It often happens that a removable partial denture needs to be repaired due to tissue changes in the remaining alveolar ridge, fracture of the denture, or fracture of the abutment tooth. There are several advantages to retrofitting a customized surveyed crown under the existing RPD. Retrofitting a crown to the RPD decreases the economic burden to the patient and avoids the need for several appointments to fabricate a new RPD. It is difficult for artificial teeth used to repair dentures due to fractured natural teeth to have a shape similar to that of natural teeth, and to repair aesthetic artificial teeth, it is necessary to manufacture customized artificial teeth similar to the shape of each patient’s teeth. Recently, CAD/CAM technology has been used to fabricate customized prosthetics on existing RPD to achieve high retention and fitness accuracy, and by manufacturing customized artificial teeth, more aesthetic and harmonious artificial tooth repair is possible. This is a case in which a denture was repaired using a digital method to fabricate a customized prosthesis on an existing partial denture and customized artificial teeth that mirrored the adjacent dentition, saving time and cost, simplifying the process, and achieving aesthetically and functionally satisfactory results.

It often happens that a removable partial denture needs to be repaired due to tissue changes in the remaining alveolar ridge, fracture of the denture, or fracture of the abutment tooth. There are several advantages to retrofitting a customized surveyed crown under the existing RPD. Retrofitting a crown to the RPD decreases the economic burden to the patient and avoids the need for several appointments to fabricate a new RPD. It is difficult for artificial teeth used to repair dentures due to fractured natural teeth to have a shape similar to that of natural teeth, and to repair aesthetic artificial teeth, it is necessary to manufacture customized artificial teeth similar to the shape of each patient’s teeth. Recently, CAD/CAM technology has been used to fabricate customized prosthetics on existing RPD to achieve high retention and fitness accuracy, and by manufacturing customized artificial teeth, more aesthetic and harmonious artificial tooth repair is possible. This is a case in which a denture was repaired using a digital method to fabricate a customized prosthesis on an existing partial denture and customized artificial teeth that mirrored the adjacent dentition, saving time and cost, simplifying the process, and achieving aesthetically and functionally satisfactory results.

It often happens that a removable partial denture needs to be repaired due to tissue changes in the remaining alveolar ridge, fracture of the denture, or fracture of the abutment tooth. There are several advantages to retrofitting a customized surveyed crown under the existing RPD. Retrofitting a crown to the RPD decreases the economic burden to the patient and avoids the need for several appointments to fabricate a new RPD. It is difficult for artificial teeth used to repair dentures due to fractured natural teeth to have a shape similar to that of natural teeth, and to repair aesthetic artificial teeth, it is necessary to manufacture customized artificial teeth similar to the shape of each patient’s teeth. Recently, CAD/CAM technology has been used to fabricate customized prosthetics on existing RPD to achieve high retention and fitness accuracy, and by manufacturing customized artificial teeth, more aesthetic and harmonious artificial tooth repair is possible. This is a case in which a denture was repaired using a digital method to fabricate a customized prosthesis on an existing partial denture and customized artificial teeth that mirrored the adjacent dentition, saving time and cost, simplifying the process, and achieving aesthetically and functionally satisfactory results.

Background: Chronic cough is a common symptom encountered by healthcare practitioners.The global prevalence of chronic cough is 9.6%, with a female predominance. The aim of our study is to reveal the sex differences in prevalence and severity of chronic cough in South Korea, stratified by age and etiology. Methods: This study included adult patients with chronic cough who were recruited from 19 respiratory centers in South Korea. Patients completed the cough numeric rating scale (NRS) and COugh Assessment Test (COAT) questionnaire to assess the severity and multidimensional impact of cough. Results: Among the 625 patients, 419 (67.0%) were females, with a male-to-female ratio of 1:2.03. The mean age was 49.4 years, and the median duration of cough was 12 weeks. The mean NRS and COAT scores were 5.5 ± 1.8 and 9.5 ± 3.6, respectively. Female patients were older (45.3 ± 15.4 vs. 51.6 ± 15.2, P < 0.001) and more likely to have asthma/cough variant asthma (CVA) (26.7% vs. 40.8%, P = 0.001) than male patients. There was no difference in the duration or severity of cough between sexes, regardless of the cause. The male-tofemale ratio was lower for upper airway cough syndrome (UACS), asthma/CVA, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), but not for eosinophilic bronchitis (EB) or unexplained cough. The mean age of female patients was higher in UACS and asthma/CVA, but not in EB, GERD, or unexplained cough. The majority (24.2%) fell within the age category of 50s. The proportion of females with cough increased with age, with a significant rise in the 50s, 60s, and 70–89 age groups. The severity of cough decreased in the 50s, 60s, and 70–89 age groups, with no significant sex differences within the same age group. Conclusion The sex disparities in prevalence and severity of cough varied significantly depending on the age category and etiology. Understanding the specific sex-based difference could enhance comprehension of cough-related pathophysiology and treatment strategies.

Isolated extramedullary relapse (EMR) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is relatively rare and the clinical significance is still not well characterized, particularly in children. During or after chemotherapy, an uncommon event termed lineage switch, in which the lineage at onset of leukemia converts to another lineage at a later time, is observed in a subset of leukemia patients, but it is a rare event. We report a 10-year-old boy with isolated mediastinal EMR after allo-HSCT for AML who subsequently experienced BM relapse with the cell lineage switching from AML to T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Background/Aims: Although the incidence and mortality of tuberculosis are decreasing in South Korea, the number of applications for financial assistance with the cost of tuberculosis treatment made by individuals from vulnerable groups was 3.8 times higher in 2019 compared to 2017 (Tuberculosis Relief Belt Project, 2019). Methods: We analyzed the data of patients who received financial aid for tuberculosis treatment (in the period 2014-2018) from the Tuberculosis Relief Belt Project, which was designed to assist vulnerable groups. This study analyzed 137 subjects, and the independent variables included patient factors (age, gender, nationality, tuberculosis type, number of comorbidities, and place of residence) and treatment type (outpatient or inpatient). The dependent variable was the treatment outcome. Results: The likelihood of treatment success was significantly lower for patients with one (odds ratio [OR] 0.202), two (OR 0.147), or three or more (OR 0.070) comorbidities compared to those with no comorbidities. This was also the case for patients living alone (OR 0.097), and for those classified as homeless (OR 0.053). Korean patients (OR 8.512) had a significantly higher probability of a successful treatment outcome than foreigners. Conclusions Appropriate community-based management of individuals with tuberculosis from vulnerable groups, including foreigners, people with comorbidities, people living alone, and people with an unstable residential situation or homeless status, is important.

Cough is the most common respiratory symptom that can have various causes. It is a major clinical problem that can reduce a patient’s quality of life. Thus, clinical guidelines for the treatment of cough were established in 2014 by the cough guideline committee under the Korean Academy of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases. From October 2018 to July 2020, cough guidelines were revised by members of the committee based on the first guidelines. The purpose of these guidelines is to help clinicians efficiently diagnose and treat patients with cough. This article highlights the recommendations and summary of the revised Korean cough guidelines. It includes a revised algorithm for the evaluation of acute, subacute, and chronic cough. For a chronic cough, upper airway cough syndrome (UACS), cough variant asthma (CVA), and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) should be considered in differential diagnoses. If UACS is suspected, first-generation antihistamines and nasal decongestants can be used empirically. In cases with CVA, inhaled corticosteroids are recommended to improve cough. In patients with suspected chronic cough due to symptomatic GERD, proton pump inhibitors are recommended. Chronic bronchitis, bronchiectasis, bronchiolitis, lung cancer, aspiration, intake of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, intake of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor, habitual cough, psychogenic cough, interstitial lung disease, environmental and occupational factors, tuberculosis, obstructive sleep apnea, peritoneal dialysis, and unexplained cough can also be considered as causes of a chronic cough. Chronic cough due to laryngeal dysfunction syndrome has been newly added to the guidelines.

Cough is the most common respiratory symptom that can have various causes. It is a major clinical problem that can reduce a patient’s quality of life. Thus, clinical guidelines for the treatment of cough were established in 2014 by the cough guideline committee under the Korean Academy of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases. From October 2018 to July 2020, cough guidelines were revised by members of the committee based on the first guidelines. The purpose of these guidelines is to help clinicians efficiently diagnose and treat patients with cough. This article highlights the recommendations and summary of the revised Korean cough guidelines. It includes a revised algorithm for the evaluation of acute, subacute, and chronic cough. For a chronic cough, upper airway cough syndrome (UACS), cough variant asthma (CVA), and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) should be considered in differential diagnoses. If UACS is suspected, first-generation antihistamines and nasal decongestants can be used empirically. In cases with CVA, inhaled corticosteroids are recommended to improve cough. In patients with suspected chronic cough due to symptomatic GERD, proton pump inhibitors are recommended. Chronic bronchitis, bronchiectasis, bronchiolitis, lung cancer, aspiration, intake of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, intake of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor, habitual cough, psychogenic cough, interstitial lung disease, environmental and occupational factors, tuberculosis, obstructive sleep apnea, peritoneal dialysis, and unexplained cough can also be considered as causes of a chronic cough. Chronic cough due to laryngeal dysfunction syndrome has been newly added to the guidelines.

BACKGROUND: The “Tuberculosis Relief Belt Supporting Project (Tuberculosis Patient Management Project for Poverty Groups)” is a national program for socioeconomically vulnerable tuberculosis (TB) patients. We sought to evaluate the clinical and socioeconomic characteristics of poverty-stricken TB patients, and determined the need for relief. METHODS: We examined in-patients with TB, who were supported by this project at the National Medical Center from 2014 to 2015. We retrospectively investigated the patients' socioeconomic status, clinical characteristics, and project expenditures. RESULTS: Fifty-eight patients were enrolled. Among 55 patients with known income status, 24 (43.6%) had no income. Most patients (80%) lived alone. A total of 48 patients (82.8%) had more than one underlying disease. More than half of the enrolled patients (30 patients, 51.7%) had smear-positive TB. Cavitary disease was found in 38 patients (65.5%). Among the 38 patients with known resistance status, 19 (50%) had drug-resistant TB. In terms of disease severity, 96.6% of the cases had moderate-to-severe disease. A total of 14 patients (26.4%) died during treatment. Nursing expenses were supported for 12 patients (20.7%), with patient transportation costs reimbursed for 35 patients (60%). In terms of treatment expenses for 31 people (53.4%), 93.5% of them were supported by uninsured benefits. CONCLUSION: Underlying disease, infectivity, drug resistance, severity, and death occurred frequently in socioeconomically vulnerable patients with TB. Many uninsured treatment costs were not supported by the current government TB programs, and the “Tuberculosis Relief Belt Supporting Project” compensated for these limitations.
Drug Resistance ; Health Care Costs ; Health Expenditures ; Humans ; Medically Uninsured ; Nursing ; Poverty* ; Retrospective Studies ; Social Class ; Transportation ; Tuberculosis*

BACKGROUND: Smoking cessation is the most powerful intervention to modify progress of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and nicotine dependence is one of the most important determinants of success or failure in smoking cessation. We evaluated nicotine dependence status and investigated factors associated with moderate to high nicotine dependence in patients with COPD. METHODS: We included 53 current smokers with COPD in the Korean Obstructive Lung Disease II cohort enrolled between January 2014 and March 2016. Nicotine dependence was measured by using Fagerstrom test for nicotine dependence (FTND). Cognitive function was assessed by Korean version of Montreal Cognitive Assessment. RESULTS: The median FTND score was 3, and 32 patients (60%) had moderate to high nicotine dependence. The median smoking amount was 44 pack-years, which was not related to nicotine dependence. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that high education status (odds ratio, 1.286; 95% confidence interval, 1.036–1.596; p=0.023), age <70 (odds ratio, 6.407; 95% confidence interval, 1.376–29.830; p=0.018), and mild to moderate airflow obstruction (odds ratio, 6.969; 95% confidence interval, 1.388–34.998; p=0.018) were related to moderate to high nicotine dependence. CONCLUSION: Nicotine dependence does not correlate with smoking amount, but with education level, age, and severity of airflow obstruction. Physicians should provide different strategies of smoking cessation intervention for current smokers with COPD according to their education levels, age, and severity of airflow obstruction.
Cognition ; Cohort Studies ; Education ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Lung Diseases, Obstructive ; Nicotine* ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive* ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Smoking Cessation ; Tobacco Use Disorder*