Impact of Smoking on Overall and Cancer-Specific Mortality in Prostate Cancer: Elevated Risks in Older and Early-Stage Patients-A Population-Based Study.

Prostate cancer (PCa) ranks sixth in cancer mortality among Taiwanese men, with smoking rates remaining high despite the 2009 Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act. This study used the Taiwan Cancer Registry to evaluate smoking's impact on PCa mortality, providing important information for healthcare strategies and patient management. From 2011 to 2017, 23,107 PCa patients were analyzed, with 7164 smokers and 15,943 non-smokers.

Associations of diabetes status and glucose measures with outcomes after endovascular therapy in patients with acute ischemic stroke: an analysis of the nationwide TREAT-AIS registry.

Background: Hyperglycemia affects the outcomes of endovascular therapy (EVT) for acute ischemic stroke (AIS). This study compares the predictive ability of diabetes status and glucose measures on EVT outcomes using nationwide registry data.

Methods: The study included 1,097 AIS patients who underwent EVT from the Taiwan Registry of Endovascular Thrombectomy for Acute Ischemic Stroke.

Comparing Low- or Standard-Dose Alteplase in Endovascular Thrombectomy: Insights From a Nationwide Registry.

Background: Timely intravenous thrombolysis and endovascular thrombectomy are the standard reperfusion treatments for large vessel occlusion stroke. Currently, it is unknown whether a low-dose thrombolytic agent (0.6 mg/kg alteplase) can offer similar efficacy to the standard dose (0.

Effectiveness of Standard-Dose vs. Low-Dose Alteplase for Acute Ischemic Stroke Within 3-4.5 h.

Background: The efficacy and safety of intravenous alteplase administered 3-4.5 h after acute ischemic stroke have been demonstrated. However, whether responses differ between low-dose and standard-dose alteplase during this time window and whether certain subgroups benefit more remain unknown.

Clinical Manifestations of Pediatric Food Allergy: a Contemporary Review.

Food allergies (FAs) are an emerging health care issue, and a "second wave of the allergy epidemic" was named. There are extensive data that documented the prevalence rate as high as approximately 10%. FAs are immunological adverse reactions, including IgE-mediated mechanisms, cell-mediated mechanisms, or mixed IgE- and cell-mediated mechanisms.

Intravenous Thrombolysis Administration 3-4.5 h After Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Retrospective, Multicenter Study.

Intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) has been approved for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) within 3 h after onset and the treatment was then extended to 4.5 h. However, the Food and Drug Administration did not approve the indication in the expanded time window.

Increased risk of non-multiple sclerosis demyelinating syndromes in patients with preexisting septicaemia: a nationwide retrospective cohort study.

Background: Growing evidence shows links between septicaemia and non-multiple sclerosis demyelinating syndromes (NMSDS); nevertheless, epidemiological data are still very limited. This study aimed to explore the relationship between septicaemia and NMSDS in a general population.

Methods: The study included 482 781 individuals diagnosed with septicaemia and 1 892 825 age/sex-matched non-septicaemia patients for the comparison.

One-Year Risk of Recurrent Stroke and Death Associated with Vertebrobasilar Artery Stenosis and Occlusion in a Cohort of 10,515 Patients.

Background: The natural history of vertebrobasilar artery (VBA) stenosis or occlusion remains understudied.

Methods: Patients with diagnosis of ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) who were noted to have VBA stenosis based on computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging or catheter-based angiogram were selected from Taiwan Stroke Registry. Cox proportional hazards model was used to determine the hazards ratio (HR) of recurrent stroke and death within 1 year of index event in various groups based on severity of VBA stenosis (none to mild: 0-49%; moderate to severe: 50-99%: occlusion: 100%) after adjusting for differences in demographic and clinical characteristics between groups at baseline evaluation.

Renal dysfunction increases the risk of recurrent stroke in patients with acute ischemic stroke.

Background And Aims: This study investigated risks of short-term (1 and 3 months) and long-term (1-year) recurrent stroke associated with glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in patients with acute ischemic stroke.

Methods: From the Taiwan Stroke Registry data, we identified 45,876 acute ischemic stroke patients from April 2006 to April 2014 and classified them into 4 groups based on the eGFR at admission: ≥ 90, 60-89, 30-59, and <30 mL/min/1.73 m or on dialysis.

The association between septicemia and the risk of multiple sclerosis: a nationwide register-based retrospective cohort study in Taiwan.

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. Few studies focused on the relationship between septicemia and MS.

Aim: To evaluate the potential impact of septicemia on risk for MS.

Renal function is associated with 1-month and 1-year mortality in patients with ischemic stroke.

Background And Aims: Renal dysfunction is a potent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, including stroke. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of admission estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) levels on short-term (1-month) and long-term (1-year) mortality in patients with acute ischemic stroke.

Methods: From the Taiwan Stroke Registry data, we classified ischemic stroke patients, identified from April 2006 to December 2015, into 5 groups by eGFR at admission: ≥ 90, 60-89, 30-59, 15-29, and <15 mL/min/1.

Significant Association Between Low Mitochondrial DNA Content in Peripheral Blood Leukocytes and Ischemic Stroke.

Background: Cumulative evidence has shown that low mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) content is related to elevated oxidative stress and atherosclerosis, which play important roles in ischemic stroke. The objective of this study was to explore the association between mtDNA content in peripheral blood leukocytes and ischemic stroke.

Methods And Results: A total of 350 patients with first-ever ischemic stroke and 350 healthy controls were recruited in this case-control study.

Cholesterol Levels Are Associated with 30-day Mortality from Ischemic Stroke in Dialysis Patients.

Background: We investigated the impact of serum cholesterol levels on 30-day mortality after ischemic stroke in dialysis patients.

Methods: From the Taiwan Stroke Registry data, we identified 46,770 ischemic stroke cases, including 1101 dialysis patients and 45,669 nondialysis patients from 2006 to 2013.

Results: Overall, the 30-day mortality was 1.

Blood Pressure, Carotid Flow Pulsatility, and the Risk of Stroke: A Community-Based Study.

Background And Purpose: High blood pressure is a major cause of cardiovascular events, and carotid flow pulsatility may be associated with cardiovascular events. However, the combined effect of blood pressure and flow pulsatility on the development of stroke remains unclear. Therefore, we investigated the combined influence of central blood pressure and pulsatility index (PI) on the incidence of stroke.

Alterations of the Neuroinflammatory Markers IL-6 and TRAIL in Alzheimer's Disease.

Objective: We aimed to identify biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in order to improve diagnostic accuracy at mild stage.

Methods: AD patients aged >50 years were included in the disease group. We evaluated the relationship between potential blood and cerebrospinal fluid inflammatory biomarkers, cognitive status, temporal lobe atrophy and disease severity.

Fatal community-acquired pneumonia: 18 years in a medical center.

Background: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) remains a significant cause of childhood morbidity worldwide. We analyzed the etiologies and the clinical characteristics of children who died from CAP. This study aimed at early identification of the poor prognostic factors in order to improve the efficiency of pneumonia management and prevent deaths.

Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome in mixed small cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma of extrapulmonary origin.

A patient with typical Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) has a clinical manifestation of proximal muscle weaknesses, a larger-than-100% incremental change in repetitive nerve stimulation on high-rate stimulation electrophysiological testing, and a paraneoplastic origin from small cell carcinoma of the lung. Here, we present a patient with an atypical myasthenic syndrome with an oculobulbar-predominant muscle involvement, a borderline incremental change in repetitive nerve stimulation at high frequencies, and a paraneoplastic origin from extrapulmonary mixed small cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. The purpose of this report is to emphasize the importance of painstaking scrutiny in the examination of a patient with a less-common presentation of LEMS.

Technical modification of retroperitoneal laparoscopic adrenalectomy for primary hyperaldosteronism and clinical outcomes.

Background/objective: Standard laparoscopic adrenalectomy requires early control of the main adrenal vein; however, the small retroperitoneal working space is challenging for beginners to perform this maneuver. We report a technical modification of retroperitoneal laparoscopic adrenalectomy (RLA) for primary hyperaldosteronism (PHA) and the clinical outcomes.

Methods: A total of 38 RLAs were performed for the patients with PHA.

Impact of alfuzosin on sexual function in Taiwanese men with benign prostatic hyperplasia.

To assess the effect of alfuzosin (XATRAL) 10 mg once daily on sexual function in men with moderate to severe lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), patients with suggestive symptomatic BPH, an International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) >8 (range of scores, 0-35), and sexual attempts at least once per month were enrolled. All patients received alfuzosin 10 mg once daily for 24 weeks and were asked to complete the IPSS test and Male Sexual Health Questionnaire at weeks 0 (baseline), 1, 4, 12, and 24. Other assessments included the International Index of Erectile Function-five-item version (range of scores: 5-25), as well as onset of action and peak urinary flow rate (Q(max)).

Perfusion status of the stroke-like lesion at the hyperacute stage in MELAS.

Hypoperfusion on single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) of the stroke-like lesion (SLL) at the hyperacute stage of mitochondrial encephalopathy with lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes (MELAS) is considered to be a supportive evidence of the mitochondrial angiopathy theory. Our objectives were to examine whether other neuroimages, especially transcranial color-coded sonography (TCCS), done at the hyperacute stage of stroke-like episode (SLE) is consistent with hypoperfusion of the SLL. We reviewed the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), SPECT, cerebral angiography, and TCCS of a patient with MELAS syndrome, all of which were performed at the hyperacute stage of one SLE.

Somatic neuropathy is an independent predictor of all- and diabetes-related mortality in type 2 diabetic patients: a population-based 5-year follow-up study (KCIS No. 29).

Background And Purpose: To investigate the relationships of diabetic neuropathy to all-cause and diabetes-related mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes after controlling for significant correlates.

Methods: We examined 326 patients diagnosed as diabetic polyneuropathy by nerve conduction study in Keelung city, Taiwan, in 2002 and followed them up to ascertain the cause and date of death until the end of 2006. The cause and date of death were recorded for the deceased patients.

Complicated Candida parapsilosis peritonitis on peritoneal dialysis in a neonate with renal failure because of bilateral adrenal abscesses.

We present a full-term female infant with a difficult delivery course complicated with Escherichia coli sepsis and bilateral adrenal abscesses. She developed renal failure and received peritoneal dialysis. Peritonitis of Candida parapsilosis developed later.

Extramammary Paget's disease of the scrotum.

Extramammary Paget's disease is an uncommon intra-epidermal malignant neoplasm that arises in area rich in apocrine glands. Common sites of occurrence include the vulva, perianal region, perineum, and scrotum. The lesion may be accompanied by an invasive adenocarcinoma or adenocarcinoma in situ of the apocrine glands.