Background: Skipping breakfast is associated with an increased risk of chronic inflammatory diseases. This study aimed to examine the association between breakfast-eating habits and inflammation, using high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) as a marker. Methods: A total of 4,000 Korean adult males with no history of myocardial infarction, angina, stroke, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, or current smoking were included. Data from the 2016–2018 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used for analysis. The frequency of breakfast consumption was assessed through a questionnaire item in the dietary survey section asking participants about their weekly breakfast consumption routines over the past year. Participants were categorized into two groups, namely “0–2 breakfasts per week” and “3–7 breakfasts per week”; hs-CRP concentrations were measured through blood tests. Results: Comparing between the “infrequent breakfast consumption (0–2 breakfasts per week)” and “frequent breakfast consumption (3–7 breakfasts per week)” groups, the mean hs-CRP was found to be significantly higher in the “infrequent breakfast consumption” group, even after adjusting for age, body mass index, physical activity, alcohol consumption, systolic blood pressure, blood pressure medication, fasting blood glucose, and triglycerides (mean hs-CRP: frequent breakfast consumption, 1.36±0.09 mg/L; infrequent breakfast consumption, 1.17±0.05 mg/L; P-value=0.036). Conclusion Less frequent breakfast consumption was associated with elevated hs-CRP levels. Further large-scale studies incorporating adjusted measures of daily eating patterns as well as food quality and quantity are required for a deeper understanding of the role of breakfast in the primary prevention of chronic inflammatory diseases.

Background: Skipping breakfast is associated with an increased risk of chronic inflammatory diseases. This study aimed to examine the association between breakfast-eating habits and inflammation, using high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) as a marker. Methods: A total of 4,000 Korean adult males with no history of myocardial infarction, angina, stroke, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, or current smoking were included. Data from the 2016–2018 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used for analysis. The frequency of breakfast consumption was assessed through a questionnaire item in the dietary survey section asking participants about their weekly breakfast consumption routines over the past year. Participants were categorized into two groups, namely “0–2 breakfasts per week” and “3–7 breakfasts per week”; hs-CRP concentrations were measured through blood tests. Results: Comparing between the “infrequent breakfast consumption (0–2 breakfasts per week)” and “frequent breakfast consumption (3–7 breakfasts per week)” groups, the mean hs-CRP was found to be significantly higher in the “infrequent breakfast consumption” group, even after adjusting for age, body mass index, physical activity, alcohol consumption, systolic blood pressure, blood pressure medication, fasting blood glucose, and triglycerides (mean hs-CRP: frequent breakfast consumption, 1.36±0.09 mg/L; infrequent breakfast consumption, 1.17±0.05 mg/L; P-value=0.036). Conclusion Less frequent breakfast consumption was associated with elevated hs-CRP levels. Further large-scale studies incorporating adjusted measures of daily eating patterns as well as food quality and quantity are required for a deeper understanding of the role of breakfast in the primary prevention of chronic inflammatory diseases.

Purpose: To confirm the clinical features of hemicentral retinal vein occlusion and identify predictors of visual outcomes. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients diagnosed with hemicentral retinal vein occlusion between January 2018 and December 2022 and followed for more than 6 months. Patients underwent intravitreal injections as necessary for intraretinal edema. Visual acuity, central macular thickness, ellipsoid zone damage, and the location of inner retinal layer edema were assessed. Patients were categorized into groups A and group B based on the visual acuity at 6 months. Results: In total, 20 eyes were followed, with 15 eyes observed for up to 12 months. Seven patients (35.0%) had diabetes and 11 (55.0%) had hypertension. There was a correlation between poor vision at 6 months and hypertension (p = 0.033). The visual acuity of all patients improved from a logMAR of 0.96 at the initial visit to a logMAR of 0.35 at 6 months (p = 0.005). In the group with good initial visual acuity, there were no significant changes in visual acuity during the follow-up period (p = 0.444). The group with good visual acuity at 6 months had a lower degree of photoreceptor ellipsoid zone disruption compared to the group with poor initial vision, indicating a normal structure (p = 0.015). Conclusions During follow-up of patients with hemicentral retinal vein occlusion, overall visual acuity improved over time. Patients with good initial acuity maintained it. Favorable visual outcomes can be expected if the ellipsoid zone has a normal structure at the time of the first examination.

Background: Intraoperative hemoglobin (Hb) monitoring is critical for ensuring patient safety during bimaxillary orthognathic surgery. Intraoperative Hb monitoring performed using portable devices with arterial blood samples is invasive, is time-consuming, and lacks the ability to provide real-time information. This retrospective study investigated the correlation between continuous and real-time total Hb (SpHb) using a Masimo Radical 7 device and Hb levels derived by portable devices during bimaxillary orthognathic surgery. Methods: Patients who underwent elective bimaxillary orthognathic surgery were enrolled. The correlation between SpHb and laboratory Hb (Lab-Hb) was evaluated immediately after the induction of anesthesia (T1) and at surgical closure (T2) and compared with postoperative Hb. Results: Eighty-eight patients were included. The correlation coefficients between SpHb and Lab-Hb were 0.795 and 0.859 at T1 and T2, respectively. The correlation coefficient between Lab-Hb at T2 and postoperative Hb was 0.918. A Bland-Altman analysis of the Lab-Hb at T2 and postoperative Hb showed a mean bias of 0.49. Conclusion In conclusion, here we demonstrated acceptable accuracy of the SpHb measured by the Masimo Radical 7 device during bimaxillary orthognathic surgery. However, SpHb is valuable as an adjunct value to Lab-Hb and a substitute for Hb monitoring due to its wide limits of agreement. These findings suggest that SpHb can help guide the timing of invasive blood sampling for Hb measurements, which may facilitate earlier intervention and treatment.

Purpose: This study evaluated the postoperative quality of life (QoL) after various types of gastrectomy for gastric cancer. Materials and Methods: A multicenter prospective observational study was conducted in Korea using the Korean Quality of Life in Stomach Cancer Patients Study (KOQUSS)-40, a new QoL assessment tool focusing on postgastrectomy syndrome. Overall, 496 patients with gastric cancer were enrolled, and QoL was assessed at 5 time points: preoperatively and at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery. Results: Distal gastrectomy (DG) and pylorus-preserving gastrectomy (PPG) showed significantly better outcomes than total gastrectomy (TG) and proximal gastrectomy (PG) with regard to total score, indigestion, and dysphagia. DG, PPG, and TG also showed significantly better outcomes than PG in terms of dumping syndrome and worry about cancer. Postoperative QoL did not differ significantly according to anastomosis type in DG, except for Billroth I anastomosis, which achieved better bowel habit change scores than the others. No domains differed significantly when comparing double tract reconstruction and esophagogastrostomy after PG. The total QoL score correlated significantly with postoperative body weight loss (more than 10%) and extent of resection (P<0.05 for both).Reflux as assessed by KOQUSS-40 did not correlate significantly with reflux observed on gastroscopy 1 year postoperatively (P=0.064). Conclusions Our prospective observation using KOQUSS-40 revealed that DG and PPG lead to better QoL than TG and PG. Further study is needed to compare postoperative QoL according to anastomosis type in DG and PG.

Purpose: Since 1995, the Korean Gastric Cancer Association (KGCA) has been periodically conducting nationwide surveys on patients with surgically treated gastric cancer. This study details the results of the survey conducted in 2023. Materials and Methods: The survey was conducted from March to December 2024 using a standardized case report form. Data were collected on 86 items, including patient demographics, tumor characteristics, surgical procedures, and surgical outcomes. The results of the 2023 survey were compared with those of previous surveys. Results: Data from 12,751 cases were collected from 66 institutions. The mean patient age was 64.6 years, and the proportion of patients aged ≥71 years increased from 9.1% in 1995 to 31.7% in 2023. The proportion of upper-third tumors slightly decreased to 16.8% compared to 20.9% in 2019. Early gastric cancer accounted for 63.1% of cases in 2023.Regarding operative procedures, a totally laparoscopic approach was most frequently applied (63.2%) in 2023, while robotic gastrectomy steadily increased to 9.5% from 2.1% in 2014.The most common anastomotic method was the Billroth II procedure (48.8%) after distal gastrectomy and double-tract reconstruction (51.9%) after proximal gastrectomy in 2023.However, the proportion of esophago-gastrostomy with anti-reflux procedures increased to 30.9%. The rates of post-operative mortality and overall complications were 1.0% and 15.3%, respectively. Conclusions The results of the 2023 nationwide survey demonstrate the current status of gastric cancer treatment in Korea. This information will provide a basis for future gastric cancer research.

This review summarized the results of clinical trials in 2024 that were believed to have a significant impact on clinical practice in the field of gynecologic oncology. The SHAPE trial, INTERLACE and KEYNOTE-A18 trials, and BEATcc and COMPASSION-16 trials were included in early-stage, locally advanced, and recurrent/metastatic cervical cancer, respectively. For uterine corpus cancer, updated survival data of the four trials (NRG-GY018, RUBY, AtTEnd, DUO-E) for endometrial cancer and the first survival data of LMS-04 trial for leiomyosarcoma were described. For ovarian cancer, the final overall survival results of PRIMA study were followed by DUO-O, ATHENA-combo, and FIRST-ENGOT-OV44 trial in different disease conditions. Finally, the results of DESTINY-PanTumor02, a basket trial of trastuzumab deruxtecan, were briefly addressed.

Objective: To establish local diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) for pediatric neck CT based on age, weight, and water-equivalent diameter (WED) across multiple university hospitals in South Korea. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study analyzed pediatric neck CT examinations from nine university hospitals, involving patients aged 0–18 years. Data were categorized by age, weight, and WED, and radiation dose metrics, including volume CT dose index (CTDIvol) and dose length product, were recorded. Data retrieval and analysis were conducted using a commercially available dose-management system (Radimetrics, Bayer Healthcare). Local DRLs were established following the International Commission on Radiological Protection guidelines, using the 75th percentile as the reference value. Results: A total of 1159 CT examinations were analyzed, including 169 scans from Institution 1, 132 from Institution 2, 126 from Institution 3, 129 from Institution 4, 128 from Institution 5, 105 from Institution 6, 162 from Institution 7, 127 from Institution 8, and 81 from Institution 9. Radiation dose metrics increased with age, weight, and WED, showing significant variability both within and across institutions. For patients weighing less than 10 kg, the DRL for CTDIvol was 5.2 mGy. In the 10–19 kg group, the DRL was 5.8 mGy; in the 20–39 kg group, 7.6 mGy; in the 40–59 kg group, 11.0 mGy; and for patients weighing 60 kg or more, 16.2 mGy. DRLs for CTDIvol by age groups were as follows: 5.3 mGy for infants under 1 year, 5.7 mGy for children aged 1–4 years, 7.6 mGy for ages 5–9 years, 11.2 mGy for ages 10–14 years, and 15.6 mGy for patients 15 years or older. Conclusion Local DRLs for pediatric neck CT were established based on age, weight, and WED across nine university hospitals in South Korea.