As compared with conventional treatment, early surgery in patients with infective endocarditis and large vegetations significantly reduced the composite end point of death from any cause and embolic events by effectively decreasing the risk of systemic embolism. (EASE ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00750373.).

Our results indicate that development of ICC seems to be more closely related to HBV infection than to HCV infection in Korea, where both HBV and ICC are endemic.

PET-CT improved the accuracy of preoperative staging in patients with cholangiocarcinoma planning to undergo curative resection. Thus, PET-CT had an important clinical impact on the selection of proper treatment.