• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.9-14
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• 2008

The most important concern to do parotidectomy is correct identification of the facial nerve and preservation of the nerve function. Many descriptions for the localization and branching types of the facial nerve trunk have existed. During the parotid surgery, it is necessary to have knowledges about the incidence and prognostic aspect of a invasion of the facial nerve by the parotid tumors. The method of the dissection and the surgical extent of the parotid gland would be decided not only by the anatomic variation of the facial nerve. but also the size and location of the tumor. Invasion of the facial nerve in parotid malignancies is the most significant factors affecting the prognosis, so radical parotidectomy which consists of the total extirpation of the parotid gland in conjunction with resection of the facial nerve is often required for proper management. Radical parotidectomy is advocated for the surgical treatment of high grade malignancies and in selective recurrent benign tumors intimately involving the facial nerve. Unfortunately, the morphologic and functional deficits created by sacrificing the facial nerve can be emotionally and physically traumatizing to the patient. Therefore, when the facial nerve is sacrificed, immediate reconstruction of the facial nerve should be necessary. Immediate nerve repair with direct anastomosis of the resected nerve ends or placement of a cable nerve graft provides the better cosmetic and functional results. Surgical resection remains the mainstay of treatment for cancer of the parotid gland, and there is general agreement that facial nerve should not be sacrificed unless the tumor is adherent to, or surrounds the nerve. The following statement is described general principles of troublesome management of the facial nerve during surgery for parotid tumor.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.103-108
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• 2014

Thyroglossal duct cyst (TGDC) carcinoma generally shows a favorable prognosis. If metastasis is present latently, it may not threaten the patient's life immediately. It has been shown, however, that larger than 1 cm papillary carcinoma (PC), level VI metastasis to the lymph node (LN), which is the nearest to the thyroid, independently predicts a worse prognosis. In the case presented herein, a 61-year-old female patient was diagnosed with an about 3 cm PC in the TGDC, particularly the columnar variant subtype, one of the aggressive variants. She had occult papillary thyroid microcarcinoma, but no LN metastasis. Even though she underwent the Sistrunk procedure and total thyroidectomy with central compartment neck dissection followed by high-dose radioactive iodine remnant ablation, however, the cancer cells spread to level IV neck LN, and finally to the lung. Therefore, when a patient is diagnosed with an aggressive histologic variant of PC in the TGDC, even without LN metastasis, the invasive surgical approach and close postoperative surveillance are necessary, with consideration of the risk of disease progression. Therefore, if it is possible to stratify the risk for patients, higher-risk patients can be offered a more invasive therapeutic approach.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.20 no.8
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• pp.1266-1274
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• 2019

Objective: To determine whether radiologic extranodal extension (ENE) appearing on pretreatment CT and MRI could predict the prognosis in patients with human papillomavirus (HPV)-related oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC). Materials and Methods: The study population was obtained from a historical cohort diagnosed with HPV-related OPSCC. A total of 134 OPSCC patients who had a metastatic lymph node on pretreatment CT or MRI were included, and radiologic ENE was evaluated by two experienced head and neck radiologists. Kaplan-Meier and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to evaluate the impact of radiologic ENE on progression-free survival (PFS). The diagnostic performance of CT and MRI for the diagnosis of ENE was also evaluated in patients who underwent neck dissection. Results: Seventy patients (52.2%) showed radiologic ENE-positive findings. Although patients showing radiologic ENE had a worse 3-year PFS (83.7% vs. 95.3%, p = 0.023), the association between radiologic ENE and PFS was not statistically significant on multivariate analysis (p = 0.141; hazard ratio, 2.68; 95% confidence interval, 0.72-9.97). CT or MRI had a sensitivity of 62%, specificity of 77.8%, and accuracy of 71.9% for predicting pathologic ENE. Conclusion: Radiologic ENE on CT or MRI did not predict poor PFS in patients with HPV-related OPSCC, although there was a trend towards worse PFS. Further studies are warranted to determine whether radiologic ENE is a useful imaging biomarker to risk-stratify patients with HPV-related OPSCC.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.9-15
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• 2010

Purpose: This study was performed to examine the neck failure patterns after a complete response (CR) to definitive radiotherapy for advanced head and neck cancer patients, as well as evaluate the clinical significance of the results of this study. Materials and Methods: Between 1987 and 2008, the clinical data of patients who had been treated with radical radiotherapy for primary squamous cell carcinomas and enlarged cervical lymph nodes was analyzed retrospectively. Ultimately, the cases that showed CR of the cervical lymph node lesions to full-dose radiotherapy were included in this study. The recurrent rate and sites in the cervical lymphatic area were evaluated periodically by radiologic imaging studies, along with some factors which might have affected the rate of recurrence. Results: A total of 73 patients who achieved CR in neck area after radiotherapy were included in this study. The rate of subsequent neck failure among those patients was 19.2%. There was only a 5.5% failure rate in the 55 patients who underwent radiotherapy in their primary site. Eighty percent of the recurrent cases were found within 3 years (median follow-up, 68 months). The majority of neck recurrent cases (47%) were accompanied with the failure of the primary lesions. The initial response of the primary site and the method of radiotherapy simulation were significant prognostic factors associated with the nodal recurrence rate. Conclusion: The recurrence rate of cervical nodes in patients with CR to radiotherapy in the primary site and neck area was about 5%. These patients could be followed up with close observation without a planned neck dissection.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.28-32
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• 2016

Blunt traumatic vertebral artery injury (TVAI) is relatively rare, but it may frequently be associated with head and neck trauma. TVAI is difficult to diagnose with diverse outcomes, thus it is a clinical challenge. There are no widely accepted guidelines for treatment and diagnosis, so that the diagnosis of TVAI can be easily delayed. Therefore, any clinical suspicion from clues on the initial imaging is important for diagnosis of TVAI. The authors report on the case of a patient diagnosed as having a TVAI with a transverse foramen fracture.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.161-168
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• 2010

Purpose: Surgical approaches to the condylar neck and subcondyle area can cause some morbidity such as, facial nerve injury, time-consuming nature and external scar etc. So many surgeons hesitate using open reduction and internal fixation for the treatment of subcondylar fractures. We report open reduction and internal fixation of subcondylar fractures in 13 adult patients via transmasseteric approach. Methods: From 2007 to 2009, 13 adults with subcondylar fracture of mandible were treated with open reduction and internal fixation via transmasseteric approach. A preauricular incision was extended downwards in a curvilinear fashion in the cervicomastoid skin crease. Skin flap was elevated above the SMAS layer. Masseter muscle was splitted at the anteroinferior edge of the parotid gland. After the fracture was reduced, fixed with appropriate plates and screws. All operation were performed under general anesthesia. Results: Mean follow-up period was 13.3 months. There were no signs and symptoms of facial nerve injury, difficulty in mouth opening, or malocclusion. Dissection time was roughly within 30 minutes. Conclusion: Transmasseteric open reduction and internal fixation of mandible subcondylar fracture can be performed with excellent visualization, and inconspicuous scar. It also offers swift access to the subcondylar area while substatially reducing the risk to the facial nerve and eliminating the complications associated with transparotid approaches.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.264-266
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• 2012

Injury to the bilateral internal branch of superior laryngeal nerve (ibSLN) brings on an impairment of the laryngeal cough reflex that could potentially result in aspiration pneumonia and other respiratory illnesses. We describe a patient with traumatic cervical injury who underwent bilateral ibSLN palsy after anterior cervical discectomy with fusion (ACDF). An 75-year-old man visited with cervical spine fracture and he underwent ACDF through a right side approach. During the post-operative days, he complained of high pitched tone defect, and occasional coughing during meals. With a suspicion of SLN injury and for the work up for the cause of aspiration, we performed several studies. According to the study results, he was diagnosed as right SLN and left ibSLN palsy. We managed him for protecting from silent aspiration. Swallowing study was repeated and no evidence of aspiration was found. The patient was discharged with incomplete recovery of a high pitched tone and improved state of neurologic status. The SLN is an important structure; therefore, spine surgeons need to be concerned and be cautious about SLN injury during high cervical neck dissection, especially around the level of C3-C4 and a suspicious condition of a contralateral nerve injury.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.189-192
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• 2006

Spontaneous dissection of the anterior cerebral artery is an unusual cause of subarachnoid hemorrhage. We present a case of a dissecting aneurysm of the anterior cerebral artery presenting with subarachnoid hemorrhage. A 51-year-old woman presented to our hospital with severe headache. Neurological examination demonstrated neck stiffness, decreased visual acuity of the left eye, and left ankle weakness. Computed tomographic scans showed subarachnoid hemorrhage. The initial cerebral angiogram demonstrated a slightly narrowed caliber and mild poststenotic dilation of the right A1 segment. A second cerebral angiogram 14 days later revealed no change in the focal narrowing of the proximal A1 segment but marked progression of the dilatation of the distal A1 segment. Right pterional craniotomy was performed. A sausage-like dilation of the right A1 segment was found with no definite mural hematoma. This abnormal right A1 segment was wrapped with a Sundt clip. A postoperative computed tomographic scan revealed Infarction of the right head of the caudate nucleus and the anterior limb of the right internal capsule. If a dissecting aneurysm is suspected, serial angiographic studies should be performed because of the possibility of dynamic changes over a short period.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.53-58
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• 2010

Objective : The purpose of this study was to review the safety and durability of aneurysms treated with stent-assisted coiling of ruptured anterior communicating artery aneurysms with small parent vessels (< 2.0 mm). Methods : Retrospective review of all ruptured aneurysm treated with stent assisted endovascular coiling between March 2005 and March 2009 at our institution was conducted. We report 11 cases of the Neuroform stent placement into cerebral vessels measuring less than 2.0 mm in diameter (range, 1.3-1.9 mm) in anterior cerebral artery. Clinical follow-up ranged from 3 to 12 months and imaging follow-up was performed with cerebral angiography at 6 months and 12 months after discharge. Results : Complete occlusion was achieved in 10 patients, and a remnant neck was evident in one. No stent displacement or no dislodgement occurred during stent placement. There was no evidence of thromboembolic complication, arterial dissection and spasm during procedure. We performed follow-up angiography in all patients at 6 months and/or 12 months from the first procedure. The follow-up angiographic data showed successfully results except one in-stent stenosis case. All patients improved clinical performances except one patient with severe vasospasm who showed poor clinical condition initially. Conclusion : We have safely and successfully treated 11 vessels smaller than 2.0 mm in diameter with self-expanding stents with good short and intermediate term results. More clinical data with longer follow-ups are needed to establish the role of stent-assisted coiling in ruptured aneurysms with small parent vessels.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.348-352
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• 1987

A 51 year-old male was admitted with the chief complaints of swallowing difficulty and pain on neck and upper chest for 2 months prior to admission: He was taken biopsy under esophagoscopy, and the result was squamous cell carcinoma. Preoperatively we studied the esophagogram and chest CT. On these, we found the main appreciable mass at midesophagus easily. But, we missed the upper cervical unexpected mass. So we performed the esophagectomy and lymph node dissection from upper clavicle level to the esophagogastric junction by thoracic approach as wide as possible, and cervical esophagostomy and feeding gastrostomy also. At that evening we reviewed the studied films in detail, and we found another mass lesion at C4-C6 level of cervical esophagus. We performed the 2nd operation e.g. cervical esophagectomy on next morning without hesitation. Between these two masses, there was almostly normally looking skip area grossly. The squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus could be multicentric in character and may have skip area. But, we heard little reports until now. The two masses could be different in origin or be same probably by submucosal spreading. Anyway, it was an alarming case to the surgeon not to neglect the another possible lesions in squamous cell type. Postoperative course was uneventful, he took G-tube feeding with no problems on 7th postoperative day. Now he took the postoperative irradiation at out patient department.