Evaluation of sodium hyaluronate-based composite hydrogels for prevention of nasal adhesions.

During the healing process after intra-nasal surgery, the growth and repair of damaged tissues can result in the development of postoperative adhesions. Various techniques have been devised to minimize the occurrence of postoperative adhesions which include insertion of stents in the middle meatus, application of removable nasal packing, and utilizing biodegradable materials with antiadhesive properties. This study assesses the efficacy of two sodium hyaluronate (SH)-based freeze-dried hydrogel composites in preventing postoperative nasal adhesions, comparing them with commonly used biodegradable materials in nasal surgery.

Human Retrotransposons and Effective Computational Detection Methods for Next-Generation Sequencing Data.

Transposable elements (TEs) are classified into two classes according to their mobilization mechanism. Compared to DNA transposons that move by the "cut and paste" mechanism, retrotransposons mobilize via the "copy and paste" method. They have been an essential research topic because some of the active elements, such as Long interspersed element 1 (LINE-1), , and SVA elements, have contributed to the genetic diversity of primates beyond humans.

Associations of body mass index and weight change with circulating levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, proinflammatory cytokines, and adiponectin among breast cancer survivors.

Aim: This study examined the associations of body mass index (BMI) and weight change with inflammatory markers among breast cancer survivors in Korea.

Methods: A total of 495 women were included who had been diagnosed with primary breast cancer and survived for at least 6 months since the surgery. Information on the body weight and height of the participants was collected both at the study enrollment and diagnosis.

Trimethyl chitosan postoperative irrigation solution modulates inflammatory cytokines related to adhesion formation.

Lavage or irrigation has been instilled in surgical practice for wound clearance and surgical site infection prevention during and after surgery. Herein, we developed a new irrigation solution using trimethyl chitosan (TMC), a quaternized chitosan derivative. The TMC-saline irrigation solution developed in the study possesses highly effective bactericidal properties with hemostatic and anti-adhesion properties.

Prognosis of pregnancy after breast cancer diagnosis according to the type of treatment: A population-based study in Korea by the SMARTSHIP group.

Backgrounds: In this study, we evaluated the incidence and outcomes of pregnancy after breast cancer was diagnosed in women of childbearing age. Additionally, we evaluated the prognosis of patients who became pregnant after breast cancer, according to the treatment.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of women aged 20-45 years who were surgically treated for breast cancer between 2004 and 2014 using the Korean National Health Insurance database.

Effect of Poloxamer-Based Thermo-Sensitive Sol-Gel Agent on Upper Limb Dysfunction after Axillary Lymph Node Dissection: A Double-Blind Randomized Clinical Trial.

Purpose: Restricted shoulder motion is a major morbidity associated with a lower quality of life and disability after axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) in patients with breast cancer. This study sought to evaluate the antiadhesive effect of a poloxamer-based thermosensitive sol-gel (PTAS) agent after ALND.

Methods: We designed a double-blind, multicenter randomized controlled study to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of PTAS in reducing upper-limb dysfunction after ALND.

Quaternary ammonium N,N,N-trimethyl chitosan derivative and povidone‑iodine complex as a potent antiseptic with enhanced wound healing property.

The importance of developing more potent antimicrobials and robust infection prevention practices has been highlighted recently with the increase in reports of emerging bacterial resistance mechanisms and the development of antibiotic-resistant microbes. In this study, a quaternary ammonium chitosan derivative, N,N,N-trimethyl chitosan chloride (TMC) with inherent bactericidal property was synthesized and complexed with povidone‑iodine (PVP-I) to create a potentially more potent antiseptic solution that could also significantly enhance the wound healing process. TMC, a positively charged, water-soluble derivative of chitosan, formed stable solutions with PVP-I at 5% w/v TMC concentration (TMC5/PVP-I).

Minimal Invasive and Individualizing Management of the Axillary Nodes.

The status of the axillary lymph nodes is one of the most important prognostic factors for patients with breast cancer. For over 100 years, axillary lymph node dissection was the standard approach to obtain and manage axillar lymph node, but now, sentinel lymph node biopsy has become a standard approach with less morbidity and equal accuracy in clinical node-negative patients. In addition, numerous studies are on the way to omit axillary lymph node dissection in specific patient subgroups.

Clinicopathological Features of Patients with the BRCA1 c.5339T>C (p.Leu1780Pro) Variant.

Purpose: Recent studies revealed the BRCA1 c.5339T>C, p.Leu1780Pro variant (L1780P) is highly suggested as a likely pathogenic.

Urinary Bladder Injury During Colonoscopy Without Colon Perforation.

We report a case of urinary bladder perforation during colonoscopy. A 67-year-old female, who had undergone a transabdominal hysterectomy for uterine myomas 15 years ago, visited the emergency department with complaint of abdominal pain after a screening colonoscopy. Laparoscopic examination revealed severe adhesion between the sigmoid colon and the urinary bladder.

Differential diagnosis of breast masses in South Korean premenopausal women using diffuse optical spectroscopic imaging.

Young patients with dense breasts have a relatively low-positive biopsy rate for breast cancer (∼1 in 7). South Korean women have higher breast density than Westerners. We investigated the benefit of using a functional and metabolic imaging technique, diffuse optical spectroscopic imaging (DOSI), to help the standard of care imaging tools to distinguish benign from malignant lesions in premenopausal Korean women.

Low-grade myofibroblastic sarcoma arising in fibroadenoma of the breast-A case report.

Background: Myofibroblastic sarcoma or myofibrosarcoma is a malignant tumor of myofibroblasts and known to develop rarely in the breast, but its underlying lesion and tumor cell origin have never been reported yet.

Case Presentation: A 61-year-old female presented with a gradually growing breast mass with well-demarcated ovoid nodular shape. The tumor was histologically characterized by fascicular-growing spindle cell proliferation with large areas of hyalinized fibrosis and focally ductal epithelial remnants embedded in myxoid stroma, mimicking a fibroadenomatous lesion.

In Vivo Tumor Growth Rate Measured by US in Preoperative Period and Long Term Disease Outcome in Breast Cancer Patients.

Objective: The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of tumor growth rate, calculated from tumor size measurements by US, on breast cancer patients' outcome.

Patients And Methods: Breast cancer patients who received at least two serial breast ultrasonographies (US) in our institution during preoperative period and were surgically treated between 2002 and 2010 were reviewed. Tumor growth rate was determined by specific growth rate (SGR) using the two time point tumor sizes by US.

Validation of risk assessment models for predicting the incidence of breast cancer in korean women.

Purpose: The Gail model is one of the most widely used tools to assess the risk of breast cancer. However, it is known to overestimate breast cancer risk for Asian women. Here, we validate the Gail model and the Korean model using Korean data, and subsequently update and revalidate the Korean model using recent data.

Estimating the risks and benefits of tamoxifen for prophylactic breast cancer chemoprevention in Korea.

Purpose: According to the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project P1 (NSABP-P1) study, tamoxifen can prevent 49% of invasive breast cancers in patients who have a 5-year risk of 1.67% or more. Because tamoxifen is associated with both adverse effects (endometrial cancer, stroke, pulmonary embolism) and protective effect (fracture prevention), it is necessary to weigh the risks and benefits of using tamoxifen for prevention in Korean women.

Bilateral adrenal pheochromocytoma with a germline L790F mutation in the RET oncogene.

About ten percent of pheochromocytomas are associated with familial syndrome. Hereditary pheochromocytoma has characteristics of early onset, multifocality and bilaterality. We experienced a case of 44-year-old man with bilateral pheochromocytoma without evidence of medullary thyroid cancer.