Comparing Round Window Membrane Permeability Enhancers: An Animal Study.

Intratympanic (IT) delivery of dexamethasone (DEX) is widely used for treating inner ear disorders; however, its therapeutic efficacy is limited by poor permeability of the round window membrane (RWM). This study aimed to evaluate and compare the efficacy and safety of three pharmacological agents-histamine (HIS), 3% hypertonic saline (3% HS), and sodium caprate (SC)-as adjuvants for enhancing RWM permeability and improving IT-DEX delivery in a murine model. Following IT administration of each permeability enhancer followed by DEX injection, perilymph DEX concentrations were measured using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography, and DEX receptor expression in the organ of Corti was assessed by immunofluorescence.

Artificial intelligence in HFpEF: Diagnosis, prognosis, and management strategies.

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) accounts for more than half of all HF cases and its incidence and prevalence continue to increase, with a substantial burden of morbidity and mortality. Despite advances in our understanding of heterogeneous pathophysiology underlying HFpEF, the diagnosis, risk assessment, and management of this disease entity remain challenging in everyday practice. Artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm can handle large amounts of complex data and machine learning (ML), a subfield of AI, allows for the identification of relevant patterns by learning from big data.

Complementary Interventions Using Technology for Individuals With Infertility Using Assisted Reproductive Technology: A Scoping Review.

The global rise in infertility highlights the need for personalized informational and psychological support. Digital health technology offers a promising avenue; however, knowledge gaps remain regarding optimal delivery methods, outcomes, and limitations. This scoping review synthesizes recent evidence on complementary interventions using technology for individuals with infertility undergoing reproductive technology-assisted interventions and evaluates their effectiveness and limitations.

Suffering in silence - Clinical nurses' miscarriage experience in South Korea: A qualitative study.

Globally, despite the existence of policies intended to protect pregnant clinical nurses, many continue to face various risks during pregnancy, and inadequate support systems contribute to an increased risk of miscarriage. Particularly in South Korea, the miscarriage experiences of clinical nurses have yet to be thoroughly explored. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the experiences of clinical nurses following miscarriage within the context of their professional roles.

An Abscess Formation Within Craniofacial Fibrous Dysplasia of the Maxilla.

Fibrous dysplasia, a rare skeletal disorder marked by replacement of normal bone with fibrous tissue and disorganized woven bone, most commonly affects the craniofacial region. Although craniofacial fibrous dysplasia (CFD) typically progresses slowly and remains asymptomatic, it can occasionally give rise to complications. The authors report a unique case of an intralesional abscess within maxillary CFD in an 88-year-old man presenting with acute facial pain and swelling.

Clinical Utility of Salivary Steroid Profiling for the Differential Diagnosis of Adrenal Diseases.

Context: Although salivary steroid sampling offers several advantages, the diagnostic potential of salivary steroid metabolites remains largely unexplored.Objective To evaluate the diagnostic utility of salivary steroid profiling in patients with adrenal diseases.

Design: Prospective multicenter study.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors in gynecologic oncology: Current status and perspectives.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have transformed cancer treatment by leveraging the immune system's capacity to fight gynecologic cancer. This review summarizes the current status and future perspectives of ICIs in the treatment of cervical, endometrial, and ovarian cancers and rare tumors. ICIs have demonstrated significant efficacy in tumors with high tumor mutational burden and immune markers such as PD-L1 expression and microsatellite instability.

Educational disparities in labor market participation among middle-aged Koreans with chronic diseases: evidence from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Elderly Employment.

Background: As South Korea experiences rapid population aging, preventing early retirement has become a critical concern. Ill health contributes to early retirement, and educational level moderates this relationship. Although well-studied in Europe, it remains less explored in Northeast Asia, where labor markets and educational attainment differ significantly.

The Clinical Impact of Intravascular Imaging-Guided Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Acute Myocardial Infarction Patients with High Thrombus Burden.

Despite the established clinical efficacy following intravascular imaging (IVI)-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) than angiography-guided PCI, evidence regarding prognostic benefits of IVI-guided PCI in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients with high thrombus burden remains limited. Using the nationwide registries of KAMIR-NIH and KAMIR-V, we evaluated the prognostic impact of IVI-guided PCI in AMI patients with high thrombus burden. A total of 4,074 patients with AMI and TIMI thrombus grades 4 or 5 who underwent aspiration thrombectomy were selected, of whom 892 patients (21.

Recommendation for use of a long-acting monoclonal antibody to prevent respiratory syncytial virus infection in infants and young children.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of acute lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) in infants and young children. In April 2024, the Korea Ministry of Food and Drug Safety approved nirsevimab (Beyfortus), a long-acting monoclonal antibody, as a passive immunization to prevent RSV-associated LRTI among infants and young children. Nirsevimab was launched in Korea in February 2025.

Impact of obesity on palpation-guided distal radial access for coronary procedures: subgroup analysis of the multicenter, prospective KODRA registry.

Background: There is limited data on the impact of body mass index (BMI) on distal radial access (DRA). Using a large-scale prospective registry, the influence of obesity on DRA outcomes was evaluated, including cannulation and complications.

Methods: Using data from the prospective, multicenter KODRA (Korean Prospective Registry for Evaluation the Safety and Efficacy of Distal Radial Approach) registry data, 4,638 patients who planned palpation-guided distal radial artery puncture were enrolled into two groups, both with body mass index (BMI) information available: obese (n = 2,205; BMI ≥ 25 kg/m²) and non-obese (n = 2,433).

Evolving Strategies for the Optimal Management of Common Bile Duct Stones.

Management of common bile duct (CBD) stones has evolved substantially with the advent of endoscopic techniques and dedicated high-end devices. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) has become a widespread essential technique for managing CBD stones, with high success rates in standard cases. However, for patients with large stones, stones in an impacted state, and stones in anatomically challenging regions, advanced strategies using various dedicated devices may be needed.

Impact of bronchitis variability on outcomes of COPD.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of serial bronchitic status over two consecutive years on clinical outcomes, including frequency of exacerbation and lung function decline rate.

Methods: We analysed data from 1265 participants enrolled in the Korea COPD Subgroup Study, a nationwide prospective observational chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) cohort. Bronchitic status was determined using subquestionnaires of the COPD Assessment Test at baseline and after 1 year, classifying patients into three serial bronchitic groups of persistently not bronchitic (NB), intermittently bronchitic (IB) and chronic bronchitis (CB).

Response to biologics along a gradient of T2 involvement in patients with severe asthma: a data-driven biomarker clustering approach.

Background: Asthma with low levels of T2-biomarkers is poorly understood.

Objective: To characterize severe asthma phenotypes and compare pre- to post-biologic change in asthma outcomes along a gradient of T2-involvement.

Methods: This was a registry-based, cohort study including data from 24 countries.

Immediate versus staged complete revascularisation during index admission in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and multivessel disease (OPTION-STEMI): a multicentre, non-inferiority, open-label, randomised trial.

Background: The optimal timing of complete revascularisation for patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and multivessel coronary artery disease remains unclear. We aimed to assess whether immediate complete revascularisation was non-inferior to staged complete revascularisation during the index admission.

Methods: We conducted an open-label, randomised, non-inferiority trial at 14 hospitals in South Korea.

Hemodynamic predictors of rupture in abdominal aortic aneurysms: a case series using computational fluid dynamics.

Background: Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) rupture is a life-threatening event traditionally predicted by aneurysm diameter. However, many clinical observations have revealed that rupture can occur even in small aneurysms, suggesting the influence of additional biomechanical factors such as hemodynamics. The aim of this case series was to perform computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analyses based on CT scans of patients with confirmed abdominal aortic aneurysm rupture and to evaluate correlations between rupture sites and hemodynamic factors derived from simulations.

Spatial gene expression profiling identifies prognostic features of residual tumors after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in triple-negative breast cancer.

Background: The standard treatment for early-stage triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) followed by surgery, but patients with residual disease have worse outcomes. We investigated genetic alterations related to recurrence using spatial transcriptomic analyses of residual tumors from patients who had and had not relapsed after NAC for early-stage TNBC.

Methods: Thirteen patients who underwent curative resection after NAC for early-stage TNBC, six of whom experienced recurrence, were included.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Serological Tests for Infections in Children with Pneumonia, Based on Symptom Onset.

Background: is a major cause of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in children, with a rising incidence of macrolide resistance. Early diagnosis is crucial for reducing the disease burden; however, current diagnostic tools have limitations. We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of serological assays and their performance based on symptom onset in children with CAP.

Impact of the 2024 medical-policy conflict on hepatocellular carcinoma management in Korea.

In 2024, a nationwide conflict between the South Korean government and the medical community, the medical-policy conflict, profoundly impacted healthcare delivery. This study aimed to evaluate the changes in the management of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) following this crisis. We analyzed retrospective real-world data from university hospitals in the Seoul metropolitan area, supplemented with national healthcare data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service.

A rare case report of epithelioid hemangioendothelioma of the left buttock: Challenges in diagnosis and management.

Rationale: Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (EHE) is a rare vascular malignancy which poses significant diagnostic and therapeutic challenges due to its variable course and lack of standardized treatment protocols. In this case, the lesion's benign appearance and ambiguous histology delayed definitive diagnosis.

Patient Concerns: A 46-year-old woman presented with a recurrent soft tissue mass in the left buttock.

Team Korea injury and illness surveillance at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Background: The purpose of this study was to describe the injury and illness epidemiology in Team Korea athletes during 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games. Incidence rates in pre-Olympic training camp and the Olympic Village were calculated and compared.

Methods: Medical records of Team Korea athletes who competed for 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games were analyzed.

Overall survival following radical surgery and postoperative chemotherapy in colorectal cancer patients aged ≥ 70 years: a population-based retrospective cohort study.

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) predominantly affects the elderly, with a growing demand for evidence-based treatment strategies in this population. The influence of comorbidities and frailty on survival outcomes following postoperative chemotherapy in elderly CRC patients remains unclear.

Method: From the Korean National Health Insurance database, we analyzed 200,000 randomly sampled colorectal cancer patients (C18-20) diagnosed between 2009 and 2016.

Influence of bladder outlet obstruction on age-related changes in male bladder contractility.

Purpose: Changes in bladder contractility due to aging are among the important causes of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in elderly males. The purpose of this study was to observe changes in bladder contractility due to aging in male patients taking medications commonly used to treat LUTS in clinical practice.

Materials And Methods: Male patients aged over 40 years who underwent urodynamic studies for LUTS from January 2012 to December 2024 were included.