OBJECTIVE: To determine whether diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) is effective in monitoring tumor response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with osteosarcoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-nine osteosarcoma patients (20 men and 9 women; mean age, 17.6 ± 7.8 years) who had undergone magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and DKI before and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy were included. Tumor volume, apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), mean diffusivity (MD), mean kurtosis (MK), and change ratio (ΔX) between pre- and post-treatment were calculated. Based on histologic response, the patients were divided into those with good response (≥ 90% necrosis, n = 12) and those with poor response (< 90% necrosis, n = 17). Several MRI parameters between the groups were compared using Student's t test. The correlation between image indexes and tumor necrosis was determined using Pearson's correlation, and diagnostic performance was compared using receiver operating characteristic curves. RESULTS: In good responders, MDpost, ADCpost, and MKpost values were significantly higher than in poor responders (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, and p = 0.042, respectively). The ΔMD and ΔADC were also significantly higher in good responders than in poor responders (p < 0.001 and p = 0.01, respectively). However, no significant difference was observed in ΔMK (p = 0.092). MDpost and ΔMD showed high correlations with tumor necrosis rate (r = 0.669 and r = 0.622, respectively), and MDpost had higher diagnostic performance than ADCpost (p = 0.037) and MKpost (p = 0.011). Similarly, ΔMD also showed higher diagnostic performance than ΔADC (p = 0.033) and ΔMK (p = 0.037). CONCLUSION: MD is a promising biomarker for monitoring tumor response to preoperative chemotherapy in patients with osteosarcoma.
Bone Neoplasms ; Diffusion ; Drug Therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Necrosis ; Osteosarcoma ; ROC Curve ; Tumor Burden

OBJECTIVETo study the difference in pathologic diagnostic accuracy among different histologic subtypes of osteosarcoma and different methods of preoperative biopsy, and the influence of diagnostic accuracy on prognosis of osteosarcoma.

METHODSThe preoperative biopsies, complete clinical, radiological and pathological data of 347 pathologically confirmed osteosarcomas were evaluated. According to the Pathological Diagnostic and Technical Specifications, the accuracy of preoperative biopsies was divided into 6 grades. 1: definite diagnosis, 2: basically definite diagnosis, 3: significant diagnosis, 4: descriptive diagnosis, 5:inadequate sampling, 6:misdiagnosis. 1 to 3 were defined as successful diagnosis,while 4 to 6 were defined as unsuccessful diagnosis.

RESULTSOf the 347 biopsies, 252 were CT-guided needle biopsies by the radiologists, and 95 were core-needle biopsies by orthopedic surgeons without CT-guidance. The latter showed a higher overall biopsy success rate (97.9%) in all osteosarcomas. Biopsies by surgeons showed a higher biopsy success rate (95.4%) in conventional osteosarcoma, but lower success rate in telangiectatic (55.6%) and low-grade central osteosarcomas (63.7%). The accuracy of pathologic diagnosis of preoperative biopsy was related to patients' age, serum AKP level, imaging diagnosis, method of biopsy and the subtype of osteosarcoma. Comparing the groups with successful and unsuccessful diagnosis, there were significant differences in recurrence rate and mortality after operation (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONSThe accuracy of pathologic diagnosis of preoperative biopsy are related to recurrence rate and mortality after operation. Biopsy by orthopedic surgeons without CT-guidance is reliable and safe, followed by primary diagnosis at frozen section and final diagnosis by routine pathologic sections for osteosarcomas located in the long bones of the extremities. Close integration of the preoperative pathologic diagnosis with clinical and radiological data will improve the accuracy of diagnosis.

Objective: To investigate whether the combination of oral propranolol and topical 0.5% timolol maleate cream is more effective than oral propranolol alone for treating infantile hemangioma (IH). Methods: From September 2015 to July 2016, 14 patients with proliferative IH, visited the infantile hemangioma outpatient clinic of the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery of Shanghai 9th People′s Hospital, were enrolled in this study. All patients took oral propranolol. Half of each IH lesion was treated with 0.5% timolol maleate cream. There were 5 male patients and 9 female patients, aged from 1.5 to 5.0 months. After 4 months of treatment, the color, size, extent, volume and the overall clinical outcomes of each lesion were measured, and the side effects were recorded. The therapeutic outcomes of oral propranolol alone and the combination of propranolol and timolol were analyzed and compared using Wilcoxon matched-pair signed-rank nonparametric tests. Results: Both oral propranolol alone and oral propranolol combined with topical 0.5% timolol maleate cream were proved to effectively improve the regression of IH with minor side effects. The color VAS score of oral propranolol alone group was 6.92±2.63, while the combination group was 6.88±2.33 (Z=0.043, P=0.966). The volume VAS score of oral propranolol alone group was 6.94±2.00, while the combination group was 6.98±2.11(Z=-0.051, P=0.959). Conclusions Oral propranolol combined with topical application of 0.5% timolol maleate could not increase the efficacy in the treatment of IH, compared with oral propranolol alone in the short-term observation.

Objective:To construct a prognostic model for severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) based on CT scores and inflammatory factors, and to evaluate its efficacy.Methods:128 patients with SAP diagnosed admitted to the First Hospital Affiliated to Hebei North College from March 2019 to December 2021 were enrolled and given Ulinastatin combined with continuous blood purification therapy. The levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), interleukins (IL-6, IL-8), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and D-dimer were measured before and on the third day of treatment. An abdominal CT was performed on the third day of treatment to assess the modified CT severity index (MCTSI) and extra-pancreatic inflammatory CT score (EPIC). Patients were divided into the survival group ( n = 94) and the death group ( n = 34) according to the 28-day survival prognosis after admission. The risk factors for the SAP prognosis were analyzed using Logistic regression, which was then used to build nomogram regression models. The value of the model was evaluated using the concordance index (C-index), calibration curves and decision curve analysis (DCA). Results:Before treatment, the levels of CRP, PCT, IL-6, IL-8 and D-dimer in the death group were higher than those in the survival group. After treatment, the levels of IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α in the death group were higher than those in the survival group. MCTSI and EPIC scores in the survival group were lower than those in the death group. Logistic regression analysis shows that, pre-treatment CRP > 140.70 mg/L, D-dimer > 2.00 mg/L, and post-treatment IL-6 > 31.28 ng/L, IL-8 > 31.04 ng/L, TNF-α > 31.04 ng/L, and MCTSI > 8 points were all independent risk factors for SAP prognosis [odds ratios ( OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were 8.939 (1.792-44.575), 6.369 (1.368-29.640), 8.546 (1.664-43.896), 5.239 (1.108-24.769), 4.808 (1.126-20.525), 18.569 (3.931-87.725), all P < 0.05]. Model 1 (consisting of pre-treatment CRP, D-dimer, and post-treatment IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α) had a lower C-index than that model 2 (consisting of pre-treatment CRP, D-dimer, and post-treatment IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α, and MCTSI; 0.988 vs. 0.995). The mean absolute error (MAE) and mean square error (MSE) of model 1 (0.034, 0.003) were higher than those of model 2 (0.017, 0.001). When the threshold probability was in the range of 0-0.66 or 0.72-1.00, the net benefit of model 1 was lower than that of model 2. When the threshold probability was in the range of 0.66-0.72, the net benefit of model 1 was higher than that of model 2. In addition, model 2 had a higher C-index than acute physiology and chronic health evaluationⅡ (APACHE Ⅱ) and bedside index of acute pancreatitis severity (BISAP, 0.995 vs. 0.833, 0.751). Model 2 had a lower MAE (0.017) and MSE (0.001) than APACHEⅡ (0.041, 0.002). Model 2 had a lower MAE than BISAP (0.025). Model 2 had a higher net benefit than both APACHEⅡ and BISAP. Conclusion:The prognostic assessment model of SAP consisting of pre-treatment CRP, D-dimer, and post-treatment IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α, and MCTSI has high discrimination, precision and clinical application value, and is superior to APACHEⅡ and BISAP.

Objective: To explore the effect of reducing complication in branched spongiosum repair for hypospadias Duckett surgery. Methods: Retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of 140 surgical infants with hypospadias Duckett surgery from January 2016 to April 2018. According to different covering materials on newly formed urethra, the experimental group (68 cases) cut dysplasia, branched spongiosum and lateral Buck′s fascia from tunica albuginea to coronary groove and then sutured over newly formed urethra, and the control group (72 cases) used Dartos fascia or subcutaneous fascia. The operative age, penile curvature, length of urethral defect, operation time, added value of coronary groove before and after operation, maximum urinary flow rate and complication rate of postoperative follow-up were compared between the two groups, and the therapeutic effect was analyzed. Results: There was no statistically significant difference between two groups in operating time[(135±49)min vs.(135±45)min, P=0.580] and the value added of coronary sulcus[(0.1±0.2)cm vs.(0.1±0.1)cm, P=0.167]. In experimental group, there were 8 cases of urethra percutaneous fistula (11.8%) (coronary groove fistula in 3 cases, 4.4%)and 6 cases of urethral stenosis (8.8%) without urethral dehiscence. In control group, there were 18 cases of urethra percutaneous fistula (25.0%)(coronary groove fistula in 11 cases, 15.3%), 10 cases of urethral stenosis (13.9%), and 2 cases of urethral dehiscence (2.8%). The incidence of postoperative urinary fistula and total complications in experimental group was lower than that in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05), while the incidence of urethral stenosis was not statistically different between two groups (P>0.05). The maximum urine flow rate of experimental group at 6 months after surgery was significantly higher than control group[(9.5±3.8)ml/s vs.(6.8±2.8)ml/s], and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.001). Conclusions Urethral cavernosum reconstruction can significantly reduce the incidence of postoperative coronary groove fistula of hypospadias Duckett surgery and improve the postoperative urine flow rate.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the diagnostic criteria and morphologic difference of primary schwannoma from that of soft tissue schwannoma.

METHODSAll neurogenic tumors of the bone in this hospital from 2002 to 2013 were reviewed, four cases of primary schwannoma arising from bone were selected. Their clinical features, radiologic appearance and pathologic findings were evaluated. Immunophenotyping was performed using EnVision method.

RESULTSAll four cases had classic morphologic features and immunophenotype of conventional schwannoma. Compared with schwannoma of the soft tissue, primary bone schwannoma had the following features: benign radiological appearance, absence of capsule under light microscope, local infiltration of bone or destruction of bone cortex, occasionally involving extra-osseous soft tissue. Most tumors were solid, with less cystic degeneration. Histologically, the tumors were mainly composed of compact areas of spindle cells (Antoni A), and areas of hypercellularity could often be observed.

CONCLUSIONSPrimary schwannoma of the bone is rare, usually arises within the long bones and flat bones. Compared to conventional soft tissue schwannoma, it shows different growth pattern, imaging and pathologic features; thus care should be exercised not to misdiagnose schwannoma of the bone as other primary low-grade malignant spindle cell sarcoma of the bone and to avoid unnecessary over-treatment.

Bone Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Humans ; Immunophenotyping ; Neurilemmoma ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Radiography ; Sarcoma ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology

Adenoma ; pathology ; Humans ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Parathyroid Neoplasms ; pathology ; Spinal Neoplasms ; secondary

BACKGROUNDInsulin resistance (IR) plays an important pathophysiological role in the development of diabetes, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. Moreover, IR can occur even in non-obese people without diabetes. However, direct detection of IR is complicated. In order to find a simple surrogate marker of IR early in non-obese people, we investigate the association of commonly-used biochemical markers (liver enzymes and lipid profiles) with IR in urban middle-aged and older non-obese Chinese without diabetes.

METHODSThis cross-sectional study included 1 987 subjects (1 473 women). Fasting blood samples were collected for measurement of glucose, insulin, liver enzymes, lipid profiles and creatinine. Subjects whose homeostasis model of assessment-IR (HOMA-IR) index values exceeded the 75th percentile (2.67 for women and 2.48 for men) of the population were considered to have IR. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was used to compare the power of potential markers in identifying IR.

RESULTSTriglycerides (TG) and ratio of TG to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (TG/HDL-C) discriminated IR better than other indexes for both sexes; areas under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves (AUC) values were 0.770 (95% confidence interval 0.733-0.807) and 0.772 (0.736-0.809), respectively, for women and 0.754 (0.664-0.844) and 0.756 (0.672-0.840), respectively, for men. To identify IR, the optimal cut-offs for TG and TG/HDL-C ratio were 1.315 mmol/L (sensitivity 74.3%, specificity 71.0%) and 0.873 (sensitivity 70.1%, specificity 73.4%), respectively, for women, and 1.275 mmol/L (sensitivity 66.7%, specificity 74.4%) and 0.812 (sensitivity 75.8%, specificity 69.2%), respectively, for men.

CONCLUSIONTG and TG/HDL-C ratio could be used to identify IR in urban middle-aged and older non-obese Chinese without diabetes.

Aged ; Alanine Transaminase ; blood ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; blood ; Cholesterol, HDL ; blood ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Diabetes Mellitus ; blood ; Female ; Humans ; Insulin Resistance ; physiology ; Liver ; enzymology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Triglycerides ; blood