Objective To investigate the application of video-mediastinoscopic biopsy and treatment for pleural effusion. Methods Thirty-two patients with pleural effusion received mediastinoscopic biopsy or treatment. The patients were maintained at a lateral decubitus. A 2 cm incision was made along the midaxillary line for introducing the mediastinoscope. The pleural fluid was drawn out and exploration with biopsy was conducted under mediastinoscope. For 25 patients with malignant hydrothorax, talcum powder was applied for pleurodesis. Results The operation time was 30~70 min (mean, 42 min). A confirmative diagnosis was obtained by video-mediastinoscopy in all the 32 patients, including adencarcinoma in 22 patients, poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma in 2, invasive thymoma in 1, tuberculosis in 5, and inflammation in 2. All the operations were successful and the patients recovered smoothly without severe postoperative complications. Conclusions Video-mediastinoscopy is one of effective methods for biopsy and treatment of pleural effusion.

This paper is to report our experience of using the internal fixation with compression-screw to treat 9 fractures of carpal navicular bone including two fresh) two old and 5 non- union cases.The mean follow-up time of the 9 cases was one year. Two fresh and 2 old fractures healed uneventfully and so did the 2 cases out of the 5 non-unions. The symptoms, however, disappeared in all the cases and the function of the wrist was or nearly was normal. All the patients resumed their original work.It is believed that this method of internal fixation with compression-screw is simple and easy to perform. Its effect is reliable. No external fixation is needed after the operation. And the function of the wrist can be restored after a short period of treatment.It is suggested that the indications of this operative treatment are non-union cases without ischemic necrosis, unstable fresh fractures with displacement and fractures in the proximal third or half of the navicular bone.

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of auricular point therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome.Methods Eighty patients with chronic fatigue syndrome were randomly allocated to treatment and control groups, 40 cases each. The treatment group received ear acupuncture plus auricular plaster therapy and the control group, conventional acupuncture. The overall symptom was scored, the Fatigue Assessment Instrument (FAI) score was recorded and immunoglobulins (IgA, IgG and IgM) were measured in the two groups before treatment and after four courses.Results There were statistically significant pre-/post-treatment differences in the overall symptom score, the FAI score and immunoglobulins in the two groups (P<0.05). There were statistically significant post-treatment differences in the FAI score, and IgA and IgG between the treatment and control groups (P<0.05). Conclusion Auricular point therapy is an effective way to treat chronic fatigue syndrome.

OBJECTIVETo assess the clinical value of single-port video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for treatment of pulmonary diseases.

METHODSFrom October, 2009 to December, 2013, 105 patients with pulmonary diseases were scheduled for single-pore VATS for pulmonary lobectomy (19 patients), wedge resection of the lung (34 patients), and bullae resection and pleurodesis for spontaneous pneumothorax or pulmonary bleb (52 patients).

RESULTSOf the 105 patients, 101 patients underwent single-port VATS; the procedure was converted to open thoracotomy in 1 patient and to conventional three-port VATS in 2 patients. The operative time was 50.6∓36.8 min (20-200 min) with intraoperative blood loss of 70∓56.9 ml (10-300 ml), thoracic drainage time of 4.2∓3.2 days (2-14 days), and postoperative hospital stay of 5.4∓3.8 days (3-16 days). Postoperative complications of the procedures included prolonged air leakage (6 cases) and atelectasis (2 cases). All the other patients recovered smoothly without serious complications.

CONCLUSIONSingle-port VATS is a safe and efficient procedure that allows rapid postoperative recovery and is a method of choice for selected patients with pulmonary diseases.

Humans ; Length of Stay ; Lung ; surgery ; Lung Diseases ; surgery ; Pneumothorax ; Postoperative Complications ; Postoperative Period ; Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted ; Thoracotomy

Objective:To explore the differential diagnosis and different treatment methods of chylothorax and pseudochylothorax after lung cancer surgery.Methods:Clinical data of 1 584 surgical patients with non-small cell lung cancer from January 2016 to December 2021 were analyzed, 21 cases of chylothorax and 8 cases of pseudochylothorax were identified and analyzed to compare the differences in pleural fluid chyle test, pleural effusion biochemical values, total cholesterol, triglycerides, total cholesterol/triglyceride ratio, leukocyte count, bacterial culture and treatment.Results:The incidence of chylothorax after lung cancer surgery was 1.3%, and the incidence of pseudochylothorax was 0.5%; 80.9%% of chylothorax on the right side was significantly higher than 19.1% of chylothorax on the left side, and the difference was statistically significant( P<0.05). Pseudochylothorax occurred on the right side(100%). The difference between chylothorax and pseudochylothorax in pleural fluid tests for cholesterol and triglyceride was statistically significant( P<0.05), the leukocyte count was significantly higher in pseudochylothorax than chylothorax, and the difference was statistically significant( P<0.05). The differences in drainage before treatment, postoperative drainage time and postoperative hospitalization time between the two groups were statistically significant( P<0.05). The success rate was 61.9% in 13 cases of chylothorax treated conservatively and 38.1% in 8 cases of thoracic duct clamping; all cases of pseudochylothorax were treated conservatively with a success rate of 100%. Conclusion:In naddition to pleural fluid chyle test and pleural effusion biochemical values, total cholesterol, triglyceride and total cholesterol to triglyceride ratio in pleural fluid should be tested to identify chylothorax and pseudochylothorax, high triglyceride in pleural fluid diagnosed as chylothorax; Pseudochylothorax is diagnosed with a cholesterol/triglyceride ratio >1 in the pleural fluid, pseudochylothorax is usually treated conservatively. Chylothorax is treated conservatively and surgically according to different conditions. If the drainage flow is greater than 800 ml/day for 3 consecutive days or if it causes serious electrolyte disorders, it is recommended to perform thoracoscopic-assisted thoracic duct clamping via right-sided approach.

Purpose: We aimed to evaluate whether the addition of pemetrexed is effective in improving progression-free survival (PFS) in epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)–mutated patients with or without concomitant alterations. Materials and Methods: This multicenter clinical trial was conducted in China from June 15, 2018, to May 31, 2019. A total of 92 non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients harboring EGFR-sensitive mutations were included and divided into concomitant and non-concomitant groups. Patients in each group were randomly treated with EGFR–tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) monotherapy or EGFR-TKI combined with pemetrexed in a ratio of 1:1. PFS was recorded as the primary endpoint. Results: The overall median PFS of this cohort was 10.1 months. There were no significant differences in PFS between patients with and without concomitant and between patients received TKI monotherapy and TKI combined with pemetrexed (p=0.210 and p=0.085, respectively). Stratification analysis indicated that patients received TKI monotherapy had a significantly longer PFS in non-concomitant group than that in concomitant group (p=0.002). In concomitant group, patients received TKI combined with pemetrexed had a significantly longer PFS than patients received TKI monotherapy (p=0.013). Molecular dynamic analysis showed rapidly emerging EGFR T790M in patients received TKI monotherapy. EGFR mutation abundance decreased in patients received TKI combined chemotherapy, which supports better efficacy for a TKI combined chemotherapy as compared to TKI monotherapy. A good correlation between therapeutic efficacy and a change in circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) status was found in 66% of patients, supporting the guiding role of ctDNA minimal residual disease (MRD) in NSCLC treatment. Conclusion EGFR-TKI monotherapy is applicable to EGFR-sensitive patients without concomitant alterations, while a TKI combined chemotherapy is applicable to EGFR-sensitive patients with concomitant alterations. CtDNA MRD may be a potential biomarker for predicting therapeutic efficacy.