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This study aimed to investigate the impact of socioeconomic status (SES) on otorhinolaryngology disease severity status diagnosed at the first hospital visit. We conducted a retrospective study over 20 years (2000-2019). Otorhinolaryngological diseases included chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), oral ulcer, and malignant neoplasms. A logistic regression model was employed to assess the effect of SES on the severity of each disease at the first hospital visit. The severity of CRS increased in patients with lower SES (P =.028). The severities of SNHL (P =.032) and oral ulcer (P <.001) also associated with SES. In contrast, between the low- and high-SES groups observed no differences in cancer stage (P =.845). Patients with SNHL, oral ulcer, and CRS had a more severe disease status in the low-SES group than in the high-SES group at the first hospital visit. Efforts to increase hospital accessibility for low-SES otorhinolaryngological patients should be made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Necrotizing sialometaplasia (NSM) is an extremely rare benign lesion with an uncertain pathogenesis. The differential diagnosis of this lesion is challenging due to little familiarity with this entity and histologic similarity with carcinomas, especially mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC). The purpose of this study is to raise awareness about NSM, which is often overlooked or misdiagnosed as malignancy in a small biopsy. Methods: We reviewed all biopsy materials taken from the oral cavity in a single institution in Korea from 2012 to 2018 and found 4 cases of NSM out of 726. Clinicopathologic characteristics and comparison with other lesions were discussed. Results: Unlike previous reports, patients in our series were relatively young, and NSM was not related to smoking and not associated with malignancies, although one patient was misdiagnosed with MEC on the basis of the initial biopsy. High-grade squamous dysplasia was observed in one patient; however, all four patients showed excellent prognoses without further management. Conclusions: A conservative approach is recommendable for necrotizing lesions of the palate in young adults to avoid unnecessary treatment. However, careful monitoring is also required due to uncertainty of premalignant potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Several studies have shown a relationship between cigarette smoking and general diseases of the nose in a large Asian population. The current study was conducted to better understand the effect of cigarette smoke exposure on rhinologic diseases in Koreans. Methods Data were obtained from the 2008-2011 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a cross-sectional survey of the noninstitutionalized population in Korea. Of the 37,753 people surveyed, 11,589 adult participants had completed questionnaires on rhinologic symptoms and smoking behaviors, had undergone nasal endoscopy, and had provided urine collection were enrolled. Rhinologic diseases investigated in this study included subjective olfactory dysfunction, rhinitis symptoms, chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), and nasal septal deviation with obstructive symptoms. The relationship between disease and cigarette smoking was evaluated using multivariate regression analyses. Results In South Korea, the weighted prevalence of subjective olfactory dysfunction, rhinitis symptoms, CRS, and nasal septal deviation with obstructive symptoms was 4.6%, 27.2%, 6.2%, and 4.0%, respectively. The only disease significantly associated with active smoking was CRS in participants 40 years of age and older after adjusting for age, sex, residency, house income, education, and occupation (adjusted odds ratio = 1.427, 95% confidence interval = 1.050 to 1.938). For each year of active smoking, CRS prevalence increased by 1.5%. None of the rhinologic diseases examined were associated with passive smoking. Conclusion Our study showed that CRS seems to be associated with active smoking in older participants. Considering the relatively high prevalence of CRS in Korea, further longitudinal researches for their association and prevention are required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]