7. Throat Flashcards
What is OSA?
Involves cessation or significant decrease in airflow in the presence of breathing effort
Characterized by recurrent episodes of upper airway collapse during sleep
OSA that is associated with excessive daytime sleepiness is commonly called obstructive sleep apnea syndrome
How does OSA present?
Night time:
- Snoring (loud, habitual, bothersome to others)
- Witnessed apnoea’s, which often interrupt the snoring and end with a snort
- Gasping/choking sensations that arouse from sleep
- Nocturia
- Insomnia
- Restless sleep
Daytime:
- Nonrestorative sleep (waking up as tired as when they went to bed)
- Morning headache, dry or sore throat
- Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS)
- Cognitive deficits
- Personality and mood changes
How should OSA be Ix and Mx?
Ix = BMI, TFT (hypo), CXR (obstructive lung disease), ECG (R ven failure), sleep study
Lifestyle advice = weight loss, exercise, reducing alcohol intake and sedative use, and smoking cessation
Refer to a sleep centre = confirmation of Dx, using sleep studies (polysomnography or limited sleep study)
CPAP = for moderate or severe OSAS
Intra-oral devices (mandibular advancement device) = people who snore or have mild OSAS
What are the causes of tonsillitis?
Viral (70%) – adenovirus, rhinovirus, influenza, RSV, EBV
Bacterial – strep pyogenes (group A), staph, H.influenzae, e.coli
Outline the pathophysiology of tonsillitis
Inflammatory infection of the tonsils caused by invasion of the mucous membrane by microorganisms.
Subtype of pharyngitis
Could be EBV - which would mean they also could have an enlarged liver + spleen, must NOT do any contact sports for 6w
What are the signs and symptoms of tonsillitis?
Red, swollen tonsils
+/- White or yellow coating or patches on the tonsils
Sore throat
Difficult or painful swallowing
Fever
Bilateral cervical lymphadenopathy
A scratchy, muffled or throaty voice
Bad breath
Stomach-ache, particularly in younger children
Stiff neck
Headache
How should tonsillitis be investigated?
Centor criteria: (3/4 40-60% GABHS)
- Absence of cough
- Tonsillar exudates (ooze)
- High fever
- Tender anterior cervical LN
Throat exam
Throat swab (if bacterial suspected)
Fever/pain score
How is tonsillitis best managed?
Rest, hydration, saltwater gargle, lozenges, avoid irritants, ibuprofen/paracetamol, topical analgesia (difflam), dex
Centor Criteria 3/4 = Abx – penicillin V 500mg QDS for 10d
Recurrent, disabling = surgery – tonsillectomy
Give a DDx for neck lumps
Ix if = >2w, >2cm, >2 regions affected
- Kawasaki Disease = unilateral, >15mm, painful nodes
- Viral infections (EBV, CMV)
- Bacterial infections (strep, staph, TB)
- Malignancy (lymphoma, leukaemia)
- Juvenile chronic arthritis, SLE, atopic eczema
- Lipoma
- Dermoid cyst (midline, <20y)
- Sebaceous cyst
- Thyroglossal cyst (moves on swallow, below hyoid)
- Branchial cyst (IV Abx, aspiration, excision)
- Abscess
- Chondroma (bony hard)
- Branchial cyst (under anterior border of sternomastoid)
- Parotid tumour (superoposterior area of anterior triangle)
- Cervical ribs (posterior triangle)
- Pharyngeal pouch
*** Paed: 20% mal, 80% benign VS Adult: 80% mal, 20% benign
How should a neck lump be Ix?
Exam = site, size, shape
Flexible endoscopy = nose, nasopharynx, oropharynx, hypopharynx, larynx
USS = structure, vasculature
CT = relation to other anatomical structures
Bloods = FBC, CRP, monospot
Virology + Mantoux test
CXR = may show malignancy, or in sarcoid bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy
Fine-needle aspiration cytology, formal biopsy - MAKE SURE NOT PULSATILE
What are salivary gland stones?
Sialolithiasis = mineral salt clump
Most located in submandibular glands
Pre-existing dehydration = reduced salivary flow = stones = more prone to infection
S+S = pain/tense swelling of gland after meal, may be palpable in floor of mouth
Ix = x-ray, sialogram
Mx = small pass spontaneously, larger require surgery
Outline sialadenitis
Acute inflam of the submandibular or parotid glands (Staph aureus, viral mumps, autoimmune)
S+S = painful diffuse swelling, fever, pressure may cause pus to leak
Ix = FBC, LFT, autoimmune screen (sjogrens), OPG (teeth, calculus), sialography (calculus, stenosis, sialectasis), UCC/CT/MRI, FNAC
Mx = rehydrate, IV Abx + good oral hygiene, lemon drops that stimulate salivation may help, surgical drainage may be require
List the RF associated with head, neck and thyroid cancers
Alcohol
Tobacco use
Age
Gender = male
Epstein-Barr virus
Chewing of betel quid
Long term exposure to sunlight/sunbeds
HPV
Leucoplakia - thick white plaques, higher risk for mouth cancer
Outline the presentation, investigation and treatment of lip/oral cancer
90% SCC
S+S = lump, painless ulcer/lump, pain (late sign, inc referred pain to ear), fixation of tongue, dysphagia, odynophagia (pain on swallowing), discolouration, leukoplakia, lichen planus, non-healing ulcer
Ix = CT/MRI of chest as lung cancer associated with smoking too
Mx = excision, RT, surgery – hemiglossectomy or total glossectomy
Outline the presentation, investigation and treatment of pharynx cancer
RF = smoking, alcohol, HPV, EBV, radiation
S+S = cervical LN, dysphagia, Odynophagia (painful swallow), Lump secondary to cervical mets, Pain (referred pain otalgia), weight loss
Ix = naso/panendoscopy, biopsy, FNAC LN, imaging – CT/MRI, barrium swallow
Mx =
- supportive – feed via gastronomy tubes
- pharyngeal - chemo, RT
- oropharynx - surgery +/- RT or chemo
- hypopharynx (may incurable) - surgery + RT +/- neoadjuvant chemo