Background: Rosacea is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder characterized by erythema, papules, ocular symptoms, and heightened sensitivity. Patients with neurogenic symptoms such as burning or stinging remain particularly difficult to manage. Current guidelines often underrepresent energy-based devices (EBDs), pigmentary sequelae, psychosocial burden, and ocular comorbidities. Objective: To examine Korean dermatologists’ expert perspectives on rosacea management, focusing on skin sensitivity, neurogenic symptoms, pigmentary changes, psychosocial impact, ocular involvement, and EBD use. Methods: A web-based, 29-item survey was administered to 25 board-certified Korean dermatologists (May–June 2025). Quantitative and qualitative responses were analyzed. Results: Erythematotelangiectatic and papulopustular phenotypes with sensitivity skin predominated. EBDs (pulsed dye laser, intense pulsed light) were frequently used but limited by cost and sensitivity issues. Neurogenic symptoms were recognized but rarely treated with neuromodulators. Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation was infrequent, yet monitoring was inconsistent.Psychosocial and ocular aspects were acknowledged but seldomly systematically addressed.Respondents expressed interest in emerging adjunctive treatments such as cold plasma, skin boosters, and holistic care approaches. Conclusion Korean dermatologists adopt individualized strategies for rosacea, yet practice gaps remain regarding neurogenic symptoms, pigmentary complications, and psychosocial and ocular comorbidities. Findings support the need for updated multidisciplinary, phenotype-driven guidelines aligned with real-world practice.

Background: and Purpose In young patients (aged 18–60 years) with patent foramen ovale (PFO)- associated stroke, percutaneous closure has been found to be useful for preventing recurrent ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). However, it remains unknown whether PFO closure is also beneficial in older patients. Methods: Patients aged ≥60 years who had a cryptogenic stroke and PFO from ten hospitals in South Korea were included. The effect of PFO closure plus medical therapy over medical therapy alone was assessed by a propensity-score matching method in the overall cohort and in those with a high-risk PFO, characterized by the presence of an atrial septal aneurysm or a large shunt. Results: Out of the 437 patients (mean age, 68.1), 303 (69%) had a high-risk PFO and 161 (37%) patients underwent PFO closure. Over a median follow-up of 3.9 years, recurrent ischemic stroke or TIA developed in 64 (14.6%) patients. In the propensity score-matched cohort of the overall patients (130 pairs), PFO closure was associated with a significantly lower risk of a composite of ischemic stroke or TIA (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.45; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.24–0.84; P=0.012), but not for ischemic stroke. In a subgroup analysis of confined to the high-risk PFO patients (116 pairs), PFO closure was associated with significantly lower risks of both the composite of ischemic stroke or TIA (HR: 0.40; 95% CI: 0.21–0.77; P=0.006) and ischemic stroke (HR: 0.47; 95% CI: 0.23–0.95; P=0.035). Conclusion Elderly patients with cryptogenic stroke and PFO have a high recurrence rate of ischemic stroke or TIA, which may be significantly reduced by device closure.

Objectives: Limited information is available concerning the epidemiology of stroke and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in the Republic of Korea. This study aimed to develop a national surveillance system to monitor the incidence of stroke and AMI using national claims data. Methods: We developed and validated identification algorithms for stroke and AMI using claims data. This validation involved a 2-stage stratified sampling method with a review of medical records for sampled cases. The weighted positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) were calculated based on the sampling structure and the correspondingsampling rates. Incident cases and the incidence rates of stroke and AMI in the Republic ofKorea were estimated by applying the algorithms and weighted PPV and NPV to the 2018National Health Insurance Service claims data. Results: In total, 2,200 cases (1,086 stroke cases and 1,114 AMI cases) were sampled from the 2018 claims database. The sensitivity and specificity of the algorithms were 94.3% and 88.6% for stroke and 97.9% and 90.1% for AMI, respectively. The estimated number of cases, including recurrent events, was 150,837 for stroke and 40,529 for AMI in 2018. The age- and sex-standardized incidence rate for stroke and AMI was 180.2 and 46.1 cases per 100,000 person-years, respectively, in 2018. Conclusion This study demonstrates the feasibility of developing a national surveillance system based on claims data and identification algorithms for stroke and AMI to monitor their incidence rates.

Humans ; Adolescent ; Pandemics ; Substance-Related Disorders/epidemiology* ; Smoking ; Ethanol ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology* ; Alcohol Drinking/epidemiology*

Background: Staphylococcus lugdunensis is an emerging pathogen in skin and soft tissue infections. However, until recently, the role of S. lugdunensis as a skin pathogen remained underrated. Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical characteristics and antibiotic susceptibility of S.lugdunensis isolated from skin diseases. Methods: This is a retrospective chart review of 48 cases in which S. lugdunensis was isolated from bacterial skin cultures between 2016 and 2021. Results: Among the 48 patients, the mean age was 41.0 years, 54.2% were male, and 12.5% of the patients had immunosuppressive diseases. Nearly 87.4% of infections occurred below the waist and the dominant sources of isolation were epidermal cyst (31.3%) and hidradenitis suppurativa (29.2%). The rate of resistance of S. lugdunensis against β-lactam antibiotics were as follows: penicillin, 83.3%; oxacillin, 37.5%; and methicillin, 29.2%. Conclusion S. lugdunensis is emerging as one of the primary pathogens of skin infections. When S. lugdunensis is isolated, dermatologists should consider that it is not just a component of the skin flora but can also be a pathogen. If S. lugdunensis is identified as the cause of infection, it should be managed with appropriate antibiotic therapy.

Toker cells are epithelial cells, consisting of pale cytoplasm with a polygonal or oval shape. They are found in 10% of the nipple epidermis and require differentiation from Paget cells. However, the Toker cell hyperplasia observed in Zuska’s disease can be difficult to distinguish from Paget cells. In this case report, a 17-year-old girl presented with recurrent erythematous erosion of the right areola. Biopsy specimens showed numerous large epidermal cells with abundant pale cytoplasm. Immunohistochemical staining for CK7 and estrogen receptor were positive, whereas that of HER2/NEU and Ki-67 were negative. Breast ultrasonography showed signs of abscesses and fistulas without suspicious findings of underlying breast cancer. Based on these findings, the patient was diagnosed with Zuska’s disease with Toker cell hyperplasia. Herein, we report a case of Toker cell hyperplasia in Zuska’s disease, thereby highlighting the need to differentiate Toker cells from Paget cells based on clinical, histological, and immunohistochemical characteristics.