Objective To explore the advantages and application of adjustable shunt valve in treatment of chil-dren with Communicating hydrocephalus. Methods Eighty six consecutive children undergoing surgery treatment for Communicating hydrocephalus from January 2006 to July 2011 were included in this retrospective study. Fifty cases re-ceived adjustable shunt valve whereas the rest received standard shunt valve. Results The success rate was 84.00% in the adjustable shunt valve group and 63.89%in the standard shunt valve group. Complication rate was 16.00%in the ad-justable shunt valve group and 36.11% in the standard shunt valve group. Inadequate and excessive shunt rate was 69.23% in the standard shunt valve group and zero% in adjustable shunt valve group. Compared with standard shunt valve group, adjustable shunt valve group had significantly higher success rate and lower complication rate (All P<0.05). Conclusions Adjustable shunt valve effectively reduce the complication rate and improve the success rate. In addition, adjustable shunt valve is superior to standard shunt valve in the treatment of children with communicating hydrocephalus because it fits for the development of children.

Objective To evaluate the effect of edaravone on moderate and severe brain injury patients by observing the change of the serum neuron-specific enolase ( NSE) and S100β protein. Methods A total of 90 patients with acute moderate and severe brain injury were selected and randomly divided into three groups, ie, control group (Group A), postoperative edaravone treatment group (Group B) and preoperative edaravone treatment group (Group C), 30 patients per group. In the meantime, 20 normal persons were set as the healthy control group. The concentrations of serum NSE and S100β protein of each group was measured by using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay ( ELISA) on admission and at days 1,3,5 and 7 after operation. Results The serum NSE and S100β protein levels in the Group A, B and C was higher than that in the healthy group on admission and at days 1,3,5 and 7 postoperatively and reached the peak at day 1 after operation (P ＜0.05). The level of serum NSE and S100β protein in the Group C was lower than that in the healthy group, Group A and Group B at day 1 postoperatively (P＜0.05), with no statistical difference between Group B and Group A at day 1 postoperatively (P ＞0.05). The serum NSE and S100β protein levels in the Group C was lower than that in the Group A at days 3, 5 and 7 postoperatively (P ＜0.05). The serum NSE and S100β protein levels in the Group C with severe brain injury was lower than that in the Group B at days 3, 5 and 7 postoperatively (P ＜ 0.05), but there was no statistical difference in moderate injury group between Croup C and Group B. The serum NSE and S100β levels in the Group B was lower than that in the Group A at days 3, 5 and 7 postoperatively ( P ＜ 0. 05). Conclusions Edaravone can effectively reduce the serum NSE and S100β levels in the moderate and severe brain injury patients after operation. The earlier use of edaravone may beget the more significant effect, especially in patients with severe brain injury. The application of edaravone before operation can more effectively reduce the concentration of serum NSE and S100β protein.

Objective To evaluate the effect of tranexamic acid (TXA ) in medical treatment of chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) .Methods A total of 19 patients with CT-confirmed CSDH in our department from Mar 2014 to Aug 2015 received an in-travenous dose of 1g TXA in the first week ,and followed by a maintenance oral dose of 250 mg TXA three times a day for 1 - 5 months (2 .73 ± 1 .05) months .These patients received a follow-up period of 6 - 10 months .Hematoma volume and neurological functions were compared before and after treatment .Results The therapeutic outcome was divided into effectiveness and ineffec-tiveness .Thirteen cases (68 .4% ) were effective ;six cases (31 .6% ) were ineffective .Among them ,three patients (15 .8% ) whose neurological functions deteriorated underwent surgery ,one patient (5 .3% ) who did not show any improvement with initial one month of TXA underwent surgery ,one patient (5 .3% ) stopped the treatment due to the side-effect of drug ,one patient (5 .3% ) lost .Conclusion Results of this preliminary study show that the administration of TXA is effective and safe in treating CSDH .

Objective To investigate the relationships between the apolipoprotein E (ApoE) gene polymorphisms and both the location and size of cerebral infarction.Methods A case-control study was chosen; 162 cerebral infarction patients,admitted to our hospital from September 2011 to November 2012,and 120 normal controls were chosen; their blood samples were detected by multiple polymerase chain reaction-ligase detection reaction (PCR-LDR) to analyze the ApoE gene polymorphisms.Its differences of genotype distribution or allele frequencies in different locations of cerebral infarction were analyzed,and the relationships between allele frequencies and volume of cerebral infarction was analyzed.Results No significant difference was found either in ApoE genotype distributions or allele frenquencies between the cerebral infarction patients and controls (P＞0.05); the ApoE genotype distributions or allele frenquencies showed no significant difference among patients having different locations of cerebral infarction (P＞0.05).A significant difference was observed in the average infarction volume between E4/X carriers (the E4/3 and E4/4 genotype combination,[15.7±2.3] cm3) and E3/3 carries ([10.2±2.1] cm3) and E2/X carriers (the E2/2 and E2/3 genotype combination,[9.5± 1.8] cm3,P＜ 0.05); and the ratio of massive cerebral infarction of E4/X carriers (56％) was significantly higher than E3/3 or E2/X carriers (26.3％,P＜0.05).Conclusions There is no correlation between ApoE genotype polymorphisms and cerebral infarction location; however it may be associated with infarction volume.The E4/X carriers are more prone to massive cerebral infarction,and its volume is larger than that of E2 and E3.

Objective:To investigate the efficiency of deep learning image reconstruction (DLIR) algorithm in the image quality and detection of hypovascular hepatic metastases under low radiation doses in comparison with adaptive statistical iterative construction-V (ASiR-V).Methods:Fifty-six patients with suspected hypovascular hepatic metastases who needed abdominal enhanced CT scans were collected prospectively in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January to April 2021. The patients received conventional radiation dose with tube current-time products of 400 mA CT scans in the first venous phase, low-dose CT scans in the second venous phase, which were set as tube current-time products of 280 mA for group A (19 cases), 200 mA for group B (19 cases) and 120 mA for group C (18 case), respectively. The images of first venous phase and 3 groups of second venous phase were both reconstructed with ASiR-V60% and high-DLIR (DLIR-H). Quantitative parameters [image noise, liver and portal vein signal to noise ratio (SNR), contrast to noise ratio (CNR)] and qualitative parameters (overall image quality, lesion conspicuity, diagnostic confidence) were compared between ASiR-V60% and DLIR-H images, and the effective radiation dose (ED) and the lesion detectability of each group was recorded. The paired t test was used to compare quantitative parameters, whereas the Wilcoxon signed-rank test of paired data was used to compare qualitative parameters. Results:In the second venous phase, ED was (5.56±0.35) mSv in group A, (3.88±0.23) mSv in group B, and (2.42±0.23) mSv in group C, with a decrease of 30%, 50% and 70% compared with the first venous phase, respectively. Moreover, with the decrease of radiation dose, the noise gradually increased, and the CNR lesions, SNR liver and SNR portal vein all gradually decreased. DLIR-H images had statistically better quantitative scores than ASiR-V60% images when the same radiation dose was applied (all P<0.001). Furthermore, the qualitative parameters of each group decreased with the decrease of radiation dose. Under the same radiation dose, the overall image quality, lesion conspicuity and diagnostic confidence of DLIR-H were higher than those of ASiR-V60% (all P<0.001). All lesions [100% (84/84)] were detected by ASIR-V60% and DLIR-H in group A, 92.0% (75/81) in group B, and 88.0% (79/89) in group C. Conclusions:Compared with ASiR-V60%, DLIR-H could reduce image noise, improve overall image quality and lesion conspicuity of hypovascular hepatic metastases as well as increase diagnostic confidence under different radiation doses.

Objective To investigate the clinical features, treatments and prognoses of pediatric intracranial aneurysms. Methods The clinical and follow-up data of 16 consecutive patients with pediatric intracranial aneurysms (≤16 years), admitted to our hospital from January 2003 to December 2014, were analyzed retrospectively. Results Pediatric intracranial aneurysms in this study accounted for 0.78%of all intracranial aneurysms. Of the 16 children, 14 were male, 2 were female. There were 12 anterior circulation aneurysms and 5 posterior circulation aneurysms; there were 4 large aneurysms (diameter 11-25 mm) and 2 giant aneurysms (diameter≥25 mm);there were 14 complex aneurysms. At a mean follow-up duration of 16.8 months, no death was noted. Of the 12 patients received microsurgical therapy, 10 patients had favorable outcomes (modified Rankin scale [mRS] 0-1) and 2 patients had some sequelae: different degrees of disability (mRS 2-4). Of the 4 patients received endovascular therapy, 3 patients had favorable outcomes (mRS 0-1) and one patient had hemiparesis (mRS 2). Conclusions Pediatric intracranial aneurysms are different from adult intracranial aneurysms. The treatment effects and prognosis are relatively well when we select individualized treatment mode according to the clinical features of pediatric intracranial aneurysms.