1.Recent advances in single-port robotic thyroidectomy:evolution, techniques, and clinical outcomes
Jin Kyong KIM ; Dong Wook KIM ; Jae Sang RYU ; Sungkeun KANG ; Eun Jin KIM ; Sang-Wook KANG ; Jong Ju JEONG ; Kee-Hyun NAM ; Woong Youn CHUNG
Annals of Surgical Treatment and Research 2026;110(1):3-11
Robotic thyroidectomy has progressed from multiport to single-port (SP) platforms to minimize invasiveness and improve cosmesis. The da Vinci SP system (Intuitive Surgical) combines a flexible 3-dimensional endoscope with 3 wristed instruments in a single 2.5-cm cannula-enabled concealed remote access route and mitigates external arm collisions.This review synthesized PubMed-indexed reports (2020–2025) on SP robotic thyroidectomy using the following approaches:transaxillary variants, SP areolar, retroauricular/facelift (SP-hairline variants), and transoral approach. We focused on technical refinement, learning curves, and clinical outcomes. We highlight technical refinements and clinical outcomes across access routes. Contemporary series indicate that SP thyroidectomy is feasible and safe in well-selected patients, with high cosmetic satisfaction and operative metrics comparable to those of multiport cohorts. Among the SP routes, transaxillary variants have the most mature peer-reviewed reporting and are therefore discussed in greater detail. Early applications of SP-assisted lateral neck dissection have also been described. The limitations of current SP platforms include constrained counter-traction, reduced internal workspace, and incomplete integration of advanced energy devices.Nonetheless, ongoing device innovations and the growing global experience suggest that SP systems will increasingly shape endocrine neck surgeries.
2.The Influence of Glycolytic Enzyme Expression on the Aggressiveness of Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma Using TCGA Data
Won Woong KIM ; Daham KIM ; Jin Kyong KIM ; Sang-Wook KANG ; Jandee LEE ; Jong Ju JEONG ; Kee-Hyun NAM ; Woong Youn CHUNG
Journal of Endocrine Surgery 2025;25(1):13-23
Purpose:
Several studies suggest that glycolytic enzyme expression may be linked to increased malignancy in various organs. However, the relationship between glycolytic enzyme expression and aggressiveness in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is not yet fully understood. This study aimed to determine whether glycolytic enzyme expression correlates with aggressiveness, including lymph node metastasis and extrathyroidal extension, using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA).
Methods:
Lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA), pyruvate kinase isoform M2 (PKM2), and glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) mRNA expression were examined in 465 PTC samples using TCGA data. We analyzed the correlation between these glycolytic enzymes and transporter protein and the clinicopathological characteristics of PTC, with a particular focus on lymph node metastasis and recurrence.
Results:
Overexpression of LDHA, PKM2, and GLUT1 was associated with lymph node metastasis and the aggressive subtype of PTC. In the multivariate analysis, younger age, multifocality, advanced T stage (T3/T4), and increased PKM2 mRNA expression were significant predictors of lymph node metastasis. Among the variables, high PKM2 mRNA expression showed the strongest association with lymph node metastasis (odds ratio 6.907, P=0.001). However, there were no significant differences in disease-free survival rates according to LDHA, PKM2, or GLUT1 expression levels.
Conclusion
LDHA, PKM2, and GLUT1 overexpression is linked to lymph node metastasis and aggressive PTC subtypes. Of these, PKM2 mRNA expression may have particular potential as a biomarker for lymph node metastasis in PTC.
3.The effect of glycolytic enzyme expression and thyroiditis on the aggressiveness of papillary thyroid carcinoma:a retrospective cohort study
Won Woong KIM ; Daham KIM ; Jin Kyong KIM ; Sang-Wook KANG ; Jandee LEE ; Jong Ju JEONG ; Kee-Hyun NAM ; Woong Youn CHUNG
Annals of Surgical Treatment and Research 2025;109(3):169-184
Purpose:
Glycolytic enzymes have been extensively studied in various cancer types, revealing their aggressive characteristics and roles in tumor progression. This study aimed to determine whether the expression of glycolytic enzymes is associated with aggressiveness in the presence or absence of chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis (CLT).
Methods:
The expression of hexokinase 2, lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA), pyruvate kinase isoform M2 (PKM2), glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1), and monocarboxylate transporter 4 (MCT4) was examined in 233 papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) specimens by immunohistochemistry. We evaluated whether the expression of these glycolytic enzymes correlates with lymph node metastasis, extrathyroidal extension (ETE), and recurrence rate, both with and without CLT. In addition, we analyzed the correlation between glycolytic enzyme messenger RNA expression and risk factors in PTC using The Cancer Genome Atlas.
Results:
All glycolytic enzymes and transporter proteins were overexpressed in PTC compared with normal tissue. PKM2 expression was most highly correlated with the other glycolytic enzymes. High PKM2 expression was significantly linked to increased recurrence risk in patients without CLT (hazard ratio, 1.76; 95% confidence interval, 1.01–3.06; P = 0.046), but this association was not observed in those with CLT.
Conclusion
Overexpression of LDHA, PKM2, GLUT1, and MCT4 is associated with PTC. CLT is significantly associated with an increased incidence of gross ETE and, paradoxically, with a reduced recurrence rate in PTC. LDHA expression was lower in the presence of CLT, whereas PKM2 remained consistently linked to a higher recurrence rate in its absence.Among the evaluated glycolytic enzymes, PKM2 may serve as a biomarker for recurrence in PTC.
4.Colon cancer: the 2023 Korean clinical practice guidelines for diagnosis and treatment
Hyo Seon RYU ; Hyun Jung KIM ; Woong Bae JI ; Byung Chang KIM ; Ji Hun KIM ; Sung Kyung MOON ; Sung Il KANG ; Han Deok KWAK ; Eun Sun KIM ; Chang Hyun KIM ; Tae Hyung KIM ; Gyoung Tae NOH ; Byung-Soo PARK ; Hyeung-Min PARK ; Jeong Mo BAE ; Jung Hoon BAE ; Ni Eun SEO ; Chang Hoon SONG ; Mi Sun AHN ; Jae Seon EO ; Young Chul YOON ; Joon-Kee YOON ; Kyung Ha LEE ; Kyung Hee LEE ; Kil-Yong LEE ; Myung Su LEE ; Sung Hak LEE ; Jong Min LEE ; Ji Eun LEE ; Han Hee LEE ; Myong Hoon IHN ; Je-Ho JANG ; Sun Kyung JEON ; Kum Ju CHAE ; Jin-Ho CHOI ; Dae Hee PYO ; Gi Won HA ; Kyung Su HAN ; Young Ki HONG ; Chang Won HONG ; Jung-Myun KWAK ;
Annals of Coloproctology 2024;40(2):89-113
Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in Korea and the third leading cause of death from cancer. Treatment outcomes for colon cancer are steadily improving due to national health screening programs with advances in diagnostic methods, surgical techniques, and therapeutic agents.. The Korea Colon Cancer Multidisciplinary (KCCM) Committee intends to provide professionals who treat colon cancer with the most up-to-date, evidence-based practice guidelines to improve outcomes and help them make decisions that reflect their patients’ values and preferences. These guidelines have been established by consensus reached by the KCCM Guideline Committee based on a systematic literature review and evidence synthesis and by considering the national health insurance system in real clinical practice settings. Each recommendation is presented with a recommendation strength and level of evidence based on the consensus of the committee.
5.Comparison of Normalization Techniques for Radiomics Features From Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Predicting Histologic Grade of Meningiomas
Le Thanh QUANG ; Byung Hyun BAEK ; Woong YOON ; Seul Kee KIM ; Ilwoo PARK
Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging 2024;28(2):61-67
Purpose:
This study aimed to compare the effects of different normalization methods on radiomics features extracted from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Materials and Methods:
Preoperative T1-contrast enhanced MRI data from 212 patients with meningiomas were obtained from two university hospitals. The tumors were segmented using 3D Slicer software, and the PyRadiomics framework was used to extract radiomics features. We developed four experiments to predict the histological grade of meningiomas prior to surgery. The first experiment was performed without normalization.The next three experiments used the StandardScaler, MinMaxScaler, and RobustScaler to normalize radiomics features. The PyCaret framework was used for feature selection and to explore an optimized machine learning model for predicting meningioma grades. The prediction models were trained and validated using data from the first hospital. External test data from the second hospital were used to test the performance of the final models.
Results:
Our testing results demonstrated that meningioma grade prediction performance depends highly on the choice of the normalization method. The RobustScaler demonstrated a higher level of accuracy and sensitivity than the other normalization methods. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve and specificity of the RobustScaler method were comparable to those of no-normalization but higher than those of the Standard and MinMaxScaler methods.
Conclusion
The results of our study suggest that careful consideration of the normalization method may provide a way to optimize the experimental results.Keywords: Meningiomas; Radiomics features; Magnetic resonance ima
6.Inflammatory Cytokines and Cognition in Alzheimer’s Disease and Its Prodrome
Su Jeong SEONG ; Ki Woong KIM ; Joo Yun SONG ; Kee Jeong PARK ; Young Tak JO ; Jae Hyun HAN ; Ka Hee YOO ; Hyun Jun JO ; Jae Yeon HWANG
Psychiatry Investigation 2024;21(10):1054-1064
Objective:
The aim of this study was to investigate the association between blood levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) and cognitive impairments among elderly individuals.
Methods:
Peripheral concentration of TNF-α and IL-6 were measured in all subjects. To assess individual cognitive function, the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease Neuropsychological Assessment Battery (CERAD-NP) was used, and standardized scores (z-scores) were calculated for each test. Cytokine levels were compared between the diagnostic groups, and correlations between blood inflammatory factor levels and z-scores were analyzed.
Results:
The 37 participants included 8 patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), 15 subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and 14 cognitively healthy controls. TNF-α and IL-6 levels were higher in patients with AD than in healthy controls. TNF-α levels were higher in the AD group than in the MCI group. However, after adjusting for age, the associations between diagnosis and TNF-α and IL-6 were not significant. The higher the plasma IL-6 level, the lower the z-scores on the Boston Naming Test, Word List Learning, Word List Recognition, and Constructional Recall. The higher the serum TNF-α level, the lower the z-scores on the Word List Learning and Constructional Recall. Negative correlation between serum TNF-α level and the z-score on Word List Learning remained significant when age was adjusted.
Conclusion
The difference in the blood levels of TNF-α and IL-6 between the diagnostic groups may be associated with aging. However, elevated TNF-α levels were associated with worse immediate memory performance, even after adjusting for age.
7.Successful treatment of adjunctive teriparatide therapy for medicationrelated osteonecrosis of the jaw: a report of two cases
Ra-yeon KIM ; Sung ok HONG ; Jae-woong JUNG ; Mu-hang LEE ; Young-kee LEE ; Yu-jin JEE
Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons 2024;50(5):285-291
Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) is a refractory disease that can lead to severe destruction of the jaw. As there is no standard protocol for treating MRONJ, various treatments have been studied. Teriparatide has been used as an adjunct therapy for MRONJ. However, its effectiveness has not been sufficiently demonstrated for use as a standard treatment for MRONJ. This study aimed to demonstrate the efficacy of teriparatide in treating MRONJ by presenting two successfully treated cases. Each patient received teriparatide therapy with surgical intervention. The appropriateness of teriparatide use was evaluated based on the patient’s systemic condition, and the administration of teriparatide was supervised by a physician.Complete resolution of the lesion was observed clinically and radiographically in both patients. The first patient underwent implant placement at the lesion site. Due to its anabolic properties and ability to stimulate bone remodeling, teriparatide is an effective adjunctive pharmacological treatment for bone healing before and after surgery with associated beneficial effects on bone and mucosal healing.
8.Successful treatment of adjunctive teriparatide therapy for medicationrelated osteonecrosis of the jaw: a report of two cases
Ra-yeon KIM ; Sung ok HONG ; Jae-woong JUNG ; Mu-hang LEE ; Young-kee LEE ; Yu-jin JEE
Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons 2024;50(5):285-291
Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) is a refractory disease that can lead to severe destruction of the jaw. As there is no standard protocol for treating MRONJ, various treatments have been studied. Teriparatide has been used as an adjunct therapy for MRONJ. However, its effectiveness has not been sufficiently demonstrated for use as a standard treatment for MRONJ. This study aimed to demonstrate the efficacy of teriparatide in treating MRONJ by presenting two successfully treated cases. Each patient received teriparatide therapy with surgical intervention. The appropriateness of teriparatide use was evaluated based on the patient’s systemic condition, and the administration of teriparatide was supervised by a physician.Complete resolution of the lesion was observed clinically and radiographically in both patients. The first patient underwent implant placement at the lesion site. Due to its anabolic properties and ability to stimulate bone remodeling, teriparatide is an effective adjunctive pharmacological treatment for bone healing before and after surgery with associated beneficial effects on bone and mucosal healing.
9.Successful treatment of adjunctive teriparatide therapy for medicationrelated osteonecrosis of the jaw: a report of two cases
Ra-yeon KIM ; Sung ok HONG ; Jae-woong JUNG ; Mu-hang LEE ; Young-kee LEE ; Yu-jin JEE
Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons 2024;50(5):285-291
Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) is a refractory disease that can lead to severe destruction of the jaw. As there is no standard protocol for treating MRONJ, various treatments have been studied. Teriparatide has been used as an adjunct therapy for MRONJ. However, its effectiveness has not been sufficiently demonstrated for use as a standard treatment for MRONJ. This study aimed to demonstrate the efficacy of teriparatide in treating MRONJ by presenting two successfully treated cases. Each patient received teriparatide therapy with surgical intervention. The appropriateness of teriparatide use was evaluated based on the patient’s systemic condition, and the administration of teriparatide was supervised by a physician.Complete resolution of the lesion was observed clinically and radiographically in both patients. The first patient underwent implant placement at the lesion site. Due to its anabolic properties and ability to stimulate bone remodeling, teriparatide is an effective adjunctive pharmacological treatment for bone healing before and after surgery with associated beneficial effects on bone and mucosal healing.
10.Minimally Invasive Open Bilateral Total Thyroidectomy Using Unilateral Neck Incision in Thyroid Cancer: Preliminary Surgical and Quality of Life Outcomes
In A LEE ; Minji KIM ; Jin Kyong KIM ; Cho Rok LEE ; Sang-Wook KANG ; Jong Ju JEONG ; Kee-Hyun NAM ; Woong Youn CHUNG
Yonsei Medical Journal 2024;65(8):448-455
Purpose:
Thyroid cancer incidence has increased in recent decades, and thyroid surgery is continuously evolving in response to demands for postoperative comfort and cosmesis. This study aimed to introduce a new surgical method for minimally invasive open bilateral total thyroidectomy (MI-BTT) using a unilateral 2.5–3.0 cm neck incision. Furthermore, we reported the surgical outcomes and postoperative quality of life (QoL) using a validated Korean translated Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) questionnaire.
Materials and Methods:
We retrospectively evaluated 41 Asian patients who underwent MI-BTT for low-risk papillary thyroid cancer by a single surgeon from March 2019 to December 2021.
Results:
A total of 4 male and 37 female patients were included. The mean age and body mass index were 46.2±10.1 years and 23.3±3.3 kg/m2 , respectively. The average tumor size was 1.1±0.6 cm, and 36 patients (87.8%) had bilateral cancer. Twenty-three (56.1%) patients had occult central lymph node (CLN) metastasis in the final pathologic report, with the mean number of dissected CLNs being 7.2±6.5. Gross capsular extension was found in 6 patients (14.6%). Moreover, 28 patients (68.3%) received additional treatment after surgery with low or high doses of radioactive iodine. The average serum-stimulated thyroglobulin value identified during treatment was 1.57±2.30 ng/mL. The mean operation time was 78.0±13.9 minutes, and postoperative complications included transient hypocalcemia (36.6%), transient hoarseness (24.4%), and seroma (2.4%). The mean total DLQI score was 2.73±0.78, indicating a small effect on QoL.
Conclusion
MI-BTT is a novel, safe, and feasible technique to improve patient satisfaction for surgical scars and QoL.

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