Objective:To investigate the clinical and imaging features of basal ganglia germinoma in children and adolescents, so as to improve the accuracy of early diagnosis.Methods:The clinical symptoms and imaging findings of 10 cases of basal ganglia germinoma diagnosed by surgical examination or diagnostic radiotherapy in Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Medical College of Shanghai Jiaotong University from January 2010 to December 2019 were analyzed retrospectively.Results:There were 9 males and 1 female, aged from 5 to 15 years, with an average age of 9.7 years.There were 10 cases of limb weakness or mild hemiplegia, 1 case of headache and vomiting, and 1 case of extrapyramidal tract sign. There were 9 cases of computed tomography (CT) examination, 5 cases of high density, 4 cases of mixed density, and 3 cases of intrafocal calcification. 10 cases of routine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination, MR T1-weighted imaging (T1WI): 5 cases of low signal, 3 cases of slightly low signal, 1 case of equal low signal, 1 case of equal slightly low signal; MR T2-weighted imaging (T2WI): 3 cases of high signal, 5 cases of slightly high signal, 2 cases of high and low mixed signal; T2 fluid attenuated inversion recovery (T2FLAIR): 1 case of low signal, 2 cases of slightly high signal, 1 case of iso-high signal, 5 cases of high signal, 1 case of high and low mixed signal; Diffusion weighted imaging (DWI): 2 cases of low signal, 1 case of equal signal, 1 case of equal slightly high signal, 4 cases of slightly high signal, 2 cases of high signal; 1 case of functional imaging susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI): 1 case of low signal; 10 cases of MRI enhancement: 2 cases of no enhancement, 5 cases of mild enhancement, 3 cases of moderate/obvious enhancement, and the enhancement methods can be seen in spot, patch, mass and ring enhancement; Functional imaging magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) in 2 cases: 1 case had slender middle cerebral artery, fewer branch arteries than the opposite side, and 1 case showed no obvious abnormality; 2 cases of positron emission (PET)-CT: the metabolism of methionine (MET) on the affected side was significantly increased in 2 cases.Conclusions:Germinoma in the basal ganglia of children and adolescents are more common in men, with weakness or mild hemiplegia as the main symptom. The imaging findings have certain characteristics. Imaging findings combined with relevant clinical data can improve the accuracy of early diagnosis of germinoma in the basal ganglia.

Objective:To explore the effect of high-flow airway humidification on aspiration and residues in cases of dysphagia after a tracheotomy.Methods:Seventeen persons with dysphagia after a tracheotomy were asked to swallow 5ml of a thick liquid when their tracheal cannula was either connected to a high-flow airway humidification system or blocked, or the cuff was empty or full. Endoscopic evaluation was then used to grade the residue and aspiration in the different conditions.Results:There were significant differences in the residuals grading and aspiration among the four conditions. The average penetration-aspiration scale grade was significantly lower when the subject was connected to high-flow airway humidification than in the other three conditions. The grade of residuals was also significantly lower.Conclusion:High-flow airway humidification can effectively improve the swallowing of persons with dysphagia after a tracheotomy.

Objective To study the clinical significance of globus pallidus signal intensity and the intensity ratio of globus pallidus and putamen (G/P ratio) on magnetic resonance T1WI for the early recognition of neonatal bilirubin encephalopathy.Method From January to December 2017,full-term neonates with hyperbilirubinemia admitted to the neonatology department of our hospital were enrolled in the case group,and full-term neonates without hyperbilirubinemia in the control group.The clinical data,globus pallidus T1WI signal intensity,G/P ratio and the follow-up data were collected.According to the level of hyperbilirubinemia,the neonates in the case group were further assigned into mild hyperbilirubinemia group (serum bilirubin:222 to ＜256 μmol/L),moderate hyperbilirubinemia group (serum bilirubin:256 to ＜342 μmol/L),and severe hyperbilirubinemia group (serum bilirubin:≥ 342 μmol/L).According to the injury score of ABE,the neonates with ABE were assigned into mild ABE group,moderate ABE group and severe ABE group.The correlation of globus pallidus T1WI and T2WI signal values,G/P ratio and the serum bilirubin level and ABE degree were analyzed;receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn to explore the predictive value of the T1WI signal value and G/P ratio for the diagnosis of ABE;the changes of globus pallidus T1WI and T2WI signal values during the first 6 months after birth and the results of follow-up to 1 year after discharge were also analyzed.Result A total of 175 neonates were included in the case group (65 in the mild hyperbilirubinemia group,71 in the moderate hyperbilirubinemia group and 39 in the severe hyperbilirubinemia group) and 43 neonates in the control group.39 neonates were diagnosed as ABE (21 mild ABE,12 moderate ABE,and 6 severe ABE).The first T1WI signal value and G/P ratio of neonates in the severe hyperbilirubinemia group was higher than the moderate hyperbilirubinemia group,the mild hyperbilirubinemia group and the control group;the T1WI signal value and G/P ratio in the moderate hyperbilirubinemia group was higher than the mild hyperbilirubinemia group and the control group (P ＜ 0.05).No significant difference existed between the mild group and the control group(P ＞ 0.05).T2WI values showed no differences among neonates with different bilirubin levels (P ＞ 0.05).The first T1WI signal value and G/P ratio in the severe ABE group were significantly higher than the moderate and mild ABE group,and the moderate ABE group higher than the mild ABE group (P ＜ 0.05).The ROC curve indicated the optimal cut-off value of T1WI signal and G/P ratio were 628 and 1.38,respectively.Among all the 175 neonates,9 had a decrease in T1WI signal value and an increase in T2WI signal value at 6 months after birth.After 1 year of follow-up visits,7 children were finally diagnosed as chronic bilirubin encephalopathy.All these children had increased signal intensity on T1WI in the acute phase,plus a decreased T1WI signal and an increased T2WI signal in 1 ～ 6 months after birth.Conclusion The globus pallidus T1WI signal and G/P ratio are closely related to the serum bilirubin level and ABE severity.If T1WI signal value ＞ 628 or G/P value ＞ 1.38,ABE should be considered.The T1WI signal value and G/P ratio play important roles as indicators for the early recognition of neonatal bilirubin encephalopathy.