Objective: To assess the feasibility of ultrafast brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in pediatric patients. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 194 pediatric patients aged 0 to 19 years (median 10.2 years) who underwent both ultrafast and conventional brain MRI between May 2019 and August 2020. Ultrafast MRI sequences included T1 and T2-weighted images (T1WI and T2WI), fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR), T2*-weighted image (T2*WI), and diffusion-weighted image (DWI). Qualitative image quality and lesion evaluations were conducted on 5-point Likert scales by two blinded radiologists, with quantitative assessment of lesion count and size on T1WI, T2WI, and FLAIR sequences for each protocol. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) analyses were used for comparison. Results: The total scan times for equivalent image contrasts were 1 minute 44 seconds for ultrafast MRI and 15 minutes 30 seconds for conventional MRI. Overall, image quality was lower in ultrafast MRI than in conventional MRI, with mean quality scores ranging from 2.0 to 4.8 for ultrafast MRI and 4.8 to 5.0 for conventional MRI across sequences (P < 0.001 for T1WI, T2WI, FLAIR, and T2*WI for both readers; P = 0.018 [reader 1] and 0.031 [reader 2] for DWI). Lesion detection rates on ultrafast MRI relative to conventional MRI were as follows: T1WI, 97.1%; T2WI, 99.6%; FLAIR, 92.9%; T2*WI, 74.1%; and DWI, 100%. The ICC (95% confidence interval) for lesion size measurements between ultrafast and conventional MRI was as follows: T1WI, 0.998 (0.996–0.999); T2WI, 0.998 (0.997–0.999); and FLAIR, 0.99 (0.985–0.994). Conclusion Ultrafast MRI significantly reduces scan time and provides acceptable results, albeit with slightly lower image quality than conventional MRI, for evaluating intracranial abnormalities in pediatric patients.

Objective: To assess the feasibility of ultrafast brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in pediatric patients. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 194 pediatric patients aged 0 to 19 years (median 10.2 years) who underwent both ultrafast and conventional brain MRI between May 2019 and August 2020. Ultrafast MRI sequences included T1 and T2-weighted images (T1WI and T2WI), fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR), T2*-weighted image (T2*WI), and diffusion-weighted image (DWI). Qualitative image quality and lesion evaluations were conducted on 5-point Likert scales by two blinded radiologists, with quantitative assessment of lesion count and size on T1WI, T2WI, and FLAIR sequences for each protocol. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) analyses were used for comparison. Results: The total scan times for equivalent image contrasts were 1 minute 44 seconds for ultrafast MRI and 15 minutes 30 seconds for conventional MRI. Overall, image quality was lower in ultrafast MRI than in conventional MRI, with mean quality scores ranging from 2.0 to 4.8 for ultrafast MRI and 4.8 to 5.0 for conventional MRI across sequences (P < 0.001 for T1WI, T2WI, FLAIR, and T2*WI for both readers; P = 0.018 [reader 1] and 0.031 [reader 2] for DWI). Lesion detection rates on ultrafast MRI relative to conventional MRI were as follows: T1WI, 97.1%; T2WI, 99.6%; FLAIR, 92.9%; T2*WI, 74.1%; and DWI, 100%. The ICC (95% confidence interval) for lesion size measurements between ultrafast and conventional MRI was as follows: T1WI, 0.998 (0.996–0.999); T2WI, 0.998 (0.997–0.999); and FLAIR, 0.99 (0.985–0.994). Conclusion Ultrafast MRI significantly reduces scan time and provides acceptable results, albeit with slightly lower image quality than conventional MRI, for evaluating intracranial abnormalities in pediatric patients.

Objective: Evidence suggests that acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) processes function as transdiagnostic factors in both major depressive disorder (MDD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) individually. However, few studies have directly compared these two clinical disorders. Therefore, this study aimed to identify potential transdiagnostic factors associated with ACT across MDD, OCD, and healthy control (HC) groups. Methods: A total of 34 MDD patients, 43 OCD patients, and 46 HCs were recruited through subway advertisements and outpatient services at a university hospital. Participants completed the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II, Cognitive Fusion Questionnaire, thought-action fusion (TAF) scale, and symptom severity scales. Results: Direct group comparisons revealed higher psychological inflexibility, cognitive fusion, and likelihood of TAF in the clinical groups compared to the HCs, with no differences between the MDD and OCD groups. These three transdiagnostic factors were variously correlated with both depressive and obsessive–compulsive (OC) symptoms in all groups. Regression analyses demonstrated that the three transdiagnostic factors accounted for 26% of the depressive symptoms in the MDD group (R2=0.26, p=0.028) and 27% of the OC symptoms in the OCD group (R2=0.27, p=0.014). Conclusion These findings from the direct group comparisons of the three groups confirmed that psychological inflexibility, cognitive fusion, and likelihood of TAF are potential transdiagnostic factors that moderately contribute to the primary symptoms of both MDD and OCD. From another perspective, these results also highlight the need to consider how ACT addresses disorder-specific variations beyond what is explained by these transdiagnostic factors in the future.

Objective: Objective of this study is to evaluate the association between high risk of depression and metabolic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia in Korean cervical cancer patients. Methods: A total of 330 women with cervical cancer were included in this study, using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2010 to 2021. Participants were categorized into two groups—high risk of depression and non-depression—based on their answers to survey items related to depression. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the influence of metabolic diseases on high risk of depression in patients with cervical cancer. Results: A total of 78 (23.64%) and 252 (76.36%) women were classified into the high risk of depression and non-depression groups, respectively. In multivariate logistic regression analysis adjusting for age, menopausal status, and smoking status, diabetes was associated with an odds ratio of 2.47 (95% confidence interval: 1.205, 5.071) for high risk of depression in cervical cancer patients. However, among the metabolic diseases, hypertension, and dyslipidemia were not associated with high risk of depression in patients with cervical cancer. Conclusion This study suggests that diabetes may be associated with a increased risk of high risk of depression in cervical cancer patients. Therefore, appropriate treatment of diabetes in cervical cancer patients may contribute to lowering the risk of depression in the future.

Objective: By focusing on a person-centered approach using latent class analyses (LCA), this study examined the patterns of sexual victimization among children and adolescents in South Korea and compared the psycho-behavioral outcomes of these classes. Methods: Participants were 546 females aged 6–17, including 117 sexual victimization survivors and 429 non-victims in South Korea. LCA, an analysis of covariance, and Bonferroni post-hoc tests were conducted. Psychological and behavioral outcomes were measured using the Korean version of the Child Behavior Checklist 6–18 and the Youth Self Report. Variables include internalizing (anxious/depressed, withdrawn/depressed, somatic complaints), externalizing (rule-breaking, aggressive behavior), social, thought, and attention problems. Results: Based on the fit statistics, proportion of each class, and interpretability, a three-class solution was selected as the best fitting model. Profile 1 mainly involved survivors of rape, which first occurred in adolescence through social relations involving alcohol, drugs, or filming. Profile 2 mainly comprised survivors of both rape and physical sexual harassment by close relations, such as family members or relatives, more than once. Profile 3 mainly comprised survivors of sexual harassment by strangers or social relations. Statistically significant differences were suggested in the psych-behavioral outcomes of the profiles compared with the non-victim group. Conclusion These findings highlight the importance of examining experiences of sexual violence in a multifaceted manner. This approach may provide more effective interventions for survivors and allow clinicians to gain an in-depth understanding of sexual victimization in children and adolescents while also increasing the understanding of potential psycho-behavioral consequences.

Cavernous lymphangiomas, characterized by the cystic enlargement of lymphatic vessels in the dermis and subcutaneous tissue, are rarely reported in the scalp. We present the case of a 6-month-old male infant with occipital scalp swelling, whose ultrasonographic examination identified a multiseptated hypoechoic mass in the subcutaneous layer. Histologically, the tumor exhibited irregular, dilated spaces lined with a single layer of endothelial cells, showing D2-40 positivity. This represents a rare case of pediatric cavernous lymphangioma of the scalp, accompanied by a literature review.

Background: Sleep disorders and insomnia are prevalent worldwide, with negative health outcomes. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) is a widely used self-report assessment tool for evaluating sleep quality, comprising seven subdomains. The Korean version of the PSQI (PSQI-K) has been tested for reliability and validity in small sample sizes but lacks large-scale validation using objective measures. Methods: This study was conducted with 268 Korean adults attending health check programs. Participants completed the PSQI-K questionnaire and wore Fitbit devices (Fitbit Inc., USA) to ascertain sleep parameters. Reliability was analyzed using the Cronbach’s α coefficient, and construct validity was determined through factor analysis. Criteria validity was assessed by correlating their index scores with Fitbit sleep parameters. We identified the optimal cutoff for detecting sleep disorders. Results: The Cronbach’s α coefficient was 0.61, indicating adequate internal consistency. Factor analysis revealed three factors, explaining 48.2% of sleep quality variance. The index scores were negatively correlated with Fitbit sleep efficiency, total sleep time, and number of awakenings (P<0.05). The optimal cutoff point for identifying sleep disorder groups was ≥6. Conclusion The PSQI-K demonstrated good reliability and validity when correlated with Fitbit sleep parameters, offering a practical screening tool for identifying sleep disorders among Korean adults. Cutoff scores can help identify patients for sleep interventions. However, further large-scale studies are required to validate these findings.

Ketone bodies produced by sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors can be advantageous, providing an efficient and stable energy source for the brain and muscles. However, in patients with diabetes, ketogenesis induced by SGLT2 inhibitors may be harmful, potentially resulting in severe diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). During fasting, ketone body production serves as an alternative and efficient energy source for the brain by utilizing stored fat, promoting mental clarity, and reducing dependence on glucose. The concurrent use of SGLT2 inhibitors during perioperative fasting may further elevate the risk of euglycemic DKA. We describe a case of DKA that occurred during perioperative fasting in a patient receiving empagliflozin, an SGLT2 inhibitor. This case underscores the importance of recognizing the potential risk of DKA in patients with diabetes using SGLT2 inhibitors during perioperative fasting.

Echinococcosis, caused by the tapeworm Echinococcus, is rare in Korea and is primarily imported from endemic areas. We report a case of a 37-year-old Korean man with multiple large hepatic cysts, initially diagnosed as simple cysts at a local clinic in 2018. The patient had lived in Oman, an endemic area, for several months in 2016. Upon referral to a tertiary hospital in 2023, due to progressive cyst enlargement, liver magnetic resonance imaging revealed three large cysts with a water lily sign. Serum IgG against Echinococcus was positive by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. After diagnosis of echinococcosis, treatment with albendazole and puncture-aspiration-injection-reaspiration (PAIR) was performed.Microscopic and molecular analysis of cyst aspirates confirmed Echinococcus granulosus infection. Follow-up computed tomography demonstrated a reduction in cyst size, yet the emergence of a new right pleural effusion and consolidation in the left lower lobe of the lung necessitated the continuation of albendazole therapy. This case highlights the importance of thorough travel history, imaging findings, and the effectiveness of PAIR combined with albendazole in treating imported echinococcosis.

Background: Gout is a type of inflammatory arthritis caused by monosodium urate crystal deposits, and the prevalence of this condition has been increasing. This study aimed to determine the combined effects of genetic risk factors and lifestyle habits on gout, using data from a Korean cohort study. Identifying high-risk individuals in advance can help prevent gout and its associated disorders. Methods: We analyzed data from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study-Urban Health Examinees cohort (KoGES-HEXA). Genetic information of the participants was collected at baseline, and gout cases were identified based on patient statements. The polygenic risk score (PRS) was calculated using nine independent genome-wide association study datasets, and lifestyle factors and metabolic syndrome status were measured for each participant using the KoGES. Logistic regression models were used to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) for gout in relation to genetic risk, lifestyle habits, and metabolic health status, after adjusting for age and sex. Results: Among 44,605 participants, 617 were diagnosed with gout. Gout was associated with older age, higher body mass index, and higher prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, and hypertriglyceridemia. High PRS, unfavorable lifestyle habits, and poor metabolic profiles were significantly associated with an increased risk of gout. Compared with that in the low-genetic-risk and healthy lifestyle group or ideal metabolic profile group, the risk of gout was increased in the high-genetic-risk plus unfavorable lifestyle (OR, 3.64; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.32–6.03) or poor metabolic profile (OR, 7.78; 95% CI, 4.61–13.40) group.Conversely, adherence to favorable lifestyle habits significantly reduced gout risk, especially in high-genetic-risk groups. Conclusion Genetic predisposition and unhealthy lifestyle habits significantly increase the risk of gout. Promoting healthy lifestyle habits is crucial to prevent the development of gout, particularly in individuals with high genetic susceptibility.