A rare case report of laryngopharyngeal polyp formation following anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF)

Abstract

Background Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion (ACDF) has been regarded as the “gold standard” treatment of cervical spondylosis. Though it has good outcomes, many complications still exist, such as loss of fixation, degeneration of adjacent segments, dysphagia and pharyngeal perforation. In view of current literature, this study is the first to report a case of laryngopharyngeal polyp following ACDF. Case presentation A 63 year old male patient suffered from cervical spine hyperextension after trauma accompanied by numbness of the hands and decreased muscle strength in both upper limbs. Anterior cervical fusion surgery was performed in our hospital, after which the patient’s upper limb numbness disappeared and muscle strength returned to normal. In the fifth month after surgery, the patient developed a sore throat and dysphagia. Symptoms gradually worsened, and the patient was hospitalized four times, subsequently undergoing tracheotomy, internal fixation removal, and polypectomy. The patient’s pronunciation, breathing, and swallowing functions returned to normal, and the incision healed. After a one-year follow-up, the polyp did not recur. Conclusions Laryngopharyngeal polyp formation following ACDF has yet to be reported in literature. By excluding esophageal fistula as soon as possible, removing internal fixation and polypectomy serves as the best treatment in relieving patient symptoms.

Management of Tracheal Perforation following Anterior Cervical Spine Surgery: Report of Two Cases and Review of the Literature

“…The clinical manifestations of tracheal injury can be nonspecific and may include coughing, dyspnea, laryngopharyngeal polyp, subcutaneous emphysema, pneumomediastinum, and even acute respiratory failure [ 3 , 5 , 6 ]. This report actually demonstrated that patients with tracheal perforation could be asymptomatic and therefore diagnosis might be delayed.…”

Effect of dexmedetomidine on Sensory Evoked Potential monitoring during cervical spine surgery with total intravenous anesthesia : a randomized controlled trial

“…Many complications may occur during the cervical spine surgery due to the complex anatomical structure of the neck and the wide range of involved areas, such as soft tissue injury, loss of xator, degeneration of adjacent segments, dysphagia, pharyngeal perforation, throat polyps, etc, and even intraoperative spinal cord displacement, expansion, nerve spinal cord injury and others, making it unfavourable to the postoperative recovery of spinal nerve function [3] . In addition, processes such as tracheal intubation, posture, spinal decompression can also lead to secondary cervical injury, thus causing iatrogenic injury.…”