Co-existence of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma with Sinonasal Mucormycosis: Therapeutical Challenges

Pandemic was new experience for entire humanity. Medical fraternity was no exception. The cases of mucormycosis were on the rise during the second wave of the pandemic. Presented here are two cases which were combination of two diseases, one of which was squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck region and other one was sinonasal mucormycosis. Both patients were diabetics and had history of Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) infection in past. Our literature search doesn’t reveal any previously reported cases of this rare combination. There were certain challenges in management. Both diseases were lethal and treatment of one cannot be prioritised over other. Challenges in managing those cases were, reconstruction planning, perioperative management and postsurgery adjuvant therapy. In absence of previous experience to treat this combination or any literature available new treatment protocol were formulated. Cases were discussed in multidisciplinary team meetings and treatment plans were formulated. Mucormycosis and oral squamous cell carcinoma both were operated and reconstructed in same sitting. In one patient revision endoscopic debridement had to be done. Amphotericin B was started once diagnosis was confirmed. Patients were followed-up on weekly basis during first month and imaging was done every 15 days. Both patients had satisfactory recovery without any sign of progression of mucormycosis. Adjuvant radiation was given in both cases at appropriate time. At follow-up both patients were free from disease for six months. From these unique experiences it can be recommended that combination of sinonasal mucormycosis and squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck is very rare. Both diseases can be treated simultaneously. Excision and reconstruction can be done in single sitting. There is no need to delay or avoid adjuvant radiation. Multidisciplinary team approach is the key for treatment.

A rare case of sinonasal glomangiopericytoma post operative accidental diagnosis and managment-A case report

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Glomangiopericytoma is rare sinonasal disease with very good prognosis after surgical excision.

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Prognosis is very good after surgical excision.

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As most nasal tumors our case was also an accidental diagnosis following endoscopic sinus surgery. and complete clearance was suspicious.

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Patent was referred for adjuvant radiation.

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Revision surgery was done and wide clearance was established.

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Patient was saved from radiation.

Introduction

Glomangiopericytoma is a rare neoplasm of low malignant potential. It is a rare type of haemangiopericytoma located in nasal cavity. This neoplasm has good prognosis and complete surgical excision is treatment of choice. This case report is representing one such neoplasm. This reporting is done in line with the SCARE criteria (Agha et al., 2018 [1]).

Case presentation

We presenting a case of 54 year old male patient from upper socioeconomic status who presented at our institution with history of surgery (endoscopic sinus surgery with Septoplasty) 15 days back. A Final histopathology report suggested glomangiopericytoma. Since primary surgery was not done as per oncologic principals, patient was advised for adjuvant radiation. At our institute patient was evaluated again. Revision surgery was done. Patient was discharged next day.

Discussion

Glomangiopericytoma is a rare neoplasm with incidence of less than 0.5% of all neoplasms of sinonasal cavity. Prognosis is very good after complete surgical excision. It often confuses clinicians with nasal polyps. Here also patient was operated initially considering as benign polyposis outside. Patient was re-operated again to ensure the complete clearance.

Conclusion

This is the typical case of converting dual modality treatment to single modality with the help of knowledge, communication, transparent team work. This also a rare type of neoplasm and by reporting this rare case we are contributing to data pool of nasal tumors where lack of reporting is major obstacle in the formation of uniform treatment guidelines.

Metastasis of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck to the thyroid: a single institution's experience with a review of relevant publications

The thyroid gland is a rare site of metastasis, and in particular of those of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) from the head and neck region. We have reviewed the aetiology, pathogenesis, clinical characteristics, radiological features, immunohistochemical profile, prognosis, and management of metastatic SCC from the head and neck region to the thyroid, and searched current publications on the Medline, Embase, and Cochrane databases using the following keywords: "SCC of thyroid", "secondary SCC of thyroid", and "metastasis to the thyroid", for papers published during the last 33 years (April 1984 to October 2017).We found a total of 19 papers that reported a total of 32 cases that were relevant. Four further cases were discovered as an incidental finding on follow-up positron emission tomographic/computed tomographic scans with magnetic resonance imaging of the head and neck at our hospital, which were confirmed with an ultrasound-guided core needle biopsy followed by immunohistochemical examination. For patients who are doing well, whose disease is controlled at the primary site, and who have no evidence of distant metastatic disease, total thyroidectomy could be considered followed by adjuvant radiation or chemoradiotherapy, depending on the presence of intermediate or high-risk features on pathological examination and previous history of radiation. This may help to control the disease and avoid local morbidity.