BACKGROUND: We evaluated the improvement of pain and the increase in mouth opening after temporomandibular joint arthrocentesis and the possible association with various factors such as previous splint treatment, medication, and diagnosis. RESULTS: We studied 57 temporomandibular joint disorder patients who underwent arthrocentesis at Korea University Anam Hospital. These patients (24 males and 33 females, aged between 15 and 76 years) underwent arthrocentesis that was performed by one surgeon. The degree of mouth opening (assessed using the maximum mouth opening: MMO) and pain (assessed using the visual analog scale: VAS) were assessed pre- and post-arthrocentesis. The study also investigated whether treatment modalities other than arthrocentesis (medication and appliance therapy) were performed. Statistical analysis revealed that there was a significant difference in mouth opening and pain after temporomandibular joint arthrocentesis. Preoperative appliance therapy affected the results of arthrocentesis, but it was not statistically significant. With regard to pain relief, preoperative diagnosis did not show a significant difference. However, with regard to maximum mouth opening, patients with disc displacement without reduction with limited mouth opening (closed lock) showed the highest recovery (11.13 mm). CONCLUSION The average of MMO increase after arthrocentesis was 9.10 mm, and patients with disc displacement without reduction with locking (closed lock) showed most recovery in maximum mouth opening and it was statistically significant. The average pain relief of patients after arthrocentesis was 3.03 in the VAS scale, and patients using anterior repositioning splint (ARS) preoperatively showed the most pain relief.

BACKGROUND: Radioiodine therapy has been widely used for thyroid disease patients, but hyposalivation and xerostomia may occur in 10~30% of patients. Sialocentesis is a procedure that removes inflammatory substances in the salivary duct and expands the duct for the secretion and delivery of saliva. In this study, thyroid disease patients treated with radioactive iodine were selected among the patients with xerostomia who visited the hospital, and the effect of sialocentesis was compared and analyzed. And then, comparison between the radioiodine therapy-experienced group and the non-radioiodine therapy-experienced group was conducted. RESULTS: In this study, we studied xerostomia patients who underwent radioiodine therapy due to thyroid diseases and who underwent sialocentesis at the Korea University Anam Hospital. Sialocentesis is conducted by one surgeon. The study also compares the clinical symptoms before and after the surgery. After the procedure, the discomfort due to xerostomia was reduced, and the symptom was improved effectively. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study showed that sialocentesis has a clinical effect in the treatment of xerostomia, which is a side effect of radioiodine therapy. In addition, the possibility of further clinical application of sialocentesis in the future is found.

BACKGROUND: Conventionally, indirect radiography has been used to diagnose salivary gland diseases. However, with the development of sialendoscopy, diagnosis and treatment of salivary gland diseases have become more effective. Herein, we report a case of sialolithotomy treated with sialendoscopy and compare it with the existing methods through a literature review.CASE PRESENTATION: Two patients with a foreign body sensation under the tongue and dry mouth visited the Anam Hospital, Korea University. Radiographic examination revealed salivary stones inside the right Wharton duct, and the patients underwent sialolithotomy under local or general anaesthesia. The stones were totally removed, and there were no postoperative complications such as bleeding or pain. CONCLUSION The development of sialendoscopy has enabled better definitive diagnosis of salivary gland diseases compared with the conventional methods; better treatment outcomes can be obtained when sialendoscopy is used in appropriate cases.

When parathyroid carcinoma occurs in the thyroid gland, it is very difficult to diagnose before surgery because imaging studies and aspiration cytology cannot distinguish parathyroid carcinoma from thyroid nodule or benign parathyroid disease. A 53-year-old male was referred to our hospital for assessment of hypercalcemia. He had suffered from chronic kidney disease for 13 years. A 2.5×1.5 cm hypoechoic nodule was noted in the left thyroid gland on ultrasonography, and it showed increased uptake on the sestamibi scan. Fine needle aspiration biopsy revealed it to be a parathyroid lesion, which was confirmed by surgery as parathyroid carcinoma completely surrounded by normal thyroid parenchyme. Because ultrasonography and aspiration cytology have only a limited role in distinguishing parathyroid carcinoma from thyroid neoplasm, suspicion of parathyroid carcinoma before or during surgery through careful examination can lead to complete resection at the initial surgery.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Infectious mononucleosis is mainly caused by Epstein-Barr virus infection and it presents sore throat, fever, tonsillar enlargement with exudate, cervical lymphadenopathy, hepatosplenomegaly, and etc. Therefore, it is often misdiagnosed with acute tonsillitis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical characteristics of patients with infectious mononucleosis and recent changes.SUBJECTS AND METHOD: From January 2008 to December 2017, we retrospectively studied 83 patients who were diagnosed with infectious mononucleosis. We evaluated the patients' clinical characteristics such as sex, age, onset of disease, the department first visited, period of hospital stay, symptoms, signs, the results of serologic test, and complications. RESULTS: Among 83 patients, 41 were male and 42 were female. The mean age was 16.1±7.28, with the oldest patient being 38 years old and the youngest patient being 2 years old. The proportion of patients older than 25 years was 10.8%. The most common symptom was sore throat (77%), followed by fever (67%), upper respiratory infection symptoms such as cough, sputum, rhinorrhea (37%), abdominal pain (16%), neck mass or neck pain (13%), and headache (4%). The most common sign was tonsillar enlargement (85%), followed by tonsillar white patch (68%), hepatosplenomegaly (67%), and cervical lymphadenopathy (60%). Complication occurred in 2 patients with mild jaundice, and there was no critical complication. The department patients first visited was mostly otolaryngology (61%), followed by pediatrics (21%), gastroenterology (9%), and others (6%). CONCLUSION Patients with infectious mononucleosis mostly appeared to have fever, pharyngitis or cervical lymphadenitis, and the complication rate was low. The primary infection age of infectious mononucleosis tended to increase in recent years. In adult patients, cervical lymphadenitis was less, and white blood cell count and the proportion of lymphocyte was lower compared to pediatric patients.

Gymnophalloides seoi (Digenea: Gymnophallidae) is a human intestinal trematode contracted by eating raw oysters (Crassostrea gigas) in the Republic of Korea (=Korea). It has been known to be highly endemic in Aphae Island, Shinan-gun, Jeollanam-do (Province). However, recent epidemiological status of G. seoi has not been reported since the 1990s. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of G. seoi metacercariae in natural and cultured oysters collected from 3 islands and 2 coastal areas in western parts of Korea. The oysters were examined using the artificial digestion method followed by stereomicroscopy. The overall positive rate of G. seoi metacercariae in natural oysters was 66.0% (99/150), and the oysters collected from Yubu Island showed the highest infection rate (74.0%). However, the metacercarial density per oyster was relatively low (1.5–2.4 per oyster). By contrast, no metacercaria was found in cultured oysters purchased from 2 coastal areas in Chungcheongnam-do. Thus, we could confirm that natural oysters produced from 3 western coastal islands are infected with G. seoi metacercariae, whereas cultured oysters purchased from 2 coastal areas were free from infection.
Chungcheongnam-do ; Digestion ; Eating ; Humans ; Islands ; Jeollanam-do ; Korea ; Metacercariae ; Methods ; Ostreidae ; Prevalence ; Republic of Korea

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective evaluation. OBJECTIVES: To determine the relationship between lumbar disc degeneration and back muscle degeneration. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: In the degenerative cascade of the spine described by Kirkaldy-Willis, degeneration of the disc and of the facet joint co-occur with aging. However, the muscles of the back are not included in this model. Several studies have reported significant correlations between back muscle degeneration and facet joint arthritis. The purpose of our study was to evaluate relationships between lumbar disc degeneration and fatty degeneration of the back muscles. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, 65 patients over the age of 50 years who had undergone lumbar spine MRI in our orthopaedic clinic were recruited. Fatty degeneration of the back muscles was qualitatively graded from I to III by the degree of the fat signal in the muscle layer, including both the multifidus and erector spinae. Lumbar disc degeneration was graded from I to V according to the Pfirrmann grade. Correlations between the back muscle degeneration grade and radiological parameters were analyzed. RESULTS: The degeneration grade of the multifidus correlated positively with age and the grade of disc degeneration. Correlations with other radiologic parameters were not significant. The degeneration grade of the erector spinae correlated positively with age. Other radiologic parameters were not significant. CONCLUSIONS: There was a significant correlation between lumbar disc degeneration and multifidus degeneration. Erector spinae degeneration was correlated with age, but not with lumbar disc degeneration. The degenerative cascade of the spine was accompanied by fatty changes of the multifidus with aging.
Aging ; Arthritis ; Back Muscles ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc Degeneration ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Muscles ; Paraspinal Muscles ; Retrospective Studies ; Spine ; Zygapophyseal Joint

OBJECTIVES: To determine the relationship between lumbar disc degeneration and back muscle degeneration.SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: In the degenerative cascade of the spine described by Kirkaldy-Willis, degeneration of the disc and of the facet joint co-occur with aging. However, the muscles of the back are not included in this model. Several studies have reported significant correlations between back muscle degeneration and facet joint arthritis. The purpose of our study was to evaluate relationships between lumbar disc degeneration and fatty degeneration of the back muscles. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, 65 patients over the age of 50 years who had undergone lumbar spine MRI in our orthopaedic clinic were recruited. Fatty degeneration of the back muscles was qualitatively graded from I to III by the degree of the fat signal in the muscle layer, including both the multifidus and erector spinae. Lumbar disc degeneration was graded from I to V according to the Pfirrmann grade. Correlations between the back muscle degeneration grade and radiological parameters were analyzed. RESULTS: The degeneration grade of the multifidus correlated positively with age and the grade of disc degeneration. Correlations with other radiologic parameters were not significant. The degeneration grade of the erector spinae correlated positively with age. Other radiologic parameters were not significant. CONCLUSIONS There was a significant correlation between lumbar disc degeneration and multifidus degeneration. Erector spinae degeneration was correlated with age, but not with lumbar disc degeneration. The degenerative cascade of the spine was accompanied by fatty changes of the multifidus with aging.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) and to elucidate factors affecting recurrence in surgical treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 51 patients who were diagnosed with MRONJ were analyzed according to demographic and clinical features and treatment results through a retrospective chart review from 2013 to 2017 in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Korea University Anam Hospital, Seoul in Korea. RESULTS: Alendronate composed the majority of medication doses (55.6%), followed by ibandronate (20.0%), risedronate (15.6%), and zoledronate (6.7%). Forty patients (88.9%) were given oral medication, and five patients (11.1%) were intravenously treated, and the mean duration of medication use was 61.1±42.9 months. A total of 10 patients (22.2%) had a drug holiday before MRONJ-induced dental treatment lasting an average of 6.8±7.0 months. MRONJ occurred 2.7 times more in the mandible, with 41 cases (73.2%) occurring in the mandible and 15 cases (26.8%) occurring in the maxilla, and the prevalence of affected posterior parts (premolar-molar) was six times greater than that of the anterior parts (incisor-canine) (48 cases vs 8 cases, 85.7% vs 14.3%). The most common dental cause of MRONJ was tooth extraction (69.6%). Regarding recurrence, there was no statistical difference in recurrence rate according to either site or stage. However, recurrence occurred in 4 out of 34 cases (11.8%) in the primary closure group and 9 out of 20 cases (45.0%) in the secondary healing group, and there was a statistical difference with respect to closure technique. CONCLUSION: The identified risk factors in patients taking bone resorption inhibitors can aid dental clinicians in ensuring prevention and proper treatment of MRONJ.
Alendronate ; Bone Density Conservation Agents ; Holidays ; Humans ; Jaw* ; Korea ; Mandible ; Maxilla ; Osteonecrosis* ; Prevalence ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Risedronate Sodium ; Risk Factors ; Seoul ; Surgery, Oral ; Surgical Procedures, Operative ; Tooth Extraction

This correction is being published to provide the approval number of the Institutional Review Board at the Ethics Approval and Consent to Participate section in the above article. The authors apologize for this error.