Objective To evaluate the effects of surgical treatment for severe ocular rupture with blood staining of cornea and non-light perception, and analyze the relative factors. Methods Seven severely ruptured eyes of 7 patients with blood staining of cornea and non-light perception underwent second-stage penetrating keratoplasty combined with vitrectomy using temporary keratoprosthesis. All injured eyes had blood staining of cornea, hemorrhage in anterior chamber and vitreous, and choroidal and retinal detachment before the second-stage surgery. The average interval of the two surgical stages was 18 days (12-21 days). The preoperative visual acuity was non-light perception in all injured eyes with the mean intraocular pressure of 3 mm Hg (1 mm Hg=0.133 kPa) (2- 5 mm Hg). The mean follow-up period was 12 months (6-30 months). Results The postoperative visual acuity was better than light perception in 5 eyes with the best corrected visual acuity of light perception to 0.06. The retina was attached in 5 eyes (5/7). The mean postoperative intraocular pressure was 12 mm Hg (5- 15 mm Hg) which was significantly higher than the preoperative one (P

Objective To figure out the preliminary clinical value of real-time three-dimensional echocardiography(RT-3DE) in evaluating the systolic dyssynchrony in patients with coronary artery heart disease(CAD).Methods Eighty patients who were suspected as CAD were included in this study.RT-3DE was performed first.After the analysis,we got the data:ejection fraction (EF),16 segments systolic dyssynchronic index (SDI 16).All subjects should take the coronary angiography.According to coronary angiography results,the patients with the vascular stenosis rate ≥50% were defined as the CAD group,and the patients with the vascular stenosis rate <50% were defined as the coronary atherosclerosis group,the patients with the completely normal angiographic results were included in the control group according to the results of angiography.The parametric differences among the groups were compared.Results There was no significant difference in LVEF among the three groups.SDI 16 had no significant difference between the control group and the coronary atherosclerosis group (t=-1.03,P>0.05).However,SDI 16 had significant difference between the control group[(3.72±2.68)%]and the CAD group[(7.14±3.10)%],the same between coronary atherosclerosis group[(5.12±3.46)%]and the CAD group[(7.14±3.10)%](t=-3.71,-2.34,all P<0.05).ROC curve analysis revealed that a cut-off value for SDI of 5.49%,yielded a sensitivity of 81.8%,with a specificity of 73.1% to predict coronary atherosclerosis to CAD(AUC=0.743).Conclusion SDI 16 >5.49% has a higher value in evaluating systolic dyssynchrony in patients with CAD with RT-3D of Siemens Acuson SC2000 ultrasonic diagnostic instrument.

Objective To investigate the application value of virtual touch tissue image technology (VTI) and virtual touch tissue quantification technique (VTQ) in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant superficial lymph nodes. Methods Fifty superficial lymph nodes were obtained, including 23 for nonspecific inflammatory, 2 for tuberculosis, 5 for lymphoma and 20 for metastasis. All lymph nodes were confirmed by biopsy pathology or follow-up after anti-inflammatory treatments and scanned by traditional ultrasound, VTI and VTQ before resections or treatments. Receiver operating characteristic curve of traditional ultrasound, VTI and VTQ was made to determine the optional cut-off point in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant superficial lymph nodes and calculate the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value and negative predictive value. Final diagnosis was defined as the golden standard. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value and negative predictive value were calculated by the combined application of traditional ultrasound with VTI and VTQ technology. Results Nine (evaluation value) was taken as the critical value which was scanned by both two-dimensional ultrasound and color Doppler. The ROC curve indicated that the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of conventional two-dimensional ultrasound of benign and malignant lymph nodes were 76.0%, 84.0%, 80.0%, 82.6%, and 77.8%. Taking three (critical value) as the cut-off point, the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of VTI in the diagnosis of benign and malignant lymph nodes were 88.0%, 64.0%, 76.0%, 71.0%and 84.2%. Taking 2.755 m/s (shear wave velocity) as the cut-off value, the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of VTQ in the differentiation of benign and malignant superficial lymph nodes were 80%, 92.0%, 86.0%, 90.9%and 82.1%. Defined“traditional ultrasound +VTI+VTQ series method” as using conventional ultrasound, VTI, VTQ simultaneously, superficial lymph nodes could be diagnosed with malignant or benign if each method confirmed the same diagnosis. Defined“traditional ultrasound+VTI+VTQ parallel method”as using conventional ultrasound, VTI, VTQ simultaneously, superficial lymph nodes could be diagnosed with malignant if any one method indicated malignancy, otherwise benign. Specificity of‘traditional ultrasound+VTI+VTQ series method’ was consistent with VTQ, which was 92.0%, while the sensitivity and accuracy decreased significantly, which was 64.0%and 78.0%, respectively;the sensitivity and negative predictive value increased significantly by using “traditional ultrasound +VTI+VTQ parallel method” when compared with traditional ultrasound, VTI or VTQ, almost near 100%, but declined significantly in specificity and accuracy, which was 64.0%and 82.0%, respectively. Conclusions Traditional ultrasound, VTI and VTQ have certain clinical value for differential diagnosis of benign and malignant superficial lymph nodes. Combined application of traditional ultrasound, VTI and VTQ can improve the accuracy in the diagnosis of benign and malignant lymph nodes effectively.

Objective To explore the preliminarily clinical value of strain rate parameters using velocity vector imaging (VVI) evaluating left ventricular regional endocardial systolic function in patients with coronary artery heart disease (CAD).Methods A total of eight six inner subjects who were suspected as CAD was enrolled in the study.Patients with the vascular stenosis rate ≥ 50％ were defined as the CAD group,patients with the vascular stenosis rate ＜ 50％ were defined as the coronary atherosclerosis group,and patients with the completely normal angiographic results were included in the control group,according to the results of angiography.The left ventricular endocardial systolic strain rate parameters of VVI were obtained in standard long axis views (apical two,three,and four-chamber view) and short axis views (at the level of the mitral valve,papillary muscles,and apex).The strain rate parameters were global longitudinal endocardial systolic strain rate in the apical two,three,and four-chamber views (A2-GLSRs,A3-GLSRs,and A4-GLSRs),global radial endocardial systolic strain rate in short axis view of the mitral valve level,papillary muscles,and apex (MV-GRSRs,PM-GRSRs,and AP-GRSRs),and global circumferential endocardial systolic strain rate in short axis view of the mitral valve level,papillary muscles,and apex (MV-GCSRs,PM-GCSRs,and AP-GCSRs).The parametric differences were compared among three groups.Results All the subjects included in the present study had normal left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and there was no significant difference in LVEF across three groups.Compared to other groups,the control group had significantly higher E/A ratio.The LV endocardial systolic strain rate parameters were all significantly reduced in the CAD group compared to the control group and the coronary atherosclerosis group (all P ＜ 0.05).Compared to the control group[(-1.37 ± 0.25)/s],the coronary atherosclerosis group [(-1.12 ± 0.42)/s] had significantly lower MV-GCSRs (P ＜0.01).Conclusions VVI is useful for quantitative assessment of the left ventricular systolic function in CAD.MV-GCSRs might have the potential to predict early left ventricle (LV) systolic dysfunction in subjects with coronary artery stenosis ＜ 50％.

BACKGROUND: Weather conditions are a possible contributing factor to age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of irreversible loss of vision. The present study evaluated the joint effects of meteorological factors and fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) on AMD. METHODS: Data was extracted from a national cross-sectional survey conducted across 10 provinces in rural China. A total of 36,081 participants aged 40 and older were recruited. AMD was diagnosed clinically by slit-lamp ophthalmoscopy, fundus photography, and spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT). Meteorological data were calculated by European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) reanalysis and were matched to participants' home addresses by latitude and longitude. Participants' individual PM_2.5 exposure concentrations were calculated by a satellite-based model at a 1-km resolution level. Multivariable-adjusted logistic regression models paired with interaction analysis were performed to investigate the joint effects of meteorological factors and PM_2.5 on AMD. RESULTS: The prevalence of AMD in the study population was 2.6% (95% CI 2.42-2.76%). The average annual PM_2.5 level during the study period was 63.1 ± 15.3 µg/m³. A significant positive association was detected between AMD and PM_2.5 level, temperature (T), and relative humidity (RH), in both the independent and the combined effect models. For PM_2.5, compared with the lowest quartile, the odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) across increasing quartiles were 0.828 (0.674,1.018), 1.105 (0.799,1.528), and 2.602 (1.516,4.468). Positive associations were observed between AMD and temperature, with ORs (95% CI) of 1.625 (1.059,2.494), 1.619 (1.026,2.553), and 3.276 (1.841,5.830), across increasing quartiles. In the interaction analysis, the estimated relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI) and the attributable proportion (AP) for combined atmospheric pressure and PM_2.5 was 0.864 (0.586,1.141) and 1.180 (0.768,1.592), respectively, indicating a synergistic effect between PM_2.5 and atmospheric pressure. CONCLUSIONS This study is among the first to characterize the coordinated effects of meteorological factors and PM_2.5 on AMD. The findings warrant further investigation to elucidate the relationship between ambient environment and AMD.
Humans ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Air Pollutants/analysis* ; Particulate Matter/analysis* ; China/epidemiology* ; Macular Degeneration/etiology* ; Meteorological Concepts