Cerebral visual impairment (CVI) is recognized as the most common cause of visual impairment in children in high-income countries. It refers to a heterogeneous group of visual processing deficits of cerebral origin that cannot be explained by ocular pathology alone. Major risk factors include prematurity, perinatal brain injury, and structural abnormalities of the developing brain. The terminology has shifted from cortical to CVI to reflect involvement of the entire visual network, including both primary and associative pathways. The term ‘cerebral visual disorders’ has been proposed to describe a broader range of visuoperceptual dysfunction. Clinically, CVI is characterized by inconsistent visual behaviors, including impaired visual attention, difficulty processing complex visual scenes, and delayed visual responses, often despite relatively preserved visual acuity. Diagnosis is clinical and multidisciplinary, requiring exclusion of ocular causes and assessment of functional vision. Neuroimaging may support etiological classification, but is not definitive for diagnosis. Early identification is important, as timely intervention is associated with improved visual and developmental outcomes. Parent-reported questionnaires serve as useful screening tools in early childhood, and the Korean parental questionnaire for children younger than 72 months provides an age-appropriate example. In this mini-review, management is framed around visual habilitation and environmental modification tailored to the child’s visual profile. Although prognosis varies, early recognition and targeted support can improve functional vision and overall quality of life.

Rectal cancer, which accounts for approximately 40% of colorectal cancers, remains a major clinical concern. Recent advances in diagnostic imaging, surgical techniques, radiotherapy, and systemic treatment have steadily improved rectal cancer outcomes. Considering this, the Korean Rectal Cancer Multidisciplinary (KRCM) Committee has aimed to provide clinicians and policymakers with up-to-date, evidence-based clinical practice guidelines to support optimal decision-making, reflecting current evidence, the Korean healthcare context, and patient values and preferences. The Clinical Practice Guidelines for Rectal Cancer version 2.0 were developed through multidisciplinary collaboration with related academic societies, building upon and updating the KRCM Clinical Practice Guidelines version 1.0 (titled “Multidisciplinary guidelines for the management of rectal cancer”). These consensus guidelines of the KRCM were established based on a comprehensive literature review, evidence synthesis, with recommendation development guided by the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) methodology, and consideration of applicability in real-world clinical practice under the national health insurance system. Each recommendation has been presented with its strength and level of evidence.

Background: A novel botulinum toxin type A (Protoxin; Protox Inc.) has been developed. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of the newly developed Protoxin compared to the approved drug onabotulinumtoxinA (OBoNT) in moderate to severe glabellar lines. Methods: Adults with a glabellar line Facial Wrinkle Scale (FWS) score of 2 (moderate) or 3 (severe) were enrolled in the study. Subjects were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive either Protoxin or OBoNT. A total of 20 units of botulinum toxin was injected at five sites in the glabellar region (4 units at each site). FWS scores were assessed at baseline and at weeks 4, 8, 12, and 16 post-injection. The primary endpoint was the proportion of subjects at week 4 who had a reduction of 2 or more points in FWS and a final score of 0 (none) or 1 (mild). Results: A total of 274 subjects were randomized, of whom 78.1% were female. At week 4 post-treatment, the improvement rate of glabellar lines was 62.22% in the Protoxin group and 62.96% in the OBoNT group. The lower limit of the two-sided 95% confidence interval (−12.24%) exceeded the −15% margin, confirming the non-inferiority of the new drug. Safety profiles were comparable between the two groups. Conclusion Protoxin demonstrated efficacy and safety profiles comparable to those of OBoNT in the treatment of moderate to severe glabellar lines.

Background: Carbon suspension with laser irradiation was used for facial melasma, but it produces harmful fumes. Gold and diamond are biocompatible and chemically inert, and expected to act as potent chromophores and microdermabrasion agents, respectively. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of microgold and microdiamond suspensions with a 1,064 nm picosecond neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) laser for melasma. Methods: Ten Korean patients received 2 laser sessions using gold and diamond suspension at 2-week intervals. Melasma area severity index (MASI), melanin index (MI), erythema index (EI), Physician/Subject global aesthetic improvement scale (PGAIS/SGAIS), and adverse events were assessed at baseline, week 2 and week 4. Results: MASI and MI scores significantly improved. EI score showed no significant changes.All patients showed aesthetic improvement by PGAIS and SGAIS. No severe or unexpected adverse events were reported. Conclusion The topical microgold and microdiamond suspension combined with a 1,064 nm picosecond Nd:YAG laser appears to be a safe and effective treatment option for facial melasma.

Background: s/Aims: Phase angle (PhA), as measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis, provides insights into hydration and nutritional status, making it a prognostic indicator of frailty. While low preoperative PhA has been linked to postoperative complications in cancer patients, its predictive value in individuals undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) has not been thoroughly investigated.This study aims to evaluate the clinical utility of preoperative PhA in predicting postoperative complications for patients undergoing PD. Methods: Among 41 patients who underwent PD at Seoul National University Hospital between September and December 2024, 35 were included in the analysis after excluding 6 patients who had concomitant blood vessel or other organ resections. Patients were divided into low (Comprehensive Complication Index [CCI] ≤ 20) and high (CCI > 20) complication groups based on the CCI, derived from the Clavien–Dindo classification. The differences in PhA between the two groups were analyzed, and logistic regression was performed to assess the relationship between PhA and CCI. Results: The mean PhA was significantly lower in the high-CCI group compared to the low-CCI group (5.7° vs. 6.7°, p = 0.025). Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that PhA (odds ratio: 0.17; 95% confidence interval: 0.04–0.68; p = 0.012) was an independent predictor of high CCI. A low preoperative PhA was associated with an increased risk of postoperative complications following PD. Conclusions Preoperative PhA may serve as a valuable predictive indicator of postoperative complications after PD, enabling the identification of patients who could benefit from preoperative prehabilitation, including nutritional support.

Purpose: This study evaluated long-term trends in gastric cancer epidemiology and survival with a focus on conditional relative survival (CRS). Materials and Methods: Using the Korea Central Cancer Registry, we analyzed 665,184 patients who were newly diagnosed with gastric cancer between 1999 and 2022.The study period was divided into four intervals: Period I (1999–2005), Period II (2006–2011), Period III (2012–2017), and Period IV (2018–2022). Temporal trends in the incidence and mortality were assessed using crude and age-standardized rates. Relative survival was estimated using the Ederer II method, and the 5-year CRS was calculated according to the survival duration after diagnosis. Results: The incidence of gastric cancer increased until 2011 and subsequently declined, with a marked decrease observed in 2020. Individuals aged ≥70 years consistently had the highest incidence rates. Mortality rates showed a sustained decline throughout the study period. The overall 5-year relative survival improved from 69.8% in Period II to 78.4% in Period IV. The 5-year CRS increased from 86.1% at 1 year after diagnosis to 96.3% at 5 years.Patients with localized stage maintained a 5-year CRS above 95% at 1 year after diagnosis, whereas those with regional and distant stages showed 5-year CRS that consistently remained below 95%. Conclusions The incidence and mortality rates of gastric cancer in Korea have declined over the past two decades, accompanied by improved survival outcomes. The CRS analysis suggests that long-term follow-up is warranted, with the optimal duration varying according to patient characteristics.

Conversion therapy enables curative-intent resection in patients with initially unresectable or metastatic cancers after effective systemic therapy. Recently, advances in systemic therapy with molecular targeted agents and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have renewed clinical and research interest in this approach, particularly for metastatic gastric cancer (GC). This review aimed to summarize the international guidelines and expert consensus informed by contemporary evidence on conversion therapy for metastatic GC, emphasizing the central role of systemic therapy, the emergence of biomarker-driven strategies, and the optimal timing for surgical intervention. Key consensus statements (Bertinoro, OMEC, and KINGCA WEEK 2024) and pivotal studies covering the cytotoxic, targeted, and immunotherapy eras were reviewed, focusing on regimen selection, treatment duration, and prognostic determinants associated with surgical outcomes. According to global guidelines, conversion surgery is not yet standard of care but may be considered for biologically and clinically selected patients demonstrating a major response to systemic therapy. Retrospective and prospective studies have reported a median overall survival of 24–36 months in the cytotoxic era and >48 months in the ICI/targeted era among patients who underwent R0 resection. Emerging evidence supports approximately 6 months of preoperative systemic therapy, followed by R0 resection, and up to one year of postoperative maintenance therapy. Therefore, conversion surgery should be viewed as the culmination of effective systemic therapy rather than as a substitute. A biology-driven, multidisciplinary strategy integrating treatment response assessment and prognostic factor evaluation represents the next frontier in potentially curative management of metastatic GC.

Purpose: We aimed to compare broad-spectrum antibiotic use between hospice and nonhospice patients with cancer at the end of life using nationwide data from Korea. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, we analyzed the Korean National Health Insurance Service data of adult patients with cancer who died between 2018 and 2021. Hospice users were defined as patients who received inpatient, home-based, or consultation-based hospice care before death. We applied propensity score matching (1:2) to balance the baseline characteristics of the hospice and non-hospice groups. Broad-spectrum antibiotic use, including anti-pseudomonal penicillins, anti-pseudomonal cephalosporins, carbapenems, and glycopeptides, was assessed during the last 3 months of life using prescription proportions and days of therapy per 1,000 patient-days. Results: After matching, 38,102 hospice and 75,736 non-hospice users were analyzed. During the last 3 months of life, 74.6% of hospiceand 79.0% of non-hospice users received at least one broad-spectrum antibiotic (P＜0.001).The proportion of patients receiving broad-spectrum antibiotics was generally lower amonghospice users across all time intervals (P＜0.001), and the number of days of therapy wasalso lower, with the largest differences observed during the final week and last 3 days of life.Subgroup analyses showed the highest antibiotic exposure among patients with hematologic and pancreatobiliary cancers, particularly in the non-hospice group. Conclusion Hospice involvement was associated with lower use and reduced exposure to broad-spectrum antibiotics among patients with cancer near the end of life. These findings support the alignment of end-of-life treatment decisions with the comfort-oriented goals of hospice care.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The illustrated Healthy Eating Practice Questionnaire (HEPQ) was previously developed to assess food preferences, eating behaviors, hand/oral hygiene practices, and nutrition knowledge among Korean preschool children. Nevertheless, the lack of an integrated scoring system has limited its interpretability. This study developed a scoring system and a web-based platform with tailored feedback using a child-parent dyad approach. SUBJECTS/METHODS: The development process consisted of 5 phases: 1) questionnaire preparation for online use, 2) formulation of the scoring system, 3) determination of the cut-off values for three levels of healthy eating practices based on a child-parent survey, 4) technical development of the online platform, and 5) usability evaluation. A scoring system was established by standardizing the domain scores to a 100-point scale. One hundred child– parent pairs participated in the survey to calculate the Healthy Eating Practice Score (HEPS) and determine cut-off values for the HEPS levels. The validity of the cut-off values was examined by a comparison with the Nutrition Quotient for Preschoolers (NQ-P). A web-based platform was developed, and 47 child–parent pairs were used to assess its usability. RESULTS: Significant positive correlations were observed between child and parent HEPS across all domains. The HEPS-based classification showed good discriminative ability because higher HEPS levels were consistently associated with higher NQ-P scores in children and parents. The web-based HEPQ was easy to use and understand, and almost all participants (97.9% of children and 93.6% of parents) reported no difficulties using the platform. CONCLUSION The web-based HEPQ platform with an integrated scoring system provides a valid, user-friendly tool for assessing and interpreting healthy eating practices in preschool children. This platform supports parental engagement in children’s healthy eating practices and provides a practical tool for evaluating the effectiveness of nutrition education in early childcare settings.