A correlation of computed tomography perfusion and histopathology in tumor edges of hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND： The peripheral morphologic characteristics of hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC） reflect tumor growth patterns. Computed tomography （CT） perfusion is a new method to analyze hemodynamic changes in tissues. We assessed the relationship between CT perfusion and histopathologic findings in the periphery of HCC lesions. METHODS： Non-contrast CT, enhanced dual-phase CT, and CT perfusion were performed on 77 subjects （47 patients and 30 controls）. Based on the imaging findings of enhanced dual- phase CT, the tumor edges were classified into three types： type Ⅰ （sharp）; type Ⅱ （blurry）; and type Ⅲ （mixed）. The CT perfusion parameters included hepatic blood flow, hepatic arterial fraction, hepatic arterial perfusion, and hepatic portal perfusion. The tissue sections from resected specimens were subjected to routine hematoxylin and eosin staining and immunohistochemical staining for CD34. The correlations between microvessel density （MVD） and the CT perfusion parameters were analyzed using Pearson＇s product-moment correlation coefficient. Changes in the perfusion parameters in tumor edges of different tumor types were evaluated. RESULTS： Type Ⅰ （sharp）： the pathologic findings showed fibrous connective tissue capsules in the tumor edges, and an MVD 〈30/ram2. Type Ⅱ （blurry）： the histology showed that the edges were clear with no capsules and an MVD 〉30/ram2. Type Ⅲ （mixed）： the pathology was similar to that of types I and II, and an MVD 〉30/mm~. Hepatic blood flow, hepatic arterial fraction, hepatic arterial perfusion, and hepatic portal perfusion were significantly increased in the tumor edges of HCC patients compared to those of the controls （P〈0.05）. The correlation between CT perfusion parameters and MVD was higher in blurry tumor edges of type II than in those of types Ⅰ or Ⅲ. CONCLUSION： CT perfusion imaging of tumor edges may be helpful in revealing histopathological features, and indirectly reflect angiogenic changes of HCCs.

Emphysematous pyelonephritis:Six case reports and review of literature

BACKGROUND Emphysematous pyelonephritis(EPN)is a severe acute necrotizing infection of the renal parenchyma and surrounding tissues that causes the presence of gas in the renal parenchyma,collecting system,or perinephric tissue and has a poor prognosis.EPN occurs primarily in people with diabetes mellitus(DM),but can occur in those without DM when the associated renoureteral unit is obstructed.CASE SUMMARY We describe our experience with six patients who developed EPN.Five patients had DM,including one with diabetic ketoacidosis,one with multisystem involvements,including eye,lung and brain.Bilateral urolithiasis was present in one case,along with emphysematous cystitis.Unilateral kidney stones were present in one patient.One patient was an older man in poor general health.Five individuals survived and underwent surgical procedures including ureteral stent installation(Double J stent placement),percutaneous nephrostomy and perinephric abscess puncture drainage,while one died because the patient’s family chose to terminate therapy.Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli were the microorganisms implicated.CONCLUSION We conclude that EPN is a potentially fatal illness.A positive outcome necessitates early detection.Therapeutic measures should be implemented as soon as a diagnosis is made.

Tenecteplase versus alteplase in treatment of acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction:A randomized non-inferiority trial

Background:A phase II trial on recombinant human tenecteplase tissue-type plasminogen activator(rhTNK-tPA)has previously shown its preliminary efficacy in ST elevation myocardial infarction(STEMI)patients.This study was designed as a pivotal postmarketing trial to compare its efficacy and safety with rrecombinant human tissue-type plasminogen activator alteplase(rt-PA)in Chinese patients with STEMI.Methods:In this multicenter,randomized,open-label,non-inferiority trial,patients with acute STEMI were randomly assigned(1:1)to receive an intravenous bolus of 16 mg rhTNK-tPA or an intravenous bolus of 8 mg rt-PA followed by an infusion of 42 mg in 90 min.The primary endpoint was recanalization defined by thrombolysis in myocardial infarction(TIMI)flow grade 2 or 3.The secondary endpoint was clinically justified recanalization.Other endpoints included 30-day major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events(MACCEs)and safety endpoints.Results:From July 2016 to September 2019,767 eligible patients were randomly assigned to receive rhTNK-tPA(n=384)or rt-PA(n=383).Among them,369 patients had coronary angiography data on TIMI flow,and 711 patients had data on clinically justified recanalization.Both used a–15%difference as the non-inferiority efficacy margin.In comparison to rt-PA,both the proportion of patients with TIMI grade 2 or 3 flow(78.3%[148/189]vs.81.7%[147/180];differences:–3.4%;95%confidence interval[CI]:–11.5%,4.8%)and clinically justified recanalization(85.4%[305/357]vs.85.9%[304/354];difference:–0.5%;95%CI:–5.6%,4.7%)in the rhTNK-tPA group were non-inferior.The occurrence of 30-day MACCEs(10.2%[39/384]vs.11.0%[42/383];hazard ratio:0.96;95%CI:0.61,1.50)did not differ significantly between groups.No safety outcomes significantly differed between groups.Conclusion:rhTNK-tPA was non-inferior to rt-PA in the effect of improving recanalization of the infarct-related artery,a validated surrogate of clinical outcomes,among Chinese patients with acute STEMI.Trial registration:www.ClinicalTrials.gov(No.NCT02835534).

Computer-assisted minimally invasive spine surgery for resection of ossification of the ligamentum flavum in the thoracic spine

Background Ossification of the ligamentum flavum （OLF） has been widely recognized as one of the main causes of thoracic spinal canal stenosis and thoracic myelopathy.Decompression is the only effective strategy for treating thoracic myelopathy caused by OLF.The purpose of this study was to describe the clinical outcomes of computer-assisted minimally invasive spine surgery （CAMISS） for posterior decompression in patients with thoracic myelopathy caused by OLF.Methods In all cases,the surgical procedure was performed with the assistance of an intraoperative three-dimensional navigation system.Decompression of the spinal cord was performed with a high-speed drill; the supraspinal ligaments and spinous process were partially preserved.The outcomes were evaluated by a modified Japanese Orthopedic Association （JOA） scoring system and recovery rates.Results The mean duration of follow-up for the 14 cases was 3.9 years.All patients experienced neurological recovery,the mean JOA score improving from 6.1 points preoperatively to 8.6 points at final follow-up and the mean rate of recovery being 52.7% （excellent in two cases,good in eight,fair in three,and unchanged in one）.Conclusion CAMISS is a safe and effective procedure for resection of the OLF in the thoracic spine.

Is There a Reliable Method to Predict the Limb Length Discrepancy after Chemotherapy and Limb Salvage Surgery in Children with Osteosarcoma？

Background： For a child with osteosarcoma, prediction of the limb length discrepancy at maturity is important when planning for limb salvage surgery. The purpose of this study was to provide a reliable prediction method. Methods： A retrospective review of Chinese children receiving chemotherapy for osteosarcoma before skeletal maturity was conducted. Standing full-length radiographs of the lower extremity were used for length measurements. Length-for-age curves were constructed using the LMS method. The lower limb multiplier for a specific age and gender was calculated using the formula M =Lm/L, where M was the gender- and age-specific multiplier, Lm was the bone length at maturity, and L was the age-specific bone length. Prematurity and postmaturity radiographs were used to assess the accuracy of the prediction methods. Results： A total of 513 radiographs of 131 boys and 314 radiographs of 86 girls were used to calculate the coefficients of the multiplier. The multipliers of 8-, 9-, 10-, 11-, 12-, 13-, 14-, 15-, 16-, 17-, and 18-year-old boys after chemotherapy for osteosarcoma were 1.394, 1.306, 1.231, 1.170, 1.119, 1.071, 1.032, 1.010, 1.004, 1.001, and 1.000, respectively; while for girls at the same ages, the multipliers were 1.311, 1.221, 1.146, 1.092, 1.049, 1.021, 1.006, 1.001, 1.000, 1.000, and 1.000, respectively. Prematurity and postmaturity femoral and tibial lengths of 21 patients were used to assess the prediction accuracy. The mean prediction error was 0 cm, 0.8 cm, and 1.6 cm fbr the multiplier method using our coefficients, Paley＇s coefficients, and Anderson＇s method, respectively. Conclusions： Our coefficients for the multiplier method are reliable in predicting lower limb length growth of Chinese children with osteosarcoma.

Relationship between symptoms and weight-bearing radiographic parameters of idiopathic flexible flatfoot in children

Background Idiopathic flexible flatfoot in children most frequently improves with age and remains asymptomatic. It is a physiological variation of the normality that does not require treatment unless it becomes symptomatic. The aim of this research was to investigate the reason why some individuals with flexible flatfoot become symptomatic by analysis of the differences in the relative alignment of each segment of the foot between symptomatic and asymptomatic patients with idiopathic flexible flatfoot using radiographic measurements. Methods One hundred patients with idiopathic flexible flatfoot were retrospectively identified and divided into two groups： asymptomatic （n=50） and symptomatic （n=50）. Standing anteroposterior and lateral radiographs of the foot were analyzed. Five measurements were calculated to describe the alignment of the foot. An independent-samples t-test and Logistic regression test were used for statistical analysis. Results Age and sex were similar in the two groups. The independent-samples test revealed significant differences in two parameters： the anteroposterior talonavicular coverage angle and the lateral talo-first metatarsal angle. When the Logistic regression test was performed, only the talonavicular coverage angle showed statistical significance. Conclusions The lateral displacement of the navicular bone, measured by the anteroposterior talonavicular coverage angle, seems to be related to the onset of symptoms. In individuals with otherwise normal flexible flatfoot, an increase in this angle might be an important risk factor for developing symptoms.

Current advances for bone regeneration based on tissue engineering strategies

Bone tissue engineering (BTE) is a rapidly developing strategy for repairing critical-sized bone defects to address the unmet need for bone augmentation and skeletal repair. Effective therapies for bone regeneration primarily require the coordinated combination of innovative scaffolds, seed cells, and biological factors. However, current techniques in bone tissue engineering have not yet reached valid translation into clinical applications because of several limitations, such as weaker osteogenic differentiation, inadequate vascularization of scaffolds, and inefficient growth factor delivery. Therefore, further standardized protocols and innovative measures are required to overcome these shortcomings and facilitate the clinical application of these techniques to enhance bone regeneration. Given the deficiency of comprehensive studies in the development in BTE, our review systematically introduces the new types of biomimetic and bifunctional scaffolds. We describe the cell sources, biology of seed cells, growth factors, vascular development, and the interactions of relevant molecules. Furthermore, we discuss the challenges and perspectives that may propel the direction of future clinical delivery in bone regeneration.