• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.23 no.7
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• pp.697-719
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• 2022

Gadoxetate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is widely used in clinical practice for liver imaging. For optimal use, we must understand both its advantages and limitations. This article is the outcome of an online advisory board meeting and subsequent discussions by a multidisciplinary group of experts on liver diseases across the Asia-Pacific region, first held on September 28, 2020. Here, we review the technical considerations for the use of gadoxetate, its current role in the management of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and its relevance in consensus guidelines for HCC imaging diagnosis. In the latter part of this review, we examine recent evidence evaluating the impact of gadoxetate on clinical outcomes on a continuum from diagnosis to treatment decision-making and follow-up. In conclusion, we outline the potential future roles of gadoxetate MRI based on an evolving understanding of the clinical utility of this contrast agent in the management of patients at risk of, or with, HCC.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.84 no.1
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• pp.15-33
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• 2023

The liver imaging reporting and data system (LI-RADS) has been developed with the support of the American College of Radiology to standardize the diagnosis and evaluation of treatment response of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The CT/MRI LI-RADS version 2018 has been incorporated in the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases guidance. This review examines the effect of CT/MRI LI-RADS on the standardized reporting of liver imaging, and the evidence in diagnosing HCC and evaluating treatment response after locoregional treatment using CT/MRI LI-RADS. The results are compared with other HCC diagnosis guidelines, and future directions are described.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.23 no.11
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• pp.1102-1111
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• 2022

Objective: To evaluate the ultrasonography (US) features for diagnosing metastasis in cervical lymph nodes (LNs) in patients with thyroid cancer and compare the US classification of risk of LN metastasis between European and Korean guidelines. Materials and Methods: From January 2014 to December 2018, US-guided fine-needle aspiration was performed on 836 LNs from 714 patients for the preoperative nodal staging of thyroid cancer. The US features of LNs were retrospectively reviewed for the following features: size, presence of hilum, margin, orientation, cystic change, punctate echogenic foci (PEF), large echogenic foci, eccentric cortical thickening, abnormal vascularity, and cortical hyperechogenicity. A multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the independent US features for the diagnosis of metastatic LNs. The diagnostic performance of independent US features was subsequently evaluated. LNs were categorized according to the Korean Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (K-TIRADS) and European Thyroid Association (ETA) guidelines, and the correlation between the two sets of classifications was assessed. Results: Absence of the hilum, presence of cystic changes, PEF, abnormal vascularity, and cortical hyperechogenicity were independent US features of metastatic LNs. Cystic changes, PEF, abnormal vascularity, and cortical hyperechogenicity showed high specificity (86.8%-99.6%). The absence of the hilum had the highest sensitivity yet low specificity (66.4%). When LNs were classified according to the ETA guidelines and K-TIRADS, they yielded similar categorizations of malignancy risks and were strongly correlated (Spearman coefficient, 0.9766 [95% confidence interval, 0.973-0.979]). According to the ETA guidelines, 9.8% (82/836) of LNs were classified as "not specified." Conclusion: Absence of hilum, cystic changes, PEF, abnormal vascularity, and cortical hyperechogenicity were independent US features suggestive of metastatic LNs in thyroid cancer. Both K-TIRADS and the ETA guidelines provided similar risk stratification for metastatic LNs with a high correlation; however, the ETA guidelines failed to classify 9.8% of LNs into a specific risk stratum. These results may provide a basis for revising LN classification in future guidelines.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.84 no.1
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• pp.150-169
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• 2023

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a malignant hematologic disease caused by the proliferation of clonal plasma cells in the bone marrow, and its incidence is increasing in Korea. With the development of treatments for MM, the need for early diagnosis and treatment has emerged. In recent years, the International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG) has been constantly revising the laboratory and radiological diagnostic criteria for MM. In addition, as whole-body MRI (WBMR) has been increasing used in the diagnosis and treatment response evaluation of patients with MM, the Myeloma Response Assessment and Diagnosis System (MY-RADS) was created to standardize WBMR image acquisition techniques, image interpretation, and response evaluation methods. Radiologists need to have a detailed knowledge of the features of MM for accurate diagnosis. Thus, in this review article, we describe the imaging method for MM according to the latest IMWG guidelines as well as the image acquisition and response evaluation technique for WBMR according to MY-RADS.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.25 no.7
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• pp.613-622
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• 2024

Objective: In Korea, radiology has been positioned towards the early adoption of artificial intelligence-based software as medical devices (AI-SaMDs); however, little is known about the current usage, implementation, and future needs of AI-SaMDs. We surveyed the current trends and expectations for AI-SaMDs among members of the Korean Society of Radiology (KSR). Materials and Methods: An anonymous and voluntary online survey was open to all KSR members between April 17 and May 15, 2023. The survey was focused on the experiences of using AI-SaMDs, patterns of usage, levels of satisfaction, and expectations regarding the use of AI-SaMDs, including the roles of the industry, government, and KSR regarding the clinical use of AI-SaMDs. Results: Among the 370 respondents (response rate: 7.7% [370/4792]; 340 board-certified radiologists; 210 from academic institutions), 60.3% (223/370) had experience using AI-SaMDs. The two most common use-case of AI-SaMDs among the respondents were lesion detection (82.1%, 183/223), lesion diagnosis/classification (55.2%, 123/223), with the target imaging modalities being plain radiography (62.3%, 139/223), CT (42.6%, 95/223), mammography (29.1%, 65/223), and MRI (28.7%, 64/223). Most users were satisfied with AI-SaMDs (67.6% [115/170, for improvement of patient management] to 85.1% [189/222, for performance]). Regarding the expansion of clinical applications, most respondents expressed a preference for AI-SaMDs to assist in detection/diagnosis (77.0%, 285/370) and to perform automated measurement/quantification (63.5%, 235/370). Most respondents indicated that future development of AI-SaMDs should focus on improving practice efficiency (81.9%, 303/370) and quality (71.4%, 264/370). Overall, 91.9% of the respondents (340/370) agreed that there is a need for education or guidelines driven by the KSR regarding the use of AI-SaMDs. Conclusion: The penetration rate of AI-SaMDs in clinical practice and the corresponding satisfaction levels were high among members of the KSR. Most AI-SaMDs have been used for lesion detection, diagnosis, and classification. Most respondents requested KSR-driven education or guidelines on the use of AI-SaMDs.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.143-154
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• 1995

In recent years, the development of new technologies using static magnetic fields has increased the possibility of human exposure to these fields and raised some concern as to their possible health effects. In several countries, governmental or other competent authorities have issued exposure limits that are mainly intended for specific uses, i.e., magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and particle accelerators for high-energy Physics. Since applications of magnetic fields in industry and medicine are likely to grow in the future, thus increasing the possibility of occupational and general public exposure, and since the number of people with ferromagnetic implants and implanted electronic devices that can be affected by the fields is growing, there is a need for international guidelines. In the present papers, guidelines on limits of exposure to static magnetic fields are selected and discussed in order to review the guidelines of the International Non-ionizing Radiation Committee of the International Radiation Protection Association (IRPA/INIRC) for non-ionizing radiation(NIR)

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.30-36
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• 2023

Background Most children with facial lacerations require sedation for primary sutures. However, sedation guidelines for invasive treatment are lacking. This study evaluated the current status of the sedation methods used for pediatric facial laceration repair in Korea. Methods We surveyed one resident in each included plastic surgery training hospital using face-to-face interviews or e-mail correspondence. The health care center types (secondary or tertiary hospitals), sedation drug types, usage, and dosage, procedure sequence, monitoring methods, drug effects, adverse events, and operator and guardian satisfaction were investigated. Results We included 45/67 hospitals (67%) that used a single drug, ketamine in 31 hospitals and chloral hydrate in 14 hospitals. All health care center used similar sedatives. The most used drug administered was 5 mg/kg intramuscular ketamine (10 hospitals; 32%). The most common chloral hydrate administration approach was oral 50 mg/kg (seven hospitals; 50%). Twenty-two hospitals (71%) using ketamine followed this sequence: administration of sedatives, local anesthesia, primary repair, and imaging work-up. The most common sequence used for chloral hydrate (eight hospitals; 57%) was local anesthesia, administration of sedatives, imaging work-up, and primary repair. All hospitals that used ketamine and seven (50%) of those using chloral hydrate monitored oxygen saturation. Median operator satisfaction differed significantly between ketamine and chloral hydrate (4.0 [interquartile range, 4.0-4.0] vs. 3.0 [interquartile range, 3.0-4.0]; p <0.001). Conclusion The hospitals used various procedural sedation methods for children with facial lacerations. Guidelines that consider the patient's condition and drug characteristics are needed for safe and effective sedation.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.79 no.5
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• pp.247-253
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was to summarize the results of a survey for physicians with specialties other than radiology about imaging studies of patients referred from other institutions. The survey was promoted through individual contacts or social network service and physicians who voluntarily responded to the survey were the subjects of the study. The questionnaire consisted of 11 questions about basic information and referrals about medical imaging. A total of 160 physicians from 30 specialties participated in the survey and 95.6% of the respondents worked in tertiary care center or general hospital. Patients were frequently referred with outside medical images. The most frequently referred imaging modalities were computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. However, radiological reports from outside institutions were rarely referred. Most physicians thought that reinterpretation for outside imaging is necessary to acquire a secondary opinion. In conclusion, considering that outside radiological reports are frequently missing and there are high demands on reinterpretation for outside imaging, guidelines for referral of radiological reports with medical imaging, basic elements of radiological reports, and reinterpretation need to be developed.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.35-42
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• 2021

Purpose: To evaluate and analyze the adequacy of breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)s taken before publication of the 2018 recommendation in South Korea. Materials and Methods: We enrolled 87 cases of breast MRIs, from January 2010 to November 2013, taken at external hospitals in the study. Breast MRI protocol elements are divided into three categories based on the recommendation by the Breast Imaging Study Group of the Korean Society of Magnetic Resonance: (1) Essential elements for breast MRI protocol; (2) Element to consider when evaluating imaging quality; and (3) Optional element for breast MRI protocol. Also, we divided enrolled cases into three groups based on their conducting locations -- (1) Primary hospitals, (2) Secondary hospitals, and (3) Tertiary hospitals-and analyzed them for the adequacy of imaging protocols based on the 2018 recommendation. We used a Chi-square test and Fisher's exact test to identify differences between categorical variables. Results: Over 98% of the criteria for 'essential elements for breast MRI protocol' were satisfied when compared with the 2018 Recommendation. Over 96% of the criteria for 'elements to consider when evaluating imaging quality' were also satisfied, except for the slice thickness (83.9%). Optional elements for breast MRI protocol were satisfied with various percentages. There were no statistically significant differences between groups of tertiary, secondary, and primary hospitals; however, 3 tesla of MRI (P = 0.04), subtraction image protocol (P = 0.032), and DWI protocol (P = 0.03) were used more frequently in the tertiary hospitals than in the others. Conclusion: We found that the categories of 'essential elements' and 'elements to consider when evaluating imaging quality' were satisfied at 98% and 96%, respectively, when compared with the 2018 Recommendation by the Breast Imaging Study Group of the Korean Society of Magnetic Resonance.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.87-104
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• 2014

Although gastric cancer is quite common in Korea, the treatment outcome is relatively favorable compared to those in western countries. However, there are currently no Korean multidisciplinary guidelines for gastric cancer. Experts from related societies developed guidelines de novo to meet Korean circumstances and requirements, including 23 recommendation statements for diagnosis (n=9) and treatment (n=14) based on relevant key questions. The quality of the evidence was rated according to the GRADE evidence evaluation framework: the evidence levels were based on a systematic review of the literature, and the recommendation grades were classified as either strong or weak. The applicability of the guidelines was considered to meet patients' view and preferences in the context of Korea. The topics of the guidelines cover diagnostic modalities (endoscopy, endoscopic ultrasound, and radiologic diagnosis), treatment modalities (surgery, therapeutic endoscopy, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy), and pathologic evaluation. An external review of the guidelines was conducted during the finalization phase.