Traumatic neuroma (TN), also known as amputation neuroma, is a reactive hyperplasia of nerve fibers and connective tissue arising from Schwann cells after trauma or surgery. TN of the bile duct is usually asymptomatic, but rarely can lead to right upper quadrant pain, biliary obstruction, and acute cholangitis. It is very difficult to discriminate TN from malignancy before surgery, although doing so could avoid an unnecessary radical resection of the lesion. In the course of surgery, TN can be caused by unintentional injury of a nerve fiber near the common bile duct (CBD) and heat damage to an artery, complete ligation of an artery, and excessive manipulation of the CBD. Therefore, to prevent TN after cholecystectomy, surgery should be performed carefully with appropriate consideration of anatomic variations, and a cystic duct should not be resected too close to the CBD. The possibility of TN should be considered if a patient who has undergone CBD resection with hepaticojejunostomy or cholecystectomy long ago experiences symptoms of jaundice, cholangitis, or obliteration of the CBD. In this report, we present a case of TN mimicking cholangiocarcinoma that emerged from a cystic duct stump after cholecystectomy.

Background: This study evaluated the relationship between guideline adherence for heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) at discharge and relevant clinical outcomes in patients with acute HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) with or without atrial fibrillation (AF). Methods: We analyzed Korean Acute Heart Failure Registry data for 707 patients with HFpEF with documented AF and 687 without AF. Guideline adherence was defined as good or poor according to the prescription of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, β-blockers, and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists. Anticoagulation adherence was also incorporated for the AF group. Results: Among patients with normal sinus rhythm, those with poor guideline adherence had a reduced prevalence of comorbidities and favorable clinical characteristics when compared with those with good guideline adherence. Using inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) to address the bias of nonrandom treatment assignment, good adherence was associated with a poor 60-day composite endpoint in the multivariable Cox model (weighted hazard ratio [wHR], 1.74; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01–3.00; P = 0.045). For patients with AF, baseline clinical characteristics were similar according to the degree of adherence. The IPTW-adjusted analysis indicated that good adherence was significantly associated with the 60-day composite endpoint (wHR, 0.47; 95% CI, 0.27–0.79; P = 0.005). In the analysis excluding warfarin, good adherence was associated with 60-day rehospitalization (wHR, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.37–0.98; P = 0.040), 1-year re-hospitalization (wHR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.48–0.93; P = 0.018), and the composite endpoint (wHR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.59–0.99; P = 0.041). Conclusion Our findings indicate that good adherence to guidelines for HFrEF is associated with a better 60-day composite endpoint in patients with HFpEF with AF.

Background: This study evaluated the relationship between guideline adherence for heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) at discharge and relevant clinical outcomes in patients with acute HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) with or without atrial fibrillation (AF). Methods: We analyzed Korean Acute Heart Failure Registry data for 707 patients with HFpEF with documented AF and 687 without AF. Guideline adherence was defined as good or poor according to the prescription of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, β-blockers, and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists. Anticoagulation adherence was also incorporated for the AF group. Results: Among patients with normal sinus rhythm, those with poor guideline adherence had a reduced prevalence of comorbidities and favorable clinical characteristics when compared with those with good guideline adherence. Using inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) to address the bias of nonrandom treatment assignment, good adherence was associated with a poor 60-day composite endpoint in the multivariable Cox model (weighted hazard ratio [wHR], 1.74; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01–3.00; P = 0.045). For patients with AF, baseline clinical characteristics were similar according to the degree of adherence. The IPTW-adjusted analysis indicated that good adherence was significantly associated with the 60-day composite endpoint (wHR, 0.47; 95% CI, 0.27–0.79; P = 0.005). In the analysis excluding warfarin, good adherence was associated with 60-day rehospitalization (wHR, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.37–0.98; P = 0.040), 1-year re-hospitalization (wHR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.48–0.93; P = 0.018), and the composite endpoint (wHR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.59–0.99; P = 0.041). Conclusion Our findings indicate that good adherence to guidelines for HFrEF is associated with a better 60-day composite endpoint in patients with HFpEF with AF.

Growth hormone (GH) deficiency is caused by congenital or acquired causes and occurs in childhood or adulthood. GH replacement therapy brings benefits to body composition, exercise capacity, skeletal health, cardiovascular outcomes, and quality of life. Before initiating GH replacement, GH deficiency should be confirmed through proper stimulation tests, and in cases with proven genetic causes or structural lesions, repeated GH stimulation testing is not necessary. The dosing regimen of GH replacement therapy should be individualized, with the goal of minimizing side effects and maximizing clinical improvements. The Korean Endocrine Society and the Korean Society of Pediatric Endocrinology have developed a position statement on the diagnosis and treatment of GH deficiency. This position statement is based on a systematic review of evidence and expert opinions.

Background: β-blockers (BBs) are considered primary therapy in stable heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) without atrial fibrillation (AF); evidence-based benefits of BB on outcome have been documented. However, BBs have not been shown to improve mortality or reduce hospital admissions in HF patients with AF. This study assessed the relationship between BBs at discharge and relevant clinical outcomes in acute heart failure (AHF) patients with AF. Methods: From the Korean Acute Heart Failure Registry, 936 HFrEF and 639 HF patients with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and AF were selected. Propensity score (PS) matching accounted for BB selection bias when assessing associations. Results: BB-untreated patients in the overall cohort of HFrEF and HFpEF had greater deteriorated clinical and laboratory characteristics. In the 670 PS-matched cohort of HFrEF patients, incidences of all clinical events at 60 days and 1 year were not different according to use of BBs. In the 470 PS-matched cohort of HFpEF, rehospitalization and composite outcome at 6 months and 1 year more frequently occurred in non-users of BBs. After adjusting for covariates in the multivariable Cox model of matched cohorts, BB was not associated with clinical outcomes at 60 days and 1 year in HFrEF with AF patients. In HFpEF patients with AF, BB use was associated with reduced 6-month (hazard ratio [HR], 0.38; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.20–0.74) and 1-year rehospitalization (HR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.34–0.82). Conclusion In the HFrEF with AF PS-matched cohort, the use of BBs at discharge was not associated with clinical outcome. However, in HFpEF with AF, the use of BB was associated with reduced rehospitalization during the 6-month and 1-year follow up.