BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Hemangioma of the nasal cavity is an uncommon benign vascular tumor. This study aimed to analyze the clinical manifestations, radiologic findings, treatment modalities, and outcomes of intranasal hemangiomas. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Retrospective reviews of the medical record were performed on 13 patients, who were treated for intranasal hemangioma from 2005 to 2014. RESULTS: Of the 13 patients identified, there were seven males and six females ranging from 11 to 80 years of age (mean age of 48.1+/-21.5). Epistaxis was the most common presenting symptom. Most common site of origin was the inferior turbinate. CT scans showed variable enhancement of the nasal mass without bony erosion. Preoperative diagnosis accuracy rate was 76.9%. The tumor was histopathologically classified as follows: capillary hemangioma (n=6, 46.1%), cavernous hemangioma (n=3, 23.1%), venous hemangioma (n=2, 15.4%), and mixed hemangioma (n=2, 15.4%). Endoscopic excisional surgery (n=11, 94.6%) and local excision (n=2, 15.4%) were performed for complete removal of the hemangioma. Preoperative selective embolization was performed on one patient. No evidence of recurrence after the surgery was observed. CONCLUSION: Intranasal hemangioma was usually found to occur in the inferior turbinate and the most common symptom was epistaxis. Capillary hemangioma was the most common type. Complete excision was recommended to prevent recurrence.
Diagnosis ; Epistaxis ; Female ; Hemangioma* ; Hemangioma, Capillary ; Hemangioma, Cavernous ; Humans ; Male ; Medical Records ; Nasal Cavity ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Turbinates

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Epistaxis usually responds to conservative therapy such as nasal packing or electrocauterization. But sometimes more invasive techniques such as selective embolization is justified. We report our experience of 10 patients with selective endovascular embolization for refractory epistaxis. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Ten patients were referred for selective arterial embolization for refractory epistaxis. Medical records were reviewed for clinical data, recurrence, and complication. RESULTS: Early rebleeding requiring treatment occurred in 1 patient (10%) and initial success rate of embolization was 90%. There was no major complication. Minor complications such as mild fever, groin pain, and voiding difficulty occurred in 2 patients (20%). CONCLUSION: Selective arterial embolization for refractory epistaxis is safe and effective for treatment of refractory intractable epistaxis.
Epistaxis* ; Fever ; Groin ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Nose ; Recurrence

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Mucoceles usually occur as asymptomatic, dome-shaped, translucent cysts in the lower lip and oral cavity containing mucin. Mucoceles are usually associated with the minor salivary glands and are classified histologically into the extravasation type and the retention type. The objective of the present study was to establish the prevalence of these lesions according to age, gender, histologic type, and site of occurrence. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records from January 2008 to February 2013 pertaining to age, sex, clinical history, and other findings of 52 patients who underwent operation and confirmed as mucocele histologically. We re-evaluated all mucocele cases by an experienced pathologist. RESULTS: Of the 52 cases analyzed, 32 (61.5%) were females and 20 (38.5%) were males. Age ranged from 2 to 77 years (mean age 20.6 years), with 78.8% occurring between the ages of 0 and 30 years with peak incidences in the twenties for female patients and in the thirties for male (34%). There was a more predominance among women (61.5%). The lower lip was the site most frequently affected by the lesions (59.6%), whereas the lowest prevalence was observed for the soft palate (2%), and buccal mucosa (2%). Tongue (15.4%) and floor of mouth (21.2%) were not uncommonly affected sites. Histologically mucous extravasation type (96.2%) was more predominant than the retention type (3.8%). CONCLUSION: In this study, mucocele was found predominant in younger age groups, with the lower lip being the most frequently affected site. Histologically, the mucus extravasation type was the most common.
Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Lip ; Male ; Medical Records ; Mouth ; Mouth Floor ; Mouth Mucosa ; Mucins ; Mucocele ; Mucus ; Palate, Soft ; Prevalence ; Ranula ; Retention (Psychology) ; Retrospective Studies ; Salivary Glands, Minor ; Tongue

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps is an uncommon pathology in the pediatric population and a challenging problem to otolaryngologists. In this study, we aimed to assess the clinical characteristics and postoperative results of children who underwent sinus surgery due to nasal polyps. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: We retrospectively reviewed medical records of 45 pediatric patients who had sinus surgery from 2009 to 2012. We studied the relationship between clinical parameters and postoperative results. RESULTS: Forty-five patients (18 women and 27 men with an age range of 8 to 17 years) were treated surgically in our hospital. We found statistically significant correlation between the preoperative CT scores (p=0.043), the nasal obstruction symptom scores (p=0.032) and postoperative recurrence, but not between other parameters. CONCLUSION: In this study, prognostic factors affecting the postoperative outcome were preoperative CT score and nasal obstruction symptom score.
Child ; Endoscopy ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Medical Records ; Nasal Obstruction ; Nasal Polyps ; Pediatrics ; Polyps* ; Prognosis ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Sinusitis

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Overnight polysomnography (PSG) in a sleep laboratory is the standard method of confirming the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). However, PSG is expensive, time-consuming, uneasily accessible and labor-intensive, thus the need for ambulatory screening tests. The aim of this study was to find out the usefulness of ApneaLink(TM) by comparing respiratory parameters derived from ApneaLink(TM) with those of PSG. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: A prospective study was undertaken using 40 patients for whom polysomnography and ApneaLink(TM) were performed. Apnea index (AI), hypopnea index (HI), and apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) from ApneaLink(TM) were obtained automatically and those from PSG were scored. All parameters were compared between PSG and ApneaLink(TM). RESULTS: The correlation coefficience of AI, HI, and AHI, which are all attainable by both PSG and ApneaLink(TM), were 0.73, 0.53, and 0.78, respectively. The results of PSG and ApneaLink(TM) showed no statistical difference. The positive predictive value was 0.9, sensitivity 91% and specificity 73% in ApneaLink(TM). CONCLUSION: ApneaLink(TM) might be clinically useful as a screening device of OSA and as a follow-up study of patients after surgery based on its high correlation with PSG and positive predictive value.
Apnea ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Polysomnography ; Prospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Identifying sites of obstruction and estimating the severity of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the principal goal of clinical examination by an otolaryngologist. There have been many attempts to derive easily obtainable predictors for OSA, which are complementary to polysomnography (PSG) in the evaluation of patients suspected of OSA. The aim of this study is to explore relatively simple and useful test batteries that can predict the presence and severity of OSA. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Seventy seven patients who complained for snoring and/or sleep apnea, excessive daytime sleepness prospectively underwent PSG, physical examination, cephalometry and nasopharyngosopy. The physical examination included the measurement of tonsil size, palatal position, body mass index (BMI) and thyromental space distance (TMD). The AP diameter of posterior airway space (PAS), the length of soft palate (PNS-P) and inferior displacement of hyoid bone (MP-H) was measured in cephalometry. Retropalatal area and retroglossal area were measured by 4 scales with nasopharyngoscopy during the end of expiration and during Mueller maneuver (MM). RESULTS: Significant correlations with RDI were found in BMI, TMD, MP-H in cephalometry and collapsibility of the retropalatal area in nasopharyngoscopy during MM. BMI, MP-H in cephalometry and collapsibility of the retropalatal area in nasopharingoscopy during MM were found to be good predictors of OSA severity by multivariate linear regression analysis. CONCLUSION: We suggest that, although it can not replace the role of PSG, the test battery combined with BMI, cephalometry (MP-H) and nasopharyngoscopy with MM (collapsibility of retropalatal area) can predict the presence and severity of OSA.
Body Mass Index ; Cephalometry ; Humans ; Hyoid Bone ; Linear Models ; Palate, Soft ; Palatine Tonsil ; Physical Examination ; Polysomnography ; Prospective Studies ; Sleep Apnea Syndromes ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive* ; Snoring ; Weights and Measures

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: There is little data to indicate that hypertrophy of adenoid and tonsil may cause short stature. However, there is no data relating short stature to allergic rhinitis in the Korean population. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of hypertrophy of adenoid and tonsil and allergic rhinitis on children with short stature. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: One hundred and ninety-one children were included in the disease group, which consisted of three groups, allergic rhinitis only (n=83), hypertrophy of adenoid and tonsil only (n=67), and combintorial of allergic rhinitis and hypertrophy of adenoid and tonsil (n=41). There were 174 pediatric patients in the control group. Growth hormone levels, thyroid function and both wrist X-rays were checked on the children with short stature in order to exclude other chief medical problems causing short stature. For the purpose of evaluating the relationship between short stature and clinical factors, allergy parameters, eosinophil partition rate and total IgE levels were checked in the allergic rhinitis group, and the size of the adenoid and tonsil were checked in the adenoid and tonsil hypertrophy group. The relationship between the incidence of short stature and above clinical factors was evaluated. RESULTS: The incidence of short stature was significantly higher in each disease group than in the control. However, there was no statistically significant differences between each disease group. The above clinical factors were not associated with short stature. CONCLUSION: Hypertrophy in adenoid and tonsil and allergic rhinitis might be an independent cause of short stature.
Adenoids* ; Body Height ; Child* ; Eosinophils ; Growth Hormone ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Hypertrophy* ; Immunoglobulin E ; Incidence ; Palatine Tonsil* ; Rhinitis* ; Thyroid Gland ; Wrist

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: It has become increasingly clear that immunotherapy with a specific aeroallergen extract is an effective treatment for allergic rhinitis. The fear of side reactions has led to strict regulation preventing a more widespread use of specific immunotherapy. The aim of this study is to investigate incidence of local and systemic side reactions in patients who received immunotherapy. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Subjects were 139 patients with perennial allergic rhinitis. All patients with allergic rhinitis were diagnosed by history and positive allergic skin test or MAST. All patients received injections of Dermatophagoides farinae or cockroach extracts. Retrospective study was conducted to investigate the incidence of local and systemic side reactions. RESULTS: Ninety-nine patients (71.2%) experienced more than a side reaction. Eighty-seven patients (62.6%) experienced local side reactions and 41 patients (29.5%) experienced systemic reactions. The frequency of side reaction in each age group was different but not statistically significant. The side reactions were developed in 66.8% of patients during buildup phase and in 42.4% of patients during maintenance phase. All patients who experienced systemic reactions were recovered after appropriate managements. CONCLUSION: Immunotherapy is a relatively safe treatment for allergic rhinitis patients in spite of frequent reaction rate, because most of reactions are local reactions and patients with systemic reactions are treated completely.
Cockroaches ; Dermatophagoides farinae ; Humans ; Immunotherapy* ; Incidence ; Retrospective Studies ; Rhinitis* ; Skin Tests

The correlation between facial pain and/or headache in patients with chronic sinusitis and localized findings on paranasal sinus omputed tomography (CT) are poorly understood. So we prospectively evaluated the relationship of paranasal sinus pain symptoms with CT imaging. Fifty eight patients with headache and/or facial pain rated their pain in 9 areas at the time of CT scanning and 2 months after endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS). We scored the degree of air-fluid level, mucosal thickening, and mucus retention cysts using a grade scale of severity. The ostiomeatal unit, middle meatus and nasofrontal duct were also evaluated for patency. Bivariate analysis was performed to evaluate the relationship between patients' pain, that was improved after ESS and CT findings. Among 58 patients who had facial pain and/or headache at the time of CT scan, the pain improved in 51 patients after ESS. Bivariate analysis failed to show any relationship between pain symptoms and CT findings in 51 patients. This study suggests that findings on CT do not routinely correlate with the patients' symptoms of facial pain or headache. CT should therefore be reserved for delineating the anatomy and degree of sinus disease before surgical intervention.
Facial Pain ; Headache ; Humans ; Korea* ; Mucus ; Prospective Studies ; Sinusitis ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Long-term immunotherapy lasting for 3 to 5 years is known to be one of the effective treatment modalities for the perennial allergic rhinitis. However, it is questionable whether open-ended immunotherapy is beneficial to control the symptoms of perennial allergic rhinitis. This study was designed to confirm the effectiveness of open-ended immunotherapy with every 3-month injection after 3-year immunotherapy by comparing the results of immunotherapy between patients who received less than 3 years and those who received more than 3 years. MATERIALS AND METHOD: One hundred-one perennial allergic rhinitis patients who received immunotherapy more than 1 year and had no history of sinonasal operation were chosen. They were divided into two groups; the duration of immunotherapy was from 1 year to 3 years in one group and more than 3 years in the other group. They were surveyed with global study and the questionnaires regarding practical problems about nasal, eye, and generalized systemic symptoms as well as their medical treatment history. This questionnaire was administered twice in one sitting, with the first on recalling symptoms before immunotherapy treatment, and the second on an evaluation of current symptoms. RESULTS: Improvement in the allergic symptoms was preserved in group B as well as in Group A. With the treatment, the patients in both groups experienced decrease in the frequency of absence from work or school, hospital visits and the use of antibiotics. There were no significant differences in the results between two groups. CONCLUSION: The long-term maintenance of immunotherapy with 3-month injection after 3-year immunotherapy is effective for the prevention of recurrence of perennial allergic rhinitis.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Humans ; Immunotherapy* ; Quality of Life* ; Surveys and Questionnaires* ; Recurrence ; Rhinitis*