Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the accuracy of digital mounting with occlusal scans in the interocclusal record for a full-mouth fixed prosthetic treatment condition. Materials and Methods: The entire maxillary teeth were prepared in a dentiform model and attached to an articulator in maximum intercuspation. Temporary crowns were fabricated and occlusion was adjusted. After scanning the arch with tooth preparation, digital mounting was performed using an occlusion scan of the anterior or posterior teeth areas. The accuracy of the positioned jaw relation was evaluated three-dimensionally through positional deviation and angular error of the occlusal plane. Afterwards, the same procedure was repeated on the partially edentulous model to evaluate the accuracy of digital interocclusal record. Kruskal-Wallis test and Mann-Whitney U test were used for statistical analysis, and the significance level was set at 0.05. Results: There was no significant difference in the positional error at the centerof the arch in the digitally established jaw relation depending on the scan area used and remaining tooth conditions (P = 0.53). Theangular error of the occlusal plane was larger when the anterior teeth were used as the overlapping area, and a smaller error value was observed when both posterior teeth were used as the overlapping area (P < 0.001). Conclusion The use of bilateral posterior occlusal scans is recommended when digitally mounting the jaw relation established with temporary teeth during full-mouth fixed prosthetic treatment.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the accuracy of digital mounting with occlusal scans in the interocclusal record for a full-mouth fixed prosthetic treatment condition. Materials and Methods: The entire maxillary teeth were prepared in a dentiform model and attached to an articulator in maximum intercuspation. Temporary crowns were fabricated and occlusion was adjusted. After scanning the arch with tooth preparation, digital mounting was performed using an occlusion scan of the anterior or posterior teeth areas. The accuracy of the positioned jaw relation was evaluated three-dimensionally through positional deviation and angular error of the occlusal plane. Afterwards, the same procedure was repeated on the partially edentulous model to evaluate the accuracy of digital interocclusal record. Kruskal-Wallis test and Mann-Whitney U test were used for statistical analysis, and the significance level was set at 0.05. Results: There was no significant difference in the positional error at the centerof the arch in the digitally established jaw relation depending on the scan area used and remaining tooth conditions (P = 0.53). Theangular error of the occlusal plane was larger when the anterior teeth were used as the overlapping area, and a smaller error value was observed when both posterior teeth were used as the overlapping area (P < 0.001). Conclusion The use of bilateral posterior occlusal scans is recommended when digitally mounting the jaw relation established with temporary teeth during full-mouth fixed prosthetic treatment.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the accuracy of digital mounting with occlusal scans in the interocclusal record for a full-mouth fixed prosthetic treatment condition. Materials and Methods: The entire maxillary teeth were prepared in a dentiform model and attached to an articulator in maximum intercuspation. Temporary crowns were fabricated and occlusion was adjusted. After scanning the arch with tooth preparation, digital mounting was performed using an occlusion scan of the anterior or posterior teeth areas. The accuracy of the positioned jaw relation was evaluated three-dimensionally through positional deviation and angular error of the occlusal plane. Afterwards, the same procedure was repeated on the partially edentulous model to evaluate the accuracy of digital interocclusal record. Kruskal-Wallis test and Mann-Whitney U test were used for statistical analysis, and the significance level was set at 0.05. Results: There was no significant difference in the positional error at the centerof the arch in the digitally established jaw relation depending on the scan area used and remaining tooth conditions (P = 0.53). Theangular error of the occlusal plane was larger when the anterior teeth were used as the overlapping area, and a smaller error value was observed when both posterior teeth were used as the overlapping area (P < 0.001). Conclusion The use of bilateral posterior occlusal scans is recommended when digitally mounting the jaw relation established with temporary teeth during full-mouth fixed prosthetic treatment.

Purpose: Current clinical practices favor less or no thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) suppression for low- to intermediate-risk thyroid cancer patients who receive thyroid lobectomy. The association of TSH suppression on healthrelated quality of life (HR-QoL) in patients after thyroid lobectomy is not well studied. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of TSH suppression on patient HR-QoL after thyroid lobectomy. Methods: This study included patients enrolled in an ongoing, multicenter, randomized controlled study investigating the effects of TSH suppression. Patients were randomized to either the low-TSH group (TSH target range, 0.3–1.99 μIU/ mL) or the high-TSH group (TSH target range, 2.0–7.99 μIU/mL). The HR-QoL, hyperthyroidism symptom, and depression symptom questionnaires performed preoperatively and 2 weeks and 3 months postoperatively were evaluated. Results: Total of 669 patients (low-TSH group, 340; high-TSH group, 329) were included. Although total HR-QoL score changes were not different between the 2 groups, the high-TSH group had a significantly higher score in the physical domain at postoperative 3 months (P = 0.046). The 2 groups did not have significant differences in hyperthyroidism and depression scores. Conclusion In the short-term postoperative period, the physical HR-QoL scores in thyroid lobectomy patients were better when they did not receive TSH suppression. This study suggests the importance of considering HR-QoL when setting TSH suppression targets in thyroid lobectomy patients.

Novel clinical trial designs are conducted in the precision medicine era. This study aimed to evaluate biomarker-driven, adaptive phase II trials in precision oncology, focusing on infrastructure, efficacy, and safety. We systematically reviewed and analyzed the target studies. EMBASE and PubMed searches from 2015 to 2023 generated 29 eligible trials. Data extraction included infrastructure, biomarker screening methodologies, efficacy, and safety profiles. Government agencies, cancer hospitals, and academic societies with accumulated experiences led investigator-initiated precision oncology clinical trials (IIPOCTs), which later guided sponsor-initiated precision oncology clinical trials (SIPOCTs). Most SIPOCTs were international studies with basket design. IIPOCTs primarily used the central laboratory for biomarker screening, but SIPOCTs used both central and local laboratories. Most of the studies adapted next-generation sequencing and/or immunohistochemistry for biomarker screening. Fifteen studies included an independent central review committee for outcome investigation. Efficacy assessments predominantly featured objective response rate as the primary endpoint, with varying results. Nine eligible studies contributed to the United States Food and Drug Administration’s marketing authorization. Safety monitoring was rigorous, but reporting formats lacked uniformity. Health-related quality of life and patient-reported outcomes were described in some protocols but rarely reported. Our results reveal that precision oncology trials with adaptive design rapidly and efficiently evaluate anticancer drugs’ efficacy and safety, particularly in specified biomarker-driven cohorts. The evolution from IIPOCT to SIPOCT has facilitated fast regulatory approval, providing valuable insights into the precision oncology landscape.

Differentiated thyroid cancer demonstrates a wide range of clinical presentations, from very indolent cases to those with an aggressive prognosis. Therefore, diagnosing and treating each cancer appropriately based on its risk status is important. The Korean Thyroid Association (KTA) has provided and amended the clinical guidelines for thyroid cancer management since 2007. The main changes in this revised 2024 guideline include 1) individualization of surgical extent according to pathological tests and clinical findings, 2) application of active surveillance in low-risk papillary thyroid microcarcinoma, 3) indications for minimally invasive surgery, 4) adoption of World Health Organization pathological diagnostic criteria and definition of terminology in Korean, 5) update on literature evidence of recurrence risk for initial risk stratification, 6) addition of the role of molecular testing, 7) addition of definition of initial risk stratification and targeting thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) concentrations according to ongoing risk stratification (ORS), 8) addition of treatment of perioperative hypoparathyroidism, 9) update on systemic chemotherapy, and 10) addition of treatment for pediatric patients with thyroid cancer.

Thyroid hormone plays an important role in the process of implantation of a fertilized egg in the endometrium, as well as in the division and development of the fertilized egg. In addition, maternal thyroid hormone is essential for the formation and development of the fetal brain, nervous system, and bones. Therefore, when maternal thyroid hormone is insufficient, complications such as miscarriage, stillbirth, low birth weight and preeclampsia increase. Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of thyroid dysfunction during pregnancy were established and published by the American Endocrine Society, the American Thyroid Association, and the European Thyroid Society. The Korean Thyroid Society also published recommendations for diagnosis and treatment of thyroid disease during pregnancy and postpartum in 2014. However, since the revised guidelines of the American Thyroid Association were published in 2017, many studies, including large-scale randomized controlled trials, have been published in relation to thyroid and pregnancy, and the need to revise the existing recommendations has emerged in Korea.The main revisions of this recommendation are changes in the normal range of TSH during pregnancy, detailed description of treatment policies according to pregnant women’s autoantibodies and thyroid function status. Also, a description of the effect of thyroid autoantibodies on assisted reproductive procedures has been added.

Purpose: We compared corneal higher-order aberration (HOA) measurements between the Pentacam® HR (PC), which uses the Scheimpflug principle, and the iTraceTM aberrometer (IT), which evaluates Placido disc topography. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 109 eyes of 87 patients without a history of ocular surface disease during the period from January 2021 to December 2022; both devices were used on the same day. We calculated the root mean square values (μm) of corneal total HOA and of the corneal 3rd- and 4th-order HOA at a pupil diameter of 4 mm. Data were compared by Bland-Altman plots for agreement analysis and Pearson correlation coefficient for correlation analysis. Results: There was no significant difference in the total HOA (p = 0.145), coma (p = 0.309), or secondary astigmatism (p = 0.080) between the PC and IT measurements; all other HOAs significantly differed between devices (p < 0.001). In the correlation analysis, the total HOA (r = 0.605, p < 0.001) and coma (r = 0.634, p < 0.001) were moderately correlated between the two devices; the other HOAs showed low degree of correlations. In the Bland-Altman plot analysis, all HOAs showed low agreement between the two devices. Conclusions Corneal total HOA and coma measured by the two devices were significantly correlated between the two devices, but other HOAs showed significant differences in measurement and low correlations. Therefore, corneal HOA measurements cannot be interpreted interchangeably between the two devices.

Background/Aims: This study evaluated the long-term cardiovascular complications among Korean patients with hypertension and compared them with that of controls without hypertension. Methods: The Korean Hypertension Cohort (KHC) enrolled 11,043 patients with hypertension and followed them for more than 10 years. Age- and sex-matched controls without hypertension were enrolled at a 1:10 ratio. We compared the incidence of cardiovascular events and death among patients and controls without hypertension. Results: The mean age was 59 years, and 34.8% and 16.5% of the patients belonged to the high and moderate cardiovascular risk groups, respectively. During the 10-year follow-up, 1,591 cardiovascular events (14.4%) with 588 deaths (5.3%) occurred among patients with hypertension and 7,635 cardiovascular events (6.9%) with 4,826 deaths (4.4%) occurred among controls. Even the low-risk population with hypertension showed a higher cardiovascular event rate than the population without hypertension. Although blood pressure measurements in the clinic showed remarkable inaccuracy compared with those measured in the national health examinations, systolic blood pressure (SBP) ≥ 150 mmHg was significantly associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular events. Conclusions This long-term follow-up study confirmed the cardiovascular event rates among Korean hypertensive patients were substantial, reaching 15% in 10 years. SBP levels ≥ 150 mmHg were highly associated with occurrence of cardiovascular event rates.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreaks occur in hospitals in many parts of the world. In hospital settings, the possibility of airborne transmission needs to be investigated thoroughly. Materials and Methods: There was a nosocomial outbreak of COVID-19 in a hematologic ward in a tertiary hospital, Seoul, Korea. We found 11 patients and guardians with COVID-19 through vigorous contact tracing and closed-circuit television monitoring. We found one patient who probably had acquired COVID-19 through airborne-transmission. We performed airflow investigation with simulation software, whole-genome sequencing of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Results: Of the nine individuals with COVID-19 who had been in the hematologic ward, six stayed in one multi-patient room (Room 36), and other three stayed in different rooms (Room 1, 34, 35). Guardian in room 35 was close contact to cases in room 36, and patient in room 34 used the shared bathroom for teeth brushing 40 minutes after index used.Airflow simulation revealed that air was spread from the bathroom to the adjacent room 1 while patient in room 1 did not used the shared bathroom. Airflow was associated with poor ventilation in shared bathroom due to dysfunctioning air-exhaust, grill on the door of shared bathroom and the unintended negative pressure of adjacent room. Conclusion Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in the hematologic ward occurred rapidly in the multi-patient room and shared bathroom settings. In addition, there was a case of possible airborne transmission due to unexpected airflow.