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Background/Aims@#Some management strategies for acute colonic diverticulitis remain controversial in Korean real-world practice because their clinical features differ from those in the West. This study aimed to investigate the opinions of Korean physicians regarding the diagnosis and treatment of acute diverticulitis. @*Methods@#A web-based survey was conducted among gastroenterologists specializing on treating lower gastrointestinal disorders. The questionnaires concerned overall management strategies for colonic diverticulitis, including diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up. @*Results@#In total, 209 gastroenterologists responded to the survey. Less than one-fourth of the respondents (23.6%) answered that left-sided colonic diverticulitis is more likely to be complicated than right-sided colonic diverticulitis. Most respondents agreed that immunocompromised patients with diverticulitis have worse clinical outcomes than immunocompetent patients (71.3%). Computed tomography was the most preferred tool for diagnosing diverticulitis (93.9%). Approximately 89% of the respondents answered that they believed antibiotic treatment is necessary to treat acute uncomplicated diverticulitis. Most respondents (92.6%) agreed that emergency surgery is not required for diverticulitis with an abscess or microperforation without panperitonitis. Further, 94.7% of the respondents agreed that colon cancer screening is necessary in patients aged ≥ 50 years with diverticulitis after they have recovered from acute illness. Many respondents (71.4%) agreed that surgery for recurrent diverticulitis should be individualized. @*Conclusions@#Opinions regarding management strategies for colonic diverticulitis among Korean gastroenterologists were well agreed upon in some areas but did not agree well in other areas. Evidence-based guidelines that meet the practical needs of the Korean population should be developed.
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Anisakiasis is a zoonotic parasitic infection associated with consumption of raw fish or uncooked seafood. We report a rare case of suspected esophageal anisakiasis-induced dysphagia. A 66-year-old man patient without any medical history was admitted to our hospital for evaluation of acute dysphagia. Following intake of abalone sashimi for dinner, he experienced sudden difficulty with swallowing the day before his emergency department visit. He developed skin rash and pruritus throughout his body, shortly thereafter. He also had chest and upper abdominal pain and diarrhea. He had experienced similar symptoms after consumption of raw fish on two previous occasions. Dysphagia improved 9 days later. Gastroscopy performed after symptom onset showed small erosions and edematous mucosa in the mid esophagus. Abdominopelvic computed tomography (CT) showed distal esophageal wall thickening and small bowel obstruction with concomitant ascites. We suspected anisakiasis based on the following criteria: 1) Skin rash after the third episode of consumption of raw fish or seafood (anisakiasisspecific immunoglobulin E class 4). 2) CT-documented small intestinal obstruction and ascites. 3) Eosinophil-dominant fluid observed on ascitic fluid analysis. Therefore, it is reasonable to conclude that temporary dysphagia in this patient was attributable to esophageal anisakiasis associated with raw seafood consumption.
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Background/Aims@#Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), is increasing in South Korea. On the other hand, there are no reports of the incidence and prevalence of IBD specific to Jeju Island, prompting the necessity of this study. @*Methods@#In this retrospective design, the medical records of 453 patients diagnosed with IBD at Jeju National University Hospital from January 1990 to December 2019 were analyzed. @*Results@#Of the 453 IBD subjects (165 CD, 288 UC) included, the UC: CD ratio was 1.75:1. The incidence of IBD increased continuously from 0.19/105 in 1990 to 6.39/105 in 2017 and after that decreased to 4.92/105 in 2019. The male:female ratio was 2.24:1 for CD and 1.29:1 for UC. In the CD subjects, the disease activity included remission (33.3%), mild (25.5%), moderate (30.9%), and severe (6.1%). In UC subjects, the disease activity included remission (24.0%), mild (35.4%), moderate (28.8%), and severe (6.2%). According to the Montreal classification, the cases were as follows: CD: terminal ileum (22.4%), colon (9.7%), ileocolon (66.1%), and upper gastrointestinal involvement (27.3%), and perianal fistula/abscess was present in 43.6% of subjects before or at diagnosis: UC: proctitis (43.4%), left-sided colitis (29.1%), and pancolitis (23.3%) at diagnosis. @*Conclusions@#The incidence of IBD on Jeju Island has increased steadily for approximately 30 years but has exhibited a decline since 2017. Therefore, the incidence of IBD in Jeju is believed to have plateaued. Further study will be needed for clarification. (Korean J Gastroenterol 2023;81:243-252)
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Background@#Rosacea is a chronic inflammatory facial disorder, leading to impaired skin barrier function. Many factors, including skin care habits, affect its occurrence and progress. @*Objective@#This study aimed to investigate clinical manifestation and aggravating factors of rosacea, focusing on skin care habits and lifestyle and to compare them with those of acne patients. @*Methods@#We conducted a cross-sectional survey among 222 patients with rosacea and 127 with acne who visited a university hospital and local dermatologic clinic between July 2021 and June 2022. The patients answered questionnaires consisting of information, such as demographic characteristics, clinical symptoms and signs, skin care habits, and aggravating factors. @*Results@#Age distribution of the patients with rosacea showed a peak incidence among those in their twenties, and the most common comorbidity was metabolic disease. The most common symptom and sign was itching, followed by burning sensation. Regarding skin care habits, 72.8% and 45.0% of the patients practiced excessive cleansing and double cleansing, respectively. The most frequently-used cleanser and basic cosmetic were foaming cleanser (77.5%) and toner (57.5%), respectively. Foundation was used by nearly half of the woman, many of whom used liquid type.Irregular or insufficient sleep and food were the two most common aggravating factor. When compared to patients with acne patients, those with rosacea tended to carry more systemic comorbidities and practiced double cleansing with basic cosmetics more actively. @*Conclusion@#It is important for clinicians to understand various factors affecting occurrence and aggravation of rosacea and educate patients on appropriate skin care habits and lifestyle.
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Purpose@#This study examined the meal-kit consumption practices of adults in their 20s and 30s and analyzed the properties that should be given priority for improvement among the selection attributes to improve the quality of meal-kits. @*Methods@#Statistical analyses were conducted using the SPSS program (ver. 28.0) for χ2-test, t-test, one-way analysis of variance, Duncan’s multiple range test, factor analysis, and Importance-Satisfaction Analysis (ISA). @*Results@#Of the 249 subjects surveyed, 85.5% had some experience of purchasing meal-kits, with significantly more females than males (p < 0.01), significantly more married people than single people (p < 0.05), significantly more employed people than unemployed people (p < 0.05). Meal-kits were purchased most frequently for meals (60.6%), from discount stores or supermarkets (44.6%), and priced between 10,000 won and 20,000 won per person (46.9%). The overall satisfaction with meal-kits was 4.1 out of 5.0 points. The frequency of purchases was Korean soup dishes (69.5%), Korean main dishes (47.4%), and Korean street snacks (46.9%). Factor analysis of the meal-kit selection attributes revealed, 4 factors: ‘quality of food,’ ‘packaging and diversity,’ ‘quality of meal-kit,’ and ‘convenience and price.’ Compared to single-person households, multi-person households placed significantly higher importance on the ‘quality of food,’ ‘packaging and diversity,’ and ‘quality of meal-kit.’ The factor, ‘packaging and diversity’ were significantly higher in the importance evaluation scores for females (p < 0.01), married people (p < 0.05), and people in their 30s (p < 0.05) among meal-kit consumers. According to the ISA results, a critical aspect that meal-kit manufacturers or sellers should strengthen is ‘price.’ @*Conclusion@#Meal-kit products will need to be developed for various purposes that offer high value for money that can satisfy the consumers’ needs to improve the satisfaction of meal-kit consumers.
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Objectives@#This study aimed to investigate the correlation of sarcopenic obesity with various cardiometabolic risk factors and fracture risk in middle-aged Korean women. @*Methods@#In this cross-sectional study, the medical records of 1,775 women who had visited Pusan National University Hospital for routine health screenings from 2010 to 2016 were reviewed. The patients were divided into four groups as follows: group 1, nonsarcopenic, nonobese (NS-NO); group 2, nonsarcopenic, obese (NS-O); group 3, sarcopenic, nonobese (S-NO); and group 4, sarcopenic, obese (S-O). Each patient was assessed based on self-reported questionnaires and individual interviews with a healthcare provider. The Fracture Risk Assessment Tool (FRAX) was used to assess bone fracture risk. @*Results@#Postmenopausal women accounted for 68.5% of the total patient population. The proportion of each group was as follows:NS-NO, 71.2%; NS-O, 17.9%; S-NO, 10.2%; and S-O, 0.7%. Statistical analysis of various parameters associated with metabolic and cardiovascular risks revealed that the S-O group had more patients with hypertension, diabetes, osteopenia, and metabolic syndrome.The FRAX scores were significantly higher in the S-O group than in other groups. @*Conclusions@#Middle-aged women with obesity and reduced muscle mass, known as sarcopenic obesity, are at increased risk of hypertension, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. Furthermore, sarcopenic obesity, individual cardiometabolic risks, and menopause can increase the bone fracture risk.
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Background@#Since the long-term outcomes of 162 patients who underwent gamma knife radiosurgery (GKS) as an initial or adjuvant treatment for acoustic neuromas (ANs) with unilateral hearing loss were first reported in 1998, there has been no report of a comprehensive analysis of what has changed in GKS practice. @*Methods@#We performed a retrospective study of the long-term outcomes of 106 patients with unilateral sporadic ANs who underwent GKS as an initial treatment. The mean patient age was 50 years, and the mean initial tumor volume was 3.68 cm 3 (range, 0.10–23.30 cm 3 ).The median marginal tumor dose was 12.5 Gy (range, 8.0–15.0 Gy) and the median follow-up duration was 153 months (range, 120–216 months). @*Results@#The tumor volume increased in 11 patients (10.4%), remained stationary in 27 (25.5%), and decreased in 68 patients (64.2%). The actuarial 3, 5, 10, and 15-year tumor control rates were 95.3 ± 2.1%, 94.3 ± 2.2%, 87.7 ± 3.2%, and 86.6 ± 3.3%, respectively.The 10-year actuarial tumor control rate was significantly lower in the patients with tumor volumes of ≥ 8 cm 3 (P = 0.010). The rate of maintaining the same Gardner-Robertson scale grade was 28.6%, and that of serviceable hearing was 46.4%. The rates of newly developed facial and trigeminal neuropathy were 2.8% and 4.7%, respectively. The patients who received marginal doses of less than 12 Gy revealed higher tumor control failure rates (P = 0.129) and newly occurred facial or trigeminal neuropathy rates (P = 0.040 and 0.313, respectively). @*Conclusion@#GKS as an initial treatment for ANs could be helpful in terms of tumor control, the preservation of serviceable hearing, and the prevention of cranial neuropathy. It is recommended to perform GKS as soon as possible not only for tumor control in unilateral ANs with hearing loss but also for hearing preservation in those without hearing loss.
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Background@#There are no clear guidelines to determine whether to perform D1 or D1+ lymph node dissection in early gastric cancer (EGC). This study aimed to develop a nomogram for estimating the risk of extraperigastric lymph node metastasis (LNM). @*Materials and Methods@#Between 2009 and 2019, a total of 4,482 patients with pathologically confirmed T1 disease at 6 affiliated hospitals were included in this study. The basic clinicopathological characteristics of the positive and negative extraperigastric LNM groups were compared. The possible risk factors were evaluated using univariate and multivariate analyses. Based on these results, a risk prediction model was developed. A nomogram predicting extraperigastric LNM was used for internal validation. @*Results@#Multivariate analyses showed that tumor size (cut-off value 3.0 cm, odds ratio [OR]=1.886, P=0.030), tumor depth (OR=1.853 for tumors with sm2 and sm3 invasion, P=0.010), cross-sectional location (OR=0.490 for tumors located on the greater curvature, P=0.0303), differentiation (OR=0.584 for differentiated tumors, P=0.0070), and lymphovascular invasion (OR=11.125, P<0.001) are possible risk factors for extraperigastric LNM. An equation for estimating the risk of extraperigastric LNM was derived from these risk factors. The equation was internally validated by comparing the actual metastatic rate with the predicted rate, which showed good agreement. @*Conclusions@#A nomogram for estimating the risk of extraperigastric LNM in EGC was successfully developed. Although there are some limitations to applying this model because it was developed based on pathological data, it can be optimally adapted for patients who require curative gastrectomy after endoscopic submucosal dissection.
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Background/Aims@#Immunocompromised patients with acute colonic diverticulitis are at high risk for complications and failure of non-surgical treatment. However, evidence on the comparative outcomes of immunocompromised and immunocompetent patients with diverticulitis is lacking. This systematic review and meta-analysis investigated the outcomes of medical treatment in immunocompromised and immunocompetent patients with diverticulitis. @*Methods@#A comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library. Studies comparing the clinical outcomes of immunocompromised and immunocompetent patients with diverticulitis were included. @*Results@#A total of 10 studies with 1,946,461 subjects were included in the quantitative synthesis. The risk of emergency surgery and postoperative mortality after emergency surgery was significantly higher in immunocompromised patients than in immunocompetent patients with diverticulitis (risk ratio [RR], 1.76; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.31–2.38 and RR, 3.05; 95% CI, 1.70–5.45, respectively). Overall risk of complications associated with diverticulitis was non-significantly higher in immunocompromised than in immunocompetent patients (RR, 1.24; 95% CI, 0.95–1.63). Overall mortality irrespective of surgery was significantly higher in immunocompromised than in immunocompetent patients with diverticulitis (RR, 3.65; 95% CI, 1.73–7.69). By contrast, postoperative mortality after elective surgery was not significantly different between immunocompromised and immunocompetent patients with diverticulitis. In subgroup analysis, the risk of emergency surgery and recurrence was significantly higher in immunocompromised patients with complicated diverticulitis, whereas no significant difference was shown in mild disease. @*Conclusions@#Immunocompromised patients with diverticulitis should be given the best medical treatment with multidisciplinary approach because they had increased risks of surgery, postoperative morbidity, and mortality than immunocompetent patients.
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Background/Aims@#Various endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) methods for gastric tumors have been tried. However, no studies have yet compared results according to the ESD method for gastric body tumors using a dual knife. The objective of this study was to compare outcomes of two ESD methods for gastric body tumors: the pocket-creation method and conventional method. @*Methods@#Patients who underwent ESD for a gastric body tumor were retrospectively reviewed.Patients were divided into two groups according to the ESD method: the conventional method (group I) and pocket-creation method (group II). Characteristics of patients and tumors, hospitalization period, incidence of complications, resection margin status, incidence of surgical operation, procedure time, and laboratory findings were investigated. @*Results@#Of the total of 100 patients, 52 belonged to group I and 48 to group II. All tumors were successfully resected en bloc. Resection margin involvement was found in six (11.5%) of group I and six (12.5%) of group II. Complications were observed in seven (13.5%; major complication five, minor two) of group I and eight (16.7%; major two, minor six) of group II. There were no significant differences in ESD outcomes such as hospitalization period, incidence of complications, resection margin status, incidence of surgical operation, procedure time, or inflammatory response after ESD between the two groups. @*Conclusions@#Both methods are suitable for treating gastric body tumors with adequate treatment success rates and comparable complication rates.
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Ewing sarcoma and peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumor (ES/pPNET) is an undifferentiated malignant tumor that is most prevalent in children and young adults and often radiologically mimics a meningioma. A 38-year-old female patient visited our hospital with complaints of right-sided tinnitus, right hemiparesis, and imbalance. She underwent preoperative imaging and was subsequently diagnosed as having a meningioma on the petrous ridge. After partial resection, EWSR1-FLI1 gene fusion was confirmed, and she was diagnosed with ES/pPNET. The tumor was successfully treated using a multidisciplinary approach of adjuvant chemo- and radiotherapy. This case is noteworthy because it is an extremely rare case of an intracranial ES/pPNET, and it is worth sharing our clinical experience that the tumor was successfully treated through a multidisciplinary therapeutic approach even though complete resection was not achieved.
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Background@#The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has contributed to the change in the epidemiology of many infectious diseases. This study aimed to establish the pre-pandemic epidemiology of pediatric invasive bacterial infection (IBI). @*Methods@#A retrospective multicenter-based surveillance for pediatric IBIs has been maintained from 1996 to 2020 in Korea. IBIs caused by eight bacteria (Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Neisseria meningitidis, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus agalactiae, Streptococcus pyogenes, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella species) in immunocompetent children > 3 months of age were collected at 29 centers. The annual trend in the proportion of IBIs by each pathogen was analyzed. @*Results@#A total of 2,195 episodes were identified during the 25-year period between 1996 and 2020. S. pneumoniae (42.4%), S. aureus (22.1%), and Salmonella species (21.0%) were common in children 3 to 59 months of age. In children ≥ 5 years of age, S. aureus (58.1%), followed by Salmonella species (14.8%) and S. pneumoniae (12.2%) were common. Excluding the year 2020, there was a trend toward a decrease in the relative proportions of S. pneumoniae (rs = −0.430, P = 0.036), H. influenzae (rs = −0.922, P 3 months of age. These findings can be used as the baseline data to navigate the trend in the epidemiology of pediatric IBI in the post COVID-19 era.
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Purpose@#The current study provides national cancer statistics and their secular trends in Korea, including incidence, mortality, survival, and prevalence in 2020. @*Materials and Methods@#Incidence, survival, and prevalence rates of cancer were calculated using the Korea National Cancer Incidence Database, from 1999 to 2020, with survival follow-up until December 31, 2021. Deaths from cancer were assessed using causes-of-death data obtained from Statistics Korea. @*Results@#The number of new cancer diagnoses in 2020 decreased by 9,218 cases (3.6%) compared to 2019. In 2020, newly diagnosed cancer cases and deaths from cancer were reported as 247,952 (age-standardized rate [ASR], 262.2 per 100,000) and 82,204 (ASR, 69.9 per 100,000), respectively. The overall cancer incidence rates increased by 3.3% annually from 1999 to 2012, and decreased by 5.0% annually from 2012 to 2015, thereafter, followed by nonsignificant changes. Cancer mortality rates have been decreasing since 2002, with more rapid decline in recent years. The 5-year relative survival between 2016 and 2020 was 71.5%, which contributed to prevalent cases reaching over 2.2 million in 2020. @*Conclusion@#In 2020, the number of newly diagnosed cancer patients decreased due to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, but the overall trend is on the rise. Cancer survival rates have improved over the past decades. As the number of cancer survivors increases, a comprehensive cancer control strategy should be implemented in line with the changing aspects of cancer statistics. The long-term impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on cancer statistics needs to be investigated in the future.
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Purpose@#This study aimed to report the projected cancer incidence and mortality for the year 2023 to estimate Korea’s current cancer burden. @*Materials and Methods@#Cancer incidence data from 1999 to 2020 were obtained from the Korea National Cancer Incidence Database, and cancer mortality data from 1993 to 2021 were acquired from Statistics Korea. Cancer incidence and mortality were projected by fitting a linear regression model to observed age-specific cancer rates against their respective years and then by multiplying the projected age-specific rates by the anticipated age-specific population for 2023. A joinpoint regression model was used to determine the year in which the linear trend changed significantly; we only used the data of the latest trend. @*Results@#In total, 273,076 new cancer cases and 81,818 cancer deaths are expected to occur in Korea in 2023. The most common cancer site is expected to be the lung, followed by the thyroid, breast, colon and rectum, and stomach. These five cancers are expected to represent half of the overall burden of cancer in Korea. The most common type of cancer leading to death is expected to be lung cancer, followed by liver, colorectal, pancreatic, and gallbladder cancers. @*Conclusion@#The incidence rates for all types of cancer in Korea are estimated to gradually decrease. These up-to-date estimates of the cancer burden in Korea could be an important resource for planning and evaluating cancer-control programs.
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Background/Aims@#There have been little research on the cancer risks of patients with Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (PJS) in Korea. We aimed to investigate the clinical features of PJS patients and their cancer incidence rate. @*Methods@#Patients with PJS from nine medical centers were enrolled. In those patients diagnosed with cancer, data obtained included the date of cancer diagnosis, the tumor location, and the cancer stage. The cumulative risks of gastrointestinal cancers and extra-gastrointestinal cancers were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. @*Results@#A total of 96 PJS patients were included. The median age at diagnosis of PJS was 23.4 years. Cancer developed in 21 of the 96 patients (21.9%). The age of PJS diagnosis was widely distributed (0.9 to 72.4 years). The most common cancers were gastrointestinal cancer (n = 12) followed by breast cancer (n = 6). The cumulative lifetime cancer risk was calculated to be 62.1% at age 60. The cumulative lifetime gastrointestinal cancer risk was 47.1% at age 70. The cumulative lifetime extra- gastrointestinal cancer risk was 40.3% at age 60. @*Conclusions@#PJS onset may occur at any age and the risks of gastrointestinal and extra-gastrointestinal cancer are high. Thorough surveillance of PJS patients for malignancies is vital.
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Background@#Although the Korean Society for Cytopathology has developed educational goals as guidelines for cytopathology education in Korea, there is still no systematic approach to cytopathology education status for pathology residents. Furthermore, satisfaction with cytopathology education and with the outcome of the current training/educational program has not been investigated in Korea. This study aimed to obtain comprehensive data on the current state of cytopathology education for residents and evaluate education outcomes. @*Methods@#An online survey was conducted in December 2020 for the board-certified pathologists and training residents registered as members of the Korean Society for Cytopathology. The questionnaire comprised questions that investigated the current status of cytopathology at each training institution, the degree of satisfaction with the work and education related to cytopathology, outcomes of cytopathology training, and educational accomplishments. @*Results@#Of the participants surveyed, 12.3% (132/1,075) completed the questionnaire, and 36.8% (32/87) of cytopathology residents participated. The mean overall satisfaction with cytopathology education was 3.1 points (on a 1- to 5-point scale, 5: very satisfied). The most frequent suggestion among the free description format responses was to expand educational opportunities, such as online education opportunities, outside of the individual institutions. @*Conclusions@#Our results showed that cytopathology training in Korea needs further improvement. We expect that this study will inform systematic training of competent medical personnel armed with broad cytopathology knowledge and strong problem-solving abilities.
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Methods@#Ninety-six patients with unclassifiable type MAC-PD who initiated a macrolidecontaining regimen from 2001 to 2020 were identified at a tertiary referral center in South Korea. Among these 96 patients, 1-year culture conversion rate was analyzed for 48 patients who received standard treatment (three-drug oral-antibiotic combination with or without an injectable agent) for ≥ 1 year. @*Results@#The mean age of the 96 patients was 65.4 ± 10.8 years, and 72.9% of them were male. These patients were classified into four major radiologic subtypes; the most common subtype was the focal cavity subtype (n = 31, 32.3%), followed by the focal mass or nodule (n = 23, 24.0%), consolidation upon emphysema (n = 21, 21.9%), and bronchiolitis (n = 21, 21.9%) subtypes. For the 48 patients who received standard treatment for ≥ 1 year, the overall rate of culture conversion at 1-year was 93.8%. All patients in the focal cavity subtype and focal mass or nodule subtype categories achieved 1-year culture conversion. Additionally, 1-year culture conversion rate was 92.9% in consolidation upon emphysema subtype and 75.0% in bronchiolitis subtype. @*Conclusion@#Unclassifiable type MAC-PD can be radiologically further categorized into four major radiologic subtypes. The treatment outcome of all of these subtypes seems to be favorable.
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Pre-anesthetic evaluation is an important aspect of perioperative patient management. However, anesthesiologists often encounter challenges during anesthesia due toconditions that are not detected during pre-anesthetic evaluations.Case: Case 1 involved a 74-year-old female patient scheduled for cranioplasty and meningioma excision. Severe pancytopenia was detected during anesthesia. Cranioplasty was onlyperformed, the surgery was terminated, and drug-induced pancytopenia was diagnosed andtreated. The pre-anesthetic test results were normal, except for anemia. Case 2 involved a71-year-old male patient who discovered large ecchymosis during general anesthesia preparation in the operating room for choledochal cyst surgery. Surgery was canceled to evaluatethe bleeding tendency, and acquired coagulation factor VIII deficiency was diagnosed andtreated. The pre-anesthetic tests were normal, except for prolongation of the activated partial thromboplastin time.Conclusions: Abrupt hematologic and hemostatic changes may occur during anesthesiaeven though pre-anesthetic evaluation findings are normal.
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Herpes zoster (HZ) is one of the most common cutaneous adverse reactionsassociated with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine and has been widely reported. This study aimed to evaluate HZ following COVID-19 vaccination from the viewpointof pain management.Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on 42 patients with HZ who visited the painclinic between August 2021 and October 2021. Medical records were reviewed to comparepain severity, treatment methods, treatment duration, and incidence rate of postherpeticneuralgia (PHN) in patients who received COVID-19 vaccination within 6 weeks prior to developing symptoms compared with other patients with HZ.Results: Fourteen patients developed HZ within 6 weeks after vaccination and were significantly younger than the other HZ groups. There were no significant differences in the frequency of prodromal pain, location of pain, pain severity, treatment methods, treatmentduration, or incidence of PHN compared with the other HZ groups.Conclusions: COVID-19 vaccination-related HZ showed clinical features similar to those ofthe other HZ.
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Background@#The aim of this study was to estimate the 8-year prevalence and mortality statistics of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) according to birth year (2002–2012). @*Methods@#We used the National Health Insurance Service database with 4,989,351 children born from 2002 to 2012 including 35,529 children diagnosed with ASD until 8 years of age.The 8-year cumulative prevalence of ASD was calculated annually (2010–2020) with 8 years of follow-up. The 8-year mortality was estimated using Cox models adjusted for sex, household income, area of residence, and year of birth. @*Results@#Of the 473,494 children born in 2002, 2,467 (5.2 per 1,000 births) were diagnosed with ASD until 2010. The ASD prevalence was 2.6 times higher among boys (1,839; 7.4 per 1,000 boy births) than girls (628; 2.8 per 1,000 girl births). Of the 467,360 children born in 2012, 4,378 (9.4 per 1,000 births) were diagnosed with ASD until 2020. The ASD prevalence was 2.7 times higher among boys (3,246; 13.5 per 1,000 boy births) than girls (1,132; 5.0 per 1,000 girl births). The risk of all-cause mortality was higher among children with ASD than those without (hazard ratio [HR], 2.340; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.063–2.654), which is substantially higher among girls (HR, 4.223; 95% CI, 3.472–5.135) than boys (HR, 1.774; 95% CI, 1.505–2.090). @*Conclusion@#The present study demonstrated that national-level prevalence and mortality statistics of ASD can be estimated effectively using claims data comprising newborns born each year and followed up for to the age of interest. Because this information is essential to establish evidence-based policies, health authorities need to consider producing epidemiological information of ASD continuously using the same methodology.