Aged ; Humans ; Male ; Palatal Neoplasms ; pathology ; Uvula ; pathology

Authors observed clinically for congenital anophthalmos in two cases. One case was a boy, aged 6 years, having congenital anophthalmos of right eye with bifid uvula and another case was newbron baby, aged 4 days, having congenital anophthalmos and blepharophimosis of left eye and was born to undernutciented mother from chronic hepatitis.
Anophthalmos* ; Blepharophimosis ; Hepatitis, Chronic ; Humans ; Male ; Mothers ; Uvula

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: We investigated the effectiveness of shortening the uvula muscle for the treatment of snoring. This new and simple procedure was developed to promote the elevation of the uvula position using a minimally invasive technique. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Fifteen habitual snorers were included in this study. In order to find the exact anatomical position of the uvula muscle, we first dissected the soft palate of a cadaver to better understand the exact anatomical location and structure of the uvula muscle. With this result, we developed a new surgical technique for treating snoring. The results of our surgery were evaluated by both the patient and bed partner before surgery, at 30 days, and 90 days after surgery respectively using the visual analogue scale (VAS). RESULTS: Post-operative physical examinations showed superiorly displaced uvula position. The lower half of the soft palate and uvula were also anteriorly flexed. Those findings remained unaltered beyond the 90th post-operative day. The patient and bed partner snoring symptoms assessed by VAS were significantly improved compared to the pre-treatment values (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The uvula muscle shortening is an effective and simple method for the treatment of snoring.
Cadaver ; Humans ; Muscles ; Palate, Soft ; Physical Examination ; Snoring ; Uvula

Humans ; Palate, Soft ; surgery ; Sleep Apnea Syndromes ; surgery ; Uvula ; surgery

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Many people have been concerned about voice change after laser assisted uvulopalatoplasty (LAUP). A number of studies reported acoustic changes after uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) and LAUP. However, there have not been any reports on the association between anatomic change and acoustic results after LAUP. The purpose of this study is to analyze changes in the voice and changes in the vocal tract after LAUP and to evaluate whether the anatomical changes of vocal tract have an effect on the voice change or not. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: By using CSL, we analyzed fourteen LAUP cases on the formant frequencies of six vowels (/a/, /i/, /u/, /=, /o/, /e/) and four nasal consonants (/hana/, /eomma/, /eoungga/, /chiken/). By using MR image, we analyzed changes in the vocal tract eight weeks after LAUP with preoperative findings in three cases. RESULTS: In acoustic analysis, the second formant frequencies of /u/ and /= phonation were significantly reduced postoperatively compared to those of preoperative status. In imaging study of /u/ and /=, the uvula and soft palate were contracted, so coupling was occurred between nasal cavity and oropharynx in /u/ and /= phonation and the tongue was shifted toward posterior pharyngeal wall to compensate coupling. CONCLUSION: LAUP reduced the second formant of /u/ and /=, which did not result in serious voice changes.
Acoustics* ; Nasal Cavity ; Oropharynx ; Palate, Soft ; Phonation ; Tongue ; Uvula ; Voice*

Anesthesia, General ; Humans ; Otorhinolaryngologic Surgical Procedures ; methods ; Pharynx ; surgery ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive ; surgery ; Uvula ; surgery

Adult ; Humans ; Male ; Palate ; surgery ; Postoperative Complications ; Pulmonary Embolism ; etiology ; Snoring ; surgery ; Uvula ; surgery

We investigated the location of neurons related to lateral rectus muscle in the cerebellum of rats. Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and Pseudorabies virus (PRV) were injected into right lateral rectus muscle of rats. After 84~90 hours, cardiac perfusion was performed with 4% paraformaldehyde in HRP injection group and 4% paraformaldehyde-lysine-periodate in PRV injection group. Tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) neurohistochemical stain in HRP injection group and immuno-histochemical stain in PRV injection group were performed after frozen section. HRP-reactive neuronal cells were observed in ipsilateral abducens nucleus. PRV-immunoreactive neuronal cells were observed ipsilaterally in abducens nucleus, flocculus, paraflocculus, ansiform lobule, declive, dentate nucleus, infracerebellar nucleus and y nucleus and also bilaterally in nodulus, lobulus centralis, lingula, uvula vermis and fastigial nucleus. These findings show the existence of neuronal projection from the abducens nucleus to the cerebellum. This projection could be part of nerve circuits through which the cerebellum modulates visuomotor activities.
Animals ; Cerebellar Nuclei ; Cerebellum* ; Frozen Sections ; Herpesvirus 1, Suid* ; Horseradish Peroxidase ; Neurons* ; Perfusion ; Pseudorabies* ; Rats* ; Uvula

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether taste thresholds, as determined by electrogustometry (EGM) and chemical taste tests, differ by age and the severity of facial palsy in patients with Bell's palsy. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This study included 29 patients diagnosed with Bell's palsy between January 2014 and May 2015 in our hospital. Patients were assorted into age groups and by severity of facial palsy, as determined by House-Brackmann Scale, and their taste thresholds were assessed by EGM and chemical taste tests. RESULTS: EGM showed that taste thresholds at four locations on the tongue and one location on the central soft palate, 1 cm from the palatine uvula, were significantly higher in Bell's palsy patients than in controls (p<0.05). In contrast, chemical taste tests showed no significant differences in taste thresholds between the two groups (p>0.05). The severity of facial palsy did not affect taste thresholds, as determined by both EGM and chemical taste tests (p>0.05). The overall mean electrical taste thresholds on EGM were higher in younger Bell's palsy patients than in healthy subjects, with the difference at the back-right area of the tongue differing significantly (p<0.05). In older individuals, however, no significant differences in taste thresholds were observed between Bell's palsy patients and healthy subjects (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Electrical taste thresholds were higher in Bell's palsy patients than in controls. These differences were observed in younger, but not in older, individuals.
Bell Palsy* ; Facial Paralysis* ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Palate, Soft ; Taste Threshold* ; Tongue ; Uvula

It has been necessary to measure the actual palatal length change in order to acquire the relationship between precise pronunciation and the palatal length. The authors developed a method of palatal length measurement, using a paper ruler in patients with cleft palate under general anesthesia. We gauged the length starting fron the meeting point of the midline between two medial incisor teeth with lingual gingiva reaching up to uvula tip. The team recorded the straight-line distance linking two measurement points and curved-line distance against the palatal surface before and after the palatoplasty. This study reviewed, and analyzed the results from the measurements out of 89 cleft palate patients having push-back palatoplasty at the Pusan National University Hospital in the last 2 years. 1. Group A (between 10 to 18 month-old) 1) Incomplete cleft palate patients gained the straight-line length increase with an average of 5.6 mm(14.6%) and the curved-line length increase with an average of 5.0mm(10.1%) 2) Complete unilateral cleft palate patients gained a straight-line length increase with an average of 6.3 mm (14.1%) and the curved-line length increase with and average of 5.9 mm(11.4%) 3) Complete bilateral cleft palate patients gained the straight-line length increase with an average of 6.3 mm(14.1%) and the curved--line length increase with an average of 5.9 mm(11.4%) 4) Submucosal cleft palate patients gained a straight-line length increase with an average of 6.3 mm(14.7%) and the curved-line length increase with an average of 4.9 mm(10.4%) Analysis could not reveal any statistically significant diffeences among different types within Group A patients. 2. Group B (10 to 24 month-old): The data showed that straight-line distance gained length increase with an average of 7.3 mm(16.3%) and curved-line distance gained length increase with an average of 6.7 mm(13.0%). Group C(<24 month-old): The data showed that straight-line distance gained length increase with an average of 14.5% There were no statistically significant differences in the comparison of palatal lengthening ratio among these 3 groups. This paper presents a simple way of measuring palatal length. The data on differentiation of palatal length will contribute tothe long-term follow up study as well as patient's speech development in correlation with postoperative palatal length. It can be also utilized for further comparison study with the results from various palatoplasty methods.
Anesthesia, General ; Busan ; Cleft Palate ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gingiva ; Humans ; Incisor ; Tooth ; Uvula