• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.7-13
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• 2024

The current standard of treatment for differentiated thyroid cancer is surgical resection followed by radioactive iodine therapy according to the recurrence risk. However, external beam radiotherapy may be recommended in limited cases where surgical resection is impossible or residual gross lesion remains or the aforementioned standard therapy is deemed insufficient in achieving local control. We report a case of 59 year old patient who presented with advanced papillary thyroid carcinoma of right neck but was unable to receive surgical resection due to underlying Eisenmenger syndrome. He received radiation therapy of 67.5 Gy in 30 fractions with palliative aim with no further treatment and has been maintaining long-term stable disease state for 38 months. Herein, we report a rare case of palliative aim radiation therapy alone for advanced papillary thyroid carcinoma with literature review.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.23-26
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• 2023

Lower lip reconstruction in cases with a full-thickness defect over one-third of the vermilion is challenging. Numerous conventional techniques have been applied with unsatisfactory surgical outcomes because of microstomia and oral commissure blunting due to shortened horizontal lip length. Herein, we present a case in which a full-thickness lower lip defect of more than one-third of the horizontal lip length was covered with a novel mucosal roofing flap reconstruction to minimize the loss of horizontal lip length and to preserve mouth opening. No recurrences or metastases were observed during 3 years and 6 months of follow-up, with horizontal lower lip length maintained and mouth opening of 2.5 finger breadths.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.276-279
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• 2012

The development of multiple primary tumors is a problem leading to the treatment of patients diagnosed with gingival squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). The occurrence of multiple primary cancers in patients with SCC of the head and neck is uncommon. Thyroid carcinomas have been found incidentally in the cervical lymph nodes after histopathologic examination. A 72-year-old male with SCC of the lower gingiva at the clinical stage T2N0M0 was treated with partial mandibulectomy and selective neck dissection. Histopathologic examination showed the foci of papillary thyroid carcinoma metastasis. The patient subsequently underwent total thyroidectomy. We report a case of papillary thyroid carcinoma associated with SCC of the oral gingiva along with a review of literatures.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.183-187
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• 2006

Thyroid hemiagenesis is a very rare congenital anomaly in which one thyroid lobe fails to develop. The cause of thyroid hemiagenesis is still unknown. The true prevalence of thyroid hemiagenesis is not known, but it is estimated to be from 0.05% to 0.2% in normal children. Thyroid hemiagenesis is common in female with the left lobe being absent. The common disease in the remaining lobe is hyperthyroidism, benign adenoma, a toxic multinodular goiter, chronic thyroiditis, primary myxedema, and rarely carcinoma. Tc-99m pertechnate scintigraphy, ultrasonography and computerized tomography can be used to confirm this anomaly. Here we report three cases with left lobe agenesis. Two of them were euthyroid state while the other hypothyroid patient had a ectopic lingual thyroid.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.167-171
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• 2004

Background and Objectives: Squamous cell carcinoma of retromolar tringone (RMT) is an uncommon head and neck tumor. RMT cancer has unique clinical feature and specific considerations for surgical treatment are needed but, reports on the treatment of RMT cancer are still lacking. Patients and Methods: From May 1997 to July 2004, 8 patients with histologically proven squamous cell carcinoma of the RMT were treated in Severance Hospital. Surgical excision of the primary lesion and neck dissection were performed in all patients. Reconstruction was accomplishing using several methods. Charts and other medical records were reviewed. Results: In early cases, lower cheek flap was appropriate but, mandibular swing or madibulectomy approach was appropriate in advanced cases. Reconstruction was needed in all patients and excision of mandible was needed in majority of patients. 6 patients were disease free status and one died from recurrence and one was lost to follow up. Conclusion: In treatment of RMT cancer, several surgical approach methods and reconstruction should be considered before treatment. Surgical treatment of RMT cancer may be one of a useful primary treatment modality.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.233-236
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• 2006

Merkel cell carcinoma is rare skin malignancy originated from epidermal mechanoreceptor of neural origin. The tumor usually affects older individuals at sun exposed area such as head, neck and extremity. Subclinical involvement of regional lymph node is reported frequently at the time of initial treatment. Thus even asymptomatic patients who present with clinically localized tumor should undergo evaluation with computed tomography and lymphangiography. Positron emission tomography(PET) scans can imaging the metabolic difference of malignant tumors. Increased glucose uptake of malignant tumor cells are detected by PET scanner. PET scans can provide qualitative and quantitative informations about systemic metastasis of tumors. Although there are no data that define the efficacy of PET scans in the initial diagnostic evaluation of head and neck cancer, they could be considered. Current standards of treatment of Merkel cell carcinoma is wide surgical excision and regional lymphadenectomy if there are suspicious lymph nodes. The author reported a patient with Merkel cell carcinoma of cheek. Wide surgical excision and postoperative PET/CT was done for evaluation of regional lymph node and distant metastasis. There were two hot-uptakes in patient's neck, so they were considered as metastatic node, but finally they were proved to be tuberculosis lymphadenitis after excision.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.177-181
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• 1999

Objective: The clinical significance of mass screening for thyroid carcinoma remains unclear. This study was carried out to clarify the value of mass screening for thyroid carcinoma. Materials and Methods: From December 1997 through July 1998, a total of 1,401 subjects who were enrolled to receive breast screening or follow-up examination for breast cancer were included in this study. Thyroid glands were examined by 10 MHz ultrasonography by one experienced radiologist. The patients with thyroid nodules were classified into 2 groups according to their potential risk of malignancy by ultrasonographic findings(high-risk : hypoechogenicity, microcalcification, irregular margin, taller than wider shape). High-risk patients were advised to undergo fine-needle aspiration biopsy and thyroidectomy. The characteristics of the thyroid cancers detected by ultrasonographic mass screening were compared by those of clinical thyroid cancer excluding male patients during the same period. Results: Thyroid nodules were detected in 353(25.2%) of the subjects and 259(73.4%) were listed in the low-risk group and 94(26.6%) in high-risk group. Among 94 patients in the high-risk group, 43 underwent thyroidectomy and 37 turned out to have thyroid carcinomas. Thus, the detection rates for carcinoma were 2.6% of all subject, 10.5% of the detected nodules, 36.4% of the high risk women and 86.0% of the operated cases. The tumor size was significantly smaller in the mass-screening group than in the clinical cancer group(p<0.05). However, there was no statistical differences between two groups in the prevalences of neck node involvement and extracapsular invasion and the patients distributions by AMES score, MACIS score and TNM stage. Conclusion: Ultrasonogrpahic mass screening may be useful for the early detection of thyroid carcinoma in women who are scheduled to have breast examination.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.179-183
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• 2002

Objective: A comparison of American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) 1988 and 1997 nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) classifications was made in terms of patient distribution and efficacy in predicting prognosis. Materials and Methods: Between Jan. 1981 and Dec. 1998, 60 cases of node negative nasopharyngeal carcinoma were retrospectively reviewed. The extent of disease each patients restaged according to the 4th and 5th AJCC system and Ho system, respectively. Results: The overall and disease free 5-year survival rates were 61.1% and 62.6%, respectively. Among T classifications of 4th AJCC, 5th AJCC and Ho staging system were not observed significantly different in disease-free survival rates, respectively. Conclusion: We observed a better patient distribution with AJCC 1997 comparing to AJCC 1988. The new classification also attained better statistical significances among stages in the overall survival and disease free survival rates was needed.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.41-44
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• 2023

Mucinous Eccrine carcinoma (MEC) is a rare malignant tumor related to the eccrine sweat gland and is commonly located on the face, especially around the eyelids and scalp. Most of these tumors are diagnosed at age 40's to 60's and exhibit a wide variety of patterns in addition to the general appearance previously reported. MEC is difficult to diagnose clinically, but can be diagnosed by accompanying biopsy. We present the case of a 75-year-old man who complained of a gradually growing Left lower lid tumor of duration one year. Initially, the tumor was mistaken for an epidermal cyst and treated by surgical resection. However, biopsy findings resulted in a diagnosis of Mucinous Eccrine carcinoma. Therefore, we performed wide excision and flap reconstruction surgery. In a one year follow-up examination, the patient achieved successful functional and aesthetic results without regional or distant metastasis and recurrence.

• Korean Journal of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
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• v.61 no.12
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• pp.697-701
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• 2018

Background and Objectives The aim of this study was to evaluate surgical completeness in endoscopic total thyroidectomy with central neck dissection via unilateral axillo-breast approach (UABA) compared with bilateral axillo-breast (BABA) and open approach (OA) by means of the radioactive iodine uptake (RAIU) ratio and thyroglobulin (Tg) of remnant thyroid. Subjects and Method From July 2010 to March 2013, 82 patients who had underwent total thyroidectomy with central neck dissection and postoperative radioactive iodine (RAI) ablation for papillary thyroid carcinoma were enrolled. Of these patients, 27 patients underwent UABA, 24 patients BABA, and 31 patients OA. Clinicopathologic data, surgical outcome, stimulated Tg and RAIU ratio on the first postoperative RAI ablation scan were compared among 3 groups. Results Patients in the endoscopic surgery groups (UABA, BABA) were younger than those in the OA groups. Invasiveness such as operation time, postoperative pain, and drain amount in UABA was less than that in BABA and severer than that in OA. Other variables regarding clinicopathologic and surgical data were not significantly different. Stimulated Tg and RAIU ratio did not show significant differences among 3 groups (p=0.659 and p=0.664). Conclusion The completeness of UABA was comparable with that of BABA and OA. The UABA may be a safe option for patients who need endoscopic thyroidectomy for papillary thyroid carcinoma.