News & Updates

Vertebral fractures (VFs) are one of the most common fragility fractures, conferring a two- to four-fold increased risk of subsequent hip fracture independent of bone mineral density (BMD). At a scientific symposium, Dr Ronald Man-Yeung Wong, Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and Dr Sabarul Mokhtar, Senior Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon of the Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz, Malaysia, discussed how integrating vertebral fracture assessment (VFA) into the fracture liaison service (FLS) could potentially improve vertebral fracture (VF) detection and enable early treatment of very-high-risk patients, permitting timely sequential therapy (eg, beginning with an anabolic agent and followed with a potent antiresorptive agent) to reduce imminent fracture risk, prevent subsequent hip fractures and improve outcomes.

Not all patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are eligible for platinum-based chemotherapy. Oral vinorelbine may be a valuable treatment option for frail and older patients in both first- and subsequent-line settings due to its manageable safety profile.

Migraine is a primary headache disorder with disabling episodic attacks, affecting around 12.5 percent of Hong Kong’s population. Important gaps in local migraine management include underuse of preventive therapy, delayed specialist referral and medication overuse. In an interview with MIMS Doctor, Dr David Sing-Ngai Cheung, Specialist in Neurology and a member of the Hong Kong Headache Society, discussed how calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)–targeted therapies, particularly gepants, support earlier intervention and potentially improve outcomes of patients with migraine while offering favourable tolerability and safety.

A 60-year-old male presented with abnormal liver function test results fol­lowing a routine health evaluation in 2014. He was asymptomatic, with baseline Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status (PS) of 0. Comorbidities included hyperten­sion and dyslipidaemia, managed with amlodipine and a statin, respectively. 

In January 2007, a previously healthy 38-year-old female (base­line Expanded Disability Status Scale [EDSS] score, 0) presented with acute right upper limb weakness and numb­ness. Within days, the patient’s sen­sory and motor deficits progressed to involve her other limbs. She had no relevant medical comorbidities and no family history of demyelinating or auto­immune diseases. 

A 74-year-old nonsmoker and non­drinker presented to a private urologist in January 2025 with gross haematu­ria. Aside from benign prostatic hyper­plasia, he was well and physically fit. On 14 January 2025, a CT scan re­vealed a large mass measuring 5.8 cm with full-thickness infiltration into the bladder wall, consistent with clinical T3 disease. A metastatic lymph node (LN) of approximately 1.0 cm was not­ed in the left internal iliac region, with no distant metastases. 

As Hong Kong’s population ages, osteoporosis has emerged as a significant health concern, currently affecting an estimated 400,000 individuals. The rising incidence of osteoporotic or fragility fractures contributes to increased morbidity and mortality, creating a substantial burden on the healthcare system. At a scientific symposium, experts in cardiology, orthopaedic surgery, geriatrics, endocrinology, and anaesthesiology explored how a multidisciplinary approach can enhance the management of fragility fractures, particularly hip fractures. The discussions focused on optimizing care from the point of admission through to recovery, with an emphasis on postoperative prevention of imminent fractures using an osteoanabolic-first approach to improve patient outcomes.

A 77-year-old man with multiple well-controlled comorbidities, includ­ing hypertension, diabetes mellitus, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and atrial fibrillation (AF), presented with fatigue and pancytopenia on 4 November 2022, with white blood cell (WBC) count 2.69 x 10⁹/L, neutrophils 28 percent, haemoglobin (Hb) 11 g/dL and platelets 96 x 10⁹/L. He reported no other symptoms. Repeat blood test on 25 November 2022 showed wors­ening cytopenia: WBC 1.79 x 10⁹/L, neutrophils 23 percent, Hb 9.4 g/dL and platelets 78 x 10⁹/L. 

A 71-year-old woman, previously well, presented with a 3-month history of bilat­eral lower-limb rash. Initial blood test on 22 December 2023 showed leukocytosis with white blood cell (WBC) count 17.8 x 10⁹/L, haemoglobin 10.3 g/dL and plate­lets 172 x 10⁹/L. Peripheral blood analysis found 14 percent blast cells and marked monocytosis (15 percent). She was ad­mitted for further evaluation.