Background: With growing elderly populations, management of patients with acute stroke is increasingly important. In South Korea, the Acute Stroke Quality Assessment Program (ASQAP) has contributed to improving the quality of stroke care and practice behavior in healthcare institutions. While the mortality of hemorrhagic stroke remains high, there are only a few assessment indices associated with hemorrhagic stroke. Considering the need to develop assessment indices to improve the actual quality of care in the field of acute stroke treatment, this study aims to investigate the current status of human resources and practices related to the treatment of patients with acute stroke through a nationwide survey. Methods: For the healthcare institutions included in the Ninth ASQAP of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA), data from January 2022 to December 2022 were collected through a survey on the current status and practice of healthcare providers related to the treatment of patients with acute stroke. The questionnaire consisted of 19 items, including six items on healthcare providers involved in stroke care and 10 items on the care of patients with acute stroke. Results: In the treatment of patients with hemorrhagic stroke among patients with acute stroke, neurosurgeons were the most common providers. The contribution of neurosurgeons in the treatment of ischemic stroke has also been found to be equivalent to that of neurologists. However, a number of institutions were found to be devoid of healthcare providers who perform definitive treatments, such as intra-arterial thrombectomy for patients with ischemic stroke or cerebral aneurysm clipping for subarachnoid hemorrhage. The intensity of the workload of healthcare providers involved in the care of patients with acute stroke, especially those involved in definitive treatment, was also found to be quite high. Conclusion Currently, there are almost no assessment indices specific to hemorrhagic stroke in the ASQAP for acute stroke. Furthermore, it does not reflect the reality of the healthcare providers and practices that provide definitive treatment for acute stroke. The findings of this study suggest the need for the development of appropriate assessment indices that reflect the realities of acute stroke care.

Background: With growing elderly populations, management of patients with acute stroke is increasingly important. In South Korea, the Acute Stroke Quality Assessment Program (ASQAP) has contributed to improving the quality of stroke care and practice behavior in healthcare institutions. While the mortality of hemorrhagic stroke remains high, there are only a few assessment indices associated with hemorrhagic stroke. Considering the need to develop assessment indices to improve the actual quality of care in the field of acute stroke treatment, this study aims to investigate the current status of human resources and practices related to the treatment of patients with acute stroke through a nationwide survey. Methods: For the healthcare institutions included in the Ninth ASQAP of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA), data from January 2022 to December 2022 were collected through a survey on the current status and practice of healthcare providers related to the treatment of patients with acute stroke. The questionnaire consisted of 19 items, including six items on healthcare providers involved in stroke care and 10 items on the care of patients with acute stroke. Results: In the treatment of patients with hemorrhagic stroke among patients with acute stroke, neurosurgeons were the most common providers. The contribution of neurosurgeons in the treatment of ischemic stroke has also been found to be equivalent to that of neurologists. However, a number of institutions were found to be devoid of healthcare providers who perform definitive treatments, such as intra-arterial thrombectomy for patients with ischemic stroke or cerebral aneurysm clipping for subarachnoid hemorrhage. The intensity of the workload of healthcare providers involved in the care of patients with acute stroke, especially those involved in definitive treatment, was also found to be quite high. Conclusion Currently, there are almost no assessment indices specific to hemorrhagic stroke in the ASQAP for acute stroke. Furthermore, it does not reflect the reality of the healthcare providers and practices that provide definitive treatment for acute stroke. The findings of this study suggest the need for the development of appropriate assessment indices that reflect the realities of acute stroke care.

Background: With growing elderly populations, management of patients with acute stroke is increasingly important. In South Korea, the Acute Stroke Quality Assessment Program (ASQAP) has contributed to improving the quality of stroke care and practice behavior in healthcare institutions. While the mortality of hemorrhagic stroke remains high, there are only a few assessment indices associated with hemorrhagic stroke. Considering the need to develop assessment indices to improve the actual quality of care in the field of acute stroke treatment, this study aims to investigate the current status of human resources and practices related to the treatment of patients with acute stroke through a nationwide survey. Methods: For the healthcare institutions included in the Ninth ASQAP of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA), data from January 2022 to December 2022 were collected through a survey on the current status and practice of healthcare providers related to the treatment of patients with acute stroke. The questionnaire consisted of 19 items, including six items on healthcare providers involved in stroke care and 10 items on the care of patients with acute stroke. Results: In the treatment of patients with hemorrhagic stroke among patients with acute stroke, neurosurgeons were the most common providers. The contribution of neurosurgeons in the treatment of ischemic stroke has also been found to be equivalent to that of neurologists. However, a number of institutions were found to be devoid of healthcare providers who perform definitive treatments, such as intra-arterial thrombectomy for patients with ischemic stroke or cerebral aneurysm clipping for subarachnoid hemorrhage. The intensity of the workload of healthcare providers involved in the care of patients with acute stroke, especially those involved in definitive treatment, was also found to be quite high. Conclusion Currently, there are almost no assessment indices specific to hemorrhagic stroke in the ASQAP for acute stroke. Furthermore, it does not reflect the reality of the healthcare providers and practices that provide definitive treatment for acute stroke. The findings of this study suggest the need for the development of appropriate assessment indices that reflect the realities of acute stroke care.

Background: With growing elderly populations, management of patients with acute stroke is increasingly important. In South Korea, the Acute Stroke Quality Assessment Program (ASQAP) has contributed to improving the quality of stroke care and practice behavior in healthcare institutions. While the mortality of hemorrhagic stroke remains high, there are only a few assessment indices associated with hemorrhagic stroke. Considering the need to develop assessment indices to improve the actual quality of care in the field of acute stroke treatment, this study aims to investigate the current status of human resources and practices related to the treatment of patients with acute stroke through a nationwide survey. Methods: For the healthcare institutions included in the Ninth ASQAP of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA), data from January 2022 to December 2022 were collected through a survey on the current status and practice of healthcare providers related to the treatment of patients with acute stroke. The questionnaire consisted of 19 items, including six items on healthcare providers involved in stroke care and 10 items on the care of patients with acute stroke. Results: In the treatment of patients with hemorrhagic stroke among patients with acute stroke, neurosurgeons were the most common providers. The contribution of neurosurgeons in the treatment of ischemic stroke has also been found to be equivalent to that of neurologists. However, a number of institutions were found to be devoid of healthcare providers who perform definitive treatments, such as intra-arterial thrombectomy for patients with ischemic stroke or cerebral aneurysm clipping for subarachnoid hemorrhage. The intensity of the workload of healthcare providers involved in the care of patients with acute stroke, especially those involved in definitive treatment, was also found to be quite high. Conclusion Currently, there are almost no assessment indices specific to hemorrhagic stroke in the ASQAP for acute stroke. Furthermore, it does not reflect the reality of the healthcare providers and practices that provide definitive treatment for acute stroke. The findings of this study suggest the need for the development of appropriate assessment indices that reflect the realities of acute stroke care.

Purpose: Given that 40%-50% of primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) tissues exhibit aberrancy on 9p24.1, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) may work for the disease. Materials and Methods: To define the role of ICIs in PCNSL, we carried out a nationwide retrospect analysis for 22 patients who had been treated with nivolumab monotherapy for relapsed or refractory PCNSL. Results: The median age at diagnosis was 66, and male: female ratio was 1:1. Patients received nivolumab after a median of 3 lines (range, 2 to 6) of therapy and at the median age of 67 years (range, 37 to 82 years). Eleven patients (50%) were refractory to the last treatment prior to nivolumab. With a median follow-up duration of 22.3 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 13.1 to 31.5), nine patients (41%) had an objective response (6 complete responses, 3 partial responses), and the median duration of response was 20.9 months (95% CI, 1.7 to 40.0). The median progression-free survival and overall survival were 2.1 months (95% CI, 0.2 to 4.0) and 18.9 months (95% CI, 5.0 to 32.8), respectively. Nivolumab was generally well-tolerated as no patients required dose reduction and only two patients required delay of treatment. Conclusion Our study suggests that nivolumab can be a reasonable option with the durable response for RR PCNSL.

Purpose: Given that 40%-50% of primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) tissues exhibit aberrancy on 9p24.1, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) may work for the disease. Materials and Methods: To define the role of ICIs in PCNSL, we carried out a nationwide retrospect analysis for 22 patients who had been treated with nivolumab monotherapy for relapsed or refractory PCNSL. Results: The median age at diagnosis was 66, and male: female ratio was 1:1. Patients received nivolumab after a median of 3 lines (range, 2 to 6) of therapy and at the median age of 67 years (range, 37 to 82 years). Eleven patients (50%) were refractory to the last treatment prior to nivolumab. With a median follow-up duration of 22.3 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 13.1 to 31.5), nine patients (41%) had an objective response (6 complete responses, 3 partial responses), and the median duration of response was 20.9 months (95% CI, 1.7 to 40.0). The median progression-free survival and overall survival were 2.1 months (95% CI, 0.2 to 4.0) and 18.9 months (95% CI, 5.0 to 32.8), respectively. Nivolumab was generally well-tolerated as no patients required dose reduction and only two patients required delay of treatment. Conclusion Our study suggests that nivolumab can be a reasonable option with the durable response for RR PCNSL.

Purpose: Given that 40%-50% of primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) tissues exhibit aberrancy on 9p24.1, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) may work for the disease. Materials and Methods: To define the role of ICIs in PCNSL, we carried out a nationwide retrospect analysis for 22 patients who had been treated with nivolumab monotherapy for relapsed or refractory PCNSL. Results: The median age at diagnosis was 66, and male: female ratio was 1:1. Patients received nivolumab after a median of 3 lines (range, 2 to 6) of therapy and at the median age of 67 years (range, 37 to 82 years). Eleven patients (50%) were refractory to the last treatment prior to nivolumab. With a median follow-up duration of 22.3 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 13.1 to 31.5), nine patients (41%) had an objective response (6 complete responses, 3 partial responses), and the median duration of response was 20.9 months (95% CI, 1.7 to 40.0). The median progression-free survival and overall survival were 2.1 months (95% CI, 0.2 to 4.0) and 18.9 months (95% CI, 5.0 to 32.8), respectively. Nivolumab was generally well-tolerated as no patients required dose reduction and only two patients required delay of treatment. Conclusion Our study suggests that nivolumab can be a reasonable option with the durable response for RR PCNSL.

Portal vein preparation for inflow anastomosis is a critical step in liver transplantation. Although portal vein thrombosis is well documented and classified according to Yerdel grading, calcification or sclerosis of the portal vein is rarely reported. Segmental or diffuse calcification of portal vein compromises its structural integrity and may even result in flow obstruction, rendering it unsuitable for reconstruction and necessitating alternative inflow strategies. This case report describes a patient with portal vein tearing around chronic calcification who underwent successful living donor liver transplantation using a cryopreserved iliac vein graft anastomosed to gastric varices.

We aimed to characterize the genomes of monkeypox virus isolates from the Far East, providing insights into viral transmission and evolution. Genomic analysis was conducted on 8 isolates obtained from patients with monkeypox virus disease in the Republic of Korea between May 2022 and early 2023. These isolates were classified into Clade IIb. Distinct lineages, including B.1.1, A.2.1, and B.1.3, were observed in 2022 and 2023 isolates, with only the B.1.3 lineage detected in six isolates of 2023. These genetic features were specific to Far East isolates (the Republic of Korea, Japan, and Taiwan), distinguishing them from the diverse lineages found in the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Oceania. In early 2023, the prevalence of the B.1.3 lineage of monkeypox virus identified in six patients with no overseas travel history is considered as an indicator of the potential initiation of local transmission in the Republic of Korea.

The submandibular displacement of a mandibular third molar residual root presents major challenges to oral and maxillofacial surgeons due to the proximity to critical anatomical structures such as the lingual nerve and sublingual artery. Preoperative imaging can approximate the location of the residual tooth root; however, accurately determining its exact position is difficult because of the dynamic nature of the mandible and the difficulty of realtime synchronization of imaging. This study presents the successful extraction of a residual mandibular third molar root in a 67-year-old female patient achieved using a magnetic field-based navigation system. The sublingually-displaced residual root was localized using the navigation system, marked using a virtual implant placement, and positioned by a hand piece using synchronized real-time sensor data. The root was successfully removed with a minimally-invasive approach. No complications occurred postoperatively, and follow-up showed no major issues. Due to the small size of the marker, ease of calibration, and independence from visual obstacles, magnetic field-based navigation systems are a promising tool for the removal of residual roots displaced into adjacent soft tissue.