Takashi Hiroshimaya

Hypopharyngeal neurinoma: report of two cases.

Hypopharyngeal neurinoma is a very rare disease and we found reports of only seven cases in the literature. Laryngomicrosurgery (LMS) and lateral neck exploration are two operating methods for hypopharyngeal neurinoma. Of the seven reported cases, the operating method was mentioned in six: two were operated on using LMS and four using the neck exploration method. It is necessary to select the operating method based on the size of the tumor, the existence of a stem, the risk of bleeding, etc. It is difficult to trace the original nerve of the tumor and this could not be done conclusively in the previous reports.

Clinical Review of Thyroid Malignant Tumor

We reviewed the files of 120 patients with thyroid malignant tumor treated in our department between July 1971 and December 1996. Clinical features, pathological diagnosis, radiographic findings, treatment and prognosis were studied. The number of patients treated gradually increased over time in both the otorhinolaryngology and surgery departments. Papillary carcinoma ( n ¾ 101) was the most common pathology, followed by follicular carcinoma ( n ¾ 16). Both 5- and 10-year survival rates were 92.7% for the entire group, 93.8% for cases of follicular carcinoma and 92.1% for cases of papillary carcinoma. Although thyroid tumor is undoubtedly one of the malignant head and neck tumors associated with an excellent prognosis, some patients remain resistant to cure in the long term. Some tumors are highly malignant and are difficult to control. The management of these patients is an important subject of future research.