Intestinal helminth infections have become uncommon in Korea but still occur sporadically, either as residual native infections or as imported infections among immigrants. We retrospectively reviewed 4 cases of intestinal helminth infections incidentally identified during colonoscopy at a single academic hospital between January 2019 and March 2026. One Cambodian immigrant had hookworm infection (species-level differentiation between Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus was not possible). Of the 3 Korean patients, 2 had histopathologically confirmed Trichuris trichiura infection, and in 1, T. trichiura infection was suspected endoscopically, but the retrieved organism was not submitted for histopathologic examination. All patients were asymptomatic or had only nonspecific symptoms, and none showed peripheral eosinophilia. Colonoscopy allowed direct visualization and removal of each organism, demonstrating mucosal embedding in T. trichiura infection and firm mucosal attachment of the hookworm in the rectum. Three patients received a single 400-mg oral dose of albendazole; the case without histopathologic confirmation was managed without anthelmintic therapy. Recognition of characteristic endoscopic morphology can guide diagnosis even when histopathologic confirmation is unavailable, and management should be individualized according to diagnostic certainty and clinical context.

The Psychiatric Consultation Service at Massachusetts General Hospital sees medical and surgical inpatients with comorbid psychiatric symptoms and conditions. During their twice-weekly rounds, Dr Stern and other members of the Consultation Service discuss diagnosis and management of hospitalized patients with complex medical or surgical problems who also demonstrate psychiatric symptoms or conditions. These discussions have given rise to rounds reports that will prove useful for clinicians practicing at the interface of medicine and psychiatry. Prim Care Companion CNS Disord 2026;28(5):26f04248. Author affiliations are listed at the end of this article.

Caudal regression syndrome (CRS) refers to a spectrum of congenital structural defects of the caudal region. We present a case of caudal regression syndrome with the objective of correlating the symptoms of caudal regression syndrome with the detailed imaging findings. A 05-year-old boy who was admitted to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital in August 2025 , presented with a post-urethroplasty state of hypospadias, complaining of urinary incontinence through the normal meatus and a urethrocutaneous fistula. He had dribbling of urine through hypospadias and deformed feet since birth. He also developed progressive lower limb weakness and walking difficulty at the age of 3 years. On clinical examination bilateral calf and hypothenar muscle wasting, reduced muscle power and tone, absent ankle and diminished knee jerks, diminished bulbocavernosus reflex, intact perianal sensation and anal tone were observed. Right-sided planovalgus (flat foot), left-sided cavus foot deformity, a smaller pelvic girdle with flat buttocks and hard swelling over the lower lumbar region were found. On x-ray lumbosacral spine both view, low-positioned L5 vertebra fused with a rudimentary S1 vertebra on the right with the absence of the rest of the sacral pieces and coccyx, broad spinous process of L5 were seen. Vertical talus, absent navicular bones and adducted forefeet and supinated great toes were seen on x-ray foot both view. RGU and MCU confirmed urethrocutaneous fistula. MRI of whole spine with contrast showed spinal cord and subarachnoid space termination at a slightly upper level with multifocal syrinx and anterior epidural lipoma. MR myelogram revealed short and thickened filum terminale. MR neurography demonstrated altered course of both sided lumbo-sacral plexus. Multifocal syrinx at cervical and dorso-lumbar vertebral levels resulted in lower motor type neuropathy and bladder incontinence. Though the patient had autonomic dysfunction of bladder due to the external urethral sphincter dysfunction, dribbling continued through the normal meatus and the weakest fistula tract evidenced by nil post voidal residue. This patient had no bowel incontinence due to intact inferior rectal nerve, a branch of pudendal nerve supplying the rectum.

We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of group B Streptococcus (GBS) rectovaginal colonization prevalence, serotype distribution, and antimicrobial drug resistance (AMR) rates among pregnant women in the Asia-Pacific region. We included articles published in the MEDLINE, Embase, and PubMed databases during January 2014-October 2025. Overall, 1,623 studies were identified; 98 of those were included in the meta-analysis. Of 978,150 pregnant women, 172,973 were colonized with GBS; pooled estimated prevalence was 18.0% (95% CI 12%-23%). Studies from Southeast Asia were limited. GBS serotype distributions were reported in 24 studies; serotype III was the most common (range 5.0%-100.0%). Thirty studies included AMR rates; low (0%-2.0%) AMR rates were found for β-lactams. GBS colonization is common among pregnant women in the Asia-Pacific region. Continued surveillance of GBS prevalence will be needed, particularly in Pacific and Southeast Asian countries, to guide effective GBS prevention and treatment programs.

Adult-onset Hirschsprung's disease (HSD) is uncommon and frequently leads to diagnostic difficulty after infancy. It is a congenital illness that causes intestinal obstruction due to a lack of ganglion cells. Approximately 1 in 5000 live newborns have this illness, and 95% of HSD cases are identified in infants. This case report will fill a knowledge gap at a low-resource setting where published papers on this topic are extremely rare, and will provide insight into diagnosis and surgical management options that are feasible in resource-limited environments with good outcomes. In this case report, we present two cases of adult-onset HSD having a history of persistent constipation that has been treated by laxatives for a long time, abdominal distention, and intermittent colicky pain. For one of the patients, exploratory laparotomy, sigmoid resection and colostomy was done with suspected diagnosis of sigmoid volvulus due to sign of obstruction. Despite this, the patient's clinical condition was not improved and was referred to our hospital for further work up and management. The patient was diagnosed with adult-onset HSD at our hospital by biopsy from the rectum and colostomy site and managed as adult-onset HSD. The other patient was deflated with a rectal tube with suspicion of sigmoid volvulus and later referred to our hospital. She was diagnosed with adult-onset HSD by full-thickness rectal biopsy after having a detailed history. She was surgically treated and discharged improved. A detailed history including childhood period was obtained, and a physical examination was performed. Basic investigations were done and within the normal range. Barium enema revealed a grossly distended proximal colon. Rectal biopsy was performed in all cases and showed aganglionosis at the stenotic segment. The Soave pull-through procedure was performed along with a protective ileostomy. One procedure was laparoscopy assisted and the other one was open. Ileostomy reversal was performed later. In both cases, patient symptoms were completely resolved and had an uneventful condition at one-year follow-up at our hospital. Generally, adult HSD should be considered in the differential diagnosis of adult patients with chronic constipation or even acute bowel obstruction with a chronic background of constipation. Full-thickness rectal biopsy is confirmatory for diagnosis. The Soave pull-through procedure with protective ileostomy is a feasible surgical option for treating adult HSD.

Colorectal anastomotic leakage remains a major source of morbidity and mortality after intestinal reconstruction. Many current sealants, hydrogels, nanocomposites, and local nanomedicine platforms are optimized for static mechanical support, tissue adhesion, or sustained release, whereas the anastomotic wound evolves through temporally coupled changes in perfusion, redox state, protease activity, pH, and microbial activity. This review evaluates stimuli-responsive nanomaterials through an anastomosis-specific signal-threshold-response framework. Evidence is separated into direct preclinical studies performed in colorectal or colonic anastomosis models and transferable mechanistic or proof-of-concept evidence derived from gastrointestinal and other non-anastomotic tissue-repair models. We first synthesize available evidence on the spatial distribution, postoperative dynamics, and pathophysiological roles of anastomosis-relevant cues. We then evaluate pH-, reactive oxygen species-, enzyme-, hypoxia-, microbial-, and multi-input-responsive systems according to their sensing mechanisms, reported activation conditions, material transformations, therapeutic outputs, and levels of evidence. We further propose design principles for matching response kinetics and mechanical evolution to the inflammatory, proliferative, and remodeling phases. Future development should prioritize quantitative mapping of local cues, logic-gated or sequential activation, wet-tissue mechanics, microbiota-preserving antimicrobial action, and validation in clinically relevant large-animal models. This framework positions responsive nanomaterials as stage-adaptive adjuncts rather than generic drug-delivery systems for colorectal anastomotic repair.