Post-COVID-19 Condition and Pulmonary Embolism.

Purpose: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes post-acute sequelae of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), including pulmonary vasculopathy, increasing thrombotic risk. Screening and treating survivors are essential to reduce associated disabilities. We aim to investigate the clinical characteristics of patients with post-COVID-19 condition and pulmonary embolism, as well as their health-related quality of life one year after COVID-19 diagnosis.

Pathogenic Detection by Metagenomic Next-generation Sequencing in Skin and Soft Tissue Infection.

Background/aim: Skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) can be life-threatening, but the conventional bacterial cultures have low sensitivity and are time-consuming. Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) is widely used as a diagnostic tool for detecting pathogens from infection sites. However, the use of mNGS for pathogen detection in SSTIs and related research is still relatively limited.

Clinical outcomes of carbapenem-resistant gram-negative bacterial bloodstream infection in patients with end-stage renal disease in intensive care units: a multicenter retrospective observational study.

Background: Carbapenem-resistant gram-negative bacteria (CRGNB) present a considerable global threat due to their challenging treatment and increased mortality rates, with bloodstream infection (BSI) having the highest mortality rate. Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) undergoing renal replacement therapy (RRT) face an increased risk of BSI. Limited data are available regarding the prognosis and treatment outcomes of CRGNB-BSI in patients with ESRD in intensive care units (ICUs).

Combined Immunotherapy and Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Treatment for Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma With Unknown Primary Origin: A Report of Two Cases and Literature Review.

Background/aim: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) of unknown primary origin is rarely identified and accounts for only 5% of cancers of unknown primary origin (CUP). The disease prognosis is typically poor because of no standard and effective therapy. Our review indicated that 23 cases have been reported and treated with conventional chemotherapy or tyrosine-kinase inhibitors alone; accordingly, most patients showed partial response or progression diseases with short survival time.

Prostate Cancer after Percutaneous Arterial Embolization of the Prostate: A Case Report.

We report a patient with prostate cancer found 2 years after percutaneous arterial embolization (PAE) of the prostate with a rapid increase in prostate specific antigen (PSA) 3 months later, even though the initial result was low. He did not consult a urologist during or after PAE until acute urinary retention developed. The clinical stage was cT2cN1M1b with Gleason grade 5 + 5 = 10.

Compassionate Treatment of Brainstem Tumors with Boron Neutron Capture Therapy: A Case Series.

Brainstem tumors are heterogenous and cancerous glioma tumors arising from the midbrain, pons, and the medulla that are relatively common in children, accounting for 10% to 20% of all pediatric brain tumors. However, the prognosis of aggressive brainstem gliomas remains extremely poor despite aggressive treatment with chemotherapy and radiotherapy. That means there are many life-threatening patients who have exhausted all available treatment options and are beginning to face end-of-life stage.

SARS-CoV-2 E484K Mutation Narrative Review: Epidemiology, Immune Escape, Clinical Implications, and Future Considerations.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spread rapidly over the world and claimed million lives. The virus evolves constantly, and a swarm of mutants is a now major concern globally. Distinct variants could have independently converged on same mutation, despite being detected in different geographic regions, which suggested it could confer an evolutionary advantage.

COVID-19 Screening for Hospitalized Patients: The Role of Expanded Hospital Surveillance in a Low Prevalence Setting.

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic poses a serious threat to healthcare workers and hospitalized patients. Early detection of COVID-19 cases is essential to control the spread in healthcare facilities. However, real-world data on the screening criteria for hospitalized patients remain scarce.

Foveal Microvascular Integrity Association With Anti-VEGF Treatment Response for Diabetic Macular Edema.

Purpose: To investigate the association between foveal microvascular integrity and anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) treatment response for diabetic macular edema (DME).

Methods: This retrospective study enrolled 58 eyes (from 45 patients) with DME. Treatment strategy was three to five monthly anti-VEGF injections followed by a PRN protocol.

and Coinfection in Cobra-Bite Wounds: A Genomic Analysis.

bites cause severe soft tissue injury and are prone to wound infections. The pathogens of bite-wound infections are highly variable in different geographical regions. Here, we report the first coinfection with and from a bite wound with resistome analysis using whole genome sequencing.

Clinical manifestation of multiple wasp stings with details of whole transcriptome analysis: Two case reports.

Introduction: Multiple wasp stings is an emergency result from systemic reactions to the toxin with a wide range of manifestations, and we presented 2 patients with distinct clinical and transcriptomic findings.

Patient Concerns: Two patients without systemic disease presented with nearly 90 painful papules after attacked by a swarm of wasps (Vespa basalis).

Diagnosis: Patient 1 was a 44-year-old healthy male whose clinical manifestations mainly comprised hemolysis, hepatic injury, rhabdomyolysis, and acute kidney injury.

Abiraterone and enzalutamide had different adverse effects on the cardiovascular system: a systematic review with pairwise and network meta-analyses.

Background: Abiraterone and enzalutamide may increase the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC).

Methods: A comprehensive literature search was performed using a combination of keywords related to "abiraterone," "enzalutamide," "prostate cancer," and "adverse events." Phase II-IV randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on abiraterone or enzalutamide for patients with nonmetastatic or metastatic CRPC were included.

Femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery in a patient with traumatic cataract and corneal opacity after LASIK: a case report.

Background: Femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS) has been reported to reduce phacoemulsification time and energy compared to the manual phacoemulsification technique. This technique has been used in several complex cases such as zonular weakness, subluxated lens and traumatic cataracts because it causes less damage to weakened zonules. However, corneal opacity is considered a relative contraindication to FLACS, as it may interfere with laser beam delivery, thus causing unpredictable capsulorhexis and lens fragmentation/liquefaction.

2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Taiwan: Reports of two cases from Wuhan, China.

We reported two cases with community-acquired pneumonia caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) who returned from Wuhan, China in January, 2020. The reported cases highlight non-specific clinical presentations of 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) as well as the importance of rapid laboratory-based diagnosis.

The percentage of resected and ischemic volume determined by a geometric model is a significant predictor of renal functional change after partial nephrectomy.

Purpose: The percentage of parenchyma preserved plays a predominant role in predicting renal function after partial nephrectomy (PN). Currently there is no standard method to estimate preserved renal parenchyma. In this study we propose a formula of the percentage of resected and ischemic volume (PRAIV) determined by a geometric model and evaluate the relationships between renal functional change and PRAIV as well as other clinical parameters.

Modeling and analysis of coagulated liver tissue and its interaction with a scalpel blade.

Radiofrequency-assisted methods have been used in hepatectomy--the resection process of removing liver tissue which encapsulates the tumor from the liver organ. A prototype was built to enable smooth surgical transition between radiofrequency ablation and liver resection. There is a lack of literature on mechanical properties of radiofrequency-ablated liver tissue and the tool-tissue interaction during cutting.

Integrated ablation and division device for liver resection.

Background: Intraoperative blood loss during liver resection may be minimized by ablating the liver parenchyma using radiofrequency (RF) energy. However, it is difficult to estimate the depth of the avascular plane and more RF energy than necessary may be inadvertently used as a result of lack of feedback.

Methods: Laparoscopic liver resection was performed on a live porcine model to determine the feasibility and applicability of a model which integrates ablation and division in a single device.

Genital ulcers as an unusual sign of periodic fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngotonsillitis, cervical adenopathy syndrome: a novel symptom?

Periodic fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngotonsillitis, cervical adenopathy (PFAPA) syndrome, which is characterized by periodic episodes of high fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis, and cervical adenitis, is of unknown etiology and manifests usually before 5 years of age. A patient with periodic fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngotonsillitis, cervical adenopathy syndrome simultaneously presenting with genital ulcers has not been reported previously. We describe a 12-year-old Chinese girl with a 2-year history of periodic fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngotonsillitis, cervical adenopathy syndrome who exhibited vulvar ulcers accompanying an episode of febrile periodic fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngotonsillitis, and cervical adenopathy.