Objective To assess the value of 18F-FDG PET/CT in clinical classification,monitoring of chemotherapeutic response and surveillance of histopathological transformation of Castleman's disease (CD).Methods Fourteen pathologically diagnosed CD patients (7 males,7 females; mean age:(45.64±14.30) years) were retrospectively reviewed.18F-FDG PET/CT was performed before chemotherapy in all patients and 4 of 14 patients were reexamined after the treatment.The study parameters included histopathological results,sites,number and highest SUVmax of the lesions.Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used for data analysis.Results Of all the 12 patients without histopathological transformation,one or more enlarged and metabolically active lymph nodes were found in each patient (SUVmax =3.94± 1.44,range:1.9-6.8),including 2 unicentric CD (UCD) and 10 multicentric CD (MCD).There was no statistically significant difference of SUVmam between UCD and MCD (4.55±3.18 vs 3.82±1.14; Z=0.22,P＞0.05).There was also no significant difference of SUVmax among different pathological types (hyaline-vascular CD (4/12):3.56±0.96,plasma cell CD (6/12):4.73±1.41,mixed CD (2/12):2.30±0.57; x2 =4.74,P＞0.05).For the 4 patients with follow-up PET/CT after chemotherapy,the lesion activity was normalized in 3 patients and clearly reduced in 1 patient.The SUVmax of 2 patients with histopathological transformation (10.85±2.05) was significantly higher than that without transformation (3.94± 1.44; Z=-2.19,P＜0.05).Conclusion 18F-FDG PET/CT may play an important role in clinical classification,monitoring of chemotherapeutic response and surveillance of histopathological transformation of CD.

Objective: To determine the rate of lymph node metastases in women with endometrial carci-noma and to compare the pattern of lymphatic spread of endometrial carcinoma with that of cervical carcino-ma. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the lymphatic spread in 104 patients with endometrial carcinoma and 253 patients with cervical carcinoma. All of the patients underwent a complete pelvic and para-aortic lymphadenectomy from caudal to the median circumflex to the level of renal vessels. Results: The incidence of lymphatic metastases in the endometrial carcinoma group was higher than that in the cervical carcinoma group (22.1% vs 16.2 %). The pathologic grade (G_1: 12.1%; G_2: 21.4%; G_3: 34.5%) and depth of myometrial in-vasion (≤1/2: 11.9%; >1/2: 29%) were correlated with lymph node metastasis. The rates of para-aortic node involvement, pelvic lymph node involvement and involvement of both were 4.3%, 34.8% and 60.9% in the en-dometrial carcinoma group and 0%, 68.3% and 31.7% in the cervical carcinoma group. The rates of obturator node involvement were 73.9% and 70.7%, respectively; the rates of suprainguinal node involvement were 8.7% and 7.3%, respectively. Compared with cervical carcinoma, endometrial carcinoma showed higher rate of para-aortic and sacral node involvement (65.2% vs 31.7%, and 21.7% vs 17.1%) and lower rate of extamal iliac node involvement (17.4% vs 41.5%). Conclusion: Compared with cervical carcinoma, endometrial carcino-ma has a distinct lymphatic spread pattern and can directly metastasize to both pelvic lymph nodes and pa-ra-aortic lymph nodes with pelvic lymph node metastases being dominant. Positive lymph nodes are common-ly seen in cases of all pathological grades.

Pulsed field gel electrophoresis(PFGE)is a new type technique of gel electrophoresis which can be used to separate large DNA molecules.It has been widely applied to the karyotype analysis,identification of species groups,genetic orientation and genetic analysis for fungi.This article describes the principle,development and general manipulative procedure of PFGE,and elaborates the application in the molecular research of fungi.

Puff-balls is a very distinctive macro-fungi in biodiversity.It is used to be a styptic,repellent and alexipharmic in China.This paper simply summarizes the puffball′s taxonomy in the fungi and its distribution in the world; and emphasizes on its composition,food uses,medical uses,herbalism studies and progress of researches on clinical applications.And it points out the patent prospect and current problems of the puff-balls.

Objective To investigate the children's body environmental Se and T-2 toxin level in their staple food in Kaschin-Beck disease(KBD)relative active regions in Aba state of Sichuan province in 2008.Methods We took X-ray photograph of the right hand on children aged 7-13 years in 48 villages from 11 counties in Aba state.The relative active regions of KBD were chosen according to the X-ray result and historical status of KBD.The children's urine and hair,drinking water and their staple food werr sampled.Selenium contents in urine,hair,water and food samples were determined by naphthalene fluorescence,and T-2 toxin in staple food samples were detected by ELISA kits.Results In 2145 X-ray films,66 films were positive,and the children's KBD positive rate was 3.08%(66/2145).The KBD positive rate was respectively 10.98%(29/264)and 8.52%(19/223)in Maerkang county,Jinchuan county and it was 0.75%(3/400)in Rangtang county,historically serious endemic area.The selenium content in urine of children aged 7-13 years in Maerkang county,Jinchuan county and Rangtang county was (10.41±4.67), (10.11±3.65), (8.42±2.68)μg/g Cr, respectively, there was no statistical difference among three counties(F=0.901, P>0.05). The selenium content in hair of children aged 7-13 years in Maerkang county[(0.18±0.04)mg/kg] was lower than that in Jinchuan county[(0.21±0.04)mg/kg, P<0.05].The selenium content in water in Jinchuan county [(0.225±0.124 )μg/L ] was lower than that in Maerkang county and Rangtang county[(0.320±0.092), (0.339±0.105)μg/L, all P<0.05]. The selenium content in staple food in Jinchuan county(0.0033 mg/kg) was lower than that in Maerkang county and Rangtang county(0.0258,0.0137mg/kg, Z=-6.146,-3.042, all P<0.017). The T-2 toxin level in flour in three counties was 19.60,17.95,26.25 ng/g,respectively,there was no statistical difference among three counties(X2=5.623, P>0.05).The T-2 toxin level in grain Maerkang county (10.72 ng/g) was higher than that in Jinchuan county and Rangtang county (3.74,3.30 ng/g, Z=-6.315,-4.407,all P<0.017). T-2 toxin contamination in flour was more severe than that in grain (Z=-6.690,-5.493,-3.676, all P<0.05). Conclusions In 3 relative active KBD regions of Aba state,the children's selenium nutritional status and the T-2 toxin contamination level in their staple food is consistent with the distribution of KBD.

Objective To investigate the usefulness of 99Tcm-MDP whole body bone scintigraphy (WBBS) in patients with synovitis,acne,pustulosis,hyperostosis,osteitis (SAPHO) syndrome.Methods 99Tcm- MDP WBBS was performed in 25 patients (6 males,19 females,mean age =(55.1 ±9.8) years)with SAPHO syndrome.Bone lesions were classified into five categories:anterior chest wall,spine,mandible,sacroiliac joint,and limbs.The typical scintigraphic manifestations of SAPHO syndrome were summarized and compared to other radiological imaging data.Results Among 25 patients,32％ of cases (8/25)were associated with skin lesion; 48％ ( 12/25 ) were pathologically diagnosed with chronic nonspecific bone inflammation by bone biopsy.On 99Tcm-MDP WBBS,abnormal metabolic foci at anterior chest wall were found in all cases,most of which located in the sternocostoclavicular region (96％,24/25 ),including sternoclavicular joints (60％,15/25),first costosternal junctions (48％,12/25),and manubriosternal junctions (44％,11/25 ).Only 20％ of the patients (5/25) demonstrated the typical scintigraphic characteristic:“bull's head” sign.The second most frequent part was spine (44％,11/25).Appendicular skeleton was affected in 16％ (4/25) patients.WBBS also demonstrated additional skeletal lesions in 68％ (17/25 ) of the patients,mainly in first costosternal junctions (7 patients),sternoclavicular joints (6 patients),manubriosternal junctions (5 patients) and spine (4 patients).Conclusions Abnormal metabolic foci in sternocostoclavicular region and other imaging manifestations on 99Tcm- MDP WBBS can be used to diagnose,differentiate,and localize the insidious lesion and evaluate the lesion activity in patients with SAPHO syndrome.

Liver transplantation is the main treatment for end-stage liver diseases and liver tumor.To solve the problem of the insufficient donor liver,autologous liver transplantation (ALT) is becoming widely acknowledged,which could serve as a complementary technique for treating unresectable liver space-occupying lesions in routine operation.However,compared with allogeneic liver transplantation,the long anhepatic phase during ALT may influence the outcome of such patients.Veno-venous bypass (VVB) as a technology which can maintain the stability of hemodynamics and internal environment in the anhepatic phase is routinely used in ALT.In this paper,the application of VVB in the ALT was mainly discussed.

Iliac arteriovenous ifstula (AVF) usually manifests in a wide range of symptoms similar to typical deep venous thrombosis (DVT), which often lead to delayed diagnosis or misdiagnosis. We reported a 51-year old woman who was performed lumbar discectomy and showed a progressive abdominal distention, dyspnea, and swollen left leg. She was initially diagnosed as deep vein thrombosis and the ifnal diagnosis was arteriovenous ifstula. hTe ifstula was successfully sealed by an endovascular covered stent. No further recurrence was found atfer a half year’s follow-up. hTis article summarized the experience regarding iliac arteriovenous ifstula misdiagnosed, and discussed the differential diagnosis between arteriovenous ifstula and pulmonary thromboembolism causedby deep vein thrombosis.

Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic value of fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose ( 18 F-FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography ( PET/CT) in fever of unknown origin ( FUO) in a Chinese hospital .Methods:The records of 51 patients with FUO (32 men and 19 women;mean age 54 years with a range between 3 and 81 years) were analyzed retrospectively .All the patients were examined by 18 F-FDG PET/CT scan and the results were compared with the final diagnosis which was established by additional procedures including pathology , laboratory examination , and clinical follow-up for more than 3 months.The t test was used for statistical analysis .Results: A final diagnosis was established for 48 patients , including 32 patients with infectious diseases , 9 with malignancies , and 7 with non-infectious inflammatory diseases .By FDG PET scan alone , the rates of true positive , false positive , false negative, and true negative were 52.9%, 27.5%, 17.6%, and 2.0%, respectively.By FDG PET/CT scan, the rates of true positive, false positive, false negative, and true negative were 70.6%, 27.5%, 2.0%, and 0, respectively.18F-PET/CT had a sensitivity of 97.3%(36/37), specificity of 0 (0/14), and accuracy of 70.6%(36/51) in FUO, especially a high sensitivity and accuracy of 100%(9/9) in the diagnosis of malignant tumor .Moreover , the maximum standardized uptake value ( SUVmax ) in tumor was significant higher than that in infection (3.7 ±2.7 vs.7.7 ±3.5, P=0.001, t=3.6), which implied that SUVmax might be useful in differential diagnosis in FUO .Conclusion:FDG PET/CT is a valuable imaging tool for the identification and location of the potential lesion in FUO and is helpful for the etiological diagnosis , especially in the diagnosis of malignant lesions .