis of clinical examination and confirmed by computed tomography and pathology of a biopsy specimen, which revealed subcutaneous gas formation and dermal infiltration of inflammatory cells, respectively.

Oropharyngeal and esophageal swallowing impairments: their association and the predictive value of the modified barium swallow impairment profile and combined multichannel intraluminal impedance-esophageal manometry.

Objectives: Deglutition is a highly integrated process of neural signaling and coordinated muscular contraction that begins with bolus preparation in the oral cavity and ends with closure of the lower esophageal sphincter after bolus passage. The goal of this study was to examine the relationship between measures of oropharyngeal and esophageal swallow function.

Methods: A retrospective review was performed of patients who underwent modified barium swallow study (MBSS) and multichannel intraluminal impedance-esophageal manometry (MII-EM) over 7 years at an academic institution.

Recurrent laryngeal nerve paresis postpneumonectomy contralateral to site of surgery.

Recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) injury is a serious complication of thoracic surgery that increases morbidity and mortality. It is important to consider the long-term effects of mediastinal shift and the possibility of postpneumonectomy syndrome on RLN function. This report documents a unilateral vocal fold paresis contralateral to the side of pneumonectomy that presents for investigation 6 six years after surgery.

Modified endoscopic medial maxillectomy for recalcitrant chronic maxillary sinusitis.

Background: Modified endoscopic medial maxillectomy (MEMM) is an accepted alternative treatment for benign sinonasal neoplasms. Its use as definitive treatment for inflammatory disease of the maxillary sinus has yet to be adequately explored. We evaluate the efficacy of MEMM for chronic maxillary sinusitis and attempt to identify factors that predispose patients for failure.