Taipei Veterans General Hospital

About: Taipei Veterans General Hospital is a healthcare organization based out in Taipei, Taiwan. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Cancer. The organization has 11878 authors who have published 16478 publications receiving 363424 citations. The organization is also known as: Táiběi Róngmín Zǒngyī Yuàn.

Biometry of the pubovisceral muscle and levator hiatus in nulliparous Chinese women

Abstract: Objectives To identify using three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound the morphological features and normal biometry of the levator hiatus in nulliparous Chinese women and to explore ethnic differences between these measurements and those in nulliparous Caucasian women. Methods 3D sonographic data from 59 nulliparous Chinese women (aged 19–38 years) who had no pelvic organ prolapse and no symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction were retrieved from an image dataset and analyzed by offline post-processing. The pubovisceral muscle and levator hiatus were measured in the planes of maximal pubovisceral muscle thickness and minimum hiatal dimension, respectively. In addition, the genitohiatal and levator ani angles were measured. These values were compared with those in a published study of Caucasian women. Results In Chinese women there was no relationship between minimum anteroposterior (AP) hiatal diameter and minimum lateral hiatal diameter. Body weight was correlated with hiatal area and minimum AP hiatal diameter (r = 0.391, P = 0.003 and r = 0.378, P = 0.004, respectively), whereas body mass index was correlated only with minimum AP hiatal diameter (r = 0.349, P = 0.008). There was a significant difference in average pubovisceral muscle thickness (P = 0.001) between nulliparous Chinese and Caucasian women. Conclusions Body weight, body mass index, and ethnicity are factors affecting the biometry of the levator hiatus in Chinese nulliparous women. Copyright © 2006 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Clinical guidelines for interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome

Abstract: The clinical guidelines for interstitial cystitis and related symptomatic conditions were revised by updating our previous guidelines. The current guidelines define interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome as a condition with chronic pelvic pain, pressure or discomfort perceived to be related to the urinary bladder accompanied by other urinary symptoms, such as persistent urge to void or urinary frequency in the absence of confusable diseases. The characteristic symptom complex is collectively referred as hypersensitive bladder symptoms. Interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome is divided into Hunner-type interstitial cystitis and bladder pain syndrome; Hunner-type interstitial cystitis and bladder pain syndrome represent interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome with Hunner lesions and interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome without Hunner lesions, respectively. So-called non-Hunner-type interstitial cystitis featured by glomerulations or bladder bleeding after distension is included in bladder pain syndrome. The symptoms are virtually indistinguishable between Hunner-type interstitial cystitis and bladder pain syndrome; however, Hunner-type interstitial cystitis and bladder pain syndrome should be considered as a separate entity of disorder. Histopathology totally differs between Hunner-type interstitial cystitis and bladder pain syndrome; Hunner-type interstitial cystitis is associated with severe inflammation of the urinary bladder accompanied by lymphoplasmacytic infiltration and urothelial denudation, whereas bladder pain syndrome shows little pathological changes in the bladder. Pathophysiology would also differ between Hunner-type interstitial cystitis and bladder pain syndrome, involving interaction of multiple factors, such as inflammation, autoimmunity, infection, exogenous substances, urothelial dysfunction, neural hyperactivity and extrabladder disorders. The patients should be treated differently based on the diagnosis of Hunner-type interstitial cystitis or bladder pain syndrome, which requires cystoscopy to determine the presence or absence Hunner lesions. Clinical studies are to be designed to analyze outcomes separately for Hunner-type interstitial cystitis and bladder pain syndrome.

Clinical Manifestation and Disease Progression in COVID-19 Infection.

Abstract: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is mainly an infectious disease of the respiratory system transmitted through air droplets, and pulmonary symptoms constitute main presentations of this disease. However, COVID-19 demonstrates a clinically diverse manifestation ranging from asymptomatic presentation to critically illness with severe pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, respiratory failure, or multiple organ failure. Accumulating evidences demonstrated that COVID-19 has extrapulmonary involvement, including neurological, smelling sensation, cardiovascular, digestive, hepatobiliary, renal, endocrinologic, dermatologic system, and others. Over a third of COVID-19 patients manifest a wide range of neurological symptoms involving the central/peripheral nervous system. Underlying cardiovascular comorbidities were associated with detrimental outcomes, meanwhile the occurrence of cardiovascular complications correlate to poor survival. Gastrointestinal symptoms frequently occur and have been associated with a longer period of illness. Impaired hepatic functions were associated with the severity of the disease. Higher rate of acute kidney injury was reported in critically ill patients with COVID-19. Endocrinologic presentations of COVID-19 include exacerbating hyperglycemia, euglycemic ketosis, and diabetic ketoacidosis. The most common cutaneous manifestation was acro-cutaneous (pernio or chilblain-like) lesions, and other skin lesions consist of maculopapular rash, vesicular lesions, livedoid/necrotic lesions, exanthematous rashes, and petechiae. This review article summarized the general clinical signs and symptoms, radiologic features, and disease manifestation with progression in patients with COVID-19.