Guideline for the Surgical Management of Locally Invasive Differentiated Thyroid Cancer From the Korean Society of Head and Neck Surgery

The aim of this study was to develop evidence-based recommendations for determining the surgical extent in patients with locally invasive differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). Locally invasive DTC with gross extrathyroidal extension invading surrounding anatomical structures may lead to several functional deficits and poor oncological outcomes. At present, the optimal extent of surgery in locally invasive DTC remains a matter of debate, and there are no adequate guidelines. On October 8, 2021, four experts searched the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases; the identified papers were reviewed by 39 experts in thyroid and head and neck surgery. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach was used to assess the quality of evidence, and to develop and report recommendations. The strength of a recommendation reflects the confidence of a guideline panel that the desirable effects of an intervention outweigh any undesirable effects, across all patients for whom the recommendation is applicable. After completing the draft guidelines, Delphi questionnaires were completed by members of the Korean Society of Head and Neck Surgery. Twenty-seven evidence-based recommendations were made for several factors, including the preoperative workup; surgical extent of thyroidectomy; surgery for cancer invading the strap muscles, recurrent laryngeal nerve, laryngeal framework, trachea, or esophagus; and surgery for patients with central and lateral cervical lymph node involvement. Evidence-based guidelines were devised to help clinicians make safer and more efficient clinical decisions for the optimal surgical treatment of patients with locally invasive DTC.

Clinical Practice Guidelines for Oropharyngeal Dysphagia / 대한연하장애학회지

Objective@#Dysphagia is a common clinical condition characterized by difficulty in swallowing. It is sub-classified into oropharyngeal dysphagia, which refers to problems in the mouth and pharynx, and esophageal dysphagia, which refers to problems in the esophageal body and esophagogastric junction. Dysphagia can have a significant negative impact one’s physical health and quality of life as its severity increases. Therefore, proper assessment and management of dysphagia are critical for improving swallowing function and preventing complications. Thus a guideline was developed to provide evidence-based recommendations for assessment and management in patients with dysphagia. @*Methods@#Nineteen key questions on dysphagia were developed. These questions dealt with various aspects of problems related to dysphagia, including assessment, management, and complications. A literature search for relevant articles was conducted using Pubmed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and one domestic database of KoreaMed, until April 2021. The level of evidence and recommendation grade were established according to the Grading of Recommendation Assessment, Development and Evaluation methodology. @*Results@#Early screening and assessment of videofluoroscopic swallowing were recommended for assessing the presence of dysphagia. Therapeutic methods, such as tongue and pharyngeal muscle strengthening exercises and neuromuscular electrical stimulation with swallowing therapy, were effective in improving swallowing function and quality of life in patients with dysphagia. Nutritional intervention and an oral care program were also recommended. @*Conclusion@#This guideline presents recommendations for the assessment and management of patients with oropharyngeal dysphagia, including rehabilitative strategies.

Guidelines for the Use of Botulinum Toxin in Otolaryngology From the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics Guideline Task Force

The Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics created a task force to establish clinical practice guidelines for the use of botulinum toxin (BT) in otolaryngology. We selected 10 disease categories: spasmodic dysphonia, essential vocal tremor, vocal fold granuloma, bilateral vocal fold paralysis, Frey’s syndrome, sialocele, sialorrhea, cricopharyngeal dysfunction, chronic sialadenitis, and first bite syndrome. To retrieve all relevant papers, we searched the CORE databases with predefined search strategies, including Medline (PubMed), Embase, the Cochrane Library, and KoreaMed. The committee reported 13 final recommendations with detailed evidence profiles. The guidelines are primarily aimed at all clinicians applying BT to the head and neck area. In addition, the guidelines aim to promote an improved understanding of the safe and effective use of BT by policymakers and counselors, as well as in patients scheduled to receive BT injections.

Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Larynx Arising in the Intracordal Cyst

More than half of patients presenting with hoarseness show benign vocal cord changes. However, in rare cases with benign mucosal lesions, it can be diagnosed as a malignant disease after histopathological examination. A 53-year-old man with a 30-pack-year smoking history was admitted for the evaluation of hoarseness, and using a laryngoscope, an enclosed, sac-like cystic lesion was detected on the midpoint of the right true vocal cord. The cystic lesion was deemed to be an intracordal cyst and treated with laryngeal microsurgery. However, pathological findings showed squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx arising in the intracordal cyst, which is exceptionally rare. Therefore, even if a benign lesion is initially suspected, a biopsy must be performed on a patient with smoking history to confirm the diagnosis. In conclusion, we report a case of squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx arising in the intracordal cyst.

Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Larynx Arising in the Intracordal Cyst

More than half of patients presenting with hoarseness show benign vocal cord changes. However, in rare cases with benign mucosal lesions, it can be diagnosed as a malignant disease after histopathological examination. A 53-year-old man with a 30-pack-year smoking history was admitted for the evaluation of hoarseness, and using a laryngoscope, an enclosed, sac-like cystic lesion was detected on the midpoint of the right true vocal cord. The cystic lesion was deemed to be an intracordal cyst and treated with laryngeal microsurgery. However, pathological findings showed squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx arising in the intracordal cyst, which is exceptionally rare. Therefore, even if a benign lesion is initially suspected, a biopsy must be performed on a patient with smoking history to confirm the diagnosis. In conclusion, we report a case of squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx arising in the intracordal cyst.

Guidelines for Tracheostomy From the Korean Bronchoesophagological Society

The Korean Bronchoesophagological Society appointed a task force to develop a clinical practice guideline for tracheostomy. The task force conducted a systematic search of the Embase, Medline, Cochrane Library, and KoreaMed databases to identify relevant articles, using search terms selected according to key questions. Evidence-based recommendations for practice were ranked according to the American College of Physicians grading system. An external expert review and a Delphi questionnaire were conducted to reach a consensus regarding the recommendations. Accordingly, the committee developed 18 evidence-based recommendations, which are grouped into seven categories. These recommendations are intended to assist clinicians in performing tracheostomy and in the management of tracheostomized patients.

Gene signature for prediction of radiosensitivity in human papillomavirus-negative head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Purpose@#The probability of recurrence of cancer after adjuvant or definitive radiotherapy in patients with human papillomavirus-negative (HPV(–)) head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) varies for each patient. This study aimed to identify and validate radiation sensitivity signature (RSS) of patients with HPV(–) HNSCC to predict the recurrence of cancer after radiotherapy. @*Materials and Methods@#Clonogenic survival assays were performed to assess radiosensitivity in 14 HNSCC cell lines. We identified genes closely correlated with radiosensitivity and validated them in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cohort. The validated RSS were analyzed by ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA) to identify canonical pathways, upstream regulators, diseases and functions, and gene networks related to radiosensitive genes in HPV(–) HNSCC. @*Results@#The survival fraction of 14 HNSCC cell lines after exposure to 2 Gy of radiation ranged from 48% to 72%. Six genes were positively correlated and 35 genes were negatively correlated with radioresistance, respectively. RSS was validated in the HPV(–) TCGA HNSCC cohort (n = 203), and recurrence-free survival (RFS) rate was found to be significantly lower in the radioresistant group than in the radiosensitive group (p = 0.035). Cell death and survival, cell-to-cell signaling, and cellular movement were significantly enriched in RSS, and RSSs were highly correlated with each other. @*Conclusion@#We derived a HPV(–) HNSCC-specific RSS and validated it in an independent cohort. The outcome of adjuvant or definitive radiotherapy in HPV(–) patients with HNSCC can be predicted by analyzing their RSS, which might help in establishing a personalized therapeutic plan.

Dysphagia after Retropharyngeal Abscess Treated with Transcutaneous Injection of Botulinum Toxin at Cricopharyngeus Muscle

Recently, negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) has been reported to be effective for the treatment of cervical infections including retropharyngeal abscess. The 71-year-old woman with retropharyngeal abscess presented in this case showed improvement of infection through long-term NPWT. She continued to complain of swallowing difficulties after recovery. In this case, we performed the transcutaneous injection of botulinum toxin at the cricopharyngeus muscle for the patient who developed dysphagia after treatment for retropharyngeal abscess and observed improvement in swallowing.

The Value of I-Scan Image-Enhanced Endoscopy in the Diagnosis of Vocal Cord Leukoplakia

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Detection of vascular abnormalities in vocal cord (VC) leukoplakia is important for the diagnosis of neoplastic change of the mucosa. The aim of this study was to investigate the value of i-scan in the differential diagnosis of VC leukoplakia based on visualization of abnormal vascular features. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-two patients with leukoplakia were enrolled in the study. Images of their larynx obtained using conventional white light endoscopy and an i-scan-enhanced endoscopy (Pentax DEFINA EPK-3000 Video Processors, with Pentax VNLJ10) were reviewed. The microvascular features of the lesions and vascular changes were analyzed and the results were compared with the histopathologic diagnosis. RESULTS: Among the 52 leukoplakia patients, 7 (13.5%) patients had squamous hyperplasia, 10 (19.3%) mild dysplasia, 2 (3.8%) moderate dysplasia, 14 (26.9%) severe dysplasia, 4 (7.7%) carcinoma in situ, and 15 (28.8%) invasive squamous cell carcinoma on histopathologic examination. Using i-scan-enhanced endoscopy, abnormal vascular change with neoplastic neoangiogenesis was detected in most cases of malignant VC lesion [severe dysplasia : 9/14 (64.3%), carcinoma in situ: 2/4 (50.0%), and invasive squamous cell carcinoma : 11/15 (73.4%)]. CONCLUSION: i-scan-enhanced endoscopy is a useful optical technique for the diagnosis of VC leukoplakia. Our results suggest that i-scan may be a promising diagnostic tool in the early detection of laryngeal cancer.

A Case of Subglottic Cancer with Saber Trachea

“Saber-sheath” trachea is a deformity of lower cervical or intrathoracic trachea. The configuration of the deformity is marked coronal narrowing associated with sagittal widening. This deformity is associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. We report a case of patient with saber-sheath who underwent total laryngectomy. Although the patient had no tracheal collapse after the total laryngectomy, crusted discharge was increased. Diagnosis of the saber-sheath trachea, possible causes, and clinical implications are discussed.

Factors Affecting the Result of Intralesional Corticosteroid Injection in Patients With Oral Lichen Planus

OBJECTIVES: To examine the factors which affect the improvement or the recurrence of disease after intralesional steroid injection in patients with oral lichen planus (OLP). METHODS: Sixty-two patients diagnosed as OLP were treated with intralesion corticosteroid injection. To evaluate the objective severity of OLP, total severity score of OLP was assessed. To examine the factors affecting the therapeutic effect of intralesional steroid injection, factors were compared between the symptom-improved group and symptom-not-improved group. To assess the symptom of patients, patients filled in 10-cm visual analogue scale, along with an Oral Health Impact Profile-14. RESULTS: Symptoms improved in 50 patients (80.6%, symptom-improved group), but not in 12 patients (symptom-not-improved group). In a comparison between both group, OLP with lip involvement was the only variable which showed significant difference (P=0.008). Twenty-nine of 50 patients had recurrence of OLP (58%, recurrence group) and 21 of 50 patients did not have recurrence (42%, no-recurrence group). Statistically significant differences were not found between both groups. CONCLUSION: This study suggested that patients suffering from OLP with lesion on the lip might not be effective in treating with intralesional corticosteroid injection.

Comparison of Characteristics According to Reflux Type in Patients With Laryngopharyngeal Reflux

OBJECTIVES: To analyze laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) as an acidic, nonacidic, or mixed type according to 24-hour multi-channel intraluminal impedance (MII) pH monitoring and the clinical characteristics of each type. METHODS: Ninety patients were prospectively enrolled in this study. All patients underwent 24-hour MII pH monitoring as a diagnostic tool. Eighty-three patients were diagnosed with LPR. The patients were classified into three groups according to the pH of the hypopharyngeal probe: the acid reflux group, nonacid reflux group, and mixed reflux group. Subjective symptoms and objective findings were evaluated based on patients' responses to the Short Form 12 Survey (SF-12), LPR health-related quality of life (LPR-HRQOL), reflux symptom index, and reflux finding score. RESULTS: The results of each group were compared. As a result, 34 patients were classified into the nonacid reflux group and 49 into the mixed reflux group. There were no patients classified as having acid reflux alone. There was no significant difference between the two groups when comparing the reflux symptom index, reflux finding score, LPR-HRQOL, or the mental component score of the SF-12. However, the physical component score of the SF-12 was higher in the nonacid reflux group (P=0.018). The DeMeester composite score (P=0.015) and total number of LPR events (P=0.001) were lower in the nonacid reflux group than in the mixed reflux group. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, no LPR patient had only acid reflux. The nonacid reflux LPR patients showed similar clinical characteristics and findings compared to the mixed reflux group, but exhibited significantly fewer LPR episodes.

Guidelines for the Surgical Management of Laryngeal Cancer: Korean Society of Thyroid-Head and Neck Surgery

Korean Society of Thyroid-Head and Neck Surgery appointed a Task Force to develop clinical practice guidelines for the surgical treatment of laryngeal cancer. This Task Force conducted a systematic search of the EMBASE, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, and KoreaMed databases to identify relevant articles, using search terms selected according to the key questions. Evidence-based recommendations were then created on the basis of these articles. An external expert review and Delphi questionnaire were applied to reach consensus regarding the recommendations. The resulting guidelines focus on the surgical treatment of laryngeal cancer with the assumption that surgery is the selected treatment modality after a multidisciplinary discussion in any context. These guidelines do not, therefore, address non-surgical treatment such as radiation therapy or chemotherapy. The committee developed 62 evidence-based recommendations in 32 categories intended to assist clinicians during management of patients with laryngeal cancer and patients with laryngeal cancer, and counselors and health policy-makers.

Oral Mucosal Lesion Related with Dysphagia / 대한연하장애학회지

Anatomically, the oral cavity is an organ of the digestive system that is anteriorly delimited by the lips, posteriorly by the oropharynx, superiorly by the hard and soft palates, and inferiorly by the tongue (anterior 2/3) and floor of the mouth, and surrounded by a buccal mucosa that lines the cheeks. Oral mucosal diseases represent several conditions that can affect oral function, systemic health, and quality of life for patients. In the swallowing stage, oral mucosa of lip, buccal, gingiva and tongue plays an important role as well as the movement of tongue during oral preparatory and oral stage. Therefore, oral mucosal diseases that cause pain and odynophagia can have serious adverse effects on swallowing. Proper diagnosis and treatment of oral mucosal disease will be helpful in the treatment of dysphagia due to oral mucosal diseases.

Comparison of Methods for Collecting Saliva for Pepsin Detection in Patients with Laryngopharyngeal Reflux / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To compare the simple spitting method and the Salivette® method of collecting saliva for detecting pepsin in patients with laryngopharyngeal reflux disease (LPRD). SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Thirty-two patients diagnosed with LPRD by 24 hour multichannel intraluminal impedance and pH monitoring were enrolled prospectively. The amounts of pepsin in saliva determined by the simple spitting method and the Salivette® method were compared. RESULTS: Simple spitting showed higher sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value and negative predictive value. There was no statistically significant difference between the amount of pepsin detected by simple spitting (10.07±11.68 ng/mL) versus that detected using the Salivette® method (7.09±7.27 ng/mL) (p=0.258). CONCLUSIONS: The simple spitting method has higher sensitivity, specificity and accuracy than the Salivette® method for detecting pepsin in patients with LPRD.

Dysphagia due to Upper Esophageal Sphincter Disorder after Suicide Attempts

No abstract available.

Otolaryngologist-Performed Ultrasound and Ultrasound-Guided Fine Needle Aspiration for Thyroid Nodule and Meaningful Ultrasound Finding / 대한갑상선학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Ultrasonography is a safe and noninvasive imaging modality with high sensitivity that can be used to identify the presence, location, and size of thyroid nodules. Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy of thyroid nodules is a minimally invasive and safe procedure that is usually performed on an outpatient basis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the diagnostic efficacy of ultrasonography performed by an otolaryngologist (OUS) and OUS-guided FNA for the thyroid and determine the clinical value of OUS in predicting the presence of malignancy in thyroid nodules. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A single otolaryngologist examined 151 consecutive patients referred to our institution and performed OUS or OUS-guided FNA biopsies on all of them in an office setting. Final diagnosis was based on the FNA biopsy or pathological result of operation. We used the following parameters to assess the relevance of the sonographic findings in the prediction of thyroid malignancy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) and relative risk (RR). RESULTS: In total, 12.9% of all the patients showed malignancy. The PPVs for the sonographic features were as follows: a taller-than-wide shape, 63.6%; marked hypoechogenicity, 61.5%; microcalcification, 46.7%; microcalcification or macrocalcification, 44.0%; and spiculated margin, 38.2%. The RR values showed that microcalcification or macrocalcification (p<0.05, RR=7.2) and marked hypoechogenicity (p<0.05, RR=6.7) are significant findings that indicate thyroid malignancy. CONCLUSION: Microcalcification or macrocalcification and marked hypoechogenicity observed on OUS are significant finding that indicate thyroid malignancy, and the most reliable finding are microcalcification or macrocalcification.

Prevalence of Snoring and High Risk of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome in Young Male Soldiers in Korea

There are little information on prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) and clinical features in the young military population. The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of snoring and high risk of OSAS in young male soldiers in Korea and to identify the risk factors of OSAS. A total of 665 participants (aged 20-23 yr) who visited the Armed Forces Ildong Hospital for regular physical examination were enrolled. All participants completed the Berlin Questionnaire and underwent a physical examination. The participants with high risk for OSAS completed portable sleep monitoring. The prevalence of snoring and high risk of OSAS in young male soldiers in Korea was 13.5% and 8.1%, respectively. The prevalence of high arched palate, tongue indentation, long uvula, large tonsil and retrognathia was significantly higher in the high risk OSAS group. High arched palate, long uvula or low lying soft palate, tonsil size III or IV, Epworth Sleepiness Scale score > 10 and obesity (BMI > 27 kg/m2) were found to independently predict OSAS. For early identification and treatment of young soldiers with OSAS in a military environment, a precise screening by questionnaire and physical examination is needed.

Risk Factors for Anastomotic Leakage after Laparoscopic Rectal Resection

PURPOSE: The anastomotic leakage rate after rectal resection has been reported to be approximately 2.5-21 percent, but most results were associated with open surgery. The aim of this study was to identify risk factors and their relationship to the experience of the surgeon for anastomotic leakage after laparoscopic rectal resection. METHODS: Between March 2003 and December 2008, 156 patients underwent a laparoscopic rectal resection without a diverting ileostomy. The patients' characteristics, the details of treatment, the intraoperative results, and the postoperative results were recorded prospectively. Univariate and multivariate analyses were applied to identify risk factors for anastomotic leakage. RESULTS: The majority of operations were performed for malignant disease (n = 150; 96.2%), and 96 patients (61.5%) were males. Conversion to open surgery occurred in 1 case (0.6%). The anastomotic leak rate was 10.3% (16/156), and there were no mortalities. In the univariate analysis, tumor location, anastomotic level, intraoperative events, and operation time were associated with increased anastomotic leakage rate. In the multivariate analysis, anastomotic level (odds ratio [OR], 6.855; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.271 to 36.964) and operation time (OR, 8.115; 95% CI, 1.982 to 33.222) were significantly associated with anastomotic leakage. CONCLUSION: The important risk factors for anastomotic leakage after laparoscopic rectal resection without a diverting ileostomy were low anastomosis and long operation time. An additional procedure, such as diverting stoma, may reduce the anastomotic leakage if it is selectively applied in cases with these risk factors.

Efficacy of Transparent Cap-attached Colonoscopy: Does It Improve the Quality of Colonoscopy?

PURPOSE: Recently, the use of a transparent cap attached to the tip of the colonoscope has been revealed to be helpful in both detecting colorectal polyps and shortening the intubation time to the cecum. The aim of this study was to examine the usefulness of transparent cap-attached colonoscopy (CAC) as compared with conventional colonoscopy (CC) in terms of the technical ease and efficiency. METHODS: Colonoscopies from a total of 228 patients between May and October 2008 were prospectively collected. All colonoscopies were performed by single colorectal surgeon whose experience exceeded 3,000 colonoscopies. Patients were assigned to the CAC group (n=114) or to the CC group (n=114). The cecal intubation rate and time, the polyp detection rate, the adenoma detection rate, the withdrawal time, and the visual analogue scale (VAS) of the patient's pain were compared. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the age, sex, body mass index, previous history of abdominal operation, diverticulosis, and the degree of bowel preparation between the two groups. The cecal intubation rate was 100% in both groups. The cecal intubation time was significantly shorter in the CAC group than in the CC group overall (5.3+/-4.0 min vs. 7.6+/-4.3 min, P<0.001), as well as for female (6.1+/-2.8 min vs. 9.1+/-4.7 min, P<0.001) patients. There were no statistically significant differences in the total colonoscopy time (13.1+/-6.3 min vs. 14.5+/-5.2 min, P=0.066), the polyp detection rate (38.6% vs. 33.3%, P=0.408), the adenoma detection rate (28.1% vs. 25.4%, P=0.654), and the VAS scale of pain (2.48 vs. 2.74, P=0.353) between the CAC and the CC groups. CONCLUSION: The transparent cap is effective in shortening the cecal intubation time, especially in female patients.