A Case of Ancient Schwannoma of the Lingual Nerve / 대한이비인후과학회지

Schwannomas are neurogenic tumors that arise from Schwann cells of the neural sheath. They are most often benign and solitary. Ancient schwannoma is a rare variant of schwannoma with a typical characteristics of a slow growing benign tumor. A case of ancient schwannoma which originated from the lingual nerve has not been reported in the literature yet. The clinical and histological aspects of this tumor are discussed and the literature regarding this rare entity is reviewed.

A Case of Extracranial Meningioma Extending to the External Auditory Canal / 대한이비인후과학회지

Meningiomas account for approximately 13 to 18 per cent of all primary intracranial neoplasms. The majority of meningioma cases develops in the supratentorial compartment with only 8 to 9 per cent occurring in the posterior fossa. Twenty per cent of intracranial meningiomas eventually develop an extracranial extension. Intracranial tumors that extend to the middle ear and external auditory canal are uncommon. The most common pathway in the temporal bone is through the jugular foramen and foramen lacerum into the parapharyngeal space. When a meningioma gains access to the temporal bone, neurological symptoms usually develop. By the time symptoms become apparent, however, the tumor is usually quite large. The presentation was unusual in that there were no demonstrable neurological signs clinically, despite the large size of the intracranial tumor and mass effect. We experienced a case of extracranial meningioma in the external auditory canal that was extended from intracranial meningioma, and which was diagnosed with biopsy and radiographic examination. In this paper, we report this case with review of literature.

Expression of Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase in Rat and Guinea PigRespiratory Epithelium after Capsaicin Treatment / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Nitric oxide (NO) production in the respiratory epithelium and the demonstration of inducible nitric oxide synthase in ciliated epithelium of the upper airway have recently been reported. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase in the nasal epithelium after capsaicin treatment, which stimulates the substance P innervation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In vivo treatment -Capsaicin (112 nM) was applied to the nasal cavities of the rat and guinea pig, and 30 nl of normal saline was applied for the control groups. After 2 hours, animals were sacrificed with cardiac perfusion of 4% paraformaldehyde and septal mucosa were removed. The 8 nm serial frozen tissue sections were made, and the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase was determined using nicotinamide adenine diphosphate-diaphorase histochemistry. In vitro treatment- The nasal septum of the rats and the trachea of the guinea pigs were incubated in DMEM culture media with or without 112 nM capsaicin for experimental or control groups. After 0, 30 or 120 minutes of incubation, the tissues were fixed and processed for nicotinamide adenine diphosphate-diaphorase histochemistry. RESULTS: Both in vivo and in vitro studies demonstrated that the strong positive histochemical reactivity were observed in the respiratory epithelium of the rats and guinea pigs after capsaicin treatment compared to control groups. CONCLUSION: These data imply that capsaicin induces the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase and that the substance P innervation of the nasal mucosa may have a protective role in the airway defense mechanism through nitric oxide production.

A Case of Neurofibromatosis Type II / 대한이비인후과학회지

Neurofibromatosis affects primarily cell growth of neural tissues and can cause tumors to grow on nerves at any time and any location. it is a heritable disease that is transmitted as an autosomal-dominant trait. Neurofibromatosis type II is characterized by bilateral acoustic neuromas with high incidence of other tumors. Hearing loss is the most common symptom in patients with neurofibromatosis type II. The other symptoms may be tinnitus, facial weakness, and dizziness. Audiometric test and MRI are essential to diagnose neurofibromatosis type II. Most cases of neurofibromatosis type II may need for surgical procedures. We experienced a case of neurofibromatosis type II having cervical spinal cord neuroma, multiple intracranial meningiomas, and bilateral acoustic neuromas. There was positive family history. Her two brothers also had neurofibromatosis type II, confined by MRI. Her acoustic neuroma on left side was removed successfully via translabyrinthine approach and cervical spinal cord neuroma by cervical laminectomy was removed.