Seasonal Specificity of Seasonal Allergens and Validation of the ARIA Classification in Korea

PURPOSE: In Korea, tree pollens are known to be prevalent in spring, grass pollens in summer and weed pollens in autumn. However, few studies have revealed their seasonal specificity for allergic rhinitis symptoms. An ARIA (Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma) classification of allergic rhinitis was recently introduced and its clinical validation has not been well proved. The aim of this study was to evaluate the seasonal specificity of seasonal allergens and to validate the ARIA classification with the conventional seasonal and perennial allergic rhinitis (SAR/PAR) classification. METHODS: Two hundred twenty six patients with allergic rhinitis were included in this study. The patients were classified according to the sensitized allergens and the ARIA classifications. A questionnaire survey was performed and the data on the seasonal symptom score, the severity of symptoms and the SNOT (sinonasal outcome test)-20 score was obtained and the data was analyzed and compared between the conventional SAR/PAR classification and the ARIA classification. RESULTS: Seasonal pollens (tree, grass, weed) were not specific to the pollen peak season and the patients' symptoms were severe during spring and autumn regardless of the offending pollens. More than 60% of the patients with SAR showed persistent symptoms and 33% of the patients with perennial allergic rhinitis (PAR) had intermittent symptoms, showing the lack of association between the SAR/PAR/PAR+SAR classification and the ARIA classification. The ARIA classification showed better association not only with the symptomatic score, but also with the SNOT-20 score, which showed better validity than the conventional SAR/PAR classifications. CONCLUSIONS: Seasonal pollens were not specific to their season of prevalence in terms of the severity of symptoms, and the ARIA classification showed better representation of allergic symptoms and quality of life (SNOT-20 score) than did the SAR/PAR classification.

Comparison of Vocal Outcome after Autologous Fat Injection and Medialization Thyroplasty for Unilateral Vocal Cord Paralysis / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Glottic incompetence from the unilateral vocal cord paralysis can be improved by medialization of the paralyzed vocal cord. There are many medialization techniques. Among them, medialization thyroplasty and injection laryngoplasty are frequently used techniques. We compared the vocal outcomes of fat injection and medialization thyroplasty in unilateral vocal cord paralysis. The aim of this study is to find out which modalities are more preferable as initial treatment of unilateral vocal cord paralysis. MATERIALS AND METHOD: From 2004 January to 2008 September, medialization thyroplasty was performed in 13 patients and fat injection in 14 patients for unilateral vocal cord paralysis. We analyzed the voice quality by several subjective and objective parameters. The parameters are visual analog scale, GRBAS scale, acoustic analysis (fundamental frequency, jitter, shimmer, noise to harmonic ratio), and aerodynamic analysis (maximum phonation time, mean flow rate, subglottic pressure). RESULTS: Visual analog scale, jitter, shimmer and maximum phonation time are improved after both medialization thyroplsty and fat injection. In GRBAS scale, fat injection showed statistically significant improvement compared with medialization thyroplasty. The mean flow rate was also significantly decreased in fat injection. CONCLUSION: Both medialization thyroplasty and fat injection improved voice quality. But injection laryngoplasty with fat may be superior to silastic medialization in short-term voice outcome.

Effect of Preset Angle on Subjective Visual Vertical/Horizontal: Comparison between Normal Subjects and Patients with Dizziness / 대한평형의학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Subjective visual vertical (SVV) and subjective visual horizontal (SVH) are well known otolith function tests. Patients with acute unilateral vestibular weakness have a tendency to set the bar toward the side of the lesion in SVV and SVH tests. The object of this article is to identify the effect of preset angle on SVV and SVH tests in normal subjects and patients with dizziness. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From October 2008 to March 2009, thirty healthy volunteers, twenty eight vestibular neuritis (VN) patients (14-uncompensated, 14-compensated), Twenty five patients who had migrainous vertigo (MV) were enrolled. All subjects performed the test two times in each of the clockwise and counter-clockwise preset angle. RESULTS: In normal subjects, there was significant influence by preset angle on SVV test, not on SVH test. In VN patients with nystagmus, both SVH and SVV were not influenced by preset angle. In VN patients without nystagmus and in MV patients, there were significant influence by preset angle on both SVV and SVH tests. CONCLUSION: SVV and SVH values depend on the direction of the preset angle in MV and uncompensated VN patients. The preset angle should be considered in the interpretation of SVV and SVH values.

Clinical Implication of Dissociation between Subjective Visual Horizontal and Subjective Visual Vertical / 대한평형의학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Subject visual vertical (SVV) and subject visual horizontal (SVH) is well known otolith function test. Patients with acute unilateral vestibular weakness fail to set the test bar within normal range in SVH/SVV showing abnormal deviation toward lesion side. In some cases, SVH and SVV are deviated towards different directions, and analysis of these findings is rarely reported. The authors analyzed correlation of SVH/SVV and other vestibular function tests in patients with various vestibular diseases. MATERIALS AND METHODS From April 2005 to July 2007, total 234 patients who had admitted for dizziness were enrolled. All patients were divided in two groups, non-dissociation group (n=215) and dissociation group (n=19). Correlation of SVH, SVV, Videonystagmography (VNG), the rotating chair test was compared. RESULTS 8.1% of patients showed dissociation between SVH and SVV. Clinical features did not showed significant difference between groups. In non-dissociation group, SVH/SVV showed correlation with VNG, rotating chair test. However in dissociation group, VNG and rotating chair test revealed high rate of consistency with deviation of SVH than that of SVV. Also direction of SVH and dizziness had higher consistency (88.9%) than that of SVV (11.1%). CONCLUSION The SVH showed consistency with other vestibular function test and may be more reliable than SVV when the result is dissociated.

Bilateral Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo of Horizontal Canal and Posterior Canal / 대한이비인후과학회지

Bowing nystagmus, lying down nystagmus, null pointand comparing the slow phase velocity during right and left head roll test may be used to distinguish the side of lesion in lateral canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). Nonetheless, it is sometimes difficult to distinguish the side of lesion. In particular, when multiple canal BPPV such as lateral and posterior canal BPPV is suspected, the problemis even more complicated. From this reason, usually the side of lesion is first identified for the posterior canal, and the lateral canal BPPV is presumed to be present on the identical side. But is this approachalways correct and justifiable? As there are reports on bilateral posterior canal BPPV and bilateral lateral canal BPPV, there should also be bilateral posterior and lateral canal BPPV cases. We report two cases of bilateral posterior and lateralcanal BPPV, and discuss the grounds for diagnosing these cases as bilateral. The first case is a mixed left posterior canalolithiasis plus right lateral canalolithiasis and the second case is a mixed right posterior canalolithiasis plus left lateral cupulolitiasis. In such cases, mixed nystagmus can make it difficult to directly compare the slow phase velocity during the right and left head roll test. New methods are necessary to distinguish the side of the lesion for the lateral canal. We introduce the concept of AHC (attenuated horizontal component) which seems to be important in deciding the side of lesion in multiple canal BPPV. We also introduce head center nystagmus (HCN) to aid the decision on the side of lesion.