OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of Jinleng undershorts on the elevated scrotal temperature induced by varicocele as well as on other clinical symptoms of the disease.

METHODSFifty-one varicocele patients received the treatment of wearing Jinleng undershorts for 30 min twice a day for a course of 90 days. Comparisons were made between the scrotal temperatures and other clinical symptoms of varicocele before and after the treatment.

RESULTSAfter 90 days of treatment with Jinleng undershorts, the left scrotal temperature of the varicocele patients was significantly reduced from (32.16 +/- 0.79) degrees C to (31.53 +/- 0.77) degrees C (P < 0.01), and the right scrotal temperature decreased from (31.91 +/- 0.73) degrees C to (31.81 +/- 0.63) degrees C (P > 0.05). Compared with pretreatment, significant improvement was found in such symptoms as wetness, fever and swelling of the scrotum, backache, headache, dizziness, fatigue and anxiety (P < 0.05), as well as in testicular pain (P < 0.01) and IIEF-5 score, which was increased from 15.89 +/- 6.13 to 20.04 +/- 3.87 (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONJinleng undershorts can be used for the treatment of mild and moderate varicocele.

Body Temperature ; Clothing ; Humans ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Scrotum ; Varicocele ; therapy

BACKGROUNDMyofibroblastic sarcoma was used to be a controversial neoplasm. This study investigated the clinicopathological features of 20 cases of myofibroblastic sarcoma arising in different locations.

METHODSThe paraffin-embedded tissue samples from 20 cases of patients with myofibroblastic sarcoma were stained immunohistochemically, and 5 cases examined by electron microscopy. Student's t test was used to analyze the difference of Ki-67 labeling index between grade 1 and grade 2 myofibroblastic sarcomas.

RESULTSHistologically, the tumors were composed of slender spindle cells with eosinophilic cytoplasm, and fusiform, tapering, wavy, or plump ovoid; vesicular nuclei and a small central eosinophilic nucleoli. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells expressed smooth muscle actin (18/20), muscle specific actin (16/20), fibronectin (20/20) and desmin (2/20). Ultrastructurally, the tumor cells revealed abundant rough endoplasmic reticulum and longitudinally arranged fine filaments with focal densities in the cytoplasm. A clinical follow-up of 19 patients showed that 2 cases experienced local recurrence and distant metastasis 6 months to 4 years after the initial operation. Nine cases recurred locally 17 to 46 months after the initial excision, and 9 cases were alive with no evidence of disease.

CONCLUSIONSMyofibroblastic sarcomas, which exhibit diverse histological appearance, can easily be misdiagnosed as benign tumors. Myofibroblastic sarcomas are local destructive lesions with frequent recurrence, and may metastase distantly.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Desmin ; analysis ; Female ; Fibrosarcoma ; chemistry ; pathology ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myosarcoma ; chemistry ; pathology ; Recurrence ; Soft Tissue Neoplasms ; chemistry ; pathology

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary vein (PV) occlusion generally depends on repetitive contrast agent injection when cryoballoon ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF). The present study was to compare the effect of cryoballoon ablation for AF guided by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) vs. contrast agent injection. METHODS: Eighty patients with paroxysmal AF (PAF) were enrolled in the study. About 40 patients underwent cryoballoon ablation without TEE (non-TEE group) and the other 40 underwent cryoballoon ablation with TEE for PV occlusion (TEE group). In the TEE group during the procedure, PVs were displayed in 3-dimensional images to guide the balloon to achieve PV occlusion. The patients were followed up at regularly scheduled visits every 2 months. RESULTS: No differences were identified between the groups in regard to the procedure time and cryoablation time for each PV. The fluoroscopy time (6.7 ± 4.2 min vs. 17.9 ± 5.9 min, P < 0.05) and the amount of contrast agent (3.0 ± 5.1 mL vs.18.1 ± 3.4 mL, P < 0.05) in the TEE group were both less than the non-TEE group. At a mean of 13.0 ± 3.3 mon follow-up, success rates were similar between the TEE group and non-TEE group (77.5% vs. 80.0%, P = 0.88). CONCLUSIONS Cryoballoon ablation with TEE for occlusion of the PV is both safe and effective. Less fluoroscopy time and a lower contrast agent load can be achieved with the help of TEE for PV occlusion during procedure.
Aged ; Atrial Fibrillation ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Contrast Media ; Cryosurgery ; methods ; Echocardiography, Three-Dimensional ; methods ; Echocardiography, Transesophageal ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pulmonary Veins ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Treatment Outcome