Gastroenterology / Original Article Clinical feasibility of deep learning-assisted classification of Helicobacter pylori infection in endoscopic imagery: a reader study Jun-young Seo, Jiseon Kang, Do Hoon Kim, Namkug Kim Korean J Intern Med. 2026;41(5):862-872.   Published online September 1, 2026 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3904/kjim.2024.245       Background/Aims: Detecting Helicobacter pylori infection through endoscopic imaging is a preferred method to address the limitations of invasive diagnostics. We have developed a deep learning (DL) model to classify these images based on their H. pylori infection status and to evaluate its pot..

Gastroenterology / Editorial Beyond susceptibility: do population-specific rare variants shape age at diagnosis in Korean inflammatory bowel disease? Soo-kyung Park Korean J Intern Med. 2026;41(5):858-861.   Published online September 1, 2026 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3904/kjim.2026.430

Gastroenterology / Original Article Population-specific rare variants influence age at diagnosis in Korean inflammatory bowel disease Mina Cho, DongHwan Shin, Jongwook Yu, Jae Hee Cheon, Ju Han Kim Korean J Intern Med. 2026;41(5):847-857.   Published online September 1, 2026 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3904/kjim.2026.055       Background/Aims: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which includes Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), is increasing in East Asia. Most known susceptibility loci, identified primarily in Europeans, remain insufficient to explain clinical heterogeneity in Asians. We performed whole-exome..

Gastroenterology / Review Current insights into the diagnosis and management of small bowel bleeding Sang Hyun Kim, Ja Seol Koo Korean J Intern Med. 2026;41(5):808-818.   Published online September 1, 2026 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3904/kjim.2026.008       Small bowel bleeding accounts for 5–10% of gastrointestinal (GI) hemorrhage and remains a diagnostic challenge because of its diverse etiologies and subtle clinical presentation. Advances in small bowel imaging have refined the diagnostic approach and have led to the replacement of the term obscur..

Gastroenterology / Review Epidemiological and clinical trends of malignant small-bowel tumors in Asia Jung Rock Moon, Seong Ran Jeon Korean J Intern Med. 2026;41(5):799-807.   Published online August 26, 2026 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3904/kjim.2025.422       Malignant small-bowel tumors are uncommon, accounting for < 5% of all gastrointestinal cancers, yet their incidence has exhibited a steady rise in both Western and Asian populations. This increase is attributed to expanded use of advanced diagnostic modalities and improved registry completeness. Mali..

Gastroenterology / Review Optimizing multiple diagnostic modalities for small bowel evaluation: a strategic approach Dong Jun Oh, Yun Jeong Lim Korean J Intern Med. 2026;41(5):785-798.   Published online September 1, 2026 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3904/kjim.2025.402       Over the past two decades, the small bowel, once considered a diagnostic “blind spot,” has become fully and comprehensively accessible. This review summarizes recent advances in the main diagnostic modalities: capsule endoscopy (CE), device-assisted enteroscopy (DAE), computed tomography enterogr..

Gastroenterology / Image of interest Sigmoid colon metastasis from esophageal squamous cell carcinoma presenting as a colon polyp Tae Un Kim, Su Jin Kim, Hwaseong Ryu Korean J Intern Med. 2026;41(4):779-781.   Published online July 1, 2026 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3904/kjim.2026.012

Gastroenterology / Original Article The 2020 disease burden and economic implications of digestive diseases in Korea: a nation-wide comprehensive study Eui Sun Jeong, Hye-Kyung Jung, Younhee Kim, Hyung Seok Lim Korean J Intern Med. 2026;41(4):649-662.   Published online July 1, 2026 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3904/kjim.2025.376                      Background/Aims: Digestive diseases are highly prevalent and contribute substantially to healthcare utilization and costs. However, national-level data on digestive diseases burden in Korea are limited. This study aimed to estimate the healthcare burden of digestive diseases in Korea via a national ..

Gastroenterology / Original Article Hepatitis B core-related antigen as a multifaceted biomarker in chronic hepatitis B: implications for immune activity and hepatocellular carcinoma prediction Kwon Yong Tak, Seok Hwan Kim, Myeong Jun Song Korean J Intern Med. 2026;41(4):636-648.   Published online July 1, 2026 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3904/kjim.2025.408                      Background/Aims: Hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg) reflects both serum hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA and intrahepatic covalently closed circular DNA activity, offering potential advantages over conventional biomarkers in monitoring chronic hepatitis B (CHB). This study evaluated the clinical ut..

Gastroenterology / Review Recent advances in the management of small bowel Crohn’s disease Kwangwoo Nam, Hee Seok Moon Korean J Intern Med. 2026;41(4):563-571.   Published online July 1, 2026 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3904/kjim.2025.401                 Crohn’s disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the bowel characterized by alternating periods of remission and relapse. Although CD can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract, small bowel involvement is particularly common and generally considered a more challenging subtype than..

Gastroenterology / Image of interest Fecal microbiota transplantation for marked colonic dilatation Eunseo Cho, Jung-Hwan Lee, Ji-Taek Hong, Kye Sook Kwon, Yong Woon Shin Korean J Intern Med. 2026;41(3):560-562.   Published online May 1, 2026 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3904/kjim.2025.253

Gastroenterology / Image of interest Subacute respiratory symptoms in a patient with Crohn’s disease and ankylosing spondylitis Doohyuck Lee, Kwangwoo Nam, Ho Jin Yong, Juntae Kim, Miil Kang Korean J Intern Med. 2026;41(3):557-559.   Published online February 27, 2026 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3904/kjim.2025.270

Gastroenterology / Original Article Comparison of the efficacy and safety of endoscopic and fluoroscopic balloon dilatation in benign esophageal strictures Kwangbeom Park, Chang Hoon Oh, Do Hoon Kim, Ji Hoon Shin, Hee Kyong Na, Ji Yong Ahn, Jeong Hoon Lee, Kee Wook Jung, Kee Don Choi, Ho June Song, Gin Hyug Lee, Hwoon-Yong Jung Korean J Intern Med. 2026;41(3):462-473.   Published online May 1, 2026 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3904/kjim.2023.525                 Background/Aims: Balloon dilatation under endoscopic or fluoroscopic guidance is regarded as the gold standard for treating benign esophageal strictures. However, no prior studies have compared endoscopic balloon dilatation (EBD) with fluoroscopic balloon dilatation (FBD). We aimed to compare the ef..

Gastroenterology / Original Article Incidence and risk factors of rebleeding in Crohn’s disease patients with acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding Gabin Moon, Kyeong Ok Kim, Sung Noh Hong, Seong Joon Koh, Sung Hoon Jung, Chang Hwan Choi, Eun Mi Song, Hong Sub Lee, Yoo Jin Lee, Ki Bae Bang; On behalf of the IBD Research Group of the Korean Association for the Study of Intestinal Diseases Korean J Intern Med. 2026;41(3):454-461.   Published online May 1, 2026 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3904/kjim.2025.348                 Background/Aims: Acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding (LGIB) in Crohn’s disease (CD) is a rare but potentially life-threatening complication. This study aimed to investigate the incidence and risk factors of rebleeding in CD patients with LGIB. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 137 CD patient..

Gastroenterology / Original Article Association between remnant cholesterol and colorectal cancer risk in Korea: a nationwide population-based study Minkook Son, Jong Yoon Lee, Chi Hyeon Choi, Yeo Wool Kang, Sang Yi Moon, Myeonseok Koh Korean J Intern Med. 2026;41(3):443-453.   Published online May 1, 2026 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3904/kjim.2025.350                      Background/Aims: Remnant cholesterol (RC) has emerged as a novel lipid marker with potential implications in cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. However, its association with colorectal cancer (CRC) remains unclear. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using data from 364,626 Korea..

Gastroenterology / Editorial Beyond technique: toward strategy-based endoscopic resection for rectal neuroendocrine tumors Seong-Jung Kim Korean J Intern Med. 2026;41(3):441-442.   Published online May 1, 2026 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3904/kjim.2026.204

Gastroenterology / Original Article Comparison between ligation-assisted and precutting endoscopic mucosal resection for small rectal neuroendocrine tumors: a CHASID study Sunghyeok Ryou, Yunho Jung, Dae Sung Kim, Hee Seok Moon, Hoon Sup Koo, Hyun Deok Shin, Ki Bae Bang, Kyu Chan Huh; Chungcheong-Daejeon Association for the Study of Intestinal Diseases (CHASID) Korean J Intern Med. 2026;41(3):432-440.   Published online May 1, 2026 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3904/kjim.2025.234              Crossref 2                 Background/Aims: Few studies have compared modified endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) techniques for small rectal neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). This study evaluated the clinical outcomes of ligation-assisted EMR (EMR-L) and precutting EMR (EMR-P) for the treatment of small rectal NETs. Methods: We..

Gastroenterology / Original Article The effect of HFE gene mutation and iron overload on sustained virological response in Egyptian chronic hepatitis C patients treated with daclatasvir and sofosbuvir Emad M. Kodsi, Hisham Ismail, Randa Issa, Ahmed Elshaarawy, Moustafa A. Sakr, Eman L. Shehata, Emad R Issak Korean J Intern Med. 2026;41(2):265-276.   Published online March 1, 2026 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3904/kjim.2025.156                 Background/Aims: This matched case-control study investigated the impact of HFE gene mutations on sustained virological response (SVR) in Egyptian patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) treated with daclatasvir and sofosbuvir. Methods: A total of 150 CHC patients were enrolled (75 responders and 7..

Gastroenterology / Original Article Clinical features of NAAT-positive, toxin-negative Clostridioides difficile infections in South Korea In Hyoung Choi, Chang Kyo Oh, Young Wook Cho, Young-Seok Cho Korean J Intern Med. 2026;41(2):255-264.   Published online March 1, 2026 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3904/kjim.2025.207              Web of Science 1    Crossref 1                 Background/Aims: The clinical characteristics of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) in patients within the Asia-Pacific region who test positive on the nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) and negative on the toxin enzyme immunoassay (EIA, hereafter referred to as “Toxin”) are uncle..

Gastroenterology / Review The epidemiology of inflammatory bowel disease: exploring the impacts of environmental factors Jihye Park, Jae Hee Cheon Korean J Intern Med. 2026;41(2):186-196.   Published online December 4, 2025 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3904/kjim.2025.083              Web of Science 1    Crossref 1                 Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, are distinct chronic immune-mediated intestinal inflammatory disorders. The pathogenesis of IBD is complex and involves a combination of genetic and environmental factors, the gut microbiome, and the host immune syste..