Influence of Nasal Cavity Dimension and Sleep Posture on the Severity of Obstructive Sleep Apnea / 대한이비인후과학회지

Background and Objectives@#The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of sleep position and nasal cavity dimension according to minimal cross-sectional area (MCA) on the severity of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).Subjects and Method This study enrolled 528 consecutive patients who completed overnight polysomnography (PSG) and acoustic rhinometry. Positional sleep time and apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) were compared between the right and left lateral sleep positions (RLSP vs. LLSP), and between the wide and narrow lateral side sleep position (WLSP vs. NLSP) according to MCA. @*Results@#The sleep time was longer for LSP than for WLSP (20.35%±19.69% and 15.92%±16.35%, respectively) with a statistically significant difference (p=0.001). However, the AHI was not significantly different between the two groups. The sleep time was longer for RLSP than for LLSP (20.65%±19.31% and 15.39%±16.05%, respectively) with a statistically significant difference (p<0.001). In the RLSP-dominant group, there were fewer left nasal cavity narrowed patients than right nasal cavity narrowed patients (91 vs. 129, respectively). Furthermore, in the LLSP-dominant group, there were fewer right nasal cavity narrowed patients than left nasal cavity narrowed patients (60 vs. 85, respectively, p=0.001). However, we found that the AHI value was not significantly different according to sleep posture and nasal cavity dimension. @*Conclusion@#Snoring patients preferred RLSP to LLSP, and preferred to sleep on the lateral side of the narrow nasal cavity. The OSA severity was not different according to sleep position and nasal cavity dimension.

Treatment of Rhino-Orbito-Cerebral Aspergillosis with Combination of Amphotericin, Posaconazole and Amphotericin Irrigation: A Case Report

PURPOSE: To report a case of rhino-orbito-cerebral aspergillosis successfully treated with a combination of amphotericin B, posaconazole and amphotericin B irrigation. CASE SUMMARY: A 59-year-old male with hypertension, diabetes mellitus and hyperlipidemia was admitted to our neurology department for left facial paresthesia, pain and consulted to ophthalmology for left eyeball pain. His visual acuity was no light perception in the left eye, and fundus examination showed papilledema and a cherry-red spot. Left exophthalmos and complete ptosis with ophthalmoplegia were also observed. Orbital computed tomography revealed left maxillary and ethmoid sinusitis, and nasal endoscopic examination revealed a black eschar adjacent to the middle turbinate. Subsequent biopsy suggested mucormycosis. The patient was immediately treated with a combination of amphotericin B and posaconazole. In addition, left endoscopic sinus surgery was performed and aspergillosis was histopathologically confirmed. The patient underwent amphotericin B irrigation for 5 days after canula insertion up to orbital apex. The patient survived for 18 months and is still alive. CONCLUSIONS: A combination of amphotericin B, posaconazole and amphotericin B irrigation using the canula through the orbital apex may be helpful in treating patients with rhino-orbito-cerebral aspergillosis who refuse orbital exenteration.

Changes of the Individual Retinal Layer Thickness in Non-proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy in Type 2 Diabetes

PURPOSE: To compare retinal layer thickness in non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy in type 2 diabetic patients as measured by optical coherence tomography. METHODS: A total of 108 eyes from 71 patients, between January 2015 and July 2016, were included in this study. Of these, 39 eyes were included in the control group, 38 eyes in the diabetic group without non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy, and 31 eyes in the non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy group (NPDR). We measured the thickness of each retinal layer by optical coherence tomography (OCT). A total of ten layers were evaluated including the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), ganglion cell layer (GCL), inner plexiform layer (IPL), inner nuclear layer (INL), outer plexiform layer (OPL), outer nuclear layer (ONL), retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), inner retinal layer (IRL), outer retinal layer (ORL), and the total retinal layer (TRL). We compared the superior, inferior, nasal, and temporal regions at 1–3mm from the central fovea. RESULTS: RNFL was thinner in the superior region of the NPDR, as compared with that of the control group, showing statistical significance (p = 0.016). The thickness of all regions in the GCL, IPL, and IRL were decreased in NPDR, as compared to the control group with statistical significance. In addition, the thickness of the superior region in the GCL, IPL, and IRL showed statistically significant differences between controls and the no diabetic retinopathy (DR) group (p = 0.026, 0.003, 0.003). The thickness of the INL, OPL plus ONL, RPE, and ORL in all three groups showed no significant difference. The differences in the decreased thickness in the IRL were similar to that of TRL. CONCLUSIONS: Retinal neurodegeneration was observed in the IRL, which included changes to the RNFL, GCL, and IPL in early type 2 diabetes before microvascular injury was apparent. Thorough control of blood glucose is required in early diabetes, and further studies to delay retinal neurodegeneration are required. OCT might have an important role in early diagnosis and follow up of diabetic retinopathy.

The Effect of Inferior Conjunctival Transposition Flap for Recurrent Pterygium

PURPOSE: In the present study, the effect of the inferior conjunctival transposition flap in patients with recurrent pterygium was evaluated. METHODS: This study included 60 patients (63 eyes) that received pterygium surgery with inferior conjunctival transposition flap and diagnosed with recurrent pterygium. The inferior conjunctival transposition flap obtained from lower bulbar conjunctiva was secured with 8-0 VICRYL® after removal of recurrent fibrovascular tissues. This study was retrospectively reviewed for recurrence and postoperative complications in patients with a minimum follow-up period over 6 months. RESULTS: The mean follow-up period was 5 years and 8 months (range; 6 months to 14 years). Corneal recurrence occurred in 4 eyes (6.3%) and conjunctival recurrence was observed in 2 eyes (3.1%) among a total of 63 eyes. Conjunctival recurrence was not the progressive type and limited to the limbus and suture site. One case of corneal recurrence required additional symblepharolysis and auto conjunctival graft. Although mild flap congestion, hemorrhage and granuloma were observed, these cases improved during the follow-up period. CONCLUSIONS: The inferior conjunctival transposition flap procedure can be regarded as an effective surgical treatment option for recurrent pterygium.

Clinical characteristics of right versus left colonic diverticulitis / 대한내과학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Left colonic diverticulitis is relatively common in western nations. Although the incidence of colonic diverticulitis is increasing in Korea, very little is known regarding its clinical characteristics in korean patients. METHODS: We compared the clinical characteristics of right versus left colonic diverticulitis via the retrospective review of 37 cases treated at the Kyungpook National University Hospital, Korea, from July 1998 to December 2006. Diagnosis was confirmed via computed tomography (CT), barium study, colonoscopy, and/or surgery. RESULTS: Eighteen men and 19 women (median age, 45.0 years; range, 21~75 years) were included. The ratio of right to left colonic diverticulitis was 30:7. The male to female ratio for right colonic diverticulitis was 16:14 and the median age was 38.5 years (range, 21~72 years). The male to female ratio for left colonic diverticulitis was 2:5 and the mean age was 57.0 years (range, 45~75 years). Left colonic diverticulitis was more frequently associated with intestinal perforation (p=0.001) and old age (p=0.005). Surgical intervention was more common in left versus right colonic diverticulitis (p=0.009). CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that although left colonic diverticulitis is relatively rare among koreans, it develops later in life and is more frequently complicated than right colonic diverticulitis.

Frequency and Patterns of nodal metastasis in supraglottic squamous cell carcinoma / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Supraglottic larynx is a well-known primary site of the head and neck cancer with frequent nodal metastasis, but pathologically confirmed data is lacking in our country. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Pathologic reports of supraglottic squamous cell carcinoma were reviewed using the records of 73 patients who underwent surgery as an initial treatment at Severance Hospital between April 1992 and December 1999. Fifty-three patients had simultaneous bilateral neck dissection, while 13 had unilateral neck dissection. The average number of nodes investigated was 46.5 +/- 14.0 for the comprehensive neck dissection specimen and 29.4 +/- 10.9 for he lateral neck dissection. RESULTS: Seventy-one percent of the patients had patholigically proven nodal metastasis at the time of diagnosis. Ninty-percent (47/52) of patients with pathologically proven metastasis had multiple lymph node metastasis. Nodal metastasis rate according to T stages was as follows ; T1 57.1% (4/7), T2 72.0% (18/25), T3 76.0% (19/25), T4 68.8% (11/16) respectively. Metastasis rate according to subsite was as follows ; 79.3% for epiglottis, 56.5% for false cord, 76.2% for aryepiglottic fold respectively. Ipsilateral and contralateral occult metastasis rate were 28.6% (8/28) and 14.3% (4/28), respectively. The percentage of contralateral occult metastasis for clinically ipsilateral node positive patient was 27.8% (10/36). 40.4% (19/47) of the patients with tumor which involved the midline had contralateral metastasis while 11.5% (3/26) for the patients with tumor were confined to one side. CONCLUSION: Patients with supraglottic squamous cell carcinoma need aggressive treatment of neck, because nodal metastasis is very frequent at the time of diagnosis. Elective treatment of contralateral neck may be needed for ipsilateral node positive patients. Patients who were clinically proven NO also need to take elective treatments at least for the ipsilateral side.

Temperamental Characteristics of Asthmatic Children in Korea / 신경정신의학

The objective of this study was to determine temperamental characteristics of children with bronchial asthma. An earlier preliminary study(Kim SP, Ferrara A, Chess S, 1980) results show that the asthmatic children, as a group, are significantly different from two other control groups (I. children with eczema, allergic rhinitis, or both without asthma: II. normal healthy children in their temperamental profile). The parents of 85 Korean children with bronchial asthma, ages 3 to 7 years, completed the Korean version of Parental Temperamental Questionnaire developed by Thomas and Chess. The data collected were of ordinal type, ranked from 1 to 7 and the non-parametric Mann-whitney U Test was utilized. Any child with a suspected history or diagnosis of premature birth, organic brain syndrome, mental retardation, childhood psychosis, congenital physical anomaly, hereditary disease or any other medical or surgical conditions, other than asthma, requiring continuous physicians care was excluded from the study population. The results showed that asthmatic female children were characterized by lower adaptability and lower threshold of responsiveness. And 22% of asthmatic children were of the difficult type, compared to 11% of normal children. Both groups were statistically different In terms of temperamental constellation. The findings strongly suggest the existence of a distinct temperamental profile of asthmatic children. Early detection of the profile may be of great value for parents and child health care providers in understanding the asthmatic children's correct developmental needs and in determining appropriate parenting approaches for the chronically ill children at the risk of behavioral disorders.