Job loss and reemployment of newly diagnosed people with epilepsy: A nationwide cohort study.

Objective: Epilepsy has negative socioeconomic impacts on those affected, resulting not only from actual disability but also from social stigma. However, longitudinal studies examining occupational consequences following an epilepsy diagnosis are limited. We aimed to investigate the occupational outcomes of newly diagnosed epilepsy among Korean employees.

A new 3D full-body scanner analyzing the sagittal and coronal balance of the adult spine: a preliminary prospective observational study.

Background: The degenerative spondylosis can cause the difficulty in maintaining sagittal and coronal alignment of spine, and X-ray parameters are the gold standard to analyze the malalignment. This study aimed to develop a new 3D full body scanner to analyze the spinal balance and compare it to X-ray parameters.

Methods: Ninety-seven adult participants who suffer degenerative spondylosis underwent 3D full body scanning, whole spine X-rays, clinical questionnaires and body composition analyses.

Automated Audit and Self-Correction Algorithm for Seg-Hallucination Using MeshCNN-Based On-Demand Generative AI.

Recent advancements in deep learning have significantly improved medical image segmentation. However, the generalization performance and potential risks of data-driven models remain insufficiently validated. Specifically, unrealistic segmentation predictions deviating from actual anatomical structures, known as a Seg-Hallucination, often occur in deep learning-based models.

Enhanced Detection Performance of Acute Vertebral Compression Fractures Using a Hybrid Deep Learning and Traditional Quantitative Measurement Approach: Beyond the Limitations of Genant Classification.

Objective: This study evaluated the applicability of the classical method, height loss ratio (HLR), for identifying major acute compression fractures in clinical practice and compared its performance with deep learning (DL)-based VCF detection methods. Additionally, it examined whether combining the HLR with DL approaches could enhance performance, exploring the potential integration of classical and DL methodologies.

Methods: End-to-End VCF Detection (EEVD), Two-Stage VCF Detection with Segmentation and Detection (TSVD_SD), and Two-Stage VCF Detection with Detection and Classification (TSVD_DC).

Hospital utilization and telemedicine preferences in patients with late-stage Parkinson's disease and caregivers.

Background: There remains a significant gap in systematic research on healthcare utilization behaviors and the influencing factors for patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), particularly those in late stages.

Methods: PD patients in late stage (Hoehn and Yahr (HY) stages 4 and 5) and their caregivers from Seoul National University Hospital Movement Disorders Clinic participated. A total of 103 respondents completed a questionnaire covering medical utilization behaviors, perceptions of face-to-face and telemedicine consultations, and additional medical service needs.

[How to Achieve Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in The Korean Society of Gastroenterology?].

With the increasing emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in organizations and institutions, academic societies in gastroenterology and hepatology are beginning to take actionable steps toward achieving DEI. The successful implementation of DEI initiatives leads to excellence in the field, improved patient outcomes, particularly in areas where health disparities are prevalent, and advances in the gastrointestinal discipline. Such implementation also results in a workforce that better reflects the growing diversity of the population.

Comparison of Two Paclitaxel-Coated Balloons with Different Excipients for the Treatment of Femoropopliteal Artery Disease.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a novel drug-coated balloon (DCB), Genoss DCB (Genoss) using shellac plus vitamin E as an excipient, compared to a reference DCB using urea.

Materials And Methods: Patients with femoropopliteal arterial disease under Rutherford classes 2-5 were enrolled in this prospective, multicenter, non-inferiority clinical trial, and randomly assigned 1:1 to Genoss DCB and IN.PACT Admiral (Medtronic).

Long-term outcome and predictors of vagus nerve stimulation for drug-resistant epilepsy: Real-world evidence from the Korean national hospital consortium.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the long-term outcome and prognostic factors of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) for drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) using real-world data.

Method: We included 189 DRE patients who underwent VNS implantation between 2005 and 2018 at nine national hospitals in Korea. Seizure-frequency data obtained quarterly one year before and after surgery and annually up to four years after surgery were collected from medical records.

High-Throughput Chemotherapeutic Drug Screening System for Gastric Cancer (Cure-GA).

Background: Three dimensional (3D) cell cultures can be effectively used for drug discovery and development but there are still challenges in their general application to high-throughput screening. In this study, we developed a novel high-throughput chemotherapeutic 3D drug screening system for gastric cancer, named 'Cure-GA', to discover clinically applicable anticancer drugs and predict therapeutic responses.

Methods: Primary cancer cells were isolated from 143 fresh surgical specimens by enzymatic treatment.

Comparing haploidentical transplantation with post-transplantation cyclophosphamide and umbilical cord blood transplantation using targeted busulfan in children and adolescents with hematologic malignancies.

Purpose: This study compared the outcomes of haploidentical-related donor (HRD) and umbilical cord blood (UCB) hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in pediatric patients with hematologic malignancies.

Methods: Data on patients who underwent HRD HSCT with post-transplant cyclophosphamide (n = 41) and UCB HSCT (n = 24) after targeted busulfan-based myeloablative conditioning with intensive pharmacokinetic monitoring between 2009 and 2018 were retrospectively analyzed.

Results: The median follow-up durations in the HRD and UCB groups were 7.

Effect of intraoperative magnesium sulphate on acute kidney injury following robot-assisted radical prostatectomy: a retrospective propensity score-matched analysis.

Although intraoperative magnesium sulphate administration has various advantages, its influence on the occurrence of postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI) remains unclear, particularly in patients undergoing robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP). The steep Trendelenburg position and a high intra-abdominal pressure can render patients susceptible to AKI after surgery. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of intraoperative magnesium sulphate administration on postoperative AKI in patients who underwent RARP.

Serial Quantitative Evaluation of Load Redistribution and Osteotomy Gap After Medial Open-Wedge High Tibial Osteotomy.

The goal of medial open-wedge high tibial osteotomy (MOW-HTO) is to redistribute load by realigning the lower limb. This surgery is indicated for mild to moderate medial compartment osteoarthritis with varus deformity in cases unresponsive to conservative treatment. Procedures for accompanying cartilage lesions, such as multiple drilling on the medial femoral condyle (MFC), are often performed simultaneously, potentially affecting bone metabolism along with load redistribution and union progression.

Reproductive and Hormonal Factors and Thyroid Cancer Risk: Pooled Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies in the Asia Cohort Consortium.

Given the female predominance of thyroid cancer (TC), particularly in the reproductive age range, female sex hormones have been proposed as an aetiology; however, previous epidemiological studies have shown conflicting results. We conducted a pooled analysis using individual data from 9 prospective cohorts in the Asia Cohort Consortium, to explore the association between 10 female reproductive and hormonal factors and TC risk. Using Cox proportional hazards models, cohort-specific hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated and then pooled using a random-effects model.

Hair Transplantation on the Baldness Region with Free Latissimus Dorsi Flap for Scalp Reconstruction: A Case Report.

Scalp reconstruction, particularly with complex defects and infection risks, often favors microvascular free flaps. However, this method can result in unavoidable alopecia and undesirable aesthetics. This report describes a novel case where hair transplantation via follicular unit extraction (FUE) was applied to a free myocutaneous flap.

Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: Mechanisms Underlying Maternal and Fetal Complications.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) affects over 10% of all pregnancies, both in Korea and worldwide. GDM not only increases the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes such as preeclampsia, preterm birth, macrosomia, neonatal hypoglycemia, and shoulder dystocia, but it also significantly increases the risk of developing postpartum type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease in the mother. Additionally, GDM is linked to a higher risk of childhood obesity and diabetes in offspring, as well as neurodevelopmental disorders, including autistic spectrum disorder.

Effect of remimazolam on intraoperative hemodynamic stability in patients undergoing cerebrovascular bypass surgery: a prospective randomized controlled trial.

Background: Maintenance of stable blood pressure (BP) during cerebrovascular bypass surgery is crucial to prevent cerebral ischemia. We compared the effect of remimazolam anesthesia with that of propofol-induced and desflurane-maintained anesthesia on intraoperative hemodynamic stability and the need for vasoactive agents in patients undergoing cerebrovascular bypass surgery.

Methods: Sixty-five patients were randomized into remimazolam (n = 31, remimazolam-based intravenous anesthesia) and control groups (n = 34, propofol-induced and desflurane-maintained anesthesia).

Clinical efficacy of 0.1% cyclosporine A in dry eye patients with inadequate responses to 0.05% cyclosporine A: a switching, prospective, open-label, multicenter study.

Purpose: To assess the clinical efficacy of 0.1% cyclosporine A (CsA) in dry eye patients who have shown inadequate responses to previous treatment with 0.05% CsA.

Multimodal treatments and the risk of breast cancer-related lymphedema: insights from a nationally representative cohort in South Korea.

Background: As the roles of chemotherapy (Chemo) and radiation therapy (Radio) in the definitive treatment of breast cancer have expanded, a broader understanding of the factors associated with breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) has become increasingly essential. Therefore, we investigated the association between multimodality treatment and the risk of BCRL.

Methods: In this retrospective study conducted using National Health Insurance data and the Korea National Cancer Incidence Database (2006-2017), 114,638 participants who underwent Surgery (Surg) or Chemo within 6 months after breast cancer diagnosis were enrolled, and the effect of multimodality treatment on the risk of BCRL was analyzed using the Cox proportional-hazards model.

Empowering PET imaging reporting with retrieval-augmented large language models and reading reports database: a pilot single center study.

Purpose: The potential of Large Language Models (LLMs) in enhancing a variety of natural language tasks in clinical fields includes medical imaging reporting. This pilot study examines the efficacy of a retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) LLM system considering zero-shot learning capability of LLMs, integrated with a comprehensive database of PET reading reports, in improving reference to prior reports and decision making.

Methods: We developed a custom LLM framework with retrieval capabilities, leveraging a database of over 10 years of PET imaging reports from a single center.

Genomics yields biological and phenotypic insights into bipolar disorder.

Bipolar disorder is a leading contributor to the global burden of disease. Despite high heritability (60-80%), the majority of the underlying genetic determinants remain unknown. We analysed data from participants of European, East Asian, African American and Latino ancestries (n = 158,036 cases with bipolar disorder, 2.

Expression Rates of Sex Hormone Receptors with Their Clinical Correlates in Gastric Cancer Patients and Normal Controls.

Purpose: Sex hormones affect development and prognosis of gastric cancer (GC). This study aimed to compare the sex hormone receptor expression between control and GC, and to evaluate its correlation with patient characteristics.

Materials And Methods: 110 patients (74 with GC, 36 controls) underwent immunohistochemistry (IHC) and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for estrogen receptors (ERs) α and β and androgen receptor (AR).

Transversus abdominis plane block combined with intrathecal fentanyl versus intrathecal morphine for post-cesarean analgesia: a randomized non-inferiority clinical trial.

Background: Intrathecal morphine is the standard for post-cesarean analgesia but often causes pruritus and may be unavailable in resource-limited settings. This study assessed whether a combination of bilateral transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block and intrathecal fentanyl provides non-inferior analgesia compared with intrathecal morphine following cesarean delivery within the multimodal analgesia context.

Methods: Eighty mothers were randomized to receive either intrathecal fentanyl 10 µg with bilateral TAP block using 15 mL of 0.

Artificial intelligence-enhanced comprehensive assessment of the aortic valve stenosis continuum in echocardiography.

Background: Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is the primary modality for diagnosing aortic stenosis (AS), yet it requires skilled operators and can be resource-intensive. We developed and validated an artificial intelligence (AI)-based system for evaluating AS that is effective in both resource-limited and advanced settings.

Methods: We created a dual-pathway AI system for AS evaluation using a nationwide echocardiographic dataset (developmental dataset, n = 8427): 1) a deep learning (DL)-based AS continuum assessment algorithm using limited 2D TTE videos, and 2) automating conventional AS evaluation.

Automated extracellular volume fraction measurement for diagnosis and prognostication in patients with light-chain cardiac amyloidosis.

Aims: T1 mapping on cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging is useful for diagnosis and prognostication in patients with light-chain cardiac amyloidosis (AL-CA). We conducted this study to evaluate the performance of T1 mapping parameters, derived from artificial intelligence (AI)-automated segmentation, for detection of cardiac amyloidosis (CA) in patients with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and their prognostic values in patients with AL-CA.

Methods And Results: A total of 300 consecutive patients who underwent CMR for differential diagnosis of LVH were analyzed.

Depressive Symptoms and Amyloid Pathology.

Importance: Depressive symptoms are associated with cognitive decline in older individuals. Uncertainty about underlying mechanisms hampers diagnostic and therapeutic efforts. This large-scale study aimed to elucidate the association between depressive symptoms and amyloid pathology.