J Formos Med Assoc
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Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is a standard procedure in the management of clinically node-negative melanoma. However, few studies have been performed on SLNB in Asia, which is an acral melanoma-prevalent area. This study evaluated the clinicopathologic prognostic factors of disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) in Taiwanese patients with cutaneous melanoma who received wide excision and SLNB. The prognosis of patients with false-negative (FN) SLNB was also evaluated. ⋯ Except for the pathologic subtypes, prognostic factors in Taiwan are similar to those used in other melanoma-prevalent countries. Identifying and closely monitoring patients at risk of nodal recurrence after a negative SLNB is important.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Intramuscular olanzapine versus intramuscular haloperidol plus lorazepam for the treatment of acute schizophrenia with agitation: An open-label, randomized controlled trial.
To compare the efficacy and safety profile between intramuscular (IM) olanzapine and IM haloperidol plus IM lorazepam in acute schizophrenic patients with moderate to severe agitation. ⋯ The findings suggest that IM haloperidol (5 mg) plus lorazepam (2 mg) is not inferior to IM olanzapine (10 mg) in the treatment of acute schizophrenic patients with moderate to severe agitation (ClinialTrials.gov identifier number NCT00797277).
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Review Case Reports
An endovascular treatment of a thoracic aortic injury caused by a misplaced pedicle screw: Case report and review of the literature.
Aortic injuries are devastating complications after spinal surgery. We here would like to share our experience with a successful endovascular treatment of an iatrogenic thoracic aortic injury caused by misplaced pedicle screw after spinal surgery. A patient underwent posterior spinal surgery for L1 burst fracture was transferred to our department for instrumentation removal. ⋯ Complete screw extraction and instrumentation removal were performed after the placement of a thoracic aortic stent graft covering the injured region. The patient had an uneventful postoperative period and no complications were observed in the 1 and 12-month follow-up by contrast-enhanced CT scans. For the delayed thoracic aortic injuries which usually were usually shown on CT scans as pseudoaneurysm or penetration of the aorta, stent graft implantation would provide a preferred solution with high-effectiveness, low-invasiveness and fewer complications compared with conventional open surgery.
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Review Historical Article
Ebola virus disease in nonendemic countries.
The 2014 West African outbreak of Ebola virus disease was unprecedented in its scale and has resulted in transmissions outside endemic countries. Clinicians in nonendemic countries will most likely face the disease in returning travelers, either among healthcare workers, expatriates, or visiting friends and relatives. Clinical suspicion for the disease must be heightened for travelers or contacts presenting with compatible clinical syndromes, and strict infection control measures must be promptly implemented to minimize the risk of secondary transmission within healthcare settings or in the community. We present a concise review on human filoviral disease with an emphasis on issues that are pertinent to clinicians practicing in nonendemic countries.
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Through a genome-wide linkage scan, an Icelandic genetic research group identified two new genes associated with ischemic stroke: the 5-lipoxygenase activating protein (ALOX5AP) gene and the phosphodiesterase 4D (PDE4D) gene. Because they regulate arterial inflammation and are closely related to atherosclerosis and plaque instability, these two mutated genes have become a research hotspot. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between the risk of ischemic stroke and single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the ALOX5AP and PDE4D genes in a southeastern Chinese population. ⋯ No association was found between SNPs of ALOX5AP or PDE4D and the risk of overall ischemic stroke in a southeastern Chinese population. Interactions between these two genes were not risk factors for cerebral infarction. In atherothrombotic and small-artery disease subtypes, none of the seven SNPs was associated with any stroke risk; however, the ALOX5AP gene might be related to ischemic stroke incidence in females.