Tailgut cysts are known to originate from the remnants of the embryonic hindgut. They occur exclusively in the retrorectal and presacral spaces. There have been limited reports of tailgut cysts occurring in the left perirenal space. The present case features a huge tailgut cyst extending from the right perirenal to the perivesical space. We believe that this case report will help to further elucidate the characteristics of perirenal and perivesical tailgut cysts.

Objectives: This study is an effectiveness evaluation study of an oral health education program conducted on 30 visiting nurses who participated in the “CHAT-DONG” project in a district of Seoul, Korea. The primary objective of this study is to obtain basic data for the development of an oral healthcare education program for visiting nurses. Methods: To evaluate the effectiveness of the educational program comprising lecture and small group practice training, oral health knowledge, beliefs, awareness, self-efficacy, and oral health status assessment capabilities were assessed before and after the training, using Google online surveys. Finally, data from 22 participants were used for analysis. Results: Overall oral health knowledge improved after the training, however, specific oral disease knowledge was low. There were no significant changes in oral health beliefs and awareness, but there was a significant increase in self-efficacy. The ability to assess oral health status improved a little, however, the ability to express specific oral health conditions was low. This may be owing to the limitations of a one-time training and the inexperience and unfamiliarity of the participants. The participating nurses were highly satisfied with the training program and expressed a strong desire for regular and ongoing training. Conclusions This study highlights the necessity for systematic and sustained training programs for healthcare personnel, including visiting nurses, to provide effective oral healthcare to older adults.Furthermore, the development of such training programs should consider the demographic characteristics of the target population and their level of prior knowledge and experience when designing, implementing, and evaluating training programs.

This study aimed to analyze the extent of oral health problems among elderly residents of longterm care facilities who have difficulties accessing care at dental clinics due to physical limitations and other challenges. Seventy-four elderly individuals residing in long-term care facilities in A-gu, Seoul, were screened. From these, we randomly selected three older adults (MMSE-K≥24) who were able to communicate freely in the study. Relevant information was obtained through document review, observational surveys, and one-on-one interviews to identify oral health problems and physical limitations experienced by these older adults. The elderly in long-term care facilities experienced pain and discomfort due to oral problems, and improperly fitting dentures and other prosthetics. These oral problems led to limitations in compromised oral functions and alterations in dietary patterns. Despite the need for customized oral care and treatment, the specific oral health needs of the elderly residents were not met due to barriers that hindered their access to healthcare facilities, such as restricted mobility. To alleviate oral functional limitations in elderly residents of long-term care facilities, interventions, such as necessary treatments and personalized oral care, should be implemented. Establishing a systematic approach, including timely visits to long-term care facilities by dentists and a referral system between facilities and dental services, is crucial to optimizing dental care for elderly individuals living in residential aged care.

Background: Pediatric patients with moyamoya disease are vulnerable to ischemic attacks following physical or emotional stress, such as those experienced during blood sampling. A central venous catheter might be beneficial for blood sampling, and a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) is a considerable option for central venous access. However, PICC insertion during anesthetic management is relatively rare.Case: Thirty cases of ultrasound-guided PICC insertion were performed in children undergoing surgery for moyamoya disease after anesthetic induction. Positioning was successful in 22 cases, and 5 were malpositioned. In three cases, the peripheral insertion failed. Adjustment of the insertion depth was performed in nine cases. No complications related to catheterization were observed during the procedure or the catheter indwelling period. Conclusions We report the successful use of PICC in children undergoing surgery for moyamoya disease with a considerable success rate and low incidence of malpositioning or complications.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The fatigue, resistance, ambulation, illnesses, and loss of weight (FRAIL) scale is a screening tool for frailty status using a simple 5-item questionnaire. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical feasibility and validity of the Korean version of the FRAIL (K-FRAIL) scale. METHODS: Questionnaire items were translated and administered to 103 patients aged ≥ 65 years who underwent a comprehensive geriatric assessment at the Seoul National University Bundang Hospital. In this cross-sectional study, the K-FRAIL scale was compared with the domains and the multidimensional frailty index of the comprehensive geriatric assessment. We also assessed the time required to complete the scale. RESULTS: The participants' mean age was 76.8 years (standard deviation [SD], 6.1), and 55 (53.4%) were males. The mean overall frailty index was 0.19 (SD, 0.17). For K-FRAIL-robust, prefrail, and frail patients, the mean frailty indices were 0.09, 0.18, and 0.34, respectively (p for trend < 0.001). A higher degree of impairment in the K-FRAIL scale was associated with worse nutritional status, poor physical performance, functional dependence, and polypharmacy. The number of items with impairment in the K-FRAIL scale was positively associated with the frailty index (B = 3.73, p < 0.001). The K-FRAIL scale could differentiate vulnerability from robustness with a sensitivity of 0.90 and a specificity of 0.33. Of all patients, 75 (72.8%) completed the K-FRAIL scale within < 3 minutes. CONCLUSIONS: The K-FRAIL scale is correlated with the frailty index and is a simple tool to screen for frailty in a clinical setting.
Aged* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Diagnosis ; Fatigue ; Geriatric Assessment ; Humans ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Nutritional Status ; Polypharmacy ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Seoul ; Walking

Transplantation of islet cells into diabetic patients is a promising therapy, provided that the islet cells are able to evade host immune rejection. With improved islet viability, this strategy may effectively reverse diabetes. We applied 2% calcium alginate to generate small and large capsules to encapsulate porcine neonatal pancreatic cell clusters (NPCCs) using an air-driven encapsulator. After encapsulation, the viability was assessed at 1, 4, 7, 14 and 28 days and secretion of functional insulin in response to glucose stimulation were tested at days 14 and 28. Selective permeability of the small alginate capsules was confirmed using various sizes of isothiocyanate-labeled dextran (FITC-dextran). Encapsulation of NPCCs was performed without islet protrusion in the small and large capsules. The viability of NPCCs in all experimental groups was greater than 90% at day 1 and then gradually decreased after day 7. The NPCCs encapsulated in large capsules showed significantly lower viability (79.50 +/- 2.88%) than that of naive NPCCs and NPCCs in small capsule (86.83 +/- 2.32%, 87.67 +/- 2.07%, respectively) at day 7. The viability of naive NPCCs decreased rapidly at day 14 (75.67 +/- 1.75%), whereas the NPCCs encapsulated in small capsules maintained (82.0 +/- 2.19%). After 14 and 28 days NPCCs' function in small capsules (2.67 +/- 0.09 and 2.13 +/- 0.09) was conserved better compared to that of naive NPCCs (2.04 +/- 0.25 and 1.53 +/- 0.32, respectively) and NPCCs in large capsules (2.04 +/- 0.34 and 1.13 +/- 0.10, respectively), as assessed by a stimulation index. The small capsules also demonstrated selective permeability. With this encapsulation technique, small capsules improved the viability and insulin secretion of NPCCs without islet protrusion.
Alginates/chemistry/metabolism ; Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Capsules/chemistry ; Cell Survival ; Diabetes Mellitus/pathology/*therapy ; Disease Models, Animal ; Glucuronic Acid/chemistry/metabolism ; Graft Rejection/etiology/*prevention & control ; Hexuronic Acids/chemistry/metabolism ; Humans ; Insulin/secretion ; Islets of Langerhans/*metabolism/pathology ; Islets of Langerhans Transplantation/*methods ; Postoperative Complications/etiology/*prevention & control ; *Swine

Objectives: This study addressed longstanding issues in Korea’s public health dentist system by defining and standardizing job duties. A practical job description was drafted based on job analysis results to promote work efficiency and lay the groundwork for future educational programs. Methods: The job description elements were selected and drafted based on previous studies.These drafts were revised and refined with expert panel validation. Results: The main job duties of public health dentists encompass community oral health, dental practice, public oral health research, and special oral health, tailored for institutions such as health sub-centers, health centers, health clinics, national health organizations, and correctional facilities. For community oral health at public health subcenters involves 12 key duties including projects, education, and community engagement. Public health centers/clinics focus on 16 key duties mainly around health project planning and evaluation. Dental care across both settings has 15 main duties. Public oral health research emphasizes community surveys and epidemiology. Special oral health in correctional facilities covers 11 main duties including education and external resource linking. Conclusions It concluded that for the development of public health dentists in South Korea, it is necessary to develop public health dentist education programs to promote the performance of public health dentists and to equip them with the competencies necessary to perform such duties, focusing on job descriptions organized around the characteristics of workplaces and major tasks.

BACKGROUND: Thyroid function depends on ethnic and environmental factors. North Korean refugees have the same genetic background as South Koreans, but they have been exposed to different environments. This study examines the prevalence and pattern of thyroid disorders in North Korean women living in South Korea, focusing on subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH). METHODS: The intended sample was a total of 327 North Korean women residing in Seoul. Health questionnaires and medical examinations, including serum thyrotropin (thyroid stimulating hormone, TSH), free thyroxine, and thyroid autoantibodies, were conducted. RESULTS: The prevalence of SCH was 9.4%. In logistic regression analysis, smoking, menopause, length of stay in South Korea, body mass index, history of thyroid disease, and metabolic syndrome were not associated with the risk of SCH. Whereas, the positivity of autoantibodies were associated with a high risk for SCH (odds ratio [OR], 4.840; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.80-13.017; P = 0.002), and age was associated with a low risk for SCH (OR, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.888-0.994; P = 0.031). The serum TSH levels also decreased with increasing age, and in particular, there was significant difference between 30-39 years, and over 60 years (2.33 +/- 1.51 microIU/mL vs. 1.54 +/- 0.73 microIU/mL, P = 0.028). CONCLUSION: In North Korean women, the positivity of autoantibodies was associated with a high risk for SCH. But interestingly, a younger age was associated with a high risk for SCH. Considering that they suffered from severe famine at the period of growth, and this led to malnutrition, their thyroid dysfunction might be associated with the peculiar environment that they experienced.
Autoantibodies ; Body Mass Index ; Female ; Humans ; Hypothyroidism ; Length of Stay ; Logistic Models ; Malnutrition ; Menopause ; Prevalence ; Refugees ; Republic of Korea ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Starvation ; Thyroid Diseases ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyrotropin ; Thyroxine ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Purpose: This study was performed to identify the risk of mortality in patients diagnosed with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). Methods: We selected 2,592 patients with HER2-positive DCIS from Korean Breast Cancer Society (KBCS) database between January 1997 and December 2019. Patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy were excluded. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the association between clinical factors and overall death after adjusting for tumor and clinical characteristics. Mortality data were modified using the Statistics Korea data. Results: Thirty deaths (1.2%) were identified out of 2,592 patients in the KBCS database. In the univariate logistic regression analysis, older age, higher body mass index (BMI), type of breast surgery (mastectomy), estrogen receptornegative, progesterone receptor-negative, and exposure to endocrine therapy were significant clinical factors associated with death. In the multivariate analysis, age (hazard ratio [HR], 1.062; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.015–1.111; P = 0.006), BMI (HR, 1.179; 95% CI, 1.032–1.347, P = 0.016), breast surgery type (mastectomy vs. lumpectomy; HR, 0.285; 95% CI, 0.096–0.844; P = 0.024), and endocrine therapy (HR, 0.314; 95% CI, 0.099–0.995; P = 0.049) were significant risk factors for mortality. Conclusion Advanced age, higher BMI, mastectomy, and the absence of endocrine therapy were factors associated with poor survival of patients with HER2-positive DCIS. This finding requires further validation combined with additional analysis of large databases.

Purpose: Patients who have undergone gastrectomy have unique symptoms that are not appropriately assessed using currently available tools. This study developed and validated a symptom-focused quality of life (QoL) questionnaire for patients who have received gastrectomy for gastric cancer. Materials and Methods Based on a literature review, patient interviews, and expert consultation by the KOrean QUality of life in Stomach cancer patients Study group (KOQUSS), the initial item pool was developed. Two large-scale developmental studies were then sequentially conducted for exploratory factor analyses for content validity and item reduction. The final item pool was validated in a separate cohort of patients and assessed for internal consistency, test-retest reliability, construct validity, and clinical validity. Results The initial questionnaire consisted of 46-items in 12 domains. Data from 465 patients at 11 institutions, followed by 499 patients at 13 institutions, were used to conduct item reduction and exploratory factor analyses. The final questionnaire (KOQUSS-40) comprised 40 items within 11 domains. Validation of KOQUSS-40 was conducted on 413 patients from 12 hospitals. KOQUSS-40 was found to have good model fit. The mean summary score of the KOQUSS-40 was correlated with the EORTC QLQ-C30 and STO22 (correlation coefficients, 0.821 and 0.778, respectively). The KOQUSS-40 score was also correlated with clinical factors, and had acceptable internal consistency (> 0.7). Test-retest reliability was greater than 0.8. Conclusion The KOQUSS-40 can be used to assess QoL of gastric cancer patients after gastrectomy and allows for a robust comparison of surgical techniques in clinical trials.