OBJECTIVETo observe the effects of blood activating wind dissipating acupuncture (BAWDA) on blood pressure (BP) of prehypertension (PHT) patients.

METHODSTotally 60 PHT patients were assigned to the control group and the acupuncture group according to random digit table, 30 in each group. All patients were intervened by life style. BAWDA was additionally performed in patients in the acupuncture group for 6 weeks (30 times). The improvement of BP after intervened by acupuncture was observed. BP success rates and the proportion of PHT progressing to hypertension (HT) were also observed after 6-week intervention of acupuncture and at 1-year follow-up.

RESULTSSystolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) decreased after 6-week intervention in the acupuncture. The BP control rate was 56.7% (17/30 cases) in the acupuncture group vs.10.0% (3/30 cases) in the control group with statistical difference (chi2 = 14.70, P < 0.01). At 1-year follow-up BP success rate was 36.7% (11/30 cases) in the acupuncture group, remarkably higher than that of the control group [13.3%, (4/30 cases)] (chi2 = 4.36, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSBAWDA showed BP regulating roles in a gradually stable decreasing tendency. It also could elevate BP success rate of PHT, and reduce the risk of PHT progressing to HT.

Acupuncture ; methods ; Acupuncture Therapy ; methods ; Blood Pressure ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Prehypertension ; therapy ; Wind

Objective To report the microsurgical outeome of the meningiomas located in the eranio- cervical junction.Methods Seven eases of meningiomas arising from the craniocervical junction operated with microsurgical technique by use of the posterior approaehes including the suboccipital approach,the lower lateral suhoecipital approach and for lateral approach.Reviewed the related ariieales and were analysed relative to their approach selection and outcomes were analysed.Results The tumors ranged in size from 0.8 to 4.8 cm and the tumors location with 2 cases posterior,3 cases anterior and 2 cases lateral to the brain stem.3 in 7 cases were operated by use of the suboccipital approach,2 in 7 cases with the lower lateral suboccipital ap- proach and 2 in 7 cases with farlateral approach.Total excisions were got in 6 of 7 cases,4 in 6 cases with Simpson gradeⅠand 2 in 6 cases withⅡ.The subtotal excision was got in 1 of 7 cass.Follow-up with 6 ca- ses between 6 to 36 months,the occupied symptoms in 6 cases improved good.No remnant tumor and recur- rent were found in the MRI follow-up.Conclusion By using of the proper posterior approaches,the micro- surgical outonmes of the meningiomas arising from craniocervical junction are good.

Coronary Sinus ; abnormalities ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Subclavian Vein ; Vena Cava, Superior

Serum cortisol and plasma ACTH were determined in 10 patients with severe sepsis and 12 with septic shock on day 1,3,5 after diagnosis were made,and the data were compared with 12 control patients. To evaluate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal(HPA)axis function in patients with severe sepsis and septic shock,1?g ACTH stimulation test was applied after hormone concentrations were obtained on day 1.Compared with the control patients,ACTH level was significantly higher in patients with severe sepsis and lower in septic shock(P

BACKGROUNDRheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, systemic autoimmune inflammatory disorder. Many methods have been used to observe the progress of RA. The purpose of this study was to observe the progress of RA in rats with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT), magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and arthritis score, and analyze the relationships among different methods in evaluation of RA.

METHODSSixteen healthy Sprague Dawley (SD) rats about 8-week old were randomly assigned to a RA group and a control group. Bovine type II emulsified incomplete Freud's adjuvant was used to induce arthritis in the RA group. Arthritis score of the rats in two groups were recorded, and (18)F-FDG PET/CT, MR imaging were performed both on the corresponding rats every 3 days. All the rats were sacrificed at week 5, and histopathological examination was performed on rat knees stained with haematoxylin and eosin.

RESULTSThe arthritis score and the standard uptake value (SUV) of knee joints in RA rats increased with the progression of arthritis gradually. Both peaks of arthritis score and SUV appeared at 21 days after the first immune injection, then the arthritis score and SUV of knee joints decreased slowly. The arthritis scores of knee joints in RA rats were positively correlated with their SUV changes. The MR images were confirmed by the histopathological studies.

CONCLUSIONPET/CT can detect the earliest molecular metabolism changes of RA, and MR imaging can follow up the dynamical anatomical changes of RA, all of which indicated that PET/CT and MR imaging may be applied as useful tools to monitor the progress of RA.

Animals ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Radiopharmaceuticals ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the differences in oncologic outcomes between inflammatory adhesion and malignant adhesion in patients with stage IIC colorectal cancer after multivisceral resection(MVR).

METHODSA retrospective review was undertaken of 287 patients who underwent MVR for stage IIC CRC, 120 patients for stage IIB, and 140 patients for IIIA. Patients were divided into two groups: inflammatory adhesion(IA) and malignant invasion(MI).

RESULTSThere were 153 patients with colon cancer and 135 patients with rectal cancer in the stage IIC group. The overall survival was significantly lower in the MI group at 5 years(38.5% vs. 59.4%, P<0.05). Stage IIC patients with IA had similar survival rate to the patients with stage IIB CRC. Compared to the MA group, patients with stage IIIA CRC showed significant differences in 5 years overall survival rate. Univariate analysis showed that differentiation, adhesion pattern, and complication were significant prognostic factors for patients with colon cancer, while pathological characteristics, adhesion pattern, and differentiation were significant for rectal cancer.

CONCLUSIONSMI is an adverse prognostic factor for patients with stage IIC CRC. T4 should be further classified according to the adhesion pattern.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; Neoplasm Staging ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate

OBJECTIVETo evaluate three-axis otoconia maneuver (TOM) for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV).

METHODSThe data from twenty BPPV patients who received three-axis otoconia maneuver treatment and 20 BPPV patients who received canalith repositioning (CRP) maneuver treatment were analyzed retrospectively.

RESULTSThere were 17 patients received 1 TOM session and 3 patients received 2 TOM sessions while 16 patients received 1 CRP session and 4 patients received 2 CRP sessions. The chi-square (X2) test was used in evaluating the association between two independent samples in a contingency table. Both methods had no statistically significant. The significance level for statistical tests was 5% (alpha = 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThree-axis otoconia maneuver could be effective used in benign paroxysmal positional vertigo with the advantage of repeatedly practicable and instrumental.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Semicircular Canals ; Treatment Outcome ; Vertigo ; therapy ; Young Adult

Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics of elderly patients with coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19), in order to provide scientific evidence for the diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 in elderly patients.Methods:Clinical data of 102 patients with COVID-19 admitted to the B11 East Ward of the Zhongfaxincheng campus and the E1-3 ward of the Guanggu Campus of Tongji Hospital affiliated to Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan from 1 February 2020 to 28 February 2020 were retrospectively collected and analyzed.Patients were categorized into 2 groups: the elderly group(≥60 years old)and the young and middle-aged group(<60 years old). Differences in epidemiological features, demographics, clinical symptoms, laboratory results and imaging findings between the two groups were retrospectively analyzed.Results:Among 102 patients with COVID-19, 58 were in the elderly group(≥60 years old), with a median age of 67.0(63.8, 71.0)years old, and 44 in the young and middle-aged group(<60 years old), with a median age of 47.5(38.0, 51.8)years old.There was no significant difference in gender ratio between the two groups( χ2=0.033, P=0.855). Of 102 patients, 42.0%(21/50)had close contact with an infected person, 14.0%(7/50)were from infection clusters, and 18.0%(9/50)had suspected hospital-acquired infections.Fever and cough remained the most common symptoms, but gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, poor appetite, diarrhea and muscle cramps were also warning signs.Fatigue and cough were the most common presenting symptoms in elderly male patients.Bilateral patchy infiltrates(57.9%, 22/38)and ground-glass opacities(42.1%, 16/38)were the main imaging features and 42.1%(16/38)patients had multiple areas of the lungs involved.Over 50% patients had increased levels of blood glucose, D-dimer, fibrinogen, C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, multiple cytokines and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, as well as decreased levels of albumin, hemoglobin, hematocrit, lymphocytes and serum calcium.Compared with the young and middle-aged group, the elderly group had higher rates of abnormality in levels of D-dimer and serum calcium( χ2=7.067 and 4.166, P=0.008 and 0.041). Conclusions:Fever and cough are the most common symptoms in elderly patients with COVID-19.Elderly patients with COVID-19 have multiple abnormalities in clinical laboratory test results, which show a certain level of specificity compared with young and middle-aged patients.

OBJECTIVETo study surgical strategies for ankle and foot deformities secondary to spina bifida and treatment methods for different types of deformities.

METHODSFrom January 1990 and July 2009, 107 patients with ankle and foot deformities secondary to spina bifida were retrospectively analyzed. There were 44 males and 63 females, with an average age of 17.7 years (rangd from 1.3 to 52 years). Among the patients, 58 patients had double ankle deformities, 49 patients had unilateral deformities (22 cases on the left side, 27 cases on the right). Ninety-nine patients with equinus deformities were treated by achilles tendon lengthening and tendon transfering; 25 patients with talipes were treated by release of anterior tendon of ankle and tendon transfer; 17 patients with valgus and varus deformities were treated by tendon transfer and calcaneal osteotomy; 15 patients with flail deformities were managed treated by bone fusion between calcaneus and talus and shortening of achilles tendon; 9 patients with claw toe deformities were treated by bone fusion of interphalangeal joint or Ilizarovs distraction. AOFAS (American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society) comprehensive scoring system was used to evaluate subjective pain and objective functional.

RESULTSSeventy-nine (127 feet) of 107 patients were followed up, and the duration ranged from 48 to 180 months (averaged, 64 months). According to AOFAS scoring system, the results were rated as excellent in 89 feet, good in 26 feet, moderate in 9 feet and poor in 3 feet.

CONCLUSIONTreatment strategies for ankle-foot deformities mainly included four principles, deformity correction, muscular balance, joint stability and reservation of foot elasticity. Different combined procedure was applied for different foot deformities and received good therapeutic effects.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Ankle ; abnormalities ; surgery ; Ankle Joint ; surgery ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Foot Deformities ; etiology ; surgery ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Spinal Dysraphism ; complications ; Young Adult

BACKGROUNDMinimally invasive surgery in skull base relying on searching for possible anatomic basis for endoscopic technology is controversial. The objective of this study was to observe the spatial relationships between main blood vessels and nerves in the cerebellopontine angle area and provide anatomic basis for lateral and posterior skull base minimally invasive surgery via endoscopic retrosigmoid keyhole approach.

METHODSThis study was conducted on thirty dried adult skulls to measure the spatial relationships among the surface bony marks of posterior cranial fossa, and to locate the most appropriate drilling area for retrosigmoid keyhole approach. In addition, we used 10 formaldehyde-fixed adult cadaver specimens for simulating endoscopic retrosigmoid approach to determine the visible scope.

RESULTSThe midpoint between the mastoid tip and the asterion was the best drilling point for retrosigmoid approach. A hole centered on this point with the 2.0 cm in diameter was suitable for exposing the related structures in the cerebellopontine angle. Retrosigmoid keyhole approach can decrease the pressure on the cerebellum and expose the related structures effectively which include facial nerve, vestibulocochlear nerve, trigeminal nerve, glossopharyngeal nerve, vagus nerve, accessory nerve, hypoglossal nerve, anterior inferior cerebellar artery, posterior inferior cerebellar artery and labyrinthine artery, etc.

CONCLUSIONSExact location on endoscope retrosigmoid approach can avoid dragging cerebellum during the minimally invasive surgery. The application of retrosigmoid keyhole approach will extend the application of endoscopic technology.

Adult ; Cerebellopontine Angle ; anatomy & histology ; surgery ; Endoscopes ; Humans ; Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures