Objective To campare the clinical efficacy of wrist-ankle acupuncture versus physical therapy in treating lumbar intervertebral disc herniation (LIDH).Method Fifty LIDH patients were randomized into a treatment group of 20 cases and a control group of 30 cases. The treatment group was intervened by wrist-ankle acupuncture, while the control group was by traction and interference electrotherapy. The short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ) and lumbar pain scoring system by Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) were compared before and after intervention.Result The SF-MPQ and JOA scores were significantly changed respectively after 5-day, 10-day, 15-day treatment as well as at the follow-up study in both groups (P<0.01). There were no significant differences between the two groups in comparing the SF-MPQ and JOA scores respectively after 5-day, 10-day, 15-day treatment as well as at the follow-up study (P>0.05).Conclusion Wrist-ankle acupuncture and physical therapy both are effective in treating LIDH, as they both can release the pain.

Objective To investigate the application value of contrast-enhanced transrectal ultrasound (CE-TRUS) in differential diagnosis of prostate benign and malignant lesions. Methods A retrospective analysis of patients with prostate lesions detected by CE-TRUS from January 2014 to December 2016 in Southwest Hospital of Third Military Medical University was performed. Seventy-two cases of prostate disease with 88 lesions were confirmed by transrectal prostate biopsy under ultrasound guidance. The age of patients with benign and malignant lesions, serum prostate specific antigen (PSA), and the size of prostate and prostate inner gland were compared by independent sample t test. Pathologic results of transrectal prostate biopsy under ultrasound guidance were used as diagnostic gold standard, and the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of CE-TRUS in diagnosis of benign and malignant prostate lesions were calculated. Results Sixty- seven lesions in 52 patients were benign prostatic diseases, and 21 lesions in 20 patients were prostate cancer in this study. The size of prostate and prostate inner gland were not different between patients with prostate cancer and benign prostatic diseases [(58.33±34.99) cm3vs (57.14±24.42) cm3, t=0.185, P=0.854; (34.98±19.96) cm3vs (33.89±17.65) cm3, t=0.213, P=0.832]. Most of prostate cancer lesions were in prostate outer gland area (15/21), and contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging showed contrast enhancement increased mostly in arterial phase and faded faster than the surrounding tissues (16/21). However, most of prostate benign lesions were in prostate inner gland (47/67), and contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging showed contrast enhancement was mostly equal with the surrounding tissue in arterial phase and faded the same as the surrounding tissues in venous phase (47/67). Pathologic results of transrectal prostate biopsy under ultrasound guidance were used as diagnostic gold standard, the sensitivity of CE-TRUS in diagnosis of benign and malignant prostate lesions was 85.71%, the specificity was 91.04%, and the accuracy was 89.77%. Two lesions were in prostate inner and outer gland border areas in the three missed prostate cancer lesions, and Gleason scores were all medium and high differentiated group. Six prostate benign lesions were diagnosed as malignant lesions, five lesions were confirmed prostate hyperplasia with chronic prostatitis and one was confirmed granulomatous inflammation with coagulation necrosis by transrectal prostate biopsy under ultrasound guidance. Conclusion CE-TRUS can effectively identify prostate benign and malignant lesions, and provides reliable information for accurate diagnosis of prostate cancer.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of endoscopic biliary drainage for biliary fistula.Methods:Data of consecutive 409 biliary fistula patients who were treated and diagnosed at the First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital from November 2002 to November 2022 were reviewed, and 53 patients who received endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) drainage were finally included. General information, procedural conditions, clinical outcomes and adverse events were analyzed. The patients were categorized into two groups: the endoscopic retrograde biliary drainage (ERBD) group ( n=46) and the endoscopic nasobiliary drainage (ENBD) group ( n=7). Procedural characteristics, operation outcomes, and operation time were compared between the two groups. Results:There were 36 males and 17 females, with the age of 52.2±12.7 years, among whom 58.5% (31/53) were secondary to cholecystectomy. Clinical success was achieved in 83.0% (44/53) patients, with the operation time of 27.0 (13.5, 33.5) minutes and the treatment session of 1 (1, 2). The time to resolution was 89 (47, 161) days. The success rate of ERCP for low-grade biliary fistula was higher compared with that of high-grade biliary fistula [96.4% (27/28) VS 68.0% (17/25), χ2=7.57, P=0.006]. Bridging drainage achieved higher success rate compared with that of non-bridging drainage [91.7% (33/36) VS 64.7% (11/17), χ2=5.95, P=0.015], while different diameters of stents (≥10 Fr VS <10 Fr) achieved similar success rate [81.8% (27/33) VS 84.6% (11/13), χ2=0.05, P=0.822]. Adverse events occurred in 10 patients (18.9%), including 6 pancreatitis, 2 bleeding, 1 cholangitis and 1 death. Except for 1 death, 9 other adverse events were mild and managed with conservative treatment without interventions. There was no significant difference in clinical success rate [6/7 VS 82.6% (38/46), χ2=0.04, P=0.838] or the median operation time [28.0 min VS 23.0 min, Z=0.38, P=0.774] between ENBD group and ERBD group. Conclusion:Endoscopic biliary drainage is safe and effective for biliary fistula. ENBD and ERBD have comparable clinical efficacy. ERCP for low-grade biliary fistula may achieve a higher success rate, and bridging drainage may facilitate fistula resolution.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy of the Mini-Mental State Scale (MMSE) versus the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale (MoCA) in screening cognitive impairment in patients with a lacunar cerebral infarction. Methods:138 eligible patients who received treatment in the Affiliated Hospital of Shanxi Datong University from January 2018 to October 2019 were recruited for this study. They received cognitive function evaluation by the MMSE and MoCA. These patients were grouped according to the median number of age or the median number of years of education. The sensitivity and consistency of the MMSE versus MoCA in screening cognitive impairment in patients with a lacunar cerebral infarction were analyzed using the χ2 test. The total cognitive scores of the MMSE and MoCA, and the scores of each cognitive domain such as memory, execution, visual space, attention, language, and orientation, were compared between groups using multiple linear regression analysis. Results:The sensitivity of MoCA in screening for cognitive impairment in low-age, high-age, low-year-education, and high-year-education groups and the whole population of patients with a lacunar cerebral infarction was 76.5%, 75.7%, 74.2%, 77.8%, 76.1%, respectively, which were significantly higher than those of MMSE (44.1%, 65.7%, 60.6%, 50.0%, 55.1%, χ2 = 12.17, 13.13, 9.33, 15.75, 23.86, all P < 0.01). The Kappa coefficients of low-age, high-age, low-year-education and high-year-education groups were 0.336, 0.391, 0.358, 0.389, and 0.373, respectively, all of which were less than 0.4 (all P < 0.01). These findings suggest that the consistency of the two scales in screening cognitive impairment is poor. The cognitive impairment detection rate by the MMSE was significantly higher in the high-age group than in the low-age group (65.7% vs. 44.1%, χ2 = 6.50, P < 0.05). The total cognitive scores of MMSE and MoCA and the scores of memory, execution, visual space, attention, language, and orientation in patients with a lacunar cerebral infarction were significantly lower in the high-age group or low-year-education group than in the low-age group ( tMMSE = 3.61, 2.49, 3.12, 4.26, 1.70, 3.69, 2.24, all P < 0.01; tMoCA = 3.83, 1.75, 3.28, 3.80, 2.21, 4.08, 2.52, all P < 0.05) or high-year-education group ( tMMSE = -2.87, -2.32, -0.85, -2.54, -0.73, -2.57, -2.96, all P < 0.01; tMoCA = -2.95, -1.12, -3.39, -1.54, -1.52, -3.09, -3.02, all P < 0.05). Conclusion:Combined application of MMSE and MoCA has a high clinical value in screening cognitive impairment in patients with a lacunar cerebral infarction. High-age patients with a lacunar cerebral infarction who receive low-year education have memory, execution, visual space, attention, language, and orientation impairments.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the characteristics of genetic variants among children with refractory epilepsy (RE). METHODS: One hundred and seventeen children with RE who had presented at the Affiliated Jinhua Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine from January 1, 2018 to November 21, 2019 were selected as the study subjects. The children were divided into four groups according to their ages of onset: < 1 year old, 1 ~ 3 years old, 3 ~ 12 years old, and >= 12 years old. Clinical data and results of trio-whole exome sequencing were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: In total 67 males and 50 females were included. The age of onset had ranged from 4 days to 14 years old. Among the 117 patients, 33 (28.21%) had carried pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants. The detection rates for the < 1 year old, 1 ~ 3 years old and >= 3 years old groups were 53.85% (21/39), 12.00% (3/25) and 16.98% (9/53), respectively, with a significant difference among the groups (χ² = 19.202, P < 0.001). The detection rates for patients with and without comorbidities were 33.33% (12/36) and 25.93% (21/81), respectively (χ² = 0.359, P = 0.549). Among the 33 patients carrying genetic variants, 27 were single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) or insertion/deletions (InDels), and 6 were copy number variations (CNVs). The most common mutant genes were PRRT2 (15.15%, 5/33) and SCN1A (12.12%, 4/33). Among children carrying genetic variants, 72.73% (8/11) had attained clinical remission after adjusting the medication according to the references. CONCLUSION 28.21% of RE patients have harbored pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants or CNVs. The detection rate is higher in those with younger age of onset. PRRT2 and SCN1A genes are more commonly involved. Adjusting medication based on the types of affected genes may facilitate improvement of the remission rate.
Infant ; Female ; Male ; Humans ; Child ; Infant, Newborn ; Child, Preschool ; DNA Copy Number Variations ; Drug Resistant Epilepsy/genetics* ; Retrospective Studies ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide

Objective:To investigate the correlation between cognitive function and living ability of older adult patients living in a mining community.Methods:A total of 180 older adult patients living in a mining community who received treatment during July-October 2019 were included in this study. They were randomly divided into the low-age group (< 68 years old, n = 94) and the high-age group (≥ 68 years old, n = 86). Cognitive function and living ability were evaluated using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and the Activity of Daily Living Scale (ADL). The relationship between cognitive function and living ability was investigated using hierarchical analysis and Pearson correlation analysis. Results:The proportions of older adult patients with abnormal cognitive function identified by the MMSE and MoCA were 39.4% and 66.0%, respectively in the low-age group, and they were 32.6% and 61.6%, respectively in the high-age group. The MoCA had a greater performance in identifying abnormal cognitive function in each group than the MMSE ( χ2 = 26.69, 10.18, both P < 0.001). There were no significant differences in proportions of older adult patients with abnormal cognitive function identified by the MMSE and MoCA between low-age and high-age groups ( χ2 = 0.90, 0.36, both P > 0.05). The proportion of older adult patients with abnormal living ability was not significantly different between low-age and high-age groups (4.3% vs. 10.5%, χ2 = 2.58, P > 0.05). Compared with patients negative for MMSE items, living ability and instrumental activity of daily living increased by 7.0% and 9.4% in low-age patients positive for MMSE items (both P < 0.05). Compared with patients negative for MoCA items, living ability increased by 3.5% in low-age patients positive for MoCA items ( P < 0.05). Correlation analysis revealed that total scores of MMSE and MoCA were significantly negatively correlated with ADL score ( r = -0.26, -0.27, both P < 0.001) and instrumental activity of daily living score ( r = -0.27, -0.27, P < 0.001). Conclusion:Cognitive function and living ability are correlated in older adult patients living in a mining community. We should pay attention to the screening results of cognitive disorder in older adult patients and improve their living ability by improving their cognitive function.

Objective: To investigate the etiology, diagnosis and treatment principles of inherited permanent tooth embryo necrosis caused by alveolar bone resorption due to severe periapical periodontitis of deciduous teeth, in order to provide a reference for clinical diagnosis and treatment Methods: The clinical data and related literature of a rare case of permanent tooth embryo necrosis were analyzed retrospectively. Results : This case was a 5-year-old girl. Physical examination and X-ray examination revealed chronic periapical inflammation in 75. X-ray showed that the periodontal bone of tooth 75 was extensively destroyed; additionally, the permanent tooth germ of tooth 35 was incomplete and the development was delayed compared to that of tooth 45 because of severe periapical periodontitis in the primary teeth. The initial diagnosis was that-- the embryo of tooth 35 stopped developing due to inflammation and was necrotic after tooth 75 was extracted. The postoperative pathological examination report showed that most bone around the embryos of tooth 35 was sequestrated. Through literature review and analysis, it was found that the degree of periapical lesions in the primary teeth and the developmental stage of the tooth embryo have a great impact on the formation of permanent tooth embryos. Conservative methods such as root canal therapy are usually adopted as treatment. Permanent tooth embryo necrosis caused by periapical periodontitis of deciduous teeth is rare in the clinic, so it is necessary to judge the degree of inflammatory infiltration and of tooth embryo damage as soon as possible according to the clinical symptoms and imaging manifestations; and to make a correct treatment plan. Conclusion There are no objective and clear diagnostic and treatment criteria for the clinical diagnosis of the pathological state of permanent tooth embryo, thus, methods such as etiology elimination and follow-up observation are usually adopted for abnormal permanent tooth embryo development. Future research should focus on prevention and finding addtional effective methods for diagnosis and treatment.