Pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of epilepsy: electromagnetic stimulation-mediated neuromodulation therapy and new technologies

Epilepsy is a severe,relapsing,and multifactorial neurological disorder.Studies regarding the accurate diagnosis,prognosis,and in-depth pathogenesis are crucial for the precise and effective treatment of epilepsy.The pathogenesis of epilepsy is complex and involves alterations in variables such as gene expression,protein expression,ion channel activity,energy metabolites,and gut microbiota composition.Satisfactory results are lacking for conventional treatments for epilepsy.Surgical resection of lesions,drug therapy,and non-drug interventions are mainly used in clinical practice to treat pain associated with epilepsy.Non-pharmacological treatments,such as a ketogenic diet,gene therapy for nerve regeneration,and neural regulation,are currently areas of research focus.This review provides a comprehensive overview of the pathogenesis,diagnostic methods,and treatments of epilepsy.It also elaborates on the theoretical basis,treatment modes,and effects of invasive nerve stimulation in neurotherapy,including percutaneous vagus nerve stimulation,deep brain electrical stimulation,repetitive nerve electrical stimulation,in addition to non-invasive transcranial magnetic stimulation and transcranial direct current stimulation.Numerous studies have shown that electromagnetic stimulation-mediated neuromodulation therapy can markedly improve neurological function and reduce the frequency of epileptic seizures.Additionally,many new technologies for the diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy are being explored.However,current research is mainly focused on analyzing patients’clinical manifestations and exploring relevant diagnostic and treatment methods to study the pathogenesis at a molecular level,which has led to a lack of consensus regarding the mechanisms related to the disease.

Diagnosis and treatment of bipolar disorder in Phelan-McDermid syndrome:A case report and review of literature

BACKGROUND Phelan-McDermid syndrome(PMS)is a rare genetic disorder characterized by intellectual disability,delayed language development,autism spectrum disorders,motor tone abnormalities,and a high risk of psychiatric symptoms,including bipolar disorder.CASE SUMMARY This report presented an 18-year clinical history of a 36-year-old woman with PMS,marked by intellectual disabilities,social withdrawal,and stereotyped behaviors.Diagnosed with bipolar disorder at the age of 18 years old,she encountered significant treatment challenges,including severe adverse reactions to antipsychotic medications in 2022,which led to speech and functional regression.Through rehabilitation and comprehensive therapy,her condition gradually improved.In 2024,after further treatment,her symptoms stabilized,highlighting the complexities and successes of long-term management.CONCLUSION Effective management of PMS requires a thorough clinical history,genetic testing,and long-term supportive care.

Clinicopathological features and treatment of gastrointestinal schwannomas

BACKGROUND Gastrointestinal schwannomas(GIS)are rare neurogenic tumors arising from Schwann cells in the gastrointestinal tract.Studies on GIS are limited to small case reports or focus on specific tumor sites,underscoring the diagnostic and thera-peutic challenges they pose.AIM To comprehensively examine the clinical features,pathological characteristics,treatment outcomes,associated comorbidities,and prognosis of GIS.METHODS The study population included patients diagnosed with GIS at the First Affiliated Hospital,Zhejiang University School of Medicine,between June 2007 and April 2024.Data were retrospectively collected and analyzed from medical records,including demographic characteristics,endoscopic and imaging findings,treatment modalities,pathological evaluations,and follow-up information.RESULTS In total,229 patients with GIS were included,with a mean age of 56.00 years and a male-to-female ratio of 1:1.83.The mean tumor size was 2.75 cm,and most(76.9%)were located in the stomach.Additionally,6.6%of the patients had other malig-nant tumors.Preoperative imaging and endoscopy frequently misdiagnosed GIS as gastrointestinal stromal tumors.However,accurate preoperative diagnosis was achieved using endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration combined with immunohistochemical analysis,in which S100 and SOX-10 markers were mostly positive.Smaller tumors were typically managed with endoscopic resection,while larger lesions were treated with surgical resection.Follow-up results showed that most patients experienced favorable outcomes.CONCLUSION Preoperative diagnosis of GIS via clinical characteristics,endoscopy,and imaging examinations remains challenging but crucial.Endoscopic therapy provides a minimally invasive and effective option for patients.

Guidelines for the standardized diagnosis and treatment of non-specific orbital inflammation(2024)

Non-specific orbital inflammation(NSOI)is a noninfectious orbital inflammation.Although it is often considered the most common diagnosis in orbital biopsies,it is an exclusionary diagnosis that requires ruling out systemic disease or other possible causes.Its characteristics include acute orbital signs and symptoms,including pain,proptosis,periorbital edema,chemosis,diplopia,and visual impairment.The clinical manifestations and histological findings of NSOI are heterogeneous,without specific diagnostic criteria or treatment guidelines,which poses significant challenges for diagnosis and treatment.This guideline provides a detailed description of the definition,classification,diagnosis,and treatment of NSOI.

Intestinal Behçet's disease: A review of clinical diagnosis and treatment

Behçet's disease(BD)is a chronic inflammatory disorder prone to frequent re-currences,with a high predilection for intestinal involvement.However,the ef-ficacy and long-term effects of surgical treatment for intestinal BD are unknown.In the current issue of World J Gastrointest Surg,Park et al conducted a retrospec-tive analysis of 31 patients with intestinal BD who received surgical treatment.They found that elevated C-reactive protein levels and emergency surgery were poor prognostic factors for postoperative recurrence,emphasizing the adverse impact of severe inflammation on the prognosis of patients with intestinal BD.This work has clinical significance for evaluating the postoperative condition of intestinal BD.The editorial attempts to summarize the clinical diagnosis and treatment of intestinal BD,focusing on the impact of adverse factors on surgical outcomes.We hope this review will facilitate more precise postoperative management of patients with intestinal BD by clinicians.

Advances in the diagnosis and treatment of symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic disease

Intracranial atherosclerotic disease(ICAD)manifests systemic atherosclerosis in the intra-cranial arterial bed.It is the most common risk factor for ischemic stroke in Chinese population,with symptomatic ICAD(sICAD)patients at higher stroke risk.Continuous cerebral hypoperfusion and hemodynamic decompensa-tion caused by arterial stenosis or occlusion are the main pathological mechanisms for stroke recurrence and cog-nitive impairment in sICAD patients.Despite receiving reinforced medical therapy,about 10%of sICAD patients still suffer stroke recurrence.Blood flow reconstruction techniques are not yet established as routine stroke pre-vention for sICAD due to complex perioperative com-plications.Limb remote ischemic conditioning(LRIC)can effectively reduce the incidence of ischemic stroke,and composite cerebrovascular diseases,and improve ce-rebral perfusion,brain metabolism,and cerebrovascular reserve(CVR)in sICAD patients,serving as a novel ther-apeutic strategy.However,the protective mechanisms of LRIC and the optimal treatment regimen for sICAD still require further exploration.Exploring imaging biomark-ers with high sensitivity and specificity for diagnosis is of great significance in evaluating and predicting stroke risk in sICAD patients.

Guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of advanced breast cancer in China(2022 edition)

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide.It has been estimated that about 416000 new cases and over 117000 deaths of breast cancer occurred in China in 2020.Among the new cases of breast cancer diagnosed each year,3-10%have distant metastasis at the time of initial diagnosis.In addition,approxi-mately 30%of patients with early-stage breast cancer may eventually experience recurrence or metastases.The 5-year survival rate of patients with advanced breast cancer is only 20%with a median overall survival of 2-3 years.Although advanced breast cancer remains incurable at present,new therapeutic options and multidisci-plinary treatment could be utilized to alleviate symptoms,improve quality of life,and prolong patients’survival.The choice of treatment regimens for patients with advanced breast cancer is very important,and the optimal treatment strategy beyond the first-and second-line therapy is often lacking.Herein,the China Advanced Breast Cancer Guideline Panel discussed and summarized recent clinical evidence,updated the guidelines for the diag-nosis and treatment of advanced breast cancer based on the 2020 edition,and formulated the“Guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of advanced breast cancer in China(2022 edition)”for clinicians’reference.

Research Progress of Ultrasound Radiomics in The Diagnosis and Treatment of Breast Cancer

With the advancement of medical research in recent years and the frequent occurrence of different types of cancer, breast cancer has gradually attracted the public’s attention. The incidence of breast cancer is rising, mainly affecting women with a high mortality rate. According to the clinical treatment effect, early diagnosis and early treatment can effectively control the mortality of breast cancer and improve patient’s quality of life. Ultrasound radiomics is an emerging field that can extract quantitative high-dimensional data from ultrasound images. Recently, ultrasound radiomics has been widely used in the clinical treatment of breast cancer. This paper analyzed the research progress of ultrasound radiomics in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer.

Chinese quality control indices for standardized diagnosis and treatment of renal cancer(2022 edition)

Renal cancer is one of the most common malignancies of the urinary system,and the number of deaths continues to increase.The standardized management of the diagnosis and treatment of renal cancer is challenging due to the great differences in the diagnosis and treatment of renal cancer in different regions.The Renal Cancer Expert Committee of the National Cancer Quality Control Center(NCQCC)identified a lack of authoritative quality control standards as an opportunity to utilize its multidisciplinary membership to improve the standardized diagnosis and treatment of renal cancer.The Renal Cancer Expert Committee of the NCQCC aims to promote quality control and national standardization,uniformity,and normalization of renal cancer diagnosis and treatment,which ultimately improved the survival rate and quality of life of renal cancer patients.A panel of experts with renal cancer surgery,renal cancer medicine,medical imaging,pathology and radiotherapy were drawn together and determined the quality control standards for the standardized diagnosis and treatment of renal cancer.The Indices includes 20 items that cover all key areas in the diagnosis and treatment of renal cancer,such as standard diagnosis,surgery treatment,systemic treatment,and prognostic evaluation.

Advances in Diagnosis and Treatment of Neuropsychiatric Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

1 Introduction Neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus(NPSLE)is a serious complication of systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE),with an incidence of about 30%to 40%[1].No matter early or late SLE patients are prone to concurrent,so early diagnosis and treatment of NPSLE is extremely important.

Circular RNAs in breast cancer diagnosis,treatment and prognosis

Breast cancer has surpassed lung cancer to become the most common malignancy worldwide.The incidence rate and mortality rate of breast cancer continue to rise,which leads to a great burden on public health.Circular RNAs(circRNAs),a new class of noncoding RNAs(ncRNAs),have been recognized as important oncogenes or suppressors in regulating cancer initiation and progression.In breast cancer,circRNAs have significant roles in tumorigenesis,recurrence and multidrug resistance that are mediated by various mechanisms.Therefore,circRNAs may serve as promising targets of therapeutic strategies for breast cancer management.This study reviews the most recent studies about the biosynthesis and characteristics of circRNAs in diagnosis,treatment and prognosis evaluation,as well as the value of circRNAs in clinical applications as biomarkers or therapeutic targets in breast cancer.Understanding the mechanisms by which circRNAs function could help transform basic research into clinical applications and facilitate the development of novel circRNA-based therapeutic strategies for breast cancer treatment.

Endoscopic diagnosis and management of gallbladder carcinoma in minimally invasive era:New needs,new models

Gallbladder cancer(GBC)is a rare and lethal malignancy;however,it represents the most common type of biliary tract cancer.Patients with GBC are often diagnosed at an advanced stage,thus,unfortunately,losing the opportunity for curative surgical intervention.This situation leads to lower quality of life and higher mortality rates.In recent years,the rapid development of endoscopic equipment and techniques has provided new avenues and possibilities for the early and minimally invasive diagnosis and treatment of GBC.This editorial comments on the article by Pavlidis et al.Building upon their work,we explore the new needs and corresponding models for managing GBC from the endoscopic diagnosis and treatment perspective.

Treatment of thymoma with low-dose glucocorticoids before surgery for significant tumor shrinkage: A case report

BACKGROUND Thymic epithelial neoplasms are rare malignant neoplasms originating in the thymus gland.There have been case reports of patients with advanced thymomas treated with a methylprednisolone pulse or with glucocorticoid(GCs)shock be-fore surgery,followed by surgical treatment,all of whom achieved good results.The effect of GCs on thymomas is related mainly to the action on GC receptors in thymic lymphocytes and epithelial cells.GC receptor expression has been asso-ciated with a better prognosis in patients with thymomas,including those with surgically removed thymomas.CASE SUMMARY We report a case of a patient with thymoma who had a significant response to preoperative low-dose GC therapy.A mediastinal tumor was detected in the patient via computerized tomography upon admission.The tumor was initially suspected to be a thymic tumor,but lymphoma could not be ruled out.The tumor shrank significantly after low-dose(5 mg/day)GC therapy.Thoracoscopic thy-moma resection was performed after puncture pathology was confirmed.The patient recovered well after the operation and is currently performing well with no recurrence of the tumor.CONCLUSION This case highlights that low-dose GCs are effective in the treatment of thymomas,and we believe that GCs should be applied more frequently and studied more thoroughly in the treatment of thymomas.

Pancreatic primitive neuroectodermal tumors:Clinical features,treatment,and influencing factors

BACKGROUND Data on clinical characteristics,treatment outcomes,and prognosis of pancreatic primitive neuroectodermal tumors(PNETs)are limited.AIM To analyze the clinical data of 30 patients with pancreatic PNETs to identify their clinical characteristics and factors associated with prognosis.METHODS We used the keywords"primary neuroectodermal tumor,""digestive tract,""pancreas,""pancreatic,"and"gastrointestinal,"individually or in combination,to collect data from a global database for all patients with pancreatic PNET to date.Univariate and Cox regression analyses were performed to identify prognostic factors for patient survival.RESULTS A total of 30 cases of pancreatic PNET were included in this study:15 males and 15 females with a mean age of 24 years.The main symptom was abdominal pain(73.3%),and the median tumor size was 7.85 cm.Twenty-four patients(80.0%)underwent surgery and nineteen patients received adjuvant therapy.Local metastasis was observed in 13 patients(43.3%),lymph node metastasis in 10 patients(33.3%),and distant metastasis in 6 patients(20.0%).Local recurrence was observed in 13 patients(43.3%).The median survival time of all patients was 29.4 months,and the overall estimated 1-year and 3-year survival rates were approximately 66.0%and 36.4%,respectively.Univariate analysis showed that chemotherapy(P=0.036),local metastasis(P=0.041),lymph node metastasis(P=0.003),distant metastasis(P=0.049),and surgical margins(P=0.048)were the prognostic factors affecting survival.Multivariate analysis revealed only lymph node metastasis(P=0.012)as a prognostic factor.CONCLUSION Pancreatic PNET is extremely rare,occurs in young adults,has no apparent sex predisposition,has a high rate of metastasis and early recurrence,and has a very poor prognosis.The diagnosis of pancreatic PNET requires a combination of clinical symptoms,pathologic features,immunohistochemistry,and cytogenetic analysis.Univariate analysis suggested that chemotherapy,metastasis,and surgical margins were prognostic factors affecting survival,and multivariate analysis suggested that lymph node metastasis is an important prognostic factor.Therefore,early diagnosis,early and extensive resection,and adjuvant chemoradiotherapy may help improve prognosis.

Emphysematous pancreatitis:Diagnosis,treatment,and prognosis

BACKGROUND Emphysematous pancreatitis(EP)is a rare,severe form of acute necrotizing pancreatitis characterized by gas in pancreatic or peripancreatic tissue,with a high mortality rate.AIM To assess the diagnosis,treatment,and outcomes of EP through a series of case studies.METHODS This case series was conducted in intensive care units at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University.Patients were included if they were diagnosed with pancreatic necrosis and gas via computed tomography from June 2018 to June 2024.Patients were categorized into early and late EP groups based on the timing of the appearance of the bubble sign and into extensive and common types based on the distribution range of the bubble sign.The data recorded included sex,age,aetiology,Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score,Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score,Bedside Index for Severity in Acute Pancreatitis score,subtype,gas distribution extent,aetiological diagnostic basis,pathogen categories,intervention measures,and prognosis.RESULTS Among the 15 patients,66.7%had a biliary aetiology and extensive type of EP,47.1%had early-onset EP,and 73.3%had confirmed aetiological evidence[6 based on bacterial culture,4 based on both routine culture and next-generation sequencing(NGS),and 1 solely based on NGS].The common pathogens were Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae.Six patients survived.Among the 2 patients who did not undergo percutaneous drainage or surgical treatment,1 survived.Of the 6 patients who underwent percutaneous drainage,2 survived,2 survived after subsequent surgery,and 2 died without surgery.Among the 6 patients who underwent surgery alone,5 died and 1 survived.Among the early-onset EP patients,4 survived;among the late-onset EP patients,2 survived.Among the common EP types,4 survived;among the extensive EP types,only 1 survived.CONCLUSION The mortality rate among patients with EP is considerable,and NGS enhances pathogen identification accuracy.Despite the debate on conservative vs surgical management,the STEP-UP strategy remains viable.Aggressive antimicrobial therapy,early percutaneous catheter drainage,and other minimally invasive interventions,along with delayed surgical intervention,may improve patient prognosis.

Etiology and Treatment Advances of Hematochezia in Infants Aged ≤3 Months

The incidence of hematochezia in infants aged three months or younger has shown an upward trend in recent years. This condition is characterized by visible bloody stools, which may appear bright red, dark red, jam-like, or mucus-purulent bloody stools, and is often accompanied by positive fecal occult blood tests, with or without additional systemic clinical symptoms. The etiology is multifactorial, potentially influenced by the maternal health status during pregnancy, neonatal diseases or treatments received in the NICU, and the methods used for establishing enteral and parenteral nutrition. Notably, allergic factors have gained prominence in recent years. This paper reviews recent studies to elucidate the incidence, primary causes, and current treatment approaches for early infant hematochezia, providing a reference for clinical practice.

Advances in Etiology and Treatment of Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma (CSCC) is a common skin malignancy with increasing incidence year by year and is the leading cause of death in patients with skin tumors other than melanoma. The pathogenesis of Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma has not yet been clarified, limiting the development of related molecular targeted therapies. Surgical resection, radiotherapy, photodynamic therapy and gene therapy can be selected according to the site of disease and histological differentiation. This article reviews the research on the etiology, pathogenesis and treatment of squamous cell carcinoma in recent years.

Automation in road distress detection,diagnosis and treatment

Road transportation plays a crucial role in society and daily life,as the functioning and durability of roads can significantly impact a nation's economic development.In the whole life cycle of the road,the emergence of disease is unavoidable,so it is necessary to adopt relevant technical means to deal with the disease.This study comprehensively reviews the advancements in computer vision,artificial intelligence,and mobile robotics in the road domain and examines their progress and applications in road detection,diagnosis,and treatment,especially asphalt roads.Specifically,it analyzes the research progress in detecting and diagnosing surface and internal road distress and related techniques and algorithms are compared.In addition,also introduces various road gover-nance technologies,including automated repairs,intelligent construction,and path planning for crack sealing.Despite their proven effectiveness in detecting road distress,analyzing diagnoses,and planning maintenance,these technologies still confront challenges in data collection,parameter optimization,model portability,system accuracy,robustness,and real-time performance.Consequently,the integration of multidisciplinary technologies is imperative to enable the development of an integrated approach that includes road detection,diagnosis,and treatment.This paper addresses the challenges of precise defect detection,condition assessment,and unmanned construction.At the same time,the efficiency of labor liberation and road maintenance is achieved,and the automation level of the road engineering industry is improved.

Beyond the stomach: An updated view of Helicobacter pylori pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is an extremely common, yet underappreciated, pathogen that is able to alter host physiology and subvert the host immune response, allowing it to persist for the life of the host. H. pylori is the primary cause of peptic ulcers and gastric cancer. In the United States, the annual cost associated with peptic ulcer disease is estimated to be $6 billion and gastric cancer kills over 700000 people per year globally. The prevalence of H. pylori infection remains high (> 50%) in much of the world, although the infection rates are dropping in some developed nations. The drop in H. pylori prevalence could be a double-edged sword, reducing the incidence of gastric diseases while increasing the risk of allergies and esophageal diseases. The list of diseases potentially caused by H. pylori continues to grow; however, mechanistic explanations of how H. pylori could contribute to extragastric diseases lag far behind clinical studies. A number of host factors and H. pylori virulence factors act in concert to determine which individuals are at the highest risk of disease. These include bacterial cytotoxins and polymorphisms in host genes responsible for directing the immune response. This review discusses the latest advances in H. pylori pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment. Up-to-date information on correlations between H. pylori and extragastric diseases is also provided.

Cervical Myelopathy: Diagnostic Aspects, Surgical Treatment and Evolution of Patients Operated upon in Yaounde

Introduction: Although cervical myelopathy is the most common degenerative cervical spine pathology in adults, the indications and approaches of surgical treatment have not yet been clearly defined in the literature. Very few studies exist regarding these aspects in our setting, and they are mostly outdated. This study aimed to describe the diagnostic aspects, current surgical treatment with technical improvements, and progression in patients. Patients and Methods: We conducted a multicentre retrospective descriptive study over a 10-year period between January 2011 and January 2020 in three referral centres in Yaoundé. All patients who underwent surgery for cervical myelopathy were included. Results: Fifty-two patients were recruited. The rate of operated cervical myelopathies among all degenerative spinal pathologies was 14.05%. The M/F sex ratio was 3/1, and the average age was 52 ± 10 years. All included patients had gait problems, 90.38% demonstrated motor deficiency, and 67.30% experienced at least three levels of compression. Surgery was decided based on the Nurick grade;a posterior approach was applied to 86.54% of patients. Postoperative progression showed a neurological improvement of 82% with an average follow-up of 4 years. Conclusion: In this study, the patients who underwent surgery were relatively young, their clinical presentations were mostly advanced, and surgical management showed good results in well-selected cases.