Publications by authors named "Kevin Phan"

Summary: Palmoplantar keratoderma (PPK), characterised by excessive epidermal thickening of the skin on the palms and/or plantar surfaces of the feet, can be hereditary or acquired. Here, we report a case of a 53-year-old woman with a history of sub-optimally controlled diabetes mellitus presenting with fevers and decreased Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) to a tertiary hospital. She was diagnosed with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), with blood glucose at 40 mmol/L and ketones at 7 mmol/L, in the setting of a methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus necrotising soft tissue back infection.

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High-quality randomized trial evidence is lacking on whether low-dose aspirin exerts significant effects on blood pressure (BP) in older adults. The authors assessed longitudinal BP changes in participants enrolled in ASPirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly (ASPREE), a randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 100 mg daily aspirin in 19 114 community-dwelling Australian and U.S.

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Background: Although eyelid melanomas represent less than 1% of eyelid neoplasms, they have the worst prognosis. Wide local excision (WLE) and Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) are mainstay treatment options. We conducted a retrospective analysis to assess all-cause and cause-specific mortality rates in patients undergoing WLE or MMS for eyelid melanoma.

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Several studies have shown promising outcomes of the Woven EndoBridge (WEB) device for the treatment of wide-necked intracranial bifurcation aneurysms. This is a multicenter study attempts to explore the changes in trends and treatment outcomes over time for WEB embolization of intracranial aneurysms. The WorldWideWEB consortium is a retrospective multicenter collaboration of data from international centers spanning from January 2011 and June 2021, with no limitations on aneurysm location or rupture status.

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Article Synopsis
  • Lynch syndrome is linked to a high risk of hereditary colorectal cancer, but there is limited research on survival rates and the occurrence of new tumors in patients.
  • A systematic review of original studies identified 15 relevant studies out of nearly 2,000, revealing that overall survival rates were 89.5% at 5 years, 80.5% at 10 years, and 70% at 15 years, with no significant differences based on sex or tumor characteristics.
  • The study also found that the rate of metachronous tumors ranged from 12% to 33%, which significantly decreased to 0-6% in patients who had subtotal or total colectomy procedures.
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Background: The spine surgeon's understanding of an individual patient's burden of disease and functional disability in daily life is shaped by patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). Although PROMs are useful in understanding the patient's perception of their disease, the use of PROMs constitutes a "snapshot" approach of single timepoint data capture, omitting day-to-day fluctuations in functional status. We introduce the concept of kinetics when considering continuous and objective postoperative patient monitoring with wearable sensors.

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Scalp dysesthesia is characterized by abnormal cutaneous sensations such as burning, stinging, or itching of the scalp. This condition is particularly challenging to manage as there is a lack of well-established treatments. By limiting release of neurotransmitters such as substance P, glutamate, and calcitonin gene-related peptide, botulinum toxin may have a role in ameliorating neuropathic pain.

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Plantar fasciitis is the most common cause of heel pain, accounting for up to 15% of medical foot inquiries. Autologous fat grafting (AFG) is a promising new treatment for plantar fasciitis, whereby the injection of fat may promote a cushioning effect on the heel and reduce plantar pressure, thereby reducing heel pain. We present the case of a patient with chronic plantar fasciitis treated with AFG with significant improvement in foot pain and functional scores.

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Background/purpose: The complications of breast reconstruction using deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flaps in non-slim patients are well recognized. However, the effects of this surgery performed on slim patients are yet to be consolidated. This study aims to compare the outcomes of performing DIEP flap breast reconstruction in slim and non-slim body mass index (BMI) patients.

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  • The Woven EndoBridge (WEB) device is FDA-approved for treating wide-necked bifurcation aneurysms, but its effectiveness across different locations has only been studied in limited case series.
  • A research study analyzed data from 572 aneurysms treated with the WEB device at 22 academic institutions, focusing on various bifurcation types, including AComA, ACA, basilar tip, ICA, and MCA aneurysms.
  • Results showed that basilar tip (91.6%) and ICA bifurcation (96.7%) aneurysms had significantly higher occlusion rates compared to ACA (71.4%) and AComA (80.6%) aneurysms, making this the largest study to assess
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Context: Anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) is a common procedure for patients suffering degenerative, deformity, or posttraumatic pathologies of the lumbar spine.

Aims: The aim of this study is to evaluate the clinical and radiological outcomes of a combination Titanium/Polyetheretherketone (Ti/PEEK) 3-screw fixation ALIF cage.

Settings And Design: This was a prospective multisurgeon series of 87 patients (105 implants), with a minimum 24-month follow-up.

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Background: Patients frequently use the internet to gain information and make decisions about their health conditions. This work aims to assess the quality of information about Vestibular Schwannoma on a popular video sharing platform, YouTube (Alphabet Inc.).

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Background: To analyse the clinical characteristics of COVID-19 with acute ischaemic stroke (AIS) and identify factors predicting functional outcome.

Methods: Multicentre retrospective cohort study of COVID-19 patients with AIS who presented to 30 stroke centres in the USA and Canada between 14 March and 30 August 2020. The primary endpoint was poor functional outcome, defined as a modified Rankin Scale (mRS) of 5 or 6 at discharge.

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Introduction: The spleen provides a unique immune function in its production of opsins directed against encapsulated bacteria. Splenectomy, therefore, increases the risk of infections in patients as well as post-operative complications. This study aims to assess the risk of post-operative complications within 5 years of splenectomy by indication for splenectomy: trauma, disease, or in association with a distal pancreatectomy for pancreatic disease.

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  • Biologics are a promising treatment option for children with moderate-to-severe psoriasis, with no previous comprehensive reviews available.
  • A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized control trials (RCTs) found that biologics significantly improve psoriasis severity, with a large odds ratio indicating a 75% improvement in the condition within 12-16 weeks.
  • Although the study shows that biologics have a favorable side effect profile, limitations include variability in study designs and the types of biologics assessed across the included trials.
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Article Synopsis
  • * A systematic review was conducted to analyze current literature on off-label esthetic uses of botulinum toxin, including randomized and observational studies, as well as case reports.
  • * The review highlights that while evidence for these off-label uses is still weak, it indicates growing support for the application of botulinum toxin in dermatology.
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Minimally invasive interspinous process devices (IPD), including interspinous distraction devices (IDD) and interspinous stabilizers (ISS), are increasingly utilized for treating symptomatic lumbar canal stenosis (LCS). There is ongoing debate around their efficacy and safety over traditional decompression techniques with and without interbody fusion (IF). This study presents a comprehensive review of IPD and investigates if: (I) minimally invasive IDD can effectively substitute direct neural decompression and (II) ISS are appropriate substitutes for fusion after decompression.

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V-raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog B1 (BRAF) inhibitors have emerged as a promising targeted therapy for malignancies with BRAF mutations, particularly metastatic melanoma. However, granulomatous reactions (GRs), including sarcoidosis and sarcoid-like reactions, have been reported as a consequence of BRAF inhibition. It is important to adequately characterize these GRs, including cutaneous manifestations and systemic involvement, in order to guide investigations and management.

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