Background: Avoiding causative allergens is important for controlling the clinical course of atopic dermatitis (AD). Allergen sensitization is influenced by many factors, such as the environmental factors. Although socioeconomic development, climate, and lifestyle have changed and the prevalence of allergic diseases has increased in Korea over the past few decades, there is little information about changes in common allergens over time. Objective: This study aimed to identify the trends of common allergens in patients with AD over a 10-year period based on the results of the multiple allergen simultaneous test (MAST). Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 1,414 patients with AD (603 adults and 811 children) over a period of 10 years. The serum total immunoglobulin E (IgE) and specific IgE levels of 41 allergens were determined using the MAST. Results: House dust and house dust mites were the most prevalent allergens in both adult and pediatric patients during the 10-year period; however, the percentage of higher-class responses has decreased in recent years. The number of patients sensitized to house dust, cats, and egg whites increased, whereas that of patients sensitized to cockroaches, storage mites, beef, and rice decreased for both adults and children. No significant changes were observed in the total number of sensitizing allergens over time. Conclusion Common allergens in patients with AD have change over time. Based on the findings of this study, physicians and patients should consider changing their disease prevention and management strategies.

A 47-year-old man with a 25-year history of Crohn’s disease, presenting asymptomatic erythematous scaly patches (size, 1∼3 cm in diameter) on his back, left hand, right wrist, left ankle, and left sole, visited our clinic. Histopathological examination of the lesions revealed Bowen’s disease. Herein, we report a rare case of multiple Bowen’s disease in the skin, away from the anogenital region, in a patient with Crohn’s disease.

Intracoronary stent implantation can improve coronary hemodynamics and myocardial ischemia in patients with symptomatic bridging. However, percutaneous coronary intervention for this lesion is limited due to the high prevalence of restenosis and risk of complications. We present a case of a totally occluded long-segment myocardial bridge in a patient with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy who was successfully implanted with a bare metal stent under intravascular ultrasound guidance without complications. The patient has been free of ischemic symptoms with stent patency for 10 years.
Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic* ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Myocardial Bridging ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention* ; Prevalence ; Stents ; Ultrasonography

OBJECTIVES: This study examined the trends in gender disparity in the self-rated health of people aged 25 to 64 in South Korea, a rapidly changing society, with specific attention to socio-structural inequality. METHODS: Representative sample data were obtained from six successive, nationwide Social Statistics Surveys of the Korean National Statistical Office performed during 1992 to 2010. RESULTS: The results showed a convergent trend in poor self-rated health between genders since 1992, with a sharper decline in gender disparity observed in younger adults (aged 25 to 44) than in older adults (aged 45 to 64). The diminishing gender gap seemed to be attributable to an increase in women's educational attainment levels and to their higher status in the labor market. CONCLUSIONS: The study indicated the importance of equitable social opportunities for both genders for understanding the historical trends in the gender gap in the self-reported health data from South Korea.
Adult ; Age Factors ; Data Collection ; Educational Status ; Employment/classification/economics ; Female ; *Health Status Disparities ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Republic of Korea ; Sex Factors ; *Social Change ; Social Class ; Women's Health/*trends ; Women's Rights/*trends

Purpose: Various studies have indicated that reduced-port robotic gastrectomies are safe and feasible for treating patients with early gastric cancer. However, there have not been any comparative studies conducted that have evaluated patients with clinically advanced gastric cancer. Therefore, we aimed to compare the perioperative outcomes of D2 lymph node dissections during reduced-port robotic distal subtotal gastrectomies (RRDGs) and conventional 5-port laparoscopic distal subtotal gastrectomies (CLDGs). Materials and Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 118 patients with clinically advanced gastric cancer who underwent minimally invasive distal subtotal gastrectomies with D2 lymph node dissections between February 2016 and November 2019. To evaluate the patient data, we performed a 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) according to age, sex, body mass index, American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status classification score, and clinical T status. The short-term surgical outcomes were also compared between the two groups. Results: The PSM identified 40 pairs of patients who underwent RRDG or CLDG. The RRDG group experienced a significantly longer operation time than the CLDG group (P<0.001), although the RRDG group had significantly less estimated blood loss (P=0.034). The number of retrieved extraperigastric lymph nodes in the RRDG group was significantly higher than that of the CLDG group (P=0.008). The rate of postoperative complications was not significantly different between the two groups (P=0.115). Conclusions D2 lymph node dissections can be safely performed during RRDGs and the perioperative outcomes appear to be comparable to those of conventional laparoscopic surgeries. Further studies are needed to compare long-term survival outcomes.