The articles in this issue of the Ewha Medical Journal address vaccine safety, artificial intelligence (AI), perioperative pain management, rare tumors, procedural complications, and diagnostic imaging. Together, they highlight the importance of clinical vigilance and the responsible integration of innovation into patient care.

“SKYVaricella (a live attenuated varicella vaccine) safety issues revisited” examines concerns regarding herpes zoster following administration of a live attenuated varicella vaccine developed in Korea. The article emphasizes the need for timely pharmacovigilance, transparent communication, and continuous reassessment of vaccine benefits and risks.

“Clinical phenotypes and clustering patterns of human toxocariasis in PubMed-indexed case reports” presents an AI-assisted systematic scoping review. It illustrates how AI can support literature screening, data extraction, and pattern recognition in evidence synthesis, while reaffirming that such AI-generated outputs require methodological transparency and careful human verification.

A randomized study evaluates ultrasound-guided bilateral rectus sheath block after robotic single-site gynecologic surgery. The technique reduced early postoperative pain and rescue fentanyl use, supporting its role in multimodal perioperative analgesia.

Two case reports illustrate the diagnostic challenges posed by rare malignancies. A report of primary breast leiomyosarcoma emphasizes the integration of histopathologic and immunohistochemical findings to distinguish this uncommon tumor from other spindle-cell neoplasms. Another describes appendiceal mucinous adenocarcinoma presenting as bilateral ovarian masses and mimicking advanced ovarian cancer, highlighting the importance of considering a gastrointestinal primary in bilateral ovarian mucinous tumors.

A case of pneumocephalus with suspected cerebrospinal fluid leakage after epiduroscopic epidural neuroplasty illustrates an uncommon procedural complication. The persistent headache and its subsequent improvement after an epidural blood patch suggested occult dural injury, reminding clinicians to consider intracranial complications following epidural procedures.

“Unrecognized tooth aspiration mimicking a hilar lesion in a patient with COVID-19 pneumonia” illustrates how the attribution of persistent hypoxemia and asymmetric breath sounds to viral pneumonia delayed the recognition of an aspirated tooth causing bronchial obstruction. The case provides an instructive example of anchoring bias and offers valuable radiologic and clinical lessons, particularly because the aspirated tooth mimicked a hilar lesion on chest imaging.

Finally, “Artificial intelligence as a pragmatic adjunct to molecular classification in endometrial cancer” considers AI-assisted histopathologic assessment where comprehensive molecular testing is limited. Such approaches require external validation, standardized workflows, and appropriate clinical oversight.

Collectively, these articles demonstrate that medical progress requires both innovation and scrutiny. Emerging technologies and clinical techniques must be rigorously evaluated, while careful observation and diagnostic openness remain fundamental to safe and effective patient care.

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