A puzzling cause for bilateral vocal cord palsies in a patient with relapsed metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
Unilateral vocal cord paralysis (VCP) is a frequent complication of a variety of cancers. It is easy to diagnose and not fatal. Bilateral VCP is rare and it is fatal if not appropriately managed. We encountered a patient with nasopharyngeal carcinoma who developed bilateral VCP with hoarseness and respiratory distress 2 years after initial diagnosis. A tracheostomy was performed to restore airway patency.
Chang
Yaw-Wen
YW
Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, No. 325, Cheng-Kung Road, Sec. 2, Neihu, 114 Taipei, Taiwan.
Lin
Yaoh-Shiang
YS
Jen
Yee-Min
YM
Dai
Ming-Shen
MS
D004417:Dyspnea / Q000209:etiology; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006685:Hoarseness / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008479:Mediastinal Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000150:complications; D010166:Palliative Care; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014826:Vocal Cord Paralysis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery