• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.180-188
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• 2022

Objective: To validate the performance of 3T spin-echo echo-planar imaging (SE-EPI) magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) for staging hepatic fibrosis in a large population, using surgical specimens as the reference standard. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study initially included 310 adults (155 undergoing hepatic resection and 155 undergoing donor hepatectomy) with histopathologic results from surgical liver specimens. They underwent 3T SE-EPI MRE ≤ 3 months prior to surgery. Demographic findings, underlying liver disease, and hepatic fibrosis pathologic stage according to METAVIR were recorded. Liver stiffness (LS) was measured by two radiologists, and inter-reader reproducibility was evaluated using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). The mean LS of each fibrosis stage (F0-F4) was calculated in total and for each etiologic subgroup. Comparisons among subgroups were performed using the Kruskal-Wallis test and Conover post-hoc test. The cutoff values for fibrosis staging were estimated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results: Inter-reader reproducibility was excellent (ICC, 0.98; 95% confidence interval, 0.97-0.99). The mean LS values were 1.91, 2.41, 3.24, and 5.41 kPa in F0-F1 (n = 171), F2 (n = 26), F3 (n = 38), and F4 (n = 72), respectively. The discriminating cutoff values for diagnosing ≥ F2, ≥ F3, and F4 were 2.18, 2.71, and 3.15 kPa, respectively, with the ROC curve areas of 0.97-0.98 (sensitivity 91.2%-95.9%, specificity 90.7%-99.0%). The mean LS was significantly higher in patients with cirrhosis (F4) of nonviral causes, such as primary biliary cirrhosis (9.56 kPa) and alcoholic liver disease (7.17 kPa) than in those with hepatitis B or C cirrhosis (4.28 and 4.92 kPa, respectively). There were no statistically significant differences in LS among the different etiologic subgroups in the F0-F3 stages. Conclusion: The 3T SE-EPI MRE demonstrated high interobserver reproducibility, and our criteria for staging hepatic fibrosis showed high diagnostic performance. LS was significantly higher in patients with non-viral cirrhosis than in those with viral cirrhosis.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.30-41
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• 2022

Objective: Computed tomography enterography (CTE) and magnetic resonance enterography (MRE) are considered substitutes for each other for evaluating Crohn's disease (CD). However, the adequacy of mixing them for routine periodic follow-up for CD has not been established. This study aimed to compare MRE alone with the mixed use of CTE and MRE for the periodic follow-up of small bowel inflammation in patients with CD. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively compared two non-randomized groups, each comprising 96 patients with CD. One group underwent CTE and MRE (MRE followed by CTE or vice versa) for the follow-up of CD (interval, 13-27 months [median, 22 months]), and the other group underwent MRE alone (interval, 15-26 months [median, 21 months]). However, these two groups were similar in clinical characteristics. Three independent readers from three different institutions determined whether inflammation had decreased, remained unchanged, or increased within the entire small bowel and the terminal ileum based on sequential enterography of the patients after appropriate blinding. We compared the two groups for inter-reader agreement and accuracy (terminal ileum only) using endoscopy as the reference standard for enterographic interpretation. Results: The inter-reader agreement was greater in the MRE alone group for the entire small bowel (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC]: 0.683 vs. 0.473; p = 0.005) and the terminal ileum (ICC: 0.656 vs. 0.490; p = 0.030). The interpretation accuracy was higher in the MRE alone group without statistical significance (70.9%-74.5% vs. 57.9%-64.9% in individual readers; adjusted odds ratio = 3.21; p = 0.077). Conclusion: The mixed use of CTE and MRE was inferior to MRE alone in terms of inter-reader reliability and could probably be less accurate than MRE alone for routine monitoring of small bowel inflammation in patients with CD. Therefore, the consistent use of MRE is favored for this purpose.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.455-465
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• 2022

Objective: To compare the reproducibility and performance of quantitative metrics between ZOOMit and conventional intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the diagnosis of early- and mid-stage Sjögren's syndrome (SS). Materials and Methods: Twenty-two patients (mean age ± standard deviation, 52.0 ± 10.8 years; male:female, 2:20) with early- or mid-stage SS and 20 healthy controls (46.9 ± 14.6 years; male:female, 7:13) were prospectively enrolled in our study. ZOOMit IVIM and conventional IVIM MRI were performed simultaneously in all individuals using a 3T scanner. Quantitative IVIM parameters - including tissue diffusivity (D), pseudodiffusion coefficient (D^*), and perfusion fraction (f) - inter- and intra-observer reproducibility in measuring these parameters, and their ability to distinguish patients with SS from healthy individuals were assessed and compared between ZOOMit IVIM and conventional IVIM methods, appropriately. MR gland nodular grade (MRG) was also examined. Results: Inter- and intra-observer reproducibility was better with ZOOMit imaging than with conventional IVIM imaging (ZOOMit vs. conventional, intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.897-0.941 vs. 0.667-0.782 for inter-observer reproducibility and 0.891-0.968 vs. 0.814-0.853 for intra-observer reproducibility). Significant differences in ZOOMit f, ZOOMit D^*, D^*, conventional D^*, and MRG between patients with SS and healthy individuals (all p < 0.05) were observed. ZOOMit D^* outperformed conventional D^* in diagnosing early- and mid-stage SS (area under receiver operating curve, 0.867 and 0.658, respectively; p = 0.002). The combination of ZOOMit D^*, MRG, and ZOOMit f as a new diagnostic index for SS, increased diagnostic area under the curve to 0.961, which was higher than that of any single parameter (all p < 0.01). Conclusion: Considering its better reproducibility and performance, ZOOMit IVIM may be preferred over conventional IVIM MRI, and may subsequently improve the ability to diagnose early- and mid-stage SS.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.84 no.5
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• pp.1110-1122
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• 2023

Purpose This study aimed to assess the variability of transrectal shear wave elastography (SWE) using a designed phantom. Materials and Methods In a phantom, the SWE values were examined by two radiologists using agarose and emulsion silicone of different sizes (1, 2, and 3 cm) and shapes (round, cubic) at three depths (1, 2, and 3 cm), two region of interest (ROI) and locations (central, peripheral) using two ultrasound machines (A, B from different vendors). Variability was evaluated using the coefficient of variation (CV). Results The CVs decreased with increasing phantom size. Significant changes in SWE values included; agarose phantom at 3 cm depth (p < 0.001; machine A), 1 cm depth (p = 0.01; machine B), emulsion silicone at 2 cm depth (p = 0.047, p = 0.020; both machines). The CVs increased with increasing depth. Significant changes in SWE values included; 1 cm agarose (p = 0.037, p = 0.021; both machines) and 2 cm agarose phantom (p = 0.047; machine A). Significant differences in SWE values were observed between the shapes for emulsion silicone phantom (p = 0.032; machines A) and between ROI locations on machine B (p ≤ 0.001). The SWE values differed significantly between the two machines (p < 0.05). The intra-/inter-operator agreements were excellent (intraclass correlation coefficient > 0.9). Conclusion The phantom size, depth, and different machines affected the variability of transrectal SWE.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.84 no.6
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• pp.1290-1308
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• 2023

Purpose To compare the diagnostic performance of rectal CT with that of high-resolution rectal MRI and histopathology in assessing rectal cancer. Materials and Methods Sixty-seven patients with rectal cancer who underwent rectal CT with rectal distension using sonographic gel and high-resolution MRI were enrolled in this study. The distance from the anal verge/anorectal junction, distance to the mesorectal fascia (MRF), extramural depth (EMD), extramesorectal lymph node (LN) involvement, extramural venous invasion (EMVI), and T/N stages in rectal CT/MRI were analyzed by two gastrointestinal radiologists. The CT findings of 20 patients who underwent radical surgery without concurrent chemoradiotherapy were compared using histopathology. Interclass correlations and kappa statistics were used. Results The distance from the anal verge/anorectal junction showed an excellent intraclass correlation between CT and MRI for both reviewers. For EMD, the distance to the MRF, presence of LNs, extramesorectal LN metastasis, EMVI, T stage, and intermodality kappa or weighted kappa values between CT and MRI showed excellent agreement. Among the 20 patients who underwent radical surgery, T staging, circumferential resection margin involvement, EMVI, and LN metastasis on rectal CT showed acceptable concordance rates with histopathology. Conclusion Dedicated rectal CT may be on par with rectal MRI in providing critical information to patients with rectal cancer.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.52-58
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• 2016

Purpose Recent retrospective studies are being actively conducted to analyze the survival of patients with SUVmax, MTV, TLG, such as information from a variety of PET originating. However, there is no clear way is difficult to accurately measure the volume of the tumor may be the difference between the caster is raised. In this study, to evaluate compare the volume measuring methods according to the characteristics of the tumor. Materials and Methods 18F-saline to fill the NEMA IEC Body Phantom insert the volume of balance and imbalance in phantom were acquired to the Biograph truepoint 40 (Siemens medical system, Germany) PET/CT scanner. The ratio of the volume and Background was acquired as 3.0, 5.0, 8.0, 18, 40. Clinical patients were randomly selected 120 people in staging patients with cancer of the digestive system from the year 2010 until the year 2014. Measurement methods were used a 40% threshold, 50% threshold and gradient segmentation technique, i.e. PET EDGE. Five years of experience of the two radio-technologist and one doctor was measured by repeated three times. Analysis methods were Intraclass correlation coefficient and Pearson correlation. Results In Phantoms, the 40% threshold method gave the best concordance between measured and actual volumes (r = 0.992, 0.997). In clinical patient outcome agreement between observers EDGE it is as high as 0.999 (CI: 0.998-0.999). And there were no statistical significance of the difference between the measurements (P = 0.620). 40% threshold method showed the best correlation between the measurements (r = 0.953). Increasing the ratio of tumor to background decreased the influence of a measuring method. Conclusion How to measure volume of the tumor in the patient was clinically most useful is 50% and the lowest impact on the characteristics of the tumor. Therefore, to reduce the background of the patients in PET/CT scan, it should be required research and effort.

• The korean journal of orthodontics
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.421-431
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• 2010

Objective: This study aimed to verify the intra-individual reproducibility of the natural head position (NHP) in adult Korean patients in the centric relation (CR) position and to prove the inter-individual variability of the Frankfurt horizontal (FH) plane and sella-nasion (SN) line compared to the true horizontal line (THL). In addition, the study aimed to investigate the correlations between linear measurements from A-point and B-point to the nasion true vertical line (NTVL) and angular measurements from A-point and B-point to the SN line. Methods: Two lateral cephalograms were taken of 116 subjects (23 males, 93 females) with CR wax bites in a NHP at a one-week interval. Results: Method errors of three variables and intraclass correlation coefficients of six parameters proved the intra-individual reproducibility of NHP (p < 0.001). The angle of the FH to the THL was not significantly different from $0^{\circ}$ (p > 0.05), but it was clinically variable (SD $3.89^{\circ}$) on the inter-individual level. Conversely, the angle of the SN line to the THL was significantly different from $7^{\circ}$ (p < 0.05). Very low correlation was found between the linear measurements and angular measurements of A-point and B-point (p < 0.01). Conclusions: The NTVL could be a useful reference line for assessing the antero-posterior position of the maxilla and mandible of Korean adult patients in NHP and CR.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.60-69
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• 2000

Objective：This study was carried out to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Korean form of the Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale(CY-BOCS). Method：Forty-two children with obsessive-compulsive disorder(OCD)(31 boys and 11 girls, aged 7 to 18 years) were assessed with CY-BOCS. Interrater agreement was assessed by two raters in subsample(n=20). discriminant and convergent validity were assessed by comparing CY-BOCS scores to Clinical Global Impression-OCD(CGI-OCD), Leyton Obsessional Inventory-Child Version (LOI-CV), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children(STAI-C), and Child Depression Inventory(CDI). Results：Internal consistency was high, measuring 0.86 for the 10 items and total score. The intraclass correlations for the CY-BOCS total, obsession, and compulsion scores were 0.94, 0.94, 0.84, suggesting excellent interrater agreement for subscale and total scores. The CY-BOCS total score showed highest correlation with CGI-OCD(r=0.88), and significant correlation with LOI-CV(r=0.51), Trait Anxiety score(r=0.43), and CDI scores(r=0.49), but it was not correlated with State-Anxiety score(r=0.25). Conclusion：The results of this study indicate that the Korean form of CY-BOCS is a reliable and valid scale for rating obsessive-compulsive symptom severity.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.286-293
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• 2013

Purpose : The objective of this study was to analyze the brain volume according to the brain image of healthy adults in the 20s taken with different inversion time (TI). Materials and Methods: Brain images of healthy adults in the 20 s were acquired using magnetization prepared rapid acquisition gradient echo (MPRAGE) pulse sequence with 1.5 mm thickness of pieces and four inversion times (1100 ms, 1000 ms, 900 ms, 800 ms). The acquired brain images were analyzed to measure the volume of white matter (WM), gray matter (GM), intracranial volume (ICV). The statistical difference according to brain volume and gender was analyzed for each TI. Results: The brain volume calculated using Freesurfer was WM$486.52{\pm}48.64cm^3$ and GM=$646.83{\pm}57.12cm^3$ in mean when adjusted by mean ICV=$1278.94{\pm}154.92cm^3$. Men's brain volume(WM, GM, ICV) was larger than women's brain volume. In the intrarater reliability test, all of the intraclass correlation coefficients were high (0.992 for WM, 0.988 for GM, and 0.997 for ICV). In the repeated measures analysis of variance, GM and ICV did not show a significant difference at each TI (GM p=0.143, ICV p=0.052), but WM showed a significant (p=0.001). In the linear structure relation analysis, all of the Pearson correlation coefficients were high. Conclusion: WM, GM, and ICV indicated high reliability and solid linear structure relations, but WM showed significant differences at each TI. The brain volume of healthy adults in the 20s could be used in comparison with that of patients for reference purposes and to predict the structural change of brain. It would be needed to conduct additional studies to examine the contract, SNR, and lesion detection ability according to variable TI.

• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.24-30
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• 2019

Purpose: To evaluate the efficiency of the electronic foot function index (eFFI) through a prospective, random based, multi-institutional study. Materials and Methods: The study included 227 patients ranging in age from 20 to 79 years, visited for surgery in different 15 institutes, and agreed to volunteer. The patients were assigned randomly into a paper-based evaluated group (n=113) and tablet-based evaluated group (n=114). The evaluation was done on the day of hospital admission and the method was changed on the second day of surgery and re-evaluated. PADAS 2.0 (https://www.proscore.kr) was used as an electronic evaluation program. Results: There were no differences in age and sex in both groups. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) evaluation revealed an eFFI ICC of 0.924, showing that both results were similar. The evaluation time was shorter in the tablet-based group than the paper-based group (paper vs tablet, $3.7{\pm}3.8$ vs $2.3{\pm}1.3minutes$). Thirty-nine patients (17.2%) preferred to use paper and 131 patients (57.7%) preferred the tablet. Fifty-seven patients (25.1%) found both ways to be acceptable. Conclusion: eFFI through tablet devices appears to be more constant than the paper-based program. In addition, it required a shorter amount of time and the patients tended to prefer the tablet-based program. Overall, tablet and cloud system can be beneficial to a clinical study.