Intradiscal electrothermal therapy (IDET) is a minimally invasive procedure used to treat discogenic back pain and offers an alternative to surgical intervention in selected patients. Although it is generally considered safe, rare but significant complications can occur and may be difficult to diagnose because their symptoms overlap with those of other spinal conditions. We describe the case of a 69-year-old woman who presented with severe lower back and left buttock pain that was unresponsive to conservative treatment. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed disc bulging with a high-intensity zone at the L4–5 and L5–S1 levels. IDET was performed at the L4–5 level, resulting in initial pain relief. However, the patient returned 7 days later with recurrent pain. Despite undergoing percutaneous epidural neuroplasty at the left L5–S1 level, a medial branch block, and a piriformis muscle block, her symptoms persisted. Further evaluation with spinal computed tomography revealed a retroperitoneal hematoma near the left psoas muscle. Referred pain from the hematoma mimicked discogenic pain, resulting in delayed diagnosis and unnecessary interventions. The patient remained hemodynamically stable and gradually improved with conservative management alone. This case highlights retroperitoneal hematoma as a rare complication of IDET and emphasizes the importance of accurate and timely diagnosis in patients with persistent or worsening symptoms after spinal procedures. Clinicians should consider non-discogenic sources of pain when treatment outcomes deviate from expected patterns.

Atopic dermatitis is the most common chronic inflammatory skin disease in children and adolescents. The Korean Academy of Pediatric Allergy and Respiratory Disease published the Atopic Dermatitis Treatment Guideline in 2008, which has been helpful in atopic dermatitis treatment until now. Various reports on the development and effectiveness of new drugs have suggested that there is a need to develop and revise old treatment guidelines. Part 1 aimed to provide evidence-based recommendations for skin care management and topical treatment for atopic dermatitis. Part 2 focuses on systemic treatment, novel therapeutics, and adjuvant therapy. The goal of this guideline is intended to assist front-line doctors treating pediatric and adolescent atopic dermatitis patients make safer, more effective, and more rational decisions regarding systemic treatment, novel therapeutics, and adjuvant therapy by providing evidence-based recommendations with a clear level of evidence and benefit regarding treatment.

Atopic dermatitis is the most common chronic inflammatory skin disease in children and adolescents. The Korean Academy of Pediatric Allergy and Respiratory Disease published the Atopic Dermatitis Treatment Guideline in 2008, which has been helpful in atopic dermatitis treatment until now. Various reports on the development and effectiveness of new drugs have suggested that there is a need to develop and revise old treatment guidelines. Part 1 aimed to provide evidence-based recommendations for skin care management and topical treatment for atopic dermatitis. Part 2 focuses on systemic treatment, novel therapeutics, and adjuvant therapy. The goal of this guideline is intended to assist front-line doctors treating pediatric and adolescent atopic dermatitis patients make safer, more effective, and more rational decisions regarding systemic treatment, novel therapeutics, and adjuvant therapy by providing evidence-based recommendations with a clear level of evidence and benefit regarding treatment.

Atopic dermatitis is the most common chronic inflammatory skin disease in children and adolescents. The Korean Academy of Pediatric Allergy and Respiratory Disease published the Atopic Dermatitis Treatment Guideline in 2008, which has been helpful in atopic dermatitis treatment until now. Various reports on the development and effectiveness of new drugs have suggested that there is a need to develop and revise old treatment guidelines. Part 1 aimed to provide evidence-based recommendations for skin care management and topical treatment for atopic dermatitis. Part 2 focuses on systemic treatment, novel therapeutics, and adjuvant therapy. The goal of this guideline is intended to assist front-line doctors treating pediatric and adolescent atopic dermatitis patients make safer, more effective, and more rational decisions regarding systemic treatment, novel therapeutics, and adjuvant therapy by providing evidence-based recommendations with a clear level of evidence and benefit regarding treatment.

Atopic dermatitis is the most common chronic inflammatory skin disease in children and adolescents. The Korean Academy of Pediatric Allergy and Respiratory Disease published the Atopic Dermatitis Treatment Guideline in 2008, which has been helpful in atopic dermatitis treatment until now. Various reports on the development and effectiveness of new drugs have suggested that there is a need to develop and revise old treatment guidelines. Part 1 aimed to provide evidence-based recommendations for skin care management and topical treatment for atopic dermatitis. Part 2 focuses on systemic treatment, novel therapeutics, and adjuvant therapy. The goal of this guideline is intended to assist front-line doctors treating pediatric and adolescent atopic dermatitis patients make safer, more effective, and more rational decisions regarding systemic treatment, novel therapeutics, and adjuvant therapy by providing evidence-based recommendations with a clear level of evidence and benefit regarding treatment.

Atopic dermatitis is the most common chronic inflammatory skin disease in children and adolescents. The Korean Academy of Pediatric Allergy and Respiratory Disease published the Atopic Dermatitis Treatment Guideline in 2008, which has been helpful in atopic dermatitis treatment until now. Various reports on the development and effectiveness of new drugs have suggested that there is a need to develop and revise old treatment guidelines. Part 1 aimed to provide evidence-based recommendations for skin care management and topical treatment for atopic dermatitis. Part 2 focuses on systemic treatment, novel therapeutics, and adjuvant therapy. The goal of this guideline is intended to assist front-line doctors treating pediatric and adolescent atopic dermatitis patients make safer, more effective, and more rational decisions regarding systemic treatment, novel therapeutics, and adjuvant therapy by providing evidence-based recommendations with a clear level of evidence and benefit regarding treatment.

Purpose: Although bladder cancer occurs three to 4 times more frequently in men than in women, the relative number of deaths compared to incidence is higher in women, suggesting that women have a worse prognosis than men. Emerging evidence indicates that the activity of the sex steroid hormone pathway may play a role in bladder cancer development, with demonstrations that both androgens and estrogens have biological effects on bladder cancer in vitro and in vivo. This study investigates the influence of sex and menopausal status on recurrence and cancer-specific death (CSD) in bladder cancer patients undergoing radical cystectomy (RC). Materials and Methods: This retrospective analysis included 3,913 patients from the Korean Bladder Cancer Study Group Database who underwent RC between 2010 and 2019. Patients were categorized based on gender and menopausal status (≤50 years: premenopausal; >50 years: postmenopausal). Pathological factors, neoadjuvant chemotherapy, recurrence, and CSD rates were analyzed using chi-square and Fisher exact tests. Results: Among the 3,913 patients, 400 (10.2%) were female. Premenopausal females exhibited significantly lower recurrence rates (28.6%) compared to postmenopausal females (45.7%). CSD rates were similarly reduced in premenopausal females (12.0% vs. 22.2% in postmenopausal females). No significant sex differences in recurrence or CSD were observed among premenopausal patients. Pathological T stage, nodal status, and lymphovascular invasion were significantly associated with recurrence in males, while nodal status alone was significant in females. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy was significantly more frequently administered to male patients under the age of 50, while no difference was observed in the administration of neoadjuvant chemotherapy among female patients based on menopausal status. Conclusion Hormonal changes associated with menopause significantly influence bladder cancer outcomes in women. Premenopausal hormonal environments seem protective, underscoring the need for further research into hormone-driven mechanisms in bladder cancer.

Atopic dermatitis is one of the most common chronic skin inflammatory diseases in children. Appropriate treatment is difficult due to chronic course with frequent exacerbations, especially in children. Treatment requires caution due to a lack of safety data and information regarding the long-term prognosis of management strategies. The Korean Academy of Pediatric Allergy and Respiratory Disease (KAPARD) published the Atopic Dermatitis Treatment Guidelines in 2008, which has been used to direct atopic dermatitis treatment. Accumulating evidence suggests that the guidelines need to be updated regarding bathing methods (duration of bath, temperature, etc.), wet wrap therapy, and topical treatments in line with environmental changes over time and changes in the management strategies of atopic dermatitis. This KAPARD guidelines for atopic dermatitis applied an adaptation based on a systematic review and analysis of selected literature. They are intended to support front-line doctors treating pediatric and adolescent patients with atopic dermatitis in making reasoned, safe, effective empirical treatment decisions. In Part I of the KAPARD guidelines for atopic dermatitis, we included evidence-based skin care management strategies and topical treatment options.

Atopic dermatitis is one of the most common chronic skin inflammatory diseases in children. Appropriate treatment is difficult due to chronic course with frequent exacerbations, especially in children. Treatment requires caution due to a lack of safety data and information regarding the long-term prognosis of management strategies. The Korean Academy of Pediatric Allergy and Respiratory Disease (KAPARD) published the Atopic Dermatitis Treatment Guidelines in 2008, which has been used to direct atopic dermatitis treatment. Accumulating evidence suggests that the guidelines need to be updated regarding bathing methods (duration of bath, temperature, etc.), wet wrap therapy, and topical treatments in line with environmental changes over time and changes in the management strategies of atopic dermatitis. This KAPARD guidelines for atopic dermatitis applied an adaptation based on a systematic review and analysis of selected literature. They are intended to support front-line doctors treating pediatric and adolescent patients with atopic dermatitis in making reasoned, safe, effective empirical treatment decisions. In Part I of the KAPARD guidelines for atopic dermatitis, we included evidence-based skin care management strategies and topical treatment options.

OBJECTIVES: This study compared the current smoking prevalence among adults with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection to that of the general Korean population and analyzed changes in smoking prevalence and cessation rates from 2009 to 2020. METHODS: The study included a total of 10,980 adults with HIV infection who underwent a health screening examination (National Health Insurance Service-National Health Information Database; NHIS-NHID), 1,230 individuals with HIV infection who participated in the Korea HIV/AIDS Cohort (KoCosHIV), and 76,783 participants from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). We estimated the current smoking prevalence and the quit ratio, defined as the ratio of former smokers to ever-smokers. RESULTS: In the NHIS-NHID and KoCosHIV studies, the prevalence of current and former smoking among adults with HIV was 44.2% (95% confidence interval [CI], 43.2 to 45.1) and 15.6% (95% CI, 14.9 to 16.3), and 47.7% (95% CI, 43.7 to 51.8) and 16.9% (95% CI, 11.8 to 22.0), respectively. In the KNHANES, these rates were 22.5% and 18.1%, respectively. The standardized prevalence ratio of current smoking among adults with HIV was 1.76 in the NHIS-NHID and 1.97 in the KoCosHIV. Furthermore, the likelihood of quitting smoking was lower among adults with HIV than in the general population (NHIS-NHID: 26.1%; 95% CI, 25.0 to 27.1; KoCosHIV: 26.2%; 95% CI, 20.2 to 32.1; KNHANES: 44.6%; 95% CI, 44.5 to 44.6). Among HIV-positive adults, there was a 1.53% decline in the current smoking rate and a 2.86% increase in the quit ratio. CONCLUSIONS Adults with HIV were more likely to smoke and less likely to quit smoking than the general adult population. Tobacco screening and cessation strategies should specifically target this population.