Prognostic Implication of Computational Angiography-Derived Fractional Flow Reserve in Patients With Nonobstructive Coronary Artery Disease.

Background: Risk stratification of patients with symptomatic nonobstructive coronary artery disease remains uncertain. Our study assessed the clinical value of single-vessel, multivessel, and 3-vessel computational angiography-derived fractional flow reserve (caFFR) measurement in patients with nonobstructive coronary artery disease.

Methods And Results: We enrolled patients with ≤50% stenosis with a caFFR value ≥0.

Atherothrombotic Outcomes After Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibitors Versus Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 Inhibitors in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: A Territory-Wide Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: This study compared the risks of atherothrombotic major adverse cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes taking SGLT2 (sodium-glucose cotransporter 2) inhibitors to those taking DPP-4 (dipeptidyl peptidase-4) inhibitors.

Methods And Results: All adult patients (≥18 years of age) with type 2 diabetes and newly prescribed with SGLT2 inhibitors or DPP-4 inhibitors across all public hospitals in Hong Kong between January 2015 and December 2019 were included. Patients were propensity matched in a 1:1 ratio using a caliper distance of 0.

Histiocyte-rich ROS1-rearranged inflammatory myofibroblastic tumour of the trachea: A rare neoplasm presenting with asthma-like symptoms.

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumour is a rare tumour. We present an atypical case of Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumour which was trachea in location, histocyte rich and ROS1 rearranged. The patient presented with upper airway obstruction, which was an asthma mimic.

A double-blind randomized controlled trial of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) for the treatment of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common respiratory disease with acute exacerbation (AECOPD) being a common sequalae which negatively impact health status, rates of hospitalization and readmission, and disease progression. N-acetylcysteine (NAC) has been studied in COPD in both stable state and acute exacerbations, which has been shown to have small beneficial effects in stable COPD, as well as AECOPD. Yet, there has been lack of study with well-designed protocol to assess the role of NAC in more objective outcomes in AECOPD.

Balloon catheter-assisted endoscopic resection for papillary adenoma of non-exposed protruded type (with video).

Papillary adenomas, known precursors to papillary adenocarcinoma, warrant close monitoring due to their malignant potential. Historically, surgical resection represented the mainstay of treatment for papillary adenomas with intraductal extension. However, recent advancements in endoscopic techniques have facilitated the adoption of endoscopic papillectomy as a minimally invasive alternative in carefully selected cases.

The modulation effect of cognition on mentalization in late-life depression: a study of gaze perception-a potential screening tool for high-risk group of late-life depression.

Introduction: Impairment in mentalization is implicated in the development and maintenance of depression. Major depressive disorders showed significant impairment in social cognition and such impairment appears to be positively associated with the severity of depression. Self-referential gaze perception (SRGP), a measurement of mentalization, was predominantly measured in patients with psychosis but rarely examined in late-life depression (LLD).

Statin Therapy Is Associated With a Lower Risk of Heart Failure in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation: A Population-Based Study.

Background: Whether statin use can reduce the risk of heart failure (HF) remains controversial. The present study evaluates the association between statin use and HF in patients with atrial fibrillation.

Methods And Results: Patients with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation from 2010 to 2018 were included.

Clinical Outcomes of Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion Versus Switch of Direct Oral Antcoagulant in Atrial Fibrillation: A Territory-Wide Retrospective Analysis.

Background Left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) has emerged as an alternative to oral anticoagulation therapy for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation, but data comparing LAAO with direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) are sparse. Methods and Results This cohort study compared LAAO (with or without prior anticoagulation) with a switch of one DOAC to another DOAC by 1:2 propensity score matching. The primary outcome was a composite of all-cause mortality, ischemic stroke, and major bleeding.

A rare case of lipoid pneumonia mimicking lung malignancy on radiological imaging: A case report.

Lipoid pneumonia is a rare benign lung disease pathologically characterized by the presence of lipids in the alveoli. It may mimic lung malignancy on radiological imaging. In this case report we present a case of lipoid pneumonia that radiologically manifested as a lung mass and summarize the typical investigation findings and the management of the disease from the literature review to serve as a reminder of and refresh our knowledge of this rare disease entity.

MiR-410-3p suppresses primary gastric cancer and exosomes regulate endogenous expression of miR-410-3p.

MicroRNAs play significant roles in cancer initiation and progression. Exosomes are important extracellular vesicles for transporting molecules to distant sites. This study aims to investigate the functional roles of miR-410-3p in primary gastric cancer, as well as the roles of exosomes in regulating expression of miR-410-3p.

Angioembolization for massive pelvic hematoma after prostatic urethral lift.

Introduction: Pelvic hematomas are a rare complication of prostatic urethral lift. We would like to report the first case of massive pelvic hematoma after prostatic urethral lift that was successfully managed by selective angioembolization.

Case Presentation: An 83-year-old gentleman with benign prostatic hyperplasia underwent prostatic urethral lift.

Consensus Statements on Precision Oncology in the China Greater Bay Area.

Background: Next-generation sequencing comprehensive genomic panels (NGS CGPs) have enabled the delivery of tailor-made therapeutic approaches to improve survival outcomes in patients with cancer. Within the China Greater Bay Area (GBA), territorial differences in clinical practices and health care systems and strengthening collaboration warrant a regional consensus to consolidate the development and integration of precision oncology (PO). Therefore, the Precision Oncology Working Group (POWG) formulated standardized principles for the clinical application of molecular profiling, interpretation of genomic alterations, and alignment of actionable mutations with sequence-directed therapy to deliver clinical services of excellence and evidence-based care to patients with cancer in the China GBA.

Evaluating High-Confidence Genes in Conotruncal Cardiac Defects by Gene Burden Analyses.

Background In nonsyndromic conotruncal cardiac defects, the use of next-generation sequencing for clinical diagnosis is increasingly adopted, but gene-disease associations in research are only partially translated to diagnostic panels, suggesting a need for evidence-based consensus. Methods and Results In an exome data set of 245 patients with conotruncal cardiac defects, we performed burden analysis on a high-confidence congenital heart disease gene list (n=132) with rare (<0.01%) and ultrarare (absent in the Genome Aggregation Database) protein-altering variants.

Prognostic value of cardiac magnetic resonance derived global longitudinal strain analysis in patients with ischaemic and non-ischaemic dilated cardiomyopathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) derived left ventricular global longitudinal strain (LV-GLS) for evaluating dilated cardiomyopathy patients has been addressed in studies with contradictory results. We therefore performed the first systematic review evaluating evidence on the prognostic value of CMR derived LV-GLS for ischaemic (IDCM) and non-ischaemic dilated cardiomyopathy (NDCM) patients. Systematic review (PROSPERO CRD42020171582) identified studies up to January 2021 that measured LV-GLS for predicting major adverse cardiac events among dilated cardiomyopathy patients.

Changing pleural fluid triglyceride levels in cirrhotic chylothorax.

Chylothorax is an uncommon disease entity, but it occasionally poses a diagnostic challenge to physicians. Pleural fluid triglyceride level has been advocated as a screening test to diagnose chylothorax. However, its level can be depressed if there is an additional pathology driving the process of pleural fluid production.

The Independent Association of TSH and Free Triiodothyronine Levels With Lymphocyte Counts Among COVID-19 Patients.

Background: Both lymphopenia and thyroid dysfunction are commonly observed among COVID-19 patients. Whether thyroid function independently correlates with lymphocyte counts (LYM) remains to be elucidated.

Methods: We included consecutive adults without known thyroid disorder admitted to Queen Mary Hospital for COVID-19 from July 2020 to April 2021 who had thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxine (fT4), free triiodothyronine (fT3) and LYM measured on admission.

Videofluoroscopic and manometric outcomes of cricopharyngeus balloon dilation for treatment of pharyngo-esophageal dysphagia associated with nasopharyngeal cancer: A case series.

Background: Problems with pharyngo-esophageal bolus flow have been reported following nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) treatment. While studies using videofluoroscopic assessment have shown balloon dilation can help address this impairment, the impact of dilation on pressure and bolus flow characteristics incorporating high-resolution pharyngeal manometry (HRPM) has not been reported.

Methods: Five cases with pharyngo-esophageal dysphagia post NPC underwent balloon dilation.

Arsenic trioxide targets Hsp60, triggering degradation of p53 and survivin.

The mechanisms of action of arsenic trioxide (ATO), a clinically used drug for the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), have been actively studied mainly through characterization of individual putative protein targets. There appear to be no studies at a system level. Herein, we integrate metalloproteomics through a newly developed organoarsenic probe, As-AC (CHAsNOS) with quantitative proteomics, allowing 37 arsenic binding and 250 arsenic regulated proteins to be identified in NB4, a human APL cell line.

Association Between Radial Versus Femoral Access for Percutaneous Coronary Intervention and Long-Term Mortality.

Background Percutaneous coronary intervention with radial arterial access has been associated with fewer occurrences of major bleeding. However, published data on the long-term mortality and major adverse cardiac events after percutaneous coronary intervention with radial or femoral arterial access are inconclusive. Method and Results This was a territory-wide retrospective cohort study including 26 022 patients who underwent first-ever percutaneous coronary intervention between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2017 in Hong Kong.

Combination atezolizumab, bevacizumab, pemetrexed and carboplatin for metastatic EGFR mutated NSCLC after TKI failure.

Introduction: Acquired resistance to TKI is an important unmet need in the management of EGFR mutated lung cancer. Recent clinical trial IMPower150 suggested that combination approach with VEGF inhibitor, check point inhibitor immunotherapy and platinum-based chemotherapy was effective in oncogene driven lung cancer. The current trial examined the efficacy of a modified regimen in an EGFR mutated cohort.