Freeing and Stretching the Palatine Vessels From the Greater Palatine Foramen in Palatoplasty.

The aim of this paper is to present how to free and stretch the palatine vessels from the greater palatine foramen in palatoplasty. After a mucoperiosteal flap is raised, periosteal elevator is passed behind the palatine vessels to detach the periosteum around the vessels. Then, a blunt right-angle instrument is placed behind the palatine vessels, and the vessels are pulled from the foramen in the superior aspect, slightly forward (63 degrees) and medially (19 degrees) according to the direction to the greater palatine canal (GPC).

Closure of the Nasal and Buccal Layers in V-Y Pushback Palatoplasty: Use of a Spring Carrier.

The aim of this paper is to re-introduce Kilner and Calnan's technique of closing the nasal and buccal layers in V-Y pushback palatoplasty by using the spring carrier on the mouth gag.After flap elevation and dissection, the first suture is inserted through the nasal layer of the mucosa at the level of the posterior border of the hard palate. This 3-0 stitch is left untied until later.

Frontonasal dysplasia: A case report.

Frontonasal dysplasia is an uncommon congenital anomaly with diverse clinical phenotypes and highly variable clinical characteristics, including hypertelorism, a broad nasal root, median facial cleft, a missing or underdeveloped nasal tip, and a widow's peak hairline. Frontonasal dysplasia is mostly inherited and caused by the ALX genes (ALX1, ALX3, and ALX4). We report a rare case of a frontonasal dysplasia patient with mild hypertelorism, a broad nasal root, an underdeveloped nasal tip, an accessory nasal tag, and a widow's peak.

Release of the Lateral Pharyngeal Mucosa Using a Palatal Elevator.

The aim of this paper is to present how to release the nasal mucosa from the hard palate and from the lateral pharyngeal wall using palatal elevator.After mucoperiosteal flap is raised, the nasal mucosa is detached with an instrument pushed laterally behind the palatine vessels to meet the medial pterygoid plate. The palatal elevator is passed around the spine at the posterior medial border of the bony palate and then moved forward in the cleft to separate the nasal mucosa from bone.

A Retrospective Analysis of 303 Cases of Facial Bone Fracture: Socioeconomic Status and Injury Characteristics.

Background: The incidence and etiology of facial bone fracture differ widely according to time and geographic setting. Because of this, prevention and management of facial bone fracture requires ongoing research. This study examines the relationship between socioeconomic status and the incidence of facial bone fractures in patients who had been admitted for facial bone fractures.

Anatomical characteristics and surgical treatments of pincer nail deformity.

Background: Pincer nail deformity is a transverse overcurvature of the nail. This study aimed to define the anatomical characteristics of pincer nail deformity and to evaluate the surgical outcomes.

Methods: A retrospective review was conducted on 20 cases of pincer nail deformity of the great toe.

Development of an integrated reporting system for verifying hemolysis, icterus, and lipemia in clinical chemistry results.

Background: Hemolysis, icterus, and lipemia (HIL) cause preanalytical interference and vary unpredictably with different analytical equipments and measurement methods. We developed an integrated reporting system for verifying HIL status in order to identify the extent of interference by HIL on clinical chemistry results.

Methods: HIL interference data from 30 chemical analytes were provided by the manufacturers and were used to generate a table of clinically relevant interference values that indicated the extent of bias at specific index values (alert index values).

Thickness of rectus abdominis muscle and abdominal subcutaneous fat tissue in adult women: correlation with age, pregnancy, laparotomy, and body mass index.

Background: Rectus abdominis muscle and abdominal subcutaneous fat tissue are useful for reconstruction of the chest wall, and abdominal, vaginal, and perianal defects. Thus, preoperative evaluation of rectus abdominis muscle and abdominal subcutaneous fat tissue is important. This is a retrospective study that measured the thickness of rectus abdominis muscle and abdominal subcutaneous fat tissue using computed tomography (CT) and analyzed the correlation with the patients' age, gestational history, history of laparotomy, and body mass index (BMI).

The Efficacy and Safety of Ablative Fractional Resurfacing Using a 2,940-Nm Er:YAG Laser for Traumatic Scars in the Early Posttraumatic Period.

Background: Skin injuries, such as lacerations due to trauma, are relatively common, and patients are very concerned about the resulting scars. Recently, the use of ablative and non-ablative lasers based on the fractional approach has been used to treat scars. In this study, the authors demonstrated the efficacy and safety of ablative fractional resurfacing (AFR) for traumatic scars using a 2,940-nm erbium: yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Er:YAG) laser for traumatic scars after primary repair during the early posttraumatic period.

Analysis of migrated hydrogel used for breast augmentation revealed prolamin (a cereal seed storage protein).

Background: We report on a case of leakage and migration to the upper abdomen of an unknown injected material that was used for breast augmentation. It was revealed to be prolamin by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis and pyrolysis gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (PY-GC/MS).

Methods: A 35-year-old woman who had undergone mammary augmentation by transaxillary injection 8 years previously presented with a decreased size of her left breast and a palpable mass in the left upper quadrant (LUQ).

Radial distribution of RNA genomes packaged inside spherical viruses.

The problem of RNA genomes packaged inside spherical viruses is studied. The RNA-capsid attraction is assumed to be nonspecific and occurs at the inner capsid surface only. For weak attraction, RNA concentration is maximum at the center of the capsid to maximize their configurational entropy.

Repair of oronasal fistula with split-skin graft on nasal side and mucosal flap on oral side.

We repaired a case with a huge oronasal fistula using split thickness skin graft (STSG) on nasal side and mucosal flap on oral side. A 21-year-old man presented an oronasal fistula of the hard palate, measuring 2.0 x 1.

Electrophysiologic change and facial contour following botulinum toxin A injection in square faces.

Background: This study was proposed to evaluate the facial contour and electrophysiologic changes of the masseter and temporalis muscles before and after botulinum toxin A injection in the wide lower face (square face).

Methods: The botulinum toxin A injections were performed on 10 patients for the treatment of square face with masseter hypertrophy. To obtain an objective evaluation of the change in the facial contour, physical measurements, cephalometry, and clinical photographs were taken; and for evaluation of the function of the masseter and temporalis muscles, electromyographic studies were performed before and 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 12 months after treatment.

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma on the upper lip vermilion: a clinical report.

We present a clinical report of cutaneous carcinoma located on the vermilion of the upper lip. A 25-year-old man presented with a mass on the upper lip vermilion. The mass had grown progressively and bled repeatedly, forming crusts.

Sudden change of a large congenital melanocytic nevus to neurocutaneous melanosis.

Neurocutaneous melanosis (NCM) is a congenital phakomatosis in which large congenital melanocytic nevi are associated with a benign or malignant melanocytic tumor of the leptomeninges. Because the prognosis of patients with symptomatic NCM is poor, it is essential to monitor the large congenital melanocytic patient regularly for a neurological evaluation. However, it has not been reported how quickly the lesion could appear.

Analysis of nasal bone fractures; a six-year study of 503 patients.

The aim of this study is to classify the nasal bone fractures based on computed tomography (CT) analysis and patterns of the nasal bone fractures, and review 503 cases treated between 1998-2004 at the Department of Plastic Surgery, Inha University Hospital, Incheon, South Korea. The age, sex, etiology, associated injuries, pattern of fractures and treatments were reviewed and a radiographic study was analyzed. Plain simple radiographs of lateral and Waters view of the nasal bones combined with computed tomography scans were done.

Foot polydactyly and polysyndactyly: genetic implications in two families.

The purpose of this study was to determine the genetic characteristics of foot polydactyly and identify its inheritance pattern by analyzing familial pedigree. Five cases from 2 Korean families were studied: 1 is a family whose members have been affected for 4 generations and the other for 2 generations. Using peripheral blood samples, we performed chromosomal analysis using the banding technique with Giemsa stain and karyotyping.

Neurilemmoma of the tongue.

The authors report a case of uncommon neurilemmoma on the tip of the tongue. A 23-year-old Korean man presented with a mass on the tip of the tongue, which was noted first 3 years before, when it was a small nodule. The mass had been growing slowly.

Blepharoptosis caused from compression of levator muscle by fractured orbital roof fragment.

The authors report two cases of blepharoptosis caused by compression of the levator muscle by fractured orbital roof fragment; both were improved by surgical treatments. In one case, because neurosurgeons were concerned with the contusional hemorrhage of the right frontal lobe during the early admission period, they missed the orbital roof fracture. The patient underwent surgery on the 18th post-trauma day.

A split ostectomy of mandibular body and angle reduction.

Combined mandibular angle resection with angle-splitting ostectomy (ASO) is more effective than conventional simple or multistaged ostectomy. Removal of the outer cortex of the mandibular body by ASO lessens the protuberance of the masseter muscle. In this study, the anatomy of the mandibular canals in seven human cadavers was studied in detail, and a guideline for ASO and mandibular angle ostectomy was set up so as to avoid injury to the inferior alveolar nerve.