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Summary Background CT radiation is arguably carcinogenic. Results from single-centre studies, mostly retrospective, have advocated lowering the CT radiation dose for the diagnosis of appendicitis. However, adoption of low-dose CT has been slow. We aimed to assess the effectiveness of low-dose CT compared with standard-dose CT in the diagnosis of appendicitis in adolescents and young adults. Methods We did this pragmatic, multicentre, randomi s ed controlled non-inferiority trial at 20 South Korean teaching hospitals with little experience with low-dose CT. Patients aged 15–44 years with suspected appendicitis were randomly assigned (1:1), via computer-generated random assignments (permuted block sizes of two, four, six, and eight) concealed in sequentially numbered envelopes, to receive low-dose CT (2 mSv) or standard-dose CT (≤8 mSv). Randomisation was stratified by site. Group allocation was concealed from patients, outcome assessors, and adverse event adjudicators; care providers, site pathologists, and data collectors were aware of allocation. The primary endpoint was the negative (unnecessary) appendectomy rate among all appendectomies, with a non-interiority margin of 4·5% for low-dose versus standard-dose CT. Primary analy s is was by modified intention to treat, which included all patients who received an appendectomy in the group to which they were assigned. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01925014. Findings Between Dec 4, 2013, and Aug 18, 2016, we assigned 1535 patients to the low-dose CT group and 1539 patients to the standard-dose CT group. 22 (3·9%) of 559 patients had a negative appendectomy in the low-dose group versus 16 (2·7%) of 601 patients in the standard-dose group (difference 1·3%, 95% CI −0·8 to 3·3; p=0·0022 for the non-inferiority test). We recorded 43 adverse events in 43 (2·8%) of 1535 patients in the low-dose group and 41 adverse events in 40 (2·6%) of 1539 patients in the standard-dose group. One life-threatening adverse event of anaphylaxis caused by an iodinated contrast material occurred in the low-dose group. Interpretation Radiation dose of appendiceal CT for adolescents and young adults can be reduced to 2 mSv without impairing clinical outcomes. In view of the vast number of appendiceal CT examinations done worldwide, use of low-dose CT could prevent a sizeable number of radiation-associated cancers in the future. Funding Korea Health Industry Development Institute, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Dasol Life Science, and Bracco Imaging Korea.

Objective Ecabet sodium (ES) is a new non-systemic anti-ulcer agent belonging to the category of gastroprotective agents. In this study we aimed to compare the efficacy of a combination therapy with lansoprazole (LS) followed by ES with LS alone in treating endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD)-induced iatrogenic gastric ulcers. Methods Patients diagnosed with gastric adenomas or early gastric cancer were randomly divided into either the LS group (30 mg once daily for 4 weeks; n = 45) or the LS + ES group (LS 30 mg once daily for one week followed by ES 1500 mg twice daily for 3 weeks; n = 45). Four weeks after ESD, a follow-up endoscopy was conducted to evaluate the proportions of ulcer reduction and ulcer stages in the two groups. Results In all, 79 patients were included in the final analyses. Both treatment modalities were well-tolerated in most patients, with a drug compliance of over 80%. There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of the proportions of ulcer reduction (0.9503 ± 0.1215 in the LS group vs 0.9192 ± 0.0700 in the LS + ES group, P = 0.169) or ulcer stage (P = 0.446). The prevalence of adverse events related to drugs and bleeding were also similar between the two groups. Conclusion Sequential therapy with LS + ES is as effective as LS alone against ESD-induced gastric ulcers.

BACKGROUND Undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD) involves conditions characterized by both having symptoms of connective tissue disease (CTD) and autoantibodies but not fulfilling the criteria of a specific CTD. The frequency or prognosis of the usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) pattern in UCTD is unknown, which may be confused with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). This study aimed to investigate the frequency of the UIP pattern in interstitial pneumonia related to UCTD and compare its prognosis with that of IPF and UCTD-nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (UCTD-NSIP). METHODS The medical records of 788 patients presumptively diagnosed with idiopathic interstitial pneumonia at Asan Medical Center from January 2005 to December 2012 were retrospectively reviewed. UCTD was diagnosed according to the criteria by Corte and colleagues, and the prognoses were compared between UCTD-UIP and UCTD-NSIP and between UCTD-UIP and IPF. RESULTS Among 105 patients with UCTD (13.3% of total subjects), 44 had a UIP pattern (by surgical lung biopsy: 24; by high-resolution CT scan: 20), 29 had a nonspecific interstitial pneumonia pattern (by surgical lung biopsy), and nine had an organizing pneumonia pattern (by biopsy). The overall survival of the UCTD-UIP group was shorter than that of the UCTD-NSIP group ( P = .021) but significantly better than that of the IPF group ( P = .042). CONCLUSIONS A UIP pattern, which seems to be frequent in UCTD, showed a poorer prognosis than that of UCTD-NSIP. However, the prognosis of UCTD-UIP was significantly better than that of IPF, highlighting the importance of searching for underlying UCTD in suspected IPF cases.

Ecabet sodium (ES) is a new non-systemic anti-ulcer agent belonging to the category of gastroprotective agents. In this study we aimed to compare the efficacy of a combination therapy with lansoprazole (LS) followed by ES with LS alone in treating endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD)-induced iatrogenic gastric ulcers.Patients diagnosed with gastric adenomas or early gastric cancer were randomly divided into either the LS group (30 mg once daily for 4 weeks; n = 45) or the LS + ES group (LS 30 mg once daily for one week followed by ES 1500 mg twice daily for 3 weeks; n = 45). Four weeks after ESD, a follow-up endoscopy was conducted to evaluate the proportions of ulcer reduction and ulcer stages in the two groups.In all, 79 patients were included in the final analyses. Both treatment modalities were well-tolerated in most patients, with a drug compliance of over 80%. There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of the proportions of ulcer reduction (0.9503 ± 0.1215 in the LS group vs 0.9192 ± 0.0700 in the LS + ES group, P = 0.169) or ulcer stage (P = 0.446). The prevalence of adverse events related to drugs and bleeding were also similar between the two groups.Sequential therapy with LS + ES is as effective as LS alone against ESD-induced gastric ulcers.

Undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD) involves conditions characterized by both having symptoms of connective tissue disease (CTD) and autoantibodies but not fulfilling the criteria of a specific CTD. The frequency or prognosis of the usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) pattern in UCTD is unknown, which may be confused with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). This study aimed to investigate the frequency of the UIP pattern in interstitial pneumonia related to UCTD and compare its prognosis with that of IPF and UCTD-nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (UCTD-NSIP).The medical records of 788 patients presumptively diagnosed with idiopathic interstitial pneumonia at Asan Medical Center from January 2005 to December 2012 were retrospectively reviewed. UCTD was diagnosed according to the criteria by Corte and colleagues, and the prognoses were compared between UCTD-UIP and UCTD-NSIP and between UCTD-UIP and IPF.Among 105 patients with UCTD (13.3% of total subjects), 44 had a UIP pattern (by surgical lung biopsy: 24; by high-resolution CT scan: 20), 29 had a nonspecific interstitial pneumonia pattern (by surgical lung biopsy), and nine had an organizing pneumonia pattern (by biopsy). The overall survival of the UCTD-UIP group was shorter than that of the UCTD-NSIP group (P = .021) but significantly better than that of the IPF group (P = .042).A UIP pattern, which seems to be frequent in UCTD, showed a poorer prognosis than that of UCTD-NSIP. However, the prognosis of UCTD-UIP was significantly better than that of IPF, highlighting the importance of searching for underlying UCTD in suspected IPF cases.

The aim of this study was to assess the clinical and morphological predictors for functionally significant in-stent restenosis (ISR).Although they have been studied de novo in native coronary artery lesions, the relationships between clinical and morphological characteristics and the hemodynamic significance of ISR are not well understood.In 175 patients with ISR of a single coronary artery (angiographic stenosis50%), we compared quantitative coronary angiography and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) with stress myocardial single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). A positive SPECT was a reversible perfusion defect in the territory of the ISR artery.Overall, 103 (59%) patients had a positive SPECT. In-segment IVUS minimal lumen area (MLA) was significantly smaller in lesions with positive SPECT compared with negative SPECT (1.7 ± 0.5 mm(2) vs. 2.4 ± 0.8 mm(2), p0.001). Stent underexpansion (minimal stent area5.0 mm(2)) was more common in the positive SPECT group than in the negative SPECT group (52% vs. 32%, p = 0.010). A positive SPECT was seen in 54% (65 of 121) of focal ISR lesions compared with 70% (38 of 54) of multifocal or diffuse ISR lesions as assessed by IVUS (p = 0.039). Independent determinants for a positive SPECT were diabetes (odds ratio [OR]: 2.41; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.02 to 5.68; p = 0.046), in-segment angiographic diameter stenosis (OR: 1.06; 95% CI: 1.03 to 1.09; p0.001), in-segment IVUS-MLA (OR: 0.30; 95% CI: 0.14 to 0.63; p = 0.001), stent underexpansion (minimal stent area5.0 mm(2)), (OR: 2.91; 95% CI: 1.19 to 7.07; p = 0.019), proximal location of the IVUS-MLA (OR: 4.62; 95% CI: 1.75 to 12.18; p = 0.002), and a multifocal or diffuse ISR pattern (OR: 2.50; 95% CI: 0.99 to 6.28; p = 0.050). An in-segment angiographic diameter stenosis ≥69.5% (72% sensitivity, 74% specificity, area under the curve = 0.793) and an IVUS-MLA ≤1.9 mm(2) (67% sensitivity, 75% specificity, area under the curve = 0.756) best predicted a positive SPECT; however, the overall diagnostic accuracies were only 73% and 70%, respectively.In lesions with ISR, neither angiography nor IVUS accurately predicted an abnormal SPECT.