PurposeRecurrence limits the survival of postoperative hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. The purpose of this study is to investigate the value of ultrasound (US), CT and MRI follow-up in alpha fetoprotein (AFP) negative HCC patients.Materials and MethodsThe follow-up data of 31 pathology-confirmed, AFP negative HCC patients were analyzed retrospectively. All patients underwent US, CT and MRI. Features including tumor size, morphology, echogenicity and enhancement pattern were analyzed. The recurrent lesion detection rates of all three diagnostic modalities were compared.ResultsThere were 55 recurrent lesions. On CT and MRI, these lesions were round or ovoid in shape with long axis of 0.7-3.4 (1.7±1.1) cm. There were 16 solitary lesions and multifocal lesions in 15 cases. US showed widely distributed blood vessels within the lesions and heterogeneous flow rate. CT and MRI demonstrated significant enhancement in the arterial phase with wash out in portal phase and delayed phase. The detection rate were 60.0% (33/55), 83.6% (46/55), 89.1% (49/55) for US, CT and MRI, respectively (χ2=15.120,P<0.01). Detection rate of MRI (80.0%, 16/20) was signiifcantly higher than that of CT (65.0%, 13/20) and US (40.0%, 8/20) for lesions with long axis diameter of 0.7-1.0 cm (χ2=6.910,P<0.05). For lesions between 1.0-2.0 cm, MRI, CT and US detection rate were 91.7% (22/24), 91.7% (22/24) and 66.7% (16/24), respectively (χ2=6.792,P<0.05). ConclusionImaging follow up can detect AFP negative HCC recurrence. MRI has unique advantage in lesions <2 cm.

Objective:To systematically analyse the blood coagulation features of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients.Methods:An electronic search in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, EMbase, and CNKI to collect studies related to the blood coagulation features of COVID-19 patients from 1 January 2020 to 1 May 2020. Two reviewers independently screened literatures, extracted data and assessed the risk of bias of included studies. Then, the platelet count, D-dimer value, prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) and fibrinogen of patients with different types of diseases were analyzed by using Stata12.0 software.Results:Thirty-nine retrospective studies involving 6 994 COVID-19 patients were included. The results of meta-analysis showed that:(1) compared with severe group, the platelet count (Weighted mean difference; WMD=20.11, 95% CI 11.53 to 28.69, P<0.001) and APTT (WMD=1.30, 95%CI 0.31 to 2.30, P=0.01) were found to be higher while D-dimer (WMD=-0.41, 95%CI-0.58 to-0.24, P<0.001), fibrinogen (WMD=-0.58, 95% CI-0.76 to-0.39, P<0.001) and PT (WMD=-0.51, 95%CI-0.92 to-0.10, P<0.001) were lower in mild group; the platelet count (WMD=-14.75, 95% CI-29.73 to-0.23, P=0.044) was found to be lower while D-dimer (WMD=1.06, 95% CI 0.65 to 1.47, P<0.001) was found to be higher in critical ill patients. (2)Compared with the survival group, the patients in death group displayed elevated levels of D-dimer (WMD=6.86, 95% CI 4.15 to 9.57, P<0.001) and PT (WMD=1.37, 95% CI 0.73 to 2.02, P<0.001) while platelet count (WMD=-36.40, 95% CI-63.23 to-9.58, P=0.008) remained low. Conclusion:Coagulation dysfunction was common in severe, critical ill and dead COVID-19 patients. Platelet count, D-dimer and PT levels were associated with the severity of the disease, and thus could be used as early warning indicators for the deterioration of the disease during hospitalization.

Objective To explore the effect of chest circumference index adjusting tube voltage techniquey on image quality and radiation dose at coronary CTA. Methods One hundred and twenty consecutive patients [body mass index(BMI)<25 kg/m2] with suspected coronary heart disease (CHD) undergoing coronary CT angiography were prospectively selected and divided into 2 groups at random:conventional group and low dose group. Low dose group was divided into the following three subgroups according to different chest circumferences:A group(<80 cm, n=16), B group(80 to 90 cm, n=44) and C group (>90 cm, n=20). All patients were examined by coronary CTA. The patients in conventional group were performed using retrospective ECG-gating technology and reconstructed by filtered back projection algorithm. The tube voltage/tube current was 120 kV/1 000 mAs. Prospective ECG?gating technology and iterative algorithm reconstruction were used in low dose group. The tube voltages/currents were 80 kV/150 mAs, 100 kV/150 mAs, 120 kV/150 mAs in A, B, C group, respectively. Image quality was assessed by subjective evaluation (image quality score) and objective evaluation (signal?to?noise ratio).The effective radiation dose was calculated. Analyses of the differences between groups were compared with image quality, radiation dose by single factor variance and Wilcoxon signed ranks test.Results The image quality scores and signal?to?noise ratio of aorta were respectively (3.47 ± 0.38), (3.48 ± 0.27), (3.45 ± 0.32), (3.46±0.29) and (15.5±3.6), (15.8±3.6), (15.8±4.1), (16.2±3.9) in conventional, A, B and C groups, there was no statistical difference between the four groups (P=0.24, 0.43). The effective radiation dose of four groups were respectively (17.15 ± 3.25), (0.88 ± 0.02), (1.38 ± 0.05), (2.32 ± 0.04) mSv, the difference was statistically significant (P=0.02). The effective radiation dose of A, B, C group was significantly lower than that in the conventional group. Conclusion Chest circumference index adjusting tube voltages technology at coronary CT angiography can effectively reduce the effective radiation without compromise of image quality.

Objective:To determine the status of glucose intolerance in breast cancer patients without DM history after combined treatment with surgery and/or chemotherapy through an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Methods:All 121 breast cancer patients more than 3 months after combined treatments with surgery and/or chemotherapy and without the diagnosis of diabetes underwent OGTT and fasting. Then, 2 h glucose levels were measured to identify glucose tolerance and diabetes. Meanwhile, six patients with a history of diagnosed diabetes did not undergo OGTT. Results:The median ages of all breast cancer patients and the mean duration after combined treatments with surgery and/or chemotherapy were 50.4 years and 19 months, respectively. Among the 121 breast cancer pa-tients without the history of diabetes, the incidences of diabetes, prediabetes, and normal glucose intolerance were 19.8%(24 cases), 45.5%(55 cases) and 34.7%(42 cases), respectively. Among all breast cancer patients, the incidences of previously diagnosed diabetes, undiagnosed diabetes, and prediabetes were 4.72%, 18.9%, and 43.3%, respectively. The ratio of previously undiagnosed diabetes was about 80%. About 80.0% of undiagnosed diabetes and 74.5% of prediabetes met the criteria for elevated 2 h plasma glucose levels through OGTT instead of elevated fasting glucose levels. Conclusion: Breast cancer patients during follow-up after combined treat-ments with surgery and/or chemotherapy highly suffer from glucose intolerance, with high incidences of undiagnosed diabetes and pre-diabetes. OGTT should be made for breast cancer patients after combined treatments for early diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of di-abetes.

Objective To investigate the value of MSCT and its reconstruction technique for etiological factors of adult non traumatic acute abdomen.Methods The CT findings and clinical data of 1 632 adult patients with non traumatic acute abdomen confirmed by clinical treatment or pathological examination from July 2007 to June 2013 were retrospectively analyzed.Six hundred and sixty-four patients underwent plain scan and 968 patients underwent plain and enhanced scan.We observed MSCT manifestations of acute abdomen , calculated the accurate rate of diagnosis , and analyzed causes of missed diagnosis or misdiagnosis.Results CT diagnosis of 1 580 cases were entirely or partially consistent with the final results in 1 632 cases.Overall accuracy rate was 96.8%.Misdiagnosis or missed diagnosis accounted for 3.2% ( 52/1 632 ).The corresponding accuracy rates using CT with various etiology were: urinary system stones 100.0% ( 293/293 ) , appendicitis 99.3% ( 278/280 ) , abdominal tumors 98.3%(227/231), cholecystitis and cholelithiasis 96.4% (213/221), acute pancreatitis 95.8% (159/166), intestinal adhesion 92.6%(100/108), gastrointestinal perforation 97.9%(92/94), internal and external hernia 95.2% ( 59/62 ) , intussusceptions 95.4% ( 42/44 ) , volvulus 91.7% ( 33/36 ) , foreign bodies 95.6%(22/23), ectopic pregnancy 92.3%(12/13), vascular disease 100.0% (16/16), inflammatory bowel disease 77.8%(7/9), and other diseases 75.0%(27/36).The main cause of missed diagnosis was the absence of obvious morphologic changes at early stage of the diseases.Atypical MSCT features resulted in misdiagnosis.Conclusion MSCT is a valuable tool in diagnosing adult non traumatic acute abdomen and its etiology.

Objective:The occurrence of numerous tumors, particularly classical Hodgkin's lymphoma (CHL), is related with Ep-stein-Barr virus (EBV) infection. However, the incidence of CHL and its association with EBV varies significantly with ethnicity, geo-graphic location, sex, and age. This study investigated the association of EBV infection with CHL in Northern Chinese Han population. Methods:EBV-encoded small RNA (EBER) was detected in 136 cases of CHL through in situ hybridization. Results:A total of 37 cas-es were EBER positive (28%). The mixed cellularity (MC) subtype had the highest positive EBER rate of 49%(23/47;P<0.001), fol-lowed by lymphocyte-rich subtype with 30%(3/10), nodular sclerosis (NS) subtype with 14%(10/73), and 1ymphocyte depletion with 0%(0/2). Our study identified a single age distribution in the third decade. Moreover, NS subtype showed an evident single peak in the third decade. However, MC subtype had a lower peak in the fifth decade. The incidence of EBER showed a bimodal age distribution with two peaks in the first and fifth decades (21.6%and 24.3%, respectively). Conclusion:CHL in Northern Chinese Han population was associated with EBV infection, particularly the MC subtype.

Objective To evaluate the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of Y-shaped jogged stent in patients with malignant hilar biliary obstruction. Methods During the period of January 2010 to June 2015,We retrospectively reviewed 98 cases of malignant hilar biliary obstruction who were received implantation of biliary tract stent. 17 consecutive patients who were treated with Y-shaped jogged stent were identified (group A) during January 2012 to June 2015. Group A was carefully matched according to patients' age, sex, type of tumor, stage, type of biliary obstruction, level of bilirubin at diagnosis, presence of metastasis and treatment, and 17 patients who were underwent unilateral stent placement alone with PTCD were chosen as control group (group B). Patients' baseline characteristics, stenting strategy, complications, stent patency time and survival rates were analyzed, and continuous variables of the two groups were compared using Student's t-test. Categorical variables were analyzed using the Fisher exact test. Results Y-shaped jogged stent implantation group and control groups were closely matched in terms of patients' age, sex, type of tumor, stage, type of biliary obstruction, level of bilirubin at diagnosis, presence of metastasis and treatment ( P>0.05). The bilirubin decreased rate in the two groups was 88.2%and 53.0%respectively (P<0.05). The median time of stent patency after stent implantation was(7.3 ± 1.0)months and(5.7 ± 0.9) months respectively (χ2=4.04,P=0.044), and the median survival time was(9.1 ± 1.5)months and(7.2 ± 1.1)months (χ2=4.60,P=0.032), with significant difference according to Kaplan-Meier analysis. There were no severe complications such as massive hemorrhage, perforation, biliary fistula and severe pancreatitis, which were associated with stent implantation. Conclusions The application of Y-shaped jogged stent is safe, feasible and effective in patients with malignant hilar biliary obstruction. It can relieve the clinical symptoms of biliary obstruction effectively with prolongation of stent patency time and survival rate significantly.

Objective To study the value of the technique of "Push-pull traction-relax homingrepeatedly confirmed" in the prevention of bile duct injury in LC. Methods From March 2001-August 2009, we applied this technique in 4800 cases of LC. The technique of "Push-pull traction" showed the structures of in the Calot's triangle. The technique of "relax homing" was to restore the cystic duct,hepatic duct and common bile duct to their original anatomical positions. The technique of "repeatedly confirmed" repeatedly identified the positions of the cystic duct, the common hepatic duct and the common bile duct. Results There was no bile duct injury. Conversion to open surgery happened in 118patients due to difficulties in identifying the Calot's triangle structures, bile duct stones, gallbladder cancer, and gallbladder-duodenal fistula. Conclusions The "Push-pull traction-relax homing-repeatedly confirmed" technique could effectively prevent bile duct injury in LC. The method is simple, easy to master and worthy of promotion.

Objective: To study the effect of color Doppler ultrasound (CDUS) combined with serum glucoside antigen 125 (CA125) on the diagnostic efficacy of patients with ovarian cancer. Methods: A total of 78 patients with ovarian tumors admitted to our hospital from February 2012 to June 2018 were enrolled. Among them, 38 patients with malignant tumors and 40 patients with benign tumors were tested for CDUS and serum CA125. The characteristics of CDUS images and serum CA125 levels in patients with malignant tumors were analyzed by pathological examination as the gold standard. The diagnostic efficacy of CDUS combined with serum CA125 level detection and separate examination was analyzed. Results: ⑴ Characteristics of CDUS images: the size, location, texture, blood flow signal, resistance index, ascites, peritoneal implant nodule or enlarged lymph node of patients with malignant tumors were significantly different from those of benign tumors (P<0.05). ⑵ Serum CA125 level: the serum CA125 level of patients with malignant tumors was higher than that of patients with benign tumors (P<0.05). ⑶ Diagnostic results: among 78 patients with ovarian tumors, 33 cases of malignant tumors were detected by serum CA125, 45 cases of benign tumors, of which 5 cases were misdiagnosed, and 10 cases were missed. For example, CDUS detected 35 malignant tumors and 43 benign tumors, of which 6 were misdiagnosed and 9 were missed. A total of 43 malignant tumors and 35 benign tumors were detected, of which 6 were misdiagnosed and 1 was missed. ⑷ Diagnostic efficacy: the accuracy of CDUS combined with serum CA125 level detection (91.03%) was higher than that of the two groups (80.77% and 80.77%), but the difference was not statistically significant (P>0.05); the sensitivity of CDUS combined with serum CA125 level detection was 97.37%. The two were independently examined by 76.32% and 73.68% (P<0.05). The specificity of CDUS combined with serum CA125 was 85.00%, with no significant difference between the two groups (80.05%, 87.50%) (P>0.05). Conclusions The serum CA125 level of patients with ovarian cancer is abnormally elevated. The characteristics of CDUS images are different from those of benign tumors, which can effectively identify benign and malignant tumors. CDUS combined with serum CA125 level detection can significantly improve the diagnostic efficacy, and they can be used to judge the disease and symptom , and provide guidance for treatment and prognosis assessment.

Objective To investigate the relationships between the structure ,function of left atrial as well as cardiac biomarkers and left atrial spontaneous echo contrast ( SEC ) in patients with non‐valvular atrial fibrillation ( NVAF ) ,and evaluate its predictive value for left atrial SEC . Methods T hirty‐four control subjects and 80 patients with NVAF were included ,patients with NVAF were divided into positive group ( 30 cases) and negative group ( 50 cases) according to w hether SEC was presented on transesophageal echocardiography ( T EE ) . Clinical and laboratory data were collected ,including medical history ,cardiac troponin I ( cT nI) ,and pro‐brain natriuretic peptide ( pro‐BNP ) ,etc . T hen CHA2 DS2‐VASc scores were calculated .The left atrial appendage width ( W LAA ) ,left atrial appendage depth ( DLAA ) ,left atrial appendage blood flow velocity ( V LAA ) ,left atrial volume index ( LAVI) and other parameters were measured by T EE and transthoracic echocardiography ( T T E) ,and left atrial ejection fraction ( LAEF ) was calculated . T he clinical and T EE parameters were compared between the positive and negative group ,T T E parameters and cardiac biomarkers levels were compared among the three groups ,and ROC curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic efficiency . Results ①Compared with those in control group ,the value of LAVI and pro‐BNP were significantly increased and LAEF was significantly decreased in negative group ( all P ＜ 0 .01 ) . ②Compared with those in negative group ,CHA 2 DS2‐VASc scores ,WLAA ,DLAA ,LAVI and pro‐BNP levels in positive group showed a significant increase ( all P ＜0 .01) ,LAEF and VLAA showed a significant reduction ( all P ＜0 .01) . ③cT nI between negative group and control group did not show statisticant difference ( P＞0 .05) ,but presented a significant increase in positive group compared with those in control group and negative group (all P ＜0 .01).T he AUC ,sensitivity and specificity of CHA 2 DS2‐VASc scores for SEC were 0 .71 (95% CI :0 .60 ～ 0 .82 ) ,73 .3% and 62 .0%,respectively .When left atrial structural and functional parameters (LAVI and LAEF ) combined with cardiac biomarkers (cT nI and pro‐BNP ) ,the AUC , sensitivity and specificity for SEC were 0 .90 (95% CI :0 .84 ～ 0 .97 ) ,74 .0% and 100%,respectively ,both enhanced w hen compared with CHA 2 DS2‐VASc scores alone ( P ＜ 0 .01 ).Conclusions Left atrial enlargement ,decreased function and elevated levels of cardiac biomarkers are associated with left atrial SEC in patients with NVAF .CHA2 DS2‐VASc scores can be used for perdicting left atrial SEC ,left atrial structural and functional parameters (LAVI and LAEF) combined with cardiac biomarkers (cT nI and pro‐BNP) provide significant increments in prediction of left atrial SEC .