Primary pulmonary malignant melanoma is an extremely rare type of melanoma. The radiologic features of primary pulmonary malignant melanoma are nonspecific; however, it almost always presents as a well-demarcated round or lobulated solitary solid nodule or mass. Herein, we report the case of a 78-year-old male with primary pulmonary malignant melanoma that was mistaken for primary pulmonary adenocarcinoma with lepidic growth and was seen as bilateral multiple subsolid nodules on CT.

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak has reached global pandemic status as announced by the World HealthOrganization, which currently recommends reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) as the standard diagnostictool. However, although the RT-PCR test results may be found negative, there are cases that are found positive for COVID-19pneumonia on computed tomography (CT) scan. CT is also useful in assessing the severity of COVID-19 pneumonia. Whenclinicians desire a CT scan of a patient with COVID-19 to monitor treatment response, a safe method for patient transport isnecessary. To address the engagement of medical resources necessary to transport a patient with COVID-19, our institutionhas implemented the use of mobile CT. Therefore, we report two cases of COVID-19 pneumonia evaluated by using mobilecone-beam CT. Although mobile cone-beam CT had some limitations regarding its image quality such as scatter noise, motionand streak artifacts, and limited field of view compared with conventional multi-detector CT, both cases had acceptable imagequality to establish the diagnosis of COVID-19 pneumonia. We report the usefulness of mobile cone-beam CT in patients withCOVID-19 pneumonia.

Although the prevalence of cigarette smoking has declined in Western countries over the past few decades, a comparable decline among males has not been observed in Asian countries, especially in South Korea, where approximately 40%–50% of men and 4%–8% of women have been identified as smokers, and there is a pressing need to understand the background of cigarette smoking in these populations. The present study is a narrative review of the research literature on cigarette smoking in South Korea. First, we describe the social, economic, and cultural factors that impact cigarette smoking in South Korea. The paper also reviews the available peer-reviewed literature comprising observational studies and interventional studies, including randomized controlled trials. The extant literature on smoking in Korean Americans is also reviewed. Cigarette smoking in South Korea has been relatively understudied, and this review identifies priority areas for future research, including the use of mobile interventions.

Background: This study explored the clinical variables related to public workers' stress and anxiety regarding the viral epidemic, and the mediating effect of resilience on the relationship between their depression and anxiety in response to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods: A total of 938 public workers answered anonymous questionnaires in May 2020.The survey included rating scales such as the Stress and Anxiety to Viral Epidemics-9 (SAVE-9), Patients Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale 2 items (CD-RISC 2), and subjects also answered whether they were employed in COVID-19 related fields. Results: Married, female, junior, public workers reported a higher level of stress and anxiety in response to the viral epidemic. Furthermore, high levels of stress and anxiety toward the epidemic are defined by high PHQ-9, high GAD-7, and low CD-RISC 2 scores. It could also be seen that resilience mediated the effect of depression in public workers and their stress and anxiety levels toward the epidemic. Conclusion It is important to reduce the psychological burden of public workers and manage their mental health to help them cope with the epidemic wisely and efficiently. Among many mental health factors, psychological resilience represents an essential target for psychological intervention among public workers.

Background: This study explored the clinical variables related to public workers' stress and anxiety regarding the viral epidemic, and the mediating effect of resilience on the relationship between their depression and anxiety in response to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods: A total of 938 public workers answered anonymous questionnaires in May 2020.The survey included rating scales such as the Stress and Anxiety to Viral Epidemics-9 (SAVE-9), Patients Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale 2 items (CD-RISC 2), and subjects also answered whether they were employed in COVID-19 related fields. Results: Married, female, junior, public workers reported a higher level of stress and anxiety in response to the viral epidemic. Furthermore, high levels of stress and anxiety toward the epidemic are defined by high PHQ-9, high GAD-7, and low CD-RISC 2 scores. It could also be seen that resilience mediated the effect of depression in public workers and their stress and anxiety levels toward the epidemic. Conclusion It is important to reduce the psychological burden of public workers and manage their mental health to help them cope with the epidemic wisely and efficiently. Among many mental health factors, psychological resilience represents an essential target for psychological intervention among public workers.

Objectives: . Deep neck infections (DNIs) can cause life-threatening complications, and prompt diagnosis and management are necessary. Kawasaki disease (KD) may be accompanied by deep neck inflammation; making it difficult to distinguish from DNIs. This study was performed to evaluate clinical features and outcomes of children with parapharyngeal and retropharyngeal inflammation. Methods: . Medical records of the children diagnosed with parapharyngeal and retropharyngeal cellulitis or abscess using cervical computed tomography (CT) between 2013 and 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. Results: . A total of 47 children were diagnosed with parapharyngeal and retropharyngeal inflammation. Eleven (23.4%) of them were eventually diagnosed with KD, and 36 (76.6%) were diagnosed with DNIs. There were no significantly different clinical and laboratory characteristics on admission between children diagnosed with KD and DNIs; however, significantly more children with KD were febrile for ≥3 days after admission compared to those with DNIs (P=0.009). Deep neck abscesses on CT were observed in 16 children with DNIs (44.4%) and in no child with KD (P=0.009). Among the 36 children with DNIs, 30 (83.3%) were cured with antibiotic therapy only. Conclusion . A quarter of children presenting with deep neck inflammation were diagnosed with KD. KD should be considered in children showing deep neck inflammation unresponsive to empirical antibiotic therapy after 3 days, especially in those presenting with deep neck cellulitis rather than deep neck abscess.

Purpose: To investigate the relative risks (RRs) for dementia among individuals with glaucoma. Methods: We conducted a search of PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane databases for observational cohort studies examining the association between glaucoma and dementia until March 2023. Two authors independently screened all titles and abstracts according to predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Pooled RR and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were generated using random-effect models. Results: The meta-analysis included 18 cohort studies conducted in eight countries and involving 4,975,325 individuals. The pooled RR for the association between glaucoma and all-cause dementia was 1.314 (95% CI, 1.099–1.572; I2 = 95%). The pooled RRs for the associations of open-angle glaucoma with Alzheimer dementia and Parkinson disease were 1.287 (95% CI, 1.007–1.646; I2 = 96%) and 1.233 (95% CI, 0.677–2.243; I2 = 73%), respectively. The pooled RRs for the associations of angle-closure glaucoma with all-cause dementia and Alzheimer dementia were 0.978 (95% CI, 0.750–1.277; I2 = 17%) and 0.838 (95% CI, 0.421–1.669; I2 = 16%), respectively. No evidence of publication bias was detected in the Begg-Mazumdar adjusted rank correlation test (p = 0.47). Conclusions Based on current observational cohort studies, there is evidence supporting that glaucoma is a risk factor for dementia in the adult population.

Purpose: To investigate the clinical features of non-affected fellow eyes in patients with unilateral facial port-wine stain (PWS) and ipsilateral secondary glaucoma. Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of the medical records of 35 patients with unilateral facial PWS glaucoma and those of controls (35 subjects without both facial PWS and glaucoma) between September 1996 and May 2020. We noted patients’ age at the glaucoma diagnosis (for unilateral facial PWS glaucoma patients) or at the initial examination (for controls), cup-to-disc ratio (CDR), and intraocular pressure (IOP). We compared the clinical features between the glaucoma-free eyes in patients with unilateral facial PWS glaucoma and the controls. Results: The mean age at the glaucoma diagnosis for unilateral facial PWS glaucoma patients was 0.56 ± 0.99 years (range, 0.08-4). The mean IOP of the glaucoma-free eyes was 16.68 ± 5.73 mmHg (range, 9-22.9), and the mean CDR was 0.37 ± 0.14 (range, 0.15-0.80) at glaucoma diagnosis. The mean IOP of the glaucoma-free eyes was 14.14 ± 6.29 mmHg (range, 8.1-26.7), and the mean CDR was 0.37 ± 0.12 (range, 0.26-0.82) at final examination. When comparing glaucoma-free eyes of the unilateral facial PWS glaucoma patients with the control group (mean age, 11.2 ± 7.4 years), the mean CDR was significantly greater (0.37 ± 0.12 vs. 0.30 ± 0.08; p = 0.014) but there was no significant difference in the mean IOP (14.14 ± 6.29 mmHg vs. 14.57 ± 2.49 mmHg; p = 0.712). Conclusions The glaucoma-free eyes of unilateral facial PWS glaucoma patients showed greater CDR compared to the non-facial PWS and non-glaucoma controls. Additional longitudinal studies are needed to investigate the clinical course of those eyes, whether the risk of developing glaucoma is increased.

Background: G protein-coupled receptor 40 (GPR40) is a key molecule in diabetes and fatty liver, but its role in endothelial dysfunction remains unclear. Our objective in this study was to determine whether GPR40 agonists protect endothelial cells against palmitatemediated oxidative stress. Methods: Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were used to investigate effects of various GPR40 agonists on vascular endothelium. Results: In HUVECs, AM1638, a GPR40-full agonist, enhanced nuclear factor erythroid 2–related factor 2 (NRF2) translocation to the nucleus and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression, which blocked palmitate-induced superoxide production. Those antioxidant effects were not detected after treatment with LY2922470 or TAK875, GPR40-partial agonists, suggesting that GPR40 regulates reactive oxygen species (ROS) removal in a ligand-dependent manner. We also found that palmitate-induced CCAAT/enhancer‐binding protein homologous protein expression; X-box binding protein-1 splicing, nuclear condensation, and fragmentation; and caspase-3 cleavage were all blocked in an NRF2-dependent manner after AM1638 treatment. Both LY2922470 and TAK875 also improved cell viability independent of the NRF2/ROS pathway by reducing palmitate-mediated endoplasmic reticulum stress and nuclear damage. GPR40 agonists thus have beneficial effects against palmitate in HUVECs. In particular, AM1638 reduced palmitate-induced superoxide production and cytotoxicity in an NRF2/HO-1 dependent manner. Conclusion GPR40 could be developed as a good therapeutic target to prevent or treat cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis.

BACKGROUND: Iodine is an intrinsic element of thyroid hormone, which is essential for childhood growth and development. The Ideal Breast Milk (IBM) cohort study aims to evaluate the effects of maternal iodine status during pregnancy and lactation on maternal thyroid function, offspring growth and development, and offspring thyroid function. METHODS: The IBM cohort study recruited pregnant women from Seoul National University Hospital between June 2016 and August 2017, followed by enrollment of their offspring after delivery. For the maternal participants, iodine status is evaluated by urinary iodine concentration (UIC) and dietary records in the third trimester and at 3 to 4 weeks and 12 to 15 months postpartum. For the child participants, cord blood sampling and UIC measurements are performed at birth. At 3 to 4 weeks of age, UIC and breastmilk iodine concentrations are measured. At 12 to 15 months of age, growth and development are assessed and measurements of UIC, a thyroid function test, and ultrasonography are performed. RESULTS: A total of 198 pregnant women in their third trimester were recruited. Their mean age was 35.1±3.5 years, and 78 (39.4%) of them were pregnant with twins. Thirty-three (16.7%) of them had a previous history of thyroid disease. CONCLUSION: Korea is an iodine-replete area. In particular, lactating women in Korea are commonly exposed to excess iodine due to the traditional practice of consuming brown seaweed soup postpartum. The study of the IBM cohort is expected to contribute to developing guidelines for optimal iodine nutrition in pregnant or lactating women.
Breast* ; Child ; Cohort Studies* ; Cordocentesis ; Diet Records ; Female ; Growth and Development* ; Humans ; Infant ; Iodine* ; Korea ; Lactation* ; Milk, Human* ; Parturition ; Postpartum Period ; Pregnancy Trimester, Third ; Pregnancy* ; Pregnant Women ; Prospective Studies* ; Seaweed ; Seoul ; Thyroid Diseases ; Thyroid Function Tests ; Thyroid Gland* ; Twins ; Ultrasonography