Sarcopenia is a major geriatric syndrome characterized by progressive loss of muscle mass and strength, resulting in disability and mortality. This narrative review synthesizes international consensus recommendations and Korean evidence to guide context-specific sarcopenia management strategies. PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and KoreaMed (January 2000–November 2025) were searched, focusing on randomized trials, meta-analyses, systematic reviews, clinical practice guidelines, and large observational studies. Global diagnostic frameworks have evolved from muscle mass-based definitions toward multidimensional models that incorporate muscle strength and physical performance. Exercise and nutrition remain the mainstay treatments, with resistance-based training and adequate protein intake. Currently, pharmacologic options with proven clinical benefit are limited. In Korea, growing evidence supports the effectiveness of community-based sarcopenia interventions, underscoring the need for standardized, integrated delivery models that bridge the fragmented healthcare system and enable sustainable implementation.

Direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy has brought a revolution to the management of chronic hepatitis C virus infection, but its role in patients with active hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains controversial. Early observations suggested a high rate of HCC recurrence following DAA treatment, raising concerns about a potential oncogenic effect regarding rapid viral clearance. However, subsequent large-scale cohort studies and meta-analyses have not consistently confirmed this finding, leading to an overall neutral conclusion regarding the impact of DAA on HCC recurrence. International guidelines from organizations such as the American Gastroenterological Association, American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, European Association for the Study of the Liver, and Korean Association for the Study of the Liver offer conflicting recommendations, underscoring the absence of a universal framework for this patient population. While the available evidence is largely heterogeneous and retrospective, current data indicate that DAA therapy can be safely integrated into HCC management without clear evidence of harm. Oncologic outcomes, particularly overall and recurrence-free survival, are most favorable when DAAs are administered in close proximity to curative procedures or in non-transplant therapeutic settings. In contrast, studies in liver transplant candidates often show a neutral effect on oncologic outcomes after adjusting for confounding variables. These findings underscore the necessity of individualized, multidisciplinary decisions based on tumor biology, hepatic reserve, and treatment intent. Prospective studies and validated biomarkers are essential to establish a more definitive framework for optimizing DAA therapy in this complex clinical context.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of drug use-related problems in a Korean community sample and to examine the association between drug use-related problems and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Methods: Data were collected from 500 community-dwelling adults residing in Jeju, Korea. Drug use-related problems were assessed using the Drug Abuse Screening Test–10, and HRQOL was measured using the 26-item abbreviated version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life instrument. Results: A total of 25 participants (5.0%) reported experiencing drug use–related problems in the previous 12 months.Multivariate analysis revealed that drug use-related problems were significantly associated with lower scores in all HRQOL domains, i.e., physical health, psychological health, social relationships, and environment, even after adjusting for relevant covariates. Conclusion Drug use-related problems were strongly associated with poorer HRQOL. These findings imply that clinicians should pay close attention to HRQOL when evaluating and treating individuals with illicit drug use.

Radiation-induced cavernous malformations (RICMs) are rare but significant late complications of highdose radiation therapy, particularly in young survivors of brain tumors. This report presents two cases of RICMs following aggressive multimodal treatment, including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. Case 1 was a 22-year-old male patient with medulloblastoma treated with craniospinal irradiation, tumor bed boost, and tandem autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation. Approximately 8 years after treatment completion, routine follow-up imaging revealed a small focal hemorrhage in the right cerebellum, consistent with an RICM. The lesion was asymptomatic and managed conservatively with regular imaging, showing spontaneous resolution over time, with a significant size reduction noted 9 years post-treatment. Case 2 describes a 32-year-old male with an intracranial germinoma treated with whole-ventricular irradiation. Three years after treatment, the patient developed a symptomatic hemorrhagic RICM near a pre-existing developmental venous anomaly. Surgical resection and Gamma Knife Surgery stabilized the lesion; however, residual symptoms, including tremors and gait disturbances, persisted, affecting the patient’s daily activities. These cases illustrate the diverse clinical courses of RICMs, ranging from spontaneous resolution to the necessity of surgical intervention, and emphasize the importance of long-term surveillance and tailored management strategies for late-onset complications.

The common data model (CDM) has found widespread application in healthcare studies, but its utilization in cancer research has been limited. This article describes the development and implementation strategy for Cancer Clinical Library Databases (CCLDs), which are standardized cancer-specific databases established under the Korea-Clinical Data Utilization Network for Research Excellence (K-CURE) project by the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare. Fifteen leading hospitals and fourteen academic associations in Korea are engaged in constructing CCLDs for 10 primary cancer types. For each cancer type-specific CCLD, cancer data experts determine key clinical data items essential for cancer research, standardize these items across cancer types, and create a standardized schema. Comprehensive clinical records covering diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes, with annual updates, are collected for each cancer patient in the target population, and quality control is based on six-sigma standards. To protect patient privacy, CCLDs follow stringent data security guidelines by pseudonymizing personal identification information and operating within a closed analysis environment. Researchers can apply for access to CCLD data through the K-CURE portal, which is subject to Institutional Review Board and Data Review Board approval. The CCLD is considered a pioneering standardized cancer-specific database, significantly representing Korea’s cancer data. It is expected to overcome limitations of previous CDMs and provide a valuable resource for multicenter cancer research in Korea.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a newly emerged infectious disease that needs further clinical investigation. Characterizing the temporal pattern of combined infections in patients with COVID-19 may help clinicians understand the clinical nature of this disease and provide valuable diagnostic and therapeutic guidelines. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed COVID-19 patients isolated in four study hospitals in Korea for one year period from May 2021 to April 2022 when the delta and omicron variants were dominant. The temporal characteristics of combined infections based on specific diagnostic tests were analyzed. Results: A total of 16,967 COVID-19 patients were screened, 2,432 (14.3%) of whom underwent diagnostic microbiologic tests according to the clinical decision-making, 195 of whom had positive test results, and 0.55% (94/16,967) of whom were ultimately considered to have clinically meaningful combined infections. The median duration for the diagnosis of combined infections was 15 (interquartile range [IQR], 5–25) days after admission. The proportion of community-acquired coinfections (≤ 2 days after admission) was 11.7% (11/94), which included bacteremia (10/94, 10.63%) and tuberculosis (1/94, 1.06%). Combined infections after 2 days of admission were diagnosed at median 16 (IQR, 9–26) days, and included bacteremia (72.3%), fungemia (19.3%), cytomegalovirus (CMV) diseases (8.4%), Pneumocystis jerovecii pneumonia (PJP, 8.4%) and invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA, 4.8%). Conclusion Among COVID-19 patients with risk factors for severe complications, 0.55% had laboratory-confirmed combined infections, which included community and nosocomial pathogens in addition to unusual pathogens such as CMV disease, PJP and IPA.

Objective: : Korea’s healthcare system and policy promotes early, actively stroke treatment to improve prognosis. This study represents stroke epidemiology and outcomes in Korea. Methods: : This study investigated data from the Acute Stroke Assessment Registry. The registry collects data from over 220 hospitals nationwide, focusing on quality stroke service management. Data analysis included patient demographics, stroke severity assessment, and discharge prognosis measurement using standardized scales. Results: : Eighty-six thousand five hundred sixty-eight acute stroke patients were collected with demographic and clinical characteristics during 18 months from 2016, 2018, and between 2020 to 2021, focusing on acute subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), acute intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), and acute ischemic stroke. Of these 86568 patients, 8.3% was SAH, 16.3% ICH, and 74.9% ischemic stroke. Trends showed decreasing SAH and increasing ICH cases over the years. 68.3% stroke patients had the clear onset time. 49.6% stroke patients arrived within 4.5 hours of symptom onset, with more patients treated at general hospitals. Good functional outcomes at discharge was obtained with 58.3% of acute stroke patients, 55.9% of SAH patients, 34.6% of ICH patients, and 63.8% of ischemic stroke patients. Conclusion : The results showed that ischemic stroke was the most common subtype, followed by ICH and SAH. Prognosis differed among subtypes, with favorable outcomes more common in ischemic stroke and SAH compared to ICH.

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the accuracy and effectiveness of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) arthrocentesis using the three-dimensional (3D)-printed TMJ injection guide in cases of hemarthrosis caused by condyle fractures. Materials and Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted for patients treated with the customized TMJ arthrocentesis guide to address hemarthrosis. Inclusion criteria included adults older than 18 years with condylar fractures not indicated for open reduction and internal fixation. The guide was fabricated using computed tomography or cone-beam computed tomography scans and 3D printing to control the degree and depth of the needle through the guide to aspirate hemarthrosis. Results: Six joints from five patients (average age 52.4 years) were treated using the guide. Post-procedural magnetic resonance imaging confirmed complete resolution of hemarthrosis in all cases. A representative case demonstrated successful outcomes with normal healing and no complications at 8 months post-procedure. Conclusion The customized TMJ injection guide, using ear-based reference points, significantly enhances the accuracy and safety of TMJ arthrocentesis. This innovation is expected to increase the accessibility and effectiveness of TMJ-related treatments for clinicians without specialized TMJ expertise.

Background and Objectives: The Korean Organ Transplant Registry (KOTRY) provided data for this third official report on adult heart transplantation (HT), including information from 709 recipients. Methods: Data from HTs performed at seven major centers in Korea between March 2014 and December 2020 were analyzed, focusing on immunosuppression, acute rejection, cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV), post-transplant survival, and mechanical circulatory support (MCS) usage. Results: The median ages of the recipients and donors were 56.0 and 43.0 years, respectively.Cardiomyopathy and ischemic heart disease were the most common preceding conditions for HT. A significant portion of patients underwent HT at waiting list status 1 and 0. In the multivariate analysis, a predicted heart mass mismatch was associated with a higher risk of 1-year mortality. Patients over 70 years old had a significantly increased risk of 6-year mortality. The risk of CAV was higher for male donors and donors older than 45 years. Acute rejection was more likely in patients with panel reactive antibody levels above 80%, while statin use was associated with a reduced risk. The employment of left ventricular assist device as a bridge to transplantation increased from 2.17% to 22.4%. Pre-transplant extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation was associated with worse post-transplant survival. Conclusions In this third KOTRY report, we analyzed changes in the characteristics of adult HT recipients and donors and their impact on post-transplant outcomes. The most notable discovery was the increased use of MCS before HT and their impact on post-transplant outcomes.