Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) grafts are artificial vascular grafts commonly utilized for reconstructing the middle hepatic vein during living donor liver transplantation. In this report, we present three cases of expanded PTFE (ePTFE) graft migration into the gastrointestinal tract. These migrations were incidentally discovered and later migrated grafts were successfully removed endoscopically. The first case involved a patient presenting with epigastric discomfort, with a migrated ePTFE graft observed in the duodenal lumen during esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD). In the second case, a patient who visited the emergency room with hematochezia was found to have a migrated ePTFE graft in the colonic lumen on colonoscopy. The third case involved a patient undergoing regular EGD after endoscopic submucosal dissection for early gastric cancer; graft migration into the duodenal lumen was documented over time through sequential surveillance EGDs. The graft was endoscopically removed after complete migration. Contrary to previous reports, the three cases presented here did not exhibit serious clinical symptoms, and they were successfully treated through endoscopic foreign body removal without complications. We believe these occasions were possible due to the slow migration of the graft and the concurrent spontaneous closure of the fistula tract.

Respiratory epithelial adenomatoid hamartoma (REAH) in the head and neck is a rare benign lesion containing glandular tissue covered with ciliated respiratory epithelium. In the head and neck, REAH of the nasal cavity, paranasal sinuses, and nasopharynx have been reported in literature. Due to rareness of REAH and insufficient knowledge of its imaging features, the diagnosis can be challenging when we encounter a non-specific cystic mass at an uncommon site in the head or neck. Here, we report the case of a pathologically confirmed REAH showing a cystic mass centered at the buccal space (retromaxillary fat pad) with CT and MRI findings.

Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) grafts are artificial vascular grafts commonly utilized for reconstructing the middle hepatic vein during living donor liver transplantation. In this report, we present three cases of expanded PTFE (ePTFE) graft migration into the gastrointestinal tract. These migrations were incidentally discovered and later migrated grafts were successfully removed endoscopically. The first case involved a patient presenting with epigastric discomfort, with a migrated ePTFE graft observed in the duodenal lumen during esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD). In the second case, a patient who visited the emergency room with hematochezia was found to have a migrated ePTFE graft in the colonic lumen on colonoscopy. The third case involved a patient undergoing regular EGD after endoscopic submucosal dissection for early gastric cancer; graft migration into the duodenal lumen was documented over time through sequential surveillance EGDs. The graft was endoscopically removed after complete migration. Contrary to previous reports, the three cases presented here did not exhibit serious clinical symptoms, and they were successfully treated through endoscopic foreign body removal without complications. We believe these occasions were possible due to the slow migration of the graft and the concurrent spontaneous closure of the fistula tract.

Respiratory epithelial adenomatoid hamartoma (REAH) in the head and neck is a rare benign lesion containing glandular tissue covered with ciliated respiratory epithelium. In the head and neck, REAH of the nasal cavity, paranasal sinuses, and nasopharynx have been reported in literature. Due to rareness of REAH and insufficient knowledge of its imaging features, the diagnosis can be challenging when we encounter a non-specific cystic mass at an uncommon site in the head or neck. Here, we report the case of a pathologically confirmed REAH showing a cystic mass centered at the buccal space (retromaxillary fat pad) with CT and MRI findings.

Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) grafts are artificial vascular grafts commonly utilized for reconstructing the middle hepatic vein during living donor liver transplantation. In this report, we present three cases of expanded PTFE (ePTFE) graft migration into the gastrointestinal tract. These migrations were incidentally discovered and later migrated grafts were successfully removed endoscopically. The first case involved a patient presenting with epigastric discomfort, with a migrated ePTFE graft observed in the duodenal lumen during esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD). In the second case, a patient who visited the emergency room with hematochezia was found to have a migrated ePTFE graft in the colonic lumen on colonoscopy. The third case involved a patient undergoing regular EGD after endoscopic submucosal dissection for early gastric cancer; graft migration into the duodenal lumen was documented over time through sequential surveillance EGDs. The graft was endoscopically removed after complete migration. Contrary to previous reports, the three cases presented here did not exhibit serious clinical symptoms, and they were successfully treated through endoscopic foreign body removal without complications. We believe these occasions were possible due to the slow migration of the graft and the concurrent spontaneous closure of the fistula tract.

Respiratory epithelial adenomatoid hamartoma (REAH) in the head and neck is a rare benign lesion containing glandular tissue covered with ciliated respiratory epithelium. In the head and neck, REAH of the nasal cavity, paranasal sinuses, and nasopharynx have been reported in literature. Due to rareness of REAH and insufficient knowledge of its imaging features, the diagnosis can be challenging when we encounter a non-specific cystic mass at an uncommon site in the head or neck. Here, we report the case of a pathologically confirmed REAH showing a cystic mass centered at the buccal space (retromaxillary fat pad) with CT and MRI findings.

Purpose: We compared the surgical outcomes of radical nephrectomy (RN) and partial nephrectomy (PN) in adult patients with clinical T2 stage (cT2) renal cell carcinoma (RCC) by utilizing data from the Korean Renal Cell Carcinoma (KORCC) database. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed adult patients with cT2 RCC from 8 tertiary hospitals who were registered in the KORCC between 2003 and 2023. Patients with a solitary kidney or bilateral tumors were excluded. The patient cohort was divided into RN and PN arms, and propensity score matching (PSM) was conducted with a 1:3 ratio. Perioperative and survival outcomes were compared between arms. Results: After PSM, the PN and RN arms included 44 and 132 patients, respectively. No significant differences were observed in baseline characteristics, apart from laterality, following PSM. Regarding perioperative outcomes, complications of Clavien-Dindo classification grade III or higher (11.4%, p<0.001) and urological complications (9.1%, p=0.045) were more common in the PN arm than in the RN arm. Postoperative renal function was superior in the PN arm, whereas the incidence of de novo chronic kidney disease (CKD) at 6 months was higher among the recipients of RN (37.6%, p<0.001). Pathological examination indicated a higher pathological T stage in the RN arm. Overall, cancer-specific, and recurrence-free survival rates did not differ significantly between arms. Based on Cox regression analysis, the use of PN was not a significant predictor of recurrence-free survival (hazard ratio, 0.675; p=0.474). Conclusions In cT2 RCC, PN was associated with a lower incidence of de novo CKD than RN. No significant differences in survival outcomes were noted. PN may represent a viable alternative to RN for certain patients with cT2 RCC. Further research is warranted to explore the management of advanced RCC.

Lactococcus garvieae is a Gram-positive cocci that has been known to be a fish pathogen, and considered as a low virulence organism rarely associated with human infection. We report a case of acute cholangitis with common bile duct (CBD) stone and bacteremia by L. garvieae bacteremia in a 70-year-old male. The patient presented with epigastric pain and was diagnosed with two CBD stones. Blood culture obtained prior to empiric antimicrobial therapy with ceftizoxime sodium showed growth with Escherichia coli and L. garvieae. The bacteria were confirmed by matrix-assisted desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Initial attempt at endoscopic biliary drainage failed, and the patient underwent percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage and subsequent stone removal. He occasionally ingested raw fish and had a history of gastric ulcer with acid suppression therapy, which could be possible risk factors for L. garvieae infection. This is the first case of L. garvieae bacteremia in acute cholangitis.

Background/Aims: Increasing resistance to clarithromycin (CAM) of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is one of the main causes of recent decrease in eradication rate of standard triple therapy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of 7-day tailored therapy based on the existence of CAM resistance. Methods: From January 2017 to May 2022, a total of 481 consecutive patients with H. pylori infection were recruited in Daegu Catholic University Medical Center. Treatment regimen was selected based on the result of CAM resistance test. Patients with CAM resistance (R group) were treated with bismuth-based quadruple therapy for 7 days. Patients without CAM resistance (S group) were treated with standard triple therapy for 7 days. Results: The overall H. pylori eradication rate was 89.4% (379 of 424) by per-protocol (PP) analysis. Patients with CAM resistance mutation included 166 patients (34.5%). The eradication rates of each group were 88.8% (135 of 152) and 89.7% (244 of 272) by PP analysis, for R and S group respectively. By intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis, the eradication rates were 81.3% (135 of 166) and 77.5% (244 of 315) for R and S group. CAM resistance was identified with a dual-priming oligonucleotide-based multiplex PCR. Conclusions In spite of this high CAM resistance (34.5%), the eradication rate of 7-day tailored therapy based on the existence of CAM resistance was 89.4%. The 7-day tailored therapy based on CAM resistance could be an acceptable treatment selection strategy for H. pylori eradication.

OBJECTIVES: We estimated the population prevalence of antibodies to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), including unreported infections, through a Korea Seroprevalence Study of Monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Retention and Transmission (K-SEROSMART) in 258 communities throughout Korea. METHODS: In August 2022, a survey was conducted among 10,000 household members aged 5 years and older, in households selected through two stage probability random sampling. During face-to-face household interviews, participants self-reported their health status, COVID-19 diagnosis and vaccination history, and general characteristics. Subsequently, participants visited a community health center or medical clinic for blood sampling. Blood samples were analyzed for the presence of antibodies to spike proteins (anti-S) and antibodies to nucleocapsid proteins (anti-N) SARS-CoV-2 proteins using an electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. To estimate the population prevalence, the PROC SURVEYMEANS statistical procedure was employed, with weighting to reflect demographic data from July 2022. RESULTS: In total, 9,945 individuals from 5,041 households were surveyed across 258 communities, representing all basic local governments in Korea. The overall population-adjusted prevalence rates of anti-S and anti-N were 97.6% and 57.1%, respectively. Since the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency has reported a cumulative incidence of confirmed cases of 37.8% through July 31, 2022, the proportion of unreported infections among all COVID-19 infection was suggested to be 33.9%. CONCLUSIONS The K-SEROSMART represents the first nationwide, community-based seroepidemiologic survey of COVID-19, confirming that most individuals possess antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 and that a significant number of unreported cases existed. Furthermore, this study lays the foundation for a surveillance system to continuously monitor transmission at the community level and the response to COVID-19.