INTRODUCTION: The objective of this research was to determine the incidence of oral cancer in Korea. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The classifications of oral and maxillofacial cancer (OMFC) that we used are based on possible locations of OMFC: lip, tongue, mouth, salivary glands, tonsil, oropharynx, nasopharynx, hypopharynx, pharynx unspecified, and nose, sinuses. RESULTS: 1) There were 2,848 OMFC cases, accounting for 1.6% of all cancers. The male to female ratio was 2.72:1. 2) The estimated crude rates (CRs) were 5.7 overall, 8.4 for males, and 3.1 for females. The age-standardized incidence rates (ASRs) were 4.6 overall, 7.3 for males and 2.3 for females. 3) The incidence of mouth cancer was highest. The mouth and salivary glands were the most frequent sites for cancer among males and females, respectively. 4) Patients who were 40 years or older accounted for 91% of OMFC cases, with the highest proportion of cases in the 60-69 year-old age group for both sexes. 5) Tongue cancer was the most prevalent OMFC overall. Nasopharyngeal cancer was highest among males, and salivary gland cancer was highest among females. 6) From 2004 to 2008, the relative 5-year survival rate of OMFC patients was 57.5%. There was a trend of increasing survival among OMFC patients during the study period. The survival rate for females (69.3%) was much higher than that for males (53.1%). CONCLUSION: Social and personal efforts should be required to increase the survival rates of OMFC patients and Korean national cancer management policy should establish new measures for economic and social management and support.
Accounting ; Female ; Humans ; Hypopharynx ; Incidence ; Korea ; Lip ; Male ; Mouth ; Mouth Neoplasms ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms ; Nasopharynx ; Nose ; Oropharynx ; Palatine Tonsil ; Pharynx ; Salivary Gland Neoplasms ; Salivary Glands ; Survival Rate ; Tongue ; Tongue Neoplasms

The tonsillolith is a white or yellow colored calcified lesion that forms in the crypts of the palatine tonsil. Small tonsilloliths are frequently found on tonsils, while giant tonsilloliths are a rare clinical entity. We had a 35-years old female patient, who presented throat discomfort due to a giant tonsillolith. The stone was removed and tonsillectomy was performed. We reviewed the literature on this rare clinical entity.
Female ; Humans ; Palatine Tonsil ; Pharynx ; Tonsillectomy

BACKGROUND/AIMS: We attempted to examine the relationship between abnormal findings on high-resolution manometry (HRM) and videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS) of the pharynx and upper esophageal sphincter (UES), and to identify the risk factors for aspiration. METHODS: We performed VFSS and HRM on the same day in 36 ischemic stroke patients (mean age, 67.5 years) with dysphagia. Pressure (basal, median intra bolus, and nadir), relaxation time interval of the UES, and mesopharyngeal and hypopharyngeal contractility (as a contractile integral) were examined using HRM. The parameters of VFSS were vallecular residue, pyriform sinus residue, vallecular overflow, penetration, and aspiration. The association between the parameters of VFSS and HRM was analyzed by the Student's t test. RESULTS: Three (8.3%) and 4 (11.1%) stroke patients with dysphagia had pyriform sinus residue and vallecular sinus residue, respectively, and 5 (13.8%) patients showed aspiration. Mesopharyngeal and hypopharyngeal contractile integrals in patients with residue in the pyriform sinus were significantly lower than those in patients without residue in the pyriform sinus (P < 0.05). Relaxation time intervals in patients with aspiration were significantly shorter than those in patients without aspiration (P < 0.05), and multivariate regression analysis revealed a shorter relaxation time interval as the main risk factor for aspiration (OR, 0.03; 95% CI, 0.01–0.65; P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Manometric measurements of the pharynx and UES were well correlated with abnormal findings in the VFSS, and a shorter relaxation time interval of the UES during deglutition is an important parameter for the development of aspiration.
Deglutition ; Deglutition Disorders* ; Esophageal Sphincter, Upper* ; Humans ; Manometry ; Pharynx ; Pyriform Sinus ; Relaxation* ; Risk Factors* ; Stroke*

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Total laryngectomy is usually used for patients with advanced laryngeal cancer, and causes injuries to hypopharyngeal mucosa, cricopharyngeal muscle, pharyngeal constrictor muscle. These damages induce postoperative swallowing difficulties, although accurate and objective data have not been reported. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the changes and functional difficulties of swallowing mechanism in patients with total laryngectomy by manometric analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used station pull-through technique in two groups. The study group consisted of 11 total laryngectomized patients, and the control group consisted of 10 cases. We measured resting pressure, length, pressure after relaxation of UES (upper esophageal sphincter), and pharyngeal pressure. And 5 parameters were analyzed for coordination of hypopharynx and UES during swallowing. RESULTS: In the study group, the resting pressure, the maximal pressure after relaxation, and the length of UES was 36.3+/-10.5 mmHg, 149.8+/-14.6 mmHg, and 3.4+/-0.8 cm respectively. In the control group, the results was 34.9+/-9.6 mmHg, 85.5+/-12.3 mmHg, 2.2+/-0.6 cm respectively. The pharyngeal pressure was 81.8+/-10.1 mmHg in the study group, and 67.1+/-12.3 mmHg in the control group. The interval of pharyngeal constriction was 3.0+/-0.23 sec in the study group and 0.49+/-0.04 sec in the control group. The interval of UES relaxation was 2.43+/-0.14 sec in the study group and 0.99+/-0.03 sec in the control group. CONCLUSION: Manometric analysis showed higher pressure of the pharynx and UES in the total laryngectomized patients than in the normal adults. And there was a failure in the coordination between pharyngeal constriction and UES relaxation.
Adult ; Constriction ; Deglutition ; Esophageal Sphincter, Upper* ; Humans ; Hypopharynx ; Laryngeal Neoplasms ; Laryngectomy ; Mucous Membrane ; Pharyngeal Muscles ; Pharynx* ; Relaxation

PURPOSE: To know the true carrier rate and the immunologic responses (antistreptolysin O :ASO) to beta-hemolytic streptococci which obtained from normal school children with or without carrying streptococci. And to study the clinical meaning of the number of organisms found in culture. METHODS: One hundred ninty-eight first grade of elementary school children were included. I obtained throat swab culture from tonsil and tonsilar fossa with sterile cotton ball stick and plated on sheep blood agar dish, counted number of colonies of beta-hemolytic streptococci (BHS) after overnight incubation, examined ASO titer (Rantz-Randall method) simultaneously, and differentiated grouping of BHS with Streptex. RESULTS: 1) Of the 198 normal school children, 34 (17.2%) had cultured BHS. 16 (8.1%) were group A, 4 (2.0%) were group C, 2 (1.0%) were group G, and 12 (6.1%) were non-grouping BHS. 2) 14 (22.2%) out of 63 normal children without carrying BHS and 16 (47.1%) out of 34 with carrying BHS had come out above 250 units of ASO. 13 (59.1%) out of 22 group A,C,G streptococcal carriers had showed above 250 units of ASO. The true carrier rate of BHS were 18 (9.0%) out of 198 elementary school children. 3) When I had counted the number of colonies from 34 carrier of BHS, 1+ was 67.6% and 2+ was 17.6%. It was 85.2% of total children with carrier. 4) There were significant differences between the mean titer of logarithmic ASO obtained from group A BHS carrier and that of normal children without carrying BHS (P=0.001), and differences between that of group A and group B,C,G streptococci (P= 0.0005). CONCLUSIONS: The ASO titer obtained from BHS carrier is higher than normal school children, which suggests the possibility of subclinical infection, the possibility of persistent habor of organism since past infection had contracted, and the possibility of replaced old organism in past infection with new organism. It should be performed follow-up study for identifying the persistence of immunologic response in accordance with or without culturing organism.
Agar ; Antistreptolysin* ; Asymptomatic Infections ; Child* ; Humans ; Palatine Tonsil ; Pharynx* ; Sheep

This study was performed to compare the size of soft palate, tongue and airway according to the types of the malocclusion and evaluate the correlation between the size of soft palate, tongue, airway and dentofacial skeleton respectively. The sample of this study was 98 malocclusion female patients between the ages 12 and 17 years. The lateral cephalometric radiographs were taken and the distance, angle, ratio and area of the dentofacial skeleton, soft palate, tongue and airway were measured and evaluated statistically. The results obtained were as follows : 1. There was significant difference in SNB, ANB, facial angle, facial convexity, A-B plane angel, Y axis to FH, SN-MP, Wits appraisal, ODI and APDI according to the types of malocclusion. 2. The hyoid bone was more posteriorly positioned in Class II malocclusion group than other two groups and superior-inferior position of the hyoid bone was not different according to the malocclusion types. 3. The nasopharyngeal area of Class II and Class III malocclusion group was smaller than that of Class I malocclusion group, and the pharyngeal area of Class II malocclusion group was smaller than that of Class I and Class III malocclusion group. There was no difference of the area of the soft palate, tongue, oropharynx and hypopharynx according to malocclusion types. 4. The ramal height and mandibular body length(Go-Me) showed positive correlation with the area of tongue, nasopharynx, oropharynx, and pharynx. SNA did not correlated with the area of tongue and airway but SNB showed positive correlation with the area of hypopharynx and pharynx. The anterior, posterior facial height, upper and lower central incisor position to facial plane showed positive correlation with tongue area.
Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Female ; Humans ; Hyoid Bone ; Hypopharynx ; Incisor ; Malocclusion* ; Nasopharynx ; Oropharynx ; Palate, Soft ; Pharynx ; Skeleton ; Tongue

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the growth pattern of nasopharyx and adenoid and to obtain useful measurements for evaluating the fuction of the nasal breathing. The biennial serial cephalometric radiographs of 33 samples(19 male, 14 female) with normal occlusion from 8.5 years to 18.5 years of age were used in this study. The distances, areas and ratios on nasopharynx and adenoid were measured and analyzed in each age and sex. The results of this study might be summarized as follows; 1. The mean value and standard deviation of each measurement was obtained in each age and sex. 2. The nasopharyngeal height and the nasopharyngeal depth increased significantly by 14.5 years of age in male and 12.5 years of age in female(p<0.05). 3. The relative nasal airway area showed the minimal value at 8.5 years of age and showed significant increase from 10.5 years to 12.5 years of age in male and from 12.5 years to 14.5 years of age in female(p<0.05). 4. In the correlation analysis between the measurements on the nasal airway and the measurement of relative nasal airway area, the measurements of Ad2-PNS, Ad2-PNS/Ho'-PNS and Upper pharynx appeared singnificant correlation with the measurement of relative nasal airway area(p<0.01).
Adenoids* ; Humans ; Longitudinal Studies* ; Male ; Nasopharynx* ; Pharynx ; Respiration

Simulated three-dimensional (3D) imaging represents reformation of conventional sectional imaging data into a series of images that closely resemble the original studied structure. We tried to make 3D mucosal surface images of the sinonasal cavities, pharynx and larynx, and evaluated the feature of normal anatomy in 28 subjects. In the sinonasal cavities, 3D imaging was capable of demonstrating the inner wall of paranasal sinuses and its openings, and general status status of the nasal cavity. In the nasal cavity. In the nasopharynx, 3D imaging provided an easy concept of sectional images as 3D picture and displayed anatomic subsites and lesions comparable to that in fiberscope. In addition, 3D imaging had advantages in overcoming the technical limitations in fiberscope. In the larynx and hypopharynx, 3D imaging gave a 3D concept of the laryngeal structures and presented additive information not seen in axial iamges thus enabling access to regions beyond the scope of fiberscope. In conclusion, 3D imaging allows an easy conceptualization of transaxial CT images in complex anatomic areas and provides additional in formations undetectable in transaxial CT. We believe that the spaces of the sinonasal cavities, pharynx and larynx would be a new field of application of 3D image.
Hypopharynx ; Larynx* ; Nasal Cavity ; Nasopharynx ; Paranasal Sinuses ; Pharynx*

Simulated three-dimensional (3D) imaging represents reformation of conventional sectional imaging data into a series of images that closely resemble the original studied structure. We tried to make 3D mucosal surface images of the sinonasal cavities, pharynx and larynx, and evaluated the feature of normal anatomy in 28 subjects. In the sinonasal cavities, 3D imaging was capable of demonstrating the inner wall of paranasal sinuses and its openings, and general status status of the nasal cavity. In the nasal cavity. In the nasopharynx, 3D imaging provided an easy concept of sectional images as 3D picture and displayed anatomic subsites and lesions comparable to that in fiberscope. In addition, 3D imaging had advantages in overcoming the technical limitations in fiberscope. In the larynx and hypopharynx, 3D imaging gave a 3D concept of the laryngeal structures and presented additive information not seen in axial iamges thus enabling access to regions beyond the scope of fiberscope. In conclusion, 3D imaging allows an easy conceptualization of transaxial CT images in complex anatomic areas and provides additional in formations undetectable in transaxial CT. We believe that the spaces of the sinonasal cavities, pharynx and larynx would be a new field of application of 3D image.
Hypopharynx ; Larynx* ; Nasal Cavity ; Nasopharynx ; Paranasal Sinuses ; Pharynx*

Velopharyngeal function refers to the combined activity of the soft palate and pharynx in closing and opening the velopharyngeal port to the required degree. In normal speech, various muscles of palate & pharynx function as sphincter and occlude the oropharynx from the nasopharynx during the production of oral consonant sounds. Inadequate velopharyngeal function caused by neurologic disorder-cerebral apoplexy, regressive diseases-disseminated sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, congenital deformity-cleft palate, cerebral palsy and etc. may result in abnormal speech characterized by hypernasality, nasal emission and decreased intelligibility of speech due to weak consonant production. In our study, we constructed speech aids prosthesis-Palatal lift in acquired idiophathic VPI patient and assessed velopharyngeal function with various diagnostic instruments which can evaluate the speech characteristics objectively.
Cerebral Palsy ; Humans ; Muscles ; Nasopharynx ; Oropharynx ; Palate ; Palate, Soft ; Parkinson Disease ; Pharynx ; Sclerosis ; Stroke