Olfactory Identification Test Using Familiar Distracters for Koreans

OBJECTIVES: Odors used in an odor identification test should be familiar to the subject, but there are some unfamiliar distracters in Korean version of Sniffin' stick (KVSS) II identification test. In this study, we used the results of the original version of KVSS II identification to modify the KVSS II identification test. METHODS: Eighty-three participants took an original version of KVSS II identification test and a visual analogue scale of subjective odor function. KVSS II identification which has 16 items was performed to choose one out of four odors items. And visual analogue scale was checked from 0 to 10 points of their subjective olfactory function. Two weeks later they took the modified version of KVSS II identification test. Hyposmic or anosmic patients were excluded. RESULTS: The mean score of the original version of KVSS II identification and modified version of KVSS II identification were 11.3 and 12.5, respectively (P<0.05). The KVSS II identification test and subjective olfactory function were positively correlated (r=0.247, P<0.05), as were the modified KVSS II identification test and subjective olfactory function (r=0.329, P<0.05). CONCLUSION: After modification of distracters, KVSS II identification test appears to be suited for assessment of olfactory function.

Postoperative Residual Juvenile Nasopharyngeal Angiofibroma Treated with Gamma Knife Surgery

Juvenile nasophayngeal angiofibroma (JNA) is a histologically benign but highly vascular, agressively expansile lesion that occurs exclusively in prepubescent or pubescent males. Traditional treatmemt strategy of JNA has included open surgical approaches for majority of tumors. However, radiosurgery has been rarely applied for juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma (JNA) and cumulative reports are lacking. The authors report a case of successful treatment of postoperative residual JNA with gamma knife radiosurgery.

Recurrent Extranodal Marginal Zone B-Cell Lymphoma Presenting as a Huge Cheek Mass after Radiotherapy on Ocular Adnexal Lymphoma / 대한이비인후과학회지

Extranodal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma of mucosa associated lymphoid tissue (MALT lymphoma) is a low-grade B-cell lymphoma that presents with an indolent clinicopathologic nature. Although this tumor can occur in various sites, including the gastrointestinal, skin, salivary gland and ocular adnexa, radiation therapy shows high local control in that disease. We report a case of recurrent MALT lymphoma presenting a huge cheek mass after radiotherapy on ocular adnexal lymphomas. An 65-year-old man had a history of treatments on MALT lymphomas of ocular adnexa came again with a huge cheek mass, not recurred and not originated from salivary gland, skin, other related mucosa tissues. He got excisional biopsy and was confirmed immunohistochemically as MALT lymphoma. After diagnosis, he was sent urgently to a radiotherapist for further treatment. He responded well to added radiotherapy with 36 Gy dose and has remained well at 6 months after his initial presentation.

The Correlation of Grade Point Average of Medical School and the Score of Korean Medical Licensing Examination / 한국의학교육

PURPOSE: This study analyzed the correlation between grade point average (GPA) of medical school and the score of Korean Medical Licensing Examination (KMLE). METHODS: This study based on the results of 67th KMLE applicants who graduated from a college of medicine in 2003. We also gathered data of these applicants from the college of medicine: gender, age, type of entrance, GPA of basic medicine, clinical medicine, clinical clerkships and final test scores. We analyzed whether there was discrimination between achievement of KMLE passed and that of KMLE failed, which of variables affected the results of KMLE. RESULTS: 173 applicants passed KMLE among 189. There were significant correlations between basic medicine, clinical medicine, final test score and the score of KMLE (respective p-value; < 0.0001). There were also significant differences of GPA between KMLE passed applicants and failed. Final test scores were the most correlated with those of KMLE. If the GPA of 2nd grade was below 2.5 and the GPA of 3rd year grade was below 2.3, they was a high-risk group for failing KMLE (sensitivity 100%, specificity 90%). CONCLUSION: There were significant correlations between the GPA of medical school and the score of KMLE, and significant differences between KMLE passed applicants and failed. A high-risk group of failing KMLE was the students that the GPA of 2nd grade was below 2.5 and the GPA of 3rd grade was below 2.3.