Accurate lesion size measurement is essential in endoscopic practice as it influences treatment strategies, surveillance decisions, and clinical outcomes, especially in colorectal polyps. Traditional measurement techniques, including visual estimation and biopsy forceps, have significant interobserver variability and procedural inefficiencies. Recent advancements in digital measurement technologies, including virtual scale endoscopy (VSE) and artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted virtual rulers, have addressed these limitations. VSE projects a virtual scale onto endoscopic images, enhancing measurement precision and reducing variability. Several studies have demonstrated its superior accuracy compared with conventional methods; however, limitations such as increased procedure time and operator training requirements persist. AI-assisted virtual rulers utilize deep learning algorithms to automate lesion size estimation, significantly improving reproducibility and diagnostic reliability. Although these technologies offer promising improvements, challenges remain, including real-time integration, standardization, and regulatory approval. Future research should focus on refining AI models, expanding validation studies, and optimizing their usability in routine practice. A hybrid approach that combines AI automation with real-time digital tools may enhance the precision and efficiency of endoscopic lesion assessment, ultimately improving patient outcomes.

In forensic science, age estimation is essential for identifying both living and deceased individuals. Teeth and jawbones serve as reliable indicators due to their gradual age-related changes and resistance to environmental factors. Among the various methods, attrition and pulp cavity size are commonly used to estimate adult age. This study aimed to enhance the accuracy of age estimation in Korean adults by combining measurements of tooth attrition and pulp cavity size obtained from panoramic radiographs of mandibular first molars. We evaluated 118 patients (62 male, 56 female) who visited Pusan National University Dental Hospital between 2010 and 2024. Radiographs and clinical photographs were analyzed for grade C teeth with exposed dentin using Takei’s method, and the pulp chamber height ratio (PCHR) and width ratio (PCWR) were measured using Jeon’s method. Intraobserver reliability was high (intraclass correlation coefficient>0.6), with no significant sex-based differences in PCHR and PCWR. Both ratios negatively correlated with age, with PCWR showing a stronger correlation, particularly in females (r=–0.606). This study derived an improved age estimation formula with R² values ranging from 0.540 to 0.546 when both PCHR and PCWR were combined. Despite the limitations of this study, such as its small sample size and reliance on panoramic radiographs, the findings suggest that combining tooth wear and pulp cavity size offers a more robust tool for age estimation in clinical and forensic settings.

In forensic science, age estimation is essential for identifying both living and deceased individuals. Teeth and jawbones serve as reliable indicators due to their gradual age-related changes and resistance to environmental factors. Among the various methods, attrition and pulp cavity size are commonly used to estimate adult age. This study aimed to enhance the accuracy of age estimation in Korean adults by combining measurements of tooth attrition and pulp cavity size obtained from panoramic radiographs of mandibular first molars. We evaluated 118 patients (62 male, 56 female) who visited Pusan National University Dental Hospital between 2010 and 2024. Radiographs and clinical photographs were analyzed for grade C teeth with exposed dentin using Takei’s method, and the pulp chamber height ratio (PCHR) and width ratio (PCWR) were measured using Jeon’s method. Intraobserver reliability was high (intraclass correlation coefficient>0.6), with no significant sex-based differences in PCHR and PCWR. Both ratios negatively correlated with age, with PCWR showing a stronger correlation, particularly in females (r=–0.606). This study derived an improved age estimation formula with R² values ranging from 0.540 to 0.546 when both PCHR and PCWR were combined. Despite the limitations of this study, such as its small sample size and reliance on panoramic radiographs, the findings suggest that combining tooth wear and pulp cavity size offers a more robust tool for age estimation in clinical and forensic settings.

Background/Aims: Magnifying endoscopy with narrow-band imaging (ME-NBI) enables the visualization of detailed microsurface (MS) and microvascular (MV) structures in the gastrointestinal tract. White globe appearance (WGA) is a small whitish lesion with a globular shape identified during ME-NBI for early gastric cancer (EGC). This study aimed to investigate the associations between WGA, clinicopathological characteristics, and other ME-NBI findings in patients with EGC. Methods: The presence or absence of WGA in 122 patients (126 lesions) with an endoscopic diagnosis of EGC who underwent ME-NBI before endoscopic or surgical resection was prospectively collected and retrospectively analyzed. During ME-NBI, the MS and MV patterns and the presence of WGA and white opaque substances (WOS) were investigated. EGC cases were categorized as differentiated or undifferentiated type, and mucosal, submucosal, or advanced. Results: Of 126 lesions, WGA was observed in 25 (19.8%). WGA was associated with tumor size (≤2 cm [17/63, 27.0%] vs >2 cm [8/63, 12.7%]; p=0.044), histologic type differentiated type [22/89, 24.7%] vs undifferentiated type [3/37. 8.1%]; p=0.033), and tumor location (upper third [1/11, 9.1%] vs middle third [18/58, 31.0%] and lower third [6/57, 10.5%]; p=0.017). Although WGA was observed more frequently in lesions with an oval/tubular MS pattern, a fine-network MV pattern, and the absence of WOS, the difference was not statistically significant (MS pattern, p=0.358; MV pattern, p=0.212; WOS, p=0.121, respectively). Conclusions WGA was associated with small tumor size, differentiated-type histology, and middle-third tumor location, and was more frequently observed in lesions with an oval/tubular MS and fine-network MV patterns and the absence of WOS.

An increasing number of superficial non-ampullary duodenal epithelial tumors (SNADETs) have been detected recently owing to the development of endoscopic imaging technology and increased awareness of this disease. Endoscopic resection is the first-line treatment for SNADETs, with methods including cold snare polypectomy (CSP), conventional endoscopic mucosal resection (cEMR), underwater EMR (uEMR), and endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). Here, we review the current status and recent advances in endoscopic resection for SNADETs. Endoscopic resection in the duodenum is more difficult and has a higher risk of adverse events than that in other organs owing to specific anatomical disadvantages. SNADETs ≤10 mm in size are candidates for CSP, cEMR, and uEMR. Among these lesions, suspected carcinoma lesions should not be treated using CSP because of their low curability. cEMR or uEMR is considered for lesions sized 10 to 20 mm, whereas piecemeal EMR or ESD is considered for tumors >20 mm in size. In particular, ESD or surgical resection should be considered for suspected carcinoma lesions >30 mm in size. The treatment plan should be selected on a case-to-case basis, consid-ering the balance between the risk of adverse events and the necessity of en bloc resection.

Background/Aims: Magnifying endoscopy with narrow-band imaging (ME-NBI) enables the visualization of detailed microsurface (MS) and microvascular (MV) structures in the gastrointestinal tract. White globe appearance (WGA) is a small whitish lesion with a globular shape identified during ME-NBI for early gastric cancer (EGC). This study aimed to investigate the associations between WGA, clinicopathological characteristics, and other ME-NBI findings in patients with EGC. Methods: The presence or absence of WGA in 122 patients (126 lesions) with an endoscopic diagnosis of EGC who underwent ME-NBI before endoscopic or surgical resection was prospectively collected and retrospectively analyzed. During ME-NBI, the MS and MV patterns and the presence of WGA and white opaque substances (WOS) were investigated. EGC cases were categorized as differentiated or undifferentiated type, and mucosal, submucosal, or advanced. Results: Of 126 lesions, WGA was observed in 25 (19.8%). WGA was associated with tumor size (≤2 cm [17/63, 27.0%] vs >2 cm [8/63, 12.7%]; p=0.044), histologic type differentiated type [22/89, 24.7%] vs undifferentiated type [3/37. 8.1%]; p=0.033), and tumor location (upper third [1/11, 9.1%] vs middle third [18/58, 31.0%] and lower third [6/57, 10.5%]; p=0.017). Although WGA was observed more frequently in lesions with an oval/tubular MS pattern, a fine-network MV pattern, and the absence of WOS, the difference was not statistically significant (MS pattern, p=0.358; MV pattern, p=0.212; WOS, p=0.121, respectively). Conclusions WGA was associated with small tumor size, differentiated-type histology, and middle-third tumor location, and was more frequently observed in lesions with an oval/tubular MS and fine-network MV patterns and the absence of WOS.

An increasing number of superficial non-ampullary duodenal epithelial tumors (SNADETs) have been detected recently owing to the development of endoscopic imaging technology and increased awareness of this disease. Endoscopic resection is the first-line treatment for SNADETs, with methods including cold snare polypectomy (CSP), conventional endoscopic mucosal resection (cEMR), underwater EMR (uEMR), and endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). Here, we review the current status and recent advances in endoscopic resection for SNADETs. Endoscopic resection in the duodenum is more difficult and has a higher risk of adverse events than that in other organs owing to specific anatomical disadvantages. SNADETs ≤10 mm in size are candidates for CSP, cEMR, and uEMR. Among these lesions, suspected carcinoma lesions should not be treated using CSP because of their low curability. cEMR or uEMR is considered for lesions sized 10 to 20 mm, whereas piecemeal EMR or ESD is considered for tumors >20 mm in size. In particular, ESD or surgical resection should be considered for suspected carcinoma lesions >30 mm in size. The treatment plan should be selected on a case-to-case basis, consid-ering the balance between the risk of adverse events and the necessity of en bloc resection.

In forensic science, age estimation is essential for identifying both living and deceased individuals. Teeth and jawbones serve as reliable indicators due to their gradual age-related changes and resistance to environmental factors. Among the various methods, attrition and pulp cavity size are commonly used to estimate adult age. This study aimed to enhance the accuracy of age estimation in Korean adults by combining measurements of tooth attrition and pulp cavity size obtained from panoramic radiographs of mandibular first molars. We evaluated 118 patients (62 male, 56 female) who visited Pusan National University Dental Hospital between 2010 and 2024. Radiographs and clinical photographs were analyzed for grade C teeth with exposed dentin using Takei’s method, and the pulp chamber height ratio (PCHR) and width ratio (PCWR) were measured using Jeon’s method. Intraobserver reliability was high (intraclass correlation coefficient>0.6), with no significant sex-based differences in PCHR and PCWR. Both ratios negatively correlated with age, with PCWR showing a stronger correlation, particularly in females (r=–0.606). This study derived an improved age estimation formula with R² values ranging from 0.540 to 0.546 when both PCHR and PCWR were combined. Despite the limitations of this study, such as its small sample size and reliance on panoramic radiographs, the findings suggest that combining tooth wear and pulp cavity size offers a more robust tool for age estimation in clinical and forensic settings.

Background/Aims: Magnifying endoscopy with narrow-band imaging (ME-NBI) enables the visualization of detailed microsurface (MS) and microvascular (MV) structures in the gastrointestinal tract. White globe appearance (WGA) is a small whitish lesion with a globular shape identified during ME-NBI for early gastric cancer (EGC). This study aimed to investigate the associations between WGA, clinicopathological characteristics, and other ME-NBI findings in patients with EGC. Methods: The presence or absence of WGA in 122 patients (126 lesions) with an endoscopic diagnosis of EGC who underwent ME-NBI before endoscopic or surgical resection was prospectively collected and retrospectively analyzed. During ME-NBI, the MS and MV patterns and the presence of WGA and white opaque substances (WOS) were investigated. EGC cases were categorized as differentiated or undifferentiated type, and mucosal, submucosal, or advanced. Results: Of 126 lesions, WGA was observed in 25 (19.8%). WGA was associated with tumor size (≤2 cm [17/63, 27.0%] vs >2 cm [8/63, 12.7%]; p=0.044), histologic type differentiated type [22/89, 24.7%] vs undifferentiated type [3/37. 8.1%]; p=0.033), and tumor location (upper third [1/11, 9.1%] vs middle third [18/58, 31.0%] and lower third [6/57, 10.5%]; p=0.017). Although WGA was observed more frequently in lesions with an oval/tubular MS pattern, a fine-network MV pattern, and the absence of WOS, the difference was not statistically significant (MS pattern, p=0.358; MV pattern, p=0.212; WOS, p=0.121, respectively). Conclusions WGA was associated with small tumor size, differentiated-type histology, and middle-third tumor location, and was more frequently observed in lesions with an oval/tubular MS and fine-network MV patterns and the absence of WOS.

An increasing number of superficial non-ampullary duodenal epithelial tumors (SNADETs) have been detected recently owing to the development of endoscopic imaging technology and increased awareness of this disease. Endoscopic resection is the first-line treatment for SNADETs, with methods including cold snare polypectomy (CSP), conventional endoscopic mucosal resection (cEMR), underwater EMR (uEMR), and endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). Here, we review the current status and recent advances in endoscopic resection for SNADETs. Endoscopic resection in the duodenum is more difficult and has a higher risk of adverse events than that in other organs owing to specific anatomical disadvantages. SNADETs ≤10 mm in size are candidates for CSP, cEMR, and uEMR. Among these lesions, suspected carcinoma lesions should not be treated using CSP because of their low curability. cEMR or uEMR is considered for lesions sized 10 to 20 mm, whereas piecemeal EMR or ESD is considered for tumors >20 mm in size. In particular, ESD or surgical resection should be considered for suspected carcinoma lesions >30 mm in size. The treatment plan should be selected on a case-to-case basis, consid-ering the balance between the risk of adverse events and the necessity of en bloc resection.