Parosteal lipoma is a rare tumor that occurs very close to the bone, and accounts for approximately 0.3% of all lipomas. Chondrolipoma, a lipoma with cartilaginous metaplasia, is also a rare tumor consisting of mature adipose and cartilage tissues. Therefore, a tumor with characteristics of both parosteal lipoma and chondrolipoma simultaneously is extremely rare. Herein, we report the imaging findings of a parosteal chondrolipoma arising in the right periscapular area, confirmed based on surgical resection and histopathologic examination.

Parosteal lipoma is a rare tumor that occurs very close to the bone, and accounts for approximately 0.3% of all lipomas. Chondrolipoma, a lipoma with cartilaginous metaplasia, is also a rare tumor consisting of mature adipose and cartilage tissues. Therefore, a tumor with characteristics of both parosteal lipoma and chondrolipoma simultaneously is extremely rare. Herein, we report the imaging findings of a parosteal chondrolipoma arising in the right periscapular area, confirmed based on surgical resection and histopathologic examination.

Parosteal lipoma is a rare tumor that occurs very close to the bone, and accounts for approximately 0.3% of all lipomas. Chondrolipoma, a lipoma with cartilaginous metaplasia, is also a rare tumor consisting of mature adipose and cartilage tissues. Therefore, a tumor with characteristics of both parosteal lipoma and chondrolipoma simultaneously is extremely rare. Herein, we report the imaging findings of a parosteal chondrolipoma arising in the right periscapular area, confirmed based on surgical resection and histopathologic examination.

Background/Aims: There is increasing evidence that supplementation with pre- and probiotics appears to have positive effects on irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The aim of this study was to determine the effects of a new synbiotic formulation on gastrointestinal symptoms in elderly patients with IBS. Methods: Sixty-seven IBS patients aged ≥60 years were randomly assigned to either a placebogroup (n=34) or a synbiotic group (n=33). During a 4-week intervention, subjects used a placebo or a synbiotic containing Lactobacillus paracasei DKGF1 and extracts of Opuntia humifusa once a day. Patients were evaluated with the subject global assessment, visual analog scale, and Bristol stool chart. The primary outcome was the overall responder rate and the secondary outcome was the responder rates for abdominal symptom reduction at week 4. Results: Overall, responder rates were significantly higher in the synbiotic group (51.5%) than in the placebo group (23.5%) (p=0.017). Abdominal pain (58.8% vs 81.8%) and psychological wellbeing (26.4% vs 60.6%) were noticeably improved in the synbiotic group (p=0.038 and p=0.004, respectively). However, there were no significant differences in gas and bloating symptoms (p=0.88 and p=0.88, respectively). In patients with constipation-dominant and diarrhea-dominant IBS (n=16), the synbiotic significantly improved abdominal pain and defecation symptoms (responder rates for the placebo vs the synbiotic: 22.2% vs 85.7%, p=0.04). There were no adverse events in either group. Conclusions The results indicate that this new synbiotic supplement can potentially relieve abdominal symptoms in elderly IBS patients.

Background/Aims: The prospective Crohn’s Disease Clinical Network and Cohort Study is a nationwide multicenter cohort study of patients with Crohn’s disease (CD) in Korea, aiming to prospectively investigate the clinical features and long-term prognosis associated with CD. Methods: Patients diagnosed with CD between January 2009 and September 2019 were prospectively enrolled. They were divided into two cohorts according to the year of diagnosis: cohort 1 (diagnosed between 2009 and 2011) versus cohort 2 (between 2012 and 2019). Results: A total of 1,175 patients were included, and the median follow-up duration was 68 months (interquartile range, 39.0 to 91.0 months). The treatment-free durations for thiopurines (p<0.001) and anti-tumor necrosis factor agents (p=0.018) of cohort 2 were shorter than those of cohort 1. Among 887 patients with B1 behavior at diagnosis, 149 patients (16.8%) progressed to either B2 or B3 behavior during follow-up. Early use of thiopurine was associated with a reduced risk of behavioral progression (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 0.69; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.50 to 0.90), and family history of inflammatory bowel disease was associated with an increased risk of behavioral progression (aHR, 2.29; 95% CI, 1.16 to 4.50). One hundred forty-one patients (12.0%) underwent intestinal resection, and the intestinal resection-free survival time was significantly longer in cohort 2 than in cohort 1 (p=0.003). The early use of thiopurines (aHR, 0.35;95% CI, 0.23 to 0.51) was independently associated with a reduced risk of intestinal resection. Conclusions The prognosis of CD in Korea appears to have improved over time, as evidenced by the decreasing intestinal resection rate. Early use of thiopurines was associated with an improved prognosis represented by a reduced risk of intestinal resection.

Background and Objectives: Cavotricuspid isthmus (CTI) block is easily achieved, and prophylactic ablation can be performed during atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation. However, the previous study was too small and short-term to clarify the efficacy of this block. Methods: Patients who underwent catheter ablation for paroxysmal AF were enrolled, and patients who had previous or induced atrial flutter (AFL) were excluded. We randomly assigned 366 patients to pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) only and prophylactic CTI ablation (PVI vs. PVI+CTI). Results: There was no significant difference in procedure time between the two groups because most CTI blocks were performed during the waiting time after the PVI (176.8±72.6 minutes in PVI vs. 174.2±76.5 minutes in PVI+CTI, p=0.75). All patients were followed up for at least 18 months, and the median follow-up was 3.4 years. The recurrence rate of AF or AFL was not different in the 2 groups (25.7% in PVI vs. 25.7% in PVI+CTI, p=0.92). The recurrence rate of any AFL was not significantly different in the 2 groups (3.3% in PVI vs. 1.6% in PVI+CTI, p=0.31). The recurrence rate of typical AFL also was not different (0.5% in PVI vs. 0.5% in PVI+CTI, p=0.99). Conclusions In this large and long-term follow-up study, prophylactic CTI ablation had no benefit in patients with paroxysmal AF without typical AFL.

Background/Aims: Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM) is a rare lymphoproliferative disorder that usually follows an indolent clinical course. However, some patients show an aggressive clinical course leading to death. We explored the risk factors predicting poor prognosis in WM patients. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 47 patients diagnosed with WM between 2000 and 2018 to explore risk factors predicting poor prognosis using various clinical and laboratory parameters and risk models including the International Prognostic Staging System for WM (IPSS-WM). Results: Over a median follow-up duration of 80.4 months, 29 patients died. The main causes of death were disease progression, organ failure related to amyloidosis, and infection. The median overall survival (OS) was 55.1 months, and 14 patients, including three with amyloidosis, died within 2 years. Serum β2-microglobulin level higher than 4 mg/dL was significantly associated with poor OS. Accordingly, the IPSS-WM showed a significant association with poor prognosis compared with other risk models, and the low-risk group had better OS than intermediate- and high-risk groups. In the retrospective analysis using the results of targeted sequencing in two cases representing good and bad prognosis, different patterns of mutation profiles were observed, including mutations of MYD88, TP53, ARID1A, and JAK2 in a refractory case. Conclusions Serum β2-microglobulin could be a single biomarker strongly predictive of poor survival of WM patients, and the low-risk group of the IPSS-WM risk model including serum β2-microglobulin has better prognostic value than other risk models. Mutation analysis also might provide additional information to predict high-risk patients.

Background/Aims: Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM) is a rare lymphoproliferative disorder that usually follows an indolent clinical course. However, some patients show an aggressive clinical course leading to death. We explored the risk factors predicting poor prognosis in WM patients. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 47 patients diagnosed with WM between 2000 and 2018 to explore risk factors predicting poor prognosis using various clinical and laboratory parameters and risk models including the International Prognostic Staging System for WM (IPSS-WM). Results: Over a median follow-up duration of 80.4 months, 29 patients died. The main causes of death were disease progression, organ failure related to amyloidosis, and infection. The median overall survival (OS) was 55.1 months, and 14 patients, including three with amyloidosis, died within 2 years. Serum β2-microglobulin level higher than 4 mg/dL was significantly associated with poor OS. Accordingly, the IPSS-WM showed a significant association with poor prognosis compared with other risk models, and the low-risk group had better OS than intermediate- and high-risk groups. In the retrospective analysis using the results of targeted sequencing in two cases representing good and bad prognosis, different patterns of mutation profiles were observed, including mutations of MYD88, TP53, ARID1A, and JAK2 in a refractory case. Conclusions Serum β2-microglobulin could be a single biomarker strongly predictive of poor survival of WM patients, and the low-risk group of the IPSS-WM risk model including serum β2-microglobulin has better prognostic value than other risk models. Mutation analysis also might provide additional information to predict high-risk patients.

Background and Objectives: Cavotricuspid isthmus (CTI) block is easily achieved, and prophylactic ablation can be performed during atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation. However, the previous study was too small and short-term to clarify the efficacy of this block. Methods: Patients who underwent catheter ablation for paroxysmal AF were enrolled, and patients who had previous or induced atrial flutter (AFL) were excluded. We randomly assigned 366 patients to pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) only and prophylactic CTI ablation (PVI vs. PVI+CTI). Results: There was no significant difference in procedure time between the two groups because most CTI blocks were performed during the waiting time after the PVI (176.8±72.6 minutes in PVI vs. 174.2±76.5 minutes in PVI+CTI, p=0.75). All patients were followed up for at least 18 months, and the median follow-up was 3.4 years. The recurrence rate of AF or AFL was not different in the 2 groups (25.7% in PVI vs. 25.7% in PVI+CTI, p=0.92). The recurrence rate of any AFL was not significantly different in the 2 groups (3.3% in PVI vs. 1.6% in PVI+CTI, p=0.31). The recurrence rate of typical AFL also was not different (0.5% in PVI vs. 0.5% in PVI+CTI, p=0.99). Conclusions In this large and long-term follow-up study, prophylactic CTI ablation had no benefit in patients with paroxysmal AF without typical AFL.