introduction: septal deviation is the chief cause of chronic nasal obstruction. in order to treat such cases, nasal septoplasty surgery is usually performed based on patient complaints and a surgeon's examination, both of which are subjective. this study aims at using the objective parameters of acoustic rhinometry and rhinomanometry to evaluate the effectiveness of septoplasty surgery.   ...

S leep apnea is defined as a sleep disorder with frequent episodes of upper-airway obstruction resulting in hemoglobin oxygen desaturation. The disorder is characterized by periods of breathing cessation (apnea) and periods of reduced breathing (hypopnea). Sleep apnea increases morbidity and mortality, thus making it a condition worthy of investigation.1 Sleep apnea is typically categorized as ...

Hereditary angioedema is a rare disorder with a genetic background involving mutations in the genes encoding C1-INH and of factor XII. Its etiology is unknown in a proportion of cases. Recurrent edema formation may involve the subcutis and the submucosa - the latter can produce obstruction in the upper airways and thereby lead to life-threatening asphyxia. This is the reason for the high, 30-to...

Neonatal upper airway obstruction is a life-threatening condition and requires rapid assessment and effective treatment. Malformations of the upper airway of a newborn can lead to acute respiratory distress. The aim of the present paper is to report the case of a newborn with respiratory distress due to a tongue base mass, which was removed surgically. The patient needed a tracheostomy tube for...

The prevalence of sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) is approximately 7.5% in Japanese adults aged 18-68 years old. SAS is characterized by repeated episodes of apnea, especially obstructive apnea, during sleep. Severe SAS has life-threatening complications such as pulmonary hypertension, arrhythmias, right heart failure or brain damage, which could be caused by hypoxemia and/or hypercapnia. Upper airw...

Obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome (OSA/HS) is the basis of the spectrum of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) and is a condition characterized by the presence of snoring, repetitive partial upper airway obstruction (hypopnea) and/or intermittent complete obstruction (apnea), long enough to cause reduce the level of oxygen in the blood (desaturation), fragmented sleep and excessive daytime...

This paper presents a case of a 7 year-old child who presented with a 14-days history of blood stained saliva and shortness of breath of 3 days with signs of upper airway obstruction. Laryngoscopy revealed a blackish living foreign body in the proximal trachea. Under general anesthesia the leech was removed by applying forceps. I conclude that a high index of suspicion of leech infestation is r...

INTRATHORACIC GOITERS ARE DIVIDED INTO TWO CATEGORIES: primary and secondary. Intrathoracic goiters (IG) can cause upper airway obstruction. The presence of obstructive symptoms secondary to increased thyroid growth and tracheal compression is major indication for surgery; however, goiters do not always require immediate surgical attention. In addition, although some diagnostic tests indicate u...

An African-American man, aged 34 years, underwent an elective uncomplicated right wrist laceration repair while under general anesthesia. Following extubation, the patient developed hypoxemia, tachypnea, shortness of breath, pulmonary rales, frothy sputum, decreased oxygen saturation, and evidence of upper airway obstruction. Chest radiograph showed pulmonary edema. The patient was diagnosed wi...

Self-expandable metal esophageal stents (SEMS) are used to provide symptomatic relief of dysphagia, particularly in cancer patients. The advancement of covered SEMS stents has decreased the rate of tumor in-growth complications, unfortunately with the cost of increased migration rates. Complications involving both the airway and gastrointestinal tract have been observed and studied. To date the...