Objective: To compare the convenience and effectiveness of the existing lumbosacral orthoses (LSO) (classic LSO and Cybertech) and a newly developed LSO (V-LSO) by analyzing postoperative data. Methods: This prospective cohort study was performed from May 2019 to November 2019 and enrolled and analyzed 88 patients with degenerative lumbar spine disease scheduled for elective lumbar surgery. Three types of LSO that were provided according to the time of patient registration were applied for 6 weeks. Patients were randomized into the classic LSO group (n=31), Cybertech group (n=26), and V-LSO group (n=31). All patients were assessed using the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) preoperatively and underwent plain lumbar radiography (anteroposterior and lateral views) 10 days postoperatively. Lumbar lordosis (LS angle) and frontal imbalance were measured with and without LSO. At the sixth postoperative week, a follow-up assessment with the ODI and orthosis questionnaire was conducted. Results: No significant differences were found among the three groups in terms of the LS angle, frontal imbalance, ODI, and orthosis questionnaire results. When the change in the LS angle and frontal imbalance toward the reference value was defined as a positive change with and without LSO, the rate of positive change was significantly different in the V-LSO group (LS angle: 41.94% vs. 61.54% vs. 83.87%; p=0.003). Conclusion The newly developed LSO showed no difference regarding its effectiveness and compliance when compared with the existing LSO, but it was more effective in correcting lumbar lordosis.

Incidental thyroid nodules are commonly detected on ultrasonography (US). This has contributed to the rapidly rising incidence of low-risk papillary thyroid carcinoma over the last 20 years. The appropriate diagnosis and management of these patients is based on the risk factors related to the patients as well as the thyroid nodules. The Korean Society of Thyroid Radiology (KSThR) published consensus recommendations for US-based management of thyroid nodules in 2011 and revised them in 2016. These guidelines have been used as the standard guidelines in Korea. However, recent advances in the diagnosis and management of thyroid nodules have necessitated the revision of the original recommendations. The task force of the KSThR has revised the Korean Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System and recommendations for US lexicon, biopsy criteria, US criteria of extrathyroidal extension, optimal thyroid computed tomography protocol, and US follow-up of thyroid nodules before and after biopsy. The biopsy criteria were revised to reduce unnecessary biopsies for benign nodules while maintaining an appropriate sensitivity for the detection of malignant tumors in small (1–2 cm) thyroid nodules. The goal of these recommendations is to provide the optimal scientific evidence and expert opinion consensus regarding US-based diagnosis and management of thyroid nodules.

Minimally invasive treatment of symptomatic thyroid nodules is now commonplace. Ethanol ablation (EA) of thyroid cystic nodules has been performed since the 1990s, but there is no global consensus or guideline. Although various limitations of EA have been described, recommendations for practical application are necessary. Therefore, the Task Force Committee of the Korean Society of Thyroid Radiology initiated the present consensus statement and here we provide recommendations for the role of EA in the management of symptomatic thyroid nodules. These recommendations are based on evidence to date from the literature and expert opinion.
Advisory Committees ; Consensus ; Ethanol ; Expert Testimony ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; Thyroid Nodule

Osteomas are benign, slow-growing osteogenic lesions frequently found in the craniomaxillofacial region. They can be classified as peripheral, central, or extraskeletal. Reactive mechanisms to trauma or infection, as well as muscle traction, are thought to play a major role in the development of peripheral osteomas. In the present report, a 41-year-old woman presented with a slow-growing, painless mass on her left eyebrow. She had suffered trauma 15 years prior. In the computed tomography scan, a 2.5 × 2 × 0.7-cm radio-opaque tumor was detected just medial to the left supraorbital foramen, and a peripheral osteoma was clinically diagnosed. An elective operation under general anesthesia was planned. Following a suprabrow incision, subcutaneous and intramuscular dissection was performed. In the surgical plane deep to the corrugator muscles and superficial to periosteum, a branch of the supratrochlear nerve was encountered and preserved using a vessel loop. The osteoma beneath the periosteum was extracted in multiple fragments using a chisel and mallet to minimize trauma to the nerve. Contour and facial symmetry were corrected. To use a suprabrow incision, the surgeon must understand neighboring anatomical structures, including the course of the supratrochlear and supraorbital neurovascular bundles. When these structures are located adjacent to tumor lesions, careful surgical maneuvers should be performed to preserve them.
Adult ; Anesthesia, General ; Eyebrows ; Female ; Forehead ; Humans ; Muscles ; Osteoma ; Periosteum ; Traction

Schwannoma is a slow-growing, well-demarcated, benign soft tissue tumor of the peripheral nerve sheath. It commonly develops in the head and neck region, usually in the parapharyngeal space. In this case, a 42-year-old woman visited the outpatient department to manage a painless mass on her left cheek. She had no history of concern and no neurological symptoms were observed. In the enhanced computed tomography scan, a 2.8 × 2.8 × 1.8 cm, heterogeneously enhanced tumor was detected in the left masseter muscle. A tumor resection under general anesthesia was planned. For the resection, a facelift incision was chosen; branches of the facial nerve were identified and retrogradely dissected. A well-marginated, yellowish, solid mass was found in the left masseter muscle. The mass was excised and given a histopathological diagnosis of schwannoma. A definite diagnosis of schwannoma, originating in the masseter muscle, is difficult to arrive at with radiographic findings alone; it is often misdiagnosed as intramuscular hemangioma. Histopathological examinations, including fine-needle aspiration or histological biopsy after surgery, are necessary. Using a facelift incision with retrograde facial nerve dissection, tumor resection in an intramasseteric lesion can be performed efficiently, without nerve damage, or leaving conspicuous scars on the face.
Adult ; Anesthesia, General ; Biopsy ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Cheek ; Cicatrix ; Diagnosis ; Facial Nerve ; Female ; Head ; Hemangioma ; Humans ; Masseter Muscle ; Neck ; Neurilemmoma ; Outpatients ; Peripheral Nerves ; Rhytidoplasty

Thermal ablation using radiofrequency is a new, minimally invasive modality employed as an alternative to surgery in patients with benign thyroid nodules and recurrent thyroid cancers. The Task Force Committee of the Korean Society of Thyroid Radiology (KSThR) developed recommendations for the optimal use of radiofrequency ablation for thyroid tumors in 2012. As new meaningful evidences have accumulated, KSThR decided to revise the guidelines. The revised guideline is based on a comprehensive analysis of the current literature and expert consensus.
Advisory Committees ; Catheter Ablation* ; Consensus ; Humans ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; Thyroid Nodule ; Ultrasonography

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy and safety of thyroid radiofrequency (RF) ablation for benign thyroid nodules by trained radiologists according to a unified protocol in a multi-center study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From 2010 to 2011, 345 nodules from 345 patients (M:F = 43:302; mean age ± SD = 46.0 ± 12.7 years, range = 15–79) who met eligibility criteria were enrolled from five institutions. At pre-ablation, the mean volume was 14.2 ± 13.2 mL (1.1–80.8 mL). For 12 months or longer after treatment, 276 lesions, consisting of 248 solid and 28 predominantly cystic nodules, were followed. All operators performed RF ablation with a cool-tip RF system and two standard techniques (a transisthmic approach and the moving-shot technique). Volume reduction at 12 months after RF ablation (the primary outcome), therapeutic success, improvement of symptoms as well as of cosmetic problems, and complications were evaluated. Multiple linear regression analysis was applied to identify factors that were independently predictive of volume reduction. RESULTS: The mean volume reduction at 12 months was 80.3% (n = 276) and at the 24-, 36-, 48-, and 60-month follow-ups 84.3% (n = 198), 89.2% (n = 128), 91.9% (n = 57), and 95.3% (n = 6), respectively. Our therapeutic success was 97.8%. Both mean symptom and cosmetic scores showed significant improvements (p < 0.001). The rate of major complications was 1.0% (3/276). Solidity and applied energy were independent factors that predicted volume reduction. CONCLUSION: Radiofrequency ablation performed by trained radiologists from multiple institutions using a unified protocol and similar devices was effective and safe for treating benign thyroid nodules.
Catheter Ablation ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Linear Models ; Prospective Studies ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroid Nodule ; Ultrasonography

PURPOSE: House dust mites (HDM) are major allergens that cause allergic rhinitis (AR). Allergen-specific subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) has been shown to be clinically beneficial in many clinical trials. Such trials, however, are not reflective of all patient populations. The aim of this study was to describe the efficacy and safety of SCIT in routine clinical practice in Korean adults with AR sensitized to HDM. METHODS: We reviewed medical records of 304 patients with AR treated at an allergy clinic of a tertiary hospital using SCIT with aluminum hydroxide-adsorbed allergen extract targeting HDM alone or with pollens for at least 1 year from 2000 to 2012. Patients with asthma were excluded. Rates of remission, defined as no further requirement of maintenance medication, over time were determined by means of life tables and extension of survival analysis. Specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels to HDM were categorized into 6 classes. RESULTS: The mean time until achieving remission was 4.9±0.1 years, and the cumulative incidence of remission from AR was 76.6%. Severe AR (odds ratio [OR], 0.40; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.23-0.69; P=0.001), specific IgE levels to HDM ≥17.5 kU/L (OR, 1.85; 95% CI, 1.01-3.37; P=0.045), and duration of immunotherapy ≥3 years (OR, 7.37; 95% CI, 3.50-15.51; P<0.001) were identified as significant predictors of clinical remission during SCIT for patients with AR sensitized to HDM. Overall, 73 patients (24.0%) experienced adverse reactions to SCIT, and only 1 case of anaphylaxis (0.3%) developed. CONCLUSIONS: SCIT with HDM was found to be effective and safe for patients with AR. Specific IgE levels to HDM and a duration of SCIT ≥3 years may be predictors of clinical responses to SCIT in AR patients.
Adult ; Allergens ; Aluminum ; Anaphylaxis ; Asthma ; Desensitization, Immunologic ; Dust ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Immunoglobulin E ; Immunoglobulins ; Immunotherapy ; Incidence ; Life Tables ; Medical Records ; Pollen ; Pyroglyphidae ; Retrospective Studies ; Rhinitis, Allergic ; Tertiary Care Centers

PURPOSE: Omalizumab, an anti-immunoglobulin E (IgE) monoclonal antibody, has proved to be effective for the treatment of severe asthma. However, there is no direct evidence of effectiveness of omalizumab in Korean patients with severe asthma. We sought to evaluate the real-world effectiveness of omalizumab in Korean adult patients suffering from severe asthma and to identify predictors of favorable response. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of electrical medical records was performed on severe allergic asthmatic patients with omalizumab treatment group (OT group) for more than 6 months between March 2008 and February 2016. Propensity score matching was applied to define the standardized treatment control group (STC group) treated without omalizumab. Asthma-related outcomes were compared between the 2 groups, and analyzed before and after omalizumab use in the OT group. Responders to treatment were defined as patients showing >50% reduction in asthma exacerbations and/or systemic steroid requirement during the outcome period. RESULTS: One hundred twenty-four patients with severe asthma (62 in the OT group; 62 in the STC group) were enrolled in the study. Proportion of patients having the reduction of asthma exacerbation (53.2% vs 35.5%, P=0.015) and the rate of responders (67.7% vs 41.9%, P=0.007) were significantly higher in the OT group than in the STC group. Significant reductions were noted in asthma exacerbation (P=0.006), hospitalization (P=0.009), hospitalization days (P=0.006), systemic corticosteroid requirements (P=0.027), and sputum eosinophil count (P=0.031) in OT group compared with STC group. There were no significant differences in changes of forced expiratory volume in the 1 second (FEV1) levels between the 2 groups. No predictors of responders were found for omalizumab treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Omalizumab can reduce exacerbations/hospitalization/systemic steroid burst in Korean adult patients with severe asthma.
Adult ; Asthma* ; Eosinophils ; Forced Expiratory Volume ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Korea* ; Medical Records ; Omalizumab* ; Propensity Score ; Retrospective Studies ; Sputum

Allergen-specific immunotherapy is the only causal treatment for allergic diseases. However, the efficacy of immunotherapy may vary around the world due to differences in climate, the nature of aero-allergens and their distribution. The aim of this study was to describe the effects of subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) in Korean adults with allergic asthma (AA). As a retrospective cohort study, we reviewed medical records for 627 patients with AA in Korea who were sensitized to house dust mite (HDM) and/or pollens and who underwent SCIT with aluminum hydroxide adsorbed allergen extract from 2000 to 2012. Rates of remission, defined as no further requirement of maintenance medication, over time were determined by means of life tables and extension of survival analysis. Herein, 627 asthmatic patients achieved remission within a mean of 4.7 ± 0.2 years. The cumulative incidence rates of remission from AA were 86.9% upon treatment with SCIT. Baseline forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) ≥ 80% (hazard ratio [HR], 3.10; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.79–5.39; P < 0.001), and maintenance of immunotherapy for more than 3 years (HR, 1.82; 95% CI, 1.21–2.72; P = 0.004) were significant predictors of asthma remission during SCIT. In 284 patients on SCIT with HDM alone, initial specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and Dermatophagoides farinae did not show significant difference between remission and non-remission group after adjusting demographic variables. In conclusion, SCIT was effective and safe treatment modality for patients with AA. Initial FEV1 ≥ 80% and immunotherapy more than 3 years were found to be associated with favorable clinical responses to SCIT.
Adult ; Aluminum Hydroxide ; Asthma* ; Climate ; Cohort Studies ; Dermatophagoides farinae ; Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus ; Forced Expiratory Volume ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E ; Immunoglobulins ; Immunotherapy* ; Incidence ; Korea* ; Life Tables ; Medical Records ; Pollen ; Pyroglyphidae ; Retrospective Studies