J Formos Med Assoc
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Helicobacter pylori infection is one of the most common causes of peptic ulcer disease among children. This study is aimed to investigate the eradication rate of 14-day sequential therapy and the antibiotic resistance of H. pylori in children. ⋯ In treatment-naïve children with H. pylori infection, 14-day sequential therapy is superior to triple therapy, and achieve a high eradication rate (above 90%) in an area of high clarithromycin resistance.
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Redo operation for mitral valve surgery carries higher risks than first time cardiac surgery. The adhesion between sternum and heart, and also the complexity of second time operation make the redo operation more difficult. The robotic surgery carries some benefit in terms of magnification, assisted by the scope view and precise movement of the instruments. We compared the results of our robotic redo mitral valve surgeries with those of conventional re-sternotomy. ⋯ In select patients, robotic redo mitral valve surgery is safe and feasible. It could offer low operative mortality. It is associated with shorter operative times, than re-sternotomy and provides equal immediate operative results.
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Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common skin disease. At present, there is little evidence regarding its impact on patients' health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in Taiwan. Therefore, this study investigated the relationship between AD severity and patients' HRQoL in Taiwan. ⋯ Higher AD severity is associated with poorer HRQoL in Taiwanese AD patients, with AD's effects on symptoms, feelings, and work/school being the most troublesome. Meanwhile, demographic factors did not affect HRQoL significantly.
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Hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) is a heterogeneous group of inherited neurodegenerative disorders characterized by slowly progressive lower limbs spasticity and weakness. HSP type 15 (SPG15) is an autosomal recessive subtype caused by ZFYVE26 mutations. The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency and clinical and genetic features of ZFYVE26 mutations in a Taiwanese HSP cohort. ⋯ SPG15 accounts for approximately 0.5% (1/195) of the Taiwanese HSP cohort. This study identified the first Taiwanese SPG15 case and delineated the clinical, genetic, neuropsychological, and neuroimaging features. These findings expand the mutational spectrum of ZFYVE26 and also broaden the knowledge of clinical and neuropsychological characteristics of SPG15.
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Several strategies have been reported for improving the integrity of transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT). However, no standard has been established. Stratified TURBT (SR) is one of protocols for TURBT, wherein exophytic tumors are first resected and retrieved, and tumor bases are then resected. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the outcomes of SR in patients with nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). ⋯ SR results in a higher detrusor muscle sampling rate and better disease outcomes. Our findings suggest that SR is a promising strategy for TURBT in patients with NMIBC.