Background: In South Korea, nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) is not a notifiable disease, while the absence of a national surveillance system hampers accurate assessment of its incidence. Therefore, this study utilized National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) claims data to investigate nationwide trends in NTM occurrence over the past decade. Methods: We used NHIS claims (2010−2022) to assemble a cohort with International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision A31 (A31.0, A31.1, A31.8, A31.9). For incidence, cases diagnosed in 2010−2011 were excluded. Incidence was estimated under three definitions: ≥2 outpatient visits or ≥1 inpatient admission with A31 during the study period; same as A, but with ≤180 days between visits; meeting B plus ≥1 antibiotic prescription within 180 days (treatment initiation). Age-standardized prevalence and incidence were calculated using the 2010 Korean population. Results: A total of 178,287 newly diagnosed NTM cases were identified from 2012 to 2022 (mean age 51.4 years; 66.8 % female). The age-standardized prevalence increased from 15.5 to 69.8 per 100,000 in 2010 to 2022. Incidence peaked in 2017 (38.9/100,000), then declined to 26.9 in 2022. Age-specific incidence of NTM infection showed distinct sex-related patterns. Among men, incidence was consistently concentrated in older adults, particularly those ≥80 years, throughout 2012−2022. In contrast, women experienced a marked epidemiologic shift beginning in 2017, with incidence in their 20s and 30s surpassing older age groups. Medical Aid beneficiaries consistently showed higher incidence rates. By region, Daejeon and Chungnam showed the greatest increase in incidence rates in 2022, compared to 2012. Conclusion NTM infection is increasing in Korea, with distinct epidemiologic patterns by sex, age, and socioeconomic status. The rising burden, especially among young women and the socioeconomically disadvantaged, warrants targeted public health strategies.

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a minimally invasive treatment modality used as an alternative to surgery in patients with benign thyroid nodules, recurrent thyroid cancers (RTCs), and primary thyroid microcarcinomas. The Korean Society of Thyroid Radiology (KSThR) initially developed recommendations for the optimal use of RFA for thyroid tumors in 2009 and revised them in 2012 and 2017. As new meaningful evidence has accumulated since 2017 and in response to a growing global interest in the use of RFA for treating malignant thyroid lesions, the task force committee members of the KSThR decided to update the guidelines on the use of RFA for the management of RTCs based on a comprehensive analysis of current literature and expert consensus.

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a minimally invasive treatment modality used as an alternative to surgery in patients with benign thyroid nodules, recurrent thyroid cancers (RTCs), and primary thyroid microcarcinomas. The Korean Society of Thyroid Radiology (KSThR) initially developed recommendations for the optimal use of RFA for thyroid tumors in 2009 and revised them in 2012 and 2017. As new meaningful evidence has accumulated since 2017 and in response to a growing global interest in the use of RFA for treating malignant thyroid lesions, the task force committee members of the KSThR decided to update the guidelines on the use of RFA for the management of RTCs based on a comprehensive analysis of current literature and expert consensus.

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a minimally invasive treatment modality used as an alternative to surgery in patients with benign thyroid nodules, recurrent thyroid cancers (RTCs), and primary thyroid microcarcinomas. The Korean Society of Thyroid Radiology (KSThR) initially developed recommendations for the optimal use of RFA for thyroid tumors in 2009 and revised them in 2012 and 2017. As new meaningful evidence has accumulated since 2017 and in response to a growing global interest in the use of RFA for treating malignant thyroid lesions, the task force committee members of the KSThR decided to update the guidelines on the use of RFA for the management of RTCs based on a comprehensive analysis of current literature and expert consensus.

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a minimally invasive treatment modality used as an alternative to surgery in patients with benign thyroid nodules, recurrent thyroid cancers (RTCs), and primary thyroid microcarcinomas. The Korean Society of Thyroid Radiology (KSThR) initially developed recommendations for the optimal use of RFA for thyroid tumors in 2009 and revised them in 2012 and 2017. As new meaningful evidence has accumulated since 2017 and in response to a growing global interest in the use of RFA for treating malignant thyroid lesions, the task force committee members of the KSThR decided to update the guidelines on the use of RFA for the management of RTCs based on a comprehensive analysis of current literature and expert consensus.

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a minimally invasive treatment modality used as an alternative to surgery in patients with benign thyroid nodules, recurrent thyroid cancers (RTCs), and primary thyroid microcarcinomas. The Korean Society of Thyroid Radiology (KSThR) initially developed recommendations for the optimal use of RFA for thyroid tumors in 2009 and revised them in 2012 and 2017. As new meaningful evidence has accumulated since 2017 and in response to a growing global interest in the use of RFA for treating malignant thyroid lesions, the task force committee members of the KSThR decided to update the guidelines on the use of RFA for the management of RTCs based on a comprehensive analysis of current literature and expert consensus.

Purpose: To report the findings of a perception survey on intestinal malrotation conducted by the Korean Association of Pediatric Surgeons (KAPS) in 2021. Methods: The perceptions on intestinal malrotation regarding clinical decision making of the KAPS members were collected through web-based survey. Results: A total of 22 surgeons were answered for this study. The results were presented and discussed at the 37th annual meeting of KAPS, which was held in Seoul on June 18, 2021. Conclusion This study provides the clinical decisions of the KAPS members on the intestinal malrotation. The study is expected to be an important reference for improving pediatric surgeons’ understanding and treatment of intestinal malrotation.

Objective: Emergency department (ED) overcrowding is a global issue that negatively impacts the clinical outcome. Through the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic era, overcrowding of ED isolated territory (isolation bed) was aggravated. This study analyzed overcrowding indices of ED isolation beds during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This study was a single-center, retrospective, observational study. The study analyzed 34,925 patients who visited the ED during the COVID-19 pandemic from April 2021 to August 2022. Patients who were treated in isolation beds and regular beds were compared. Among the patients using isolation beds, patients who stayed longer than 720 minutes were also classified and analyzed. Results: During the analysis period, 4,479 and 34,943 patients were treated in the ED isolation bed and ED regular bed, respectively. The overcrowding indices (general ward admission rate, intensive care unit admission rate, ED-length of stay, transfer rate, mortality rate, prolonged ED stay patient ratio) of the isolation beds were significantly higher than those of the ED regular bed (P<0.05). The prolonged ED stay-patient ratio of isolation beds and regular beds was affected by the number of COVID-19 patients (regular bed, r=0.617 and P=0.01; isolation bed, r=0.525 and P=0.03). The average ED-length of stay of isolation beds was longer than that of the ED regular beds. One hundred and forty-five patients were classified as prolonged ED stay patients. Their time from the decision point to the discharge point comprised a higher rate with an average of 76.52%. Conclusion ED isolation beds are more vulnerable to infectious disease outbreaks. A proper medical policy and arrangement management system that can flexibly deal with disaster emergencies are required

Objective: Automated breast ultrasound (ABUS) is a relevant imaging technique for early breast cancer diagnosis and is increasingly being used as a supplementary tool for mammography. This study compared the performance of ABUS and handheld ultrasound (HHUS) in detecting and characterizing the axillary lymph nodes (LNs) in patients with breast cancer. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of women with recently diagnosed early breast cancer (≤ T2) who underwent both ABUS and HHUS examinations for axilla (September 2017–May 2018). ABUS and HHUS findings were compared using pathological outcomes as reference standards. Diagnostic performance in predicting any axillary LN metastasis and heavy nodal-burden metastases (i.e., ≥ 3 LNs) was evaluated. The ABUS-HHUS agreement for visibility and US findings was calculated. Results: The study included 377 women (53.1 ± 11.1 years). Among 385 breast cancers in 377 patients, 101 had axillary LN metastases and 30 had heavy nodal burden metastases. ABUS identified benign-looking or suspicious axillary LNs (average, 1.4 ± 0.8) in 246 axillae (63.9%, 246/385). According to the per-breast analysis, the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and accuracy of ABUS in predicting axillary LN metastases were 43.6% (44/101), 95.1% (270/284), 75.9% (44/58), 82.6% (270/327), and 81.6% (314/385), respectively. The corresponding results for HHUS were 41.6% (42/101), 95.1% (270/284), 75.0% (42/56), 82.1% (270/329), and 81.0% (312/385), respectively, which were not significantly different from those of ABUS (P ≥ 0.53). The performance results for heavy nodal-burden metastases were 70.0% (21/30), 89.6% (318/355), 36.2% (21/58), 97.3% (318/327), and 88.1% (339/385), respectively, for ABUS and 66.7% (20/30), 89.9% (319/355), 35.7% (20/56), 97.0% (319/329), and 88.1% (339/385), respectively, for HHUS, also not showing significant difference (P ≥ 0.57). The ABUS–HHUS agreement was 95.9% (236/246; Cohen’s kappa = 0.883). Conclusion Although ABUS showed limited sensitivity in diagnosing axillary LN metastasis in early breast cancer, it was still useful as the performance was comparable to that of HHUS.

Allergen immunotherapy (AIT) has been used for over a century and has been demonstrated to be effective in treating patients with various allergic diseases. AIT allergens can be administered through various routes, including subcutaneous, sublingual, intralymphatic, oral, or epicutaneous routes. Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) has recently gained clinical interest, and it is considered an alternative treatment for allergic rhinitis (AR) and asthma. This review provides an overview of the current evidence-based studies that address the use of SLIT for treating AR, including (1) mechanisms of action, (2) appropriate patient selection for SLIT, (3) the current available SLIT products in Korea, and (4) updated information on its efficacy and safety. Finally, this guideline aims to provide the clinician with practical considerations for SLIT.