Background: Primary cicatricial alopecia (PCA) is a rare disease that causes irreversible destruction of hair follicles and affects the quality of life (QOL). Objective: We aimed to investigate the disease awareness, medical use behavior, QOL, and real-world diagnosis and treatment status of patients with PCA. Methods: A self-administered questionnaire was administered to patients with PCA and their dermatologists. Patients aged between 19 and 75 years who visited one of 27 dermatology departments between September 2021 and September 2022 were included. Results: In total, 274 patients were included. The male-to-female ratio was 1:1.47, with a mean age of 45.7 years. Patients with neutrophilic and mixed PCA were predominantly male and younger than those with lymphocytic PCA. Among patients with lymphocytic PCA, lichen planopilaris was the most common type, and among those with neutrophilic PCA, folliculitis decalvans was the most common type. Among the total patients, 28.8% were previously diagnosed with PCA, 47.0% were diagnosed with PCA at least 6 months after their first hospital visit, 20.0% received early treatment within 3 months of disease onset, and 54.4% received steady treatment. More than half of the patients had a moderate to severe impairment in QOL. Topical/intralesional steroid injections were the most common treatment. Systemic immunosuppressants were frequently prescribed to patients with lymphocytic PCA, and antibiotics were mostly prescribed to patients with neutrophilic PCA. Conclusion This study provides information on the disease awareness, medical use behavior, QOL, diagnosis, and treatment status of Korean patients with PCA. This can help dermatologists educate patients with PCA to understand the necessity for early diagnosis and steady treatment.

We report a rare case of gastric adenocarcinoma with enteroblastic differentiation (GAED) that was treated with endoscopic submucosal dissection followed by additional distal gastrectomy with lymph node dissection. A 67-year-old man underwent endoscopic submucosal dissection for a gastric lesion, which was diagnosed as GAED with submucosal and lymphatic invasion. Histologically, GAED is characterized by a tubulopapillary growth pattern and clear cells that resemble those of the primitive fetal gut. Immunohistochemically, GAED variably expresses oncofetal proteins such as glypican-3, alpha-fetoprotein, and spalt-like transcription factor 4. Despite negative margins, additional gastrectomy with lymph node dissection was performed due to submucosal and lymphatic invasion.No residual tumor or metastasis was detected, and the patient remained disease-free for 2 years before dying from causes unrelated to GAED. Given its aggressive nature, frequent lymphovascular invasion, and high metastatic potential, clinicians should recognize the histopathological diagnosis of this rare tumor and its propensity for aggressiveness.

Signet-ring cell carcinoma (SRCC) is a rare tumor that most commonly occurs in the stomach. Duodenal SRCCs are extremely uncommon and account for approximately 1% of duodenal adenocarcinomas. Although Brunner’s gland hyperplasia (BGH) is a benign duodenal condition, studies have reported several cases of adenocarcinoma originating in an area of BGH. We report a rare case of early-stage SRCC originating in an area of BGH that was successfully treated using endoscopic mucosal resection. Based on the mucin phenotype observed in this case, it is reasonable to conclude that SRCC originated from gastric metaplasia in the area of BGH. Although BGH is a benign condition, careful evaluation is warranted for early detection of combined neoplasms.

Purpose: The objectives of this study were to describe the needs and knowledge for hospice palliative care, to identify the caregiving burden among cancer caregivers, and to determine factors that influence the needs for hospice palliative care. Methods: This study was designed with a descriptive correlation study with structured questionnaires. Data were collected from 162 caregivers of patients with cancer from September 2018 to March 2019 in a university-affiliated hospital in Seoul, Korea. Cancer patients’ needs, knowledge of hospice palliative care, and caregiving burden were measured. Data analysis was performed with descriptive statistics, independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and multiple linear regression using the SPSS/WIN 25.0 program. Results: The mean needs score was 90.32±17.12, the correct answers rate of knowledge items was 47.5%, and the mean score of caregiving burden was 32.53±13.94. In the regression model, knowledge, caregiving burden, age, and relationship with the patient were identified as the influencing factors of the needs of caregivers (F=6.98, p<. 001) and showed a variance of 16%. Conclusion This study highlights the unmet needs for early palliative care. Policies and social support should be established to alleviate the caregiving burden, enhance knowledge, and reduce the need for hospice palliative care. These factors are essential not only for caregivers but also for patients with cancer.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) can affect quality of life (QoL) because it requires arduous lifelong management. This study analyzed QoL differences between DN patients and patients with other chronic kidney diseases (CKDs). Methods: The analysis included subjects (n = 1,766) from the KNOW-CKD (Korean Cohort Study for Outcomes in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease) cohort who completed the Kidney Disease Quality of Life Short Form questionnaire. After implementing propensity score matching (PSM) using factors that affect the QoL of DN patients, QoL differences between DN and non-DN participants were examined. Results: Among all DN patients (n = 390), higher QoL scores were found for taller subjects, and lower scores were found for those who were unemployed or unmarried, received Medical Aid, had lower economic status, had higher platelet counts or alkaline phosphatase levels, or used clopidogrel or insulin. After PSM, the 239 matched DN subjects reported significantly lower patient satisfaction (59.9 vs. 64.5, p = 0.02) and general health (35.3 vs. 39.1, p = 0.04) than the 239 non-DN subjects. Scores decreased in both groups during the 5-year follow-up, and the scores in the work status, sexual function, and role-physical domains were lower among DN patients than non-DN patients, though those differences were not statistically significant. Conclusion: Socioeconomic factors of DN were strong risk factors for impaired QoL, as were high platelet, alkaline phosphatase, and clopidogrel and insulin use. Clinicians should keep in mind that the QoL of DN patients might decrease in some domains compared with non-DN CKDs.

PURPOSE: This study examined the outcomes of exchange nailing for the hypertrophic nonunion of femoral shaft fractures treated with intramedullary nailing as well as the factors affecting the treatment outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From January 1999 to March 2015, 35 patients, who had undergone intramedullary nailing with a femoral shaft fracture and underwent exchange nailing due to hypertrophic nonunion, were reviewed. This study investigated the time of union and complications, such as nonunion after exchange nailing, and analyzed the factors affecting the results. RESULTS: Bone union was achieved in 31 cases (88.6%) after exchange nailing and the average bone union period was 22 weeks (14–44 weeks). Complications included persistent nonunion in four cases, delayed union in one case, and superficial wound infection in one case. All four cases with nonunion were related to smoking, three of them were distal shaft fractures, and one was a midshaft fracture with underlying disease. CONCLUSION: Exchange nailing produced satisfactory results as the treatment of hypertrophic nonunion after intramedullary nailing. Smoking is considered a factor for continuing nonunion even after exchange nailing. In the case of a distal shaft, where the intramedullary fixation is relatively weak, additional efforts are needed for stability.
Femur ; Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary ; Humans ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Wound Infection

BACKGROUND: The purpose of the study was to analyze the contents and importance of clinical practicum education in adult health nursing.METHODS: This is a descriptive study using content analysis for identifying the items of clinical nursing checklists gathered from 13 university nursing programs accredited by Korean Accreditation Board of Nursing Education. Items in the checklist were standardized in accordance with the Nursing Intervention Classification (NIC) and categorized into simple-technical skill, complex-technical skill, and disease-specific care. The perceived significance of each item was examined by surveying nurses who in charge of nurse education from various clinical setting.RESULTS: A total of 182 items in the clinical practicum contents were analyzed, and the terminologies of each item were variously described among nursing schools. Fifty percent of the total items were categorized into simple-technical skill. In terms of clinical importance, expert validity results showed that nurses considered infection control, infection protection, and fall prevention as the most significant items, which was not the same as the most common items in the clinical nursing checklist.CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that standardized nursing terminologies are needed to describe a nursing practicum checklist. Clinical importance of each item in the checklist should be taken into consideration in developing a clinical nursing checklist to assist the students in achieving the competencies as a clinical nurse.
Accreditation ; Adult ; Checklist ; Classification ; Education ; Education, Nursing ; Humans ; Infection Control ; Nursing ; Preceptorship ; Schools, Nursing

The inferior alveolar nerve block is the most common method of local anesthesia for intraoral surgery at the posterior mandibular region. However, unexpected complications may occur when administering the local anesthesia. One of these uncommon complications is the fracture of the needle. If the injection needle is broken during the surgery, it should be removed immediately. However, this is one of the most difficult procedures. In this report, we present two cases of needle fracture during the procedure, and its successful removal under general/local anesthesia administration.
Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, Local ; Mandibular Nerve* ; Methods ; Needles* ; Nerve Block

48-year-old woman was admitted to emergency room due to left flank pain. It was diagnosed with left ureteral stone and underwent extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL). However, 12 hours later, the patient complained acute upper abdominal pain with pulmonary edema and low blood pressure. A diagnosis of moderate acute pancreatitis with local complication was considered and we decided conservative therapy including fluid resuscitation, inotropics and antibiotics. It was suggested that ESWL was responsible for the acute pancreatitis. The patient gradually recovered and was discharged on 13th day of admission. ESWL is considered the standard treatment for urolithiasis. Although, it has proved to be safe and effective, serious complications have been reported in 1% of patients, including acute pancreatitis, perirenal hematoma, urosepsis, venous thrombosis, biliary obstruction, bowel perforation, lung injury, and cardiac arrhythmia. Although the possibility of post-ESWL acute pancreatitis is extremely low, physicians should take care of this complication.
Abdominal Pain ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Diagnosis ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Female ; Flank Pain ; Hematoma ; Humans ; Hypotension ; Lithotripsy* ; Lung Injury ; Middle Aged ; Pancreatitis* ; Pulmonary Edema ; Resuscitation ; Shock* ; Ureter ; Urolithiasis* ; Venous Thrombosis

PURPOSE: Although anaphylaxis is recognized as an important, life-threatening condition, data are limited regarding its triggers in different age groups. We aimed to identify anaphylaxis triggers by age in Korean children. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of medical records for children diagnosed with anaphylaxis between 2009 and 2013 in 23 secondary or tertiary hospitals in South Korea. RESULTS: A total of 991 cases (mean age=5.89±5.24) were reported, with 63.9% involving patients younger than 6 years of age and 66% involving male children. Food was the most common anaphylaxis trigger (74.7%), followed by drugs and radiocontrast media (10.7%), idiopathic factors (9.2%), and exercise (3.6%). The most common food allergen was milk (28.4%), followed by egg white (13.6%), walnut (8.0%), wheat (7.2%), buckwheat (6.5%), and peanut (6.2%). Milk and seafood were the most common anaphylaxis triggers in young and older children, respectively. Drug-triggered anaphylaxis was observed more frequently with increasing age, with antibiotics (34.9%) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (17.9%) being the most common causes. CONCLUSIONS: The most common anaphylaxis trigger in Korean children was food. Data on these triggers show that their relative frequency may vary by age.
Anaphylaxis* ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Arachis ; Child* ; Contrast Media ; Egg White ; Epidemiology ; Fagopyrum ; Humans ; Juglans ; Korea ; Male ; Medical Records ; Milk ; Retrospective Studies* ; Seafood ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Triticum