Changing patterns of pulmonary abnormalities in rheumatoid arthritis.

BACKGROUND: As a first step in identifying the developmental pathways of pulmonary abnormalities in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), we sought to determine the existing and changing patterns of pulmonary abnormalities. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of consecutive patients with RA who underwent high-resolution computed tomography before and during biologic therapy. The presence of 20 pulmonary abnormalities and the changes in those abnormalities were recorded. Patterns of pre-existing and changing abnormalities were examined via cluster analysis, and their relationship was also assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test. RESULTS: A total of 208 subjects were included. Pulmonary abnormalities were observed in 70% of patients: 39% had interstitial lung disease, and 55% had airway disease (AD). Several different pulmonary abnormalities were commonly found to co-exist in several patterns in the same patient. In most patients with pulmonary abnormalities, AD was present alone or in combination with other abnormalities. During the observation period (mean 3.2 years), 172 pulmonary abnormalities had changed in 91 patients: 115 pulmonary abnormalities newly emerged, whereas 42 worsened and 25 demonstrated improvement. Pulmonary abnormalities changed in several patterns. Correlations were observed between pre-existing and new/worsening abnormalities at individual and regional levels, such as new ground-glass opacity (GGO) and pre-existing AD, small nodular patterns, and honeycombing. AD was a possible initial abnormality. CONCLUSIONS: Pulmonary abnormalities occurred and changed in several patterns, which suggests the existence of developmental pathways of pulmonary abnormalities. AD may play an important role in the development of these abnormalities, including GGO.

Changing Patterns of Intimate Partner Violence against Pregnant Women: A Three-Year Longitudinal Study.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) against pregnant women adversely impacts women's and infants' health. This study aims to provide longitudinal evidence regarding how pregnant women's exposure to IPV changes over time. Additionally, we examine the risk and protective factors associated with these changes. In total, 340 pregnant women were recruited from an antenatal clinic in Hong Kong. IPV experiences and health conditions were assessed at pregnancy and at both 4 weeks and 3 years after childbirth. The women also reported adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), their family support, and perceived partner involvement. We found IPV prevalence among the study sample decreased from 22.9% before pregnancy to 13.5% during pregnancy, 14.7% at 4 weeks after childbirth, and 11.8% at 3 years after childbirth. We further found three types of IPV: 11.8% of women had a violent relationship (VR) persistently over time from pregnancy to 3 years after childbirth, 20.6% experienced decreased IPV (DVR), and 67.6% reported a nonviolent relationship (NVR) throughout the study period. VRs were associated with more severe mental health problems and higher ACEs. Family support and partner involvement may be protective factors for decreased IPV. Our present findings highlight the importance of identifying different IPV types over time to provide targeted intervention to the most vulnerable groups.

Changing patterns of Oral & Maxillofacial injuries before and during COVID-19 pandemic: A retrospective study.

Introduction: Oral and maxillofacial injuries can be defined as injuries involving soft and hard tissue structures of the facial region and oral cavity, including the teeth and vital structures of the head and neck area as a result of trauma. The maxillofacial injuries are multifactorial and vary from one country to another and even from region to region. Despite, societal restrictions imposed by the government in the form of lockdowns and curfews, patients still experienced trauma and required significant healthcare services for management. Methods: Patients of either gender reporting to the emergency department of Lata Mangeshkar Hospital with maxillofacial injuries, attended by residents of OMFS from October 2019 to August 2020 were included in the retrospective study. The demographic data about age, gender and status pertaining to under the influence of alcohol was recorded. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the changing patterns of the maxillofacial injuries during the Covid-19 pandemic. Results: In the present study, the road traffic accidents were 72.50% pre-lockdown which reduced to 47.37% during the alcohol ban and nationwide lockdown and gradually increased to 63.83% post-lockdown. The second most common cause of maxillofacial injury was falls which showed a significant increase from 22.50% before the lockdown to 31.58% during the lockdown and decreased to 26.6% after lockdown during the pandemic. There was an increase in the number of assaults from 2.50% pre-lockdown to 15.79% during the lockdown and again a decrease to 6.38% post-lockdown. Discussion: Our study demonstrates the impact of nationwide lockdown in the month of April and May 2020, may have an association with the significant statistical decrease in the monthly average number of trauma admissions. There was a significant decrease in the number of road traffic collisions and falls during the "lockdown period". Conclusion: The etiology and pattern of maxillofacial injuries reflect the trauma pattern within the community. We need more coordinated strategies of action to minimize maxillofacial injuries and its implication on physical and psychological wellbeing of patients.

Programmable and scalable assembly of a flexible hexagonal DNA origami.

Nanoscale structures demonstrate considerable potential utility in the construction of nanorobots, nanomachines, and many other devices. In this study, a hexagonal DNA origami ring was assembled and visualized via atomic force microscopy. The DNA origami shape could be programmed into either a hexagonal or linear shape with an open or folded pattern. The flexible origami was robust and switchable for dynamic pattern recognition. Its edges were folded by six bundles of DNA helices, which could be opened or folded in a honeycomb shape. Additionally, the edges were programmed into a concave-convex pattern, which enabled linkage between the origami and dipolymers. Furthermore, biotin-streptavidin labels were embedded at each edge for nanoscale calibration. The atomic force microscopy results demonstrated the stability and high-yield of the flexible DNA origami ring. The polymorphous nanostructure is useful for dynamic nano-construction and calibration of structural probes or sensors.

Exploring Intimate Partner Violence Before, During, and After Pregnancy in Bangladesh.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) against pregnant or postpartum women is known to have multiple detrimental effects on women and their children. Although results from past research suggest much continuity in trajectories of IPV, it is unclear whether pregnancy interrupts or augments these patterns. Little is known about how physical, sexual, and psychological IPV change and overlap throughout a woman's transition to parenthood. Relying on population-based data, this study examines the prevalence, co-occurring nature, and the changing patterns of physical, sexual, and psychological IPV before, during, and after pregnancy in Bangladesh. Cross-sectional survey data were collected between October 2015 and January 2016 in the Chandpur District of Bangladesh from 426 new mothers, aged 15 to 49 years, who were in the first 6 months postpartum. IPV was assessed with a validated set of survey items. The frequencies of different types of IPV victimization according to the period of occurrence were calculated separately and in a cumulative, co-occurring manner. The prevalence of physical IPV before, during, and after pregnancy was 52.8%, 35.2%, and 32.2%, respectively. The comparative figures for psychological IPV were 67.4%, 65%, and 60.8%, and for sexual IPV were 21.1%, 18.5%, and 15.5%, respectively. The results demonstrate a notable continuity in IPV victimization before, during, and after pregnancy. Psychological IPV is the only type to exhibit a significant reduction during and after pregnancy, compared with before pregnancy, but it commonly overlaps with physical IPV, which shows a significant change during pregnancy and little change in the postpartum period. At the same time, pregnancy and childbirth offer little protection against IPV for women in relationships characterized by psychological or sexual victimization, both of which commonly overlap with physical IPV. Results reinforce the need to conduct routine screening during pregnancy to identify women with a history of IPV and to offer necessary help and support.

In-house genetic counseling increases the detection of abnormal karyotypes-a 26-year experience in prenatal diagnosis in a single tertiary referral hospital in Poland.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the trends in prenatal diagnosis over 26 years in a tertiary referral hospital. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of invasive prenatal procedures performed between 1991 and 2016. Maternal characteristics, indications for invasive diagnosis, and percentage of abnormal karyotypes were compared between periods according to guidelines implemented nationally and locally. RESULTS: A total of 14,302 invasive prenatal procedures were performed. The proportion of invasive procedures performed for advanced maternal age, abnormal karyotype in a previous pregnancy, and maternal anxiety decreased from 71.1%, 17.8%, 8.9% in 1991 to 23.9%, 1.3%, and 2.3% in 2016 (OR 0.6, 0.8, and 0.9 for each 5 years, respectively; p < 0.001), while the proportion of invasive procedures performed for abnormal ultrasound increased from 2.2% in 1991 to 51.6% in 2016 (OR 1.9 for each 5 years; p < 0.001). Abnormal karyotype was found in 9.7%. The proportion of abnormal karyotypes increased significantly from 0.0% in 1991 to 15.7% in 2016 (OR 1.35 for each 5-year period; p < 0.001). The odds of abnormal karyotype increased after the implementation of the Ordinance of the Minister of Health in 2003 (OR 1.6), the National Prenatal Screening Program in 2007 (OR 2.2), and the in-house genetic counseling with combined first trimester screening in 2015 (OR 3.1). CONCLUSIONS: Significant changes in prenatal diagnosis led to a better selection of patients undergoing invasive prenatal procedures. The implementation of in-house genetic counseling was associated with an increased rate of the detection of abnormal karyotypes.

[Status quo on smoking and related change pattern of smoking related behavior in past 20 years in urban residents in Tianjin].

Objective: To understand the status quo of smoking and change pattern of smoking related behaviors in the past 20 years in the urban adults in Tianjin. Methods: Data was from the study of Chinese Chronic Disease and Risk Factors (2015). Multi stage stratified random sampling method was used to conduct a questionnaire survey in 7 surveillance sites in Tianjin. Results: in the urban residents aged>20 years were compared with those in surveys in 1996 and 2010. Results In 2015, the smoking rate in men and women aged>20 years in Tianjin were 41.1% and 4.5% respectively. The average age of starting smoking was (19.2±4.7) years for men and (24.8±10.9) years for women, showing a younger age trend. Compared with the data from 1996 and 2010, the smoking rate in the urban residents was in decrease, but the rate of successful smoking cessation was in increase in 2015, the differences were significant. Conclusions: Since 1996, the rate of smoking in the urban residents of Tianjin has been in decline, however it is still at a high level, especially in women. The average age of starting smoking remains to be younger. It is necessary to strengthen the health education about harm of smoking in adolescents.

Status quo on smoking and related change pattern of smoking related behavior in past 20 years in urban residents in Tianjin / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective@#To understand the status quo of smoking and change pattern of smoking related behaviors in the past 20 years in the urban adults in Tianjin.@*Methods@#Data was from the study of Chinese Chronic Disease and Risk Factors (2015). Multi stage stratified random sampling method was used to conduct a questionnaire survey in 7 surveillance sites in Tianjin.@*Results@#in the urban residents aged>20 years were compared with those in surveys in 1996 and 2010. Results In 2015, the smoking rate in men and women aged>20 years in Tianjin were 41.1% and 4.5% respectively. The average age of starting smoking was (19.2±4.7) years for men and (24.8±10.9) years for women, showing a younger age trend. Compared with the data from 1996 and 2010, the smoking rate in the urban residents was in decrease, but the rate of successful smoking cessation was in increase in 2015, the differences were significant.@*Conclusions@#Since 1996, the rate of smoking in the urban residents of Tianjin has been in decline, however it is still at a high level, especially in women. The average age of starting smoking remains to be younger. It is necessary to strengthen the health education about harm of smoking in adolescents.

Analysis of the Changing Patterns of Midface Fractures Using 3D Computed Tomography: An Observational Study.

This article aims to analyze the changing Le Fort fracture patterns using computed tomography (CT) scans with three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction. A prospective observational study was conducted on 60 patients with midface trauma, who had reported to MS Ramaiah Group of Hospitals, Bangalore, between January 2015 and October 2016. CT scans using 1.6 mm axial, sagittal, coronal sections were taken and their 3D reconstruction was made. The images were studied and compared with the standard Le Fort lines. The deviations from the classical Le Fort lines were analyzed and recorded. A note was also made of any additional fixation that was required for these deviations. Descriptive analysis was done and the results expressed in numbers and percentages. Study revealed that the most common cause for the midface fractures was found to be road traffic accidents (81.7%) with a male preponderance (88.3%) and peak incidence in 21 to 30 years of age (40%). Among the 60 patients, 18 (30%) patients had fracture patterns similar to the ideal Le Fort lines, 4 (6.6%) had a combination of Le Fort patterns, and 38 (66.3%) patients had deviations seen from the ideal Le Fort lines. Four types of deviations were recorded, namely, D1(60%), D2(5.4%), D3(10.9%), and D4(23.6%). It was observed that D1 and D3 required additional fixation. Majority of the cases presented as a deviation from ideal Le Fort fractures. CT was a valuable tool in the assessment of these fracture patterns. Deviations, if any, could be better analyzed using the 3D reconstruction images. Proper diagnosis and detection of these deviations make the planning for fixation easier. Repetition of these deviations could propose a newer or modified classification system for Le Fort fractures.

Retrospective study of topical medical treatment for glaucoma / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

@#AIM:To document the change in pattern of topical anti-glaucoma medicine by retrospective analysis in the outpatient of a local tertiary eye hospital(Second People's Hospital of Foshan)in China during 2009-2016. <p>METHODS: The data of topical anti-glaucoma medications in outpatients in our hospital were collected from January 1^st 2009 to December 31^st 2016. These data were analyzed retrospectively. The main outcome measures were the percentages of prescriptions for all kinds of anti-glaucoma medications, the ratio of the mono-therapy and combination therapies, and the defined daily doses. <p>RESULTS: The ratio of beta-adrenergic receptor blocker declined from 81.51% in 2009 to 69.37% in 2016. The use of cholinergic agent decreased from 12.04% in 2009 to 3.78% in 2016. The prostaglandin derivatives increased from 8.40% in 2009 to 31.40% in 2016. Alpha 2 adrenergic receptor agonists increased from 0 in 2009 to 29.44% in 2016. Local carbonic anhydrase inhibitors changed slightly. The proportion of mono-therapy was reduced from 65.83% in 2009 to 46.22% in 2016. The ration of two agents combination increased from 32.49% in 2009 to 38.77% in 2016. The three medications combination was increased from 1.68% in 2009 to 12.96% in 2016. The proportion of four medications combination increased from 0 in 2009 to 1.97% in 2016, while the combined use of five drugs was an isolated case. <p>CONCLUSION: The proportion of topical anti-glaucoma agents has changed remarkably. The beta-adrenergic receptor blockers and cholinergic medications are decreasing, while the prostaglandin derivatives and alpha 2 adrenergic receptor agonists are increasing. The proportion of mono-therapy is declining, while the combined therapies are rising.

Changing patterns in leptospirosis: a three-decade study in Brazil.

BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to investigate changes in the clinical pattern of leptospirosis over time, analyzing its clinical and laboratory presentations in a metropolitan city of Brazil. METHOD: This was a retrospective study including all patients with leptospirosis admitted to tertiary care hospitals in Fortaleza in the northeast of Brazil, between 1985 and 2015. Patients were divided into three groups according to the year of hospital admission: group I for the years 1985-1995, group II for 1996-2005, and group III for 2006-2015. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were compared between the groups. RESULTS: A total of 507 patients were included. Their mean age was 37.3±15.9years and 82.4% were male. The mean time between symptom onset and admission was 7±4 days. There was a linear decrease in the levels of serum urea (190.1±92.7, 135±79.5, and 95.6±73.3mg/dl, respectively, p <0.0001) and creatinine (5.8±2.9, 3.8±2.6, and 3.0±2.5mg/dl, respectively, p <0.0001) in each decade, while levels of hemoglobin (10.31±1.9, 10.8±2.0, and 11.5±2.1g/dl, respectively, p <0.0001) and platelets (57.900±52.650, 80.130±68.836, and 107.101±99.699×109/l, respectively, p<0.0001) increased. There was a tendency towards a linear decrease in mortality (22%, 14%, and 11.6%, respectively, p=0.060). CONCLUSIONS: Leptospirosis showed significant changes over time in this region. The main changes point to a decrease in disease severity and complications, such as acute kidney injury. Mortality has decreased, being close to 11%.

Major Natural Disasters in China, 1985-2014: Occurrence and Damages.

This study aimed to describe the characteristics of natural disasters and associated losses from 1985 to 2014. The Mann-Kendall method was used to detect any long-term trends and abrupt changes. Hotspot analysis was conducted to detect the spatial clusters of disasters. We found an increasing trend in the occurrence of integrated natural disasters (tau = 0.594, p < 0.001), particularly for floods (tau = 0.507, p < 0.001), landslides (tau = 0.365, p = 0.009) and storms (tau = 0.289, p = 0.032). Besides, there was an abrupt increase of natural disasters in 1998-2000. Hotspots of droughts, floods, landslides and storms were identified in central, southern, southwest and southeast areas of China, respectively. Annual deaths from integrated natural disasters were decreasing (tau = -0.237, p = 0.068) at about 32 persons/year, decreasing at 17 persons/year for floods (tau = -0.154, p = 0.239), and decreasing at approximately 12 persons/year for storms (tau = -0.338, p = 0.009). No significant trend was detected in inflation-adjusted damages while a declining trend was detected in the ratio of year damage against GDP (gross domestic product). In conclusion, there has been an increasing trend in occurrence of natural disasters in China with the absence of an increase in life and economic losses. Despite the progress in the disaster adaption, there will be great challenges in disaster control for China in the future.

Changing Patterns of Patient Characteristics in a Memory Clinic in Singapore.

OBJECTIVES: Promoting public awareness about dementia has been part of global initiatives in recent years; however, the impact on patterns of patient visits in memory clinics has not been investigated in Asian countries. Hence, the present study sought to investigate longitudinal patterns of patient characteristics among consecutive referrals to a memory clinic in Singapore from 2009 to 2015. METHODS: Consecutive first-visit patients who attended the National University Hospital memory clinic between 2009 and 2015 through referrals from primary and secondary health care services were included in the study. A retrospective review on patient demographics, clinical diagnosis, and Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) was performed. Chi-square and logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the changing patterns of patient characteristics over the 7-year period. RESULTS: A total of 1075 patients were included in the analysis, among whom 675 (62.8%) were diagnosed with dementia. Over the 7-year period, more dementia-free patients were seen compared to dementia patients (odds ratio [OR] = 1.70, 95% CI = 1.55-1.86). Among patients who visited the memory clinic and were subsequently diagnosed with dementia, an increasing number of mild dementia (CDR = 1) compared to moderate-to-severe dementia (CDR = 2 or 3) cases were found (OR = 1.11, 95% CI = 1.02-1.21). CONCLUSION: Changing patterns in characteristics of patients visiting the memory clinic were observed, with an increasing number of patients at a less severe stage of disease seeking medical management. These results suggest that efforts to promote awareness of dementia among the public have been effective. Future studies are recommended to confirm the causes and investigate potential consequences of the changing patterns of memory clinic patients.

Changes in the characteristics of facial fractures in children and adolescents in Portugal 1993-2012.

We investigated the changes in the characteristics of facial fractures in children and adolescents during a 20-year period in Portugal to try to find out how to prevent such fractures in future. We reviewed the clinical records of patients aged 0-18 years old who had facial fractures treated at the Department of Plastic Surgery, São João Hospital, Porto, during the 20-year period 1993-2012. The patients were divided into two 10-year periods: January 1993 to December 2002, and January 2003 to December 2012, and these were compared and analysed. A total of 1416 patients with 2071 fractures were diagnosed. There was a significant reduction (p<0.001) in the number of patients treated during the two decades. In both groups the number of patients increased with increasing age (p<0.001), and there was a male preponderance in all age groups. Motor vehicle collisions were the main cause of the fractures, and the mandible was the most common site (49.7%). Other injuries were recorded in 1015 patients (71.7%), and the head and neck was the most common site in both decades. Facial fractures in children are usually associated with severe trauma, and their characteristics can be influenced by social and economic factors. Although the number of children injured has decreased significantly during the last decade, facial fractures remain common in Portugal.

Identifying arsenic trioxide (ATO) functions in leukemia cells by using time series gene expression profiles.

Arsenic trioxide (ATO) is presently the most active single agent in the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). In order to explore the molecular mechanism of ATO in leukemia cells with time series, we adopted bioinformatics strategy to analyze expression changing patterns and changes in transcription regulation modules of time series genes filtered from Gene Expression Omnibus database (GSE24946). We totally screened out 1847 time series genes for subsequent analysis. The KEGG (Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes) pathways enrichment analysis of these genes showed that oxidative phosphorylation and ribosome were the top 2 significantly enriched pathways. STEM software was employed to compare changing patterns of gene expression with assigned 50 expression patterns. We screened out 7 significantly enriched patterns and 4 tendency charts of time series genes. The result of Gene Ontology showed that functions of times series genes mainly distributed in profiles 41, 40, 39 and 38. Seven genes with positive regulation of cell adhesion function were enriched in profile 40, and presented the same first increased model then decreased model as profile 40. The transcription module analysis showed that they mainly involved in oxidative phosphorylation pathway and ribosome pathway. Overall, our data summarized the gene expression changes in ATO treated K562-r cell lines with time and suggested that time series genes mainly regulated cell adhesive. Furthermore, our result may provide theoretical basis of molecular biology in treating acute promyelocytic leukemia.

Changing Patterns of Dermatophytosis and Its Causative Agents according to Social and Economic Developments in Korea / 대한의진균학회지

Deramtophytosis is one of common dermatoses and occupied 10~20% of all dermatologic outpatients in Korea. It has close relationship between host (human) and dermatophytes. Their clinical patterns and incidence, and their causative dermatophytes may change with social environments and life patterns; Some dermatophytes may decrease or disappear and others can be imported from other countries. During recent 60 years, GNP has been increased explosively, more than 190 folds, and that economic developments brought abrupt changes of social environments and life patterns in Korea. Furthermore, there had been great social events; Korean War in 1950~1953, the Asian Game in 1986, the Olympic Game in 1988 and the World Cup in 2002. Those events gave much chances for dermatophytes to move and change. Trends of clinical types of dermatophytosis and their causative dermatophytes were evaluated with reported articles during the period. Tinea capitis showed the most dramatic changes. Its incidence was the highest just after Korean war, 24.5% of all primary school students, and decreased abruptly by 26.5% of all dermatophytosis in late 1950s, 4.9% in late 1960s, and 2~4% since 1970s. Microsporum(M.) ferrugineum was the most common isolates till 1970s, and abruptly decreased and now nearly disappeared. Trichophyton(T.) violaceum was isolated in Cheju island. After Korean war, T. schoenleinii was isolated from favus and disappeared. M. canis was isolated for the first time in 1959 and has been the most common isolates from tinea capitis since late 1970s. T. verrucosum was isolated for the first time in 1986 in Kwangju and has been isolated nation-widely. T. tonsurans was isolated for the first time in 1995 in Daegu and spread among wrestlers, Judo players and Korean wrestlers. It might be imported by wrestlers with sport exchanging program. Tinea pedis is the most common dermatophytosis in Korea now. It was 26% of all dermatophytosis in late 1950s, and increased by 40.9~42.2% in 1970s. And tinea unguium has been increased as tinea pedis does; It was 2.8% of all dermatophytosis in late 1950s, and increased by 5.1~14.2% in 1970s, 5.5~15.3% in 1870s and 17% in 1990s. The patiets with tinea pedis have high family infection and also high coexisting dermatophytosis. The most common isolate was T. rubrum, followed by T. mentagrophytes and Epidermophyton floccosum. Tinea cruris was one of dramatically changed dermatophytosis. Its incidence was 5% of all dermatophytosis in 1940s, and increased by 10.2% in late 1950s, and 26.6~39.1% in 1970s. Environments and socioeconomic conditions are changing, and international travel and sports exchanging program are increasing. All those social events may cause new dermatophytes to invade from other countries. We should check it carefully and continuously.

The Changing Patterns of Psychiatric Consultations at a General Hospital / 신경정신의학

We have studied the changing patterns of psychiatric consultation in a general hospital for 10 years . Results were as follows 1) The annual psychiatric consultation rate was 1.64%. 2) In age group, elderly patients above 60's had increasing tendency of consultation. 3) The referred patients from department of Internal medicine was the highest and ones from neurology department were increasing recently. 4) Most of the patients were consulted during the month of lune, f311owe4 by April, March and May. 5) The most frequent reason far their psychiatric consultation was psychiatric complaint without specific evidence of lab. data but physical problems. 6) In the psychiatric diagnoses of the consulted patients, organic mental disorders were the first, and depression was the second in order.

The changing patterns of liver abscess during the past 20 years: a study of 482 cases

The diagnostic and treatment modalities of liver abscess have developed rapidly over the past few years but morbidity and mortality has not been markedly reduced. A total of 482 cases of liver abscess admitted to the Yonsei Medical Center over the past 20 years (Jan. 1971-Dec. 1990) were divided into 261 cases from the 1970s and 221 cases from the 1980s and the clinical and laboratory parameters were analyzed comparatively to determine if the clinical features, therapies and prognosis of liver abscess had changed. The proportion of amebic relative to pyogenic liver abscess decreased. Transbiliary infections increased in pyogenic liver abscess of the 1980s. Clinical signs such as jaundice and hepatomegaly and symptom duration before admission decreased. Abnormal laboratory features including hypoalbuminemia and elevation of alkaline phosphatase decreased and increased, respectively, in the 1980s. Ultrasonically guided percutaneous aspiration was the choice of treatment instead of surgical drainage in the 1980s. Despite diagnostic and therapeutic advances in the management of liver abscess, the prognosis has not improved in the 1980s as compared to the 1970s. This may reflect an increase in the incidence of liver abscess in old aged patients and patients with diabetes mellitus or underlying malignancy in the 1980s.