Purpose: The nonrecurrent laryngeal nerve(NRLN) is a rare anomaly that is associated with the developmentally aberrant subclavian artery. Although rare on the right side and exceptional on the left, an aberrant nonrecurrent pathway for RLN represents a major surgical risk. Three course variations of right NRLN can be distinguished: descending(type I) , horizontal(type II), ascending(type III). This study is performed to characterize the variations of NRLN, associated vascular anomaly, and proper surgical methods for preventing nerve damage. Materials and Methods: Between January 1998 and March 2006 3,381 thyroidectomy were performed at our institution, and during these operations a nonrecurrent laryngeal nerve was observed in 13 cases (0.38%). There were 1 men and 12 women with a median age of 48 years(range 28-57). All of them are identified on the right side. Results: In all cases, there were no clinical symptoms observed preoperatively. The nerve anomaly was diagnosed preoperatively in only one case. There were type I variations of right RLN in 2 cases and type II variations in 11 cases. The retroesophageal aberrant right subcalvian artery; no innominate(brachiocephalic) artery was found and the right common carotic artery was arising directly from the aortic arch, was seen in 12 cases. A vocal cord palaysis caused by NRLN damage during operation was observed in one patient(7.6%) , where the nerve was close to the superior thyroid artery. No other complications were noted. Conclusion: It can be possible to predict NRLN from signs associated with the vascular anomaly; clinical symptoms or imaging studies. When an vascular anomaly is not detected preoperatively, overlooking possibility of NRLN may lead to severe operative morbidity. Hence, It is most important to identify all the thyroid structures carefully during thyroid surgery and to be aware of the possibility of anatomic variations of RLN.

Objectives: The p53 tumor suppressor gene has a key role in cellular control mechanisms involving apoptosis and DNA repair, leading to the G1 arrest following DNA damage. Its mutation is one of the most frequent alterations in human cancers. Ki-67 is identified in replicating cells of both benign and malignant lesions, so it can be the predictor of proliferative activity. The aim of this study is to evaluate the expression of p53 and Ki-67 in salivary gland tumors. Materials and Methods: Immunohistochemical analysis was used to detect expression of p53 and Ki-67 in paraffin-embedded samples from 31 benign and 27 malignant salivary gland tumors. Results were analyzed between benign and malignant tumors and compared with the clinical parameters such as stage and recurrence in malignant tumors. Results: p53 overexpression was detected in 19.6% of benign tumors and 40.7% of malignant tumors, but there was no statistical significance. p53 was significantly expressed in Warthin's tumor(45.5%) compared with pleomorphic adenoma(5.9%). Only 5.9% of pleomorphic adenoma were positive for p53, while 60% of carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma were positive for p53. Ki-67 was expressed in 3.2% of benign tumors and 51.9% of malignant tumors, which showed significant higher expression in malignant tumors. In malignant tumors, p53 and Ki-67 expressions bore no correlation to stage and recurrence. Conclusion: p53 overexpression is not associated with the progression of malignant tumors, and Ki-67 overexpression can be used as biologic indicator of malignant salivary gland tumors.

Objectives: The salivary gland tumor shows heterogeneity in histologic patterns and biological behavior. The aim of this study is to elucidate the relationships between apoptosis and expressions of apoptosis-related factors(bcl-2, bax, M30), p53 and MIB-1 in the salivary gland tumors. Methods: Immunohistochemical stains for apoptosis-related factors, p53 and MIB-1 and TUNEL study for apoptosis were performed in 46 cases of salivary gland tumors 02 benign and 34 malignant). Results: Twenty(43.5%) of 46 cases showed positive reaction for apoptosis, and the expression rates of bcl-2, bax, M30, p53 and MIB-1 were 85.3%, 68.8%, 65.9%, 39.1% and 26.1%, respectively. A significant difference between benign and malignant tumors was only noted in MIB-1 expression(p=0.0167). In malignant tumors, apoptosis showed no significant relationships to expressions of apoptosis-related factors. There were inverse relationships between p53 and bcl-2 expression(p=0.0375), and between M30 and MIB-1 expressions(p=0.0379). No significant differences of apoptosis, bcl-2, bax, M30, p53 and MIB-1 expression rates according to the tumor size, lymph node status, recurrence and survival were found. Conclusion: In the development of benign and malignant salivary gland tumors, apoptosis might be associated, however, apoptosis and expressions of apoptosis-related factors seemed to be not reliable prognostic factors in malignant salivary gland tumors.

Background and Objectives: Maxillectomy is the mainstay of treatment for malignant tumors of the maxillary sinus(MS). Nevertheless, few have been reported on the surgical outcomes of maxillectomy for malignant tumors of MS in Korean literature. Based on our clinical experience, the authors aimed to present the treatment outcomes of maxillectomy for squamous cell carcinomas(SCC) of MS. Subjects and Methods: We reviewed the medical records of 26 cases of maxillectomies with see of MS, who were treated from 1995 to 2004 at Samsung Medical Center. Most patients(73.1%) were locally advanced stage(T3 or T4a) at initial presentation. Total maxillectomy was performed in 18 cases, which is the most frequent procedure(69.2%). We analyzed the treatment outcomes of see of MS and several variables includeing tumor stage and resection margin to identify predictors for treatment failure after maxillectomy. Follow-up duration ranged from 7 to 89 months with a mean of 33 months. Results: Treatment failure occurred in 7 cases(26.9%), among which 3 were salvaged. Three of 26 maxillectomies(11.5%) showed the positive or close(less than 5mm) resection margin in their posterior resection sites; however it did not coincide with the site of recurrence after radiation therapy. Among patients who had been followed up for more than 6 months, disease-free 3 year survival rate was 100.0% in T1 and T2, 76.2% in T3, 60% in T4a, and 69.6% in total. Conclusion: Even though most of see of MS were detected at locally advanced stage, maxillectomy with or without postoperative radiation therapy for resectable MS see(T1-T4a) provided the acceptable treatment outcome(70%, 3Y disease-free survival rate).

Background: The location of parotid gland tumors can influence the duration and the difficulty of the operation. If the information about tumor location was available preoperatively, it would allow accurate operative planning and counseling of patients in terms of the length of the operation and the potential morbidity. Methods: This study was based on a retrospective review of 100 patients with parotid gland tumors underwent parotidectomy from January 2000 to October 2005 at Yong-Dong Severance Hospital. Based on computed tomographic(CT) scan findings, 4 landmarks such as facial nerve(FN) line, Utrecht(U) line, Conn's are(CA), and retromandibular vein (RV) were drawn on the scans in same plane. The location of tumors were determined by the landmarks and confirmed by the operative findings. The accuracy of each landmarks was evaluated. To find out the accuracies according to tumor size, the tumors were divided into 2 groups; less than 2 cm and larger than 2 cm in diameter. Results: U line was the most accurate(94%), sensitive(89.3%) and specific(97.7%) in predicting tumor location of the parotid gland. However, in small tumors less than 2cm, FN line (p=0.022) and RV criteria (p=0.028) were more reliable in accuracy. Conclusion: CA, FN line, U line, and RV are all useful landmarks in preoperative prediction for the location of parotid gland tumors. However, U line was the most accurate, but we must consider that proper landmark should be used in prediction according to the size of tumor because the accuracy of landmark may change.

Killian-Jamieson and Zenker diverticula are both rare pharyngoesophageal diverticula. Both are outpouching of the mucosal and submucosal layers of the esophageal wall, which protrude through a mucosal gap at the level of the pharyngoesophageal esophagus. When these diverticula are large enough, they can be in proximity to the thyroid gland and may mimic a thyroid nodule. We report a case in which a diverticulum was filled with dietary residue and thus simulated a thyroid cyst on CT scan. And it was finally diagnosed as a Killian-Jamieson diverticulum by the surgery.

The Neurofibroma is a benign neoplasm originating from neural tissue such as Schwann cell, fibroblast and peripheral fibroblast, which rarely converts to malignancy. About 25-45% of neurofibroma are located in head and neck, and the most common sites are lateral cervical region and mouth. Because of its high vascularity and invasion to the adjacent organs, surgical resection may be confronted and limited, moreover large neurofibroma can cause large defect that needs various kinds of flap. The factors related to clinically suspected malignancy are painlessness, abrupt increase in size, firm fixation, and central ulceration, although the malignancy rate of neurofibroma is low. The complete resection was failed several times at local clinic, the patient was transferred to our hospital. We have successfully removed the retroauricular neurofibroma using transposition flap & free skin graft on its large defects.

Riedel's thyroiditis is an uncommon disorder of unknown etiology that is characterized by an invasive process that partially destroys the gland and extends into adjacent neck structures. Its clinical manifestation as a stonyhard, poorly defined enlargement over the thyroid gland and local compression of the trachea, esophagus and recurrent laryngeal nerve can mimic invasive thyroid carcinoma and mask the accompanied thyroid neoplasm. A case of Riedel's thyroiditis in a 59-year-old female patient, admitted with a previous diagnosis of adenomatous goiter, is reported. So, we present this case with the review of literatures.

Granular cell tumor is not rare and is a well recognized entity which has a wide anatomic distribution, with roughly one half of the lesions found in the head and neck. However, occurrence in the thyroid is extremely rare and has not been described well as surgeon's view. The authors have recently experienced a case of multifocal granular cell tumor of the thyroid in a 26-year-old women presented with painless mass in the anterior neck area and fatigue. So, we present this case with the review of literatures.

Angiosarcoma is a rare and high aggressive malignant tumor originated from endothelial cell. Angiosarcoma has four clinical types that are in the scalp and face of old age, in chronic lymphedema, in previously irradiated sites, and malignant angioendothlioma. We report one case of angiosarcoma of the scalp in a 74-year-old male patient. The patient had $4.0{\times}4.5cm,\;4.0{\times}3.5cm$ sized, localized, asymmetric several dome-shaped nodule and plaque with crust and ulcer on the parieto-frontal area of the scalp. We performed wide excision and subsequently covered with split-thickness skin graft. Postoperatively the patient underwent radiotherapy for prevention of recurrence and he had been followed up for 1 year without evidence of recurrence.

The existence of primary branchiogenic carcinoma is controversial. In 1950, Martin et al. established four criteria for the diagnosis of primary branchiogenic carcinoma. In 1989, Khafif et al. proposed new modified criteria, which are currently most recognized in the literature. A 54-year-old woman presented the well-defined, fluctuant, painless mass on her left neck and underwent a complete excision under the clinical diagnosis of the branchial cleft cyst. The initial pathological impression was a branchiogenic squamous cell carcinoma. However, it did not coincide with a true primary branchiogenic carcinoma clinically. After the guided biopsy of suspicious areas found a squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue base, the patient was treated by combination chemotherapy with radiotherapy. Thus, we report this case with a review of the literature.

Pilomatrixoma is an unusual benign cutaneous tumor, originating from precursor cells that normally differentiate into hair matrix cells. The majority of pilomatrixoma is seen in the first two decades of life, and they are extremely rare in older patients. Thus, pilomatrixoma is often not considered in the clinical differential diagnosis of solitary, firm nodules in older adults. Most present as firm, solid nodules in the head and neck region. We present two cases of a non-calcifying pilomatrixoma in older patients. One lesion arose from the upper neck in 54 year-old male and the other from the cavum concha of left ear in 35 year-old male.

Differentiated thyroid carcinomas are rarely associated with macroscopic vascular invasion and intraluminal tumor thrombus in great cervical veins. The best treatment for such cases appears to be a total thyroidectomy with en-block resection of the involved vessels, followed by postoperative radioiodine therapy(RI). We report two cases of follicular thyroid carcinoma with vascular invasion and intraluminal tumor thrombosis in great cervical veins that were successfully treated using complete surgical resection and postoperative RI.