Gastric Ulcer Perforation to the Liver Diagnosed by Endoscopic Biopsy / 대한소화기학회지

Peptic ulcer disease is common and can be diagnosed easily if the patient has an ulcer history or characteristic abdominal symptoms. On the other hand, it may take a long time for the patient to visit the hospital due to severe complications if the patient is old or insensitive to symptoms caused by peptic ulcers. In the present case, a 72-year-old female visited the hospital due to general weakness and inadequate oral intake, which started two weeks ago. Endoscopy and abdominal CT revealed huge gastric ulcer findings. Through a tissue examination by endoscopy, hepatic cells were identified, and the patient was diagnosed with peptic ulcer perforation to the liver and later received surgical treatment.

Favorable Vocal Fold Wound Healing Induced by Platelet-Rich Plasma Injection

OBJECTIVES: To introduce a new injection material for vocal fold diseases, which could be readily translated to clinical practice, we investigated the effectiveness of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection on the injured vocal fold in terms of histological recovery. METHODS: Blood samples were drawn from New Zealand White rabbits and PRP was isolated through centrifugation and separation of the samples. Using a CO2 laser, we made a linear wound in the 24 vocal fold sides of 12 rabbits and injected each wound with PRP on one vocal fold side and normal saline (NS) on the other. Morphologic analyses were conducted at 2, 4, and 12 weeks after injection, and inflammatory response, collagen deposit, and changes in growth factors were assessed using H&E and masson trichrome (MT) staining and western blot assay. RESULTS: PRP was prepared in approximately 40 minutes. The mean platelet concentration was 1,315,000 platelets/mm3. In morphological analyses, decreased granulation was observed in the PRP-injected vocal folds (P<0.05). However, the irregular surface and atrophic change were not difference. Histological findings revealed significant inflammation and collagen deposition in NS-injected vocal folds, whereas the PRP-injected vocal folds exhibited less (P<0.05). However, the inflammatory reaction and fibrosis were not difference. In western blot assay, increased amounts of growth factors were observed in PRP-injected vocal folds. CONCLUSION: Injection of injured rabbit vocal folds with PRP led to improved wound healing and fewer signs of scarring as demonstrated by decreased inflammation and collagen deposition. The increased vocal fold regeneration may be due to the growth factors associated with PRP.

A Case of Posterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy after Endoscopic Sinus Surgery / 대한이비인후과학회지

Recently, endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) has been acknowledged as a standard surgical procedure for the treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis. Orbital complications of varying degrees that may occur during ESS have been widely reported. Blindness, one of the major complications that can occur during or immediately after ESS, is mainly attributed to orbital hematoma or direct injury to the optic nerve. In contrast to such direct mechanical trauma caused during ESS, we report a case of acute loss of vision that followed ESS without a definite cause. A postulated mechanism for idiopathic optic neuropathy is that it is ischema resulted from vasospasm in the branches of ophthalmic artery due to topical use of vasoconstrictive agents. Otorhinolaryngologists should be aware that this condition may occur following an uncomplicated ESS procedure. When loss of sight is diagnosed postoperatively, patients should be given prompt ophthalmological consultation and possible causes should be considered.

A Case of Parapharyngeal Foreign Bodies Causing Explosion of Polyurethane Foam in Oral Cavity / 대한이비인후과학회지

Foreign bodies in the upper digestive tract are frequently encountered accidental cases in otolaryngologic fields. Oropharyngeal foreign bodies consisting of polyurethane foam have never been reported. Moreover, foreign bodies penetrating into the parapharyngeal space of neck are rare but when it does, it may also cause extensive neurovascular injuries. Polyurethanes are widely used in manufacturing industries but serious hazards of these materials have not been reported. In this article, we report a man who, presented with foreign bodies that entered as a result of an explosion of polyurethane foam in the oral cavity. The foreign body had entered into the parapharyngeal space, very close to the vertebral artery.

Expression of Bcl-2, Bax and p27 in Patients with Papillary Thyroid Cancer with or without Lymph Node Metastasis / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the expression of Bcl-2, Bax, p27 and lymph node metastasis (LNM) in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). SUBJECTS AND METHOD: The thyroid tissue samples were obtained randomly from the department of pathology at Kangbuk Samsung Hospital. The specimens were from 72 patients, comprising 25 patients with thyroid nodular hyperplasia (TNH), 23 PTC without LNM, and 24 PTC with LNM between January 2006 and May 2008. Immunohistochemical staining for Bcl-2, Bax, and p27 was performed, and quantified blindly by three pathologists who had no clinical information of the patients. Immunohistochemical expression was scored as high (>25% of cells stained) or low (0-25%). RESULTS: Expression of Bcl-2 was scored as high for 1 (4%) TNH, 3 (13%) PTC without LNM and 4 (17%) PTC with LNM cases. Expression of Bax was scored as high for 0 (0%) TNH, 9 (39%) PTC without LNH and 16 (67%) PTC with LNM cases. Expression of p27 was scored as high for 13 (52%) TNH, 12 (52%) PTC without LNM and 13 (54%) PTC with LNM cases. Expression of Bax in the PTC with LNM group was scored higher than TNH (p<.01) and PTC without LNM (p<.05). There was no statistically difference in the immunoreactivity for Bcl-2 and p27 among the three groups. However, some positive expressions of p27 were noted at the cytoplasm of the PTC. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that immunohistochemical analysis of Bax may be helpful in the diagnosis of PTC and in the evaluation of lymph node metastatic potential in PTC.