Critical role of hepsin/TMPRSS1 in hearing and tectorial membrane morphogenesis: Insights from transgenic mouse models.

Mutations in various type II transmembrane serine protease (TMPRSS) family members are associated with non-syndromic hearing loss, with some mechanisms still unclear. For instance, the mechanism underlying profound hearing loss and tectorial membrane (TM) malformations in hepsin/TMPRSS1 knockout (KO) mice remains elusive. In this study, we confirmed significantly elevated hearing thresholds and abnormal TM morphology in hepsin KO mice, characterized by enlarged TM with gaps and detachment from the spiral limbus.

Endoscopic resection of primary sinonasal mucosal melanoma with orbital invasion: How I do it.

Primary sinonasal mucosal melanoma is a rare aggressive malignancy. In this video, a case of a 68-year-old female who presented with diplopia for 2 weeks is described. The present video reports the endoscopic endonasal surgical excision of a primary sinonasal mucosal melanoma.

Predicting the Outcomes of Oropharyngeal Surgery in Patients With Obstructive Sleep Apnea Using Tongue-Retaining Devices.

Objective: To determine the efficacy of a tongue-retaining device (TRD) in predicting the outcomes of oropharyngeal surgery in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) before surgery.

Study Design: A prospective case-control study.

Setting: A single tertiary medical center.

A predictive survival model for patients with stage IV oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma treated with chemoradiation.

Purpose: To evaluate the pre-treatment and post-treatment clinical factors associated with rate of survival at 1, 3, and 5 years in stage IV oropharyngeal cancer patients treated with concurrent chemoradiation with/without neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study involved 128 Stage IV oropharyngeal cancer patients that were treated at our tertiary referral center between 2008 and 2020. The pre-treatment and post-treatment clinical parameters including nutritional status and inflammatory markers were retrospectively reviewed.

Quantifying the impact of green infrastructure change on landscape patterns using intensity analysis and landscape metrics in the Taipei metropolitan area.

Developing a sound urban green infrastructure system is critical for addressing climate change. Green infrastructure (GI) also plays an essential role in the urban system by providing ecosystem services for urban residents. Although some research on GI has been published in Taiwan, there is a lack of understanding of how changes in land use and GI affect the landscape patterns in urban fringe areas.

Bruns Nystagmus in Cerebellopontine Angle Hemangioblastoma.

Bruns nystagmus is a form of jerk nystagmus that has a localizing value in cerebellopontine angle (CPA) tumors. Hemangioblastomas involving the CPA is rare. A case of a 57-year-old male presented with Bruns nystagmus which led to the discovery of a large CPA hemangioblastoma is described.

Narrow-band imaging for detecting nasal lymphoma.

Introduction: Narrow-band imaging (NBI) is an advanced endoscopic technique that enhances the mucosal neovascularization. The utilization of narrow-band imaging on the detection of nasal lymphomas is not well-established.

Aim: To present a clinical case whose nasal lymphoma was detected with the aid of NBI.

Iatrogenic facial artery pseudoaneurysm.

Tonsillectomy is one of the most common procedures performed by Otolaryngologists. Hemorrhage is the most common complication. Iatrogenic hemorrhage resulting from pseudoaneurysm of the facial artery is rare.

Orbital hemangiopericytoma in an Asian population.

Background/purpose: Hemangiopericytoma is a very rare orbital tumor. The purpose of this study was to report the clinical and histopathological features of six cases of orbital hemangiopericytoma in an Asian population.

Methods: Clinical and histopathological features were reviewed in six patients who were histopathologically confirmed as having primary orbital hemangiopericytoma in National Taiwan University Hospital between May 2001 and December 2010.

Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor of the orbit: malignant transformation from neurofibroma without neurofibromatosis.

A 52-year-old woman suffered from progressive proptosis and vision loss due to a large tumor in her right orbit. Multiple recurrences of the tumor were treated with surgical excision. The pathologic diagnosis in each recurrence was neurofibroma, and the tumor transformed to malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor in the final pathologic diagnosis.

Prevalence of advanced colonic polyps in asymptomatic Chinese.

Aim: To investigate the prevalence of advanced polyps in asymptomatic Chinese and to determine the risk of proximal advanced colonic polyps in subjects with and without polyps in the distal colon.

Methods: Data were collected prospectively during colonoscopic examinations performed in 5 973 subjects as part of health evaluation at our unit from December 1997 to December 2003. Polyps were considered advanced, if they were larger than 10 mm or were tubovillous, villous or malignant.

Increased hyaluronan and CD44 expressions in intravenous leiomyomatosis.

Background: To determine the influence of hyaluronan and its receptor CD44 in the angiogenesis and invasiveness of intravenous leiomyomatosis (IVL).

Methods: Paraffin-embedded sections from four IVL cases and 10 uterine leiomyoma cases were immunohistochemically stained for CD34, CD44, basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), vascular endothelial growth factor, and platelet-derived growth factor and assayed for microvessel densities. Hyaluronan was immunostained by biotinylated hyaluronan-binding peptide and the results were clinically correlated.