Postoperative colorectal imaging studies play an important role in the detection of surgical complications and disease recurrence. In this pictorial essay, we briefly describe methods of surgery, imaging findings of their early and late complications, and postsurgical recurrence of cancer and inflammatory bowel disease.

Purpose: To compare near-distance reading speeds across different intraocular lens (IOL) types using a Korean reading speed measurement application. Methods: Patients who underwent bilateral cataract surgery and received trifocal IOL (Panoptix), extended depth of focus (EDoF) IOL (Vivity), or enhanced monofocal IOL (Eyhance) were enrolled. Korean reading speed and reading & speaking speed were measured using a Korean reading speed measurement application. Additionally, satisfaction with visual function in everyday life was assessed using a questionnaire. Results: No statistically significant differences were observed in postoperative corrected distance visual acuity among the three groups (p = 0.71). The Panoptix group demonstrated significantly higher distance-corrected near visual acuity than the other two groups (p < 0.05). For letter sizes of logMAR 0.5 or larger, the Panoptix group exhibited significantly higher reading and reading & speaking speeds than the other two groups. For letter sizes of logMAR 0.8 or larger, the Vivity group showed significantly higher reading and reading & speaking speeds than the Eyhance group (p < 0.05). The Panoptix group showed significantly greater satisfaction with visual function in work at near distances, including that for activities such as reading a book. Conclusion The Panoptix trifocal IOL is expected to provide superior near-vision function and patient satisfaction than other IOL types.

Postoperative colorectal imaging studies play an important role in the detection of surgical complications and disease recurrence. In this pictorial essay, we briefly describe methods of surgery, imaging findings of their early and late complications, and postsurgical recurrence of cancer and inflammatory bowel disease.

Postoperative colorectal imaging studies play an important role in the detection of surgical complications and disease recurrence. In this pictorial essay, we briefly describe methods of surgery, imaging findings of their early and late complications, and postsurgical recurrence of cancer and inflammatory bowel disease.

OBJECTIVES: This study developed an algorithm for identifying pregnancy episodes and estimating the last menstrual period (LMP) in an administrative claims database and applied it to investigate the use of pregnancy-incompatible immunosuppressants among pregnant women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). METHODS: An algorithm was developed and applied to a nationwide claims database in Korea. Pregnancy episodes were identified using a hierarchy of pregnancy outcomes and clinically plausible periods for subsequent episodes. The LMP was estimated using preterm delivery, sonography, and abortion procedure codes. Otherwise, outcome-specific estimates were applied, assigning a fixed gestational age to the corresponding pregnancy outcome. The algorithm was used to examine the prevalence of pregnancies and utilization of pregnancy-incompatible immunosuppressants (cyclophosphamide [CYC]/mycophenolate mofetil [MMF]/methotrexate [MTX]) and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) during pregnancy in SLE patients. RESULTS: The pregnancy outcomes identified in SLE patients included live births (67%), stillbirths (2%), and abortions (31%). The LMP was mostly estimated with outcome-specific estimates for full-term births (92.3%) and using sonography procedure codes (54.7%) and preterm delivery diagnosis codes (37.9%) for preterm births. The use of CYC/MMF/MTX decreased from 7.6% during preconception to 0.2% at the end of pregnancy. CYC/MMF/MTX use was observed in 3.6% of women within 3 months preconception and 2.5% during 0-7 weeks of pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS This study presents the first pregnancy algorithm using a Korean administrative claims database. Although further validation is necessary, this study provides a foundation for evaluating the safety of medications during pregnancy using secondary databases in Korea, especially for rare diseases.

Background: To evaluate the effectiveness of Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) in managing fatigue in Korean patients with rheumatic diseases Methods: Patients were randomly assigned to KRG (2 g/day, n = 60) or placebo (n = 60) groups for 12 weeks of blind phase and then open-label KRG from weeks 12 to 24 (placebo-KRG, continuous-KRG). The primary outcome was the improvement rate in fatigue, defined by an increase in Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy (FACIT)-Fatigue scores at 12 weeks. Secondary outcomes included changes in FACIT-Fatigue and fatigue visual analog scale (VAS) between 0 and 12 weeks and those changes in both indices at 24 weeks. Results: The study enrolled 120 patients (Sjogren syndrome [n = 53], rheumatoid arthritis [n = 43], or both diseases [n = 24]). The mean age was 50.9 ± 11.6 years, with 97.5% being female. Baseline characteristics were similar between the two groups. The improvement rate in FACIT-Fatigue after 12 weeks was higher in the KRG group than in the placebo group, but the difference was statistically insignificant (38.3% vs. 26.7%, p = 0.242). Improvement in fatigue was observed in both groups by increases in FACIT-F (4.6 vs. 4.0) and reductions in fatigue VAS (-16.0 vs. -12.2) scores at 12 weeks. The most frequently reported adverse events during KRG use were pruritus and urticarial, with no significant difference between the two groups. Conclusions Both KRG and placebo groups showed significant reductions in fatigue. KRG treatment for 24 weeks did not reduce fatigue symptoms more than the placebo in patients with rheumatic diseases.

Purpose: To report two cases of paraproteinemic keratopathy (PK).Case summary: A 57-year-old man visited the ophthalmology clinic complaining of decreased visual acuity since 1 year earlier. White crystalline deposits were observed on both corneas and the best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of both eyes was 1.0. After 3 months, the BCVA decreased to 0.8 in the right and 0.6 in the left. Increased corneal deposits were observed. To rule out PK, his medical records were checked. The patient had been diagnosed with lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma 3 years earlier. Diagnosing PK, the patient was referred back to the Hemato-Oncology department. After 3 months of chemotherapy, the corneal deposits decreased and BCVA returned to 1.0. A 69-year-old woman presented complaining of decreased visual acuity for 2 years. The uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) was 0.4 in the right and finger count at 30 cm in the left. Brown deposits were observed on both corneas and lenses. The serum copper level was elevated. She was referred to the internal medicine department and diagnosed with multiple myeloma. After treatment, the laboratory results returned to normal, but the UCVA decreased to hand motion in the left. A left white cataract was noted and cataract surgery was performed. 1 month postoperatively, the BCVA was 0.9, with no change in the corneal deposits. Conclusions When there are corneal deposits, we should consider PK in the differential diagnosis. In such cases, systemic treatment is the first line. Therefore, diagnosing and referring PK patients to the internal medicine department is crucial.

Background/Aims: We aimed to compare the effectiveness and safety of Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKi) vs. biologic disease- modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARD) in Korean patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who had an inadequate response to conventional synthetic DMARDs. Methods: A quasi-experimental, multi-center, prospective, non-randomized study was conducted to compare response rates between JAKi and bDMARDs in patients with RA naïve to targeted therapy. An interim analysis was performed to estimate the proportion of patients achieving low disease activity (LDA) based on disease activity score (DAS)–28– erythroid sedimentation rate (ESR) (DAS28-ESR) at 24 weeks after treatment initiation and to evaluate the development of adverse events (AEs). Results: Among 506 patients enrolled from 17 institutions between April 2020 and August 2022, 346 (196 JAKi group and 150 bDMARD group) were included in the analysis. After 24 weeks of treatment, 49.0% of JAKi users and 48.7% of bDMARD users achieved LDA (p = 0.954). DAS28-ESR remission rates were also comparable between JAKi and bDMARD users (30.1% and 31.3%, respectively; p = 0.806). The frequency of AEs reported in the JAKi group was numerically higher than that in the bDMARDs group, but the frequencies of serious and severe AEs were comparable between the groups. Conclusions Our interim findings reveal JAKi have comparable effectiveness and safety to bDMARDs at 24 weeks after treatment initiation.

Objective: Dysphagia is a common clinical condition characterized by difficulty in swallowing. It is sub-classified into oropharyngeal dysphagia, which refers to problems in the mouth and pharynx, and esophageal dysphagia, which refers to problems in the esophageal body and esophagogastric junction. Dysphagia can have a significant negative impact one’s physical health and quality of life as its severity increases. Therefore, proper assessment and management of dysphagia are critical for improving swallowing function and preventing complications. Thus a guideline was developed to provide evidence-based recommendations for assessment and management in patients with dysphagia. Methods: Nineteen key questions on dysphagia were developed. These questions dealt with various aspects of problems related to dysphagia, including assessment, management, and complications. A literature search for relevant articles was conducted using Pubmed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and one domestic database of KoreaMed, until April 2021. The level of evidence and recommendation grade were established according to the Grading of Recommendation Assessment, Development and Evaluation methodology. Results: Early screening and assessment of videofluoroscopic swallowing were recommended for assessing the presence of dysphagia. Therapeutic methods, such as tongue and pharyngeal muscle strengthening exercises and neuromuscular electrical stimulation with swallowing therapy, were effective in improving swallowing function and quality of life in patients with dysphagia. Nutritional intervention and an oral care program were also recommended. Conclusion This guideline presents recommendations for the assessment and management of patients with oropharyngeal dysphagia, including rehabilitative strategies.

Purpose: To evaluate the long-term results of Boston type-I keratoprosthesis implantation in Korea. Methods: Medical records of six patients (six eyes) who underwent Boston type-I keratoprosthesis implantation between August 2018 and November 2019 were retrospectively reviewed for more than 36 months. Results: The mean follow-up period was 44.3 ± 7.0 months. Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) improved significantly for all six eyes, from 2.33 ± 0.51 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) to 0.67 ± 0.59 logMAR. The vision recovered immediately after the surgery in all patients. Retroprosthetic membrane developed in three of the patients, but the visual acuity remained unchanged. Anatomical success was achieved in all six eyes after Boston type-I keratoprosthesis implantation. Conclusions The long-term analysis of Boston type-I keratoprosthesis implantation showed a faster recovery and improved visual acuity compared with conventional penetrating keratoplasty. Without the use of systemic immunosuppressants, all six eyes showed long-term survival of the Boston keratoprosthesis. Boston type-I keratoprosthesis implantation may be used in patients with recurrent graft failure after keratoplasty. This was the first study investigating the long-term results of Boston keratoprosthesis implantation in Korean patients.