Background/Aims: Several studies have shown that colorectal neoplasms (CRN) including colorectal cancer (CRC) may be prevalent in patients with gastric cancer. However, in most of these studies, colonoscopy to investigate the prevalence of CRN was performed prior to surgery. We aimed to investigate whether CRN was more prevalent in postgastrectomy gastric cancer patients than in healthy individuals.Methods: We reviewed the medical records of those patients within a cohort of gastric cancer patients with gastrectomy who underwent colonoscopy between 2016 and 2017. Controls age- and sex-matched with gastric cancer patients at a 2:1 ratio were identified among those who underwent colonoscopy at a health-promotion center. The frequencies of CRN, advanced CRN (ACRN), and CRC among patients with gastrectomy were compared with those in the control subjects. A total of 744 individuals (gastric cancer, 248; control, 496) were included.Results: The rates of CRN and ACRN in the gastric cancer group were higher than those in the healthy individuals (CRN, 47.6% vs. 34.7%, <i>P</i>< 0.001; ACRN, 16.9% vs. 10.9%, <i>P</i>= 0.020). The rate of CRC was comparable between the 2 groups (2.0% vs. 0.6%, <i>P</i>= 0.125). Multivariate analysis identified previous gastrectomy for gastric cancer and male sex as significant risk factors for (A)CRN.Conclusions: CRN and ACRN were more prevalent in patients who underwent surgery for gastric cancer than in the control group. Regular surveillance colonoscopy at appropriate intervals is indicated after gastrectomy.

Background/Aims: Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are widely used to treat several acid-related gastrointestinal disorders. This study aimed to investigate the risk of dementia in patients taking PPIs.Materials and Methods: A systematic review was conducted to evaluate the correlation between PPIs and dementia. The methodological quality of the included studies was evaluated using the Risk of Bias Assessment tool for non-randomized studies. Publication bias was assessed.Results: A total of 12 nested, case-control, and cohort studies were identified and analyzed. We obtained hazard ratios (HRs) from five studies and performed a meta-analysis. The meta-analysis of four cohort studies and one nested case-control study showed no association between PPIs and dementia (HR, 1.165; 95% CI, 0.912~1.488; <i>P</i>=0.222). Sensitivity analysis revealed consistent results. No publication bias was detected.Conclusions: This systematic review and meta-analysis revealed no statistically significant association between the use of PPIs and dementia.

Coccidioidomycosis is a fungal infection caused by Coccidioides immitis. The endemic area is mostly southwestern United States. As increasing in overseas travel to endemic areas, the incidence rate has been recently increased in non-endemic areas. The diagnosis may be delayed in non-endemic area. It is important to elicit traveling histories and to differentiate lung consolidation with eosinophilia, for timely diagnosis of coccidioidomycosis. Recently, we experienced a case with pulmonary coccidioidomycosis in a Korean American who visited Korea showed consolidation in right lower lobe on chest X-ray and prolonged eosinophilia. In the case, a confirmatory diagnostic method was percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy of lung. We report acute pulomonary coccidioidomycosis case and review previous published reports with pulmonary manifestation in Korea.

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