Computed Tomographic Measurements of the External Auditory Canal and the Temporal Bone / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: High-resolution computed tomography provides an excellent method for examination of the middle ear, inner ear anatomy and pathologic changes in the temporal bones. The purpose of this study was to get various measurements of the external auditory canal and temporal bones, and to compare the changes with age and sex. MATERIALS AND METHOD: The various measurements by CT of the external ear canal of normal 50 ears were done. RESULTS: The obtained results were as follows: 1) In both male and female group, the distance from the medial end of EAC to bony-cartilage junction, the distance from medial end of EAC to the lateral end of cartilage, the distance from the superior wall to the inferior wall (coronal EAC isthmus) and the distance from anterior wall to the posterior wall (axial EAC isthmus) increased significantly with age (p<0.05). 2) Compared with the female group, the male group had longer distance from the posterior tympanic plate to the sinus tympani with age (p<0.05). 3) Compared with male group, the female group had longer distance from the posterior EAC wall to the Sigmoid sinus and from the EAC superior wall to the tegmen tympani with age (p<0.05). 4) In both male and female groups, the anterior and inferior angles increased and the posterior and superior angles decreased with age (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Computed tomographic evaluation can give us to information to operate external ear, middle ear, and inner ear surgery.

An Acoustic and Radiologic Study on Voice Change after Tonsillectomy and Adenotonsillectomy / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Some patients who have undergone tonsillectomy complain of voice change, but few studies for the mechanism of voice change were found. To solve this problem, study of voice change after tonsillectomy and adenotonsillectomy was done. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed voice change of 22 patients who underwent tonsillectomy and 15 patients who underwent adenotonsillectomy at CSL (computerized speech laboratory), St. Benedict Hospital. With the measured cross sectional area of vocal tract and its length from the glottis on MR images, we presented the change of cross sectional area schematically after tonsillectomy. RESULTS: Acoustically, the frequencies of the second formant of /e/ and /i/ increased and that of the first formant of /u/ decreased significantly after tonsillectomy and the frequency of the second formant of /o/ and those of the second and third formants of /i/ and /u/ increased significantly after adenotonsillectomy. It was also showed acoustically that the formant bandwidths of /a/ and /hana/ after tonsillectomy and those of /e/ and /hana/ after adenotonsillectomy increased due to nasalization. Anatomically, it was showed that the cross sectional area of oropharyngeal cavity increased and coupling effect of vocal tract happened after tonsillectomy. CONCLUSION: This study showed that acoustic characteristics and vocal tract shapes of the patients did change following tonsillectomy and adenotonsillectomy. It is imperative that we explain to patients about the postoperative voice change. Research should also be done to find ways to induce better voice changes following the operations.

Unilateral Parotid Glandular Aplasia and Ductal Atresia / 대한이비인후과학회지

Congenital absence of the major salivary glands, especially of the parotid gland, is a rare disorder whose etiopathogenesis is poorly understood. Aplasia of the parotid glands may be unilateral or bilateral and may occur alone or in association with the absence of other salivary glands or with other developmental anomalies of the first branchial arch, such as hypoplasia or aplasia of the lacrimal glands, hemifacial microsomia, mandibulofacial dysostoses, and multiple congenital anomalies. Various degree of xerostomia and dental caries with early loss of teeth may occur due to decreased salivary production. The authors experienced a case of unilateral parotid aplasia in a 22-year old female who had painless swelling in the right parotid region. We present this case with review of literature.

A Clinical Statistics on the Offending Allergens of Allergic Rhinitis / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The kinds of offending allergens in our environment have changed in accordance with the changes wrought in the living environment. Thus, the study of offending allergens in allergic rhinitis is important. This study attempted to find out annual and seasonal distribution of offending allergens in patients of allergic rhinitis and to investigate the common offending allergens. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A series of allergic skin tests were performed for 3,159 allergic rhinitis patients from Jan. 1981 to Jun. 1990 at the allergic clinic, St.Benedict Hospital, Pusan, Korea, and the results were reviewed. The allergic study included 1) an allergic skin test, 2) a nasal smear for eosinophil. RESULTS: The following summary shows the results of this study: 1) The ratio between male and female of allergic rhinitis patients was 1.15:1 with the peak age being the teens and the twenties (60.6%). 2) The peak season of allergic rhinitis was winter (29.6%), followed by autumn, spring and summer. 3) The common offending allergens were dust and mites (35.9%), pollens (31.2%), epithelials (24.8%). 4) The most common offending allergen was D. farinae (52.5%), followed by D. pteronyssinus, cat fur, Alder pollens and Hazel pollens. 5) 29.6% of patients reacted positive to the skin tests for perennial types of allergens only and 5.2% of patients demonstrated pure pollinosis. CONCLUSION: The most common offending allergen was found to be the dust mite, and the most common pollen was from Alder trees. Perennial types of allergic rhinitis exceeded seasonal types in their occurence.

Roentgenographic Study of the Upper Airway in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Using sophisticated imaging techniques, such as x-ray cephalometry, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging, we found obstructive sleep apnea patients to have smaller upper airways than nonapneic individuals. The purpose of this study was to examine whether a simple test, such as routine roentgenographic views of the upper airway, is useful in identifying anatomic narrowing of the airway in patients with sleep apnea. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We carried out a prospective study of a group of 30 patients (28 male and 2 female subjects) referred for evaluation of heavy snoring and possible obstructive sleep apnea. All patients had full nocturnal polysomnography and the lateral views of their airways were used to measure the pharyngeal diameters at three sites along the airway. All measurements were performed with the patients positioned both upright and supine. RESULTS: We observed that obstructive sleep apnea patients maintained significantly lower the retropalatal distance in the supine position than in the upright position. CONCLUSION: We concluded that routine roentgenographic measurements of upper airway diameters are useful screening methods for patients suspected of having sleep apnea.

The Effects of Adenotonsillectomy on Weight Change in Young Children / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: A history of poor weight gain can often be elicited in young children with chronic upper airway obstruction resulting from adenotonsillar hypertrophy. The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of growth disturbance and what effect, if any tonsillectomy and/or adenoidectomy has on subsequent growth in a group of children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The subjects consisted of 78 patients with adenotonsillar hypertrophy who had been treated between March 1997 and September 1997 at the department of otolaryngology, Saint Benedict Hospital. Available preoperative data were collected including sex, age at surgery, tonsillar hypertrophy grade, presence of snoring and sleep apnea, preoperative weight, preoperative eating disorder, and URI frequency. RESULT: Many had improvements in growth after adenotonsil-lectomy. The improvement in growth appears to be obvious in chidren with eating disorder, snoring, and sleep apnea resulting from adenotonsillar hypertrophy. CONCLUSION: We can conclude that there exists a relationship beween adenotonsillar hypertrophy children and preoperative eating disorder, growth delay and snoring.