• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.52-55
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• 2011

Hyperfunction of the upper esophageal sphincter (UES) can cause severe dysphagia. This condition referred as cricopharyngeal dysphagia may occur after head and neck surgery due to altered muscle spasm and stenosis of the pharyngo-esophageal segment. Among various treatment options available, Botulinum toxin A (Botox) injection offers a nonsurgical treatment which is useful especially for debilitated patients, and there has been a recent increase in the clinical use of Botox by otolaryngologists for managing such conditions. A 55-year-old male with base of tongue (BOT) cancer suffered from severe dysphagia after total glossectomy and neck dissection treatment. Videofluoroscopic swallow study (VFSS) and flexible endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES) showed inability to pass food through the UES due to cricopharyngeal spasm. After injection of 10 U of Bot ox into each cricopharyngeus muscles (total 20 U) via EMG-guided percutaneous injection, swallowing function had improved and oral nutrition was possible, with food passing through the UES visualized on VFSS and FEES.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.432-435
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• 1998

Idiopathic cricopharyngeal achalasia is a rare condition that produces oropharyngeal dysphagia. It is caused by spasm of the cricopharyngeus and inability to relax with swallowing. A prominent muscle bar at the upper esophageal sphincter is a typical finding of the esophagogram. Cricopharyngeal myotomy is the treatment of choice. We report a case of cricopharyngeal myotomy for 61-year-old female patient.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.164-172
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• 2002

The role of botulinum toxin as a therapeutic agent is expanding rapidly in otolaryngology. Botulinum toxin is a protease that blocks the release of acetylcholine from nerve terminals. Its effects are transient and nondestructive, and largely limited to the area in which it is administered These effects are also graded according to the dose, allowing for individualized treatment of patients and disorders. Botulinum toxin has been used primarily to treat disorders of excessive or inappropriate muscle contraction. In the field of otolaryngology, these include spasmodic dysphonia, oromandibular dystonia, and blepharospasm, vocal tics and stuttering, cricopharyngeal achalasia, various tremors and tics, hemifacial spasm, temporomandibular joint disorders and a number of cosmetic applications. Botulinum toxin treatment has recently begun to show some benefit in the control of pain from migraine and tension headache. It may also prove useful in the control of autonomic dysfunction, as in Frey syndrome, sialorrhea, and rhinorrhea. In over 20 yews of use in humans, botulinum toxin has accumulated a considerable safety record, and in many cases represents relief for thousands of patients unaided by other therapy.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.104-110
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• 2012

The usages of botulinum toxin were most commonly for the treatment of spasmodic dysphonia in the otolaryngology field. It has been not only widely used in otolaryngology-Head Neck surgery but also plastic surgery, ophthalmology, rehabilitation medicine, and orthopedics. Now botulinum toxin is used such as blepharospasm (excessive blinking), strabismus, cosmetic, muscle spasms, upper motor neuron syndrome, severe primary axillary hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating), cervical dystonia (spasmodic torticollis), chronic migraine, bruxism, and achalasia. The indication of this drug still gradually expanding with the times. In this articles, the author will demontrate how to use the botulinum toxin for treating cricopharyngeal spasm, arytenoid dislocation, sialocele, Frey syndrome, contact granuloma, bilateral vocal fold paralysis, and mutaional falsetto instead of conventional surgical treatment.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.115-117
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• 2022

"Whiplash"-type injuries are commonly encountered and often cause neck pain, neck stiffness, and headaches. However, these injuries can have rare and poorly recognized complications, such as the development of a prevertebral hematoma leading to acute respiratory failure in the emergency department, followed by severe, life-threatening dysphagia and recurrent aspirations. In the patient described herein, a whiplash injury was accompanied by vocal cord paralysis and dysphonia (vagus nerve), dysgeusia (glossopharyngeal nerve, vagus nerve), and upper esophageal spasm (cricopharyngeal muscle, vagus nerve). It is unlikely that this was a complication of cervical fusion surgery. Instead, a combined stretch-induced lower cranial nerve injury, possibly on the exit of these nerves through the jugular foramen, seems to be a likely, but underappreciated mechanism occurring in rare instances of whiplash injuries.