Cysts ; Epididymitis ; Humans ; Male ; Orchitis ; Urinary Tract Infections

Adult ; Basal Ganglia Hemorrhage ; complications ; diagnostic imaging ; Humans ; Hypohidrosis ; diagnostic imaging ; etiology ; Intracranial Arteriovenous Malformations ; complications ; diagnostic imaging ; Intracranial Hemorrhages ; complications ; diagnostic imaging ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Rupture ; Thalamus ; diagnostic imaging ; Third Ventricle ; diagnostic imaging ; Tomography, Optical Coherence

Desquamative gingivitis (DG) is a manifestation of a number of mucocutanenous disorders, one of it being oral lichen planus (OLP). OLP is an autoimmune disease. The aetiology for this condition is unknown, but there are few factors associated with its occurrence, for example alcohol drinking, smoking, allergic reaction to certain medications or restorative material. DG lesions increase the long-term risk for plaque-induced periodontal disease. At the same time, dental plaque and calculus cause gingival OLP resulting in the erosive disease. This report presents the management of a case of oral lichen planus associated with desquamative gingivitis with periodontitis. The expertise involved are from the oral medicine, periodontic and prosthodontic clinics. The uniqueness of the case management was the introduction of single tufted brush, Tepe® compact tuft toothbrush, to perform “solo brushing technique”. It was able to remove plaque effectively and did not cause irritation to the gingivae. Patients presenting with mucocutaneous disorders which exarcebates other oral conditions requires multidisciplinary management. Proper treatment planning will significantly improve their oral health related quality of life.

Objective: The associations of mental illnesses and hypopituitarism have been reported. But, pituitary disorders are rare. The epidemiological studies have rarely addressed these associations between pituitary disorder and mental illnesses. Until now, no cohort study has been conducted to investigate the association. Methods: We performed a nationwide, retrospective cohort study using the Taiwanese National Health Insurance Program dataset to analyze this relationship. In total, 1,194 patients diagnosed with hypopituitarism between 2000 and 2013 were identified. For the control group, 4,776 individuals without hypopituitarism and psychotic diseases were matched (1:4) according to age, sex, and index date. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to determine the adjusted hazard ratio (aHR). Results: Patients with hypopituitarism had a significantly higher risk of incident depression and anxiety disorders than those without hypopituitarism. The aHRs of depressive and anxiety disorders were 2.98 and 1.67, respectively, for the hypopituitarism cohort. Furthermore, the risk of both hypopituitarism-associated depressive and anxiety disorders was significantly high in female subjects and subjects aged ≥18 years. A statistically significant increase was not observed in the risk of bipolar disorders, dementia, or schizophrenia in the hypopituitarism group compared with the control group. Conclusion Although psychiatric morbidities were uncommon for the hypopituitarism cohort, the risk of developing depressive and anxiety disorders was significantly higher in those with hypopituitarism than in those without hypopituitarism.

Some of the recombinant protein therapeutics with short half-life requires high frequent dose or injection, which results in poor patient compliance. This challenge has prompted the development of long-acting recombinant proteins in recent years. Four strategies and methods, including chemical modification, protein engineering, fusion proteins and protein glycosylation are used to modify protein molecule and finally obtain improved pharmacokinetics (PK) properties. This article reviews the four strategies of half-life extension and presents a detailed list of long-acting therapeutics on US, EU and China markets.

Acne Vulgaris ; chemically induced ; drug therapy ; Administration, Topical ; Adolescent ; Adrenal Cortex Hormones ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Doxycycline ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Humans ; Isotretinoin ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Thorax

INTRODUCTIONWe carried out an epidemiological review of cholera in Singapore to determine its trends and the factors contributing to its occurrence.

MATERIALS AND METHODSEpidemiological data of all notified cases of cholera maintained by the Communicable Diseases Division, Ministry of Health, for the period 1992 to 2007 were collated and analysed. Case-control studies were carried out in outbreaks to determine the source of infection and mode of transmission. Linear patterns in age and ethnic distribution of cholera cases were assessed using chi2 test for trend.

RESULTSThere were a total of 210 cholera cases reported between 1992 and 2007. The incidence of cholera declined from 17 cases in 1992 to 7 cases in 2007. About a quarter of the cases were imported from endemic countries in the region. Between 76% and 95% of the reported cases were local residents. Four elderly patients with comorbidities and who sought medical treatment late died, giving a case-fatality rate of 1.9%. Vibrio cholerae 01, biotype El Tor, serotype Ogawa, accounted for 83.8% of the cases. The vehicles of transmission identified in outbreaks included raw fi sh, undercooked seafood and iced drinks cross-contaminated with raw seafood.

CONCLUSIONWith the high standard of environmental hygiene and sanitation, a comprehensive epidemiological surveillance system and licensing and control of food establishments, cholera could not gain a foothold in Singapore despite it being situated in an endemic region. However, health education of the public on the importance of personal and food hygiene is of paramount importance in preventing foodborne outbreaks. Physicians should also maintain a high level of suspicion of cholera in patients presenting with severe gastroenteritis, especially those with a recent travel history to endemic countries.

Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Cholera ; microbiology ; mortality ; Disease Outbreaks ; statistics & numerical data ; Female ; Foodborne Diseases ; epidemiology ; prevention & control ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Population Surveillance ; Singapore ; epidemiology ; Vibrio cholerae O1 ; isolation & purification ; Young Adult

Anti-Bacterial Agents ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Burkholderia pseudomallei ; drug effects ; isolation & purification ; Ceftazidime ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Comorbidity ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; Humans ; Lymphadenitis ; physiopathology ; Male ; Mediastinal Diseases ; physiopathology ; Melioidosis ; etiology ; physiopathology ; Middle Aged

When two or more cutaneous tumours coexist in a single lesion, it is known as a cutaneous collision or contiguous tumour. Various combinations of collisions have been described. Collision tumours often have misleading clinical and histological presentations, and can be a diagnostic challenge. Chondroid syringomas are mixed cutaneous tumours of dual origin, and like collision tumours, are often confused with the more commonly seen cutaneous lesions. As chondroid syringomas are rare, their involvement in collision tumours is an even more peculiar occurrence. We report an unusual case of a cutaneous collision tumour on the nose involving an intradermal naevus and chondroid syringoma. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time such a combination is reported.
Aged ; Carcinoma, Basal Cell ; diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Humans ; Keratosis, Seborrheic ; pathology ; Neoplasms, Multiple Primary ; pathology ; Nevus, Pigmented ; pathology ; Nose Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; Skin Neoplasms ; pathology

A role of gut microbiota in colorectal cancer (CRC) growth was first suggested in germ-free rats almost 50 years ago, and the existence of disease-associated bacteria (termed pathobionts) had becoming increasingly evident from experimental data of fecal transplantation, and microbial gavage or monoassociation. Altered bacterial compositions in fecal and mucosal specimens were observed in CRC patients compared to healthy subjects. Microbial fluctuations were found at various cancer stages; an increase of bacterial diversity was noted in the adenoma specimens, while a reduction of bacterial richness was documented in CRC samples. The bacterial species enriched in the human cancerous tissues included Escherichia coli, Fusobacterium nucleatum, and enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis. The causal relationship of gut bacteria in tumorigenesis was established by introducing particular bacterial strains in in situ mouse CRC models. Detailed experimental protocols of bacterial gavage and the advantages and caveats of different experimental models are summarized in this review. The microbial genotoxins, enterotoxins, and virulence factors implicated in the mechanisms of bacteria-driven tumorigenesis are described. In conclusion, intestinal microbiota is involved in colon tumorigenesis. Bacteria-targeting intervention would be the next challenge for CRC.
Adenoma ; Animals ; Bacteria ; Bacteroides fragilis ; Carcinogenesis* ; Colon ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; Enterotoxins ; Escherichia coli ; Fecal Microbiota Transplantation ; Fusobacterium nucleatum ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Mice ; Microbiota* ; Models, Theoretical* ; Mutagens ; Rats ; Virulence ; Virulence Factors