Jun Pyo Myong

Recovery of sensation in the anterior chest area after bilateral axillo-breast approach endoscopic/robotic thyroidectomy.

Background: There is concern that endoscopic/robotic thyroidectomy could impair anterior chest skin sensation. Here, this possibility was assessed. Patients and Methods: Fifty-one patients who underwent bilateral axillo-breast approach endoscopic/robotic thyroidectomy were asked 8 to 115 days (median: 29 d) later to undergo Semmes-Weinstein pressure threshold testing and to complete a questionnaire. Patient clinicopathological details were extracted. Results: Twenty-one patients (41.2%) showed sensory impairment (sum of sensory changes ≥1). The average sum of sensory change (scale of 0 to 95) was 1.4 (range, 0 to 8). Impaired patients did not differ from unimpaired patients in any clinicopathological parameter except for time from operation. Compared with 1 month postsurgery, there was significantly less sensory impairment 3 months postsurgery (P=0.0083). The questionnaires yielded similar observations. Conclusions: The temporary and mild nature of the sensory change in the anterior chest area will relieve surgeons and patients from concerns that bilateral axillo-breast approach endoscopic/robotic thyroidectomy could permanently impair chest sensation.

Combined effect of Hashimoto's thyroiditis and BRAFV600E mutation status on aggressiveness in papillary thyroid cancer

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between Hashimotos thyroiditis and BRAFV600E mutation status in patients with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) and to determine their combined association with tumor aggressiveness in PTC.

Factors Affecting Preparation Stage to Quit Smoking in Men

PURPOSE This study was done to investigate factors affecting preparation stage to quit smoking in men. METHODS Based on data from the Community Health Survey conducted in Chungbuk Province in 2008, we estimated rates and odds ratio (OR) of smoking cessation intention for 2,639 men who were current smokers. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify factors affecting preparation stage to quit smoking. RESULTS Among current male smokers, the rate of smoking cessation intention was 17.1%. The OR of factors affecting smoking cessation was as follows: Compared to men with middle school education, the OR for rate of smoking cessation intention in men with high school education was 1.47 (p=.018), and for college or higher, 1.55 (p=.017). Compared to being single, the OR for cohabitation after marriage was 1.61 (p=.011) and living alone after marriage, 2.23 (p=.005). The OR for attempt to quit smoking, exposure to secondhand smoke and participation in smoking education were 6.80 (p<.001), 1.32 (p=.020) and 1.69 (p=.005), respectively. CONCLUSION Results of this study show that it is necessary to decrease exposure to secondhand smoke and to increase participation in smoking cessation education targeting current smokers to move them from precontemplation or contemplation stage to preparation stage.

Factors Affecting Diabetic Screening Behavior of Korean Adults: A Multilevel Analysis

PURPOSE We investigated the role of individual and community level factors on diabetes screening test behavior. METHODS We used individual-level data from 170,193 adults aged 30 years or older who were not diagnosed with diabetes and participated in the 2009 community health survey. Community-level data includes 253 communities and were collected from various national statistics. Multilevel logistic regression analysis was conducted. RESULTS The rate of diabetes screening within the year prior to this study was 53.2%. Community variance of Model I, Model II and Model III was 0.236, 0.252 and 0.238, respectively. The proportional change in variance of Model II and Model III was -6.8% and -1.2%. The odds ratio for participation of diabetic screening of areas with bottom financial independence compared to areas with top was 0.84 (95% confidence interval, 0.74-0.96); the odds ratio of areas with top internist compared to areas with bottom was 1.15 (95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.31). CONCLUSION This study identified a contextual effect influencing the participation of Korean adults in diabetes screening. It is necessary to develop specific policies that consider not only individual factors, but also community factors relating to individual behaviors to increase the likelihood of diabetes screening.

Brief Report: Atypical Femoral Fracture in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Treated With Bisphosphonates: A Nested Case–Control Study

To examine the clinical characteristics of atypical femoral fracture (AFF) and to determine the risk factors for and clinical outcomes of AFFs in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients treated with bisphosphonates (BPs).

Atypical Femoral Fracture in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Treated With Bisphosphonates: A Nested Case-Control Study.

To examine the clinical characteristics of atypical femoral fracture (AFF) and to determine the risk factors for and clinical outcomes of AFFs in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients treated with bisphosphonates (BPs).

Brief Report: Atypical Femoral Fracture in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Treated With Bisphosphonates: A Nested Case-Control Study: ATYPICAL FEMORAL FRACTURE IN RA

To examine the clinical characteristics of atypical femoral fracture (AFF) and to determine the risk factors for and clinical outcomes of AFFs in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients treated with bisphosphonates (BPs).