Medicine
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Case Reports
Continuous radiofrequency thermocoagulation under CT-guidance for glossopharyngeal neuralgia: Two case reports.
Glosssopharyngeal neuralgia (GPN) is a painful syndrome characterized by paroxysmal neuropathic pain in the pharynx, tonsil, posterior base of tongue, inner ear, and mandibular angle. The traditional therapies of GPN, including medication and surgical operation, are not always effective in pain controlling. Radiofrequency therapy is a minimally interventional technique to provide analgesia in chronic pain. ⋯ The CRF thermocoagulation produced no complications or side effects in the two cases, and was proved effective in the treatment of GPN.
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Case Reports
Familial exudative vitreoretinopathy complicated with full thickness macular hole: A case report.
To report a case of familial exudative vitreoretinopathy (FEVR) complicated with full-thickness macular hole (FTMH). ⋯ In this present case, an IMH developed via traction by a thick PVM, characteristic of FEVR, with FTMH then developing via traction by a thin ERM. Our findings reveal that it is vital to fully understand these anatomical features before performing vitreous surgery for FTMH complicated with FEVR.
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Case Reports
Transient ischemic attack characterized by external strabismus of the left eye: A case report.
Patients rarely display eye movement dysfunctions as the primary symptom in transient ischemic attack. ⋯ Atypical symptoms of transient ischemic attack are easy to be overlooked. Early diagnosis and timely treatments are keys to reverse the neurological symptoms and can be highly beneficial for patients with this condition.
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Comparative Study Observational Study
Detection of common diarrhea-causing pathogens in Northern Taiwan by multiplex polymerase chain reaction.
Conventional methods for identifying gastroenteritis pathogens are time consuming, more likely to result in a false-negative, rely on personnel with diagnostic expertise, and are dependent on the specimen status. Alternatively, molecular diagnostic methods permit the rapid, simultaneous detection of multiple pathogens with high sensitivity and specificity. The present study compared conventional methods with the Luminex xTAG Gastrointestinal Pathogen Panel (xTAG GPP) for the diagnosis of infectious gastroenteritis in northern Taiwan. ⋯ Of which, 82.6% were from pediatric patients. Because the detection rates using multiplex PCR are higher than conventional methods, and some pediatric pathogens could only be detected by multiplex PCR, this approach may be useful in rapidly diagnosing diarrheal disease in children and facilitating treatment initiation. Further studies are necessary to determine if multiplex PCR improves patient outcomes and reduces costs.
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Neurofibromatosis, including type 1 and type 2, is inherited dominant disease that causes serious consequences. The genetic mechanism of these diseases has been described, but germline mutation of checkpoint 2 kinase gene, together with other DNA repair related genes, has not been fully elucidated in the context of neurofibromatosis. ⋯ This is the first article to describe CHEK2 mutation in both NF1 and NF2. This article highlights a possible role of CHEK2, in association with other germline genetic mutations, in tumorigenesis of NF1 and NF2.