Abstract
Every day thousands of health-care professionals are exposed to surgical smoke plume produced by tissue destruction during electrosurgical procedures. There has been increased awareness of the possible health hazards associated with inhalation of a range of biological contaminants that have been identified in the aerosol created. This has corresponded to an increased number of observational and experimental studies aimed at identifying the specific risks to medical personnel and ways to control the levels of exposure to the variety of hazardous components that have now been identified.
Highlights
Patient 1 is a 64-year-old male gynaecologist who presented with a 3-month history of an asymptomatic right upper neck mass
A range of pathological conditions have been reported in health-care workers exposed to surgical smoke plume, including human papillomavirus (HPV) positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) in gynaecologists
HPV-16 and HPV-18 subtypes account for 70% of cervical cancers and HPV-16 accounts for approximately 95% of HPV-positive OPSCC [1,2]
Summary
Patient 1 is a 64-year-old male gynaecologist who presented with a 3-month history of an asymptomatic right upper neck mass. A fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) of the neck mass showed a p16 positive squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Patient 1 had a 5 pack-year history of cigarette smoking 45 years ago and was a social alcohol drinker. He had been in a monogamous relationship for 31 years. Patient 2 is a 66-year-old male gynaecologist who presented with an enlarged left upper jugular lymph node. Patient 2 had never smoked and was a social alcohol drinker He had been in a monogamous relationship for 40 years. Most of the procedures were performed wearing a simple surgical face mask and without the use of a smoke evacuator
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