Leiomyosarcoma is an uncommon tumor of smooth-muscle origin, and has rarely been described in reference to the head and neck region. There have been 30 previously reported cases of this tumor involving the sinonasal tract in the literature. We present a case of leiomyosarcoma involving the nasal cavity, ethmoid, and sphenoid sinus. We also review here the characteristics, diagnosis and treatment of this tumor.
Diagnosis ; Head ; Leiomyosarcoma* ; Nasal Cavity ; Neck ; Nose* ; Paranasal Sinuses* ; Sphenoid Sinus

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Epidemiologic and clinical trials have suggested that ozone exposure increase airway hyperresponsiveness and inflammatory response to allergen challenge in allergic asthmatics. But the effect of ozone exposure on the allergic rhinitis is still unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine whether ozone increases the nasal inflammatory response to allergen challenge in experimentally induced allergic rhinitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty Sprague- Dawley rats were divided into four groups : (A) NSS (normal saline) group, (B) group challenged by allergen (ovalbumin), (C) group exposed to ozone, and (D) group exposed to ozone followed by allergen (ovalbumin) challenge. To induce the allergic rhinitis in group B and D, rats was immunized intraperitoneally with ovalbumin, followed by intranasal nebulization of ovalbumin. In group C and D, rats were exposed to 0.3 ppm ozone for 3 days (6 hr/day). We recorded the symptoms (snort and scratching) for 5 min after the last nebulization. We also examined the infiltration of inflammatory cells, morphological changes of nasal mucosa, and Evans blue extravasation in septal rnucosa. RESULTS: Infiltration of neutrophils in nasal mucosa was significantly increased in group D compared with group B (p <0.05). Morphological changes such as loss of cilia and epithelial hyperplasia were more pronounced in group D than in group B (p <0.05). Evans blue extravasation was significantly higher in group D than in group B (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: These results may suggest that ozone enhances the inflammatory responses to allergens in allergic rhinitis patients.
Allergens ; Animals ; Cilia ; Evans Blue ; Humans ; Hyperplasia ; Nasal Mucosa ; Neutrophils ; Ovalbumin ; Ozone* ; Permeability ; Rats* ; Rhinitis*

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Osteoma of the external auditory canal is an uncommon benign lesion and represents as a unilateral pedunculated mass in the outer half of the bony canal. The aim of this study is to evaluate the clinical, histopathological characteristics of osteoma and its treatment outcomes. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We have operated 9 patients who visited Chungnam National Universitv Hospital in the past 10 years with the complaints of osteoma arising from the external auditory canal. The medical records were retrospectively reviewed with regard to clinical characteristics, surgical findings, histopathological features and treatment outcomes. RESULTS: One patient showed regrowth of the tumor after surgery and CT scans demonstrated a hidden lobe embedded in soft tissue of the bony-cartilaginous junction. Five patients have had no connection with regard to tympanosquamous or tympanomastoid suture line, which had been known as the predilection site. CONCLUSION: Osteoma of the external auditory canal is a distinct benign tumor which can be removed easily. A precise preoperative evaluation of the extent of the tumor and a complete surgical removal under adequate exposure is the best way to ensure no recurrence or complication.
Chungcheongnam-do ; Ear Canal* ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Osteoma* ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Sutures ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

We report a rare case of meningioma with extracranial extensions into the temporal bone and infratemporal fossa in a 66 years old woman. Clinical symptoms were mainly otologic, including progressive hearing loss, tinnitus and an external auditory canal mass that mimicked an aural polyp. Computed tomography (CT) scan showed destruction of the tegmen tympani and petrous apex. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed extensive intracranial tumor with extracranial extensions into the temporal bone and infratemporal fossa. This case showed an infiltrative nature of extracranial meningioma and its otologic manifestations of temopral bone involvement.
Aged ; Ear Canal ; Female ; Hearing Loss ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Meningioma* ; Polyps* ; Temporal Bone ; Tinnitus

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Identifying the impact of a patient's ethnicity on treatment responses in clinical practice may assist in providing individualized treatment regimens for chronic hepatitis C (CHC). The effectiveness of standard peginterferon plus ribavirin therapy and the need for triple combination therapy with protease inhibitors in Koreans remain matters of debate. These issues were investigated in the present study. METHODS: The clinical data of 272 treatment-naive Korean CHC patients who were treated in a community-based clinical trial (Clinical Trial group; n=51) and in clinical practice (Cohort group; n=221), were analyzed and compared. All were treated with standard protocols of peginterferon alfa-2a plus ribavirin therapy. RESULTS: For patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1, the sustained virological response (SVR) rates in the Clinical Trial and Cohort groups were 81% (21/26) and 55% (58/106), respectively, by intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis (P=0.02), and 100% (13/13) and 80% (32/40), respectively, in treatment-adherent patients (P=0.18). For patients with HCV genotype 2, the SVR rates in these two groups were 96% (24/25) and 88% (101/115), respectively, by ITT analysis (P=0.31). Adherence and treatment duration were independent predictors of SVR for genotypes 1 and 2, respectively (P<0.01 for each). Korean patients with CHC achieved high SVR rates with peginterferon alfa-2a plus ribavirin in both the clinical trial and clinical practice settings. CONCLUSIONS: Measures to raise adherence to standard therapy in clinical practice may improve the SVR rates in these patients as effectively as adding protease inhibitors, thus obviating the need for the latter.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Antiviral Agents/*therapeutic use ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Cohort Studies ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Female ; Genotype ; Hepacivirus/genetics ; Hepatitis C, Chronic/*drug therapy ; Humans ; Interferon-alpha/*therapeutic use ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Odds Ratio ; Polyethylene Glycols/*therapeutic use ; Predictive Value of Tests ; RNA, Viral/genetics ; Recombinant Proteins/therapeutic use ; Republic of Korea ; Ribavirin/*therapeutic use ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult