Severe portopulmonary hypertension (PPHT) is considered a contraindication for liver transplantation (LT) because of the associated high mortality and poor prognosis. We report the case of a 57-year-old cirrhotic woman with severe PPHT (mean pulmonary artery pressure [mPAP] > 65 mmHg), who underwent a successful living donor LT. Intra-operative use of inhaled iloprost, milrinone, dobutamine, and postoperative use of inhaled nitric oxide and oral sildenafil failed to lower the pulmonary artery pressure (PAP). The patient responded only to nitroglycerin and drainage of massive ascites. Meticulous intra-operative volume control, which included minimizing blood loss and subsequent transfusion, was carried out. The use of vasopressors, which may have elevated the PAP, was strictly restricted. Intra-operative PAP did not show an increase, and the hemodynamics was maintained within relatively normal range, compared to the preoperative state. The patient was discharged without any complications or related symptoms.
Ascites ; Dobutamine ; Drainage ; Female ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Iloprost ; Liver Transplantation* ; Living Donors ; Middle Aged ; Milrinone ; Mortality ; Nitric Oxide ; Nitroglycerin ; Prognosis ; Pulmonary Artery ; Reference Values ; Sildenafil Citrate

Increased intraocular pressure (IOP) during surgery is a risk factor for postoperative ophthalmological complications. We assessed the efficacy of systemically infused dexmedetomidine in preventing the increase in IOP caused by a steep Trendelenburg position, and evaluated the influence of underlying hypertension on IOP during surgery. Sixty patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery in a steep Trendelenburg position were included. Patients in the dexmedetomidine group received a 1.0 µg/kg IV loading dose of dexmedetomidine before anesthesia, followed by an infusion of 0.5 µg/kg/hr throughout the operation. Patients in the saline group were infused with the same volume of normal saline. IOP and ocular perfusion pressure (OPP) were measured 16 times pre- and intraoperatively. In the saline group, IOP increased in the steep Trendelenburg position, and was 11.3 mmHg higher at the end of the time at the position compared with the baseline value (before anesthetic induction). This increase in IOP was attenuated in the dexmedetomidine group, for which IOP was only 4.2 mmHg higher (P < 0.001 vs. the saline group). The steep Trendelenburg position was associated with a decrease in OPP; the degree of decrease was comparable for both groups. In intragroup comparisons between patients with underlying hypertension and normotensive patients, the values of IOP at every time point were comparable. Dexmedetomidine infusion attenuated the increase in IOP during laparoscopic surgery in a steep Trendelenburg position, without further decreasing the OPP. Systemic hypertension did not seem to be associated with any additional increase in IOP during surgery. (Registration at the Clinical Research Information Service of Korea National Institute of Health ID: KCT0001482)
Aged ; Dexmedetomidine/administration & dosage/*pharmacology ; Double-Blind Method ; Eye Diseases/surgery ; Female ; Head-Down Tilt ; Humans ; Hypnotics and Sedatives/administration & dosage/pharmacology ; Intraocular Pressure/*drug effects ; Intraoperative Complications/drug therapy/prevention & control ; Laparoscopy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Tonometry, Ocular ; Treatment Outcome

The Committee on Pediatric Obesity of the Korean Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition newly developed the first Korean Guideline on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Obesity in Children and Adolescents to deliver an evidence-based systematic approach to childhood obesity in South Korea. The following areas were systematically reviewed, especially on the basis of all available references published in South Korea and worldwide, and new guidelines were established in each area with the strength of recommendations based on the levels of evidence: (1) definition and diagnosis of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents; (2) principles of treatment of pediatric obesity; (3) behavioral interventions for children and adolescents with obesity, including diet, exercise, lifestyle, and mental health; (4) pharmacotherapy; and (5) bariatric surgery.
Adolescent ; Bariatric Surgery ; Child ; Diagnosis* ; Diet ; Drug Therapy ; Gastroenterology* ; Humans ; Korea ; Life Style ; Mental Health ; Obesity ; Overweight ; Pediatric Obesity*

The Committee on Pediatric Obesity of the Korean Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition newly developed the first Korean Guideline on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Obesity in Children and Adolescents to deliver an evidence-based systematic approach to childhood obesity in South Korea. The following areas were systematically reviewed, especially on the basis of all available references published in South Korea and worldwide, and new guidelines were established in each area with the strength of recommendations based on the levels of evidence: 1) definition and diagnosis of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents; 2) principles of treatment of pediatric obesity; 3) behavioral interventions for children and adolescents with obesity, including diet, exercise, lifestyle, and mental health; 4) pharmacotherapy; and 5) bariatric surgery.
Adolescent ; Bariatric Surgery ; Child ; Diagnosis* ; Diet ; Drug Therapy ; Gastroenterology* ; Humans ; Korea ; Life Style ; Mental Health ; Obesity ; Overweight ; Pediatric Obesity*

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is the most prevalent inflammatory skin condition, with approximately 80% of cases originating in childhood and some emerging in adulthood. In South Korea, the estimated prevalence of AD ranges between 10% and 20% in children and 1% and 3% in adults. Severe/recalcitrant AD manifests as a chronic, relapsing skin disorder, persisting with uncontrolled symptoms even after topical steroid treatment. Corticosteroids and systemic immunosuppression, conventionally the standard care for difficult-to-treat diseases, cause numerous undesirable side effects. When AD persists despite topical steroid application, systemic therapies like cyclosporine or systemic steroids become the second treatment strategy. The desire for targeted treatments, along with an enhanced understanding of AD’s pathophysiology, has spurred novel therapeutic development. Recent advances introduce novel systemic options, such as biological agents and small-molecule therapy, tailored to treat severe or recalcitrant AD. Notably, dupilumab, a monoclonal antibody inhibiting interleukin 4 and 13, marked a transformative breakthrough upon gaining approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2017, leading to a paradigm shift in the systemic treatment of AD. Furthermore, both dupilumab and Janus kinase inhibitors, including baricitinib, abrocitinib, and tofacitinib, now approved by the Korean FDA, have established their applicability in clinical practice. These innovative therapeutic agents have demonstrated favorable clinical outcomes, effectively addressing moderate to severe AD with fewer side reactions than those associated with previous systemic immunosuppressants. This review summarizes the latest advancements and evidence regarding systemic treatments for AD, including newly approved drugs in Korea.