Retrospective analysis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma complicated with human immunodeficiency virus infection after hepatectomy

BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is the third leading cause of cancer death worldwide,with a 5-year relative survival rate of approximately 18%.The similarity between incidence and mortality(830000 deaths per year)underscores the bleak prognosis associated with the disease.HCC is the fourth most common malignancy and the second leading cause of cancer death in China.Most patients with HCC have a history of chronic liver disease such as chronic hepatitis B virus(HBV)or hepatitis C virus(HCV)infection,alcoholism or alcoholic steatohepatitis,nonalcoholic fatty liver disease,or nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.Early diagnosis and effective treatment are the keys to improving the prognosis of patients with HCC.Although the total number of human immunodeficiency virus(HIV)-infected patients is declining globally the incidence of HCC is increasing in HIVinfected patients,especially those who are coinfected with HBV or HCV.As a result,people infected with HIV still face unique challenges in terms of their risk of developing HCC.AIM To investigate the survival prognosis and clinical efficacy of surgical resection in patients with HCC complicated with HIV infection.METHODS The clinical data of 56 patients with HCC complicated with HIV admitted to the Third Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University from January 2013 to December 2023 were retrospectively analyzed.Among these,27 patients underwent hepatectomy(operation group)and 29 patients received conservative treatment(nonoperation group).All patients signed informed consents in line with the provisions of medical ethics.The general data,clinicopathological features and prognoses for the patients in the two groups were analyzed and the risk factors related to the prognoses of the patients in the operation group were identified.RESULTS The median disease-free survival(DFS)and overall survival(OS)of HIV-HCC patients in the surgical group were 13 months and 17 months,respectively,and the median OS of patients in the nonsurgical group was 12 months.The OS of the surgical group was significantly longer than that of the control group(17 months vs 12 months,respectively;P<0.05).The risk factors associated with DFS and OS in the surgical group were initial HIV diagnosis,postoperative microvascular invasion(MVI),a CD4+T-cell count<200/μL,Barcelona stage C-D,and men who have sex with men(MSM;P<0.05).CONCLUSION Hepatectomy can effectively prolong the survival of patients with HIV-HCC but MVI identified during postoperative pathological examination,late tumor detection,late BCLC stage,CD4+T<200/μL and MSM are risk factors affecting the survival and prognosis of patients undergoing hepatectomy.In addition,there were significant differences between the surgical group and the nonsurgical group in terms of the initial diagnosis of HIV,Child-Pugh score,alpha-fetoprotein measurement value,and HART-efficient antiretroviral therapy after the diagnosis of HIV(P<0.05).Therefore,these factors may also affect the survival and prognosis of patients.

Comparative analysis of the short and medium-term efficacy of the Da Vinci robot versus laparoscopic total mesangectomy for rectal cancer

BACKGROUND The Da Vinci robot-assisted surgery technique has been widely used in laparo-scopic mesangectomy for rectal cancer.However,the short-term efficacy of these procedures compared to traditional laparoscopic surgery remains controversial.The purpose of this study was to compare and analyze the short-and medium-term efficacy of Da Vinci robot and laparoscopic surgery in total mesangectomy(TME)for rectal cancer,so as to provide guidance and reference for clinical practice.AIM To investigate the safety and long-term efficacy of robotic and laparoscopic total mesorectal resection for the treatment of rectal cancer.METHODS The clinicopathologic data of 240 patients who underwent TME for rectal cancer in the Anorectal Department of People’s Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region from August 2018 to March 2023 were retrospectively analyzed.Among them,112 patients underwent laparoscopic TME(L-TME)group,and 128 patients underwent robotic TME(R-TME)group.The intraoperative,postoperative,and follow-up conditions of the two groups were compared.RESULTS The conversion rate of the L-TME group was greater than that of the R-TME group(5.4%vs 0.8%,χ^(2)=4.417,P=0.036).The complication rate of the L-TME group was greater than that of the R-TME group(32.1%vs 17.2%,χ^(2)=7.290,P=0.007).The percentage of positive annular margins in the L-TME group was greater than that in the R-TME group(7.1%vs 1.6%,χ^(2)=4.658,P=0.031).The 3-year disease-free survival(DFS)rate and overall survival(OS)rate of the L-TME group were lower than those of the R-TME group(74.1%vs 85.2%,χ^(2)=4.962,P=0.026;81.3%vs 91.4%,χ^(2)=5.494,P=0.019);in patients with American Joint Committee on Cancer stage Ⅲ DFS rate and OS rate in the L-TME group were significantly lower than those in the R-TME group(52.5%vs 76.1%,χ^(2)=5.799,P=0.016;65.0%vs 84.8%,χ^(2)=4.787,P=0.029).CONCLUSION Compared with the L-TME group,the R-TME group had a better tumor prognosis and was more favorable for patients with rectal cancer,especially for patients with stage Ⅲ rectal cancer.

Clinical analysis of 114 cases of bronchiolitis in infants

BACKGROUND Bronchiolitis is a common lower respiratory tract infection in infants and young children.Severe cases may be accompanied by obvious dyspnea and oxygen saturation decline.AIM To summarize the clinical features,standard diagnosis,and treatment of bronchi-olitis.METHODS This is a retrospective analysis of 114 pediatric patients(74 males,40 females)who were first diagnosed as having bronchioles at the Department of Pediatrics of Tongling Maternal and Child Health Hospital from January 2019 to December 2019.The clinical features,imaging features,treatment,and other clinical data were recorded and analyzed.RESULTS The age of onset of the disease was mainly from 1 mo to 6 mo(75.4%),and the time to hospital visit was mostly from the 2nd day to the 4th day of the course of the disease(75.4%).Lung imaging examination showed increase in lung texture,fuzzy(93.8%).The main treatment was atomization therapy:Budesonide combined with terbutaline(45.6%)and budesonide combined with salbutamol(38.5%).The average hospitalization time was 7.1±2.4 d,and the overall cure rate was 94.7%.In patients without bacterial infection,the use of antibiotics significantly prolonged the length of hospital stay(7.8±2.5 d vs 5.7±1.8 d)and improved the cure rate(98.3%vs 87.9%,P<0.05).CONCLUSION Infants with bronchiolitis are mainly male and tend to have a good prognosis.However,the unneeded use of antibiotics may prolong the length of hospital stay significantly,which imposes the burden both on the patients and hospital system.CONCLUSION Bronchiolitis is a common acute respiratory infectious disease in infants and young children.It mainly affects male children and the age onset is between 1 to 6 mo.The standard use of antibiotics should be emphasized in view of the prolonged average length of hospital stay between the antibiotic treatment group and the non-antibiotic treatment group.When the course of disease is more than 7 d or the treatment effect is poor,active anti-infective treatment is needed to improve the long-term prognosis.Very few children have recurrent cough and wheezing symptoms within 1 year,which may be related to the risk of later asthma attack.FOOTNOTES Author contributions:Shi C and Wu MH contributed to study conception and design,and provision of study materials or patients;Shi C contributed to administrative support;Zuo A,Yang MM,and Jiang RR contributed to data collection and assembly;Shi C contributed to data analysis and interpretation,and manuscript writing;all authors contributed to the final approval of the manuscript.Institutional review board statement:The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki(as revised in 2013).The study was approved by Institutional Review Board of Tongling Maternal and Child Health Hospital.

Retrospective Analysis of External Quality Assessment Data of Humoral (Except Feces) Morphology in Guangxi from 2010 to 2022

[Objectives] The study aims to improve the ability of inspectors to recognize humoral morphology and provide data reference for the improvement of EQA work of humoral morphology by Guangxi Clinical Laboratory Center. [Methods] A retrospective analysis was made on the EQA of humoral morphology by Guangxi Clinical Laboratory Center from 2010 to 2022, and the number of participating laboratories, the rate of return, sample types and maps of EQA of humoral morphology such as urine sediment, vaginal secretions and so on(except feces), and the reasons for the high error rate of the results of the participating laboratories were analyzed. [Results] The number of laboratories participating in the assessment of humoral morphology increased from 98 in 2010 to 371 in 2022. Except for 2011(90.98%), the rate of return was more than 94%, and the highest rate of return was up to 100%. A total of 119 pictures of EQA of humoral morphology were studied, including 101 urine sediment smears, 13 vaginal secretions smears and 5 other smears. The types of specimens were relatively comprehensive. The distribution of the maps was basically reasonable. The urinary sediment was mainly composed of crystalline salts, followed by tubes, and cells and fungi ranked third. The coverage was relatively complete. The error rate of return results from high to low were bacteria(error rate was equal to 40%), tubes and crystalline salts(error rate was close to 29%), and cells and fungi(error rate was about 14%). The main cases with high error rate of return results are as follows: the difference between different tubes was not clear, and the diversity of crystal morphology was not understood enough;the phase division of cells in the same system was wrong. [Conclusions] The analysis and summary of the reasons for the high error rate of the data and results of Guangxi's EQA of humoral morphology is helpful for laboratory physicians to improve their awareness of morphological examination and identify clearly the error type and blurred concept, and lays a foundation for Guangxi Clinical Laboratory Center to carry out EQA of humoral morphology more specifically.

Clinical Analysis of 137 Cases of Fungal Keratitis

Objective: To analyze the epidemiology, clinical diagnosis and treatment of fungal keratitis (FK) in hospitalized patients at the First Affiliated Hospital of Yangtze University in recent years. Methods: A retrospective investigation was conducted on the data of 137 cases of FK in our hospital from January 2019 to December 2022. The epidemiological characteristics, identification results of fungal strains, clinical treatment, and prognosis of the patients were analyzed. Results: Among the 137 FK patients, 89 were males and 48 were females, and the ratio of male to female was 1.85:1, The age of onset was the largest number of patients in 50-59 years old and 60-69 years old. The disease occurred most in autumn, winter and summer farming season (from September to December, January, May, June). 72 cases (52.6%) had a clear history of corneal injury, and 43 cases (31.4%) had a history of plant injury. Other risk factors include eye surface diseases, ophthalmic surgery, and wearing corneal contact lenses. The top three pathogens were fusarium (38.7%), aspergillus (23.3%), and alternaria (17.5%). 101 eyes showed improvement or cure after treatment with medication, 9 eyes underwent corneal stromal injection, 11 eyes were covered with conjunctival flap covering or amniotic membrane transplantation, 12 eyes were covered with corneal transplantation, and enucleation of ocular contents was performed in 4 eyes;Visual acuity was improved or maintained in 123 patients (about 89.8%). Conclusions: The incidence of FK in our hospital was mostly middle-aged and elderly men, mostly caused by corneal injury in the process of agricultural labor. The pathogens were mainly fusarium and aspergillus. The preferred treatment was medication, with severe cases requiring combined surgical treatment. Most patients can maintain or improve their vision after treatment.

Endoscopic full-thickness plication along with argon plasma coagulation for treatment of proton pump inhibitor dependent gastroesophageal reflux disease

BACKGROUND Most endoscopic anti-reflux interventions for gastroesophageal reflux disease(GERD)management are technically challenging to practice with inadequate data to support it utility.Therefore,this study was carried to evaluate the effectiveness and safety newer endoscopic full-thickness fundoplication(EFTP)device along with Argon Plasma Coagulation to treat individuals with GERD.AIM To evaluate the effectiveness and safety newer EFTP device along with Argon Plasma Coagulation to treat individuals with GERD.METHODS This study was a single-center comparative analysis conducted on patients treated at a Noble Institute of Gastroenterology,Ahmedabad,hospital between 2020 and 2022.The research aimed to retrospectively analyze patient data on GERD symptoms and proton pump inhibitor(PPI)dependence who underwent EFTP using the GERD-X system along with argon plasma coagulation(APC).The primary endpoint was the mean change in the total gastroesophageal reflux disease health-related quality of life(GERD-HRQL)score compared to the baseline measurement at the 3-month follow-up.Secondary endpoints encompassed enhancements in the overall GERD-HRQL score,improvements in GERD symptom scores at the 3 and changes in PPI usage at the 3 and 12-month time points.RESULTS In this study,patients most were in Hill Class II,and over half had ineffective esophageal motility.Following the EFTP procedure,there were significant improvements in heartburn and regurgitation scores,as well as GERDHRQL scores(P<0.001).PPI use significantly decreased,with 82.6%not needing PPIs or prokinetics at end of 1 year.No significant adverse events related to the procedures were observed in either group.CONCLUSION The EFTP along with APC procedure shows promise in addressing GERD symptoms and improving patients'quality of life,particularly for suitable candidates.Moreover,the application of a lone clip with APC yielded superior outcomes and exhibited greater cost-effectiveness.

Retrospective analysis of interventional treatment of hepatic metastasis from gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors

Objective： To analyze the angiography appearance of liver metastases from gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors （GEP-NETs）, and evaluate the clinical efficacy and prognostic factors of interventional treatment for hepatic metastases. Methods： Fifty GEP-NETs patients with hepatic metastases were treated from January 2012 to December 2016, and received transarterial embolization （TAE） in the hepatic tumor or hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy （HAIC）. All patients received 179 times of the intervention therapy in total. Results： Blood supplies were identified in the 50 eases with angiography, which showed that 35 cases had abundant vessels, while 15 eases had poor blood supply. Twenty-two cases were found either collateral blood supply, or portal vein invasion or arterial-portal vein fistula. The best curative efficacy was complete remission （CR） in 4 cases, partial remission （PR） in 28 cases and stable disease （SD） in 18 eases during the process of treatment. The angiography （P=0.047） and the frequency of intervention （P=0.037） showed significantly statistical difference with Kaplan-Meier analysis. The Cox analysis showed that more than 3 times of interventional therapy was an independent prognostic factor. Conclusions： Interventional treatment is safe and effective for GEP-NETs, and is beneficial to patients with main hepatic metastases after endocrine therapy.

Factors affecting failed trial of labor and countermeasures:A retrospective analysis

BACKGROUND Vaginal delivery is the ideal mode of delivery for the termination of a pregnancy.However,the cesarean section rate in China is much higher than the published by the World Health Organization in the Lancet in 2010.AIM To retrospectively analyze the factors related to failed trial of labor and the clinical indications for cesarean section conversion,explore how to promote the trial of labor success rate,and determine the feasibility of reducing the rate of conversion to cesarean section.METHODS A retrospective analysis was performed on 9240 maternal women who met vaginal delivery conditions and required a trial of labor from January 2016 to December 2018 at our hospital.Among them,8164 pregnant women who had a successful trial of labor were used as a control group,and 1076 pregnant women who had a failed trial of labor and converted to an emergency cesarean section were used as an observation group.The patients’clinical data during hospitalization were collected for comparative analysis,the related factors of the failed trial of labor were discussed,and reasonable prevention and resolution strategies were proposed to increase the success rate of trial of labor.RESULTS The analysis revealed that advanced age(≥35 years old),macrosomia(≥4000 g),delayed pregnancy(≥41 wk),use of uterine contraction drugs,primipara,and fever during labor were associated with conversion to an emergency cesarean section in the failed trial of labor.Multivariate regression analysis showed that age,gestational age,primipara,use of uterine contraction drugs,fever duringbirth,and newborn weight led to a higher probability of conversion to an emergency cesarean section in the failed trial of labor.The analysis indicated that the following clinical indications were associated with the conversion to cesarean section in the failed trial of labor:Fetal distress(44.3%),social factors(12.8%),malpresentation(face presentation,persistent occipitoposterior position,and persistent occipitotransverse position)(9.4%),and cephalopelvic disproportion(8.9%).CONCLUSION The conversion to emergency cesarean section in failed trial of labor is affected by many factors.Medical staff should take appropriate preventive measures for the main factors,increase the trial of labor success rate,improve the quality of delivery,ensure the safety of mother and child during the perinatal period,and improve the relationship between doctors and patients.

Risk factors for progressive ischemic stroke: A retrospective analysis

BACKGROUND： Progressive ischemic stroke has higher fatality rate and disability rate than common cerebral infarction, thus it is very significant to investigate the early predicting factors related to the occurrence of progressive ischemic stroke, the potential pathological mechanism and the risk factors of early intervention for preventing the occurrence of progressive ischemic stroke and ameliorating its outcome. OBJECTIVE： To analyze the possible related risk factors in patients with progressive ishcemic stroke, so as to provide reference for the prevention and treatment of progressive ishcemic stroke. DESIGN： A retrospective analysis. SETTING： Department of Neurology, General Hospital of Beijing Coal Mining Group. PARTICIPANTS： Totally 280 patients with progressive ischemic stroke were selected from the Department of Neurology, General Hospital of Beijing Coal Mining Group from March 2002 to June 2006, including 192 males and 88 females, with a mean age of （62±7） years old. They were all accorded with the diagnostic standards for cerebral infarction set by the Fourth National Academic Meeting for Cerebrovascular Disease in 1995, and confired by CT or MRI, admitted within 24 hours after attack, and the neurological defect progressed gradually or aggravated in gradients within 72 hours after attack, and the aggravation of neurological defect was defined as the neurological deficit score decreased by more than 2 points. Meanwhile, 200 inpatients with non-progressive ischemic stroke （135 males and 65 females） were selected as the control group. METHODS： After admission, a univariate analysis of variance was conducted using the factors of blood pressure, history of diabetes mellitus, fever, leukocytosis, levels of blood lipids, fibrinogen, blood glucose and plasma homocysteine, cerebral arterial stenosis, and CT symptoms of early infarction, and the significant factors were involved in the multivariate non-conditional Logistic regression analysis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： Results of the univariate analysis of variance of the factors related to progressive ischemic stroke; Results of the multivariate regression analysis. RESULTS： All the 480 patients were involved in the analysis of results. ① Results of the univariate analysis variance： There were significantly more patients with fever, leukocytosis, history of diabetes mellitus, cerebral arterial stenosis and CT symptoms of early infarction in the progressive ischemic stroke group than in the control group （P 〈 0.01）; The levels of blood glucose and fibrinogen in the progressive ischemic stroke group were significantly higher than those in the control group, while the level of blood pressure was significantly lower than that in the control group （P 〈 0.05 - 0.01）. ② Results of the multivariate Logistic regression analysis： The independent predicting factors for progressive ischemic stroke were history of diabetes mellitus, fever, leukocytosis, cerebral arterial stenosis, CT symptoms of early infarction, blood glucose and blood pressure （OR =2.61,2.96, 3.79, 1.03, 3.57, 2.68, 95% CI 0.92 - 3.59, P 〈 0.05 - 0.01）. CONCLUSION： History of diabetes mellitus, fever, leukocytosis, levels of blood pressure, blood glucose, cerebral arterial stenosis and CT symptoms of early infarction are the risk factors for progress ischemic stroke

Retrospective analysis of results of treatment for nasopharyngeal carcinoma in Macao

Background： Nasopharyngeal carcinoma （NPC） is a common malignancy in Southeast Asia, however, a full consensus has not yet been reached as to the value of comprehensive treatment for NPC. This study was designed to evaluate the epidemiological characteristics of NPC and their prognostic value, as well as the long-term efficacy of NPC treatment. Patients and methods： A total of 248 patients, with different stages of NPC, were included in this study. Results： The 5-year overall survival （OS） rates for patients in stages I, II, lII and IV were 90.48%, 76.71%, 76.89% and 33.87%, respectively （P=0.000）, while the respective 5-year progression-free survival （PFS） rates were 85.15%, 72.36%, 63.88% and 26.26% （P=0.000）. The respective 5-year OS rates, according to stage, for the group that received radiotherapy combined with chemotherapy and for the group that received radiotherapy only were as follows： stages I and II, 81.67% and 79.59% （P=0.753）; stage III, 79.91% and 70.38% （P=0.143）; stage IV,, 35.22% and 0% （P=0.000）. The respective 5-year PFS rates in these groups were as follows： stages I and II, 75.83% and 74.98% （P=0.814）; stage III, 74.08% and 42.25% （P=0.027）; stage IV,, 27.31% and 0% （P=0.000）. Conclusions： Clinical staging appears to be the most important prognostic factor for NPC. As the stage number increases, both the 5-year OS and PFS significantly decrease. Adding chemotherapy to radiotherapy was not advantageous for patients with stage I or II NPC, however the addition of chemotherapy to radiotherapy significantly improved OS and PFS in patients with stage IV NPC. The addition of chemotherapy improved PFS, but not OS in patients with stage III NPC.

Analysis of Thorax Injuries in 112 Death Cases Caused by Traffic Accidents

Objective: To explore the characteristics and mechanisms of serious injuries of chest caused by road traffic accidents. Methods: Totally 112 autopsy cases with chest injuries in the urban of Jingzhou road traffic accidents were collected. Systematic review and analysis of the general information, postmortem examinations and assessments of chest injury had carried out from Feb. 2016 to Mar. 2018. Results: Average age of the victims was 52.2 years and the ratio of male to female deaths was 2.39:1. The proportion of motor-cyclists and pedestrians increased significantly. The overwhelming majority of accident vehicles were motorcycles and bicycles. Fractures of ribs and pulmonary contusion were the most common injuries. Craniocerebral and abdominal injuries were the most common associated injuries. Conclusion: Fractures of ribs and pulmonary contusion were the most common features of fatal road traffic injuries, often associated with vitreoretinal damage and serious multiple damages. These features reflect the characteristics of great violence in traffic accidents, which provides the evidence of identification of violent injuries.

Comparison of Dose-dense ABVD and Standard ABVD in the Treatment of Early Unfavorable and Advanced Hodgkin's Lymphoma: A Retrospective Analysis

This retrospective analysis compared standard regimen of doxorubicin, bleomycin, vin- blastine, and dacarbazine （ABVD） with the dose-dense ABVD regimen （ABVD-21） in terms of effi- cacy and toxicity. Patients who had early-stage unfavorable or advanced Hodgkin＇s lymphoma （HL） according to German Hodgkin Study Group criteria from March 1999 to February 2011 were ana- lyzed for treatment response, long-term survival and hematological toxicity. There were 85 patients in the ABVD-21 group and 118 patients in the ABVD group respectively. The complete remission rates aider completion of treatment were 92.9% and 90.7% for ABVD-21 and ABVD, respectively. During a median follow-up period of 62 months, no significant difference was found in projected 10-year progression-free survival （PFS） and overall survival （OS） rates （84.7% and 94.1% respectively for ABVD-21; 81.4% and 91.5% for ABVD）. Subgroup analyses showed that ABVD-21 was signifi- cantly better than ABVD for patients with IPS〉3 in terms of PFS and OS rates. Grade 3 to 4 leuko- penia （51.8% vs. 28.8%, P=0.001） and neutropenia （57.6% vs. 39.0%, P=0.009） were more common with ABVD-21. We were led to conclude that dose-dense ABVD did not result in better tumor con- trol and overall survival than did ABVD for early-stage unfavorable HL. However, patients at high risk, for example, with IPS〉3, may benefit from dose-dense ABVD.

Neuroelectrophysiological indexes and clinical characteristics of patients with peroneal muscular atrophy: Retrospective analysis of 24 cases

BACKGROUND: Peroneal muscular atrophy (PMA) is characterized by insidious onset, gradually progressive course of disease, very mild disability degree and easily subjecting to missed diagnosis and misdiagnosis. Nerve conductive velocity is helpful in the diagnosis of atypical cases. OBJECTIVE: To retrospectively analyze the characteristics of clinical manifestation, electromyogram (EMG), motor and sensory nerve conduction velocity of patients with PMA. DESIGN: Retrospective case analysis. SETTING: Department of Neurology, Guangzhou First People's Hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-four patients with PMA, including 16 males and 8 females, aged 5-68 years old, admitted to Guangzhou First People's Hospital between March 1996 and January 2006 were recruited. Informed consents were obtained from all the patients. METHODS: All the patients subjected to EMG and detection of nerve conduction velocity at distal end of four extremities with a Keypoint evoked potential/ EMG instrument (Denmark). Sensory and motor conduction velocity, EMG changes of upper and lower extremities were observed, and relationship of neuroelectrophysiological characteristics and clinical symptoms was analyzed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Changes in sensory and motor conduction velocity, EMG and clinical manifestations of 24 patients. RESULTS: ① All the patients suffered from insidious onset and gradually progressive course of PMA. Muscular atrophy of lower extremity was found in 14 patients, and that of upper extremity in 5 patients. ②Routine nerve conduction study showed that sensory and motor conduction velocity were stepped down, especially in 16 patients with typeⅠPMA (demyelinating pattern, nerve conduction velocity below normal level 50%). Motor nerve conduction velocity of median nerve, ulnar nerve, common peroneal nerve and tibial nerve averaged 34.8 m/s, 37.2 m/s, 16.5 m/s and 17.4 m/s, respectively; Sensory nerve conduction velocity of median nerve, ulnar nerve and sural nerve averaged 27.9%, 24.6 m/s and 3.1 m/s, respectively. Slowing conduction velocity and muscular strength involvement were disproportionate, i.e. myasthenia was relatively lessened, sensory and motor conduction velocities were greatly decreased. Nerve conduction velocity in distal end of two lower extremities was not detected in 8 patients, but who could still walk. CONCLUSION: ①PMA of patients is characterized by insidious onset and gradually progressive course of disease. Clinical symptom is the base to diagnose PMA. ②Neuroelectrophysiological study is a simple and easy-to-operate means with good reproducibility in diagnosing PMA. Patients with abnormal myasthenia in lower extremity can be detected in the early stage.

Clinical characteristics and prognosis of traumatic basal ganglia hematomas: A retrospective analysis of 40 cases

AIM： To retrospectively analyze the pathogenesis, clinical characteristics, treatment and prognostic characteristics in patients with traumatic basal ganglia hematomas （TBGH）. METHODS： A retrospective analysis of the clinical data was performed in 40 patients with TBGH who were selected from 1 250 patients with closed brain injury, who admitted to the Department of Neurosurgery of Shangqiu First People＇s Hospital from January 1990 to January 2004. The pathogenesis, clinical characteristics and signs, results of radiological examination, treatment and prognostic characteristics were analyzed. The patients all had definite history of brain injury, manifested by neurological functional disturbance to different extent after brain injury, and basal ganglia hemorrhage was identified by CT after brain injury, and hemorrhagic volume were more than or equal to 2 mL. Totally 34 males and 6 females were enrolled, aged 16-72 years and 28 cases of them were younger than 40 years old. The prognosis of the patients was evaluated with Glasgow outcome scale （GOS） at 6 months after injury, and GOS scoring standard was 1-5 points （1 for dead; 2 for vegetative survival, long-term coma, manifestations of decorticate rigidity or decerebrate rigidity; 3 for severely disabled, should be look after by others; 4 for moderately disabled, be able in self-care; 5 for good recovery, adults can work and study）. RESULTS： The enrolled cases accounted for 3.20% of the 1250 patients with closed brain injury admitted at the same period. ① The causes of injury included traffic accident in 36 cases, fall in 2 cases, and assault in 2 cases. ②At admission, the Glasgow coma scale （GCS） scores were as follow： 13-15 scores （mild） in 10 cases, 9-12 scores （moderate） in 20 cases, and 3-8 scores （severe） in 10 cases. Hemiplegia presented in 37 cases, aphasia in 20 cases, conscious disturbance in 10 cases, unilateral mydriasis in 6 cases, and decerebrate rigidity in 2 cases. ③ TBGH was detected by CT within 30 minutes to 24 hours after injury in 37 cases, and delayed TBGH was diagnosed by serial CT reexamination at 24 to 48 hours after injury in 3 cases. Apart from the TBGH, signs of diffuse axonal injury （DAI） were observed in 22 cases and the criterion of CT diagnosis was that apart from TBGH, small hemorrhagic loci were found in the deep white matter of the hemisphere, corpus callosum, dorsolateral quadrants of the midbrain and the upper pons, internal capsule, basal ganglia area, intraventricle, and cerebellum, etc., but there was no obvious mass effect （clinically manifested by conscious disturbance immediately after brain injury, and primary coma lasted for longer than 6 hours）. Secondary intraventricular hemorrhage occurred in 19 cases, acute subdural hematoma in 3 cases, acute epidural hematoma in 1 case, cerebral contusion in 7 cases, and diffuse cerebral swelling in 3 cases. TBGH located at contralateral to the side of impact in 29 cases. The volume of TBGH was 3-9 mL in 8 cases, 10-19 mL in 10 cases, 20-29 mL in 12 cases, and more than 30 mL in 9 cases. ④Ten patients underwent surgical treatment, including TBGH were evacuated by craniotomy in 7 cases, drained by drilling hole in 2 cases, and hematoma drainage combined with extraventricular drainage in 1 case. 30 patients received conservative treatment, including hyperbaric oxygen treatment in 22 cases. ⑤At 6 months after injury, good recovery obtained in 10 cases （25%）, moderately disabled in 17 cases （42.5%）, severely disabled in 2 cases （5%） and dead in 11 cases （27.5%） respectively. CONCLUSION： In our study, the proportion of TBGH in closed brain injury was 3.2%, and it had a higher incidence of disability. Most of the patients were young people and injured in traffic accident, and TBGH mostly oc- curred at contralateral to the side of impact. The patients suffered from hemiplegia and long-term coma, incidence rate of diffuse axonal injury was higher, but conscious disturbance was milder. Conservative treatment was mainly applied in our study. CT scan can not only establish the position, volume of TBGH, but also establish if it combines with other intracranial injury, and it is helpful to detect delayed TBGH.

Clinical Characteristics and Prognostic Analysis of 107 Patients with Bronchioloalveolar Carcinoma

OBJECTIVE To study the clinical characteristics and prognostic factors for bronchioloalveolar carcinoma.METHODS Clinical data frorr 107 inpatient cases at The Cancer Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, from 1990-2000, were retrospectively reviewed.RESULTS The overall 1, 3 and 5-year survival rates were 88.7, 64.8 and 48.6% respectively. The main prognostic factors were tumor diameter （P= 0.022）, bronchial stump （P=0.016）, TNM stage （P=0.000）, T stage （P= 0.002）, N stage （P=0.000） and postoperation radiotherapy （P=0.001）. Cox regression analysis suggested that the TNM stage （P=0.000） and tumor diameter （P=0.015） are independent factors affecting the prognosis.CONCLUSION The overall survival rate of BAC patients was superior to those with other non-small cell lung cancer （NSCLC）. The TN＇M stage and tumor diameter were independent factors affecting the prognosis for BAC

Clinical Analysis of 42 Patients With Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Objectives To investigate the clinical manifestations of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), and to find out the clinical clues to avoid misdiagnosis and provide reference for future clinical diagnosis and treatment. Methods A retrospective analysis of 42 consecutive patients with HCM hospitalized in our hospital between January 1995 and December 2002 was explored. Based on the family history of HCM, clinical manifestations, electrocar-diogram, echocardiogram, coronary angiography and left ventriculography, the clinical characteristics between HCM patients with left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (HOCM) and HCM patients without obstruction (HNOCM) were compared. The causes of misdiagnosis and losing diagnosis were analysis. Results 13 patients were in HOCM group and 29 patients were in HNOCM group. More patients with syncope were in HOCM group than in HNOCM group (6/13 vs. 2/29, P < 0.05). Patients with ejective murmur were in HOCM group only (P < 0.01). Left ventricular outflow tract pressure gradient (LVOTPG) only observed in HOCM group (P < 0.01). Ventricular tachycardia was seen in both groups. 28 out of 42 patients (66.67%) had misdiagnosis, and 4 out of 42 patients (9.53%) had losing diagnosis. Thus, coronary heart disease (CHD) had the highest rate of misdiagnosis. There were 20 CHD patients (71.43%) among 28 patients with misdiagnosis. Hypertension was in 3, congenital heart in 2, cerebro-embolism in 2, and myocarditis in 1. Conclusions For a patient with family history or sudden death history of HCM, unexplained syncope episodes, chest pain (angina), especially in young, an ejection murmur along the left sternum border, the presence of narrow and deep Q waves, or inversion of giant T waves in V3-V6, atrial fibrillation and /or cerebra-embolism echocardiogram should be given. CAG and LVG are necessary only if the result of echo is negative, and the patients with suspected HCM or CHD.

Changing trends in gastric and colorectal cancer among surgical patients over 85 years old:A multicenter retrospective study,2001–2021

BACKGROUND Whether patients over 85 years old with gastrointestinal cancer should undergo surgery remains controversial.We aimed to describe the changing trends of characteristics to provide more information to decision makers,and strive to find appropriate surgical plan.AIM To describe the changing trends of characteristics to provide more information to decision makers,and strive to find appropriate surgical plan.METHODS A total of 218 gastric cancer(GC)patients and 563 colorectal cancer(CRC)patients who underwent surgery between 2001 and 2021 were enrolled in this retrospective analysis.Changes in clinicopathological features,surgical treatments,and survival status were analyzed longitudinally at 5-year intervals.RESULTS Only 14 GC patients underwent laparoscopic surgery where 219 CRC patients had this procedure.Cardia and esophagogastric junction cancer increased in GC patients,and the proportion of sigmoid colon cancer decreased in CRC patients.Pulmonary infection gradually became the most common postoperative complication,its incidence in period 4 reached 48.79%.However,the incidence of anastomotic leakage decreased from 26.79%to 9.38%(P<0.01).Additionally,30-d mortality significantly decreased from 32.14%to 9.01%.Increases were observed in 5-year overall survival(OS)in GC patients from period 1 to period 4(18.18%vs 33.32%,respectively)and CRC patients(0 vs 36.32%,respectively).Disease-free survival(DFS)also increased in GC and CRC patients(7.14%vs 27.74%and 0 to 36.03%,respectively).The average survival time of GC patients following radial lymphadenectomy was higher than in patients that underwent limited lymphadenectomy(26 vs 22 mo,respectively),the same was seen in CRC patients(44 vs 33 mo,respectively).This advantage was particularly evident in patients with TNM I,but not in patients with TNM II/III period cancer.CONCLUSION The safety as well as effectiveness of surgery in ultra-elderly patients is increasing.Radical lymphadenectomy has advantages in patients with TNM I gastrointestinal cancer,but not TNM II/III.

Flood Vulnerability Assessment Using Satellite Imagery Data

As flood extreme occurrences are projected to increase in intense and frequency due to climate change, the assessment of vulnerability and the identification of the most vulnerable areas, populations, assets and systems are an urgent need. Vulnerability has been widely discussed and several flood projection tools have been developed using complex hydrological models. However, despite the significant contribution of flood projection maps to predicting the impact of potential floods, they are difficult and impractical to use by stakeholders and policy makers, while they have proven to be inefficient and out of date in several cases. This research aims to cover the gaps in coastal and riverine flood management, developing a method that models flood patterns, using geospatial data of past large flood disasters. The outcomes of this research produce a five scale vulnerability assessment method, which could be widely implemented in all sectors, including transport, critical infrastructure, public health, tourism, constructions etc. Moreover, they could facilitate decision making and provide a wide range of implementation by all stakeholders, insurance agents, land-use planners, risk experts and of course individual. According to this research, the majority of the elements exposed to flood hazards, lay at specific combinations between 1) elevation (Ei) and 2) distance from water-masses (Di), expressed as (Ei, Di), including: 1) in general landscapes: ([0 m, 1 m), [0 km, 6 km), [0 m - 3 m), [0 km, 3 km)) and ([0 m - 6 m), [0 km, 1 km)), 2) in low laying regions: ([0 m, 1 m), [0 km, 40 km), [0 m - 3 m), [0 km, 30 km)) and ([0 m - 6 m), [0 km, 15 km)) and 2) in riverine regions: ([0 m, 4 m), [0 km, 3 km)). All elements laying on these elevations and distances from water masses are considered extremely and highly vulnerable to flood extremes.

Prevalence of white matter hyperintensities increases with age

White matter hyperintensities（WMHs） that arise with age and/or atherosclerosis constitute a heterogeneous disorder in the white matter of the brain. However, the relationship between age-related risk factors and the prevalence of WMHs is still obscure. More clinical data is needed to confirm the relationship between age and the prevalence of WMHs. We collected 836 patients, who were treated in the Renmin Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, China from January 2015 to February 2016, for a case-controlled retrospective analysis. According to T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging results, all patients were divided into a WMHs group（n = 333） and a non-WMHs group（n = 503）. The WMHs group contained 159 males and 174 females. The prevalence of WMHs increased with age and was associated with age-related risk factors, such as cardiovascular diseases, smoking, drinking, diabetes, hypertension and history of cerebral infarction. There was no significant difference in sex, education level, hyperlipidemia and hyperhomocysteinemia among the different age ranges. These findings confirm that age is an independent risk factor for the prevalence and severity of WMHs. The age-related risk factors enhance the occurrence of WMHs.