Presented here is a cases of a 12-year old female patient who was ran over by a reaper. After a comprehensive evaluation, she was advised to undergo transvesical subtrigonal buccal mucosa graft inlay for her almost completely obliterated bladder neck contracture. Such a procedure proved to be a viable option for the patient’s bladder neck reconstruction.

OBJECTIVE

This study compared the proportion of dry eye disease (DED) diagnosed using the Philippine criteria with that diagnosed using the Asia Dry Eye Society (ADES) criteria among participants, and characterized DED features using clinical tests and the OCULUS Keratograph® 5M (K5M; OCULUS Optikgeräte GmbH, Wetzlar, Germany).

This multicenter, cross-sectional study included participants with and without DED. Participants completed the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire and underwent fluorescein tear breakup time (FTBUT) measurement, fluorescein staining of the cornea, lissamine green staining of the conjunctiva, Schirmer 1 test without anesthesia, and basal tear secretion test (BST). The OCULUS K5M was used to measure noninvasive tear breakup time (NIKBUT) and tear meniscus height (TMH), and to perform meibography.

The analysis included 344 eyes from 172 patients with DED and 44 eyes from 22 normal participants. Patients with DED were mostly female (66.3%). Compared to normal participants, patients with DED were older (42.7 ± 14.6 years) and had higher OSDI scores (28.6 ± 21.0). Among those diagnosed with DED using the Philippine criteria, 53.2% met the ADES criteria. Evaporative DED was the predominant type (53.2%). DED eyes had lower FTBUT (5.0 ± 3.3 seconds) and NIKBUT (12.3 ± 5.9 seconds) than controls (p CONCLUSION

There were disparities between the Philippine and ADES criteria for DED diagnosis and differences in tear measurements using clinical tests and the OCULUS Keratograph, indicating the need to harmonize diagnostic standards.

Objective:To determine the association of demographic profiles and clinical characteristics of patients with aural foreign bodies seen at the Emergency Room (ER) of the East Avenue Medical Center with clinical outcomes

Methods:
Design:Cross-Sectional Study
Setting:Tertiary Government Training Hospital
Participants:A total of 143 aural foreign body cases seen at the ER from January to December 2022 under the Department of Otorhinolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery (ORL-HNS) of East Avenue Medical Center were included in the study.

Results: Of the 143 patients, majority (84; 58.74%) were males. Mean age was 21.92 years old with two peak incidences noted at ages 1-12 years old and 18-65 years old. Most of the patients were right-handed (134; 93.71%). Majority of the foreign bodies were animate (76; 53.15%) and were frequently found to be lodged on the right ear (86; 60.14%) with duration from lodgment to
extraction commonly within less than 24 hours (119; 83.22%). One hundred forty two (99.30%) patients had successful foreign body extraction, 60 (41.96%) had complications, specifically involving the external auditory canal (51; 35.66%) and tympanic membrane (6; 4.20%). Significant associations were found between age and type of foreign body [χ2 (3, N =143) = 31.24, p < .01] with a higher proportion of animate foreign bodies in adults and inanimate foreign bodies in children; sex and presence of complications [χ²(1, N = 143) = 5.41, p < .05] with males experiencing more complications than females; type and duration of foreign body [, χ²(2, N = 143) = 16.33, p < .01] with animate foreign bodies generally having a shorter duration of less than 24 hours compared to inanimate foreign bodies; and the duration of foreign body and presence of TM complications [χ²(4, N = 143) = 14.21, p < .01] with shorter durations (less than 24 hours) showing fewer TM complications. Males had higher odds of developing complications compared to females (OR = 2.315, 95% CI [1.105, 4.851])

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate and compare ectasia and pseudoectasia in post-myopic LASIK patients presenting with corneal topographic changes indicative of ectasia using the Ectasia Risk Factor Score System (ERFSS).

Single-center retrospective comparative case series of a consecutive chart review of cases in 18 years who underwent bilateral myopic-LASIK and showed topographic changes indicative of ectasia.

Four patients were included. Group 1: pseudoectasia eyes, consisting of two patients with bilateral pseudoectasia, and Group 2: ectasia eyes, consisting of two patients with unilateral ectasia. The clinical course of the cases was discussed and compared based on the ERFSS parameters: topography pattern, residual stromal bed thickness, age, preop thinnest cornea, and pre-operative spherical equivalent (SE) manifest refraction (MR). Group 1 scored zero to low risk for developing ectasia while Group 2-eyes with ectasia scored moderate risk. The predictive value of the ERFSS was 1 in this study.

The ERFSS is a good measure in deciding the suited treatment plan for patient undergoing refractive procedure. Knowing the clinical course of ectasia and pseudoectasia is helpful in the therapeutic approach since pseudoectasia is reversible when identified and managed early as seen in this study.

INTRODUCTION: Oral cancer is a major public health concern in India. Both conventional and altered fractionation radiotherapy schedules have been used in curative treatment of oral cancer. This study aimed to retrospectively evaluate the clinical profile and treatment outcomes of patients with carcinoma buccal mucosa who underwent treatment with definitive hypofractionated accelerated radiotherapy. METHODS: A total of 517 patients treated from January 2011 to December 2016 were eligible for the analysis. All patients were treated with definitive hypofractionated accelerated radiotherapy schedule of 5,250 cGy in 15 fractions over 3 weeks. Survival estimates were generated using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: At a median follow-up of 77.4 months, 473 (91.5%) patients attained complete remission with radiation therapy. The 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were 69% and 80.5%, respectively. The 5-year OS for stage I, II, III and IVa tumours was 80.3%, 84.4%, 81.4% and 73.7%, respectively, and the DFS was 75.7%, 73.2%, 69.6% and 60.2%, respectively. Age >50 years was found to be a significant factor affecting DFS ( P = 0.026) and OS ( P = 0.048) in multivariate analysis. Fifty-three (10.3%) patients developed osteoradionecrosis of the mandible. CONCLUSION Excellent outcome could be achieved in less-aggressive, low-volume carcinoma of the buccal mucosa with radical accelerated hypofractionated radiotherapy. A radiotherapy schedule over a 3-week period is useful in high-volume centres.
Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Mouth Neoplasms/mortality* ; Mouth Mucosa/radiation effects* ; Treatment Outcome ; Aged ; Adult ; Radiation Dose Hypofractionation ; Disease-Free Survival ; India ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Dose Fractionation, Radiation ; Aged, 80 and over

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical efficacy of stuck acupuncture combined with facial acupuncture for facial cosmetology. METHODS: A total of 22 female patients with symptoms of facial aging were treated with stuck acupuncture combined with facial acupuncture. Stuck acupuncture was applied at bilateral Taiyang (EX-HN5) through Xiaguan (ST7), Jiache (ST6) through Daying (ST5) and Yingxiang (LI20)，once a week. Facial acupuncture was applied at Yintang (GV24⁺), ashi points (nasolabial fold) and bilateral Yangbai (GB14), Quanliao (SI18), Sibai (ST2), Xiaguan (ST7), Dicang (ST4), Jiache (ST6), Daying (ST5), Renying (ST9), twice a week. Four weeks were required. The global aesthetic improvement scale (GAIS) score after treatment, wrinkle severity rating scale (WSRS) score before and after treatment were observed. The quantitative analysis of skin characteristics was performed before and after treatment. RESULTS: After treatment, of the 22 patients, 3 cases had complete improvement, 15 cases had obvious improvement, 4 cases had partial improvement, 0 case had no improvement. The WSRS score and scores of wrinkles, textures and pores were decreased compared with those before treatment (P<0.01). CONCLUSION Stuck acupuncture combined with facial acupuncture could effectively improve the symptoms of facial aging.
Humans ; Female ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Face ; Acupuncture Points ; Skin Aging ; Treatment Outcome ; Aged

The data of 44 scalp acupuncture schools are collected to analyze their commonalities in theoretical foundations, needling sites, techniques, and indications. The integration of these characteristics into an optimized, unified scalp acupuncture protocol has become an inevitable trend. The paper discusses the potential for a unified scalp acupuncture protocol from aspects such as theoretical unification, the relationships between point areas, lines, and sites, and needle numbers. It also explores the primary issues and solutions involved in unifying scalp acupuncture protocols, providing a reference for standardization and unification in scalp acupuncture protocol.
Scalp ; Humans ; Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; Acupuncture Points

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of thumbtack-needle embedding therapy of auricular acupuncture on gastrointestinal function and intestinal microflora in the patients with gastric cancer after operation, and to explore its mechanism. METHODS: A total of 80 patients with gastric cancer after radical operation were randomly divided into an observation group (40 cases, 3 cases discontinued) and a control group (40 cases, 3 cases discontinued). The patients of both groups received the perioperative care for accelerating recovery. Additionally, in the observation group, the thumbtack-needle embedding therapy of auricular acupuncture was delivered at the auricular points of unilateral side, including Wei (CO₄), Pi (CO₁₃), Dachang (CO₇), Xiaochang (CO₆), Yuanzhong (AT_2,3,4i), Erzhong (HX₁), Sanjiao (CO₁₇) and Jiaowozhong (TF₃), and the needles were embedded and retained for 72 h. The postoperative recovery time of gastrointestinal function (the postoperative bowel sound recovery time, the first exhaust time, the first defecation time), the postoperative hospital stay and pain visual analogue scale (VAS) score were observed in the two groups. Before operation and on day 5 after operation, the serum gastrin level was detected in the two groups. The third-generation 16S rRNA sequencing technology was used to detect the composition and relative abundance of intestinal flora in the two groups before and after operation. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the postoperative bowel sound recovery time, the first exhaust time and the first defecation time were shortened in the observation group (P<0.05). In the observation group, the VAS scores at 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h after surgery were lower than those of the control group, respectively (P<0.05). There was no significant differences in postoperative hospital stay and serum gastrin level between the two groups (P>0.05). The alpha diversity analysis showed that the differences in Shannon index, Simpson index, Pielou_J index and Pd_fath index were not significant statistically after intervention between the two groups (P>0.05). After intervention, the community structure of the fecal sample was similar at each taxonomic level between the two groups, and although the proportion between species was various, the difference was not significant (P>0.05). After intervention, there were 55 species with the differences between the two groups, 17 species of them presented significant difference in relative abundance in the observation group and 38 species in the control group. Regarding the level of genus, the levels of Klebsiell and Enterobacter increased (P<0.05) and the level of Streptococcus decreased (P<0.05) in the observation group. The main microbial groups that played an important role were Coprobacillaceae, Sutterellaceae and Yersiniaceae in the observation group. KEGG function prediction indicated that the function of intestinal microflora was mainly associated with the cofactor and vitamin metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, and amino acid metabolism. CONCLUSION The thumbtack-needle embedding therapy of auricular acupuncture improves the postoperative gastrointestinal function of the patients with gastric cancer probably through regulating the structure and relative abundance of intestinal microflora and affecting the energy metabolism.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Acupuncture, Ear/instrumentation* ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Aged ; Stomach Neoplasms/therapy* ; Adult ; Acupuncture Points ; Gastrointestinal Tract/microbiology* ; Intestines/physiopathology* ; Postoperative Period ; Acupuncture Therapy

OBJECTIVE: To construct a prediction model for the clinical effect of eye acupuncture combined with rehabilitation therapy on ischemic stroke based on interpretable machine learning. METHODS: From January 1st, 2020 to October 1st, 2024, the clinical data of 470 patients with ischemic stroke were collected in the the Second Department of Encephalopathy Rehabilitation of the Affiliated Hospital of Liaoning University of TCM. The modified Barthel index (MBI) score before and after treatment was used to divide the patients into an effect group (291 cases) and a non-effect group (179 cases). Random forest and recursive feature elimination with cross-validation were combined to screen the predictors of the therapeutic effect of patients. Seven representative machine learning models with different principles were established according to the screening results. The predictive effect of the best model was evaluated by receiver operating characteristics (ROC), calibration, and clinical decision-making (DCA) curves. Finally, the Shapley additive explanation (SHAP) framework was used to interpret the prediction results of the best model. RESULT: ①All the machine learning models presented the area under curve (AUC) to be above 85%. Of these models, the random forest model showed the best prediction ability, with AUC of 0.96 and the precision of 0.87. ②The prediction probability of calibration curve and the actual probability showed a good prediction consistency. ③The net benefit rate of DCA curve in the range of 0.1 to 1.0 was higher than the risk threshold, indicating a good effect of model. ④SHAP explained the characteristic values of variables that affected the prediction effect of the model, meaning, more days of treatment, lower MBI score before treatment, lower level of fibrinogen, shorter days of onset and younger age. These values demonstrated the better effect of eye acupuncture rehabilitation therapy. CONCLUSION The rehabilitation effect prediction model constructed in this study presents a good performance, which is conductive to assisting doctors in formulating targeted personalized rehabilitation programs, and identifying the benefit groups of eye acupuncture combined with rehabilitation therapy and finding the advantageous groups with clinical effect. It provides more ideas for the treatment of ischemic stroke with eye acupuncture combined with rehabilitation therapy.
Humans ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Machine Learning ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Ischemic Stroke/rehabilitation* ; Aged ; Stroke Rehabilitation ; Adult ; Eye

OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical efficacy between penetrating needling of three eye acupoints combined with sodium hyaluronate eye drops and sodium hyaluronate eye drops alone for the treatment of dry eye. METHODS: A total of 156 patients (312 eyes) with dry eye were randomly assigned to an observation group and a control group, with 78 patients (156 eyes) in each group. The control group was treated with sodium hyaluronate eye drops, one drop per eye, four times daily, for 4 weeks. In addition to the sodium hyaluronate treatment, the observation group received penetrating needling of three eye acupoints. Acupoints included bilateral Cuanzhu (BL2), Sizhukong (TE23), Sibai (ST2), and Jingming (BL1). Needling was performed once daily, four times a week, for 4 weeks. The subjective ocular symptom scores, neuropathic pain symptom inventory-eye (NPSI-Eye) scores, ocular surface disease index (OSDI) scores, corneal fluorescein staining (FL) scores, tear break-up time (BUT), SchirmerⅠtest (SⅠT), central tear meniscus height (TMH), and tear levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were evaluated before and after treatment in the two groups. Clinical efficacy was also compared between the two groups. RESULTS: After treatment, both groups showed significant improvements in subjective ocular symptom scores, NPSI-Eye scores, OSDI scores, FL scores, and reductions in tear IL-6 and TNF-α levels (P<0.01). Additionally, BUT, SⅠT, and TMH were increased significantly in both groups (P<0.01). After treatment, the subjective ocular symptom scores, NPSI-Eye score, OSDI score, FL score, and tear levels of IL-6 and TNF-α in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.01, P<0.05), while BUT, SⅠT, and TMH were significantly improved compared to the control group (P<0.01). The markedly effective rate and total effective rate in the observation group were 83.3% (65/78) and 100.0% (78/78), respectively, which were higher than 52.6% (41/78, P<0.01) and 92.3% (72/78, P<0.05) in the control group. CONCLUSION The penetrating needling of three eye acupoints combined with sodium hyaluronate eye drops can effectively alleviate symptoms of dry eye, reduce inflammatory response, and has superior efficacy to sodium hyaluronate eye drops alone.
Humans ; Hyaluronic Acid/administration & dosage* ; Male ; Female ; Dry Eye Syndromes/genetics* ; Middle Aged ; Acupuncture Points ; Ophthalmic Solutions/administration & dosage* ; Adult ; Aged ; Treatment Outcome ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Interleukin-6/genetics* ; Young Adult ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolism*