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Fascial plane blocks are a useful element for multimodal analgesia after cardiac surgery. These blocks can provide effective analgesia while circumventing serious risks associated with conventional techniques such as neuraxial hematoma and pneumothorax. This narrative review covers blocks performed at parasternal intercostal, interpectoral, pecto-serratus, serratus anterior, erector spinae, and retrolaminar planes which are targets for fascial plane blocks commonly used for cardiac surgery. Brief anatomical considerations, mechanisms, and currently available evidence were reviewed. Additionally, fascial plane blocks for implantation of subcutaneous-Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator were also reviewed.

This study aimed to identify the directions of research published in the Korean Journal of Anesthesiology (KJA) and identify the main topics and journal network through a bibliometric analysis. The results can be reflected in strategies for the journal's promotion to a top-ranking journal in the anesthesiology category.

A precise anatomical understanding of the adductor canal (AC) and its neural components is essential for discerning the action mechanism of the AC block. We therefore aimed to clarify the detailed anatomy of the AC using micro-computed tomography (micro-CT), histological evaluation, and immunofluorescence (IF) assays.

Crohn's disease (CD) is a relapsing and progressive condition characterized by diarrhea, abdominal pain, weight loss, and hematochezia that results in serious complications such as perforations, fistulas, and abscesses. Various medications, interventions, and surgical treatments have been used to treat CD. The Korean guidelines for CD management were distributed in 2012 and revised in 2017 by the Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Research Group of the Korean Association for the Study of Intestinal Diseases. Substantial progress in mucosal immunologic research has elucidated the pathophysiology of IBD, leading to development of biological agents for treatment of CD. The first developed biologic agent, tumor necrosis factor-α agents, were shown to be efficacious in CD, heralding a new era in management of CD. Subsequently, vedolizumab, a monoclonal antibody against integrin α4β7, and ustekinumab, a human monoclonal antibody that inhibits the common p40 subunit of interleukin-12 and interleukin-23, were both approved for clinical use and are efficacious and safe for both induction and maintenance of remission in moderate-to-severe CD patients. Moreover, a recent study showed the non-inferiority of CT-P13, an infliximab biosimilar, compared with infliximab in CD patients. The third Korean guidelines for CD management provide updated information regarding treatment of moderate-to-severe CD patients with biologic agents. (Intest Res, Published online).

Acute suppurative thyroiditis is a rare and potentially life-threatening cause of thyroid inflammation requiring prompt recognition and management. There are few reported cases of thyrotoxicosis due to acute suppurative thyroiditis. We are reporting the case of a 9-year-old boy who presented to the emergency room with fevers, neck pain and swelling, night terrors, and emotional lability. He was hemodynamically stable with initial lab work remarkable for neutrophilia without leukocytosis, elevated inflammatory markers, and hyperthyroidism. Imaging of the neck revealed a heterogenous collection in the region of the left thyroid concerning for suppurative thyroiditis and adenitis. He was admitted to the hospital and initiated on intravenous antibiotics. Given lack of significant improvement in pain, he was taken to the operating room for drainage on hospital day 4 with remarkable clinical improvement in pain. He was discharged on oral antibiotics. Lab work obtained on postoperative day 15 showed resolution of hyperthyroidism and decreasing inflammatory markers. Subsequent imaging following resolution of the acute illness did not reveal any anatomic abnormality that may have predisposed him to developing acute suppurative thyroiditis. Thyrotoxicosis as a complication of acute suppurative thyroiditis is a rare occurrence, and is thought to be due to the release of preformed thyroid hormone from damaged thyroid follicles. The thyrotoxic state is often transient and resolves with appropriate management of acute suppurative thyroiditis. This complication is important to recognize, as failure to appropriately diagnose and treat acute suppurative thyroiditis can lead to poor outcomes, such as airway compromise and death.

Heterotopic pancreas is defined as pancreatic tissue located outside the pancreatic parenchyma that lacks an anatomic or vascular connection to the normal pancreas. Symptomatic gastric heterotopic pancreas is a rare condition that can manifest as acute or chronic pancreatitis. Asymptomatic heterotopic pancreas does not require treatment, while symptomatic lesions should be resected. The modality of final resection of heterotopic pancreas depends on its size and the depth of gastric wall involvement.

Oxaliplatin is an antineoplastic agent frequently used in the treatment of gastrointestinal tumors. However, it causes dose-limiting sensorimotor neuropathy, referred to as oxaliplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy (OIPN), for which there is no effective treatment. Here, we report that the elevation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) is a pathological change common to both cancer patients treated with oxaliplatin and a murine model of OIPN. Mechanistically, we found that NETs trigger NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation and the subsequent release of IL18 by macrophages, resulting in mechanical hyperalgesia. In NLRP3-deficient mice, the mechanical hyperalgesia characteristic of OIPN in our model was reduced. In addition, in the murine model, treatment with the IL18 decoy receptor IL18BP prevented the development of OIPN. We further showed that eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) reduced NET formation by suppressing the LPS-TLR4-JNK pathway and thereby abolished NLRP3 inflammasome activation and the subsequent secretion of IL18, which markedly prevented oxaliplatin-induced mechanical hyperalgesia in mice. These results identify a role for NET-triggered NLRP3 activation and IL18 release in the development of OIPN and suggest that utilizing IL18BP and EPA could be effective treatments for OIPN.

Prospective study.

Palpitations are common and have a negative impact on women's quality of life. While evidence suggests that inflammatory mechanisms may play a role in the development of palpitations, no studies have evaluated for this association in patients with breast cancer who report palpitations prior to surgery. The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate for associations between the occurrence of palpitations and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes for pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, their receptors, and transcriptional regulators.

Approximately one in four total knee replacement patients develop persistent pain. Identification of those at higher risk could help inform optimal management.