Background: Laser procedures are integral to dermatologic practice, yet safety measures- particularly regarding ocular protection and plume control- are poorly studied in real-world settings. Objective: To evaluate current practices in eye protection, infection control, and occupational risk awareness among Korean dermatologists performing laser treatments. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among board-certified dermatologists at the 2024 Korean Society for Dermatologic Laser Surgery meeting. The questionnaire covered demographics, laser frequency, use of goggles and masks, infection control strategies, ophthalmologic monitoring, and history of warts or cancer. Results: Seventy-nine respondents completed the survey. All reported using protective goggles, but only 26.6% and 22.8% did so for CO 2 and erbium-doped yttrium aluminium garnet lasers, respectively. Only 24.1% underwent regular eye exams, and 13.9% reported eye conditions after starting laser practice. While 89.9% used masks, 40.8% used dental masks, which are inadequate for plume protection. Suction devices were used by 94.9%, though performance specifications were unclear. Warts were reported by 46.8% of respondents; two reported cancer diagnoses after initiating laser work. Conclusion Despite high overall adherence to basic safety practices, critical gaps remain. Our findings highlight the need for standardized guidelines and long-term occupational health monitoring to ensure safe laser practice.

Background: Skin rejuvenation has become an increasingly popular noninvasive approach to address age-related changes such as sagging, wrinkles, and skin laxity. Energy-based devices (EBDs) and injectables are widely used, but their application requires careful customization based on individual patient characteristics to optimize outcomes and minimize potential adverse effects. Objective: This study aimed to explore clinical practice patterns among board-certified dermatologists in South Korea, focusing on their strategies for tailoring skin rejuvenation treatments to individual patients, including the integration of EBDs, injectables, and senotherapeutics. Methods: A structured survey comprising 10 questions was administered to 13 experienced dermatologists specializing in skin rejuvenation. The survey covered treatment strategies for patients with varying facial fat volumes, pain management approaches, and the use of EBDs, injectables and senotherapeutics. Results: High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) and radiofrequency (RF) were the most employed EBDs, often combined with injectables for enhanced outcomes. For patients with higher facial fat, HIFU and deoxycholic acid injections were preferred for contouring and tightening. For those with lower facial fat, biostimulatory agents such as poly-D, L-lactic acid and microneedle RF were favored to restore volume and elasticity. Pain management strategies included topical anesthetics and stepwise protocols. Although less commonly used, senotherapeutics were occasionally prescribed for specific conditions, such as melasma and extensive photoaging. Conclusion Dermatologists in South Korea employ a variety of patient-specific strategies for skin rejuvenation, combining various EBDs, injectables, and senotherapeutics. These findings highlight the importance of personalized treatment protocols and the need for further research to optimize treatment efficacy and safety.

The oral phase is the critical initial stage of swallowing, where the oral motor function is essential. Oral phase impairment can lead to severe complications such as malnutrition and pneumonia. Therefore, accurate assessments are clinically critical. This study systematically reviewed the characteristics and measurement elements of assessment tools for evaluating the oral function and oral motor function in adult dysphagia patients. A systematic literature search was conducted using PubMed, CINAHL, Google Scholar, and RISS databases for articles published up to June 2025.Ultimately, 43 articles were selected, and 22 standardized assessment tools identified within these studies were analyzed.The assessments were classified into standardized clinical tools (n=22) and instrument-based methods. An analysis of the standardized tools revealed a frequent focus on static measures like ‘Anterior spillage’ (54.5%) and ‘mealtime duration’ (45.5%), while dynamic aspects like ‘tongue propulsion’ (9.1%) were overlooked. The instrument-based methods, including oral diadochokinesis, chewing gum tests, and tongue pressure measurement, had the advantage of quantitatively evaluating the oral function. The results showed that an integrated and standardized assessment protocol capable of deeply evaluating the oral phase is needed. This study provides foundational data for the evidence-based application of oral phase assessments in future clinical practice and research.

We observed that treatment with dimethyl α-ketoglutarate (DMK) increased the amount of intracellular α-ketoglutarate significantly more than that of α-ketoglutarate in HaCaT cells. DMK also increased the level of intracellular 4-hydroxyproline and promoted the production of collagen in HaCaT cells. In addition, DMK decreased the production of collagenase and elastase and downregulated the expression of selected matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), such as MMP-1, MMP-9, MMP-10, and MMP-12, via transcriptional inhibition. The inhibition of MMPs by DMK was mediated by the suppression of the IL-1 signaling cascade, leading to the attenuation of ERK1/2 phosphorylation and AP-1 transactivation. Our study results illustrate that DMK, an alkylated derivative of α-ketoglutarate, increased the level of 4-hydroxyproline, promoted the production of collagen, and inhibited the expression of selected MMPs by affecting the IL-1 cascade and AP-1 transactivation in HaCaT cells. The results suggest that DMK might be useful as an anti-wrinkle ingredient.

Background/Aims: Sorafenib is the standard of care in the management of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The purpose of this study was to investigate the characteristics, treatment patterns and outcomes of sorafenib among HCC patients in South Korea. Methods: This population-based retrospective, single-arm, observational study used the Korean National Health Insurance database to identify patients with HCC who received sorafenib between July 1, 2008, and December 31, 2014. A total of 9,923 patients were recruited in this study. Results: Among 9,923 patients, 6,669 patients (68.2%) received loco-regional therapy prior to sorafenib, and 1,565 patients (15.8%) received combination therapy with concomitant sorafenib;2,591 patients (26.1%) received rescue therapy after sorafenib, and transarterial chemoembolization was the most common modality applied in 1,498 patients (15.1%). A total of 3,591 patients underwent rescue therapy after sorafenib, and the median overall survival was 14.5 months compared to 4.6 months in 7,332 patients who received supportive care after sorafenib. The mean duration of sorafenib administration in all patients was 105.7 days; 7,023 patients (70.8%) received an initial dose of 600 to 800 mg. The longest survival was shown in patients who received the recommended dose of 800 mg, subsequently reduced to 400 mg (15.0 months). The second longest survival was demonstrated in patients with a starting dose of 800 mg, followed by a dose reduction to 400–600 mg (9.6 months). Conclusions Real-life data show that the efficacy of sorafenib seems similar to that observed in clinical trials, suggesting that appropriate subsequent therapy after sorafenib might prolong patient survival.

Background: Tracking national croup trends can provide important insights for childhood health management. This study aimed to analyze the incidence and drug prescription trends in Korean children over a two-decade period. Methods: This population-based study encompassed 479,783 children aged < 5 years from 2002–2019, utilizing the National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort. We identified participants with a primary croup diagnosis who were admitted to or visited the emergency room. Age-specific and age-adjusted incidence rates/10,000 person-years were calculated. We assessed using orthogonal polynomial contrasts and stratified by various factors (sex, age, residential area, economic status, comorbidities, and healthcare facility types). We observed changes in the use of five medications: inhaled steroids, systemic steroids, inhaled epinephrine, antibiotics, and short-acting bronchodilators. Generalized binomial logistic regression was used to analyze factors influencing prescription strategies. Results: In 2002, the croup-related visits were 16.1/10,000 person-years, increasing to 98.3 in 2019 (Pfor trend < 0.001). This trend persisted, regardless of age, sex, region, and economic status. Children with comorbid atopic dermatitis or asthma maintained consistent croup rates, while those without comorbidities increased. Treatment trends showed decreasing antibiotic (73–47%) and oxygen use (21.3–3.4%), with increasing nebulized epinephrine (9.3–41.5%) and multiple drug prescriptions (67.8–80.3%). Primary care centers exhibited a greater increase in prescription usage and hospitalization duration than did tertiary healthcare institutions. Conclusion Over the past two decades, croup incidence has risen, accompanied by increased epinephrine use and decreased antibiotic prescriptions. Longer hospitalization and higher medication use were mainly observed in primary care facilities.

A 64-year-old male patient presented with hand numbness and gait disturbance. He had undergone cervical artificial disc replacement (C-ADR) at another hospital nine years earlier. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a protruded disc at the surgical level compressing the spinal cord. The implant and protruded disc were removed. Fusion was then performed. This case report highlights the importance of long-term follow-up of patients who have undergone C-ADR, and the need to be aware of the potential for late complications.In addition, it is important to ensure as complete a disk removal as possible during C-ADR.

The aerial parts of Saururus chinensis (Lour.) Baill., known for its rich lignan content and diversepharmacological activities such as anti-inflammatory and anticancer effects, has not been extensively explored for its potential in preventing obesity. In this study, we investigated the inhibitory effect of methylene chloride fraction of S.chinensis (MCSC) on adipocyte differentiation using experimental models. Furthermore, we conducted a comprehensive chemical analysis employing HPLC and LC-ESI/MS to identify and characterize the main compounds responsible for these effects. MCSC significantly inhibited preadipocyte differentiation, accompanied by down-regulation of target genes involved in lipid synthesis and storage. This anti-adipogenic effect was mediated by the inhibition of CCAAT/ enhancer binding protein α (C/EBPα) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) expression. In a mouse model, oral administration of MCSC resulted in reduced body weight and adipose tissue weight, along with improvements in serum lipid profiles in high-fat diet-induced C57BL/6 obese mice. Active ingredients were identified as manassantin A and manassantin B through comparison of their spectrometric features with previously reported data.This evidence suggests that MCSC could be a potential candidate for the treatment and prevention of obesity-associateddiseases.

Meningiomas are the most common benign brain tumors, and most of them originate from the dura mater. However, in some cases, they can originate from the choroid plexus, and they are rarely found in the posterior cranial fossa. A 63-year-old female patient presented with dizziness and swallowing difficulty and was found to have a homogeneously enhancing mass in the right posterior cranial fossa. Mass removal was performed through retrosigmoid suboccipital craniotomy, and the mass was confirmed to originate from the choroid plexus. The pathological diagnosis was meningothelial meningioma. The patient had temporary swallowing difficulty but recovered without any neurological sequelae. We report a rare case of a lower cerebellopontine angle meningioma without dural attachment originating from the choroid plexus of the foramen of Luschka.

Objective: This study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an individually tailored program based on self-measurement of blood glucose on health behavior and HbA1c in diabetes and pre-diabetes patients. Methods: The program consisted of seven sessions for 12 weeks which were carried out every two weeks. Almost all sessions were progressed on untact method except for the first and last session. The 71 subjects were assessed for their knowledge of diabetes, health behavior, the experience of self-measurement of blood glucose, body mass Index (BMI) and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) at before and after the program. They were also evaluated on their degree of utilization of blood glucose measurements after the program. Results: Each mean score on their knowledge of diabetes, health behavior and the experience of self-measurement of blood glucose was significantly increased from 14.77, 25.50, and 2.70 to 15.41, 28.40, and 4.81, respectively. Each mean score on both BMI and HbA1c (n=53) was significantly decreased from 24.47kg/m2 and 7.27% to 24.01kg/m2 and 6.67%, respectively. The post-HbA1c had a significant negative correlation(r=-0.415) with the degree of utilization of blood glucose measurements. The degree of utilization of blood glucose measurements had a significant positive correlation(r=0.581) with post-health behavior. Conclusions The program shows effectiveness in improving HbA1c in Type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes patients. The post-HbA1c might be related to the degree of utilization of blood glucose measurements which might be related to the health behavior.