OBJECTIVETo improve the results of the soft tissue expansion technique.

METHODSTwo expanders were buried in the same soft tissue pocket in an overlapping pattern. The inflation process was carried out routinely.

RESULTS19 cases of various tissue defects were treated with the overlapping tissue expansion technique since March 1999. Good results have been achieved.

CONCLUSIONThe overlapping tissue expansion technique can provide much more expanded tissue and reduce complications compared with the traditional expansion technique. It is especially suitable for repair of the defects at the facial and cervical region.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Burns ; surgery ; Child ; Dermatologic Surgical Procedures ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Skin ; injuries ; Skin Transplantation ; Surgical Flaps ; Tissue Expansion ; methods

OBJECTIVEThe purpose of this study was to provide the guidelines with respect to the location of the facial vessels, observe the potential reversed flow of the facial artery, and reemphasize the value of color Doppler ultrasound studies in flap planning.

METHODSA study was carried out to investigate the location and dynamics of the facial artery and vein using color Doppler ultrasonography in 12 adults.

RESULTSThe facial artery and the vein were located together at the lower border of the mandible. Around the oral commissure and under the nasal ala, they run apart from each other at variable distances. The reverse flow was observed in the 12 patients after the blood flow of the facial artery was blocked by applying pressure manually at the lower border of the mandible.

CONCLUSIONSThe divergence of the facial vein from the artery is important information in planning of axial pattern flaps. Observation of the reversed flow confirms the possibility of safe elevation of a retrograde flow-arterialized flap based on the distal portion of the facial artery.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Arteries ; diagnostic imaging ; Face ; blood supply ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color ; methods ; Veins ; diagnostic imaging

Objective To investigate the relationships between the pathology classification, Masaoka clinical stage and postoperation myasthenic crisis in patients of myasthenia gravis with thymoma undergoing thymectomy. Methods Clinical records of 56 patients of myasthenia gravis with thymoma from January 2006 to December 2015 who had underwent thymectomy were reviewed retrospectively. The following factors were analyzed to find the relation to the occurrence of myasthenic crisis after thymectomy: WHO pathology classification, Masaoka clinical stage and tumor size. Results Sixteen patients experienced postoperative myasthenic crisis after thymectomy. Statistical analysis revealed that the incidence of postoperative myasthenic crisis in patients with Masaoka Ⅲ stage was significantly higher than that in patients with Masaoka Ⅰ and Ⅱ stage: 39.39% (13/33) vs. 13.04% (3/23), the incidence of postoperative myasthenic crisis in patients with WHO pathology classification B3 and C type was significantly higher than patients with WHO pathology classification B2 type: 50.00% (12/24) vs. 14.29% (4/28), the incidence of postoperative myasthenic crisis in patients with tumor size more than 5 cm was significantly lower than patients with tumor size less than 5 cm: 10/17 vs. 15.38% (6/39), and there were statistical differences (P＜0.05 or＜0.01). Conclusions WHO pathology classification and Masaoka clinical stage are significantly correlated with the occurrence of myasthenia crisis after thymectomy. The patients with MasaokaⅢstage, WHO pathology classification B3 and C type and tumor size more than 5 cm have the risk of postoperative myasthenic crisis after thymectomy. The comprehensive intervention before and after operation can prevent myasthenia crisis.

Objective:To compare the application effects of three different extubation techniques in patients with mechanical ventilation in intensive care unit (ICU).Methods:A prospective randomized controlled study was conducted. Mechanical ventilation patients admitted to the critical care department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University from July to November 2023 were enrolled. According to the random number table generated by Excel, the patients were divided into negative pressure group, positive pressure group 1 and positive pressure group 2, with 45 cases in each group. On the basis of routine nursing, the negative pressure group used the negative pressure extubation technique to remove the tracheal catheter. In the positive pressure group, the pressure support (PS) and positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) of the positive pressure group 1 were 7 cmH 2O (1 cmH 2O≈0.098 kPa) and 5 cmH 2O, and the PS and PEEP of the positive pressure group 2 were 15 cmH 2O and 10 cmH 2O. The main outcome measures were extubation related complications, including tachypnea, severe cough, sore throat, upper airway obstruction spasm, extubation failure, hypoxemia, and hypercapnia. The secondary outcome measures were the variation of heart rate, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, mean arterial pressure and blood oxygen saturation before and 1, 15 and 30 minutes after extubation. Results:Finally, 42 patients were included in each group. There were no significant differences in gender, age, catheter retention days, duration of mechanical ventilation, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation Ⅱ (APACHEⅡ), catheter model and diagnosis among the three groups, which were comparable. There were statistically significant differences in the incidence of tachypnea, severe cough, sore throat, upper airway obstruction spasm, hypoxemia and hypercapnia among the three groups, while there was no statistically significant difference in the failure rate of extubation. The incidence of tachypnea, severe cough, sore throat, upper airway obstruction spasm, hypoxemia and hypercapnia after extubation in positive pressure group 1 and positive pressure group 2 were lower than those in negative pressure group (7.14%, 9.52% vs. 33.33%; 7.14%, 4.76% vs. 28.57%; 61.90%, 52.38% vs. 88.10%; 11.90%, 19.05% vs. 45.24%; 7.14%, 7.14% vs. 30.95%; 4.76%, 2.38% vs. 28.57%; all P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in extubation related complications between group 1 and group 2. There were significant differences in the time effect of heart rate, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, mean arterial pressure and blood oxygen saturation 30 minutes after extubation among three groups ( F values were 145.792, 49.749, 22.486, 23.622 and 242.664, respectively, all P < 0.01). The intergroup effect of blood oxygen saturation was statistically significant ( F = 3.835, P = 0.024), and the blood oxygen saturation in positive pressure group 1 and positive pressure group 2 were higher than those in negative pressure group 1 minute and 30 minutes after extubation (1 minute after extubation: 0.97±0.02, 0.97±0.02 vs. 0.95±0.02; 30 minutes after extubation: 1.00±0.01, 1.00±0.01 vs. 0.99±0.02, all P < 0.05). The interaction effects of heart rate and blood oxygen saturation were statistically significant ( F values were 3.512 and 7.226, respectively, both P < 0.01). Conclusions:Compared with negative pressure extubation, positive pressure extubation can effectively reduce extubation related complications in ICU mechanically ventilated patients. It is beneficial to maintain stable blood oxygen saturation within 30 minutes after extubation, and has better clinical application effects. It is recommended to use low pressure extubation.

Objective: To analyze dermoscopic features of blue nevi. Methods: Clinical and dermoscopic data were collected from patients with confirmed blue nevi in the Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Wuxi People′s Hospital from January 2008 to May 2018, and analyzed retrospectively. Chi-square test was used to analyze differences between groups. Results: Totally, 65 patients with 66 skin lesions were enrolled into this study. A total of 23 skin lesions were subjected to dermoscopy, which showed homogeneous pattern in 20 (87.0%) lesions, pseudo-pigment network pattern in 2 (8.7%) lesions, and cerebriform pattern in 1 (4.3%) lesion, and the homogeneous pattern was more common than the other patterns (χ² = 8.79, P < 0.05) . Under the dermoscope, 10 lesions were monochromatic (43.5%) , 11 were dichromatic (47.8%) , and 2 were multichromatic (8.7%) . Scar-like hypopigmentation was observed in 4 lesions (17.4%) , and vascular structures were observed in 5 (21.7%) , including punctate vessels in 4 (17.4%) and linear irregular vessels in 1 (4.3%) . Papillary hyperplasia was observed in 2 lesions (8.7%) . Additionally, pigmentation around lesions, white streaks, dots/globules, blotches, comedo-like openings were observed in 1 lesion (4.3%) each. Conclusions Blue homogeneous pattern is the most common dermoscopic feature of blue nevi. Pseudo-pigment network pattern, cerebriform pattern, scar-like hypopigmentation, multiple vascular patterns, papillary hyperplasia, white streaks, dots/globules, blotches, comedo-like openings can also be observed in blue nevus lesions.

Objective:To investigate the prenatal ultrasonographic features and diagnosis of 16p12.2 copy number variation (CNV).Methods:This retrospective study recruited seven fetuses with 16p12.2 microdeletion/microduplication in the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University from January 2017 to December 2021. Data, including the prenatal diagnostic indications, ultrasound findings, karyotypes, genetic testing and mutation tracing results, pregnancy outcomes, and postnatal follow-up data, were summarized with descriptive statistical analysis.Results:Prenatal ultrasound indicated three fetuses with structural abnormalities, including one case each of multiple malformations, interventricular septal defect, and cleft lip and palate. The other four cases were positive for ultrasonic soft markers involving the heart and kidney. The chromosome karyotypes of the seven fetuses were normal. Single nucleotide polymorphism array (SNP array) results showed that four cases had a 381.7-542.4 kb microdeletion containing three genes ( OTOA, METTL9, and IGSF6) in Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) at 16p12.2 (distal region) and three cases had a 484.0-701.7 kb microdeletion/microduplication containing four OMIM genes ( UQCRC2, CDR2, EEF2K, and POLR3E) at 16p12.2 (proximal region). Five (cases 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6) out of the seven fetuses inherited the variants from their phenotypically normal mother/father, and among them, three (cases 2, 4, and 5) were delivered at term and healthy. Two cases (cases 3 and 7) refused to undergo pedigree verification. Case 3, a full-term infant, underwent ventricular septal defect repair three months after birth, and no abnormality was found at 18 months of age. Conclusions:No specific phenotype presents in fetuses with 16p12.2 microdeletion/microduplication in prenatal diagnosis. OTOA gene is the key gene associated with abnormality in the distal region of 16p12.2. Pedigree analysis is conducive to preventing unnecessary termination of pregnancy.

The tendon-bone interface is where the tendons or ligaments are connected with the bones. A spectrum of injuries may happen to the "soft-to-hard" tissue interface, including those to the rotator cuff-bone and cruciate ligament-bone interfaces, which are often precipitated by a combination of degenerative changes on the tendon-bone interface and acute or chronic injuries, thus severely impairing the patients′ motor function. In recent years, with the deepening of the interdisciplinary researches in biomechanics, mechanobiology, and sports medicine, the role of mechanical factors in the repair of tendon-bone interface injuries has attracted more and more attention and becomes a focus of the edge-cutting researches on the tendon-bone interface injuries. To this end, the authors proposed the concept of "tendon-bone interface mechanomedicine" based on an overview of the relevant researches at home and abroad. The mechanical properties of the tendon-bone interface and the effects of mechanical stimuli on its biological behavior were elucidated from the four aspects: biomechanics, mechanobiology, mechanodiagnostics, and mechanotherapy, aiming to explore the diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for tendon-bone interface injuries from the angle of mechanics and provide new perspectives and methodologies for the field of tendon-bone interface injury repair.

Objective:To explore the clinical characteristics of pediatric kidney transplant recipients reinfected with SARS-CoV-2.Method:The relevant clinical data were retrospectively reviewed for 191 pediatric kidney transplant recipients at a single center. Based upon whether or not there was a reinfection of SARS-CoV-2, they were assigned into two groups of single infection (group A, 127 cases) and reinfection (group B, 64 cases). Baseline profiles, clinical symptoms, diagnostic and therapeutic strategies, markers of disease progression, immune status, respiratory support modalities, comorbidities and transplantation-related data were collected for comparing the inter-group differences during primary infection and between two infections in reinfected group.Result:As compared with group A, group B recipients had a higher proportion of age <12 years (71.9% vs 54.3%) ,unvaccinated (81.2% vs 66.1%) and such symptoms as high fever (34.4% vs 12.6% ), dry cough (43.8% vs 23.6% ) and chest tightness (14.1% vs 3.9 %) during primary infection (all P<0.05). During primary infection, the levels of IL-6 and CRP were higher in group B than in group A and inter-group difference was statistically significant (both P<0.01). The levels of IL-6 ( P<0.01), CRP ( P<0.01) and PCT ( P= 0.023) were lower in group B during reinfection than those during primary infection and the difference was statistically significant. During primary infection, the counts of CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, NK and B lymphocyte of group B were lower than those of group A. And inter-group differences were statistically significant (all P<0.01). During reinfection, the levels of CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, NK and B lymphocyte counts of group B spiked as compared with those of group A during primary infection and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.01). The levels of SCr and UA in group B differed insignificantly before and after primary infection with SARS-CoV-2. However, the differences before and after reinfection were statistically significant (both P<0.01) . Conclusion:Symptomatic and immunocompromised pediatric KT recipients during primary infection with SARS-CoV-2 are more prone to reinfection during subsequent epidemics. Though mildly symptomatic, reinfection may exacerbate impairments of graft kidney function in pediatric KT recipients.

Objective:To explore the characteristic pathological manifestations of non-HLA antibodies after kidney transplantation (KT) and examine the differences of MFT values of non-HLA antibodies in different pathological manifestations.Methods:The study was conducted on KT recipients at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from February 2021 to June 2023 with unexplained elevated serum creatinine. Patients undergoing pathological puncture and concurrent HLA antibody testing were included, focusing on those with DSA (MFI>4 000) and non-HLA antibody negativity. According to the detection results of non-HLA and HLA antibodies, they were assigned into two groups of non-HLA antibody positive (45 cases) and HLA-DSA positive (28 cases). Both non-HLA and HLA antibodies were detected by luminex single antigen microbeads, χ2, t or Mann-Whitney U nonparametric tests were utilized for examining the inter-group differences in pathological manifestations. The recipients with positive non-HLA antibodies were grouped according to the differential pathological features[microvascular inflammation group (22 cases) and non-microvascular inflammation group (23 cases), interstitial fibrosis group (39 cases) and non-interstitial fibrosis (9 cases) ]. MFI values of non-HLA antibodies were standardized and heat map was generated with R language ComplexHeatmap package. The differences of response values of non-HLA antibodies with different pathological manifestations were examined by rank-sum test. Results:The positive rates of microvascular inflammation were 48.9% (22/45) and 82.1% (23/28) in HLA-DSA positive and non-HLA antibody positive groups with statistical significance ( χ2=8.073, P=0.006). The positive rates of interstitial fibrosis in two groups were 80.8% (36/45) and 53.6% (15/28) and the difference was statistically significant ( χ2=5.726, P=0.021). The relative levels of anti-arachnotoxin receptor 1 (Latrophilin 1, LPHN1), keratin 8 (KRT8), keratin 18 (KRT18) and Sjogren's syndrome antigen B (SSB) were higher in microvascular inflammation group than those in non-microvascular inflammation group. The differences were statistically significant [559.50 (262.00, 801.25) vs 285.00 (183.00, 460.00), P=0.024; 504.50 (369.5, 725.25) vs 317.00 (231.50, 458.00), P=0.014; 672.50 (454.50, 969.50) vs 399.00 (246.50, 772.50), P=0.030; 967.50 (482.00, 2 066.50) vs 399.00 (246.50, 772.50), P=0.033]. The relative levels of anti-cyclic citrullinate peptide (CCP), colony-stimulating factor 2 (CSF2), intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM1) and collagen Ⅳ antibody were higher in interstitial fibrosis group than those in non-interstitial fibrosis group with statistical significance [100.00 (79.88, 167.50) vs 64.50 (37.00, 89.00), P=0.016; 146.25 (93.38, 244.75) vs 87.00 (66.00, 105.00), P=0.041; 132.50 (106.38, 229.50) vs 95.00 (55.00, 125.00), P=0.037; 432.50 (280.75, 653.75) vs 208.00 (192.00, 301.00), P=0.028]. Conclusions:As compared with HLA-DSA, the characteristic pathological manifestations of non-HLA antibodies post-KT include a lower incidence of microvascular inflammation and a higher incidence of interstitial fibrosis. For non-HLA antibody response values of characteristic pathological manifestations, the expressions of different non-HLA antibodies vary statistically.

Objective To explore the effect of repetitive transcranial direct current stimulation(tDCS)on anti-fatigue capacity,power output,and muscle activation during continuous vertical jumps of aver-age undergraduates.Methods Thirty healthy male college students were randomly assigned to an anodal tDCS(a-tDCS)group and a sham tDCS(sham-tDCS)group,receiving a total of 10 repeated anodal tDCS and sham tDCS for 5 consecutive days on the primary motor cortex respectively.Before and right after the intervention,as well as one month after the intervention,all students underwent the continuous vertical jump test.The two-factor repeated measure ANOVA(stimulation condition×time)was employed to evaluate alterations in fatigue index,total jump height,lower limb stiffness and mus-cle activation characteristics.Results The fatigue index of the a-tDCS group was significantly lower than the sham-tDCS group(P<0.05).After a-tDCS,the total jump height was significantly higher than before(P<0.05).In the sham-tDCS group,the touchdown time during continuous vertical jumps in-creased more significantly right and a month after the intervention(P<0.05 for both).Moreover,lower limb stiffness of the a-tDCS group at the last moment of the continuous vertical jumps was significant-ly higher than the sham-tDCS group(P<0.05).After a-tDCS,the activation of the rectus femoris mus-cle increased significantly in the eccentric phase of the end of the test(P<0.05).However,no signifi-cant differences were found in the mean power and post-test rating of perceived exertion after the stim-ulation.Conclusion Ten sessions of tDCS conducted over five consecutive days demonstrates an en-hancement in neuromuscular activation during high-intensity jumping exercise.This observed augmenta-tion contributes to attenuating the decline in exercise capacity associated with fatigue.