BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Speech audiometry is a useful test for obtaining practical information which could not be gotten from the pure-tone audiometer test. Nowadays, Hahm's Korean disyllabic word lists are the most commonly used word lists for the speech reception threshold test in Korea. The disyllabic word lists should be composed of spondaic words (equally stressed words). The aim of this study is to evaluate the characteristic frequency of Hahm's disyllabic word lists. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Two of the Hahm's disyllabic word lists were evaluated. The word lists were analyzed using an acoustic analysis program that has the MATLAB function. RESULTS: The percentage of disyllabic words in the Hahm's disyllabic word lists that had the spondaic words pattern were 33%. The characteristic frequencies of these words were equally stressed above 1,000 Hz. Other disyllabic words showed an unequally stressed pattern. The percentage of words that had the first syllable stressed pattern was 31% and the percentage of second syllable stressed pattern was 36%. CONCLUSION: Some words, which are commonly used in the Hahm's disyllabic words lists, had an unequally stressed pattern. A new Korean dissyllabic word list needs to use more balanced words that have the characteristic frequency of each word.
Acoustics ; Audiometry, Speech ; Korea ; Speech Reception Threshold Test

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: It is essential to understand gas physiology of mastoid cavity to study the pathophysiology of middle ear diseases, and the surface area and volume of mastoid mucosa are important parameters for evaluating gas physiology. However, the surface area and mastoid volume of the mastoid cavity have not been practically measured yet. Therefore, we measured and compared surface area and volume of the mastoid cavity before and after mastoidectomy using a virtual mastoidectomy model. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: We performed a virtual mastoidectomy using 10 cases of temporal bone CT indicating pneumatic mastoid. First, we removed all air cells after outlining with irregular AOI function after loading axial CT images to Image-Pro Plus 4.0. Then we filled the removed area with equal planes using local equalization filter. Finally, we calculated and compared the total surface area, volume and area to volume (A/V) ratio by estimating their circumference and area. RESULTS: The mean surface area of pneumatized mastoid cavity was 127.8 cm2 (range: 94.2-165.3 cm2), and the mean volume was 7.1 cm3 (range: 5.2-11.0 cm3). The mean surface area and volume were altered to 42.8 cm2 (range: 35.9-55.0 cm2) and 12.6 cm3 (range: 10.3-18.7 cm3), respectively, after virtual mastoidectomy. As a result, the A/V ratio decreased from 18 to 3.4 after a virtual mastoidectomy in the pneumatic mastoid cavity. CONCLUSION: When a complete mastoidectomy is performed in the pneumatic mastoid, the surface area is decreased by one third compared to a relatively minor increase in volume. Therefore, the surface area per unit volume is expected to greatly decrease after mastoidectomy. Some physiologic problems occurring after mastoidectomy could be more accurately explained using a virtual mastoidectomy model.
Ear, Middle ; Mastoid ; Mucous Membrane ; Temporal Bone

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Sensorineural hearing loss is caused by ototoxic drugs, radiation therapy, noise exposure and trauma, etc. They make irreversible changes in cochlear hair cells and degeneration of spiral ganglion neurons. It is known that neurotrophins and other growth factors have an important role in protectingcochlear hair cells and spiral ganglion neurons. We designed this study to analyze the effect of neurotrophins and growth factors delivered to the inner ear of deafened guinea pig. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Healthy 15 guinea pigs with normal Preyer's reflex were chosen, and were made deaf by infusion of kanamycin and ethacrynic acid. Myringotomy was done to both ears, normal saline injected into the left ear, and BDNF (brainderived neurotrophic factor), GDNF (glial cell derived neurotrophic factor), NT-3 (neurotrophin-3), IGF (insulin-like growth factor), EGF (epidermal growth factor), FGF (fibroblast growth factor) were injected in the right ear. RESULTS: Statistically significant hearing gain was obtained up to 35.00+/-13.78 dB in the group 1 (BDNF, GDNF, NT-3 treated group), and up to 34.0+/-5.47 dB in the group 2 (IGF treated group). However, no statistically significant hearing gain was observed in the group 3 (EGF, FGF treated group). CONCLUSION: We observed statistically important improvement of hearing threshold in the BDNF, GDNF, NT-3 treated group and IGF treated group.
Animals ; Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor ; Ear ; Ear, Inner ; Epidermal Growth Factor ; Ethacrynic Acid ; Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor ; Guinea ; Guinea Pigs ; Hair ; Hearing ; Hearing Loss, Sensorineural ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; Kanamycin ; Models, Animal ; Nerve Growth Factors ; Neurons ; Noise ; Reflex ; Spiral Ganglion

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Aneurysm, False* ; Arteries* ; Fractures, Bone*

Feasibility and efficacy of transoral robotic surgery (TORS) were verified in the field of head and neck surgery. It has the advantages of 3D visualization, tremor filtration, and free movement of instrument arm. Within narrow working space, various procedures that is impossible with instruments used in conventional endoscopic surgery could be practiced to remove the lesions and preserve surrounding healthy structure maximally for maintenance of function. For example, inner perichondrium of thyroid cartilage was peeled off and suture technique was used to control bleeding and decrease raw mucosal surface. However, it has also disadvantages of limited instrument type, high cost of robotic system, and lack of exclusive retractor to obtain working space. And oncologic and functional results of TORS were quite acceptable for treatment of oropharyngeal, hypopharyngeal, and supraglottic cancer. Therefore, TORS is a valid treatment option as a surgical organ-preserving strategy for patients with oropharyngeal, hypopharyngeal, and supraglottic cancer.
Arm ; Filtration ; Head ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Neck ; Suture Techniques ; Thyroid Cartilage ; Tremor

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT), which is composed of spindle shaped myofibroblasts accompanied by an inflammatory infiltrate, is an uncommon neoplasm. Herein we present a rare case of an IMT of the parotid gland. The patient was a 56-year-old woman with parotid mass, which developed a tingling sensation around the mouth angle when the mass was palpated. Ultrasound and CT scan showed a parotid mass with an ill-defined margin. Preoperative gun biopsy showed spindle shaped cell proliferation without cytological atypia. Surgery revealed that the mass was adhesive to buccal branch of facial nerve without encapsulation. The adhesive part of the facial nerve was excised with mass due to the possibility of malignancy. The final pathological report confirming IMT became available following the surgery. We stress that confirmation of IMT should be included in the differential diagnosis of parotid mass which shows spindle shaped cells in histology.
Adhesives ; Biopsy ; Cell Proliferation ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Facial Nerve ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Mouth ; Myofibroblasts ; Parotid Gland ; Parotid Neoplasms ; Sensation

Ramsay Hunt syndrome, associated with herpes zoster virus infection, typically involves facial nerve with vesicular lesions on the ear unilaterally. Frequently, the disease involves the VIII cranial nerve but rarely the III, IV, V, VI, IX, X, XI and XII cranial nerve, causing extraocular movement limitation, facial hypoesthesia, hoarseness, dysphagia, tongue movement limitation and neck weakness. Cranial neuropathies might be secondary to vasculopathy of arteries supplying the cranial nerves. Here, we report a case of Ramsay Hunt syndrome with multiple cranial nerve palsies and a brain stem lesion.
Arteries ; Brain ; Brain Stem ; Cranial Nerve Diseases ; Cranial Nerves ; Deglutition Disorders ; Ear ; Facial Nerve ; Herpes Zoster Oticus ; Herpesvirus 3, Human ; Hiccup ; Hoarseness ; Hypesthesia ; Neck ; Tongue

Immunoglobulin G4-related sclerosing disease (IgG4-RD) is histologically a chronic inflammatory disorder characterized by infiltration of lymphoplasmacytes, sclerosis, and an elevated serum level of IgG4 and IgG4 positive plasmocytes. IgG4-RD is associated with autoimmune pancreatitis, sclerosing cholangitis, sialalithiasis, retroperitoneal diseases, inflammatory arotitis and Mikulicz's disease, typically including the lacrimal glands, salivary glands, pancreas, thyroid gland, lungs and kidneys. It is important to distinguish IgG4-RD from neoplastic disease as it responses well to steroid. Because consensus for nomenclature of IgG4-RD is recently made, reports of IgG4-RD in the Head and Neck area are still rare. In the first case, a 68-year-old man presented with a recurring submandibular gland mass from 7 years ago; he underwent submandibular gland resection and was diagnosed as IgG4-RD. In the second case, a 69-year-old mass presented with a relapsing right neck mass on level Ib. He underwent an exsional biopsy and was diagnosed with the same disease entity. We experienced two cases of IgG4-RD, and so report them with a brief literature review.
Aged ; Biopsy ; Cholangitis, Sclerosing ; Consensus ; Head ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Immunoglobulins* ; Kidney ; Lacrimal Apparatus ; Lung ; Neck ; Pancreas ; Pancreatitis ; Salivary Glands ; Sclerosis ; Submandibular Gland ; Thyroid Gland

The laryngeal granuloma (LG) is non-neoplastic lesion that mainly develops in the posterior vocal folds. It is welknown that mis- or overuse of voice, habitual coughing, and endotracheal intubation can become the cause of LG. The laryngopharyngeal reflux also comes into the spotlight as an etiologic factor. Although LG has a tendency to recur easily, it is not a premalignant lesion. The co-existence with granuloma and laryngeal cancer has not been reported earlier. Recently, we encountered a 72-year-old man with a posterior glottic mass, which was diagnosed as squamous cell carcinoma coexisting with granuloma. To our knowledge, this is a first report on two coexisting carcinomas in the glottis.
Aged ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* ; Cough ; Glottis* ; Granuloma* ; Granuloma, Laryngeal ; Humans ; Intubation, Intratracheal ; Laryngeal Neoplasms ; Laryngopharyngeal Reflux ; Neoplasms, Squamous Cell ; Vocal Cords ; Voice