多模态影像融合在颅底肿瘤的诊断、治疗中的应用价值

目的探讨多模态影像融合在颅底肿瘤的诊断、治疗中的应用价值。方法 9例颅底肿瘤术前均行DynaCTA检查及MRI薄层(2 mm)增强扫描检查,将多组影像数据输入工作站,采用"双容积重建"技术进行脑血管及MRI的影像融合,通过静态及动态融合影像观察肿瘤与脑结构、血管及颅骨的毗邻关系,并对肿瘤的诊断、手术治疗及预防血管并发症进行分析。结果 9例均获得满意的影像融合、具有很好的空间一致性,在一张影像上可以清晰显示病变及其周围脑结构、血管及颅骨解剖关系,提高精准性诊断,并应用于指导治疗策略、设计手术划及预防并发症。9例均恢复满意出院。结论多模态影像融合对提高颅底肿瘤的诊断精准性、提高肿瘤全切除率、降低病死率和残疾率效果肯定,对血管损伤并发症治疗疗效肯定。

Construction of Anti-breaking Models of the Main Veins of Flue-cured Tobacco Leaves and Principal Component Analysis

[Objective] This study aimed to explore the related mechanisms of the breaking of flue-cured tobacco leaves. [Method] Anti-breaking models of the main veins of flue-cured tobacco leaves were constructed for principal component analysis on the anti-breaking index, leaf traits and cellulose contents. [Result] The results showed that the growth traits had certain relevance with the cellulose contents while the leaf weight assumed a significant negative correlation with the anti-breaking index, indicating that the heavier the leaf weight was, the weaker the anti-breaking capacity of flue-cured tobacco would be; the cross-sectional area of main veins and the cellulose contents had shown a positive correlation with the anti-breaking index, indicating that the thicker the main vein of flue-cured tobacco was, the higher the cellulose contents would be, and the stronger the anti-breaking capacity of flue-cured tobacco leaves would be. [Conclusion] This study provided theoretical basis and reference to improve tobacco production and enhance the quality of flue-cured tobacco.

AN INTRODUCTION TO NEW MULTIVARIATE DIAGNOSIS THEORY WITH TWO KINDS OF QUALITY AND ITS APPLICATIONS

In factory operations, the multi operation and multi index system is very common. In such a system, if we want to implement the quality control and diagnosis, we must consider the following two points, i.e. the influence on the preceding operation to the succeeding operation and the correlation among indices. Since these two points exist simultaneously, it makes the problem more complex. We need to use the new multivariate diagnosis theory with two kinds of quality proposed by Prof. Zhang Gongxu in 1996 to solve such complex problem. This paper presents its fundamental principles with practical applications which agree with the theory pretty well.

Methodologic research on TIMP-1,TIMP-2 detection as a new diagnostic index for hepatic fibrosis and its significance

AIM: To set up a new method to detect tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase-1 and -2(TIMP-1 and TIMP-2) in sera of patients with hepatic cirrhosis, and to investigate the expression and location of TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 in liver tissue of patients with hepatic cirrhosis, and the correlation between TIMPs in liver and those in sera so as to discuss whether TIMPs can be used as a diagnosis index of hepatic fibrosis. METHODS: The monoclonal antibodies (McAbs) of TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 were used to sensitize erythrocytes, and solid-phase absorption to sensitized erythrocytes (SPASE) was used to detect TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 in the sera of patients with hepatic cirrhosis. Meanwhile, with the method of in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry, we studied the mRNA expression and antigen location of TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 in the livers of 40 hepatic cirrhosis patients with pathologic diagnosis. RESULTS: With SPASE, they were 16.4% higher in the acute hepatitis group, 33.3% higher in the chronic hepatitis group, and the positive rates were 73.6% and 61.2% respectively in sera of hepatic cirrhosis patients, which were remarkably higher than those in chronic hepatitis and acute hepatitis group (P【0.001). In 40 samples of hepatic cirrhosis tissues, all of them showed positive expression of TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 mRNA detected with immunohistochemistry or in situ hybridization (positive rate was 100%). Expression of TIMPs in different degrees could be found in liver tissue with cirrhosis. TIMPs were located in cytoplasm of liver cells of patients with hepatic cirrhosis. There was a significant correlation between serum TIMPs level and liver TIMPs level. CONCLUSION: SPASE is a useful method to detect the TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 in sera of patients with hepatic cirrhosis, and TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 can be considered as a useful diagnostic index of hepatic fibrosis, especially TIMP-1.

Dynamic change and diagnosis of physical, chemical and biological properties in bauxite residue disposal areas

Vegetation encroachment occurred in bauxite residue disposal area(BRDA)following natural weathering processes,whilst the typical indicators of soil formation are still uncertain.Residue samples were collected from the BRDA in Central China,and related physical,chemical and biological indicators of bauxite residue with different storage years were determined.The indicators of soil formation in bauxite residue were selected using principal component analysis,factor analysis,and comprehensive evaluation to establish soil quality diagnostic index model on disposal areas.Following natural weathering processes,the texture of bauxite residue changed from silty loam to sandy loam.The pH and EC decreased,whilst porosity,nutrient element content and microbial biomass increased.The identified minimum data set(MDS)included available phosphorus(AP),moisture content(MC),C/N,sand content,total nitrogen(TN),microbial biomass carbon(MBC),and pH.The soil quality index of bauxite residue increased,and the relative soil quality index decreased from 1.89 to 0.15,which indicated that natural weathering had a significant effect on improveing the quality of bauxite residue and forming a new soil-like matrix.The diagnostic model of bauxite residue was established to provide data support for the regeneration on disposal area.

Values of endoscopic ultrasonography for diagnosis and treatment of duodenal protruding lesions

Objective： The diagnoses of patients with duodenal protruding lesions are difficult when using conventional examinations such as computed tomography （CT） and conventional endoscope etc. Thus, we investigated the clinical value of endoscopic ultrasonography （PUS） with miniature ultrasonic probes on the diagnosis and treatment of duodenal protruding lesions. Methods： Patients with duodenal protruding lesions who were indicated for PUS were examined by PUS with 12-15 MHz miniature ultrasonic probes and double-cavity electronic endoscope. According to diagnosis of PUS, those patients were indicated for biopsy and treatment received biopsy, endoscopic resection or surgical excision. The postoperative histological results were compared with the preoperative diagnosis of PUS. Those patients without endoscopic resection or surgical excision were periodically followed up with PUS. Results： A total of 169 patients with duodenal protruding lesions were examined by PUS, of which 40 were diagnosed with cysts, 36 with inflammatory protruding or polyp, 25 with Brunner＇s gland adenoma, 19 with ectopic pancreas, 17 with gastrointestinal stromal tumor, 12 with extrinsic compression, 12 with minor papilla, 6 with lipoma, 1 with adenocarcinoma and 1 with lymphoma. After PUS examinations, 75 patients received biopsy, endoscopic resection or surgical excision respectively. The postoperative histological results of 70 patients were completely consistent with the preoperative diagnosis of PUS, with 93.33% diagnostic accuracy. The results of follow-up with PUS indicated that duodenal cyst, Brunner＇s gland adenoma, ectopic pancreas, gastrointestinal stromal tumor and lipoma remained unchanged within 1-3 years. No related complications occurred among all patients that received PUS examinations. Conclusion： PUS is an effective and reliable diagnostic method for duodenal protruding lesions.

Practice guidelines for the pathological diagnosis of primary liver cancer: 2015 update

In 2010, a panel of Chinese pathologists reported the first expert consensus for the pathological diagnosis of primary liver cancers to address the many contradictions and inconsistencies in the pathological characteristics and diagnostic criteria for PLC. Since then considerable clinicopathological studies have been conducted globally, prompting us to update the practice guidelines for the pathological diagnosis of PLC. In April 18, 2014, a Guideline Committee consisting of 40 specialists from seven Chinese Societies(including Chinese Society of Liver Cancer, Chinese Anti-Cancer Association; Liver Cancer Study Group, Chinese Society of Hepatology, Chinese Medical Association; Chinese Society of Pathology, Chinese Anti-Cancer Association; Digestive Disease Group, Chinese Society of Pathology, Chinese Medical Association; Chinese Society of Surgery, Chinese Medical Association; Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology, Chinese Anti-Cancer Association; Pathological Group of Hepatobiliary Tumor and Liver Transplantation, Chinese Society of Pathology, Chinese Medical Association) was created for the formulation of the first guidelines for the standardization of the pathological diagnosis of PLC, mainly focusing on the following topics: gross specimen sampling, concepts and diagnostic criteria of small hepatocellular carcinoma(SHCC), microvascular invasion(MVI), satellite nodules,and immunohistochemical and molecular diagnosis. The present updated guidelines are reflective of current clinicopathological studies, and include a novel 7-point baseline sampling protocol, which stipulate that at least four tissue specimens should be sampled at the junction of the tumor and adjacent liver tissues in a 1:1 ratio at the 12, 3, 6 and 9 o'clock reference positions. For the purposes of molecular pathological examination, at least one specimen should be sampled at the intratumoral zone, but more specimens should be sampled for tumors harboring different textures or colors. Specimens should be sampled at both adjacent and distant peritumoral liver tissues or the tumor margin in order to observe MVI, satellite nodules and dysplastic foci/nodules distributed throughout the background liver tissues. Complete sampling of whole SHCC ≤ 3 cm should be performed to assess its biological behavior, and in clinical practice, therapeutic borders should be also preserved, even in SHCC. The diagnostic criteria of MVI and satellite nodules, immunohistochemical panels, as well as molecular diagnostic principles, such as clonal typing, for recurrent HCC and multinodule HCC were also proposed and recommended. The standardized process of pathological examination is aimed at ensuring the accuracy of pathological PLC diagnoses as well as providing a valuable frame of reference for the clinical assessment of tumor invasive potential, the risk of postoperative recurrence, long-term survival, and the development of individualized treatment regimens. The updated guidelines could ensure the accuracy of pathological diagnoses of PLC, and provide a valuable frame of reference for its clinical assessment.

Serum inter-cellular adhesion molecule 1 is an early marker of diagnosis and prediction of severe acute pancreatitis

AIM:To determine if serum inter-cellular adhesion molecule 1(ICAM-1)is an early marker of the diagnosis and prediction of severe acute pancreatitis(SAP) within 24 h of onset of pain,and to compare the sensitivity,specificity and prognostic value of this test with those of acute physiology and chronic health evaluation(APACHE)Ⅱscore and interleukin-6(IL-6). METHODS:Patients with acute pancreatitis(AP)were divided into two groups according to the Ranson's criteria:mild acute pancreatitis(MAP)group and SAP group.Serum ICAM-1,APACHEⅡand IL-6 levels were detected in all the patients.The sensitivity,specificity and prognostic value of the ICAM-1,APACHEⅡscore and IL-6 were evaluated. RESULTS:The ICAM-1 level in 36 patients with SAP within 24 h of onset of pain was increased and was significantly higher than that in the 50 patients with MAP and the 15 healthy volunteers(P<0.01).The ICAM-1 level(25 ng/mL)was chosen as the optimum cutoff to distinguish SAP from MAP,and the sensitivity,specificity,positive predictive value,negative predictive value(NPV),positive likelihood ratio and negative likelihood ratio were 61.11%,71.42%,0.6111,0.7142, 2.1382 and 0.5445,respectively.The area under the curve demonstrated that the prognostic accuracy of ICAM-1(0.712)was similar to the APACHE-Ⅱscoring system(0.770)and superior to IL-6(0.508)in distinguishing SAP from MAP. CONCLUSION:ICAM-1 test is a simple,rapid and reliable method in clinical practice.It is an early marker of diagnosis and prediction of SAP within the first 24 h after onset of pain or on admission.As it has a relatively low NPV and does not allow it to be a stand-alone test for the diagnosis of AP,other conventional diagnostic tests are required.

Portal hypertension: Imaging of portosystemic collateral pathways and associated image-guided therapy

Portal hypertension is a common clinical syndrome, defined by a pathologic increase in the portal venous pressure. Increased resistance to portal blood flow, the primary factor in the pathophysiology of portal hypertension, is in part due to morphological changes occurring in chronic liver diseases. This results in rerouting of blood flow away from the liver through collateral pathways to low-pressure systemic veins. Through a variety of computed tomographic, sonographic, magnetic resonance imaging and angiographic examples, this article discusses the appearances and prevalence of both common and less common portosystemic collateral channels in the thorax and abdomen. A brief overview of established interventional radiologic techniques for treatment of portal hypertension will also be provided. Awareness of the various imaging manifestations of portal hypertension can be helpful for assessing overall prognosis and planning proper management.

Simultaneous Approximation by Baskakov-Durrmeyer Operator

In this paper, we investigate the degree of approximation by Baskakov_Durrmeyer operator for functions which derivatives have only discontinuity points of the first kind on [0,∞) with exponential growth.

Comparative study of galectin-3 and B-type natriuretic peptide as biomarkers for the diagnosis of heart failure

Background Heart failure （HF） is a common disease with complex pathophysiological causes. The diagnosis of HF commonly relies on comprehensive analyses of medical history and symptoms, and results from echocardiography and biochemical tests. Galectin-3, a rela-tively new biomarker in HF, was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2010 as a marker in the stratification of risk for HF. We assessed galectin-3 as a biomarker for HF diagnosis in patients with preserved ejection fraction （pEF） and compared its performance with that of B-type natriuretic peptide （BNP）. Methods Thirty-five pEF patients with HF （HFpEF group） and 43 pEF patients without HF （control group） were enrolled. Plasma levels of galectin-3 and BNP in HFpEF and control subjects were determined. Sensitivity, specificity, pre dictive values, and accuracy of galectin-3 and BNP as markers for HF diagnosis were calculated and compared. Results Levels of galec- tin-3 and BNP were 23.09 ±6.97 ng/mL and 270.46 ± 330.41 pg/mL in the HFpEF group, and 16.74 ± 2.75 ng/mL and 59.94 ± 29.93 pg/mL in the control group, respectively. Differences in levels of galectin-3 and BNP between the two groups were significant （P 〈 0.01）. As a bio- marker for HF diagnosis in study subjects, galectin-3 showed sensitivity and specificity of 94.3% and 65.1%, respectively, at a cutoff value of 17.8 ug/mL. BNP showed sensitivity and specificity of 77.1% and 90.7%, respectively, at a cutoff value of 100 pg/mL. Galectin-3 was a significantly more sensitive （P 〈 0.05） but less specific （P 〈 0.01） biomarker compared with BNP. Differences in positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy between galectin-3 and BNP markers were not significant （P 〉 0.05）. Areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve （95% confidence interval） were 0.891 （0.808-0.974） and 0.896 （0.809-0.984） for galectin-3 and BNP, respec- tively, with no significant difference between the two values （P 〉 0.05）. Conclusions The level of galectin-3 is significantly elevated in patients with HF. Galectin-3 and BNP are useful biomarkers for the diagnosis of HF in patients with pEF.

Predicting various outcomes of post-resuscitation comatose survivors： PRCSs Prognostication Score

Objective To develop a tool capable of early and exactly predicting various outcomes in comatose survivors who restore spontaneous circulation after cardiopulmonary resuscitation （CPR） and validate its performance. Methods Variables that were both readily available and predictive of outcomes were identified by systematically reviewing published literature on resuscitation. A value was assigned to these variables. We used these variables in combination with APACHE II score to devise a multifactorial prediction score system, which we called PRCSs Prognostication Score （PRCSs-PS）. Outcomes in 115 hospitalized comatose survivors after CPR were retrospectively reviewed using PRCSs-PS. Score of patients with different outcomes was compared. The area under the receiver- operating characteristic （ROC） curve was determined to evaluate performance of this tool to identify patients with a poor outcome （CPC4 and 5） and other outcomes （CPC1, 2, and 3）. Results There were differences of PRCSs-PS score among multiple groups with five different outcomes （CPC 1-5）（F=65.91, P=0.000）. Pairwise groups with different CPC were compared： no significant difference was noted between CPC1 and CPC2 （12.41±6.49 vs 17.38±6.91,P=0.092）, but difference between other pairwise CPC groups was statistically significant （CPC2 vs CPC3：17.38±6.91 vs 24.50±5.80, P=0.041, CPC3 vs CPC4：24.50±5.80 vs 32.29±5.24, P=0.006）. The performance of PRCSs-PS to discriminate patients with a poor outcome from patients with other outcomes went as follows： it had 100% sensitivity, 78.6% specificity, and 178.6 diagnostic index at the score cut-off22.5; it had 77.8% sensitivity, 100% specificity and 176.4 diagnostic index at the score cut-off32.5. Score 23 and 33 were two key cut-offpoints. The area under the ROC curve was 0.968, showing excellent discrimination. Conclusions The final outcomes in post-resuscitation comatose survivors can be accurately predicted using PRCSs-PS Score.

Evaluation of the propensity for coal spontaneous combustion based on catastrophe theory

Generally, different prevention measures should be taken according to spontaneous combustion propensities. The current methods to evaluate the propensity of coal spontaneous combustion, such as chromatographic method of oxygen adsorption, oxidation kinetics method and activation energy method, are mostly affected by human factors. Their boundaries among different classes of propensities were all established by subjective judgments. A new evaluation method using catastrophe theory is introduced. This method can accurately depict the process of coal spontaneous combustion and the evaluation index, ＂catastrophe temperature＂, be obtained based on the model. In terms of catastrophe temperature, the spontaneous combustion propensity of different coals can be sequenced. Experimental data indicate that this method is appropriate to describe the spontaneous combustion process and to evaluate the propensity of coal svontaneous combustion.

Appropriateness of colonoscopy: Diagnostic yield and safety in guidelines

AIM: To evaluate if the guidelines for the appro-priateness of performing colonoscopy by American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (AGSE) and Italian Society of Digestive Endoscopy (SIED) yield a good diagnostic efficacy and do not present risks of missing important colonic pathologies in an Italian population sample.METHODS: A total of 1017 consecutive patients (560 men and 457 women; mean age 64.4 ± 16 years) referred to an open-access endoscopy unit for colonoscopy from July 2004 to May 2006 were evaluated according to ASGE and SIED guidelines for appropriateness of performing the procedure. Diagnostic yield was defined as the percentage of relevant colonic pathologies of the total number of colonoscopies performed.RESULTS: About 85.2% patients underwent colono-scopy that was considered appropriate based on at least one ASGE or SIED criterion, while it was considered inappropriate for 14.8% of patients. The diagnostic yield of colonoscopy was significantly higher for appropriate colonoscopies (26.94% vs 10.6%, P < 0.001) than for inappropriate colonoscopies (5.3%). There was no missed colorectal cancer following the ASGE/SIED criteria.CONCLUSION: ASGE/SIED guidelines have shown a good diagnostic yield and the rate of missing relevant colonic pathologies seems very low. Unfortunately, the percentage of inappropriate referrals for colonoscopy in an open-access endoscopy system is still high, despite the number of papers published on the issue and the definition of international guidelines. Further steps are required to update and standardize the guidelines to increase their diffusion and to promote educational programs for general practitioners.

CT Brain Image:Abnormalities Recognition and Segmentation

In order to develop an automated segmentation system for Computed Tomography （CT） brain images, a new approach which consists of several unsupervised segmcotation techniques was introduced. The system segments the CT brain images into three partitions, i. e., abnormalities, cerebrospinal fluid （CSF）, and brain matter. Our approach consists of two phase-segmentation methods. In the first phase segmentation, k-means and fuzzy cmeans （FCM） methods were implemented to segment and transform the images into the binary images. Based on the connected component in binary images, a decision tree was employed for the annotation of normal or abnormal regions. In the second phase segmentation, the modified FCM with population-diameter independent （PDI） segmentation was applied to segment the images into CSF and brain matter. The experimental results have shown that our proposed system is feasible and yield satisfactory results.

Local resection for tumor of papilla of Vater: an analysis of 25 cases

Objective: To investigate the clinical features, diagnostic methods, and treatment choice of tumor of the papilla of Vater. Methods: The clinical data of 25 patients with tumor of the papilla of Vater treated by local resection in our hospital from December 1983 to May 2006 were retrospectively analyzed. Results: The morbidities of abdominal pain, jaundice and recurrent cholangitis were 84%, 80% and 48%, respectively. The accordant rate for preoperative duodenoscopic biopsy and post-operative pathological diagnosis was 80%. Intraoperative frozen section examination accurately predicted the final pathological results in all the patients. The post-operative complication rate was 20% and the operative mortality rate was 4%. The 5-year survival rates of local resection for benign tumors and malignant tumors were 75% and 28.5%, respectively. Conclusion: Abdominal pain, jaundice and recurrent cholangitis are the main symptoms and signs of tumor of the papilla of Vater. Duodenoscopy is the principal preoperative diagnostic method and intraoperative frozen section examination is reliable in assessing the operative specimens. Selective local resection is an effective treatment option for tumor of the papilla of Vater.

Biochemically curative surgery for gastrinoma in multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 patients

AIM： To search for the optimal surgery for gastrinoma and duodenopancreatic neuroendocrine tumors in patients with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1. METHODS： Sixteen patients with genetically confirmed multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 （MEN 1） and Zollinger-Ellison syndrome （ZES） underwent resection of both gastrinomas and duodenopancreatic neuroendocrine tumors （NETs） between 1991 and 2009. For localization of gastrinoma, selective arterial secretagogue injection test （SASI test） with secretin or calcium solution was performed as well as somatostatin receptor scintigraphy （SRS） and other imaging methods such as computed tomography （CT） or magnetic resonance imaging （MRI）. The modus of surgery for gastrinoma has been changed over time, searching for the optimal surgery： pancreaticoduodenectomy （PD） was first performed guided by localization with the SAST test, then local resection of duodenal gastrinomas with dissection of regional lymph nodes （LR）, and recently pancreas-preserving total duodenectomy （PPTD） has been performed for multiple duodenal gastrinomas. RESULTS： Among various types of preoperative localizing methods for gastrinoma, the SASI test was the most useful method. Imaging methods such as SRS or CT made it essentially impossible to differentiate functioning gastrinoma among various kinds of NETs. However, recent imaging methods including SRS or CT were useful for detecting both distant metastases and ectopic NETs; therefore they are indispensable for staging of NETs. Biochemical cure of gastrinoma was achieved in 14 of 16 patients （87.5%）; that is, 100% in 3 patients who underwent PD, 100% in 6 patients who underwent LR （although in 2 patients （33.3%） second LR was performed for recurrence of duodenal gastri- noma）, and 71.4% in 7 patients who underwent PPTD. Pancreatic NETs more than 1 cm in diameter were resected either by distal pancreatectomy or enucleations, and no hepatic metastases have developed postoperatively. Pathological study of the resected specimens revealed co-existence of pancreatic gastrinoma with duodenal gastrinoma in 2 of 16 patients （13%）, and G cell hyperplasia and/or microgastrinoma in the duodenal Brunner＇s gland was revealed in all of 7 duodenal specimens after PPTD. CONCLUSION： Aggressive resection surgery based on accurate localization with the SASI test was useful for biochemical cure of gastrinoma in patients with MEN 1.Imamura Metal. Curative resection of gastrinoma in MEN-1

Cystic dystrophy of the duodenal wall is not always associated with chronic pancreatitis

Cystic dystrophy of the duodenal wall is a rare form of the disease which was described in 1970 by French authors who reported the presence of focal pancreatic disease localized in an area comprising the C-loop of the duodenum and the head of the pancreas.Ger-man authors have defined this area as a"groove".We report our recent experience on cystic dystrophy of the paraduodenal space and systematically review the data in the literature regarding the alterations of this space.A MEDLINE search of papers published between 1966 and 2010 was carried out and 59 paperswere considered for the present study;there were 19 cohort studies and 40 case reports.The majority of patients having groove pancreatitis were middle aged.Mean age was significantly higher in patients having groove carcinoma.The diagnosis of cystic dystrophy of the duodenal wall can now be assessed by multi-detector computer tomography,magnetic resonance imaging and endoscopic ultrasonography.These latter two techniques may also add more information on the involvement of the remaining pancreatic gland not involved by the duodenal malformation and they may help in differentiating"groove pancreatitis"from "groove adenocarcinoma".In conclusion,chronic pan-creatitis involving the entire pancreatic gland was present in half of the patients with cystic dystrophy of the duodenal wall and,in the majority of them,the pan-creatitis had calcifications.

Variation of Thornthwaite Moisture Index in Hengduan Mountains, China

The Thornthwaite moisture index, an index of the supply of water （precipitation） in an area relative to the climatic demand for water （potential evapotranspiration）, was used to examine the spatial and temporal variation of drought and to verify the influence of environmental factors on the drought in the Hengduan Mountains, China. Results indicate that the Thornthwaite moisture index in the Hengduan Mountains had been increasing since 1960 with a rate of 0.1938/yr. Annual Thomthwaite moisture index in Hengduan Mountains was between -97.47 and 67.43 and the spatial heterogeneity was obvious in different seasons. Thomthwaite moisture index was high in the north and low in the south, and the monsoon rainfall had a significant impact on its spatial distribution. The tendency rate of Thomthwaite moisture index variation varied in different seasons, and the increasing trends in spring were greater than that in summer and autumn. However, the Thomthwaite moisture index decreased in winter. Thomthwaite moisture index increased greatly in the north and there was a small growth in the south of Hengduan Mountains. The increase of precipitation and decrease of evaporation lead to the increase of Thomthwaite moisture index. Thornthwaite moisture index has strong correlation with vegetation coverage. It can be seen that the correlation between Normalized Difference Vegetation Index （NDVI） and Thomthwaite moisture index was positive in spring and summer, but negative in autumn and winter. Correlation between Thornthwaite moisture index and relative soil relative moisture content was positive in spring, summer and autumn, but negative in winter. The typical mountainous terrain affect the distribu- tion of temperature, precipitation, wind speed and other meteorological factors in this region, and then affect the spatial distribution of Thomthwaite moisture index. The unique ridge-gorge terrain caused the continuity of water-heat distribution from the north to south, and the water-heat was stronger than that from the east to west part, and thus determined the spatial distribution of Thornthwaite mois- ture index. The drought in the Hengduan Mountains area is mainly due to the unstable South Asian monsoon rainfall time.