The Effect of Septoturbinoplasty for Quality of Life in Patients with Sleep-Disordered Breathing / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Nasal obstruction is common in patients with sleep disordered breathing (SDB). Polysomnography (PSG) is a standard diagnositc tool for sleep disorders, but it can not evaluate the quality of life (QOL). We tried to assess the efficacy of the septoturbinoplasty on patients with SDB and nasal obstruction by using self reported measures that have been known as a tool for evaluating the general and disease specific QOL. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Thirty-five patients who had snoring and sleep apnea confirmed by PSG and symptomatic nasal obstruction caused by deviated nasal septum were enrolled. All patients underwent septoturbinoplasty to improve nasal obstruction. QOL was assessed before and 2 months after surgery. Medical Outcome Study Short Form 36 (SF-36) and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Stanford Sleepiness Scale (SSS), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Beck Depression Inventory (K-BDI), Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE) scale were included in the measures. A statistical analysis was performed using a paired t-test. RESULTS: Snoring sound level, PSQI, ESS, ISI, and NOSE were improved significantly (p0.05). CONCLUSION: QOL in patients with SDB and nasal obstruction was improved by nasal surgery. Different kinds of self-reported measures could be more informative as they can provide pre and post treatment results with respect to psychosomatic effects in patients with SDB.

A Case of Thyroid Hemiagenesis with Concurrent Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma / 대한이비인후과학회지

Thyroid hemiagenesis is an extremely rare congenital abnormality of the thyroid gland, characterized by the absence of one lobe. The true prevalence of this congenital abnormality is uncertain, because the absence of one thyroid lobe usually does not cause clinical symptoms by itself. However, several studies showed that the prevalence of this anomaly was estimated as 0.05-0.2%. Thyroid hemiagenesis is more frequently found in women, and in the left lobe. Commonly found in the remaining lobe are benign adenoma, a multinodular goiter, hyperthyroidism, chronic thyroiditis, and rarely carcinoma. We report a case of 53-year-old woman with an incidentally discovered thyroid nodule. Thyroid ultrasonography and computed tomography scan was performed in order to evaluate the nodule, and they showed the absence of the right thyroid lobe. The nodule was suspected as papillary thyroid cancer and subsequent surgery to remove it confirmed the absence of the right lobe.