There has been a significant increase in the number of colonoscopies being performed worldwide. Moreover, post-colonoscopy appendicitis is a rare phenomenon, with limited clarity about its pathogenesis. Herein, we discuss the case of 41-year-old female patient, who underwent forceps biopsy polypectomy and cold snare polypectomy during a colonoscopy for a routine check-up. However, 6 h later she experienced episodes of lower abdominal pain and vomiting, subsequently diagnosed as acute appendicitis upon revisit. The patient afterwards underwent laparoscopic appendectomy in the general surgery department. There is a significant lack of knowledge regarding the mechanism of occurrence and predisposing factors associated with post-colonoscopy acute appendicitis; however, if a patient exhibits clear symptoms and a typical course of pain, active exploration for appendicitis can be considered, even shortly after undergoing colonoscopy.

We report one rare case of scrotal abscess following an emergency laparotomy in a preterm infant. A male infant was born by cesarean section due to twin pregnancy at 34 weeks of gestation. He underwent emergency laparotomy for pneumoperitoneum caused by a gastric perforation. At 10 days after the surgery, he presented with bilateral scrotal swelling and ill-defined infiltrating lesions in both testicles. Ultrasound confirmed both patent processus vaginalis. Scrotal incision revealed a yellow mass attaching to both testicles, which was finally diagnosed as abscesses. This case highlights the importance of considering scrotal abscess as a potential complication following intestinal perforation and postoperative intraperitoneal infections in newborn infants.

Following the reporting of the first organoids, the development and application of tissue-specific organoids has expanded considerably in fields such as stem biology, regenerative medicine, oncology, biotechnology, and precision medicine. In addition, pancreatic organoids generated sequentially from pancreatic duct tissue, tumor tissue, and pluripotent stem cells, are increasingly used in research on stem cells, pancreatic islets, pancreatic ducts, type 1 diabetes, and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. This article introduces organoids in general and reviews recent studies on the use of pancreatic organoids in particular.

Live-born cases of partial trisomy 12q are rare, and only a few fetuses with this unbalanced translocation have survived to term. To our knowledge, only about 40 patients have been reported as having 12q duplication, and among them are no Korean reports. Here, we report the first Korean case of siblings with a 12q24.22q24.33 duplication. An 11-year-old boy visited our clinic for short stature. He was born small for his gestational age and had distinctive facial features, a history of surgery for anorectal malformation, psychomotor delay, intellectual disabilities, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). He had an older sister with similar clinical features. The chromosomal microarray of the patient and his sister showed identical results: a 16.2 Mb duplication of 12q24.22q24.33. They had an identical cutoff point, but their symptoms were not. Symptoms common to both included growth retardation, psychomotor delay, intellectual disability, ADHD, and small for their gestational age.

The indication of pannus removal in patients with mitral valve (MV) replacement has not been determined. In the present study, four patients underwent secondary open cardiac surgery for MV pannus removal concomitant with tricuspid annuloplasty. After the first open cardiac surgery, these patients presented with gradual elevation in the transmitral pressure gradient (TMPG) and pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) with aggravation of tricuspid regurgitation related to pannus formation in the prosthetic MV. Notably, the function of the prosthetic valve was normal in all patients. We performed tricuspid annuloplasty concomitant with pannus removal in the prosthetic MV alone. Pannus in the prosthetic MV was successfully removed without valve replacement, and improvement was noted in hemodynamic parameters, including TMPG and PASP after the operation. Herein, we share our experience and opinions about pannus removal in the prosthetic MV concomitant with tricuspid valve surgery.

Atrial functional mitral regurgitation (AFMR) is a newly discovered condition associated with long-standing atrial fibrillation (AF). This retrospective study analyzed the outcomes of the maze procedure and mitral regurgitation surgery in patients with AFMR and compared them with those in patients without AFMR. Patients who underwent the maze procedure at a single center were included (July 2012–August 2021). After excluding patients aged <18 years and those with infective endocarditis, 36 patients with AFMR (AFMR group) and 248 without AFMR (non-AFMR group) were enrolled in the study. The outcomes were compared using propensity score matching (PSM). After PSM, there were 36 patients in each group. The rates of freedom from AF at 1, 3, and 5 years postoperatively were 64.5%, 62.5%, and 60.0%, respectively, in the AFMR group, and were not significantly different from those in the non-AFMR group (p = 0.07). However, significantly more patients with AFMR exhibited junctional rhythm after the maze procedure than those without AFMR (p = 0.001) and significantly more underwent permanent pacemaker insertion in the AFMR group than in the non-AFMR group (p = 0.021). The groups demonstrated no significant differences in cardiac operation results. Patients with AFMR required close observation for sinus nodal dysfunction with bradycardia after the maze procedure. However, the results of cardiac surgery, including mitral valve repair, were comparable to those in patients without AFMR.

This study aimed to analyze the correlation between smoking and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity by region and gross domestic product (GDP). The regions were categorized by continent and GDP rankings. Studies conducted between June 3, 2020 and March 27, 2023 were searched to compare the severity of COVID-19 between smokers and non-smokers according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Compared with never-smokers, the smokers’ COVID-19 severity scores were 1.48 (confidence interval [CI]: 1.25–1.75) in Asia, 1.24 (CI: 1.05–1.46) in the Middle East, 1.32 (1.21–1.45) in Europe, 1.39 (1.30–1.49) in North America, 1.69 (1.22–2.34) in South America, and 2.87 (1.82–4.53) in Africa. By GDP, the smokers’ COVID-19 severity scores were higher than those of never-smokers: 1.42 (1.32–1.53) in high-GDP countries, 1.33 (1.25–1.41) in middle-GDP countries (11th–50th), and 1.53 (0.85–2.76) in low-GDP countries. The COVID-19 severity in smokers was significantly higher in low-GDP countries than in high- and middle-income countries. The high COVID-19 death rate among smokers in the African continent and low-GDP countries is thought to stem from the lack of medical management systems compared with other countries. In addition to medical treatment, environmental or socioeconomic factors can increase the severity.

A benign metastasizing leiomyoma is a very rare presentation. It is mainly found in female who have a surgical history of uterine leiomyoma. We present a rare case of a huge diaphragmatic metastasizing leiomyoma with right atrial thrombosis. A 47-year-old female visited the cardiothoracic surgery outpatient department because of recurring neck swelling and pain. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography of the neck revealed acute thrombus in the right brachiocephalic vein and acute thrombophlebitis in the superior vena cava, left brachiocephalic vein, and internal jugular vein. Incidental right pleural effusion and large hepatic mass were detected. Low-molecular-weight heparin was used to improve thrombosis before surgery, and a chest tube was inserted to improve right pleural effusion. A large subphrenic tumor originating from the right diaphragm was removed and no liver invasiveness was detected. After surgery she treated using anticoagulant and thrombosis was decreased.

Hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome (HBOC) is an inherited disorder associated with a higher than normal risk of breast and ovarian cancer. Most HBOC patients possess certain pathogenic variants (PVs) in BRCA1/2 genes. However, studies have indicated that HBOC patients may also have PVs in other cancer-related genes. Therefore, we analyzed variants in BRCA1/2 and other hereditary cancer-related genes in suspected HBOC patients using the multi-gene next-generation sequencing (NGS) panel method. We enrolled a total of 148 patients with cancers related to HBOC including breast, ovarian, primary peritoneal, prostate, and fallopian tube cancer. The 48 multi-gene NGS assay was applied to all samples, and multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) and direct sequencing were used to confirm variants in BRCA1/2 and Lynch syndrome-related genes. We identified 17 PVs or likely PVs in 148 participants (11.5%), with PVs in BRCA1/2 detected in 7 patients (4.7%). We found PVs other than BRCA1/2 in 10 patients through the NGS panel and MLPA (7.1%). Apart from BRCA1/2, the genes in which PVs were detected included RAD51D, MLH1, MSH2, and MSH6. The NGS method shows significant potential in diagnosing and treating suspected HBOC patients, particularly those who test negative for BRCA1/2 genes.