Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in Korea and the third leading cause of death from cancer. Treatment outcomes for colon cancer are steadily improving due to national health screening programs with advances in diagnostic methods, surgical techniques, and therapeutic agents.. The Korea Colon Cancer Multidisciplinary (KCCM) Committee intends to provide professionals who treat colon cancer with the most up-to-date, evidence-based practice guidelines to improve outcomes and help them make decisions that reflect their patients’ values and preferences. These guidelines have been established by consensus reached by the KCCM Guideline Committee based on a systematic literature review and evidence synthesis and by considering the national health insurance system in real clinical practice settings. Each recommendation is presented with a recommendation strength and level of evidence based on the consensus of the committee.

Cherubism is a rare fibro-osseous condition characterized by bilateral expansion of the mandible and maxilla. Due to its rarity, treatment guidelines for cherubism have not been clearly established. Observation without surgical intervention is typically recommended, as cherubism often regresses spontaneously after puberty. However, a surgical intervention may be necessary if aggressive lesions lead to severe complications. In this report, we present a case involving surgical management of cherubism that did not spontaneously regress until early adulthood. An 18-year-old man was diagnosed with cherubism, presenting characteristic upward-looking eyes and a swollen face. He strongly desired surgical management. Gross contouring of the mandible was performed using an osteotome. Subsequently, delicate contouring was performed by bone burring and curettage. The remaining multiple locular bony defects were filled with demineralized bone matrix. No major complications, including infection and hematoma, occurred during the 8-month follow-up period. The facial contour remained stable without the aggravation of cherubism. The patient was satisfied with the cosmetic results. Considering that cherubism is a rare disease globally, with few reported cases in Korea, and that treatment guidelines are not clearly established, we anticipate that the results of this case will contribute to the development of future protocols for treating cherubism.

Purpose: Clinical outcomes of surgery after neoadjuvant chemotherapy have not been investigated for locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC), despite well-established outcomes in borderline resectable pancreatic cancer (BRPC). This study aimed to investigate the clinical outcomes of patients with LAPC who underwent curative resection following neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of patients diagnosed with pancreatic adenocarcinoma between January 2017 and December 2020. Results: Among 1,358 patients, 260 underwent surgery following neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Among 356 LAPC patients, 98 (27.5%) and 147 (35.1%) of 418 BRPC patients underwent surgery after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Compared to resectable pancreatic cancer (resectable PC) with upfront surgery, both LAPC and BRPC exhibited higher rates of venous resection (28.6% vs. 49.0% vs. 4.0%), arterial resection (30.6% vs. 6.8% vs. 0.5%) and greater estimated blood loss (260.5 vs. 213.1 vs. 70.4 mL). However, hospital stay, readmission rates, and postoperative pancreatic fistula rates (grade B or C) did not differ significantly between LAPC, BRPC, and resectable PC. Overall and relapse-free survival did not differ significantly between LAPC and BRPC patients. The median overall survival was 37.3 months for LAPC and 37.0 months for BRPC. The median relapse-free survival was 22.7 months for LAPC and 26.0 months for BRPC. Conclusion Overall survival time and postoperative complications in LAPC patients who underwent curative resection following neoadjuvant chemotherapy showed similar results to those of BRPC patients. Further research is needed to identify specific sub-populations of LAPC patients who benefit most from conversion surgery and to minimize postoperative complications.

Objective: This study investigated the associations between paraspinal muscle measurements on chest computed tomography and clinical outcomes of elderly patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Methods: This single-center, retrospective, observational study analyzed elderly patients (≥65 years) with CAP hospitalized through an emergency department between March 2020 and December 2022. We collected their baseline characteristics and laboratory data at the time of admission. The paraspinal muscle index and attenuation were calculated at the level of the 12th thoracic vertebra using chest computed tomography taken within 48 hours before or after admission. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to evaluate the association between paraspinal muscle measurements and 28-day mortality. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and area under the curve (AUC) analyses were used to evaluate the prognostic predictive power. Results: Of the 338 enrolled patients, 60 (17.8%) died within 28 days after admission. A high paraspinal muscle index was associated with low 28-day mortality in elderly patients with CAP (adjusted odds ratio, 0.994; 95% confidence interval, 0.992–0.997). The area under the ROC curve for the muscle index was 0.75, which outperformed the pneumonia severity index and the CURB-65 (confusion, urea, respiratory rate, blood pressure, age ≥65 years) metric, both of which showed an AUC of 0.64 in predicting mortality. Conclusion A high paraspinal muscle index was associated with low 28-day mortality in patients aged 65 years or older with CAP.

Postoperative temporal hollowing is a complication that can occur after craniectomy or cranioplasty. It is caused by the disinsertion or displacement of the temporalis muscle and atrophy of the superficial temporal fat pad. We introduce a case of temporal hollowing correction using polydioxanone thread-lifting and fat grafts. A 28-year-old man presented with right temporal hollowing and asymmetric bulging of the zygomatic region. The patient wanted an aesthetically favorable correction with a short recovery period, without using a permanent implant. We performed a two-stage procedure. In the first stage, 21 mL of centrifuged fat was obtained, of which 7 mL was injected into the temporal region. A month later, another 4 mL of the stored fat was injected, and thread-lifting was performed through the temporal region after identifying the deep temporal fascia. Four threads were inserted, pulled toward the entry point, and tied. The anchoring of the thread-lifted tissue remained stable, and the volume of grafted fat was well preserved at the 4-month follow-up. The patient was satisfied with the cosmetic results. In this case, temporal hollowing was effectively managed with fat grafting and thread lifting. We recommend this method as an option for reconstruction of temporal hollowing with a short recovery period and high patient satisfaction.

Background: The initial redness of the scar on a postoperative suture site is a natural phenomenon that fades over time. However, with a long period of redness, patients complain about cosmetic discomfort, and the possibility of pigmentation changes is induced. We investigated the use of a long-pulsed 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser as a noninvasive treatment for improving the redness of these scars. Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted on 36 patients who underwent excision of a nevus on the face. Fourteen patients received laser treatment and another 22 patients used only scar management ointment. Patients were followed up 1 week after the sutures were removed. The photographic images taken at the time of suture removal and 2 months later were reviewed. The evaluation was performed on a 7-point scale by adding the Japan Scar Workshop (JSW) scar scale’s redness and erythema scores. Results: The average initial JSW scar scale score of the treatment group was 4.6, and that of the nontreatment group was 4.2. When the re-evaluation was performed 2 months later, the score of the treatment group decreased to 2.2 and that of the nontreatment group decreased to 3.1. The difference in the JSW scar scale between the treatment group and the nontreatment group according to laser performance was statistically significant (P=0.03). Conclusions The treatment method with a long-pulsed 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser that is less invasive and has a quick effect can be a good alternative for improving this initial scar redness.

Rhabdomyosarcoma is the most common soft tissue sarcoma in children, accounting for 4.5% of all cases of cancer in childhood. Although the head and neck are the most common sites of rhabdomyosarcoma, oral lesions are relatively rare and account for only 10% to 12% of head and neck rhabdomyosarcoma cases. This is a case report of a girl aged 2 years and 1 month who initially presented with an upper lip mass that invaded the oral mucosa, oral skin, and nostril skin, causing narrowing of the airway. Through our case, we show that rapidly growing small round cell malignancies, especially rhabdomyosarcoma, can be effectively diagnosed and treated at the same time using primary resection with intraoperative frozen section biopsy and that the time spent waiting for the results of preoperative biopsy can be saved in this way, particularly when the patient’s symptoms are intensifying rapidly and require immediate operation.

Comorbid conditions impact the survival of patients with severe acute kidney injury (AKI) who require continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). The weights assigned to comorbidities in predicting survival vary based on type of index, disease, and advances in management of comorbidities. We developed a modified Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) for use in patients with AKI requiring CRRT (mCCI-CRRT) and improved the accuracy of risk stratification for mortality. Methods: A total of 828 patients who received CRRT between 2008 and 2013, from three university hospital cohorts was included to develop the comorbidity score. The weights of the comorbidities were recalibrated using a Cox proportional hazards model adjusted for demographic and clinical information. The modified index was validated in a university hospital cohort (n = 919) using the data of patients treated from 2009 to 2015. Results: Weights for dementia, peptic ulcer disease, any tumor, and metastatic solid tumor were used to recalibrate the mCCI-CRRT. Use of these calibrated weights achieved a 35.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 22.1%–48.1%) higher performance than unadjusted CCI in reclassification based on continuous net reclassification improvement in logistic regression adjusted for age and sex. After additionally adjusting for hemoglobin and albumin, consistent results were found in risk reclassification, which improved by 35.9% (95% CI, 23.3%–48.5%). Conclusion: The mCCI-CRRT stratifies risk of mortality in AKI patients who require CRRT more accurately than does the original CCI, suggesting that it could serve as a preferred index for use in clinical practice.

Objective: Body mass index (BMI) is a major determinant of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP). However, the relationship of BMI with pneumonia has not been entirely characterized. Methods: Adult patients with pneumonia, who visited the emergency department from January 2017 to December 2019, were included. According to BMI, they were divided into two groups, including normal-weight and obesity groups. Data were retrospectively reviewed via the prospectively collected pneumonia registry and medical chart. NT-proBNP, BMI and pneumonia severity index (PSI) were determined for all subjects. The moderating effect between NT-proBNP and BMI was examined by entering interaction terms into the multivariable regression model predicting mortality. Using the area under the curve (AUC), the predictive performance of NT-proBNP was evaluated. Results: Of 327 enrolled patients, 118 patients belonged to the obesity group. In a multivariable model including BMI, NT-proBNP was identified as an independent predictor of mortality. The AUC of the adjusted NT-proBNP including BMI, significantly increased the AUC of the adjusted NT-proBNP excluding BMI and tended to be superior to that of PSI. A positively significant BMI-by-NT-proBNP interaction for mortality was observed. NT-proBNP showed significant prognostic power in both BMI groups, but NT-proBNP of the obesity group had significantly higher AUC than that of the normalweight group. In the obesity group, the AUC of NT-proBNP tended to be higher than that of PSI. Conclusion BMI is a significant factor enhancing the prognostic power of NT-proBNP in pneumonia. The prognostic utility of NT-proBNP was significantly differed by BMI groups, which is more useful in the obesity group than the normalweight group.

Purpose: This study evaluated the efficacy of adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) in patients with resected ampulla of Vater (AoV) carcinoma. Materials and Methods: Data from 646 patients who underwent surgical resection at Asan Medical Center between 2000 and 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. Results: The median age of the patients was 62 years, and 54.2% were male. Patients were classified into AC group (n=165, 25.5%) and no AC group (n=481, 74.5%). With a median follow-up duration of 88 months, in patients with stage I, II, III, median recurrence-free survival (RFS) was not reached, 44 months, and 15 months, respectively, and the median overall survival (OS) were not reached, 88 months and 35 months, respectively. Despite no statistical significance, RFS and OS were better in stage II patients with AC than in those without AC (median RFS, 151 months vs. 38 months; p=0.156 and median OS, 153 months vs. 74 months; p=0.299). In multivariate analysis for RFS and OS, TNM stage, R1 resection status, presence of lymphovascular invasion, and perineural invasion remained significant factors, whereas AC (hazard ratio [HR], 0.74; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.54 to 1.00; p=0.052) was marginally related with RFS. After propensity score matching in only stage II/III patients, RFS and OS with AC were numerically longer than those without AC (HR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.60 to 1.06; p=0.116 and HR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.56 to 1.06; p=0.111). Conclusion AC with fluoropyrimidine did not improve survival of patients with resected AoV carcinoma. However, multivariate analysis with prognostic factors showed a marginally significant survival benefit with AC.