The Effect of the Topical Injection of Steroid into the Pillar and Tonsillar Bed on Posttonsillectomy Morbidity / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Many studies report using various agents to reduce morbidity of post-tonsillectomy. Steroid, for example, is often given to decrease postoperative morbidity. This study was designed to determine the efficacy of the intraoperative topical injection of steroid into the pillar and tonsillar bed. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Eighty patients aged between 15 to 30 years were randomly divided into two groups: 40 patients (Group I) received a single intraoperative dose of topical dexametha-sone sodium phosphate, whereas the control group was given normal saline. After the operation, each patient was evaluated for pain, oral intake, use of analgesics. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences noted in pain score, oral intake, use of analgesics among the two groups of patients. CONCLUSION: From the post operative day 1 to post operative day 7, dexamethasone sodium phosphate may play a limited role in the patient recovery from tonsillectomy. The results showed that a single dose of the topical dexamethasone sodium phosphate did not affect the postoperative morbidity.

Physiological Significances for Expression of Immediate Early Gene Protein by Change of Arterial Pressure in Vestibular Nuclear Complex of Adult Rats / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this research was to evaluate physiological significances of expression of immediate early gene proteins in the vestibular nuclear complex by change of arterial pressure (AP) in adult Sprague-Dawley rats. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Record AP and inject either sodium nitroprusside (SNP) or phenylnephrine to change AP. Either fast or slow removal of blood from the femoral artery was made to induce different rapidity in reduction of AP. Blood supply to the inner ear was temporally blocked by clamping anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA). Immunohistochemical staining and image analysis for cFos, FosB, Krox, and JunB proteins were performed 2, 6, 12 hours after change of AP. RESULTS: The selective expression of cFos protein was observed in the medial vestibular nucleus (MVN) following reduction of AP. The number of cFos positive neurons peaked at 2 hours and then rapidly reduced, returning to the normal value 24 hours after SNP injection. And cFos protein expression was also well correlated with that of AP reduction at 2 hours of SNP injection. The rapid falling of AP caused a significant expression of cFos protein but slow withdrawal of blood did a minimal change of cFos protein expression. In addition, there was a significant expression of cFos protein following the increase of AP by single injection of phenylnephrine. Unilateral occlusion of AICA resulted in the significant expression of cFos protein in bilateral MVN. Furthermore, bilateral ablation of vestibular endorgans resulted in significant reduction of cFos expression by AICA occlusion in MVN. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that cFos protein is a marker for neuronal excitation in vestibular complex in response to rapid changes in the arterial blood pressure and that medial vestibular nuclei plays an important role in signaling the process of cardiovascular information coming from the peripheral vestibular apparatus.