Taiwan

BACKGROUND: This study examines incidence, mortality, medical expenditure and prescription patterns for asthma on a national scale, particularly in Asian countries for asthma is limited. Our aim is to investigate incidence, mortality, prescription patterns and provide a comprehensive overview of healthcare utilization trends for asthma from 2009 to 2018. METHODS: We included patients diagnosed with asthma between 2009 and 2018. We excluded patients with missing demographic data...

BACKGROUND: Swertia banzragczii and S. marginata are important medicinal species in Mongolia. However, their taxonomic positions and genetic backgrounds remain unknown. In this study, we explored the complete chloroplast genomes and DNA barcoding of these species and compared them with those of closely related species within the subgenus to determine their taxonomic positions and phylogenetic relationships. RESULT: The chloroplast genomes of S. banzragczii and S...

PURPOSE: This study is aimed at the seniors of the "2022 Taiwan Senior Citizens Fitness Club Subsidy Plan" with a sample. METHOD: The doctor will diagnose and confirm whether the physical condition suits participation. Then, the professional sports instructor will design and arrange a progressive fitness enhancement group course suitable for the Senior person's physical fitness, conducted four times a week, every 2 h, for three months of group course training...

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify new independent significant SNPs associated with osteoporosis using data from the Taiwan Biobank (TWBB). MATERIAL AND METHODS: The dataset was divided into discovery (60%) and replication (40%) subsets. Following data quality control, genome-wide association study (GWAS) analysis was performed, adjusting for sex, age, and the top 5 principal components, employing the Scalable and Accurate Implementation of the Generalized mixed model approach...

BACKGROUND: Primary tumor resection and metastasectomy may be beneficial for many patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). OBJECTIVE: To assess the differences in postoperative survival outcomes between adjuvant therapy with chemotherapy alone and chemotherapy plus targeted agents (TAs). DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. METHODS: Patients with mCRC who underwent surgical resection for primary colorectal tumor and distant metastases and received adjuvant therapy from 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2017 were enrolled in the Taiwan Cancer Registry...

This case report presents a unique instance of a 55-year-old male patient exhibiting features of both Terrien marginal degeneration (TMD) and Fuchs' superficial marginal keratitis. Characterized by peripheral corneal thinning vascularization, and a pseudopterygium, the patient experienced recurrent photophobia, redness, and tearing over 15 years. This case challenges the traditional distinction between TMD and Fuchs' superficial marginal keratitis, suggesting a potential common underlying disorder. Mycophenolate mofetil provided a partial response, while pseudopterygium removal led to sustained remission, emphasizing its therapeutic significance...

Since the establishment of the first eye bank in the 1940s, their role has evolved to face new challenges. With the recent development of lamellar keratoplasties, eye banks play an even bigger role in the selection and preparation of donor tissues. The increasing number of keratoplasty techniques and the high demand for "ready-to-use" tissues are challenging eye banks to improve and develop new preparation techniques. Besides necessary examinations, new approaches of tissue analysis in eye banks allow a better/optimized selection of corneal tissues...

Ocular comorbidities can happen as congenital defective gene associations. We present a 37-year-old female patient who was mentally challenged and had coexisting achromatopsia gene abnormality on genetic analysis. She was operated in childhood for congenital cataract, and posterior chamber intraocular lens (IOL) was implanted at 10 years of age elsewhere. The patient presented 27 years later with luxated IOL with endothelial decompensation. There was a coexisting steep and thin cornea noted on corneal topography...

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PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of ripasudil in managing various corneal edema conditions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This single-center retrospective analysis was conducted at Hadassah Medical Center and involved 16 patients with 17 eyes. Patients were selected based on diagnostic criteria, primarily corneal edema. The conditions were as follows, listed by frequency: postcataract surgery (31.25%), postpenetrating keratoplasty (25%), post-Descemet's membrane endothelial keratoplasty (18...

The purpose of this study was to describe a case and clinical course of simultaneous anterior chamber phakic intraocular lens (AC-pIOL) removal, implantation of a posterior chamber phakic intraocular implantable collamer lens (ICL), and Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK). This was a case report of a 44-year-old male with a unilateral decompensated cornea from a displaced Duet-Kelman lens on his left eye that underwent pIOL extraction and implantation of a posterior chamber phakic intraocular ICL and simultaneous DMEK...

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to investigate visual and tomographic outcomes and complications of long-arc length intrastromal corneal ring segment (ICRS) implantation for the treatment of advanced keratoconus. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study enrolled 10 eyes of 9 subjects. All patients received 320-degree ICRS (320-ICRS) implantation with femtosecond laser-assisted technique based on their advanced grading with preoperative high keratometry (K) value, asphericity (Q), and astigmatism...

A posteriorly dislocated lens is often managed with a fragmatome through a pars plana approach because it is difficult to manage anteriorly. The lens often sinks to the surface of the retina or floats around in the vitreous cavity during pars plana lensectomy. Mechanical trauma can occur while removing the dislocated lens fragments. However, sometimes the lens can be confined to the anterior vitreous cavity even though the zonules are completely disrupted. It would be ideal if there was a simple way to stabilize and support the lens so that the lens could remain in the posterior chamber while phacoemulsification is performed through a corneal incision as usual...

Unilateral acute idiopathic maculopathy (UAIM) is a rare disease that may cause unilateral vision loss in young adults after a flu-like illness. Occasionally, it is associated with hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD) and is often underdiagnosed. Herein, we report a case with characteristics of UAIM associated with HFMD with acute enteroviral infection. On the basis of the clinical findings using multimodality diagnostic imaging, including fundus image, optical coherence tomography, fluorescence angiography, and serological test for pan-enterovirus RNA polymerase chain reaction, we detailed the clinical course and postulated the pathogenesis of UAIM with choroiditis associated with HFMD...

Corneal crosslinking (CXL) represents a paradigm shift in the management of corneal ectatic disorders. Before CXL was introduced, patients would need specialty contact lenses and possible corneal transplantation. CXL involves a biochemical reaction in which ultraviolet A light is used in conjunction with Riboflavin to form crosslinks in between corneal stromal collagen. This leads to strengthening and stabilizing of the collagen lamellae, resulting in mechanical stiffening of the cornea. Multiple protocols have been proposed including epithelium on versus off and varying light intensity and duration of treatment...

PURPOSE: Lamellar surgeries with SMILE lenticules are an evolving field of refractive surgery. This chapter intends to discuss the reported clinical results of using SMILE derived lenticules in terms of feasibility, safety and predictability; or the potential management of hyperopia, keratoconus, SMILE ectasia and presbyopia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Donor SMILE lenticules were prepared under microscope tocreate doughnut shaped lenticules. For hyperopia, this tissue was then inserted into afemtosecond laser enabled pocket created using VisuMax FS Laser at a depth of 160µm...

This case discussed a significant ocular side effect, bilateral keratitis, which could be induced by afatinib, an irreversible epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI). We explored the disease progression of a 52-year-old, stage IV nasopharyngeal carcinoma male patient, who was under afatinib treatment and had experienced progressive bilateral eye dryness and tenderness on increasing afatinib from 40 mg every other day to 40 mg daily. Clinical examination noted bilateral visual acuity reduction, diffuse superficial punctate keratopathy in the right eye, and a central epithelial defect in the left eye...

Iris mammillations are distinctive uniform nipple-like elevations that cover the anterior surface of the iris partially or totally. It is a rare finding and may coexist with other ocular and extraocular manifestations. Optic nerve pit (ONP), also known as optic disc pit (ODP) or optic hole, is a congenital defect resulting from the failure of fetal fissure closure during the embryonic development. It belongs to the congenital cavitary anomalies spectrum. This case presents a 19-year-old female patient who complained of a gradual decrease in visual acuity in both eyes for 4 years...

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to report the complications of sutureless intrascleral (SIS) intraocular lens (IOL) fixation and its management. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A multicenter, retrospective, consecutive interventional case series of patients with intra or postoperative complications after SIS IOL fixation during the technical learning curve of vitreoretinal surgeons from three Taiwanese referral hospitals. The used surgical techniques were the Scharioth technique for intrascleral tunnel fixation, Yamane technique (double-needle scleral fixation), and modified Yamane technique (double-needle flanged haptic scleral fixation)...

PURPOSE: To verify corneal biomechanical changes, poststromal augmentation using myopic small-incision lenticule extraction's (SMILEs) lenticules in advanced keratoconus (KCN) through Corvis ST (Oculus, Wetzlar, Germany). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A clinical trial enrolled 22 advanced KCN patients. We implanted lenticules exceeding 100 μ according to a nomogram and evaluated biomechanical factors through Corvis ST at 3-, 6-, and 24-month postimplantation. We examined parameters during the first applanation (A1), second applanation (A2), highest concavity (HC)/max concavity events, and Vinciguerra screening parameters, as recently established criteria derived from the ideal blend of diverse biomechanical and ocular factors and formulated through the application of logistic regression...