Novel Genome-Wide Interactions Mediated via BOLL and EDNRA Polymorphisms in Intracranial Aneurysm

Objective@#: The association between boule (BOLL) and endothelin receptor type A (EDNRA) loci and intracranial aneurysm (IA) formation has been reported via genome-wide association studies. We sought to identify genome-wide interactions involving BOLL and EDNRA loci for IA in a Korean adult cohort. @*Methods@#: Genome-wide pairwise interaction analyses of BOLL and EDNRA involving 250 patients with IA and 296 controls were performed using the additive effect model after adjusting for confounding factors. @*Results@#: Among 512575 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), 23 and 11 common SNPs suggested a genome-wide interaction threshold (p<1.25×10-8) involving rs700651 (BOLL) and rs6841581 (EDNRA). Rather than singe SNP effect of BOLL or EDNRA on IA development, they showed a synergistic effect on IA formation via multifactorial pair-wise interactions. The rs1105980 of PTCH1 gene showed the most significant interaction with rs700651 (natural log-transformed odds ratio [lnOR], 1.53; p=6.41×10-11). The rs74585958 of RYK gene interacted strongly with rs6841581 (lnOR, -19.91; p=1.64×10-9). Although, there was no direct interaction between BOLL and EDNRA variants, two EDNRA-interacting gene variants of TNIK (rs11925024 and rs1231) and FTO (rs9302654), and one BOLL-interacting METTL4 gene variant (rs549315) exhibited marginal interaction with BOLL gene. @*Conclusion@#: BOLL or EDNRA may have a synergistic effect on IA formation via multifactorial pair-wise interactions.

Cancer Statistics in Korea: Incidence, Mortality, Survival, and Prevalence in 2019 / Journal of the Korean Cancer Association, 대한암학회지

Purpose@#The current study provides national cancer statistics and their secular trends in Korea, including incidence, mortality, survival, and prevalence in 2019. @*Materials and Methods@#Incidence, survival, and prevalence rates of cancer were calculated using the Korea National Cancer Incidence Database, from 1999 to 2019, with survival follow-up until December 31, 2020. Deaths from cancer were assessed using causes-of-death data obtained from Statistics Korea. @*Results@#In 2019, newly diagnosed cancer cases and deaths from cancer were reported as 254,718 (ASR, 275.4 per 100,000) and 81,203 (ASR, 72.2 per 100,000), respectively. For the first time, lung cancer (n=29,960) became the most frequent cancer in Korea, excluding thyroid cancer. The overall cancer incidence rates increased by 3.3% annually from 1999 to 2012, and decreased by 5.3% annually from 2012 to 2015, thereafter, followed by nonsignificant changes. The incidence of thyroid cancer increased again from 2016 (annual percentage change, 6.2%). Cancer mortality rates have been decreasing since 2002, with more rapid decline in recent years (annual decrease of 2.7% from 2002 to 2013; 3.3% from 2013 to 2019). The 5-year relative survival between 2015 and 2019 was 70.7%, which contributed to prevalent cases reaching over 2 million in 2019. @*Conclusion@#Cancer survival rates have improved over the past decades, but the number of newly diagnosed cancers is still increasing, with some cancers showing only marginal improvement in survival outcomes. As the number of cancer survivors increases, a comprehensive cancer control strategy should be implemented in line with the changing aspects of cancer statistics.

Cancer Statistics in Korea: Incidence, Mortality, Survival, and Prevalence in 2018 / Journal of the Korean Cancer Association, 대한암학회지

Purpose@#The current study provides national cancer statistics and their secular trends in Korea, including incidence, mortality, survival, and prevalence in 2018. @*Materials and Methods@#Incidence, survival, and prevalence rates of cancer were calculated using the Korea National Cancer Incidence Database, from 1999 to 2018, with survival follow-up until December 31, 2019. Deaths from cancer were assessed using causes-of-death data obtained from Statistics Korea. Crude and age-standardized rates (ASRs) for incidence, mortality, prevalence, and 5-year relative survival rates were calculated, and temporal trends for incidence and mortality rates were evaluated, with annual percentage changes. @*Results@#In 2018, newly diagnosed cancer cases and deaths from cancer were reported as 243,837 (ASR, 270.4 per 100,000) and 79,153 (ASR, 73.3 per 100,000), respectively. The overall cancer incidence rates increased by 3.3% annually from 1999 to 2012, and decreased by 5.4% 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 (annual decrease of 2.7% from 2007 to 2014; 3.7% from 2014 to 2018). The 5-year relative survival between 2014 and 2018 was 70.3%, which contributed to prevalent cases reaching over 2 million by the end of 2018. @*Conclusion@#Cancer statistics have improved significantly during the past two decades. However, there remain important challenges to be solved, such as controlling cancers with low survival rates. Cancer statistics can be used to discover blind spots in cancer control, and as evidence for developing and implementing future cancer control strategies.

Cancer Statistics in Korea: Incidence, Mortality, Survival, and Prevalence in 2018 / Journal of the Korean Cancer Association, 대한암학회지

Purpose@#The current study provides national cancer statistics and their secular trends in Korea, including incidence, mortality, survival, and prevalence in 2018. @*Materials and Methods@#Incidence, survival, and prevalence rates of cancer were calculated using the Korea National Cancer Incidence Database, from 1999 to 2018, with survival follow-up until December 31, 2019. Deaths from cancer were assessed using causes-of-death data obtained from Statistics Korea. Crude and age-standardized rates (ASRs) for incidence, mortality, prevalence, and 5-year relative survival rates were calculated, and temporal trends for incidence and mortality rates were evaluated, with annual percentage changes. @*Results@#In 2018, newly diagnosed cancer cases and deaths from cancer were reported as 243,837 (ASR, 270.4 per 100,000) and 79,153 (ASR, 73.3 per 100,000), respectively. The overall cancer incidence rates increased by 3.3% annually from 1999 to 2012, and decreased by 5.4% 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 (annual decrease of 2.7% from 2007 to 2014; 3.7% from 2014 to 2018). The 5-year relative survival between 2014 and 2018 was 70.3%, which contributed to prevalent cases reaching over 2 million by the end of 2018. @*Conclusion@#Cancer statistics have improved significantly during the past two decades. However, there remain important challenges to be solved, such as controlling cancers with low survival rates. Cancer statistics can be used to discover blind spots in cancer control, and as evidence for developing and implementing future cancer control strategies.

Wound Healing Promoting Activity of Tonsil-Derived Stem Cells on 5-Fluorouracil-Induced Oral Mucositis Model

Background@#We first determined the efficacy of lesional injection of tonsil-derived MSCs (mesenchymal stem cells) for the treatment of 5-fluorouracil induced oral mucositis. @*Methods@#Oral mucositis was induced in hamsters by administration of 5-fluorouracil (day 0, 2, 4) followed by mechanical trauma (day 1, 2, 4). The experimental groups included MT (mechanical trauma only), 5-FU + MT (mechanical trauma with 5-fluorouracil administration), TMSC (mechanical trauma with 5-fluorouracil administration, tonsil-derived mesenchymal stem cells injection), DEXA (mechanical trauma with 5-fluorouracil administration, dexamethasone injection), and saline (mechanical trauma with 5-fluorouracil administration, saline injection). @*Results@#On day 10, gross and histologic analyses showed that nearly complete healing and epithelialization of the cheek mucosa of the TMSC group, whereas the other groups showed definite ulcerative lesions. Compared with the MT and DEXA groups, CD31 expression was greater in the TMSC group on days 10 and 14. Tendency towards a decrease in MMP2 expression with the time in the TMSC group was observed. In addition, the TMSC group showed higher expression of TGF-β, and NOX4 on day 10 compared with the other groups. Scratch assay demonstrated that the conditioned media harvested from tonsil-derived MSCs significantly increased migratory efficacy of NIH3T3 cells. Transwell assay showed that the preferential migration of tonsil-derived MSCs to the wound area. @*Conclusion@#Intralesional administration of tonsil-derived MSCs may accelerate wound healing of 5-fluorouracil induced oral mucositis by upregulating neovascularization and effective wound contraction. In addition, tonsil-derived MSCs might contribute to oral ulcer regeneration via the stimulation of fibroblast proliferation and migration.

The Most Influential Publications on Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection: A Bibliometric Analysis

Background/Aims@#Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is the first-line treatment for superficial gastrointestinal neoplasms with negligible lymph node metastasis. It has evolved through improvements in expertise and equipment, increased understanding of indications and short- and long-term outcomes, and better management of complications. This study aimed to assess and characterize the most influential publications in ESD research. @*Materials and Methods@#We searched the top 50 most cited articles using Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) and Google Scholar (GS) from the inception of these services to January 2019. The top 50 Altmetric Attention Score (AAS) articles based on online media mentions were also searched. Each article was evaluated for the number of citations, title, journal, and publication year. @*Results@#The number of citations for the top 50 WoSCC articles on ESD ranged from 37 to 199; Endoscopy published the most articles (20%). Among the top 50 GS articles, Gastrointestinal Endoscopy published the most ESD articles (34%) and the most shared AAS articles (42.6%). PubMed Central article citations in WoSCC or GS showed significant correlation with those from each metric, unlike AAS. The words with the highest relevance scores were “submucosal tunnel dissection,” “guideline,” “novel submucosal gel,” “adhesive material,” “cell sheet,” “esophageal ulcer,” “hemospray,” and “endoscopic closure,” while the following words were influential: “meta-analysis,” “esophageal stricture,” “perforation,” “bleeding,” “fibrin glue,” “artificial ulcer,” “porcine model” and “esophageal squamous cell neoplasia,” excluding “ESD.” @*Conclusions@#This study presents a detailed list of influential articles, journals, and topic words.

Wound Healing Promoting Activity of Tonsil-Derived Stem Cells on 5-Fluorouracil-Induced Oral Mucositis Model

Background@#We first determined the efficacy of lesional injection of tonsil-derived MSCs (mesenchymal stem cells) for the treatment of 5-fluorouracil induced oral mucositis. @*Methods@#Oral mucositis was induced in hamsters by administration of 5-fluorouracil (day 0, 2, 4) followed by mechanical trauma (day 1, 2, 4). The experimental groups included MT (mechanical trauma only), 5-FU + MT (mechanical trauma with 5-fluorouracil administration), TMSC (mechanical trauma with 5-fluorouracil administration, tonsil-derived mesenchymal stem cells injection), DEXA (mechanical trauma with 5-fluorouracil administration, dexamethasone injection), and saline (mechanical trauma with 5-fluorouracil administration, saline injection). @*Results@#On day 10, gross and histologic analyses showed that nearly complete healing and epithelialization of the cheek mucosa of the TMSC group, whereas the other groups showed definite ulcerative lesions. Compared with the MT and DEXA groups, CD31 expression was greater in the TMSC group on days 10 and 14. Tendency towards a decrease in MMP2 expression with the time in the TMSC group was observed. In addition, the TMSC group showed higher expression of TGF-β, and NOX4 on day 10 compared with the other groups. Scratch assay demonstrated that the conditioned media harvested from tonsil-derived MSCs significantly increased migratory efficacy of NIH3T3 cells. Transwell assay showed that the preferential migration of tonsil-derived MSCs to the wound area. @*Conclusion@#Intralesional administration of tonsil-derived MSCs may accelerate wound healing of 5-fluorouracil induced oral mucositis by upregulating neovascularization and effective wound contraction. In addition, tonsil-derived MSCs might contribute to oral ulcer regeneration via the stimulation of fibroblast proliferation and migration.

The Most Influential Publications on Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection: A Bibliometric Analysis

Background/Aims@#Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is the first-line treatment for superficial gastrointestinal neoplasms with negligible lymph node metastasis. It has evolved through improvements in expertise and equipment, increased understanding of indications and short- and long-term outcomes, and better management of complications. This study aimed to assess and characterize the most influential publications in ESD research. @*Materials and Methods@#We searched the top 50 most cited articles using Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) and Google Scholar (GS) from the inception of these services to January 2019. The top 50 Altmetric Attention Score (AAS) articles based on online media mentions were also searched. Each article was evaluated for the number of citations, title, journal, and publication year. @*Results@#The number of citations for the top 50 WoSCC articles on ESD ranged from 37 to 199; Endoscopy published the most articles (20%). Among the top 50 GS articles, Gastrointestinal Endoscopy published the most ESD articles (34%) and the most shared AAS articles (42.6%). PubMed Central article citations in WoSCC or GS showed significant correlation with those from each metric, unlike AAS. The words with the highest relevance scores were “submucosal tunnel dissection,” “guideline,” “novel submucosal gel,” “adhesive material,” “cell sheet,” “esophageal ulcer,” “hemospray,” and “endoscopic closure,” while the following words were influential: “meta-analysis,” “esophageal stricture,” “perforation,” “bleeding,” “fibrin glue,” “artificial ulcer,” “porcine model” and “esophageal squamous cell neoplasia,” excluding “ESD.” @*Conclusions@#This study presents a detailed list of influential articles, journals, and topic words.

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Brain Reactivity to Insomnia-Related vs. General Anxiety-Inducing Stimuli in Insomnia Patients with Subjective-Objective Discrepancy of Sleep / 수면정신생리

Objectives@#Subjective-objective discrepancy of sleep (SODS) is a common symptom and one of the major phenotypes of insomnia. A distorted perception of sleep deficit might be related to abnormal brain reactivity to insomnia-related stimuli. We aimed to investigate differences in brain activation to insomnia-related stimuli vs. general anxiety-inducing stimuli among insomnia patients with SODS, insomnia patients without SODS, and healthy controls (HCs). @*Methods@#All participants were evaluated for subjective sleep status using a sleep diary and questionnaires; occult sleep disorders and objective sleep status were assessed using polysomnography and actigraphy. Task functional magnetic resonance imaging was performed during insomnia-related stimuli (Ins) and general anxiety-inducing stimuli (Gen). Brain reactivity to Ins versus Gen was compared among insomnia with SODS, insomnia without SODS, and HC groups, and a combined insomnia disorder group (ID, insomnia with and without SODS) was also compared with HCs. @*Results@#In the insomnia with SODS group compared to the insomnia without SODS group, the right precuneus and right supplementary motor areas showed significantly increased BOLD signals in response to Ins versus Gen. In the ID group compared to the HC group, the left anterior cingulate cortex showed significantly increased BOLD signals in response to Ins versus Gen. @*Conclusion@#The insomnia with SODS and ID groups showed higher brain activity in response to Ins versus Gen, while this was not observed in the insomnia without SODS and HC groups, respectively. These results suggest that insomnia patients with sleep misperception are more sensitive to sleep-related threats than general anxiety-inducing threats.

Comparison of the Efficacy and Safety Profiles of a Mixed ‘PF-72’ and ‘0.75% Ropivacaine HCl’ Versus a ‘0.75% Ropivacaine HCl’ and No Treatment Group: A Randomized, Single-Blind, Single-Institution Pilot Study

OBJECTIVES@#The efficacy and safety of ‘PF-72’ for management of postoperative acute pain through a mixed ‘PF-72’ and 0.75% ropivacaine hydrochloride solution in patients with posterior spine surgery was evaluated as ‘0.75% ropivacaine’ and ‘untreated’ controls.SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: Postoperative acute pain is major surgical side effect that lead to the deterioration of the quality of life. Traditional pain control results in variable side effects, and multimodal pain management has been recommended as an alternative. Local anesthetics is a short-acting time lower than 12 hours. There is controversy about the efficiency and stability of thermoreactive hydrogel products as a drug delivery system.@*MATERIALS AND METHODS@#Patients scheduled for posterior spine surgery were enrolled by the inclusion criteria. In the treated group, PF-72 and ropivacaine mixture was injected to the surgical wound before closure. In control group 1, only 0.75% ropivacaine hydrochloride was injected. In the control group 2, the surgical site was without injection. Ten patients were randomly assigned to each group and standardized drugs for pain control were applied postoperatively and rescue regimens were applied when necessary. Postoperative pain score and the cumulative area under the curve (AUC) of pain score were compared. The percentage of subjects who were painless (pain score ≤ 3) was examined at each observation point. The first time of injection and the total dose of the rescue regimen were examined. Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) were also evaluated.@*RESULTS@#There was no significant difference in demographic data. The sum AUC of pain scores in the treated group was significantly lower than that in the control group 1 and 2 at all observation times. The proportion of painless patients was significantly higher in the treated group than in the control group 2. There was no significant difference between the first administration time and the total usage of the rescue regimen, and the percentage of patients with PONV at all time points. There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of adverse events.@*CONCLUSIONS@#PF-72 and ropivacaine mixture showed significant effects for pain management up to 72 hours postoperatively for the patients who underwent posterior spinal surgery without fatal complications.

Comparison of the Efficacy and Safety Profiles of a Mixed ‘PF-72’ and ‘0.75% Ropivacaine HCl’ Versus a ‘0.75% Ropivacaine HCl’ and No Treatment Group: A Randomized, Single-Blind, Single-Institution Pilot Study

STUDY DESIGN: Prospective pilot study OBJECTIVES: The efficacy and safety of ‘PF-72’ for management of postoperative acute pain through a mixed ‘PF-72’ and 0.75% ropivacaine hydrochloride solution in patients with posterior spine surgery was evaluated as ‘0.75% ropivacaine’ and ‘untreated’ controls. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: Postoperative acute pain is major surgical side effect that lead to the deterioration of the quality of life. Traditional pain control results in variable side effects, and multimodal pain management has been recommended as an alternative. Local anesthetics is a short-acting time lower than 12 hours. There is controversy about the efficiency and stability of thermoreactive hydrogel products as a drug delivery system. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients scheduled for posterior spine surgery were enrolled by the inclusion criteria. In the treated group, PF-72 and ropivacaine mixture was injected to the surgical wound before closure. In control group 1, only 0.75% ropivacaine hydrochloride was injected. In the control group 2, the surgical site was without injection. Ten patients were randomly assigned to each group and standardized drugs for pain control were applied postoperatively and rescue regimens were applied when necessary. Postoperative pain score and the cumulative area under the curve (AUC) of pain score were compared. The percentage of subjects who were painless (pain score ≤ 3) was examined at each observation point. The first time of injection and the total dose of the rescue regimen were examined. Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) were also evaluated. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in demographic data. The sum AUC of pain scores in the treated group was significantly lower than that in the control group 1 and 2 at all observation times. The proportion of painless patients was significantly higher in the treated group than in the control group 2. There was no significant difference between the first administration time and the total usage of the rescue regimen, and the percentage of patients with PONV at all time points. There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: PF-72 and ropivacaine mixture showed significant effects for pain management up to 72 hours postoperatively for the patients who underwent posterior spinal surgery without fatal complications.

Helicobacter pylori Infection in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Insufficient systematic reviews were conducted in the previous meta-analyses about the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of H. pylori infection in patients with CKD. METHODS: A systematic review of studies that evaluated the prevalence of H. pylori infection in patients with CKD compared to a control group was performed. Only studies with adult patients were included, and studies with renal transplant recipients or diabetic nephropathy patients were excluded. Random-effects model meta-analyses with sensitivity analyses and subgroup analyses were conducted to confirm the robustness of the main result. A meta-regression analysis was conducted to explore the influence of potential heterogeneity on the outcomes. The methodological quality of the included publications was evaluated using the Risk of Bias Assessment tool for Nonrandomized Studies. Publication bias was also assessed. RESULTS: In total, 47 studies were identified and analyzed. The total prevalence of H. pylori infection was 48.2% (1,968/4,084) in patients with CKD and 59.3% (4,097/6,908) in the control group. Pooled analysis showed a significantly lower prevalence of H. pylori infection in patients with CKD (vs control group: odds ratio, 0.64; 95% confidence interval, 0.52 to 0.79). Sensitivity analyses revealed consistent results, and meta-regression analysis showed no significant confounders. No publication bias was detected. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest a lower prevalence of H. pylori infection in patients with CKD.

Evaluation of the marginal and internal gaps of three different dental prostheses: comparison of the silicone replica technique and three-dimensional superimposition analysis

PURPOSE: The purposes of this study were to evaluate the marginal and internal gaps, and the potential clinical applications of three different methods of dental prostheses fabrication, and to compare the prostheses prepared using the silicone replica technique (SRT) and those prepared using the three-dimensional superimposition analysis (3DSA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Five Pekkton, lithium disilicate, and zirconia crowns were each manufactured and tested using both the SRT and the two-dimensional section of the 3DSA. The data were analyzed with the nonparametric version of a two-way analysis of variance using rank-transformed values and the Tukey's post-hoc test (α = .05). RESULTS: Significant differences were observed between the fabrication methods in the marginal gap (P .350), deep chamfer (P > .719), and axial wall (P > .150). As the 3DSA method is three-dimensional, it allows for the measurement of arbitrary points. CONCLUSION: All of the three fabrication methods are valid for measuring clinical objectives because they produced prostheses within the clinically acceptable range. Furthermore, a three-dimensional superimposition analysis verification method such as the silicone replica technique is also applicable in clinical settings.

Comparison of Clinical and Radiological Results according to Glenosphere Position in Reverse Total Shoulder Arthroplasty: A Short-term Follow-up Study

BACKGROUND: In a previous biomechanical study, eccentric glenospheres with more inferior position of the center of rotation were shown to improve range of motion and reduce the incidence of scapular notching after reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RSA). The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical and radiological results of RSA using an eccentric glenosphere to those using a concentric glenosphere and to determine the usefulness of the eccentric glenosphere. METHODS: From 2009 to 2015, we performed a retrospective review of 20 consecutive patients who underwent RSA using a deltopectoral approach. Nine patients underwent RSA using a concentric glenosphere (group A) while 11 had an eccentric glenosphere (group B). The average follow-up period was 13.9 months (range, 12 to 18 months). All glenoid components were placed with 15° of inferior tilt. Clinical results were assessed using the visual analog pain scale score (VAS), the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeon (ASES) score, the Korean shoulder scoring system (KSS), and the Constant score. On radiological evaluation, prosthesisscapular neck angle (PSNA), peg-glenoid rim distance (PGRD), scapular neck-inferior glenoshere rim distance (inferior glenoshpere overhang), acromion-greater tuberosity (AT) distance, glenoid-greater tuberosity (GT) distance, and severity of notching according to the Nerot-Sirveaux classification were assessed. RESULTS: The clinical results improved significantly in both groups, but there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups. A significant intergroup difference was observed with regard to PGRD (24.8 ± 1.6 mm for group A vs. 22.2 ± 1.9 mm for group B; p = 0.002) and inferior glenosphere overhang (2.0 ± 1.7 mm for group A vs. 5.8 ± 1.6 mm for group B; p = 0.000). Seven of 9 patients in group A developed notching compared with 2 of 11 patients in group B (p = 0.022). The other radiological parameters such as inferior tilt and AT and GT distances were not significantly different between two groups. Complications such as loosening and scapular fractures did not occur. CONCLUSIONS: The eccentric glenosphere in RSA was more effective in reducing the rate of notching than the concentric glenosphere although clinical outcomes were not significantly different in the short-term follow-up.

Recurrent Aspiration Pneumonia due to Anterior Cervical Osteophyte / 대한중환자의학회지

A 74-year-old man presented with recurrent vomiting and aspiration pneumonia in the left lower lobe. He entered the intensive care unit to manage the pneumonia and septic shock. Although a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube was implanted for recurrent vomiting, vomiting and aspiration recurred frequently during admission. Subsequently, he complained of neck pain when in an upright position. A videofluoroscopic swallowing study showed compression of the esophagus by cervical osteophytes and tracheal aspiration caused by an abnormality at the laryngeal inlet. Cervical spine X-rays and computed tomography showed anterior cervical osteophytes at the C3-6 levels. Surgical decompression was scheduled, but was cancelled due to his frailty. Unfortunately, further recurrent vomiting and aspiration resulted in respiratory arrest leading to hypoxic brain damage and death. Physicians should consider cervical spine disease, such as diffuse skeletal hyperostosis as an uncommon cause of recurrent aspiration pneumonia.

Recurrent Aspiration Pneumonia due to Anterior Cervical Osteophyte / 대한구급학회지

A 74-year-old man presented with recurrent vomiting and aspiration pneumonia in the left lower lobe. He entered the intensive care unit to manage the pneumonia and septic shock. Although a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube was implanted for recurrent vomiting, vomiting and aspiration recurred frequently during admission. Subsequently, he complained of neck pain when in an upright position. A videofluoroscopic swallowing study showed compression of the esophagus by cervical osteophytes and tracheal aspiration caused by an abnormality at the laryngeal inlet. Cervical spine X-rays and computed tomography showed anterior cervical osteophytes at the C3-6 levels. Surgical decompression was scheduled, but was cancelled due to his frailty. Unfortunately, further recurrent vomiting and aspiration resulted in respiratory arrest leading to hypoxic brain damage and death. Physicians should consider cervical spine disease, such as diffuse skeletal hyperostosis as an uncommon cause of recurrent aspiration pneumonia.

Clinicopathologic characteristics of teenage sporadic colorectal cancer

PURPOSE: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is generally considered a disease of old age. Most CRCs are diagnosed at age 50 and over. CRC rarely occurs in teenagers, and the clinical features and prognosis of CRC are not clear in this population. The aim of this study was to uncover the clinicopathologic characteristics of teenage sporadic CRC.METHODS: Of the 21,042 patients who underwent operation for primary CRC at Asan Medical Center between July 1989 and December 2014, 19 cases (0.09%) without a familial history of CRC before 20 years of age at diagnosis were enrolled in this study. The clinicopathologic features of the teenage sporadic CRC patients were retrospectively reviewed.RESULTS: Of the 19 patients, 16 patients (84.2%) were male. The most common primary site was the left colon (descending colon & sigmoid colon) in nine patients. With respect to histologic type, adenocarcinoma represented 57.8% of cases, mucinous adenocarcinoma, 31.5%, and signet ring cell carcinoma, 10.5%. Six (31.5%) patients showed peritoneal seeding at presentation. In survival analysis, the 5-year overall survival rate of the patients who underwent curative surgery was 71.3%.CONCLUSION: Teenage sporadic CRC is a very rare disease and the proportion of patients with a poor histologic subtype is high, but early detection and radical treatment can lead to favorable survival rates.

Malignant Glioma with Neuronal Marker Expression : A Clinicopathological Study of 18 Cases

OBJECTIVE: Malignant gliomas with neuronal marker expression (MGwNM) are rare and poorly characterized. Increasingly diverse types of MGwNM have been described and these reported cases underscore the dilemmas in the classification and diagnosis of those tumors. The aim of this study is to provide additional insights into MGwNM and present the clinicopathological features of 18 patients. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of 18 patients diagnosed as MGwNM at our institute between January 2006 and December 2012. Macroscopic total resection was performed in 11 patients (61%). We evaluated the methylation status of O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) and expression of isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH-1) in all cases, and deletions of 1p and 19q in available cases. RESULTS: The estimated median overall survival was 21.2 months. The median progression-free survival was 6.3 months. Six patients (33%) had MGMT methylation but IDH1 mutation was found in only one patient (6%). Gene analysis for 1p19q performed in nine patients revealed no deletion in six, 19q deletion only in two, and 1p deletion only in one. The extent of resection was significantly correlated with progression free survival on both univariate analysis and multivariate analysis (p=0.002 and p=0.013, respectively). CONCLUSION: In this study, the overall survival of MGwNM was not superior to glioblastoma. The extent of resection has a significant prognostic impact on progression-free survival. Further studies of the prognostic factors related to chemo-radio therapy, similar to studies with glioblastoma, are mandatory to improve survival.

Repeatability and reproducibility of individual abutment impression, assessed with a blue light scanner

PURPOSE: We assessed the repeatability and reproducibility of abutment teeth dental impressions, digitized with a blue light scanner, by comparing the discrepancies in repeatability and reproducibility values for different types of abutment teeth. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To evaluate repeatability, impressions of the canine, first premolar, and first molar, prepared for ceramic crowns, were repeatedly scanned to acquire 5 sets of 3-dimensional data via stereolithography (STL) files. Point clouds were compared and the error sizes were measured (n=10, per type). To evaluate reproducibility, the impressions were rotated by 10-20° on the table and scanned. These data were compared to the first STL data and the error sizes were measured (n=5, per type). One-way analysis of variance was used to assess the repeatability and reproducibility of the 3 types of teeth, and Tukey honest significant differences (HSD) multiple comparison test was used for post hoc comparisons (α=.05). RESULTS: The differences with regard to repeatability were 4.5, 2.7, and 3.1 µm for the canine, premolar, and molar, indicating the poorest repeatability for the canine (P<.001). For reproducibility, the differences were 6.6, 5.8, and 11.0 µm indicating the poorest reproducibility for the molar (P=.007). CONCLUSION: Our results indicated that impressions of individual abutment teeth, digitized with a blue light scanner, had good repeatability and reproducibility.

Balloon dilation of jejunal afferent loop functional stenosis following left hepatectomy and hepaticojejunostomy long time after pylorus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy: a case report

We present a rare case of functional stenosis of the jejunal loop following left hepatectomy and hepaticojejunostomy long after pylorus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy (PPPD), which was successfully managed by balloon dilation. A 70-year-old Korean man had undergone PPPD 6 years before due to 1.8 cm-sized distal bile duct cancer. Sudden onset of obstructive jaundice led to diagnosis of recurrent bile duct cancer mimicking perihilar cholangiocarcinoma of type IIIb. After left portal vein embolization, the patient underwent resection of the left liver and caudate lobe and remnant extrahepatic bile duct. The pre-existing jejunal loop and choledochojejunostomy site were used again for new hepaticojejunostomy. The patient recovered uneventfully, but clamping of the percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) tube resulted in cholangitis. Biliary imaging studies revealed that biliary passage into the afferent jejunal limb was significantly impaired. We performed balloon dilation of the afferent jejunal loop by using a 20 mm-wide balloon. Follow-up hepatobiliary scintigraphy showed gradual improvement in biliary excretion and the PTBD tube was removed at 1 month after balloon dilation. This very unusual condition was regarded as disuse atrophy of the jejunal loop, which was successfully managed by balloon dilation and intraluminal keeping of a large-bore PTBD tube for 1 month.