Background: Lithium hydroxide (LiOH) is increasingly used in electric vehicle battery production; however, its health effects in the work environment remain underreported. This study characterizes the acute health effects on workers following accidental occupational exposure to LiOH at a Korean lithium plant in March 2024. Methods: We analyzed health effects from two LiOH exposure accidents on March 6 and 9, 2024, involving 50–100 kg powder spills. Two datasets were examined: acute symptoms from 115 workers who visited hospitals immediately after exposure, and a symptom severity survey from 474 workers conducted 2 weeks post-exposure. Workers were stratified by distance from the leak source (<10 m, 10–20 m, >20 m) and respirator use. Univariate general linear modeling was applied to analyze the relationship between symptom occurrence and both the distance from the exposure source and respirator use. Results: Among workers visiting hospitals immediately, local irritation symptoms predominated: sore throat (58.3%), cough (28.7%), and skin dermatoses (17.4%). Systemic symptoms included headache (45.2%), nausea (18.3%), chest tightness (12.2%), and dizziness (9.6%). Two-week follow-up revealed overall symptom improvement; severe cough decreased from 22.2% to 10.1%. However, despite general improvement, a significant portion of workers reported persistent respiratory issues, including cough (28.7%) and sputum production (31.0%). Symptom severity showed a significant dose-response relationship with proximity to the source (p < 0.001). While respirator use offered initial protection (p = 0.021), this effect was not statistically significant after 2 weeks. Conclusions Occupational LiOH exposure caused acute irritation and systemic symptoms, demonstrating immediate tissue damage consistent with its alkalinity and systemic toxicity upon absorption. As lithium battery production expands globally, these results emphasize the necessity for developing specific occupational exposure limits and medical surveillance guidelines for lithium compounds.

During pregnancy, various physiological and metabolic changes occur throughout the female body, including in the retina. In particular, women at high risk, such as those with gestational diabetes or pregnancy-induced hypertension, often present with ocular symptoms.The major retinal disorders associated with pregnancy include diabetic retinopathy, hypertensive retinopathy, central serous chorioretinopathy, and retinal vascular occlusions. In this review, we provide an in-depth overview of recent studies investigating the impact of pregnancy on the retina and highlight the importance of retinal screening in pregnant women.

Purpose: To determine how cataract-related image-quality improvement and region of interest (ROI) definition affect the reproducibility of optical coherence tomography (OCT) radiomics features. Methods: This retrospective study included 50 eyes from 46 patients who underwent cataract surgery. Preoperative and postoperative OCT images were acquired using a standardized protocol. Radiomics features (n = 93) were extracted from two ROI configurations: retina ROI (Rr; retina only) and full ROI (Rf; retina, choroid, vitreous). Preoperative versus postoperative differences were tested with the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and Cohen’s d; repeatability was assessed with the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Agreement between ROIs was evaluated with Wilcoxon statistics, Spearman correlation, the concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) and Bland-Altman plots. The influence of signal strength was analyzed with paired t-tests and Spearman correlation. Results: Postoperative signal strength significantly improved from 28.24 ± 3.16 to 31.40 ± 3.06 dB (p < 0.001). Significant preoperative/ postoperative changes occurred in 49 / 93 features (52.7%) within Rr and in 81 / 93 (87.1%) within Rf. ICC showed good-to-excellent repeatability in 51.6% of Rr features and 87.1% of Rf features, yet 29.0% of Rr features still demonstrated poor reliability. Across ROI methods, 94.6% of feature pairs differed significantly between Rr and Rf, and no feature achieved CCC ≥0.85. Only two descriptors—first-order statistics 10th percentile and GLDM (gray level dependence matrix) gray level variance—showed no significant change with surgery and minimal dependence on signal strength. Conclusions Radiomics features in OCT respond variably to media opacity, signal-to-noise ratio, and ROI definition: most are susceptible to these factors, yet a small subset remains stable across them. Limiting analysis to an anatomically precise retina- bounded ROI and enrolling eyes with comparable cataract status and signal-strength scores may therefore improve reproducibility. Implementing these standardizations will help future OCT-radiomics studies identify the most reliable biomarkers for clinical use.

There are various methods for reconstructing defects caused by Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS). However, there are limits to the reconstruction methods that can be used if the defect is large. An 85-year-old woman presented with a 2.4×2.2 cm hyperkeratotic plaque on her right temple for 2 years. A skin biopsy was performed for a diagnosis. Histopathology confirmed squamous cell carcinoma, and MMS was performed to completely remove the tumor. A total of three MMS stages were performed intraoperatively to confirm margin clear, resulting in a skin defect measuring 5.0×4.5 cm. To reconstruct the large defect, a splitted full thickness skin graft was performed, taking into account the site, size, and function of the defect. Each skin graft was harvested from the submental area and a tie-over bolster dressing was applied to the recipient site. To date, the surgical site has remained free of surgical complications or tumor recurrence.

There are various methods for reconstructing defects caused by Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS). However, there are limits to the reconstruction methods that can be used if the defect is large. An 85-year-old woman presented with a 2.4×2.2 cm hyperkeratotic plaque on her right temple for 2 years. A skin biopsy was performed for a diagnosis. Histopathology confirmed squamous cell carcinoma, and MMS was performed to completely remove the tumor. A total of three MMS stages were performed intraoperatively to confirm margin clear, resulting in a skin defect measuring 5.0×4.5 cm. To reconstruct the large defect, a splitted full thickness skin graft was performed, taking into account the site, size, and function of the defect. Each skin graft was harvested from the submental area and a tie-over bolster dressing was applied to the recipient site. To date, the surgical site has remained free of surgical complications or tumor recurrence.

There are various methods for reconstructing defects caused by Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS). However, there are limits to the reconstruction methods that can be used if the defect is large. An 85-year-old woman presented with a 2.4×2.2 cm hyperkeratotic plaque on her right temple for 2 years. A skin biopsy was performed for a diagnosis. Histopathology confirmed squamous cell carcinoma, and MMS was performed to completely remove the tumor. A total of three MMS stages were performed intraoperatively to confirm margin clear, resulting in a skin defect measuring 5.0×4.5 cm. To reconstruct the large defect, a splitted full thickness skin graft was performed, taking into account the site, size, and function of the defect. Each skin graft was harvested from the submental area and a tie-over bolster dressing was applied to the recipient site. To date, the surgical site has remained free of surgical complications or tumor recurrence.

There are various methods for reconstructing defects caused by Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS). However, there are limits to the reconstruction methods that can be used if the defect is large. An 85-year-old woman presented with a 2.4×2.2 cm hyperkeratotic plaque on her right temple for 2 years. A skin biopsy was performed for a diagnosis. Histopathology confirmed squamous cell carcinoma, and MMS was performed to completely remove the tumor. A total of three MMS stages were performed intraoperatively to confirm margin clear, resulting in a skin defect measuring 5.0×4.5 cm. To reconstruct the large defect, a splitted full thickness skin graft was performed, taking into account the site, size, and function of the defect. Each skin graft was harvested from the submental area and a tie-over bolster dressing was applied to the recipient site. To date, the surgical site has remained free of surgical complications or tumor recurrence.