• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.237-245
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• 2004

The deformities of micrognathia and glossoptosis in the newborn are frequently associated with a cleft palate, which is known as Pierre Robin sequence. Upper airway obstruction is the most serious problem in these patients. Treatment of Pierre Robin sequence includes either positional or surgical intervention. Mild cases are often managed in the prone position. However, when the patient fails to thrive due to chronic upper airway obstruction, or severe respiratory distress ensures despite positional treatment, surgical intervention is mandatory to relieve the obstruction. We experienced three infants with Pierre Robin sequence who showed a symptom triad of micrognathia, glossoptosis, and cleft palate. Intermittent cyanosis, depression of the chest, respiratory difficulty and feeding problems were also observed. To relieve severe upper airway obstruction caused by micrognathia and glossoptosis, we simultaneously performed modified tongue lip adhesion (TLA) and a subperiosteal release of the floor of the mouth (SRFM). Respiratory and feeding difficulties were relieved, the tongue positioned anteriorly, body weight increased, and mandibular growth improved. Simultaneous TLA and SRFM may constitute a simple and reliable method for surgical treatment of airway obstruction in patients with Pierre Robin sequence.

• Korean Journal of Bronchoesophagology
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.90-95
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• 1999

Dermoids are rare disease which arise during embryogenesis. They are the most common variety of teratomas occurring in the head and neck region and most arsies in the nasopharynx or oropharynx. They are invariably benign and derived from only two germinal layers, ectoderm and mesoderm. They usually present as repiratory distress and swallowing difficulty at or soon after birth. Treatment consists of surgical resection. We recently experienced a case of a neonatal nasopharyngeal dermoid which led to severe airway obstruction and feeding difficulty and necessitated the endotracheal intubation.

• Korean Journal of Bronchoesophagology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.112-115
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• 2011

Several reports have investigated airway obstruction caused by redundancy of arytenoid mucosa. Flexible laryngoscope examination revealed prolapse of the mucosa overlying the arytenoid. Usually, pharyngeal or laryngeal microscopic procedures can successfully treat the redundancy of arytenoid mucosa. We experienced two cases of airway obstruction caused by redundancy of artenoid mucosa and report it with review of literatures.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.310-313
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• 2012

This paper reports a patient who had an airway obstruction caused by a hemorrhage of the mouth floor that occurred after she underwent flapless implantation in the region of the mandibular anterior teeth. The hemorrhage may have been caused by iatrogenic malpositioned fixture and patient's hypertension. The lingual periosteum was not dissected during the flapless procedure. Therefore, when hemorrhage occurred, the blood did not drain easily into the oral cavity but instead drained into the deep neck region, which might have been the cause of the airway obstruction.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.70 no.1
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• pp.63-68
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• 2011

Multiple symmetrical lipomatosis (MSL), also called Madelung's disease, is a rare disorder of unknown etiology and characterized by abnormal accumulation of large subcutaneous fatty masses in neck, shoulder, and upper trunk. MSL has known to predominantly affect middle-aged men with a history of alcoholism. Although the clinical course of MSL is considered to be slowly progressive, in advanced stage, fatty masses in the neck may compress the upper aerodigestive tract, resulting in dyspnea and dysphagia. The treatment of MSL is surgical resection, but radical excision is very difficult and recurrence after surgery is frequent. We report the case of 55-year-old man with long lasting MSL, which caused severe airway obstruction. This patient was admitted with progressive dyspnea and massive accumulation of fat around the vocal cord that was detected on a neck CT scan. This abnormal fatty infiltration in supraglottic region caused upper airway obstruction.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.5-9
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• 2004

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common disorder characterized by recurrent cessation of breathing due to complete or partial upper airway occlusion during sleep. The incompetent tone of palatal, pharngeal, and glossal muscles which fail to maintain airway patency during sleep causes narrowing of the airway dimension and increased resistance of breathing. The identification of the sites of upper airway obstruction in patients with OSA is important in understanding the pathogenesis and deciding the treatment modality of snoring and/or OSA. Various upper airway imaging modalities have been used to assess upper airway size and precise localization of the sites of upper airway obstruction during sleep. Dynamic imaging modalities enabled assessment of dimensional changes in the upper airway during respiration and sleep. This article focused on reviews of various upper airway imaging modalities, especially dynamic upper airway imaging studies providing important information on the pathogenesis of OSA.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.61-70
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• 2006

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to develop a realistic illustration using watercolors on a complete airway obstruction maneuver that is at an appropriate level for elementary school students from the first grade through the third. The illustration is a series of cuts divided into specific frames designed to illustrate the method to be followed in an action or a practical skill that would otherwise be too difficult to explain in written form. Methods: The fundamental theory of the Jeong In-Sung's instruction learning program based on the WEB to construct an appropriate site of instruction learning was used after modification. In this study analysis, design, and production stages were realized. Results: 1. In Stage 1, impressions of the illustration, in sketch form, were received. In Stage 2, results of impressions from a modified illustration were received. After an appropriate level of understanding and accuracy in the practical steps for emergency maneuvers were achieved the illustrations entering Stage 3 and color was added to the sketches. 2. In Stage 3, the illustration was completed by adding color to the contents for the practical steps in the complete airway obstruction maneuver. 3. For composition evaluation, a result of 100% appropriateness was obtained for both items of harmony between illustration and subject being studied and sufficiency in quantity of illustrations. Also high results for appropriateness in items such as clarity, creating interest, illustration size, and tone preference as related to content were achieved and thus completed the production stages. Conclusion: The Complete Airway Obstruction Maneuver Illustration developed specifically for the characteristics and cognitive level of elementary school students grade 1 through grade 3 was appropriate for teaching and learning. There is a need for future research on developed illustrations aimed at elementary school students grade 1 through 3 on the complete airway obstruction maneuver. There is also a need for continued effort in developing certified evaluating tools that can judge the suitability of illustrations and developing illustrations related to emergency maneuvers for various subjects and appropriate for learner level.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.270-274
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• 2001

A functional upper airway obstruction due to a vocal cord dysfunction(VCD) is characterized by a paradoxical adduction of the vocal cords throughout the respiratory cycle with no obvious organic cause for the obstruction. It commonly occurs paroxysmally and imitates acute asthmatic attacks, often in patients with coexisting asthma. They present with episodes of dyspnea associated with inspiratory wheezing that persists despite conventional asthma treatment and a flattening of the inspiratory limb of the flow-volume curve ; an adduction of the vocal cord during inspiration. Failure to recognize concurrent vocal cord dysfunction and asthma has led not only to the excessive use of bronchodilators and corticosteroids, but also to intubation and tracheostomy. Here, we report a case of coexistent obstructive pulmonary disease and functional upper airway obstruction due to a vocal cord dysfunction where a bronchoscopy showed a paradoxical vocal cord motion and typical features of a variable extrathoracic obstruction and a lower airway obstruction on the Flow-volume loop during a symptomatic period.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.17-21
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• 2004

Nasal congestion is one of the most common symptoms of medical complaints. Snoring is caused by vibration of the uvula and the soft palate. Nasal obstruction may contribute not only to snoring and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) but also impair application of continuous nasal positive airway pressure (CPAP), which is the most widely employed treatment for OSA. Total or near-total nasal obstruction leads to mouth breathing and has been shown to cause increased airway resistance. However, the exact role of the nasal airway in the pathogenesis of OSA is not clear and there is no consensus about the role of nasal obstruction in snoring and sleep apnea. Some reports have failed to demonstrate any correlation between snoring and nasal obstruction. On the other hand, opposing reports suggest that nasal disease may cause sleep disorders and that snoring can be improved after nasoseptal surgery. Reduced cross-sectional area causes increased nasal resistance and predisposes the patient to inspiratory collapse of the oropharynx, hypopharynx, or both. Discrete abnormalities of the nasal airway, such as septal deformities, nasal polyps, and choanal atresia and with certain mucosal conditions such as sinusitis, allergic rhinitis and inferior turbinate hypertrophy can cause snoring or OSA. Thus, these sources of nasal obstruction should be corrected medically or surgically for the effective management of OSA and adjunctive for CPAP.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.449-454
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• 1996

Functional upper airway obstruction due to vocal cord dysfunction is being increasingly recognized and has been variously described as "Munchausen's stridor", "Emotional laryngeal wheezing", "Nervous asthma". It's features are symptoms of acute reversible recurrent dyspnea associated with an inspiratory stridor, normal anatomy of the upper airway, demonstration of variable severe exthrathoracic upper airways obstruction with pathologic adduction of the vocal cord at bronchoscopy. The patients with this condition are frequently misdiagnosed as asthma and the diagnosis is often delayed. So they can present a serious medical problem and are exposed to the complication of treatment and investigation. We report a case of functional upper airway obstruction due to vocal cord dysfunction who showed paradoxical vocal cord motion at bronchoscopy and typical features of variable exthrathoracic obstruction on Flow-volume loop during a symptomatic period.