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Objective. Although topical decongestants and anesthetics are widely used in preparation for nasal endoscopy, no con- trolled trials have evaluated the effects of these agents on olfaction. Study Design. Randomized double-blinded controlled trial. Setting. Tertiary referral hospital. Materials and Methods. The authors recruited 72 healthy subjects and randomly assigned them to 1 of 4 groups (control, phenylephrine group, lidocaine group, and both agents). After baseline tests with the Korean version of Sniffin' Stick Test II (KVSS II), topical agents were applied to each nostril. Fifteen minutes later, repeat tests were car- ried out. Pre- and postspray results of the olfactory tests were compared, and the differences among groups were analyzed. Results. The mean 6 SD prespray KVSS II score of the study group was 30.2 6 3.8, and there were no statistically signifi- cant differences among the study groups (P = .353). Mean 6 SD pre- and postspray KVSS II scores were 29.0 6 3.5 and 30.7 6 3.7 (P = .128) in the control group, 30.6 6 3.6 and 31.7 6 3.3 (P = .262) in the phenylephrine group, and 31.4 6 3.6 and 32.1 6 3.1 (P = .557) in the lidocaine group, respec- tively. In the phenylephrine and epinephrine spray group, the mean 6 SD pre- and postspray scores were 29.9 6 4.4 and 31.3 6 3.7 (P = .071), respectively. Conclusions. Neither topical intranasal phenylephrine nor lidocaine use affected the results of the olfactory test, even when the agents were used in combination.

Objectives. To investigate the changes in gustatory function as a complication after radiofrequency tongue base reduction (RTBR) in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Study Design. Before-and-after study. Setting. Academic tertiary medical center. Subjects and Methods. Thirty-four patients with suspected velopharyngeal collapse only underwent uvulopalatopharyngo- plasty (UPPP group). Twenty-five patients with velopharyngeal and retrolingual collapse underwent concurrent UPPP with RTBR (RTBR group). All patients were evaluated before surgery and at 1 and 4 weeks after surgical treatment. A questionnaire was given to assess symptoms of hypogeusia, dysgeusia, hypos- mia, and sensation of the tongue. Electrogustometry (EGM) in 4 areas was used to determine gustatory function. Results. Postoperative values for subjective symptoms did not significantly change following surgical treatment in either group. EGM thresholds of all tested in both groups did not significantly change 1 week and 4 weeks after surgery. Conclusions. Gustatory function remained unchanged after RTBR in patients with OSA. The authors suggest that RTBR is a safe procedure in terms of taste sensation in OSA patients.

Objectives OK-432 has been widely used to treat lymphangioma and ranula; however, there are few studies for its use in treatment of branchial cleft cyst (BCC). We conducted this study to evaluate the effectiveness of sclerotherapy using OK-432 in treatment of BCC. Study Design and Setting Case series with planned data collection. Subjects and Methods From 2004 to 2007, we treated 23 patients with BCC using OK-432 sclerotherapy. Of these 23 patients, 18 had unilocular cysts and five had multilocular cysts. The sizes of the BCCs were measured and compared before and after treatment. Results Of the 23 cases, 14 (60.8%) showed complete regression; all of these were unilocular cysts. Of the remaining individuals with unilocular cysts, only one patient failed to show any response. This individual subsequently underwent surgical excision. A total of five patients with multilocular cysts showed no or partial response and subsequently underwent surgical excision. Minor adverse effects including fever and local pain were reported by 13 (56.5%) patients. Conclusion These results suggest that sclerotherapy using OK-432 is an effective and safe treatment modality for BCC, especially for unilocular cysts. Sclerosing of unilocular BCC with OK-432 should therefore be considered before surgical excision.

Background and Objectives: In general, benign neck cysts are treated by surgical excision. This can present technical difficulties and frequent recurrences, because of insufficient surgery. Sclerosing agents such as OK-432 have been tested for the nonsurgical treatment of these cysts. We have assessed the efficacy of OK-432 sclerotherapy for benign neck cysts. Materials and Methods: The study group consisted of 75 patients (42 men, 33 women) diagnosed with and treated for benign neck cysts between March 2001 and December 2007 by intralesional injection of OK-432. The liquid content of each cyst was aspirated as much as possible, and the same volume of OK-432 solution was injected. Patients were assessed by ultrasonography or computerized tomography, and therapeutic outcomes and adverse effects were evaluated by patient age, sex, cyst type, and number of injections. Results: Of the 75 treated patients, 31 (41.3%) showed total shrinkage, seven (9.3%) showed near-total shrinkage (>90% of cyst volume), five (6.6%) showed marked shrinkage (>70% of cyst volume), and 17 (22.7%) showed partial shrinkage (