Background: and Purpose In young patients (aged 18–60 years) with patent foramen ovale (PFO)- associated stroke, percutaneous closure has been found to be useful for preventing recurrent ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). However, it remains unknown whether PFO closure is also beneficial in older patients. Methods: Patients aged ≥60 years who had a cryptogenic stroke and PFO from ten hospitals in South Korea were included. The effect of PFO closure plus medical therapy over medical therapy alone was assessed by a propensity-score matching method in the overall cohort and in those with a high-risk PFO, characterized by the presence of an atrial septal aneurysm or a large shunt. Results: Out of the 437 patients (mean age, 68.1), 303 (69%) had a high-risk PFO and 161 (37%) patients underwent PFO closure. Over a median follow-up of 3.9 years, recurrent ischemic stroke or TIA developed in 64 (14.6%) patients. In the propensity score-matched cohort of the overall patients (130 pairs), PFO closure was associated with a significantly lower risk of a composite of ischemic stroke or TIA (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.45; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.24–0.84; P=0.012), but not for ischemic stroke. In a subgroup analysis of confined to the high-risk PFO patients (116 pairs), PFO closure was associated with significantly lower risks of both the composite of ischemic stroke or TIA (HR: 0.40; 95% CI: 0.21–0.77; P=0.006) and ischemic stroke (HR: 0.47; 95% CI: 0.23–0.95; P=0.035). Conclusion Elderly patients with cryptogenic stroke and PFO have a high recurrence rate of ischemic stroke or TIA, which may be significantly reduced by device closure.

Purpose: Real-world experience with tocilizumab in combination with dexamethasone in patients with severe coronavirus disease (COVID-19) needs to be investigated. Materials and Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted to evaluate the effect of severity-adjusted dosing of dexamethasone in combination with tocilizumab for severe COVID-19 from August 2020 to August 2021. The primary endpoint was 30-day clinical recovery, which was defined as no oxygen requirement or referral after recovery. Results: A total of 66 patients were evaluated, including 33 patients in the dexamethasone (Dexa) group and 33 patients in the dexamethasone plus tocilizumab (DexaToci) group. The DexaToci group showed a statistically significant benefit in 30-day clinical recovery, compared to the Dexa group (p=0.024). In multivariable analyses, peak FiO2 within 3 days and tocilizumab combination were consistently significant for 30-day recovery (all p<0.05). The DexaToci group showed a significantly steeper decrease in FiO2 (-4.2±2.6) than the Dexa group (−2.7±2.6; p=0.021) by hospital day 15. The duration of oxygen requirement was significantly shorter in the DexaToci group than the Dexa group (median, 10.0 days vs. 17.0 days; p=0.006). Infectious complications and cellular and humoral immune responses against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in the convalescence stage were not different between the two groups. Conclusion A combination of severity-adjusted dexamethasone and tocilizumab for the treatment of severe COVID-19 improved clinical recovery without increasing infectious complications or hindering the immune response against SARS-CoV-2.

PURPOSE: It is controversial whether indoor pet exposure is either a risk or protective factor developing sensitization to pet allergens or asthma. Therefore, we investigated whether indoor pet ownership entails a risk for the development of asthma and sensitization in childhood. METHODS: The Panel Study of Korean Children (PSKC) is a general-population-based birth cohort study that recruited 2,078 mother-baby dyads in Korea between April and July of 2008. Among 1,577 children who were followed up in 2015, 559 underwent skin prick tests, spirometry and bronchial provocation tests using Provocholine. Having a cat or a dog and the prevalence of asthma were evaluated by using self-reported questionnaires and physicians’ medical records. RESULTS: During infancy, the rate of dog ownership was 4.5% (71 of 1,574) and that of cat ownership was 0.5% (8 of 1,574). Of the subjects, 7.9% (n=109) currently had at least 1 dog and 2.5% (n=34) had at least 1 cat. Pet ownership during infancy was associated with sensitization to cats or dogs (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 4.24; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.29–13.98), wheezing within 12 months (aOR, 5.56; 95% CI, 1.65–18.75) and current asthma (wheezing episode in the last 12 months+diagnosed asthma by physicians) (aOR, 6.36; 95% CI, 1.54–26.28). In contrast, pet ownership during the last 12 months was not associated with sensitization to cats or dogs or current asthma. CONCLUSION: Indoor pet exposure during infancy can be critical for developing sensitization to cats or dogs and asthma in childhood. Avoidance of pet exposure in early life may reduce sensitization to cats or dogs and development of asthma.
Allergens ; Animals ; Asthma ; Bronchial Provocation Tests ; Cats ; Child ; Cohort Studies ; Dogs ; Humans ; Infant ; Korea ; Medical Records ; Methacholine Chloride ; Odds Ratio ; Ownership ; Parturition ; Pets ; Prevalence ; Protective Factors ; Respiratory Sounds ; Risk Factors ; Skin ; Spirometry

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Determination of the lesion side based on the direction of the nystagmus could result in confusions to the clinicians due to mismatch between the vestibular function tests and also between vestibular and audiologic features. To minimize these mistakes, we elucidated the clinical manifestation and vestibular function test results in cases with recovery spontaneous nystagmus (rSN). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Patients who visited ENT clinic of tertiary referral hospital for acute onset continuous vertigo from January 2008 to December 2011 were enrolled. In these patients, we assessed onset time of vertigo, time point of paralytic spontaneous nystagmus (SN) and time point of rSN. At each time point of SN, vestibular function tests and hearing function tests were performed. RESULTS: We confirmed the rSN among patients with unilateral vestibulopathy and demonstrated that high gain of the rotatory chair test (slow harmonic acceleration) and/or mismatch of the SN direction and contralateral caloric weakness could indicate the recovery state of patients and nystagmus observed in this stage is recovery phase nystagmus. CONCLUSIONS: In acute vestibulopathy patients, recovery phase nystagmus was observed and on this stage of disease vestibular function tests shows several features that could predict recovery state.
Hearing ; Humans ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Vertigo ; Vestibular Function Tests

OBJECTIVE: Coexisting chronic hepatitis C can be problematic when treating rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This study examined the changes in the transaminase and viral load in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected RA patients after initiating biologic agents. METHODS: A multicenter retrospective study was conducted at 12 University Hospitals in Korea between November 2014 and November 2015, and 78 RA patients, who met the 2010 American College of Rheumatology and European League Against Rheumatism classification criteria for RA and were concomitantly infected with HCV, were identified. The baseline and longitudinal clinical data, changes in liver function, and viral RNA titers were evaluated. RESULTS: Seventeen (21.8%) patients were treated with biologic agents, including etanercept (n=8), adalimumab (n=8), infliximab (n=2), tocilizumab (n=2), abatacept (n=1), and golimumab (n=1) (median 1.5 patient-years). Four patients experienced marked increases in transaminase during treatment with adalimumab (n=2) and tocilizumab (n=2). Two patients (one using adalimumab, the other using tocilizumab) were treated with anti-viral agents and showed dramatic improvement in both the viral RNA and transaminase. One patient discontinued adalimumab due to the repeated elevated transaminase levels along with a twofold increase in the viral RNA titer, and the transaminase level subsequently normalized. No case of overt viral reactivation was identified. CONCLUSION: The data support that changes in transaminase and/or viral load associated with biologic agents in HCV-infected RA patients are possible. Therefore, the liver function and viral RNA titer should be followed regularly during biologic therapy.
Abatacept ; Adalimumab ; Antirheumatic Agents ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid* ; Biological Factors ; Biological Therapy* ; Classification ; Etanercept ; Hepacivirus ; Hepatitis C ; Hepatitis C, Chronic* ; Hepatitis, Chronic* ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Infliximab ; Korea ; Liver ; Retrospective Studies ; Rheumatic Diseases ; Rheumatology ; RNA, Viral ; Viral Load

PURPOSE: Although anaphylaxis is recognized as an important, life-threatening condition, data are limited regarding its triggers in different age groups. We aimed to identify anaphylaxis triggers by age in Korean children. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of medical records for children diagnosed with anaphylaxis between 2009 and 2013 in 23 secondary or tertiary hospitals in South Korea. RESULTS: A total of 991 cases (mean age=5.89±5.24) were reported, with 63.9% involving patients younger than 6 years of age and 66% involving male children. Food was the most common anaphylaxis trigger (74.7%), followed by drugs and radiocontrast media (10.7%), idiopathic factors (9.2%), and exercise (3.6%). The most common food allergen was milk (28.4%), followed by egg white (13.6%), walnut (8.0%), wheat (7.2%), buckwheat (6.5%), and peanut (6.2%). Milk and seafood were the most common anaphylaxis triggers in young and older children, respectively. Drug-triggered anaphylaxis was observed more frequently with increasing age, with antibiotics (34.9%) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (17.9%) being the most common causes. CONCLUSIONS: The most common anaphylaxis trigger in Korean children was food. Data on these triggers show that their relative frequency may vary by age.
Anaphylaxis* ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Arachis ; Child* ; Contrast Media ; Egg White ; Epidemiology ; Fagopyrum ; Humans ; Juglans ; Korea ; Male ; Medical Records ; Milk ; Retrospective Studies* ; Seafood ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Triticum

BACKGROUND/AIMS: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of computed tomography (CT)-guided bone biopsy for the diagnosis of spinal infection and compared the clinical outcomes between tuberculous and pyogenic spinal infections. METHODS: The retrospective cohort study included patients who received CT-guided bone biopsy at a tertiary hospital over the 13 years. RESULTS: Among 100 patients, 67 had pyogenic spondylitis and 33 had tuberculous spondylitis. Pathogens were isolated from bone specimens obtained by CT-guided biopsy in 42 cases, with diagnostic yields of 61% (20/33) for tuberculous spondylitis and 33% (22/67) for pyogenic spondylitis. For 36 culture-proven pyogenic cases, Staphylococcus aureus was the most commonly isolated organism. Patients with pyogenic spondylitis more frequently presented with fever accompanied by an increase in inflammatory markers than did those with tuberculosis. Among all patients who underwent surgery, the incidence of late surgery performed one month after diagnosis was higher in patients with tuberculous infection (56.3%) than in those with pyogenic disease (23.3%, p = 0.026). CONCLUSIONS: Results obtained by CT-guided bone biopsy contributed to prompt diagnoses of spinal infections, especially those caused by tuberculosis. Despite administration of anti-tuberculous agents, patients with tuberculous spondylitis showed an increased tendency to undergo late surgery.
Biopsy* ; Cohort Studies ; Diagnosis ; Fever ; Humans ; Incidence ; Retrospective Studies ; Spondylitis* ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Tuberculosis

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine and compare the gastrointestinal (GI) risk factors and treatment patterns of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA) patients in Korea. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional, observational study on RA and OA patients taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for at least 1 month. A total of 1,896 patients (981 RA patients, 915 OA patients) were recruited from 20 university hospitals. Data were collected through medical records and patient surveys. GI risk factors included age, prolonged (over 3 months) or high-dose use of NSAIDs, alcohol drinking, smoking, use of aspirin, anticoagulants or glucocorticoids, comorbidities, and history of Helicobacter pylori infection or other GI complications. Treatment patterns were classified according to groups using, selective cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 inhibitors+/-gastro-protective agents, non-selective COX-2 inhibitors+proton pump inhibitor, or non-selective COX-2 inhibitors+/-other gastro-protective agents. RESULTS: GI risk factors were highly present in both RA and OA patients. The proportion of prolonged use of NSAIDs, smoking, and glucocorticoid use were higher in RA patients (p<0.001). The proportion of comorbidities and use of aspirin were higher in OA patients (p<0.001). The remaining GI risk factors were present in similar proportions in both groups. Use of selective COX-2 inhibitors or gastro-protective agents was higher in RA patients. CONCLUSION: Prolonged use of NSAIDs and concomitant glucocorticoid use were higher in RA patients, while comorbidities and concomitant aspirin use were predominant in OA patients. These results will provide insights for use in development of future guidelines for proper selection of NSAIDs and effective prevention of GI complications in arthritis patients.
Alcohol Drinking ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal ; Anticoagulants ; Arthritis ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid* ; Aspirin ; Comorbidity ; Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors ; Glucocorticoids ; Helicobacter pylori ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Korea* ; Medical Records ; Observational Study ; Osteoarthritis* ; Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases ; Risk Factors* ; Smoke ; Smoking

The incidence rate of cervical cancer in Korea is still higher than in other developed countries, notwithstanding the national mass-screening program. Furthermore, a new method has been introduced in cervical cancer screening. Therefore, the committee for cervical cancer screening in Korea updated the recommendation statement established in 2002. The new version of the guideline was developed by the committee using evidence-based methods. The committee reviewed the evidence for the benefits and harms of the Papanicolaou test, liquid-based cytology, and human papillomavirus (HPV) testing, and reached conclusions after deliberation. The committee recommends screening for cervical cancer with cytology (Papanicolaou test or liquid-based cytology) every three years in women older than 20 years of age (recommendation A). The cervical cytology combined with HPV test is optionally recommended after taking into consideration individual risk or preference (recommendation C). The current evidence for primary HPV screening is insufficient to assess the benefits and harms of cervical cancer screening (recommendation I). Cervical cancer screening can be terminated at the age of 74 years if more than three consecutive negative cytology reports have been confirmed within 10 years (recommendation D).
Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Early Detection of Cancer/adverse effects/*methods/standards ; Evidence-Based Medicine ; False Positive Reactions ; Female ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Middle Aged ; Papillomavirus Infections/diagnosis ; Papillomavirus Vaccines ; Patient Selection ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications, Neoplastic/diagnosis ; Republic of Korea ; Review Literature as Topic ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms/*diagnosis ; Vaginal Smears/adverse effects/methods/standards ; Young Adult

The incidence rate of cervical cancer in Korea is still higher than in other developed countries, notwithstanding the national mass screening program. Furthermore, a new method has been introduced in cervical cancer screening. Therefore, the committee for cervical cancer screening in Korea updated the recommendation statement established in 2002. The new version of the guideline was developed by the committee using evidence-based methods. The committee reviewed the evidence for the benefits and harms of the Papanicolaou test, liquid-based cytology, and human papilloma virus (HPV) testing, and reached conclusions after deliberation. The committee recommends screening for cervical cancer with cytology (papanicolaou test or liquid-based cytology) every three years in women older than 20 years of age (recommendation A). The combination test (cytology with HPV test) is optionally recommended after taking into consideration individual risk or preference (recommendation C). The current evidence for primary HPV screening is insufficient to assess the benefits and harms of cervical cancer screening (recommendation I). Cervical cancer screening can be terminated at the age of 74 years if more than three consecutive negative cytology reports have been confirmed within ten years (recommendation D).
Developed Countries ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Mass Screening* ; Papanicolaou Test ; Papilloma ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms*