A case of impacted metallic arrowhead in the brain through an unusual route of the neck and behind the external carotid artery to the base of the skull up to the brainstem is reported. Review of the literature reveals no previous reports of this type of injury. A 35-year-old man was admitted to the hospital after 36 h of injury, being fully conscious and with partial facial palsy. The arrowhead was successfully removed by exploration of the entry wound, without any neurovascular complications. The patient not only survived the operation but was also discharged in an improved neurological condition.
Objectives To assess the role of sialendoscopy as a diagnostic modality and in managing cases of non-neoplastic parotid gland diseases. Secondly, to provide descriptive analysis of intraoperative findings. Methods The patients of chronic parotid sialadenitis who presented with complaints of recurrent unilateral or bilateral parotid swelling and pain were included in the study. All patients underwent sialendoscopy, and the findings were noted. Intervention was carried out in the same sitting like dilatation of stenosis, stone removal by basket, combined approach, flushing of mucoid flakes, etc. Failed cases were worked up with radiological investigation and managed accordingly. Results Two hundred and forty-one cases of parotid sialadenitis who underwent sialendoscopy between 2012 and 2018 were included. Diagnostic sialendoscopy was achieved in 100% cases, while intervention was successful in 96.7% (233/241) cases after the first procedure. On diagnostic sialendoscopy, ductal stenosis was the most common pathology present in 177 (73.4%) patients followed by stones (12%) and debris (11.6%). All cases of stenosis were serially dilated with increasing sizes of sialendoscopes followed by stenting in 75% of the cases. The diagnosis of juvenile recurrent parotitis was confirmed in 17 children (mean age 5.6 years) with consistent clinical history and sialendoscopic findings of stenosis along with pale ductal mucosa. There were 18 cases where ductal perforation was seen. One case showed multiple hyperdense foci in bilateral parotid gland along with multiple strictures that underwent repeat sialendoscopy, but the symptoms did not resolve, and finally the patient underwent bilateral superficial parotidectomy. Conclusion Sialendoscopy is a safe and highly effective modality in managing non-neoplastic parotid gland disorders with low complication rates and resulted in gland preservation in the vast majority of patients. Therefore, it can be concluded that sialendoscopy is the diagnostic and therapeutic modality of choice for parotid obstructive sialadenitis.
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