Two Cases of Cervical Hemorrhage with Upper Airway Obstruction: A Life-Threatening Condition

Several are the causes of cervical masses and among them a spontaneous hemorrhage presents a rare and life-threatening condition. Sometimes hemorrhage develops from a previous silent neck lesion as in the case of an anaplastic thyroid carcinoma associated with bleeding. We present two cases: a 70-y...

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Main Authors: Enrico Maria Amadei, Laura Benedettini, Ottavio Piccin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2014-01-01
Series:Case Reports in Medicine
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/674176
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author Enrico Maria Amadei
Laura Benedettini
Ottavio Piccin
author_facet Enrico Maria Amadei
Laura Benedettini
Ottavio Piccin
author_sort Enrico Maria Amadei
collection DOAJ
description Several are the causes of cervical masses and among them a spontaneous hemorrhage presents a rare and life-threatening condition. Sometimes hemorrhage develops from a previous silent neck lesion as in the case of an anaplastic thyroid carcinoma associated with bleeding. We present two cases: a 70-year-old woman suffering from enlarging cervical mass causing respiratory distress because of upper airway compression due to a spontaneous rupture of the superior thyroid artery and a 74-year-old woman who drew our attention because of a progressively worsening dyspnea due to a large medial cervical mass with rapid onset. We removed it surgically, finding out an anaplastic thyroid carcinoma that is associated with internal bleeding. We discuss our management of these rare and life-threatening conditions, recalling that the patency of upper airway should always be the prerogative in every emergency. Besides, we make a review of the recent literature.
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spelling doaj-art-3a479ef7e9734813b6ca0192df08bf632025-08-20T02:07:46ZengWileyCase Reports in Medicine1687-96271687-96352014-01-01201410.1155/2014/674176674176Two Cases of Cervical Hemorrhage with Upper Airway Obstruction: A Life-Threatening ConditionEnrico Maria Amadei0Laura Benedettini1Ottavio Piccin2Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, S. Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, Via Pietro Albertoni 15, 40138 Bologna, ItalyDepartment of Transfusion Medicine and Immunohematology, Bufalini Hospital, Viale Ghirotti 286, 47521 Cesena, ItalyDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, S. Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, Via Pietro Albertoni 15, 40138 Bologna, ItalySeveral are the causes of cervical masses and among them a spontaneous hemorrhage presents a rare and life-threatening condition. Sometimes hemorrhage develops from a previous silent neck lesion as in the case of an anaplastic thyroid carcinoma associated with bleeding. We present two cases: a 70-year-old woman suffering from enlarging cervical mass causing respiratory distress because of upper airway compression due to a spontaneous rupture of the superior thyroid artery and a 74-year-old woman who drew our attention because of a progressively worsening dyspnea due to a large medial cervical mass with rapid onset. We removed it surgically, finding out an anaplastic thyroid carcinoma that is associated with internal bleeding. We discuss our management of these rare and life-threatening conditions, recalling that the patency of upper airway should always be the prerogative in every emergency. Besides, we make a review of the recent literature.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/674176
spellingShingle Enrico Maria Amadei
Laura Benedettini
Ottavio Piccin
Two Cases of Cervical Hemorrhage with Upper Airway Obstruction: A Life-Threatening Condition
Case Reports in Medicine
title Two Cases of Cervical Hemorrhage with Upper Airway Obstruction: A Life-Threatening Condition
title_full Two Cases of Cervical Hemorrhage with Upper Airway Obstruction: A Life-Threatening Condition
title_fullStr Two Cases of Cervical Hemorrhage with Upper Airway Obstruction: A Life-Threatening Condition
title_full_unstemmed Two Cases of Cervical Hemorrhage with Upper Airway Obstruction: A Life-Threatening Condition
title_short Two Cases of Cervical Hemorrhage with Upper Airway Obstruction: A Life-Threatening Condition
title_sort two cases of cervical hemorrhage with upper airway obstruction a life threatening condition
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/674176
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