Nerve root compression due to ligamentum flavum hematoma is extremely rare, with less than 70 cases reported in the literature. The clinical presentation and images were similar to those of spinal epidural tumors. Herein, we reported a previously healthy 64-year-old female who presented with right radicular leg pain. Neurological examination was consistent with right L5 root compression. The magnetic resonance imaging revealed a mass posterior to the L5 thecal sac, appearing as high intensity on T1-weighted and T2-weighted images. During operation, the dark hematoma within the ligamentum flavum was found. The pathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of hemorrhage. Her prognosis following surgery was excellent.
Sciatica

Takayasu’s arteritis is an idiopathic inflammatory disease involving the main vessels. Acute stroke as the initial presentation in patients with Takayasu’s arteritis is rarely reported. Herein, we report the case of a 36-year-old woman who complained of acute weakness in the left limbs. The lack of a pulse in the distal artery and the difference in blood pressure between limbs were observed in the emergency department. Takayasu’s arteritis complicated with acute ischemic stroke was diagnosed based on the angiographs. The relevant literature is also reviewed.
Takayasu Arteritis

Cervical spinal manipulation is considered to be a safe procedure for treating patients with neck pain and muscle-tension headache. Rarely has acute cervical spinal epidural hematoma after spinal manipulation been reported. Here, we report a 16-year-old healthy male adolescent who presented with progressive weakness in the right extremities following acute neck and shoulder pain after spinal manipulation from Acute cervical spinal epidural hematoma with compression of spinal cord. After emergency surgery the patient had full recovery from the profound neurological deficits.
Hematoma, Epidural, Spinal

PURPOSE: Professional hemodialysis (HD) nursing tends to be task-oriented and lack consideration of the client's viewpoint. This study aims to interpret the process of psychosocial adaptation to dealing with HD in people with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). METHODS: A grounded theory guided this study. Theoretical sampling included 15 people receiving HD at the HD center of a hospital from July to November 2010. Participants received an information sheet in writing, a verbal invitation, and informed consent forms before interviews were conducted. A constant comparative data analysis was analyzed using open, axial and selective coding. The computer software ATLAS.ti assisted data management. Credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability ensured the rigor of study process. RESULTS: This study identified "adopting life with hemodialysis", which captures the process of the psychosocial adaptation in people with ESRD as one transformation. Four categories that evolved from "adopting HD life" are (a) slipping into, (b) restricted to a renal world, (c) losing self control, and (d) stuck in an endless process. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this investigation indicate the multidimensional requirements of people receiving maintenance dialysis, with an emphasis on the deficiency in psychosocial and emotional care. The study's findings contribute to clinical practice by increasing the understanding of the experience of chronic HD treatment from the recipient's viewpoint. The better our understanding, the better the care provided will meet the needs of the people receiving HD.
*Adaptation, Psychological ; Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic/*psychology/therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Qualitative Research ; Renal Dialysis/*psychology

Elevated serum levels of interleukin-10 (IL-10) have been reported in patients with Kawasaki disease (KD). IL-10 reduces the inflammatory actions of macrophages and T cells and it may play a significant role in the regulation of inflammatory vascular damage associated with systemic vasculitis. The aim of this study was to examine whether -592 IL-10 promoter polymorphism is a susceptibility or severity marker of KD in Chinese patients in Taiwan. The study included 105 KD patients and 100 normal controls. Genotype and allelic frequencies for the IL-10 gene polymorphism in both groups were compared. There were no significant between-group differences in the genotype distribution of IL-10 A-592C gene polymorphism (P=0.08). However, the frequency of the -592*A allele was significantly increased in the patients with KD compared with controls (71.9% vs. 61.0%, P=0.019). The odds ratio for developing KD in individuals with IL-10-592*A allele was 1.64 (95% confidence interval, 1.06-2.52) compared to individuals with the IL-10-592*C allele. No significant difference was observed in the genotype and allelic frequencies for the IL-10 A-592C polymorphism between patients with and without coronary artery lesions. The IL-10-592*A allele may be involved in the development of KD in Taiwanese children.
Alleles ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group/*genetics ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Gene Frequency ; Genotype ; Humans ; Infant ; Interleukin-10/blood/*genetics ; Male ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome/diagnosis/*genetics ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; Taiwan

Elevated serum levels of interleukin-10 (IL-10) have been reported in patients with Kawasaki disease (KD). IL-10 reduces the inflammatory actions of macrophages and T cells and it may play a significant role in the regulation of inflammatory vascular damage associated with systemic vasculitis. The aim of this study was to examine whether -592 IL-10 promoter polymorphism is a susceptibility or severity marker of KD in Chinese patients in Taiwan. The study included 105 KD patients and 100 normal controls. Genotype and allelic frequencies for the IL-10 gene polymorphism in both groups were compared. There were no significant between-group differences in the genotype distribution of IL-10 A-592C gene polymorphism (P=0.08). However, the frequency of the -592*A allele was significantly increased in the patients with KD compared with controls (71.9% vs. 61.0%, P=0.019). The odds ratio for developing KD in individuals with IL-10-592*A allele was 1.64 (95% confidence interval, 1.06-2.52) compared to individuals with the IL-10-592*C allele. No significant difference was observed in the genotype and allelic frequencies for the IL-10 A-592C polymorphism between patients with and without coronary artery lesions. The IL-10-592*A allele may be involved in the development of KD in Taiwanese children.
Alleles ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group/*genetics ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Gene Frequency ; Genotype ; Humans ; Infant ; Interleukin-10/blood/*genetics ; Male ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome/diagnosis/*genetics ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; Taiwan

Objective: Emerging evidence suggests that air pollution exposure may increase the risk of Parkinson’s disease (PD). We aimed to investigate the association between exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and the risk of incident PD nationwide. Methods: We utilized data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database, which is spatiotemporally linked with air quality data from the Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration website. The study population consisted of participants who were followed from the index date (January 1, 2005) until the occurrence of PD or the end of the study period (December 31, 2017). Participants who were diagnosed with PD before the index date were excluded. To evaluate the association between exposure to PM2.5 and incident PD risk, we employed Cox regression to estimate the hazard ratio and 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: A total of 454,583 participants were included, with a mean (standard deviation) age of 63.1 (9.9) years and a male proportion of 50%. Over a mean follow-up period of 11.1 (3.6) years, 4% of the participants (n = 18,862) developed PD. We observed a significant positive association between PM2.5 exposure and the risk of PD, with a hazard ratio of 1.22 (95% CI, 1.20–1.23) per interquartile range increase in exposure (10.17 μg/m3) when adjusting for both SO2 and NO2. Conclusion We provide further evidence of an association between PM2.5 exposure and the risk of PD. These findings underscore the urgent need for public health policies aimed at reducing ambient air pollution and its potential impact on PD.