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Some mucoceles spontaneously resolve on their own after a short time. Others are chronic and require surgical removal. Recurrence may occur, and thus the adjacent salivary gland is excised as a preventive measure.
Several types of procedures are available for the surgical removal of mucoceles. These include laser and minimally-invasive techniques which means recovery times are reduced drastically.
Micro-marsupialization is an alternative procedure to surgical removal. Micro-marsupialization uses silk sutures in the dome of a cyst to allow new epithelialized drainage pathways. It is simpler, less traumatic, and well-tolerated by patients, especially children.
A non-surgical option that may be effective for a small or newly identified mucocele is to rinse the mouth thoroughly with salt water (one tablespoon of salt per cup) four to six times a day for a few days. This may draw out the fluid trapped underneath the skin without further damaging the surrounding tissue. If the mucocele persists, individuals should see a doctor to discuss further treatment.
Smaller cysts may be removed by laser treatment, larger cysts will have to be removed surgically in an operating room.
Treatment of ranulas usually involves removal of the sublingual gland. Surgery may not be required if the ranula is small and asymptomatic. Marsupialization may sometimes be used, where the intra-oral lesion is opened to the oral cavity with the aim of allowing the sublingual gland to re-establish connection with the oral cavity.
RPA's frequently require surgical intervention. A tonsillectomy approach is typically used to access/drain the abscess, and the outcome is usually positive. Surgery in adults may be done without general anesthesia because there is a risk of abscess rupture during tracheal intubation. This could result in pus from the abscess aspirated into the lungs. In complex cases, an emergency tracheotomy may be required to prevent upper airway obstruction caused by edema in the neck.
High-dose intravenous antibiotics are required in order to control the infection and reduce the size of the abscess prior to surgery.
Chronic retropharyngeal abscess is usually secondary to tuberculosis and the patient needs to be started on anti-tubercular therapy as soon as possible.
Courses of treatment typically include the following:
- Draining the pus once awhile as it can build up a strong odor
- Antibiotics when infection occurs.
- Surgical excision is indicated with recurrent fistular infections, preferably after significant healing of the infection. In case of a persistent infection, infection drainage is performed during the excision operation. The operation is generally performed by an appropriately trained specialist surgeon e.g. an otolaryngologist or a specialist General Surgeon.
- The fistula can be excised as a cosmetic operation even though no infection appeared. The procedure is considered an elective operation in the absence of any associated complications.
Immediate treatment is very important for someone with orbital cellulitis. Treatment typically involves intravenous (IV) antibiotics in the hospital and frequent observation (every 4–6 hours). Along with this several laboratory tests are run including a complete blood count, differential, and blood culture.
- Antibiotic therapy – Since orbital cellulitis is commonly caused by "Staphylococcus" and "Streptococcus" species both penicillins and cephalosporins are typically the best choices for IV antibiotics. However, due to the increasing rise of MRSA (methicillin-resistant "Staphylococcus aureus") orbital cellulitis can also be treated with Vancomycin, Clindamycin, or Doxycycline. If improvement is noted after 48 hours of IV antibiotics, healthcare professions can then consider switching a patient to oral antibiotics (which must be used for 2–3 weeks).
- Surgical intervention – An abscess can threaten the vision or neurological status of a patient with orbital cellulitis, therefore sometimes surgical intervention is necessary. Surgery typically requires drainage of the sinuses and if a subperiosteal abscess is present in the medial orbit, drainage can be performed endoscopically. Post-operatively, patients must follow up regularly with their surgeon and remain under close observation.
Although orbital cellulitis is considered an ophthalmic emergency the prognosis is good if prompt medical treatment is received.
The treatment includes lowering the increased intracranial pressure and starting intravenous antibiotics (and meanwhile identifying the causative organism mainly by blood culture studies).
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO2 or HBOT) is indicated as a primary and adjunct treatment which provides four primary functions.
Firstly, HBOT reduces intracranial pressure. Secondly, high partial pressures of oxygen act as a bactericide and thus inhibits the anaerobic and functionally anaerobic flora common in brain abscess. Third, HBOT optimizes the immune function thus enhancing the host defense mechanisms and fourth, HBOT has been found to be of benefit when brain abscess is concomitant with cranial osteomyleitis.
Secondary functions of HBOT include increased stem cell production and up-regulation of VEGF which aid in the healing and recovery process.
Surgical drainage of the abscess remains part of the standard management of bacterial brain abscesses. The location and treatment of the primary lesion also crucial, as is the removal of any foreign material (bone, dirt, bullets, and so forth).
There are few exceptions to this rule: "Haemophilus influenzae" meningitis is often associated with subdural effusions that are mistaken for subdural empyemas. These effusions resolve with antibiotics and require no surgical treatment. Tuberculosis can produce brain abscesses that look identical to conventional bacterial abscesses on CT imaging. Surgical drainage or aspiration is often necessary to identify "Mycobacterium tuberculosis", but once the diagnosis is made no further surgical intervention is necessary.
CT guided stereotactic aspiration is also indicated in the treatment of brain abscess.
The lesion is usually present in children. Ranulas are the most common pathologic lesion associated with the sublingual glands.
Surgical drainage with sphenoidotomy is indicated if the primary site of infection is thought to be the sphenoidal sinuses.
For unconfirmed acute sinusitis, intranasal corticosteroids have not been found to be better than a placebo either alone or in combination with antibiotics. For cases confirmed by radiology or nasal endoscopy, treatment with corticosteroids alone or in combination with antibiotics is supported. The benefit, however, is small.
There is only limited evidence to support short treatment with oral corticosteroids for chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps.
Steroid therapy is also controversial in many cases of CST. However, corticosteroids are absolutely indicated in cases of pituitary insufficiency. Corticosteroid use may have a critical role in patients with Addisonian crisis secondary to ischaemia or necrosis of the pituitary that complicates CST.
Most sinusitis cases are caused by viruses and resolve without antibiotics. However, if symptoms do not resolve within 10 days, amoxicillin is a reasonable antibiotic to use first for treatment with amoxicillin/clavulanate being indicated when the person's symptoms do not improve after 7 days on amoxicillin alone. A 2012 Cochrane review, however, found only a small benefit between 7 and 14 days, and could not recommend the practice when compared to potential complications and risk of developing resistance. Antibiotics are specifically not recommended in those with mild / moderate disease during the first week of infection due to risk of adverse effects, antibiotic resistance, and cost.
Fluoroquinolones, and a newer macrolide antibiotic such as clarithromycin or a tetracycline like doxycycline, are used in those who have severe allergies to penicillins. Because of increasing resistance to amoxicillin the 2012 guideline of the Infectious Diseases Society of America recommends amoxicillin-clavulanate as the initial treatment of choice for bacterial sinusitis. The guidelines also recommend against other commonly used antibiotics, including azithromycin, clarithromycin, and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, because of growing antibiotic resistance. The FDA recommends against the use of fluoroquinolones when other options are available due to higher risks of serious side effects.
A short-course (3–7 days) of antibiotics seems to be just as effective as the typical longer-course (10–14 days) of antibiotics for those with clinically diagnosed acute bacterial sinusitis without any other severe disease or complicating factors. The IDSA guideline suggest five to seven days of antibiotics is long enough to treat a bacterial infection without encouraging resistance. The guidelines still recommend children receive antibiotic treatment for ten days to two weeks.
Treatment for fungal sinusitis can include surgical debridement; helps by slowing progression of disease thus allowing time for recovery additionally we see the options below:
- In the case of invasive fungal sinusitis, echinocandins, voriconazole, and amphoterecin (via IV) may be used
- For allergic fungal sinusitis, systemic corticosteroids like prednisolone, methylprednisolone are added for their anti-inflammatory effect, bronchodilators and expectorants help to clear secretions in the sinuses.
The first line of treatment for nasal polyps is topical steroids. Steroids decrease the inflammation of the sinus mucosa to decrease the size of the polyps and improve symptoms. Topical preparations are preferred in the form of a nasal spray, but are often ineffective for people with many polyps. Steroids by mouth often provide drastic symptom relief, but should not be taken for long periods of time due to their side effects. Because steroids only shrink the size and swelling of the polyp, people often have recurrence of symptoms once the steroids are stopped. Decongestants do not shrink the polyps, but can decrease swelling and provide some relief. Antibiotics are only recommended if the person has a co-occurring bacterial infection.
In people with nasal polyps caused by aspirin or NSAIDs, avoidance of these medications will help with symptoms. Aspirin desensitization has also been shown to be beneficial.
Treatment most commonly involves the removal of the complete lesion during a single procedure, via the frontonasal bone flaps; recurrence is likely. Ablation treatment with an looks to be a possibility for permanent removal.
Some success has been seen using intralesional injections of formalin, performed by endoscopy.
The surgical treatment involves the resection of the extracranial venous package and ligation of the emissary communicating vein. In some cases of SP, surgical excision is performed for cosmetic reasons. The endovascular technique has been described by transvenous approach combined with direct puncture and the recently endovascular embolization with Onyx.
Endoscopic sinus surgery with removal of polyps is often very effective for most people providing rapid symptom relief. Endoscopic sinus surgery is minimally-invasive and is done entirely through the nostril with the help of a camera. Surgery should be considered for those with complete nasal obstruction, uncontrolled runny nose, nasal deformity caused by polyps or continued symptoms despite medical management. Surgery serves to remove the polyps as well as the surrounding inflamed mucosa, open obstructed nasal passages, and clear the sinuses. This not only removes the obstruction caused by the polyps themselves, but allows medications such as saline irrigations and topical steroids to become more effective.
Surgery lasts approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour and can be done under general or local anesthesia. Most patients tolerate the surgery without much pain, though this can vary from patient to patient. The patient should expect some discomfort, congestion, and drainage from the nose in the first few days after surgery, but this should be mild. Complications from endoscopic sinus surgery are rare, but can include bleeding and damage to other structures in the area including the eye or brain.
Many physicians recommend a course of oral steroids prior to surgery to reduce mucosal inflammation, decrease bleeding during surgery, and help with visualization of the polyps. Nasal steroid sprays should be used preventatively after surgery to delay or prevent recurrence. People often have recurrence of polyps even following surgery. Therefore, continued follow up with a combination of medical and surgical management is preferred for the treatment of nasal polyps.
Warm baths may be tried in those with mild disease. Weight loss and stopping smoking is also recommended.
Oral mucocele (also termed mucous retention cyst, mucous extravasation cyst, mucous cyst of the oral mucosa, and mucous retention and extravasation phenomena) is a clinical term that refers to two related phenomena:
- Mucus extravasation phenomenon
- Mucus retention cyst
The former is a swelling of connective tissue consisting of a collection of fluid called mucin. This occurs because of a ruptured salivary gland duct usually caused by local trauma (damage), in the case of mucus extravasation phenomenon, and an obstructed or ruptured salivary duct (parotid duct) in the case of a mucus retention cyst. The mucocele has a bluish translucent color, and is more commonly found in children and young adults.
Although the term cyst is often used to refer to these lesions, mucoceles are not strictly speaking true cysts because there is no epithelial lining. Rather, it would be more accurate to classify mucoceles as polyps (i.e. a lump).
About 60 percent of initial attacks of dacryocystitis will recur. Individuals with a poorly functioning immune system (immunocompromised) may develop orbital cellulitis, which may lead to optic neuritis, proptosis, motility abnormalities, or blindness.
A salivary gland fistula (plural "fistulae") is a fistula (i.e. an abnormal, epithelial-lined tract) involving a salivary gland or duct.
Salivary gland fistulae are almost always related to the parotid gland or duct, although the submandibular gland is rarely the origin.
The fistula can communicate with the mouth (usually causing no symptoms), the paranasal sinuses (giving rhinorrhea) or the facial skin (causing saliva to drain onto the skin).
The usual cause is trauma, however salivary fistula can occur as a complication of surgery, or if the duct becomes obstructed with a calculus.
Most parotid fistulae heal by themselves within a few weeks.
A variety of causes may lead to dacrocystitis. Most notably, obstruction of the nasolacrimal duct leads to stasis of the nasolacrimal fluid, which predisposes to infection. Staphylococcus aureus is a common bacterial pathogen causing infectious dacrocystitis. Sometimes, especially in women, stones may develop in the lacrimal gland, causing recurrent bouts of dacrocystitis; this condition is called "acute dacryocystic retention syndrome."
Also due to pneumococcus, infection due to surrounding structure such as paranasal sinuses.
Treatment depends upon presentation and severity of the disease. Due to the poorly studied nature of the disease, the effectiveness of the drugs and therapies listed below is unclear. Possible treatments include the following:
DAVFs are also managed surgically. The operative approach varies depending on the location of the lesion.
Stereotactic radiosurgery
Stereotactic radiosurgery is used obliterating DAVFs post-embolization, and is considered an important adjunct. Use of this method, however, is limited to benign DAVFs that have failed other treatments.
Small unilocular lesions have been successfully treated with enucleation and curettage followed by chemical bone cautery. Multilocular tumors exhibit a 25% recurrence rate and, therefore, must be treated more aggressively. In the case of a multilocular myxoma, resection of the tumor with a generous portion of surrounding bone is required. Because of the gelatinous nature of the tumor, it is crucial for the surgeon to remove the lesion intact so as to further reduce the risk of recurrence.