J Formos Med Assoc
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Real-world evidence on the safety and effectiveness of fingolimod in patients with multiple sclerosis from Taiwan.
Multiple sclerosis is classified as a rare disease in Taiwan. This study evaluated the safety and effectiveness of fingolimod in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) from routine clinical practice in Taiwan. ⋯ Fingolimod 0.5 mg/day treatment with an average of 2 years of exposure was associated with a manageable safety profile, and maintained/improved effectiveness in RRMS patients from Taiwan.
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In advanced or high-grade prostate cancer (PCa), prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is usually elevated, however, some patients may present with low initial PSA (iPSA) levels. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether different iPSA levels were associated with dissimilar clinical outcomes among men with high-grade PCa and advanced disease after robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RaLRP). ⋯ In patients with high-grade locally-advanced PCa, a low iPSA level was associated with a higher risk of disease progression, but not with biochemical recurrence. In this unique population, serum PSA may not be a reliable marker to detect disease progression. Monitoring of these patients may warrant other biomarkers or imaging.
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Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory disease commonly seen in children and increasingly recognized in adults. With recent advances in the therapeutic development for AD, the Taiwanese Dermatological Association (TDA) established a committee to update the consensus for AD management in Taiwan. This report describes the 2020 updated consensus for the management of AD. ⋯ Topical corticosteroids with long-term emollient-based therapies remain the cornerstone of AD treatment. Systemic treatments are indicated when topical therapies and phototherapy fail to control the disease. The recent approval of dupilumab and emerging targeted therapies are expected to bring significant clinical benefit for patients whose disease is inadequately managed by existing options.
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The aim of this study was to determine the value of drug-induced sleep ultrasonography (DISU) for evaluating tongue base thickness (TBT) from the awake state to drug-induced sleep, to further understand the impact of dynamic changes in TBT in obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) patients. ⋯ Our findings validate the use of DISU in objectively assessing the tongue base collapse in OSA patients. It provides a convenient and non-invasive way to evaluate the upper airway changes in OSA patients in the future.
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Typhoon Morakot in August 2009 caused significant damages and health and socio-economic impacts in Taiwan. Therefore, we evaluated the mental health status of adult and patients who lived in the affected area after the disaster. ⋯ The mental health statuses of patients who experienced a major natural disaster deteriorated in the elderly population after the disaster. However, we still need pay more attentions on the elderly of the affected population to decrease the risk for insomnia and depressive disorders after the disaster.