Effect of a Nurse-Led Support Program Using Mobile Application Versus Nurse Phone Advice on Patients at Risk of Coronary Artery Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a major health problem of atherosclerotic cardiovascular (CV) disease and early intervention is regarded important. Given the proven effect of a lifestyle intervention with nursing telephone counselling and mHealth use in health care, yet the comparisons of both support are lacking, this study is proposed.

Objectives: This study aimed to compare the effects of a coronary artery disease (CAD) support program using a mobile application versus nurse phone advice on exercise amount and physical and psychological outcomes for clients at risk of CAD.

The 2024 APLAR Consensus on the Management of Lupus Nephritis.

The APLAR has published a set of recommendations on the management of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in 2021. The current consensus paper supplements and updates specifically the treatment of lupus nephritis (LN) according to two rounds of Delphi exercise from members of the APLAR SLE special interest group, invited nephrologists, histopathologists, and lupus nephritis patients. For initial treatment of LN, we recommend a combination of glucocorticoids (GCs) with cyclophosphamide (CYC), mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), or the calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs) as first-line options.

Artefacts and diagnostic pitfalls in contrast-enhanced mammography: a pictorial review.

Contrast-enhanced mammography (CEM) is an advanced emerging imaging technique that uses iodine contrast medium to improve breast cancer detection. Understanding CEM artefacts and pitfalls is important to prevent diagnostic misinterpretation. This article aims to provide a comprehensive review of the artefacts and potential diagnostic pitfalls encountered in CEM, focusing on their characteristic imaging features and strategies to mitigate these issues.

The impact of timing of temozolomide chemoradiotherapy for newly diagnosed glioblastoma on patient overall survival: A multicenter retrospective study.

Background: The optimal timing of initiating adjuvant temozolomide (TMZ) chemoradiotherapy after surgery in patients with glioblastoma is contentious. This study aimed to determine whether the timing of adjuvant treatment affects their overall survival (OS).

Methods: Consecutive adult patients with histologically-confirmed newly diagnosed glioblastoma treated with adjuvant TMZ chemoradiotherapy across all neurosurgical centers in Hong Kong between 2006 and 2020 were analyzed.

Post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 in cancer patients: Two cohorts in UK and Hong Kong.

Background: Limited research exists on the risks and spectrum of complications in post-acute phase of COVID-19 in cancer patients. This study aimed to evaluate the post-acute effects of COVID-19 on different types of morbidities among cancer patients across two regions with different healthcare systems and dominant variants of COVID-19.

Materials And Methods: Cancer patients with COVID-19 from the UK Biobank (UKB, n = 2230; March 16, 2020 to May 31, 2021; pre-Omicron-variants dominant) and electronic medical records in Hong Kong (HK cohort, n = 22,335; April 1, 2020 to October 31, 2022; Omicron-variant dominant) were included.

Multimodal multiphasic preoperative image-based deep-learning predicts HCC outcomes after curative surgery.

Background And Aims: HCC recurrence frequently occurs after curative surgery. Histological microvascular invasion (MVI) predicts recurrence but cannot provide preoperative prognostication, whereas clinical prediction scores have variable performances.

Approach And Results: Recurr-NET, a multimodal multiphasic residual-network random survival forest deep-learning model incorporating preoperative CT and clinical parameters, was developed to predict HCC recurrence.

Sonographic Sling Position and the Outcome of the Tension-Free Vaginal Tape-Obturator in Asian Chinese.

Introduction And Hypothesis: The objective was to assess the sonographic tension-free vaginal tape-obturator (TVT-O) position and the outcome in Asian Chinese women.

Methods: A prospective cohort study of 254 patients who underwent TVT-O surgery between 2013 and 2022. The sonographic position of the TVT-O was recorded and correlated with the outcomes, including the subjective cure rates, Incontinence Impact Questionnaire 7 (IIQ-7), and retention of urine.

Automatic identification of clinically important species by artificial intelligence-based image recognition: proof-of-concept study.

While morphological examination is the most widely used for identification in clinical laboratories, PCR-sequencing and MALDI-TOF MS are emerging technologies in more financially-competent laboratories. However, mycological expertise, molecular biologists and/or expensive equipment are needed for these. Recently, artificial intelligence (AI), especially image recognition, is being increasingly employed in medicine for fast and automated disease diagnosis.

Outcomes of endovascular thrombectomy for acute ischaemic stroke in patients aged ≥80 years: A Hong Kong stroke center experience.

Background: Elderly patients contribute to the large proportion of ischaemic stroke worldwide. Currently, treatment for elderly stroke remains aggressive, as the exact age cutoff for endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) has not been well established due to a lack of large-scale randomized control trials. In this study we investigate the difference in outcome after EVT in the octogenarian and above, compared to their younger counterparts.

Early Outcomes of Preoperative Short Course Radiotherapy With Simultaneous Integrated Boost and Response-adapted Chemotherapy for Advanced Rectal Cancer.

Background And Purpose: Limited evidence exists for dose escalation in neoadjuvant short course radiotherapy (SCRT) for rectal cancer. With enhanced imaging and radiotherapy techniques over the past decades along with the valuable endpoint of pathological complete response (pCR), we believe SCRT with simultaneous integrated boost could potentially provide deeper pathological responses and improve local control.

Methods And Materials: Between January 2020 and December 2022, locoregional-advanced rectal cancer patients that were treated with neoadjuvant SCRT with simultaneous integrated boost up to 5.

Training the next generation of onco-radiologists: The Hong Kong experience.

Oncologic Radiology (OR) is a new higher subspecialty training programme developed by the Hong Kong College of Radiologists. Instead of the traditional organ-centric approach, the curriculum ensures exposure in a wide spectrum of cancers to trainees who wish to pursue a career in cancer imaging and interventions. The OR training is hands-on and trainees will learn to interpret and report many imaging modalities including ultrasound, mammography, computed tomography and magnetic resonance.

Endoscopic Resection of Horseshoe Ganglion of the Great Toe.

Twelve percent of the foot ganglion cysts occur on the toes, and they are often symptomatic and recurrent. When conservative treatment failed, surgical excision is recommended, which is classically an open resection of the ganglion cyst. However, communicating lesions between ganglion cysts and the interphalangeal joint or tendon sheath make it difficult to prevent a recurrence.

Scabies in 604 Patients: A Glimpse into the Disease Burden and Its Associated Mortality in Hong Kong.

Scabies is a worldwide parasitic dermatosis with a significant health burden on the young and the elderly. Statistics about the prevalence of scabies in Hong Kong are not available. This is a retrospective study of patients from a regional hospital cluster in Hong Kong with microscopy-documented infestations from January 2018 to December 2022.