Background: The accuracy of Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes (LOINC) mappings is reportedly low, and the LOINC codes used for research purposes in Korea have not been validated for accuracy or usability. Our study aimed to evaluate the discrepancies and similarities in interoperability using existing LOINC mappings in actual patient care settings. Methods: We collected data on local test codes and their corresponding LOINC mappings from seven university hospitals. Our analysis focused on laboratory tests that are frequently requested, excluding clinical microbiology and molecular tests. Codes from nationwide proficiency tests served as intermediary benchmarks for comparison. A research team, comprising clinical pathologists and terminology experts, utilized the LOINC manual to reach a consensus on determining the most suitable LOINC codes. Results: A total of 235 LOINC codes were designated as optimal codes for 162 frequent tests.Among these, 51 test items, including 34 urine tests, required multiple optimal LOINC codes, primarily due to unnoted properties such as whether the test was quantitative or qualitative, or differences in measurement units. We analyzed 962 LOINC codes linked to 162 tests across seven institutions, discovering that 792 (82.3%) of these codes were consistent. Inconsistencies were most common in the analyte component (38 inconsistencies, 33.3%), followed by the method (33 inconsistencies, 28.9%), and properties (13 inconsistencies, 11.4%). Conclusion This study reveals a significant inconsistency rate of over 15% in LOINC mappings utilized for research purposes in university hospitals, underlining the necessity for expert verification to enhance interoperability in real patient care.

Background: The accuracy of Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes (LOINC) mappings is reportedly low, and the LOINC codes used for research purposes in Korea have not been validated for accuracy or usability. Our study aimed to evaluate the discrepancies and similarities in interoperability using existing LOINC mappings in actual patient care settings. Methods: We collected data on local test codes and their corresponding LOINC mappings from seven university hospitals. Our analysis focused on laboratory tests that are frequently requested, excluding clinical microbiology and molecular tests. Codes from nationwide proficiency tests served as intermediary benchmarks for comparison. A research team, comprising clinical pathologists and terminology experts, utilized the LOINC manual to reach a consensus on determining the most suitable LOINC codes. Results: A total of 235 LOINC codes were designated as optimal codes for 162 frequent tests.Among these, 51 test items, including 34 urine tests, required multiple optimal LOINC codes, primarily due to unnoted properties such as whether the test was quantitative or qualitative, or differences in measurement units. We analyzed 962 LOINC codes linked to 162 tests across seven institutions, discovering that 792 (82.3%) of these codes were consistent. Inconsistencies were most common in the analyte component (38 inconsistencies, 33.3%), followed by the method (33 inconsistencies, 28.9%), and properties (13 inconsistencies, 11.4%). Conclusion This study reveals a significant inconsistency rate of over 15% in LOINC mappings utilized for research purposes in university hospitals, underlining the necessity for expert verification to enhance interoperability in real patient care.

Background: The accuracy of Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes (LOINC) mappings is reportedly low, and the LOINC codes used for research purposes in Korea have not been validated for accuracy or usability. Our study aimed to evaluate the discrepancies and similarities in interoperability using existing LOINC mappings in actual patient care settings. Methods: We collected data on local test codes and their corresponding LOINC mappings from seven university hospitals. Our analysis focused on laboratory tests that are frequently requested, excluding clinical microbiology and molecular tests. Codes from nationwide proficiency tests served as intermediary benchmarks for comparison. A research team, comprising clinical pathologists and terminology experts, utilized the LOINC manual to reach a consensus on determining the most suitable LOINC codes. Results: A total of 235 LOINC codes were designated as optimal codes for 162 frequent tests.Among these, 51 test items, including 34 urine tests, required multiple optimal LOINC codes, primarily due to unnoted properties such as whether the test was quantitative or qualitative, or differences in measurement units. We analyzed 962 LOINC codes linked to 162 tests across seven institutions, discovering that 792 (82.3%) of these codes were consistent. Inconsistencies were most common in the analyte component (38 inconsistencies, 33.3%), followed by the method (33 inconsistencies, 28.9%), and properties (13 inconsistencies, 11.4%). Conclusion This study reveals a significant inconsistency rate of over 15% in LOINC mappings utilized for research purposes in university hospitals, underlining the necessity for expert verification to enhance interoperability in real patient care.

Background: The accuracy of Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes (LOINC) mappings is reportedly low, and the LOINC codes used for research purposes in Korea have not been validated for accuracy or usability. Our study aimed to evaluate the discrepancies and similarities in interoperability using existing LOINC mappings in actual patient care settings. Methods: We collected data on local test codes and their corresponding LOINC mappings from seven university hospitals. Our analysis focused on laboratory tests that are frequently requested, excluding clinical microbiology and molecular tests. Codes from nationwide proficiency tests served as intermediary benchmarks for comparison. A research team, comprising clinical pathologists and terminology experts, utilized the LOINC manual to reach a consensus on determining the most suitable LOINC codes. Results: A total of 235 LOINC codes were designated as optimal codes for 162 frequent tests.Among these, 51 test items, including 34 urine tests, required multiple optimal LOINC codes, primarily due to unnoted properties such as whether the test was quantitative or qualitative, or differences in measurement units. We analyzed 962 LOINC codes linked to 162 tests across seven institutions, discovering that 792 (82.3%) of these codes were consistent. Inconsistencies were most common in the analyte component (38 inconsistencies, 33.3%), followed by the method (33 inconsistencies, 28.9%), and properties (13 inconsistencies, 11.4%). Conclusion This study reveals a significant inconsistency rate of over 15% in LOINC mappings utilized for research purposes in university hospitals, underlining the necessity for expert verification to enhance interoperability in real patient care.

Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic inflammatory disease of unknown etiology affecting the oral mucosa. As it is difficult to cure, long-term management aims to improve the patient’s quality of life by reducing inflammation and alleviating pain. While systemic and topical corticosteroids are commonly used treatments, their efficacy is often limited by side effects or poor compliance. This study investigates the effectiveness of intralesional steroid injections (ILIs) in patients resistant to conventional therapies. Two patients with refractory OLP were treated with intralesional triamcinolone acetonide injections administered directly into affected mucosal sites at minimal intervals. Clinical outcomes were assessed over an extended follow-up period using the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) for pain and evaluations of lesion severity. Both patients exhibited significant and sustained improvements in pain and lesion severity following ILIs treatment. In one case, the NRS score decreased from 8 to 2 over multiple visits, with no additional injections needed in the last 6 months. In the other case, the NRS score improved from 6 to 1, requiring minimal injections for maintenance. The localized treatment was well-tolerated without significant side effects. ILIs are an effective and safe treatment for refractory OLP, offering durable symptom relief while minimizing systemic exposure and associated side effects.This approach provides a practical option for long-term management of OLP, enhancing patient quality of life when conventional therapies are inadequate. Future research should explore the potential of combining ILI with other immunomodulatory agents to further improve therapeutic outcomes.

Trigeminal neuralgia (TN), primarily affecting the maxillary nerve and mandibular nerve, manifests as sudden and severe facial pain without autonomic symptoms such as tearing and ptosis. However, rare cases present with such symptoms, which necessitate differentiation from short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache attacks with conjunctival injection and tearing (SUNCT)/short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache attacks with cranial autonomic symptoms (SUNA), as these disorders share similar pain episodes within the trigeminal sensory territory, often including autonomic manifestations. This study aims to clarify distinguishing features and facilitate accurate diagnosis. We report a 63-year-old female presenting with left upper premolar area pain upon infraorbital, zygoma, and upper lip contact. Her pain history followed re-endodontic and prosthodontic treatment of the left upper second premolar, and examination showed electric-like sensations without spontaneous pain. Treatments included anti-inflammatory medications and occlusal adjustments, which proved ineffective. A tentative diagnosis of TN led to treatment with carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine, and baclofen, noting episodic conjunctival injection and asymmetric tongue sensations during severe attacks. This case, marked by touch-evoked, short-duration pain in the maxillary branch and late-emerging mild autonomic symptoms, responded well to carbamazepine, favoring a TN diagnosis over SUNCT/SUNA. The presence of autonomic symptoms in suspected TN cases necessitates careful reevaluation to distinguish from SUNCT/SUNA, particularly when carbamazepine response is suboptimal. Accurate differentiation is crucial for targeted therapy, as medication efficacy varies significantly between these conditions.

Purpose: To compare near-distance reading speeds across different intraocular lens (IOL) types using a Korean reading speed measurement application. Methods: Patients who underwent bilateral cataract surgery and received trifocal IOL (Panoptix), extended depth of focus (EDoF) IOL (Vivity), or enhanced monofocal IOL (Eyhance) were enrolled. Korean reading speed and reading & speaking speed were measured using a Korean reading speed measurement application. Additionally, satisfaction with visual function in everyday life was assessed using a questionnaire. Results: No statistically significant differences were observed in postoperative corrected distance visual acuity among the three groups (p = 0.71). The Panoptix group demonstrated significantly higher distance-corrected near visual acuity than the other two groups (p < 0.05). For letter sizes of logMAR 0.5 or larger, the Panoptix group exhibited significantly higher reading and reading & speaking speeds than the other two groups. For letter sizes of logMAR 0.8 or larger, the Vivity group showed significantly higher reading and reading & speaking speeds than the Eyhance group (p < 0.05). The Panoptix group showed significantly greater satisfaction with visual function in work at near distances, including that for activities such as reading a book. Conclusion The Panoptix trifocal IOL is expected to provide superior near-vision function and patient satisfaction than other IOL types.

Peripheral neurodegenerative diseases induced by irreversible peripheral nerve degeneration (PND), such as diabetic peripheral neuropathy, have a high prevalence worldwide and reduce the quality of life. However, there is no agent effective against the irreversible PND. After peripheral nerve injury, Schwann cells play an important role in regulating PND. However, because PND involves multiple biochemical events in Schwann cells, a one-drug-single-target therapeutic strategy is not feasible for PND. Here, we suggested that fascaplysin (Fas), a compound with multiple targets (CDK4/6), could overcome these problems. Fas exerted a significant inhibitory effect on axonal degradation, demyelination, and Schwann cell proliferation and dedifferentiation during in vitro and ex vivo PND. To discover the most likely novel target for PND, a chemo-bioinformatics analysis predicted the other on-targets of Fas and identified androgen receptor (AR) which were involved in Schwann cell differentiation and proliferation.AR interacted with Fas, and nuclear import of the AR/Fas complex was inhibited in Schwann cells, altering the expression patterns of transcription factors during PND. Therefore, Fas may have therapeutic potential for irreversible peripheral neurodegenerative diseases.