Effectiveness of glutamine for the treatment of radiodermatitis in cancer patients: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: After receiving radiation therapy, 60%-95% of patients with cancer develop radiodermatitis, which causes pain, wound infection, and poor quality of life. Glutamine is a popular nutritional supplement for patients with cancer. Several studies examined the usefulness of glutamine for reducing radiodermatitis. However, there is still no consolidated evidence for clinical use. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, CINAHL PLUS, and the China Knowledge Resource Integrated Database for the relevant literature published up to March 2023, without language restrictions. Two reviewers screened, filtered, and appraised these articles independently, and their data were pooled using a random-effects model. RESULTS: Five randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with 218 participants were analyzed. The incidence of radiodermatitis in the glutamine group (89/110) was significantly lower than in the placebo group (99/108; risk ratio [RR], 0.90; 95% CI, 0.81-1.00; p = 0.05; I2 = 7%). The incidence of moderate to severe radiodermatitis was significantly lower in the glutamine group than in the placebo group (RR, 0.49; 95% CI, 0.32-0.76; p = 0.001; I2 = 52%). Moreover, subgroup analysis demonstrated heterogeneity (I2 = 52%) for moderate to severe radiodermatitis, the risk of which might be significantly reduced by a glutamine dose of 20-30 g/day (RR, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.41-0.87; I2 = 0%). CONCLUSION: The meta-analysis indicate that glutamine might lead to a lower incidence of radiodermatitis, and that a glutamine dose of 20-30 g/day might decrease the incidence of moderate to severe dermatitis. Thus, the serious impact of radiodermatitis on treatment follow-up makes the clinical use of glutamine even more important. PROSPERO number: CRD42021254394.

Sex differences in risk factors for metabolic syndrome in middle-aged and senior hospital employees: a population-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Several cross-sectional studies have reported risk factors for metabolic syndrome (MetS). However, these studies did not focus on sex differences in middle-aged and senior populations or employ a longitudinal design. These study design differences are important, as there are sex differences in lifestyle habits associated with MetS, and middle-aged and senior individuals have increased MetS susceptibility. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine whether sex differences influenced MetS risk over a ten-year follow-up period among middle-aged and senior hospital employees. METHODS: This population-based and prospective cohort study enrolled 565 participants who did not have MetS in 2012 for a ten-year repeated-measurement analysis. Data were retrieved from the hospital's Health Management Information System. Analyses included Student's t tests, χ2 tests and Cox regression. P < 0.05 indicated statistical significance. RESULTS: Male middle-aged and senior hospital employees had an elevated MetS risk (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.936, p < 0.001). Men with more than four family history risk factors had an increased risk of MetS (HR = 1.969, p = 0.010). Women who worked shift duty (HR = 1.326, p = 0.020), had more than two chronic diseases (HR = 1.513, p = 0.012), had three family history risk factors (HR = 1.623, p = 0.010), or chewed betel nuts (HR = 9.710, p = 0.002) had an increased risk of MetS. CONCLUSIONS: The longitudinal design of our study improves the understanding of sex differences in MetS risk factors in middle-aged and senior adults. A significantly elevated risk of MetS over the ten-year follow-up period was associated with male sex, shift work, the number of chronic diseases, the number of family history risk factors, and betel nut chewing. Women who chewed betel nuts had an especially increased risk of MetS. Our study indicates that population-specific studies are important for the identification of subgroups susceptible to MetS and for the implementation of hospital-based strategies.

A Comparison between 2-Octyl Cyanoacrylate and Conventional Suturing for the Closure of Epiblepharon Incision Wounds in Children: A Retrospective Case-Control Study.

Background: Tissue adhesive has been widely used in ophthalmic surgery for various procedures, proving both effective and safe. However, no studies have compared the surgical efficacy of the tissue adhesive 2-octyl cyanoacrylate (SurgiSeal®) to that of traditional suture closure in Asian children undergoing surgery for lower lid epiblepharon. Methods: This is a single-center retrospective case-control study. Surgical correction for epiblepharon was performed on 22 patients from November 2019 to May 2023. A total of 20 patients who were followed up for at least 1 month were included for analysis. After standardized epiblepharon surgery, group A underwent wound closure with a subcuticular suture and 2-octyl cyanoacrylate, and group B underwent closure with a 6-O fast-absorbing surgical gut suture. Patients were followed up at 1, 4, and 12 weeks post-surgery. Results: A total of 10 patients (20 eyes) underwent skin closure with tissue adhesives (group A), and 10 patients (18 eyes) underwent wound closure using conventional suture material (group B). No significant differences in the sex ratio, mean age at operation, pre- and postoperative best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), or average surgical time were observed between groups. Both groups exhibited improved postoperative BCVA, with symptom relief and a significant decrease in the severity of keratopathy after surgery. Neither recurrence nor complications were reported during follow-up. The aesthetic results were similar between groups, while caregivers of children in the tissue adhesive group expressed high satisfaction regarding the ease of postoperative care. Conclusions: Successful closure of lower lid epiblepharon surgery wounds in children can be performed using 2-octyl cyanoacrylate (SurgiSeal®). This method is simple, safe, and effective when compared to conventional sutures.

Improvement of Ocular Surface Disease by Lateral Tarsoconjunctival Flap in Thyroid-Associated Orbitopathy Patients with Lid Retraction.

There is a high incidence of ocular surface disease (OSD) in thyroid-associated orbitopathy (TAO) patients as a result of incomplete eyelid closure and chronic inflammatory eyelid status. This study was performed to evaluate the efficacy of a lateral tarsoconjunctival flap (LTF) in improving OSD in TAO patients from the perspective of correcting eyelid closures. As a study design, TAO patients were enrolled in this study to evaluate OSD perioperatively before they were scheduled for LTF surgery. Additional lid surgery was also recorded. The outcome was evaluated with perioperative OSD measurements and tear inflammatory mediators at baseline and one month and three months postoperatively. As a result, 42 patients (5 male, 37 female) underwent LTF surgery, and 13 patients received medial pretarsal support with collagen grafts. Eleven patients underwent blepharotomy, and 6 patients received Botox injections for upper lid retraction. The mean age of the participants was 46.4 years old, and the mean follow-up period was 10.6 months. Their clinical activity score (CAS) at the time of the operation was 2.1. Dry eye parameters, such as ocular surface disease index, tear breakup time, Schirmer's I test score, and meibomian gland dropout were all significantly improved 3 months postoperatively. Tear osmolarity and inflammatory mediators in tear fluid, such as IL-6, IL-8, IL-18 and MCP-1, were also significantly improved after the procedures. After the surgery, all complications were mild and temporary. As a conclusion, LTF could provide TAO patients with both lid retraction correction and improvement of ocular surface disorders. Dry eye parameters significantly improved 3 months postoperatively. This method can serve as an alternative treatment option for lid correction in TAO patients.

Classification-Based Approaches to Myopia Control in a Taiwanese Cohort.

Purpose: Myopia is a disorder of growing prevalence in school-aged children worldwide, especially in Asia. Although low-dose atropine is recognized as an effective treatment to slow myopia progression, different studies have reported varying efficacies of treatment, and the optimal concentration of low-dose atropine remains an open question. Methods: A two-stage approach was conducted in this study. First, an observational study was conducted to plot the axial length growth curve for Taiwanese children. Second, an interventional 2-year study was performed in which different concentrations of low-dose atropine were applied based upon the risk-level status from the first stage. Results: A total of 4,091 subjects, consisting of 2,105 boys (51.5%) and 1,986 girls (48.5%), were enrolled in the first stage to plot the axial growth curve for Taiwanese children aged between 3 and 16 years. The percentage of children with myopia increased from 2.3% in 4-year-olds to 88.0% in 16-year-olds. At the second stage, a total of 886 subjects [307 (34.65%) at low risk, 358 (40.41%) at moderate risk and 221 (24.94%) at high risk] were enrolled to receive low-dose atropine based upon the risk level (0.02, 0.03, and 0.05%, respectively). With this approach, the mean annual myopia progression was -0.33, -0.57, and -0.82 D in the low-risk, moderate-risk and high-risk groups, respectively. Applying annual myopic progression < -1.0 D as a criterion for responder, the responder rates were 95.77, 83.52, and 70.59% in the low-risk, moderate-risk, and high-risk groups, respectively. Conclusions: We proposed a classification-based approach involving different concentrations of low-dose atropine based upon an individual's risk-level status. With this approach, myopic progression can be effectively controlled in patients without exposure to atropine side effects due to exposure to a higher dose than actually needed.

Modified Target Angle as a Predictor of Success in Strabismus Management after Orbital Fracture.

Surgery for strabismus secondary to orbital fracture reconstruction surgery has had low success rates and high reoperation rates due to its incomitant nature and complex underlying mechanisms. There has been no consensus as to which of the various methods for improving the surgical results are best. We proposed a modified target angle criteria that combined the regular target angle and a favorable Hess area ratio percentage (HAR%) threshold to evaluate surgical results within the first postoperative week and conducted a retrospective chart review. According to the criteria of the modified target angle at the first postoperative week, a total of 63 patients were divided into two groups: Group 1, patients who fulfilled the criteria (49 patients); and Group 2, those who did not (14 patients). Sex, type of fracture, and the use of porous polyethylene sheets and titanium mesh during reconstruction surgery were significantly different between the groups. Group 1 showed a significantly higher percentage of patients who met the criteria of HAR% > 65% at the first week and >85% (i.e., a successful outcome) at the 6-month visit (p < 0.01). Additionally, Group 1 had a higher HAR% at the first postoperative week (p < 0.01). In conclusion, the patients meeting the criteria of the modified target angle at the first postoperative week had a favorable outcome at the 6-month visit in both ocular alignment and ocular movement.

A simple marking system for accurate intraoperative monitoring and adjustment of cyclotorsion strabismus surgery.

Ocular cyclotorsion is treatable only with surgery. The surgical procedure must be tailored individually to the specific etiologies causing the horizontal and vertical strabismus and its torsional components. An adjustable surgical approach is often used for postoperative or intraoperative adjustments. However, the methods currently used have some limitations. In this study, we propose a simple intraoperative marking system for all cyclotorsion correction surgery. The proposed marking system used three sets of surface markers: external horizontal markings, ocular horizontal markings, and surgical torsion markings, drawn in sequence. We retrospectively analyzed the surgical results using this novel marking system in this single-center, single-surgeon study. Fifteen patients with cyclotorsion who underwent treatment using the proposed marking system as an intraoperative aid between August 2019 and August 2021 were included. The medical charts were thoroughly reviewed, and the pre-and postoperative subjective and objective cyclotorsion were analyzed. Among the study subjects (10 males, 5 females; age range: 6-89 years), 13 had excyclotorsion and 2 incyclotorsion. Preoperative mean net subjective cyclotorsion measured by the double Maddox rod (DMR) test was 6.0° (standard deviation: 10.8°) and mean net disc-to-fovea angle (DFA) was 20.23° (13.21°). The postoperative net DMR and DFA were 0.2° (2.1°) and 14.09° (5.97°), respectively. The mean absolute net DMR and DFA being treated were 9.8° (4.8°) and 9.76° (4.61°). Overall, the proposed intraoperative marking system is a simple and quantitative method to assess, monitor, and adjust the torsional aspect for all strabismus surgeries.

Factors Predicting the Success of Combined Orbital Decompression and Strabismus Surgery in Thyroid-Associated Orbitopathy.

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of orbital decompression combined with strabismus surgery in thyroid-associated orbitopathy (TAO) and identify factors leading to surgical success. A retrospective comparative case series was conducted on 52 patients who were treated with combined orbital decompression and strabismus surgery. Outcome measurements included perioperative Hertel exophthalmometry and strabismus measurements. Surgical success was defined as binocular single vision (BSV) in the primary and reading positions within 5 prism diopters (PDs). As a result, the average reduction in proptosis was 3.23 mm, with a mean preoperative Hertel measurement of 22.64 mm. Forty-four patients (84.6%) achieved the success criterion and composed the success group. In addition to sex and underlying hyperthyroidism, symmetry of orbitopathy, interocular exophthalmos difference of more than 2 mm, predominant esotropia type, mixed type strabismus, baseline horizontal deviations, baseline vertical deviations, and combination with one-wall decompression surgery were significantly different between the success and failure groups. All complications were mild and temporary. Orbital decompression combined with strabismus surgery produced satisfactory outcomes in selected patients with efficacy and safety. Symmetry between the two eyes with relatively simple strabismus and proptosis ensured surgical success. With experienced surgeons, advanced techniques, and selected patients, this method can serve as an alternative treatment option to minimize the number of surgeries, medical costs and recovery period.

Characteristics of Optic Disc and Visual Field Changes in Patients with Thyroid-Associated Orbitopathy and Open-Angle Glaucoma.

This study aimed to characterize the changes in the visual field (VF) patterns and disc morphology of patients with thyroid-associated orbitopathy (TAO) and open-angle glaucoma (OAG). A retrospective review of the medical records at the Tri-Service General Hospital in Taiwan identified 396 eyes of 198 patients with thyroid-associated glaucoma. A final follow-up of VF examination in 140 eyes revealed 114 eyes with VF defects, indicating disease progression. The characteristics of and changes in disc morphology, optical coherence tomography findings, and VF defects were statistically analyzed. The most common VF defects at the initial diagnosis and the end of the follow-up period were inferior partial arcuate (17%) and paracentral (15%) defects, respectively. The most common VF defect in patients with unspecific disc signs was an unspecific scotoma (13%). The most common optic disc feature was disc cupping (51%), followed by parapapillary atrophy (48%). The most frequent location of nerve fiber layer thinning was the inferotemporal region (48%). VF defects showed a significantly more pronounced progression in the non-nerve fiber bundle group than in the nerve fiber bundle group (p < 0.001). This study details the characteristics and progression of disc morphology and VF defects in patients with TAO and OAG.

Anatomic Factors Predicting Postoperative Strabismus in Orbital Wall Fracture Repair.

This study is aimed to determine the relationship between orbital fracture sites in each CT scan view and postoperative diplopia. Data for 141 patients of orbital wall fracture were analyzed retrospectively. One group of examiners reviewed sagittal, coronal and axial CT scans. Descriptive statistical analysis was used to assess each fracture area and its potential relationship with the occurrence of postoperative diplopia. Among the three anatomical views, sagittal sections were significantly associated with post-operative diplopia (PD) (p = 0.044). For orbital wall fractures in a single location, C1 (p = 0.015), A1 (p = 0.004) and S3 (p = 0.006) fractures were significantly related to PD. Orbital wall fractures found in more than one location resulted in a higher probability of PD in all sections:, C1 + C2 group (p = 0.010), C1 + C2 + C3 group (p = 0.005), A1 + A2 group (p = 0.034), A3 + A1 group (p = 0.005), S1 + S2 group (p < 0.001), S2 + S3 group (p = 0.006) and S1 + S2 + S3 group (p < 0.001). For combinations of two or three sections, we found that only fractures involving both coronal and sagittal sections led to a significantly increased risk of PD (p = 0.031). PD is the main posttreatment complication of orbital bone fracture reduction. In addition to the known myogenic cause (failure to relieve entrapment) of diplopia, both trauma and surgical manipulation can compromise ocular motor nerve function and possibly result in the development of neurogenic causes of diplopia. Careful assessment of patient symptoms (whether preoperative diplopia is present), and the location of orbital fractures (and the influence of related musculature, fat, and nerves) on CT scans are strongly related to surgical success.

Epidemiology and Mortality-Related Prognostic Factors in Endophthalmitis.

Purpose: Endophthalmitis describes any intraocular inflammation that involves both the posterior and anterior segments and is divided into endogenous and exogenous types according to its pathogenesis. The incidence of endophthalmitis and its risk factors have been extensively evaluated. However, few studies have explored the mortality rate in patients diagnosed with endophthalmitis. Methods: We obtained data entered into the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) from 2000 to 2013. The data collected included all discharge diagnoses of endophthalmitis in inpatients. Baseline characteristics, comorbidities, and prognostic factors were evaluated. Results: This study identified 7764 patients who were diagnosed with endophthalmitis in Taiwan from 2000 to 2013. The mortality rate was 0.97% (75/7764), and the mean age was 63.57 ± 15.72 years. Epidemiological characteristics were compared as "with or without" for different systemic comorbidities, and the results indicated that the adjusted odds ratio (AOR) was significantly higher in cases comorbid with renal disease (AOR 2.864, P = 0.001), septicemia (AOR 8.886, P < 0.001), pneumonia (AOR 2.072, P = 0.030), and tumors (AOR 7.437, P < 0.001). However, comorbidity with diabetes mellitus (DM) lowered the AOR by 0.500-fold (P = 0.026). There was no significant difference in ORs between patients comorbid with hypertension, depression, anxiety, hyperlipidemia, thyrotoxicosis, liver disease, or injury (all P > 0.05). Conclusions: Among inpatients with endophthalmitis, predictors of mortality include renal disease, septicemia, pneumonia, neoplasia, a greater burden of comorbidity (especially catastrophic illness), longer hospital stays (more than 11 days), and higher medical costs. Interestingly, DM decreased the OR for inpatient mortality.