1.Prospective Evaluation of Accelerated Brain MRI Using Deep Learning-Based Reconstruction: Simultaneous Application to 2D Spin-Echo and 3D Gradient-Echo Sequences
Kyu Sung CHOI ; Chanrim PARK ; Ji Ye LEE ; Kyung Hoon LEE ; Young Hun JEON ; Inpyeong HWANG ; Roh Eul YOO ; Tae Jin YUN ; Mi Ji LEE ; Keun-Hwa JUNG ; Koung Mi KANG
Korean Journal of Radiology 2025;26(1):54-64
Objective:
To prospectively evaluate the effect of accelerated deep learning-based reconstruction (Accel-DL) on improving brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) quality and reducing scan time compared to that in conventional MRI.
Materials and Methods:
This study included 150 participants (51 male; mean age 57.3 ± 16.2 years). Each group of 50 participants was scanned using one of three 3T scanners from three different vendors. Conventional and Accel-DL MRI images were obtained from each participant and compared using 2D T1- and T2-weighted and 3D gradient-echo sequences. Accel-DL acquisition was achieved using optimized scan parameters to reduce the scan time, with the acquired images reconstructed using U-Net-based software to transform low-quality, undersampled k-space data into high-quality images. The scan times of Accel-DL and conventional MRI methods were compared. Four neuroradiologists assessed the overall image quality, structural delineation, and artifacts using Likert scale (5- and 3-point scales). Inter-reader agreement was assessed using Fleiss’ kappa coefficient. Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) were calculated, and volumetric quantification of regional structures and white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) was performed.
Results:
Accel-DL showed a mean scan time reduction of 39.4% (range, 24.2%–51.3%). Accel-DL improved overall image quality (3.78 ± 0.71 vs. 3.36 ± 0.61, P < 0.001), structure delineation (2.47 ± 0.61 vs. 2.35 ± 0.62, P < 0.001), and artifacts (3.73 ± 0.72 vs. 3.71 ± 0.69, P = 0.016). Inter-reader agreement was fair to substantial (κ = 0.34–0.50). SNR and CNR increased in Accel-DL (82.0 ± 23.1 vs. 31.4 ± 10.8, P = 0.02; 12.4 ± 4.1 vs. 4.4 ± 11.2, P = 0.02). Bland-Altman plots revealed no significant differences in the volumetric measurements of 98.2% of the relevant regions, except in the deep gray matter, including the thalamus. Five of the six lesion categories showed no significant differences in WMH segmentation, except for leukocortical lesions (r = 0.64 ± 0.29).
Conclusion
Accel-DL substantially reduced the scan time and improved the quality of brain MRI in both spin-echo and gradientecho sequences without compromising volumetry, including lesion quantification.
2.The Effect of Postnatal Systemic Corticosteroid on Neurodevelopmental Outcome in Very Low Birth Weight Preterm Infants
Joo Yun YANG ; Young Min YOUN ; Jung In KANG ; Ye Jin HAN ; Do Kyung LEE ; Hyun Kyung BAE ; So-Yeon SHIM
Neonatal Medicine 2025;32(1):10-20
Purpose:
This study aimed to investigate the effects of postnatal systemic corticosteroids on neurodevelopment in very low birth weight (VLBW) preterm infants.
Methods:
This was a population-based study of the Korean Neonatal Network of VLBW infant born at 23+0 and 31+6 weeks of gestation between 2013 and 2020. VLBW preterm infants assessed using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, third edition (BSID-III) at 18–24 months of corrected age and 3 years of age were enrolled. The primary outcomes were BSID-III scores and neurodevelopmental delays, with scores of <85. Socioeconomic status and clinical variables were adjusted for using multivariate regression analyses.
Results:
In total, 517 infants were enrolled in this study. Among the 216 (41.8%) infants who received postnatal systemic corticosteroids, the rate of cognitive delay was significantly higher at 18–24 months of corrected age than at 3 years of age. The rates of language and motor delays were significantly higher both at 18–24 months of corrected age and at 3 years of age. When multivariate logistic regression was performed, postnatal systemic corticosteroid use was significantly associated with cognitive delay at 18–24 months of corrected age, but not at 3 years of age. There was no significant association between postnatal systemic corticosteroid use and language or motor delay at 18-24 months of corrected age or at 3 years of age after multivariate logistic regression.
Conclusion
Postnatal systemic corticosteroid use in VLBW preterm infants increased the risk of cognitive delay at 18–24 months of corrected age, but not at 3 years.
3.A Comparison between Keratograph 5M® and IDRA® in Dry Eye Patients
Seo Woo PARK ; Ha-Rim SO ; Ji Won BAEK ; Ho Sik HWANG ; Kyung-Sun NA ; Ho RA ; Nam Yeo KANG ; Hyun Seung KIM ; Eun Chul KIM
Journal of the Korean Ophthalmological Society 2025;66(4):175-180
Purpose:
To evaluate the compatibility and usability of test results obtained from the IDRA and Keratograph 5M in clinical settings by comparing their performance in patients with dry eye disease.
Methods:
From December 27 to 30, 2022, a study was conducted on 30 patients diagnosed with dry eye utilizing both the Keratograph 5M and IDRA devices. The parameters compared and analyzed included lipid layer thickness, tear meniscus height, tear film break-up time, and meibography. A paired t-test was used for statistical comparison. The lipid layer thickness in the Keratograph 5M was graded on a scale from 0 to 4 based on thickness.
Results:
No significant differences were found between the two devices in tear film break-up time, tear meniscus height, and meibography (p = 0.148, 0.072, 0.124, respectively). However, the tear lipid layer thickness measured by IDRA showed a proportional relationship with the grade assigned by the Keratograph 5M (Kendall R = 0.217, p = 0.037; Spearman R = 0.260, p = 0.045).
Conclusions
The IDRA device offers the advantage of performing multiple dry eye tests; simultaneously, thereby saving time compared to the Keratograph 5M. Both devices can be used compatibly with IDRA particularly advantageous for providing a numerical value for tear lipid layer thickness which enhances the convenience of dry eye diagnosis and treatment.
4.Ocular Inflammation with Use of Oral Bisphosphonates
Jee Hyun JEONG ; Kyung Tae KANG ; Yu Cheol KIM
Journal of the Korean Ophthalmological Society 2025;66(2):128-131
Purpose:
To report a case of ocular inflammation after bisphosphonate use in a patient with osteoporosis.Case summary: A 54-year-old female presented to our clinic with eye pain and conjunctival and episcleral vessel injection in both eyes for 1 month. The patient was diagnosed with osteoporosis by the Department of Endocrinology 7 weeks ago and prescribed risedronate, a bisphosphonate. After using risedronate for 3 weeks, the patient developed generalized body pain, eye pain, and conjunctival injection. Slit lamp examination demonstrated conjunctival injection, whereas fundus examination did not reveal any cells in the anterior chamber or any other abnormal findings. Subsequently, risedronate was discontinued, which relieved the pain. At the 2-month follow-up visit in the outpatient department, the patient was asymptomatic, and there was no conjunctival injection.
Conclusions
Bisphosphonates can lead to ocular adverse effects, which should be considered in patients with osteoporosis presenting with nonspecific ocular inflammation.
5.A Case Report on Ductal Carcinoma in situ Arising from Axillary Accessory Breast Tissue
Kyung Eun LEE ; Juhee KANG ; Woo Young KANG ; Ok Hee WOO
Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology 2025;86(1):154-159
Accessory breast tissue can appear along the mammary ridge, extending from the axilla to the groin, with the axilla being the most common site. Malignancies arising in accessory breast tissue are rare, representing approximately 0.3%–0.6% of all breast cancer cases.When evaluating accessory breasts, it is essential to apply the same management strategies used for conventionally positioned breasts. This report presents a case of ductal carcinoma in situ originating from accessory breast tissue in the axilla of a 55-year-old woman. The diagnosis was established through a comprehensive assessment involving mammography, ultrasound, and magnetic resonance imaging. Since the axillary accessory breast tissue wasn’t initially included in the routine mammography, we added an axillary tail view to evaluate the extent and morphology of malignant microcalcifications.
6.Complete or incomplete revascularization in patients with left main culprit lesion acute myocardial infarction with multivessel disease: a retrospective observational study
Sun Oh KIM ; Hong-Ju KIM ; Jong-Il PARK ; Kang-Un CHOI ; Jong-Ho NAM ; Chan-Hee LEE ; Jang-Won SON ; Jong-Seon PARK ; Sung-Ho HER ; Ki-Yuk CHANG ; Tae-Hoon AHN ; Myung-Ho JEONG ; Seung-Woon RHA ; Hyo-Soo KIM ; Hyeon-Cheol GWON ; In-Whan SEONG ; Kyung-Kuk HWANG ; Seung-Ho HUR ; Kwang-Soo CHA ; Seok-Kyu OH ; Jei-Keon CHAE ; Ung KIM
Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science 2025;42(1):18-
Background:
Complete revascularization has demonstrated better outcomes in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and multivessel disease. However, in the case of left main (LM) culprit lesion AMI with multivessel disease, there is limited evidence to suggest that complete revascularization is better.
Methods:
We reviewed 16,831 patients in the Korea Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry who were treated from July 2016 to June 2020, and 399 patients were enrolled with LM culprit lesion AMI treated with percutaneous coronary intervention. We categorized the patients as those treated with complete revascularization (n=295) or incomplete revascularization (n=104). The study endpoint was major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE), a composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, ischemia-driven revascularization, stent thrombosis, and stroke. We performed propensity score matching (PSM) and analyzed the incidence of MACCE at 1 year.
Results:
After PSM, the two groups were well balanced. There was no significant difference between the two groups in MACCE at 1 year (12.1% vs. 15.2%; hazard ratio, 1.28; 95% confidence interval, 0.60–2.74; p=0.524) after PSM. The components of MACCE and major bleeding were also not significantly different.
Conclusion
There was no significant difference in clinical outcomes between the groups treated with complete or incomplete revascularization for LM culprit lesion AMI with multivessel disease.
7.Sex Differences in Procedural Characteristics and Clinical Outcomes Among Patients Undergoing Bifurcation PCI
Hyun Jin AHN ; Francesco BRUNO ; Jeehoon KANG ; Doyeon HWANG ; Han-Mo YANG ; Jung-Kyu HAN ; Leonardo De LUCA ; Ovidio de FILIPPO ; Alessio MATTESINI ; Kyung Woo PARK ; Alessandra TRUFFA ; Wojciech WANHA ; Young Bin SONG ; Sebastiano GILI ; Woo Jung CHUN ; Gerard HELFT ; Seung-Ho HUR ; Bernardo CORTESE ; Seung Hwan HAN ; Javier ESCANED ; Alaide CHIEFFO ; Ki Hong CHOI ; Guglielmo GALLONE ; Joon-Hyung DOH ; Gaetano De FERRARI ; Soon-Jun HONG ; Giorgio QUADRI ; Chang-Wook NAM ; Hyeon-Cheol GWON ; Hyo-Soo KIM ; Fabrizio D’ASCENZO ; Bon-Kwon KOO
Korean Circulation Journal 2025;55(1):5-16
Background and Objectives:
The risk profiles, procedural characteristics, and clinical outcomes for women undergoing bifurcation percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are not well defined compared to those in men.
Methods:
COronary BIfurcation Stenting III (COBIS III) is a multicenter, real-world registry of 2,648 patients with bifurcation lesions treated with second-generation drug-eluting stents.We compared the angiographic and procedural characteristics and clinical outcomes based on sex. The primary outcome was 5-year target lesion failure (TLF), a composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction, and target lesion revascularization.
Results:
Women (n=635, 24%) were older, had hypertension and diabetes more often, and had smaller main vessel and side branch reference diameters than men. The pre- and post-PCI angiographic percentage diameter stenoses of the main vessel and side branch were comparable between women and men. There were no differences in procedural characteristics between the sexes. Women and men had a similar risk of TLF (6.3% vs. 7.1%, p=0.63) as well as its individual components and sex was not an independent predictor of TLF. This finding was consistent in the left main and 2 stenting subgroups.
Conclusions
In patients undergoing bifurcation PCI, sex was not an independent predictor of adverse outcome.
8.Erratum: Correction of Text in the Article “The Long-term Outcomes and Risk Factors of Complications After Fontan Surgery: From the Korean Fontan Registry (KFR)”
Sang-Yun LEE ; Soo-Jin KIM ; Chang-Ha LEE ; Chun Soo PARK ; Eun Seok CHOI ; Hoon KO ; Hyo Soon AN ; I Seok KANG ; Ja Kyoung YOON ; Jae Suk BAEK ; Jae Young LEE ; Jinyoung SONG ; Joowon LEE ; June HUH ; Kyung-Jin AHN ; Se Yong JUNG ; Seul Gi CHA ; Yeo Hyang KIM ; Youngseok LEE ; Sanghoon CHO
Korean Circulation Journal 2025;55(3):256-257
9.Association between preoperative oxygen reserve index and postoperative pulmonary complications: a prospective observational study
Sangho LEE ; Halin HONG ; Hyojin CHO ; Sang-Wook LEE ; Ann Hee YOU ; Hee Yong KANG ; Sung Wook PARK ; Mi Kyeong KIM ; Jeong-Hyun CHOI
Korean Journal of Anesthesiology 2025;78(3):224-235
Background:
The oxygen reserve index (ORi) noninvasively measures oxygen levels within the mild hyperoxia range. To evaluate whether a degree of increase in the ORi during preoxygenation for general anesthesia is associated with the occurrence of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs).
Methods:
We enrolled 154 patients who underwent preoperative pulmonary function tests and were scheduled for elective surgery under general anesthesia. We aimed to measure the increase in ORi during preoxygenation before general anesthesia and analyze its association with PPCs.
Results:
PPCs occurred in 76 (49%) participants. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the three-minute preoxygenation ORi was significantly associated with PPCs (Odds ratio [OR]: 0.02, 95% CI [0.00–0.16], P < 0.001). The areas under the curve (AUC [95% CI]) in the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis for the three-minute preoxygenation ORi for PPCs were 0.64 (0.55–0.73). After a subgroup analysis, multivariate logistic regression showed that the three-minute preoxygenation ORi was significantly associated with PPCs among patients who underwent thoracic surgery (OR: 0.01, 95% CI [0.00–0.19], P = 0.006). The AUC of the three-minute preoxygenation ORi for PPCs was 0.72 (0.57–0.86) in patients who underwent thoracic surgery.
Conclusions
A low ORi measured after 3 min of preoxygenation for general anesthesia was associated with an increased risk of PPCs, including those undergoing thoracic surgery. This study demonstrated the potential of ORi, measured after oxygen administration, as a tool for evaluating lung function that complements traditional lung function tests and scoring systems.
10.Microglial galectin-3 increases with aging in the mouse hippocampus
Hyun Joo SHIN ; So Jeong LEE ; Hyeong Seok AN ; Ha Nyeoung CHOI ; Eun Ae JEONG ; Jaewoong LEE ; Kyung Eun KIM ; Bong-Hoi CHOI ; Seung Pil YUN ; Dawon KANG ; Sang Soo KANG ; Gu Seob ROH
The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology 2025;29(2):215-225
Microglial activation during aging is associated with neuroinflammation and cognitive impairment. Galectin-3 plays a crucial role in microglial activation and phagocytosis. However, the role of galectin-3 in the aged brain is not completely understood. In the present study, we investigated aging-related mechanisms and microglial galectin-3 expression in the mouse hippocampus using female 6-, 12-, and 24-month-old C57BL/6 mice. Western blot analysis revealed neurodegeneration, blood-brain barrier leakage, and increased levels of neuroinflammation-related proteins in 24-month-old mice compared to 6- and 12-month-old mice. Immunohistochemistry revealed an increase in activated microglia in the hippocampus of 24-month-old mice compared to 6- and 12-month-old mice. Furthermore, we found more galectin-3 and triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-2-positive microglia in 24-month-old mice compared to 6- and 12-month-old mice. Using primary mouse microglial cells, galectin -3 was also increased by lipopolysaccharide treatment. These findings suggest that galectin-3 may play an important role in microglial activation and neuroinflammation during brain aging.

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