• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.105-110
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• 2005

The pathogenesis and mechanism of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has been under investigation for over 25 years, but its etiology and mechanism remains elusive. Skeletal (maxillary and/or mandibular hypoplasia or retrodisplacement, inferior displacement of hyoid) and soft tissue (increased volume of soft tissue, adenotonsillar hypertrophy, macroglossia, thickened lateral pharyngeal walls) factors, pharyngeal compliance (increased), pharyngeal muscle factors (impaired strength and endurance of pharyngeal dilators and fixators), sensory factors (impaired mechanoreceptor sensitivity, impaired pharyngeal dilator reflexes), respiratory control system factors (unstable respiratory control) and so on facilitate collapse upper airway. Therefore, OSA may be a heterogeneous disorder, rather than a single disease entity and various pathogenic factors contribute to the OSA varies person to person. As a result, patients may respond to different therapeutic approaches based on the predominant abnormality leading to the sleep-disordered breathing.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.221-224
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• 2010

Papillary thyroid carcinoma frequently invades the lymph node, trachea, esophagus and perithyroid tissue. However, direct extension to posterior pharyngeal area is known to be rare. A 64-year-old male was referred to our clinic presenting as posterior pharyngeal mass during gastrofiberscopy. The neck CT scan showed soft tissue mass in retropharynx and lymph node in right level III with calcifications. We performed the total thyroidectomy with selective(level II, III, IV) and anterior compartment neck dissection. In operative findings, the right thyroid mass were connected to the retropharynx through the posterior portion of inferior constrictor muscle. Histopathologic findings revealed the papillary thyroid carcinoma extended to retropharynx. We report a unique case with a literature review.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.407-412
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• 2006

Purpose: Various attempts of reconstruction for pharyngoesophageal defects after ablative surgery have been made to restore the function of the pharyngoesophagus. A fabricated tubed radial forearm free flap or free jejunal free flap was used when the width of remnant pharyngeal wall was less than 50% of the normal width. However there are many disadvantages such as stricture, saliva leakage and fistula formation on tubed radial forearm free flap. The jejunal free flap has the problem such as short pedicle, poor tolerance of ischemic time, wet voice and delayed transit of swallowed food due to the uncoordinated contraction. The authors studied the utility of patch-type radial forearm free flap using the remnant posterior pharyngeal wall of the hypopharynx. Methods: Retrospective reviews in Severance Hospital were made on 25 patients who underwent reconstruction surgery with patched radial forearm free flap because of the hypopharyngeal cancer between 1996 and 2005. The patients of Group I had the narrow posterior pharyngeal wall and its width was less than 3centimeters after the tumor was resected. Those of Group II had the partial pharyngectomy and the width of the remnant pharynx was larger than 3 centimeters. Results: Seven patients belonged to the group I and the flap of this group had 100% survival rate. One case of fistula and no swallowing discomfort due to stricture was reported. The Group II including 18 patients also had the 100% flap survival rate. Neither fistula nor stricture was seen but the lower diet grade was checked. Conclusion: The patch type radial forearm free flap using the remnant pharyngeal wall have the advantage of the radial forearm free flap, and furthermore this flap is the safe reconstructive method even if the width of the remnant pharyngeal wall is less than 30% of that of normal pharynx.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.24 no.6 s.81
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• pp.515-522
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• 2003

Pharynx is a system transporting foods by peristaltic motion(contraction and expansion movement! into the esophagus and functioning as airway passages. In this study, structural changes of pharyngeal dysfunction are analyzed by biomechanical model using CT and FEM(finite clement method). Loading condition was assumed that equal pressure was loaded sequentially to inside of pharyngeal tissue. In order to analyze the pharyngeal muscular dysfunction by biomechanical model. the pharyngeal dysfunctions was classified into 3 cases. Taking into account the clinical complication by neuromuscular symptoms such as pharyngeal dysfunction after stroke. we assumed that a change of material property is caused by muscular tissue stiffness. A deformation of cross sectional area of the pharynx is analyzed increasing the stiffness $25\%,\;50\%,\;75\%$ in each case on the basis of stress-strain relationship. Based on three-dimensional reconstruction of pharyngeal structure using limited factor - techniques and the optimization procedure by means of inverse dynamic approach. the biomechanical model of the human pharynx is implemented. The results may be used as clinical index illustrating the degree of pharyngeal muscular dysfunction. This study may be used as useful diagnostic model in discovering early deglutitory impediment caused by physiological or pathological pharyngeal dysfunction.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.495-502
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• 1998

A mathematical model of viscoelasticity on the material property of human pharyngeal tissue utilizing Y.C. Fung's Quasi-linear viscoelastic theory is proposed based on cyclic load, stress relaxation, incremental load, and uniaxial tensile load tests. The material properties are characterized and compared with other biological materials' results. The mathematical model is proposed by combining two characteristic functions determined from the stress relaxation and uniaxial tensile load tests. The reduced stress relaxation function G(t) and elastic response function S(t) are obtained from stress relaxation test and uniaxial tensile load test results respectively. Then the model describing stress-time history of the tissue is implemented utilizing two functions. The proposed model is evaluated and validated by comparing the model's cyclic behaviour with experimental results. The model data could be utilized as an important information for constructing 3-dimensional biomechanical model of human pharynx using FEM(Finite Element Method).

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.211-226
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• 1985

The ultrastructure of the digestive organ of Korean Planaria (Dugesia japonica) is studied by light microscope and transmission electron microscope. 1. Pharynx The epithelium surrounding pharyngeal lumen has a number of microvilli on the free surface. The epithelial cells contain PAS-positive granules which are 0.4 to 0.6 $\\mum$ in size. They also contain hundreds of vesicles and vacuoles. The pharyngeal epithelium of the external surface surrounded by pharyngeal cavity possesses a number of cilia and microvilli on the free surface. A number of muscle bundles are found in the pharyngeal tissue. The parietal epithelium surrounding pharyngeal cavity have microvilli and electron-dense secretory granules. 2. Caeca The cells which constitute the cecal epithelium are divided into four kinds of cells. 1) Phagocytic cell : These cells are characterized by presence of a number of lysosomes. These cells have highly developed mitochondria, polyribosomes and granular endoplasmic reticulum of which cisternae are distended. 2) Granular club cell : These cells contain round granules 5 $\\mum$ in diameter which show strong PAS-positivity and weak eosinophilia. The cells have highly developed granular endoplasmic reticulum. 3) Storage cell : These cells include thousands of glycogen granules in the cytoplasm. These cells also have second kind of round granules which are 1.4 to 3 $\\mum$ in size and exhibit PAS-positive reaction. 4) Immature storage cell : These cells have a large nucleus and contain a small number of granules which have PAS-positive granules and a few lipid droplets. Several chromatoid bodies are found in the cytoplasm around the nucleus.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.438-444
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• 2011

Purpose: Adipose-derived stromal cells (ASCs) are readily harvested from lipoaspirated tissue or subcutaneous adipose tissue fragments. The stromal vascular fraction (SVF) is a heterogeneous set of cell populations that surround and support adipose tissue, which includes the stromal cells, ASCs, that have the ability to differentiate into cells of several lineages and contains cells from the microvasculature. The mechanisms that drive the ASCs into the osteoblast lineage are still not clear, but the process has been more extensively studied in bone marrow stromal cells. The purpose of this study was to investigate the osteogenic capacity of adipose derived SVF cells and evaluate bone formation following implantation of SVF cells into the bone defect of human phalanx. Methods: Case 1 a 43-year-old male was wounded while using a press machine. After first operation, segmental bone defects of the left 3rd and 4th middle phalanx occurred. At first we injected the SVF cells combined with demineralized bone matrix (DBM) to defected 4th middle phalangeal bone lesion. We used P (L/DL)LA [Poly (70L-lactide-co-30DL-lactide) Co Polymer P (L/DL)LA] as a scaffold. Next, we implanted the SVF cells combined with DBM to repair left 3rd middle phalangeal bone defect in sequence. Case 2 was a 25-year-old man with crushing hand injury. Three months after the previous surgery, we implanted the SVF cells combined with DBM to restore right 3rd middle phalangeal bone defect by syringe injection. Radiographic images were taken at follow-up hospital visits and evaluated radiographically by means of computerized analysis of digital images. Results: The phalangeal bone defect was treated with autologous SVF cells isolated and applied in a single operative procedure in combination with DBM. The SVF cells were supported in place with mechanical fixation with a resorbable macroporous sheets acting as a soft tissue barrier. The radiographic appearance of the defect revealed a restoration to average bone density and stable position of pharyngeal bone. Densitometric evaluations for digital X-ray revealed improved bone densities in two cases with pharyngeal bone defects, that is, 65.2% for 4th finger of the case 1, 60.5% for 3rd finger of the case 1 and 60.1% for the case 2. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that adipose derived stromal vascular fraction cells have osteogenic potential in two clinical case studies. Thus, these reports show that cells from the SVF cells have potential in many areas of clinical cell therapy and regenerative medicine, albeit a lot of work is yet to be done.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.39
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• pp.22.1-22.9
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• 2017

Background: Two-jaw surgery including mandibular and maxillary backward movement procedures are commonly performed to correct class III malocclusion. Bimaxillary surgery can reposition the maxillofacial bone together with soft tissue, such as the soft palate and the tongue base. We analyzed changes of pharyngeal airway narrowing to ascertain clinical correlations with the prevalence of snoring after two-jaw surgery. Methods: A prospective clinical study was designed including a survey on snoring and three-dimensional (3D) computed tomography (CT) in class III malocclusion subjects before and after bimaxillary surgery. We conducted an analysis on changes of the posterior pharyngeal space find out clinical correlations with the prevalence of snoring. Results: Among 67 subjects, 12 subjects complained about snoring 5 weeks after the surgical correction, and examining the 12 subjects after 6 months, 6 patients complained about the snoring. The current findings demonstrated the attenuation of the largest transverse width (LTW), anteroposterior length (APL), and cross-sectional area (CSA) following bimaxillary surgery given to class III malocclusion patients, particularly at the retropalatal level. The average distance of maxillary posterior movements were measured to be relatively higher (horizontal distance 3.9 mm, vertical distance 2.6 mm) in case of new snorers. Conclusions: This study found that bimaxillary surgery could lead to the narrowing of upper airway at the retropalatal or retroglossal level as well as triggering snoring in subjects with class III malocclusion. Based on the current clinical findings, we also found that upper airway narrowing at retropalatal level may contribute to increasing the probability of snoring and that polysonography may need to be performed before orthognathic surgery in subjects with class III malocclusion.

• The korean journal of orthodontics
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.343-366
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• 1988

Craniofacial complex is influenced by numerical skeletal elements. Though the analysis of growth change has been done by various analytical methods, it was dependent on any method of registration and superimposition, based on reference plane and reference point. However, the craniofacial growth is composed of a number of local growth elements. Therefore, it will be necessary to use a clinically useful method for estimating craniofacial skeletal growth independently. The author analysed longitudinal cephalometric roentgenogram of 15 Korean males and 15 Korean females aged from 6 to 12 years by the finite element method and results were as follows : 1. The finite element method for craniofacial skeletal complex and soft tissue made it possible to analyze the independent local growth. 2. Regression equations from the value of each strain will make it possible to predict the craniofacial growth. 3. The growth of anterior cranial base was different from that of other facial bone. 4. The growth of posterior cranial base influenced the growth of upper pharyngeal region, midfacial region, maxilla and posterior region of mandible. 5. The growth of maxillary complex was vertical rather than horizontal. 6. The growth direction of ramus, mandibular body, alveolar bone was various. 7. The relation between hard tissue and soft tissue by finite element method was variant.

• The Journal of Advanced Prosthodontics
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.243-247
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• 2012

The velopharynx is a tridimensional muscular valve located between the oral and nasal cavities, consisting of the lateral and posterior pharyngeal walls and the soft palate, and controls the passage of air. Velopharyngeal insufficiency may take place when the velopharyngeal valve is unable to perform its own closing, due to a lack of tissue or lack of proper movement. Treatment options include surgical correction, prosthetic rehabilitation, and speech therapy; though optimal results often require a multidisciplinary approach for the restoration of both anatomical and physiological defect. We report a case of 56 year old male patient presenting with hypernasal speech pattern and velopharyngeal insufficiency secondary to cleft palate which had been surgically corrected 18 years ago. The patient was treated with a combination of speech therapy and palatal lift prosthesis employing interim prostheses in various phases before the insertion of definitive appliance. This phase-wise treatment plan helped to improve patient's compliance and final outcome.