Background/Aims: The risk factors of colorectal stricture associated with ulcerative colitis (UC) carcinogenesis in the long-term disease duration remain unclear. Methods: This study included all UC patients registered from a prospectively maintained database between June 1986 to July 2018. The demographic data, clinical features, and outcomes in patients with dysplasia and stricture were assessed using univariable analysis and multivariate logistic regression models. Results: A total of 246 eligible patients were in-cluded in the analysis. The median follow-up time was 13.0 years (interquartile range [IQR], 9.0 to 16.0). There were 35 cases (14.2%) of colorectal stricture. Patients with stricture had worse clinical outcomes. Stricture formation (odds ratio [OR], 9.350; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.842 to 30.762), inflammatory polyps (OR, 5.464; 95% CI, 1.692 to 17.638), disease duration of more than 10 years (OR, 3.223; 95% CI, 1.040 to 9.985), and age >40 years at diagnosis (OR, 8.499; 95% CI, 1.903 to 37.956) were significantly associated with high-grade dysplasia or colorectal cancer. In addition, disease duration of more than 5 years (OR, 3.211; 95% CI, 1.168 to 8.881), moderated anemia (OR, 3.373; 95% CI, 1.472 to 7.731), and primary sclerosing cholangitis (OR, 5,842; 95% CI, 1.395 to 24.468) were contributing factors for the development of colorectal stricture. Conclusions Colorectal stricture had the highest risk for malignant transformation.Earlier initiation of colonoscopic surveillance in UC patients with risk factors for stricture should be considered to prevent stricture formation and further malignant transformation.

Objective:To evaluate the clinical feasibility, safety, and advantages of small lateral cervical incision for parathyroid exploration and resection.Methods:A total of 31 consecutive patients who underwent parathyroidectomy with a small lateral cervical incision, in the Department of Endocrinology and Breast Surgery of the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from Apr. to Nov. 2021, including 11 males and 20 females, aged (49.32±13.79) years, ranging from 28 to 86 years, were selected to make retrospective statistical analysis of the surgical time, hospital stay, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative drainage and postoperative complications of the patients. All patients were injected with carbon nanoparticles suspension injection guided by color ultrasound to locate the enlarged parathyroid gland before surgery. EXCEL 2019 software was used for statistical analysis.Results:Thirty-one patients underwent parathyroidectomy through a small lateral cervical incision. Primary hyperparathyroidism was performed in 19 cases (including 2 cases with bilateral small lateral cervical incision, 2 cases with unilateral excision of thyroid mass combined with parathyroidectomy, 1 case with resection of huge parathyroid adenoma, and 1 case with local anesthesia) . Twelve patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism underwent total parathyroidectomy through bilateral small lateral cervical incision and forearm autogenous parathyroid transplantation (including bilateral thyroid mass resection combined with bilateral total parathyroidectomy and forearm autogenous parathyroid transplantation in 2 cases, local anesthesia and cervical plexus nerve block in 2 cases, and ectopic parathyroid gland in thyroid in 1 case) . Among them, the average operative time of patients with primary hyperparathyroidism was (54.74±27.71 & 74.14±31.73) min, the average intraoperative blood loss was (8.11±5.05 & 14.43±10.94) ml, the average postoperative drainage was (14.37±24.64 & 26.36±32.87) ml, the average postoperative parathyroid hormone was (11.59±16.46 & 26.65±56.38) pg/ml, the average hospital stay was (10.00±5.09 & 10.96±4.55) d, and the postoperative complication rate was (3.2% & 0%) .Conclusions:Parathyroid gland exploration and resection through small lateral cervical incision is a safe and effective surgical method and can also complete thyroid exploration and parathyroidectomy at the same time. Appropriate anesthesia should be selected after a full assessment of the patient’s basic condition.

Tocilizumab has been reported to attenuate the "cytokine storm" in COVID-19 patients. We attempted to verify the effectiveness and safety of tocilizumab therapy in COVID-19 and identify patients most likely to benefit from this treatment. We conducted a randomized, controlled, open-label multicenter trial among COVID-19 patients. The patients were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive either tocilizumab in addition to standard care or standard care alone. The cure rate, changes of oxygen saturation and interference, and inflammation biomarkers were observed. Thirty-three patients were randomized to the tocilizumab group, and 32 patients to the control group. The cure rate in the tocilizumab group was higher than that in the control group, but the difference was not statistically significant (94.12% vs. 87.10%, rate difference 95% CI-7.19%-21.23%, P = 0.4133). The improvement in hypoxia for the tocilizumab group was higher from day 4 onward and statistically significant from day 12 (P = 0.0359). In moderate disease patients with bilateral pulmonary lesions, the hypoxia ameliorated earlier after tocilizumab treatment, and less patients (1/12, 8.33%) needed an increase of inhaled oxygen concentration compared with the controls (4/6, 66.67%; rate difference 95% CI-99.17% to-17.50%, P = 0.0217). No severe adverse events occurred. More mild temporary adverse events were recorded in tocilizumab recipients (20/34, 58.82%) than the controls (4/31, 12.90%). Tocilizumab can improve hypoxia without unacceptable side effect profile and significant influences on the time virus load becomes negative. For patients with bilateral pulmonary lesions and elevated IL-6 levels, tocilizumab could be recommended to improve outcome.
Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized ; COVID-19/drug therapy* ; Humans ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Treatment Outcome