Objective: This study examined the efficacy of artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm-based diagnostic assistant solutions in the interpretation of brain computed tomography (CT) by emergency medicine (EM) residents. Methods: This study included 350 patients who visited a local emergency medical center over 5 months and underwent brain CT scans. EM residents initially interpreted the patients’ scans. A second interpretation was performed using an AI algorithm-based solution. The initial and second interpretations were compared with that of a radiology physician. Results: The first interpretation by EM residents showed agreement in 318 cases (90.9%), while the second, assisted by an AI algorithm-based solution, showed agreement in 308 cases (88.0%). The first interpretation had an accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of 93.1%, 43.9%, and 99.7%, respectively, and the second had an accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of 92.0%, 39.0%, and 99.0%, respectively (P<0.001). Most of the discrepancies observed in the first and second interpretations were classified as Grade 1. Conclusion The interpretations assisted by the AI algorithm-based solution resulted in lower accuracy and higher discrepancy rates than independent interpretations by EM residents. The AI algorithm-based solution provided efficacy in accurate interpretation depending on the cases. Further study will be needed to address the weaknesses of the function and utility of AI.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the current status of bariatric and metabolic surgery in Daejeon and Chungcheong province and to describe the early experiences after public medical insurance coverage in 2019. Materials and Methods: Between January 2019 and August 2019, 64 cases of bariatric and metabolic surgery were performed in patients with morbid obesity or uncontrolled type 2 diabetes. We prospectively collected and analyzed data regarding the patients’ demographics and comorbidities, surgical results, and early complications. The patient information before and after the insurance coverage was also compared. Results: The number of surgeries in 9 years has been caught up only in the last 8 months after insurance coverage (58 vs. 64 patients). The mean body mass index was 37.7±5.8 kg/m2 (range, 22.7-52.1 kg/m2). The most frequently performed surgery was sleeve gastrectomy (53 cases, 82.8%), followed by Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (9 cases, 14.1%), and adjustable gastric banding (2 cases, 3.1%). Postoperative complications occurred in 6 patients (9.4%), and there was no mortality. The mean operation time (225.3±85.4 vs. 156.1±61.8 min, P＜0.001) and postoperative stay (5.9±4.5 vs. 4.3±2.0 days, P=0.013) after the insurance coverage were significantly shorter than those before the insurance coverage. Conclusion We could assess the patients who had bariatric and metabolic surgery in Daejeon and Chungcheong province after public medical insurance coverage in 2019.

PURPOSE: This study aims to investigate the actual compliance with chemotherapy and analyze several factors affecting the compliance in patients with gastric cancer. METHODS: From February 2012 to December 2014, we collected data of patients with gastric cancer who received adjuvant chemotherapy (TS-1 monotherapy or XELOX: capecitabine/oxaliplatin) in Korea. RESULTS: We collected data of 1,089 patients from 31 institutions. The completion rate and dose reduction rate by age (≥60 years vs. <60 years) were 57.5% vs. 76.8% (P < 0.001) and 17.9% vs. 21.3% (P = 0.354); by body mass index (BMI) (≥23 kg/m2 vs. <23 kg/m2) were 70.2% vs. 63.2% (P = 0.019) and 19.2% vs. 19.9% (P = 0.987), respectively. The compliance by American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status (ASA PS) classification was as follows: completion rate was 74.4%, 62.8%, and 60% (P = 0.001) and the dose reduction rate was 18.4%, 20.7%, and 17.8% (P = 0.946) in ASA PS classification I, II, and III, respectively. The completion rate of TS-1 and XELOX was 65.9% vs. 70.3% (P = 0.206) and the dose reduction rate was 15.7% vs. 33.6% (P < 0.001). Furthermore, the completion rate of chemotherapy by surgical oncologists and medical oncologists was 69.5% vs. 63.2% (P = 0.028) and the dose reduction rate was 17.4% vs. 22.3% (P = 0.035), respectively. CONCLUSION: The compliance was lower in patients who were older than 60 years, had BMI <23 kg/m2, and had higher ASA PS classification. Furthermore, the patients showed higher compliance when they received chemotherapy from surgical oncologists rather than from medical oncologists.
Body Mass Index ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Classification ; Compliance ; Drug Therapy ; Humans ; Korea ; Stomach Neoplasms

PURPOSE: The aim of our study is to investigate the current status of metabolic and bariatric surgery in Daejeon and Chungcheong province and examine the role and necessity of the community research society. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this retrospective study, 58 patients who underwent bariatric and metabolic surgery from January 2010 to June 2018 were included. Patients' demographics and comorbidities, operation type and early complications were analyzed. RESULTS: Mean age was 36.9±11.4 (range, 18–64) years, and mean preoperative body mass index was 39.2±6.9 (range, 24.6–56.1) kg/m². The most frequently performed operation was sleeve gastrectomy (48 cases, 82.8%), followed by adjustable gastric banding (8 cases, 13.8%) and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (2 cases, 3.4%). Postoperative complications were reported in two patients; however, no mortality was reported. CONCLUSION: We investigated the patients who underwent metabolic and bariatric surgery in Daejeon Chungcheong province. Our research society will continue to ensure safe operation and proper management of morbidly obese patients in our community.
Bariatric Surgery ; Body Mass Index ; Comorbidity ; Demography ; Gastrectomy ; Gastric Bypass ; Humans ; Mortality ; Obesity ; Postoperative Complications ; Retrospective Studies

We describe two cases of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) that occurred under dasatinib treatment and were resolved after dasatinib discontinuation. Two patients with chronic phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) were switched to dasatinib therapy because of hematological progress while receiving imatinib. These patients had New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class II dyspnea with elevated right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP), which progressed under dasatinib treatment. After dasatinib treatment was discontinued, subjective symptoms were improved to NYHA functional class I and the follow-up transthoracic Doppler echocardiography showed improved RVSP. Treatment with an alternate tyrosine kinase inhibitor was initiated and had been continued without development of dyspnea or elevation of RVSP. This report suggests that dasatinib can cause the reversible PAH, therefore, routine cardiopulmonary evaluation before and during treatment with dasatinib may be needed in CML patients with clinical manifestations.
Blood Pressure ; Dyspnea ; Echocardiography, Doppler ; Follow-Up Studies ; Heart ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive* ; Protein-Tyrosine Kinases

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Remnant lipoproteins (RLPs) are products of partially catabolized chylomicrons and very-low-density lipoprotein, from which some triglycerides have been removed. These particles are smaller and denser than the parent particles and are believed to be strongly atherogenic. We explored the association between RLP cholesterol (RLP-C) and ischemic stroke, including stroke subtypes. METHODS: A cohort of 142 ischemic stroke patients (90 men and 52 women; age, 65.2+/-12.8 years, mean+/-SD) was enrolled; all had acute infarcts confirmed by diffusion-weighted MRI, and had fasting lipograms. A full stroke-related evaluation was conducted on each patient. An outpatient population of 88 subjects without a history of cerebrovascular or cardiovascular disease served as a control group. Serum RLP fractions were isolated using an immunoaffinity gel containing specific antiapolipoprotein (anti-apo)B-100 and anti-apoA-I antibodies. RLP-C values were considered to be high when they were in the highest quartile of all values in the study. RESULTS: High RLP-C values were more common in stroke patients than in control patients (31.0% vs. 14.8%, p=0.01), when 5.6 mg/dL (>75th percentile) was used as the cutoff value. Multivariable analyses indicated that RLP-C was a risk factor for stroke, with an odds ratio of 2.54 (p=0.045). The RLP-C level was higher in the large artery atherosclerosis subgroup (5.7+/-3.9 mg/dL) than in any other stroke subgroup (small vessel occlusion, 4.9+/-5.9 mg/dL; cardioembolism, 1.8+/-2.3 mg/dL; stroke of undetermined etiology, 3.1+/-2.9 mg/dL). CONCLUSIONS: We have found an association between high RLP-C levels and ischemic stroke, and in particular large artery atherosclerotic stroke.
Antibodies ; Arteries ; Atherosclerosis ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Cholesterol ; Chylomicrons ; Cohort Studies ; Fasting ; Glycosaminoglycans ; Humans ; Lipoproteins ; Male ; Odds Ratio ; Outpatients ; Parents ; Risk Factors ; Stroke ; Triglycerides

Tuberculous infection of the ischium is a rare condition. It is recommended that antituberculosis chemotherapy is combined with surgical intervention. The patient in this case had an abscess on his right gluteal region and he had undergone an operation without antituberculosis chemotherapy. After eight years, an abscess recurred in the same area and he was treated with surgical resection. Antituberculosis chemotherapy was administered following histopathological confirmation of tuberculosis. At 1 year postoperatively, the patient had no pain and there was no evidence of recurrence.
Abscess ; Buttocks ; Humans ; Ischium ; Pelvis ; Recurrence ; Tuberculosis

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the usefulness of infrared thermography in the diagnosis of unilateral carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). METHOD: Thirty six patients confirmed electrodiagnostically as CTS and fifteen adults with normal electrodiagnostic study were included in this study. For the thermographic diagnosis, we measured the skin temperature of the palmar area of all 5 fingers, thenar area, hypothenar area and volar area of forearm bilaterally. We compared the interside peak temperature difference between median nerve innervated area and noninnervated area in three different groups (normal control, mild CTS and moderate to severe CTS groups). RESULTS: Thermography of the CTS patients showed significant temperature differences in more than one area of the median vasomotor nerve territory, and no significant temperature difference in all the areas that were not innervated by the median vasomotor nerve. When we considered interside temperature differences of more than 0.3 degrees C as abnormal findings, the sensitivity of thermography was 2.7% and the specificity was 86.6%. With more than 0.6 degrees C as abnormal, the sensitivity was 25% and the specificity was 66.6%. With more than 1.0 degrees C, the sensitivity was 8.3% and the specificity was 73.3%. There was no significant interside peak temperature difference in all groups. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that infrared thermography has low sensitivity and specificity, which implies that it is not useful for the diagnosis of CTS.
Adult ; Carpal Tunnel Syndrome ; Electrodiagnosis ; Fingers ; Forearm ; Humans ; Median Nerve ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Skin Temperature ; Thermography

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship among the alcohol drinking history, autonomic symptom scores (ASS), and the autonomic functions measured with sympathetic skin response (SSR) and heart rate variability (HRV) of alcoholic patients, and to assess the difference between the values from the autonomic function tests of patients and normal controls. METHOD: SSR and HRV were measured in 44 patients and 26 controls. ASS and Toronto clinical neuropathy scoring system (TCNSS) scores were also assessed. For the HRV, the mean heart rate, standard deviation of the NN intervals (SDNN), total power (TP), very low frequency (VLF), low frequency (LF), and high frequency (HF) in both the supine and standing positions were evaluated. For the SSR, the onset latency and amplitude of both the palm and sole were measured. RESULTS: There were no significant relationships among the alcohol history, the TCNSS, and the results of the autonomic function tests. There were, however, significant relationships among their ASS and some values from autonomic function tests [i.e., the sole amplitudes, the SDNNs (supine), and the TPs (standing)]. There were significant differences between the sole amplitudes of the patients and controls. In HRV, there were significant differences between the patients and controls with respect to their SDNNs and TPs at a standing position. CONCLUSION: Autonomic function tests such as SSR and HRV are related to ASS, but not to alcohol history and TCNSS. Moreover, the values from the autonomic function tests of the alcoholic patients decreased, unlike the normal controls.
Alcohol Drinking ; Alcoholics ; Alcoholism ; Equidae ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Skin

PURPOSE: VEGF-C and VEGF-D are angiogenetic factors, and abnormal expression of E-cadherin hasa role in the progression of gastric carcinoma. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the expression of E-cadherin, VEGF-C and VEGF-D with the presence of lymph node metastases (LNM) using cytokeratin 18 in early gastric cancer (EGC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Immunohistochemical staining for E-cadherin, VEGF-C and VEGF-D was performed in 49 EGC patients from March 1997 to December 2002. To evaluate the real extent of LNM, 1,562 lymph nodes from 49 patients were re-examined with the use of cytokeratin 18. RESULTS: Eleven (0.7%) LNM were newly found in 12.2% (n=6) of patients. The real LNM rate was 3.6% in mucosal invasive (m) cancer and 38.1% in submucosal invasive (sm). Stage migration was seen in three patients (6.1%). Abnormal expression of E-cadherin was detected in 36.7% of the patients and expression of VEGF-C and VEGF-D was detected in 16.3% and 36.7% of the patients, respectively. Abnormal expression of E-cadherin was significantly correlated with tumor differentiation (P=0.0103) and Lauren classification (P<0.0001). There was no positive relationship of VEGF-C and VEGF-D expression with the clinicopathological findings for EGC including LNM. However, the frequency of lymph node metastases was significantly higher in patients that demonstrated abnormal expression of E-cadherin with positive immunoreactivity of VEGF-C or VEGF-D (P=0.031). CONCLUSION: In present study, we could not demonstrate a relationship between the presence of LNM and expression of VEGF-C and VEGF-D in EGC. However, VEGF-C or VEGF-D expression, in addition to the abnormal expression of E-cadherin, was correlated with the real extent of LNM in EGC.
Cadherins ; Humans ; Keratin-18 ; Keratins ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor D