Purpose: Since 1995, the Korean Gastric Cancer Association (KGCA) has been periodically conducting nationwide surveys on patients with surgically treated gastric cancer. This study details the results of the survey conducted in 2023. Materials and Methods: The survey was conducted from March to December 2024 using a standardized case report form. Data were collected on 86 items, including patient demographics, tumor characteristics, surgical procedures, and surgical outcomes. The results of the 2023 survey were compared with those of previous surveys. Results: Data from 12,751 cases were collected from 66 institutions. The mean patient age was 64.6 years, and the proportion of patients aged ≥71 years increased from 9.1% in 1995 to 31.7% in 2023. The proportion of upper-third tumors slightly decreased to 16.8% compared to 20.9% in 2019. Early gastric cancer accounted for 63.1% of cases in 2023.Regarding operative procedures, a totally laparoscopic approach was most frequently applied (63.2%) in 2023, while robotic gastrectomy steadily increased to 9.5% from 2.1% in 2014.The most common anastomotic method was the Billroth II procedure (48.8%) after distal gastrectomy and double-tract reconstruction (51.9%) after proximal gastrectomy in 2023.However, the proportion of esophago-gastrostomy with anti-reflux procedures increased to 30.9%. The rates of post-operative mortality and overall complications were 1.0% and 15.3%, respectively. Conclusions The results of the 2023 nationwide survey demonstrate the current status of gastric cancer treatment in Korea. This information will provide a basis for future gastric cancer research.

Background: Tinnitus is a multifactorial condition with no universally accepted assessment guidelines. The Korean Tinnitus Study Group previously established consensus statements on the definition, classification, and diagnostic tests for tinnitus. As a continuation of this effort, this study aims to establish expert consensus on tinnitus assessment and treatment outcome evaluation, specifically tailored to the Korean clinical context. Methods: A modified Delphi method involving 26 otology experts from across Korea was used. A two-round Delphi survey was conducted to evaluate statements related to tinnitus assessment before and after treatment. Statements were rated on a scale of 1 to 9 for the level of agreement. Consensus was defined as ≥ 70% agreement (score of 7–9) and ≤ 15% disagreement (score of 1–3). Statistical measures such as content validity ratio and Kendall’s coefficient of concordance (W) were calculated to assess agreement levels. Results: Of the 46 assessment-related statements, 17 (37%) reached consensus, though overall pre-treatment assessments showed weak agreement (Kendall’s W = 0.319). Key areas of agreement included the use of the visual analogue scale, numeric rating scale, and validated questionnaires for pre-treatment evaluation. Five statements, such as the use of computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and angiography for diagnosing pulsatile tinnitus, achieved over 90% agreement. For treatment outcome measurements, 8 of 12 statements (67%) reached a consensus, with moderate agreement (Kendall’s W = 0.513). Validated questionnaires and psychoacoustic tests were recommended for evaluating treatment effects within 12 weeks. While standardized imaging for pulsatile tinnitus and additional clinical tests were strongly recommended, full consensus was not achieved across all imaging modalities. Conclusion This study provides actionable recommendations for tinnitus assessment and treatment evaluation, emphasizing the use of standardized tools and individualized approaches based on patient needs. These findings offer a practical framework to enhance consistency and effectiveness in tinnitus management within Korean clinical settings.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a newly emerged infectious disease that needs further clinical investigation. Characterizing the temporal pattern of combined infections in patients with COVID-19 may help clinicians understand the clinical nature of this disease and provide valuable diagnostic and therapeutic guidelines. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed COVID-19 patients isolated in four study hospitals in Korea for one year period from May 2021 to April 2022 when the delta and omicron variants were dominant. The temporal characteristics of combined infections based on specific diagnostic tests were analyzed. Results: A total of 16,967 COVID-19 patients were screened, 2,432 (14.3%) of whom underwent diagnostic microbiologic tests according to the clinical decision-making, 195 of whom had positive test results, and 0.55% (94/16,967) of whom were ultimately considered to have clinically meaningful combined infections. The median duration for the diagnosis of combined infections was 15 (interquartile range [IQR], 5–25) days after admission. The proportion of community-acquired coinfections (≤ 2 days after admission) was 11.7% (11/94), which included bacteremia (10/94, 10.63%) and tuberculosis (1/94, 1.06%). Combined infections after 2 days of admission were diagnosed at median 16 (IQR, 9–26) days, and included bacteremia (72.3%), fungemia (19.3%), cytomegalovirus (CMV) diseases (8.4%), Pneumocystis jerovecii pneumonia (PJP, 8.4%) and invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA, 4.8%). Conclusion Among COVID-19 patients with risk factors for severe complications, 0.55% had laboratory-confirmed combined infections, which included community and nosocomial pathogens in addition to unusual pathogens such as CMV disease, PJP and IPA.

Background: s/Aims: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the sixth most common cancer and second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in South Korea. This study evaluated the characteristics of Korean patients newly diagnosed with HCC in 2016-2018. Methods: Data from the Korean Primary Liver Cancer Registry (KPLCR), a representative database of patients newly diagnosed with HCC in South Korea, were analyzed. This study investigated 4,462 patients with HCC registered in the KPLCR in 2016-2018. Results: The median patient age was 63 years (interquartile range, 55-72). 79.7% of patients were male. Hepatitis B infection was the most common underlying liver disease (54.5%). The Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging system classified patients as follows: stage 0 (14.9%), A (28.8%), B (7.5%), C (39.0%), and D (9.8%). The median overall survival was 3.72 years (95% confidence interval, 3.47-4.14), with 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival rates of 71.3%, 54.1%, and 44.3%, respectively. In 2016-2018, there was a significant shift toward BCLC stage 0-A and Child-Turcotte-Pugh liver function class A (P<0.05), although survival rates did not differ by diagnosis year. In the treatment group (n=4,389), the most common initial treatments were transarterial therapy (31.7%), surgical resection (24.9%), best supportive care (18.9%), and local ablation therapy (10.5%). Conclusions Between 2016 and 2018, HCC tended to be diagnosed at earlier stages, with better liver function in later years. However, since approximately half of the patients remained diagnosed at an advanced stage, more rigorous and optimized HCC screening strategies should be implemented.

Objective: We aimed to investigate the associations of the triglyceride-glucose index, which measures insulin resistance, and the incidence of Parkinson’s disease. Methods: Our study used the Health Screening Cohort database of the National Health Insurance Service of South Korea (2002–2019). We included 310,021 participants who had no previous history of Parkinson’s disease and for whom more than 3 triglyceride-glucose index measurements were available. A diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease was determined via the International Classification of Diseases Tenth edition (G20) with a specific reimbursement code for rare intractable diseases and a history of prescriptions for anti-Parkinsonism drugs. Results: During a median of 9.64 years (interquartile range 8.72–10.53), 4,587 individuals (1.5%) had Parkinson’s disease. Based on a multivariable time-dependent Cox proportional hazards model, a per-unit increase in triglyceride-glucose index score was associated with a significantly increased risk of Parkinson’s disease (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.062; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.007–1.119). In a sensitivity analysis, the triglyceride-glucose index was associated with the incidence of Parkinson’s disease in a non–diabetes mellitus cohort (HR: 1.093; 95% CI 1.025–1.165), but not in the diabetes mellitus cohort (HR: 0.990; 95% CI 0.902–1.087). In a restricted cubic spline analysis, the association between the triglyceride-glucose index and the incidence risk of Parkinson’s disease showed a nonlinear increasing (J-shaped) trend. Conclusion Our study demonstrated that higher triglyceride-glucose index scores were associated with the incidence of Parkinson’s disease in the general population, particularly in a nondiabetic mellitus cohort.

Purpose: To evaluate the characteristics, anatomical success rate, and factors that may affect the anatomical success of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment in patients in their 20s. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of patients aged 20-29 years who underwent surgery for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment from January 2018 to December 2022. We examined factors such as sex, age, duration of illness, preoperative best corrected visual acuity, presence of underlying diseases, proliferative vitreoretinopathy, lattice degeneration, macular involvement, extent of retinal detachment at diagnosis, axial length, and myopia level to explore their impact on surgical outcomes. Results: The study included 122 eyes. The mean age was 23.81 ± 2.82 years, and the average sphere power was -5.80 ± 3.71 diopters (D). The percentage of eyes with a refraction of ≤ -6.0 D came to 44.3% (54/122), and with ≤ -4.0 D it amounted to 72.1% (88/122). The average logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) best corrected visual acuity improved significantly from 0.52 ± 0.68 before surgery to 0.28 ± 0.45 after surgery. The primary surgical success rates were 92.0% for scleral buckling, 88.9% for vitrectomy, and 92.3% for combined scleral buckling and vitrectomy, with no significant factors related to anatomical success identified. Conclusions There was a high prevalence of moderate to severe myopia among patients in their 20s with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. However, no statistically significant correlation was found between the degree of myopia and anatomical success. Both functional and anatomical outcomes were generally favorable in these patients.

Objective: The Daegu region experienced the first wave of the pandemic at the beginning of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in Korea. Other non-COVID-19-related treatments during a community outbreak, such as cardiovascular diseases, were expected to impact emergency departments. In acute myocardial infarctions, time is an important factor affecting the patient outcome. This study examined how community COVID-19 outbreak affected STsegment elevated myocardial infarction (STEMI) care in emergency departments. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on patients visiting five emergency departments in the Daegu area who were diagnosed with STEMI from February 18 to April 17 each year from 2018 to 2020. The demographic characteristics, prehospital variables, in-hospital time variables, and treatment results were collected. The cases were divided into the pre-COVID period and the COVID period for comparison. Results: The study included 254 patients (194 pre-COVID, 60 during COVID). The symptom-to-door time did not differ. Although the door-to-first doctor time was shortened (4 min vs. 2 min, P=0.01), the rate of coronary angiogram along with the door-to-angiogram time and the door-to-balloon time did not change. The length of stay in the emergency department was delayed during COVID-19 (median, 136 min vs. 404 min; P<0.01). The in-hospital length of stay and mortality were similar in both groups. Conclusion The time to treat STEMI was not delayed significantly during the first wave of the COVID-19 outbreak in the Daegu area compared with the pre-pandemic period. Mortality did not change. The length of stay was elongated significantly in the emergency department but not in the hospital.