A glandular odontogenic cyst (GOC) is a rare type of odontogenic cyst characterized by a broad clinical and pathological spectrum, overlapping with different lesions ranging from lateral periodontal cysts to low-grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma. Further, including GOC in the initial diagnosis is frequently challenging due to its nonspecific radiological results. Despite its rarity, accurate GOC diagnosis is crucial due to its aggressive nature and high recurrence potential. Therefore, various GOC cases need to be presented to clinicians. This study aims to report the clinical and radiological characteristics of two cases of GOCs that were initially misdiagnosed as radicular cysts.

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols are designed to minimize surgical stress, preserve physiological function, and expedite recovery through standardized perioperative care for primary colorectal surgery patients. This narrative review explores the benefits of current ERAS protocols in improving outcomes for these patients and provides insights into future advancements. Numerous studies have shown that ERAS protocols significantly reduce the length of hospital stays by several days compared to conventional care. Additionally, the implementation of ERAS is linked to a reduction in postoperative complications, including lower incidences of surgical site infections, anastomotic leaks, and postoperative ileus. Patients adhering to ERAS protocols also benefit from quicker gastrointestinal recovery, marked by an earlier return of bowel function. Some research indicates that colorectal cancer patients undergoing surgery with ERAS protocols may experience improved overall survival rates. High compliance with ERAS protocols leads to better outcomes, yet achieving full adherence continues to be a challenge. Despite these advantages, implementation challenges persist, with compliance rates affected by varying clinical practices and resource availability. However, the future of ERAS looks promising with the incorporation of prehabilitation strategies and technologies such as wearable devices and telemedicine. These innovations provide real-time monitoring, enhance patient engagement, and improve postoperative follow-up, potentially transforming perioperative care in colorectal surgery and offering new avenues for enhanced patient outcomes.

Purpose: This study aimed to explore traumatic experiences and posttraumatic growth among Korean veterans. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted using photovoice. Purposive sampling strategies yielded five veterans who had experienced traumatic events. Participants engaged in three discussion sessions between August 5, 2023, and October 28, 2023. The collected data were analyzed using photovoice document analysis and thematic analysis. Results: Study results identified the following themes: ‘The collapse of my life as a result massive trauma,’ ‘Sinking into endless isolation and disconnection,’ ‘The process of finding myself through reflection,’ and ‘My life journey moving forward together.’ Despite the irreversible damage caused by traumatic experiences during military service, the participants continuously reflected on the meaning of their trauma and posttraumatic growth, thereby recovering their authentic selves. Conclusion Veterans who have experienced traumatic events face severe difficulties, however through their efforts at recovery, they recognize the individuals they are now. This study suggests the need for social support and highlights the necessity of providing various opportunities and policy assistance to traumatized veterans.

Purpose: This study aimed to explore traumatic experiences and posttraumatic growth among Korean veterans. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted using photovoice. Purposive sampling strategies yielded five veterans who had experienced traumatic events. Participants engaged in three discussion sessions between August 5, 2023, and October 28, 2023. The collected data were analyzed using photovoice document analysis and thematic analysis. Results: Study results identified the following themes: ‘The collapse of my life as a result massive trauma,’ ‘Sinking into endless isolation and disconnection,’ ‘The process of finding myself through reflection,’ and ‘My life journey moving forward together.’ Despite the irreversible damage caused by traumatic experiences during military service, the participants continuously reflected on the meaning of their trauma and posttraumatic growth, thereby recovering their authentic selves. Conclusion Veterans who have experienced traumatic events face severe difficulties, however through their efforts at recovery, they recognize the individuals they are now. This study suggests the need for social support and highlights the necessity of providing various opportunities and policy assistance to traumatized veterans.

Purpose: To investigate the prevalence of lower urinary tract symptoms/benign prostatic hyperplasia in a Korean population. Materials and Methods: The Korean Prostate & Voiding Health Association provided free prostate-related community health care and conducted surveys in all regions of Korea from 2001 to 2022 with the cooperation of local government public health centers. A total of 72,068 males older than 50 were surveyed and analyzed. History taking, International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), transrectal ultrasonography, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing, uroflowmetry, and urine volume testing were performed. Results: The mean prostate volumes in males in their 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s or above were 24.7 g, 27.7 g, 31 g, and 33.7 g, respectively. The proportion of males with high PSA greater than 3 ng/mL was 3.8% among males in their 50s, 7.7% among males in their 60s, 13.1% among males in their 70s, and 17.9% among males 80 years of age or older. The mean IPSS total scores in males in their 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s or above were 10.7, 12.7, 14.5, and 16, respectively. Severe symptoms were reported by 27.3% of males, whereas 51.7% reported moderate symptoms. The mean Qmax in males in their 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s or above were 20 mL/s, 17.4 mL/s, 15.4 mL/s, and 13.8 mL/s, respectively. Conclusions In this population-based study, mean prostate volume, IPSS, PSA, and Qmax were 30.6±15.1 g, 14.8±8.2, 1.9±4.7 ng/mL, and 15.6±6.5 mL/s, respectively. Aging was significantly associated with increased prostate volume, PSA levels, and IPSS scores, and with decreased Qmax and urine volume.

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols are designed to minimize surgical stress, preserve physiological function, and expedite recovery through standardized perioperative care for primary colorectal surgery patients. This narrative review explores the benefits of current ERAS protocols in improving outcomes for these patients and provides insights into future advancements. Numerous studies have shown that ERAS protocols significantly reduce the length of hospital stays by several days compared to conventional care. Additionally, the implementation of ERAS is linked to a reduction in postoperative complications, including lower incidences of surgical site infections, anastomotic leaks, and postoperative ileus. Patients adhering to ERAS protocols also benefit from quicker gastrointestinal recovery, marked by an earlier return of bowel function. Some research indicates that colorectal cancer patients undergoing surgery with ERAS protocols may experience improved overall survival rates. High compliance with ERAS protocols leads to better outcomes, yet achieving full adherence continues to be a challenge. Despite these advantages, implementation challenges persist, with compliance rates affected by varying clinical practices and resource availability. However, the future of ERAS looks promising with the incorporation of prehabilitation strategies and technologies such as wearable devices and telemedicine. These innovations provide real-time monitoring, enhance patient engagement, and improve postoperative follow-up, potentially transforming perioperative care in colorectal surgery and offering new avenues for enhanced patient outcomes.

Background: During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) were more susceptible to poor outcomes owing to respiratory muscle weakness and immunotherapy. Several studies conducted in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic reported higher mortality in patients with MG compared to the general population. This study aimed to investigate the clinical course and prognosis of COVID-19 in patients with MG and to compare these parameters between vaccinated and unvaccinated patients in South Korea. Methods: This multicenter, retrospective study, which was conducted at 14 tertiary hospitals in South Korea, reviewed the medical records and identified MG patients who contracted COVID-19 between February 2022 and April 2022. The demographic and clinical characteristics associated with MG and vaccination status were collected. The clinical outcomes of COVID-19 infection and MG were investigated and compared between the vaccinated and unvaccinated patients. Results: Ninety-two patients with MG contracted COVID-19 during the study. Nine (9.8%) patients required hospitalization, 4 (4.3%) of whom were admitted to the intensive care unit. Seventy-five of 92 patients were vaccinated before contracting COVID-19 infection, and 17 were not. During the COVID-19 infection, 6 of 17 (35.3%) unvaccinated patients were hospitalized, whereas 3 of 75 (4.0%) vaccinated patients were hospitalized (P < 0.001). The frequencies of ICU admission and mechanical ventilation were significantly lower in the vaccinated patients than in the unvaccinated patients (P = 0.019 and P = 0.032, respectively). The rate of MG deterioration was significantly lower in the vaccinated patients than in the unvaccinated patients (P = 0.041). Logistic regression after weighting revealed that the risk of hospitalization and MG deterioration after COVID-19 infection was significantly lower in the vaccinated patients than in the unvaccinated patients. Conclusion This study suggests that the clinical course and prognosis of patients with MG who contracted COVID-19 during the dominance of the omicron variant of COVID-19 may be milder than those at the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic when vaccination was unavailable. Vaccination may reduce the morbidity of COVID-19 in patients with MG and effectively prevent MG deterioration induced by COVID-19 infection.

In Walker’s nonmetric method, the nuchal crest serves as the representative region for indicating sexual dimorphism in cranial bones. However, the accuracy of sex estimation using the nuchal crest is lower than that using other anatomical regions. Furthermore, because of the protruding processes and structurally challenging features characterized by uneven and rough surfaces, there is a lack of metric methods for sex estimation, making quantification challenging. In this study, we aimed to validate a derived metric method for sex estimation by reconstructing the nuchal crest region in threedimensional (3D) images obtained from computed tomography scans of cranial bones and compare its accuracy with that of the nonmetric method. A total of 648 images were collected, with 100 randomly selected for use in the nonmetric method.We applied our metric method to the remaining 548 images. Our findings showed that the surface area of the nuchal crests was greater in male individuals than in female individuals. The nuchal crest surface area quantified by the metric method increased the accuracy of sex estimation by 48% compared with that by the nonmetric method. Our metric method for sex estimation, which quantifies the nuchal crest surface area using 3D images of the skull, led to a high sex estimation accuracy of 93%. Future studies should focus on proposing and quantifying new measurement methods for areas showing sexual characteristics in the skull that are difficult to measure, thereby enhancing the accuracy and reliability of sex estimation in human skeletal identification across various fields.

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols are designed to minimize surgical stress, preserve physiological function, and expedite recovery through standardized perioperative care for primary colorectal surgery patients. This narrative review explores the benefits of current ERAS protocols in improving outcomes for these patients and provides insights into future advancements. Numerous studies have shown that ERAS protocols significantly reduce the length of hospital stays by several days compared to conventional care. Additionally, the implementation of ERAS is linked to a reduction in postoperative complications, including lower incidences of surgical site infections, anastomotic leaks, and postoperative ileus. Patients adhering to ERAS protocols also benefit from quicker gastrointestinal recovery, marked by an earlier return of bowel function. Some research indicates that colorectal cancer patients undergoing surgery with ERAS protocols may experience improved overall survival rates. High compliance with ERAS protocols leads to better outcomes, yet achieving full adherence continues to be a challenge. Despite these advantages, implementation challenges persist, with compliance rates affected by varying clinical practices and resource availability. However, the future of ERAS looks promising with the incorporation of prehabilitation strategies and technologies such as wearable devices and telemedicine. These innovations provide real-time monitoring, enhance patient engagement, and improve postoperative follow-up, potentially transforming perioperative care in colorectal surgery and offering new avenues for enhanced patient outcomes.

In Walker’s nonmetric method, the nuchal crest serves as the representative region for indicating sexual dimorphism in cranial bones. However, the accuracy of sex estimation using the nuchal crest is lower than that using other anatomical regions. Furthermore, because of the protruding processes and structurally challenging features characterized by uneven and rough surfaces, there is a lack of metric methods for sex estimation, making quantification challenging. In this study, we aimed to validate a derived metric method for sex estimation by reconstructing the nuchal crest region in threedimensional (3D) images obtained from computed tomography scans of cranial bones and compare its accuracy with that of the nonmetric method. A total of 648 images were collected, with 100 randomly selected for use in the nonmetric method.We applied our metric method to the remaining 548 images. Our findings showed that the surface area of the nuchal crests was greater in male individuals than in female individuals. The nuchal crest surface area quantified by the metric method increased the accuracy of sex estimation by 48% compared with that by the nonmetric method. Our metric method for sex estimation, which quantifies the nuchal crest surface area using 3D images of the skull, led to a high sex estimation accuracy of 93%. Future studies should focus on proposing and quantifying new measurement methods for areas showing sexual characteristics in the skull that are difficult to measure, thereby enhancing the accuracy and reliability of sex estimation in human skeletal identification across various fields.