ObjectivesNasal septal perforation is an anatomic defect of the cartilaginous and bone tissues of the nasal septum. Many approaches and techniques to repair nasal septal perforations have been reported on. The purpose of this paper is to report on our surgical technique and the results of the treatment for nasal septal perforations.MethodsFrom May 2001 to March 2008, 14 patients (12 males and 2 females; mean age: 41.3 yr) were enrolled. The mean perforation size was 15 mm, and all the perforations were located at the cartilaginous portion. Our surgical technique is based on an endoscope-assisted endonasal approach, with dissection of unilateral advanced mucosal flaps with using a temporalis fascia graft. The follow-up periods ranged from 3 to 23 months (mean follow-up period: 8 months).ResultsUsing our surgical technique on 14 patients, 12 cases (85.7%) of septal perforation were closed without complication. The remaining two patients (14.3%) had incomplete closures (about 2-3 mm) without any significant symptoms related to the remaining perforation.ConclusionOur technique is a viable procedure with a high success rate for achieving closure of nasal septal perforations. It has the advantages of shortening the operative time, no external incision and avoiding any other perforation during the operation. Therefore, we consider it to be a good alternative for repairing nasal septal perforations.

Bee venom (BV) has been used as an anti-inflammatory and immune modulating agent in Oriental medicine. This study used a mouse model to investigate the anti-allergic effect of BV, which is used in the treatment of various inflammatory diseases in traditional medicine. BV was obtained from the National Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology of Korea. Female BALB/C mice were sensitized by intraperitoneal injection of ovalbumin (OVA). BV was administered nasally prior to the intranasal instillation of OVA. Allergic behavior, serum OVA-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE), interleukin (IL)-4, IL-10, and interferon-gamma (INF-γ) levels in nasal lavage fluid were measured. Hematoxylin-eosin and periodic acid-Schiff staining were performed to evaluate histological change. BV attenuated nasal symptoms and inhibited the production of OVA-specific IgE and IL-4 in sensitized mice. The degree of inflammatory cell infiltration and goblet cell hyperplasia was attenuated by BV. Thus, BV effectively reduced allergic inflammation in a mouse model of allergic rhinitis, suggesting its potential as a useful therapeutic agent to treat allergic rhinitis.Key words bee venom; allergic rhinitis; ovalbumin; mouse model Allergic rhinitis (AR) is characterized by nasal mucosal inflammation resulting from immunoglobulin E (IgE) mediated hypersensitivity reaction. Allergen exposures stimulate infiltration of inflammatory cells within the nasal mucosa, including basophils, eosinophils, mast cells, and mononuclear cells. These inflammatory cells release several allergic mediators, such as histamine, cysteinyl leukotrienes, and prostaglandins, which sustain the inflammatory reaction and produce characteristic nasal symptoms of, sneezing, itching, rhinorrhea and nasal congestion. Animal models of the allergic response to inhaled allergens have been studied to elucidate the mechanisms leading to the development of inflammation and the therapeutic effect of newly developed anti-inflammatory agents. Repeated exposure of mice to ovalbumin (OVA) has been used to develop an allergic model with inflammatory cell infiltration and increased thickness of the epithelial layer. 1)Bee venom (BV) consists of a various biologically active amines, peptides and nonpeptide components, and has radioprotective, antimutagenic, anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive, and anticancer activities.2,3) Two main components of BV, melittin and adolapin, have anti-inflammatory activity that involve inhibition of cycloxygease-2 and, phospholipase A 2 expression, and decrease levels of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6, and nitric oxide.4) The anti-allergic activity is associated with marked inhibition of OVA-induced tracheal contraction and histamine release from lung tissue. The mast-cell degranulating peptide binds to the mast cell receptors and inhibits the binding of IgE and production of histamine.5) BV also inhibits the release of inflammatory mediators similar to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.The anti-inflammatory effect of BV includes airborne ...

This study aimed to investigate the effect of chronic otitis media (COM) and COM surgery on infrared tympanic thermometer measurements. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 192 patients (192 surgery cases) who underwent surgery for COM and whose bilateral tympanic membrane temperature was measured with an infrared tympanic thermometer the day before surgery and at 2, 3, 4, and 6 months after surgery. Patients underwent surgery for COM in 1 ear, the other eardrum was intact. Patients who underwent tympanoplasty, simple mastoidectomy, and canal wall up mastoidectomy, surgeries performed to preserve the ear canal, were included in group A, and patients who underwent canal wall down mastoidectomy, a surgery to remove the ear canal, were included in group B. There were 115 and 77 patients in groups A and B, respectively. The mean temperature on the side with COM measured the day before surgery was 37.09°C ± 0.325°C and the mean temperature on the opposite normal side was 37.03°C ± 0.330°C (P = .000). In group A, the eardrum temperature on the surgical and contralateral side was not statistically different after surgery (P = .439). The temperature difference between both sides of the eardrums (dTemp) changed from 0.056°C before surgery to 0.014°C after surgery (P = .008). However, in group B, which canal wall down mastoidectomy was performed, the eardrum temperature of the surgical side was higher than that on the other side (P = .001). The dTemp increased up to 0.15°C after surgery (P = .000). The temperature of the eardrum was slightly increased by COM. The COM surgeries, which preserve the ear canal, brought the temperature of the eardrum close to that of the normal eardrum, and the surgery to remove the ear canal raised the temperature of the eardrum.Abbreviations: COM = chronic otitis media, CWDM = canal wall down mastoidectomy, dTemp = temperature difference between both sides of the eardrums, ITT = infrared tympanic thermometer, TP = tympanoplasty, SM = simple mastoidectomy.

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The immunopathologic characteristics differed between eosinophilic NP and noneosinophilic NP and between atopic NP and nonatopic NP. The different underlying pathogenic processes may influence the development of Korean NP.