ObjectiveTo observe the clinical effectiveness of point ligation therapy combined with catgut embedment in acupoint for patients with refractory facial paralysis， and to explore the possible mechanisms from the perspective of neurotrophic factors. MethodsTotally 168 patients with intractable facial paralysis were randomly divided into point ligation plus catgut embedment group and electroacupuncture group， with 84 cases in each group. Both groups took methylcobalamin tablets orally， on the basis of which the point ligation plus catgut embedment group gave point ligation therapy at Quanliao （SI 18）， Dicang （ST 4）， Jiache （ST 6）， and catgut embedment in the local acupoints on the affected side combined with the distal acupoints， and the point ligation therapy combined with catgut embedment in acupoint was performed once every 30 days for three treatments； the electroacupuncture group took the same acupoints and gave electroacupuncture， with sparse and dense waves， once every other day. Both groups were treated for 90 days. Before treatment and after 30， 60， 90 and 120 days （follow-up）， patients of both groups were observed for House-Brackmann Facial Nerve Grading （HB） and modified Portmann score； facial nerve electromyography was performed before treatment and after 90 days of treatment to record the wave amplitude and latency of facial nerve motor conduction， and serum brain-derived nerve growth factor （BDNF）， nerve growth factor （NGF）， fibroblast growth factor （FGF2） levels were determined. The clinical effectiveness of both groups after 90 days of treatment was compared， and the adverse events occurred in the course of treatment in all patients were recorded. ResultsAt 30 days， 60 days， 90 days and follow-up visits， the HB grading of patients in both groups improved compared with that before treatment （P＜0.05）； the distribution of the number of patients with HB grading in the point ligation plus catgut embedment group was superior to that in the electroacupuncture group after 60 days and 90 days of treatment and at follow-up visits （P＜0.05）. The maximal amplitude of the facial nerve electromyography in both groups after 90 days of treatment was large， and the latency was shorter when compared with those before treatment （P＜0.05）， and the maximum wave amplitude of the point ligation plus catgut embedment group was higher than that of the electro-acupuncture group， and the latency period was shorter than that of the electro-acupuncture group （P＜0.05）. The modified Portmann scores of the both groups of patients after 30， 60 and 90 days of treatment and follow-up were higher than those before treatment， and the scores of the point ligation plus catgut embedment group were higher than those of the electroacupuncture group （P＜0.05）. Serum BDNF， NGF and FGF2 levels in both groups after 90 days of treatment were higher than before， and the point ligation plus catgut embedment group was significantly higher than the electroacupuncture group （P＜0.05）. The total clinical effective rate of the point ligation plus catgut embedment group （92.68%） was higher than that of the electroacupuncture group （81.01%， P＜0.05）. Adverse reactions occurred in both groups， mainly including local haematoma or subcutaneous bleeding， allergic reaction， severe pain， and needle fainting， all of which disappeared after symptomatic treatment. ConclusionThe point ligation therapy combined with catgut embedment in acupoint for patients with refractory facial paralysis are effective. The therapy improve the facial nerve function， and its mechanism of action may be related to increasing the level of serum neurotrophic factor and thus promoting facial nerve repairment.

BACKGROUND: With the extensive application of segmental lung resection in the treatment of early-stage lung cancer, how to complete segmentectomy more accurately and minimally invasively has become a research hotspot. The aim of this study is to explore the application of three-dimensional computed tomography bronchography and angiography (3D-CTBA) combined with perfusion area recognition technique in single-hole thoracoscopic complex segmentectomy. METHODS: From January 2021 to January 2022, the clinical data of 112 consecutive patients undergoing single-port thoracoscopic complex segmentectomy in the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University were retrospectively analyzed. The three-dimensional reconstruction combined with perfusion area identification technique was used to perform the operation and the clinical data were analyzed. RESULTS: The average operation time was (141.1±35.4) min; the initial time of intersegmental plane display was (12.5±1.7) s; the maintenance time of intersegmental plane was (114.3±10.9) s; the intersegmental plane was clearly displayed (100%); the amount of bleeding was [10 (10, 20)] mL; the total postoperative drainage volume was (380.5±139.7) mL; the postoperative extubation time was (3.9±1.2) d; and the postoperative hospitalization time was (5.2±1.6) d. Postoperative complications occurred in 8 cases. CONCLUSIONS The advantages of 3D-CTBA combined with perfusion area recognition technique are fast, accurate and safe in identifying intersegmental boundary in single-port thoracoscopic complex segmentectomy, which could provide guidances for accuratding resection of tumors, shortening operation time and reducing surgical complications.
Humans ; Lung Neoplasms/pathology* ; Bronchography ; Pneumonectomy/methods* ; Retrospective Studies ; Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted/methods* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Angiography/methods* ; Perfusion

Objective:Immune checkpoint inhibitors have a high remission rate in the preoperative application of resectable and potentially resectable non-small cell lung cancer when combined with chemotherapy. For the unresectable stage Ⅲ non-small cell lung cancer, whether the transformation can be achieved through this regimen to provide opportunities for surgical resection is controversial. In this study, we evaluated the pattern of transformation therapy by reviewing the efficacy and safety of preoperative therapy and surgery of this group.Methods:A review of 23 patients undergoing surgical resection after transformation therapy by preoperative immunotherapy combined chemotherapy between November 2019 and November 2021 was performed. All patients must clarify the pathological diagnosis of non-small cell lung cancer by biopsy. After the multi-disciplinary treatment team and preoperative imaging assessment, the diagnosis should be consistent with unresectable stage III as described in the Expert Consensus on Multidisciplinary Management of Stage Ⅲ Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, 2019 Edition. After 2 to 4 cycles of preoperative anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody combined with chemotherapy, the surgical team assessed the chance of resection and performed surgery. Important indicators such as surgical resection rate, R0 resection rate, MPR, pCR, incidence of grade 3-5 adverse reactions and various other perioperative data were counted.Results:In the whole group, initial imaging evaluation was 10 of stage cⅢA and 13 of stage cⅢB.15 cases had multiple stations N2 lymph nodes metastasis, 9 had enlarged fused N2 lymph nodes metastasis, 6 had large vessel invasion(T4), and 1 had contralateral mediastinal lymph node metastasis(N3). After preoperative neoadjuvant therapy, 17 cases achieved PR, 3 achieved SD and 3 achieved PD. The surgical resection rate of the whole group was 91.3%(21/23, 1 lobectomy combined with superior vena cava reconstruction, 2 sleeve lobectomy, 5 pneumonectomy, 12 lobectomy/combined lobectomy, 1 wedge resection and 2 unresectable cases), R0 resection rate was 95.2%(20/21). MPR was achieved in 13 cases, 8 of them reached pCR. There were no perioperative deaths, median surgical time was 260(190-460) min, median bleeding volume was 100(50-750) ml, median drainage time was 5(3-9) days, and median hospitalization was 7(5-11) days. Two cases got immunotherapy-related grade 3 adverse reactions, one was interstitial pneumonia and the other was immune-related injury involving the eye, oral and genital mucosa. Two cases got surgical complications and one was persistent lung leakage, which stopped after 46 days of conservative treatment; The other was pleural effusion, which was relieved after drainage.Conclusion:For the unresectable stage Ⅲ NSCLC, immunotherapy combined chemotherapy is an effective preoperative downstage method. It can convert 91.3% cases to resectable ones while achieving a good degree of pathological remission. Its side reactions are generally controllable and safety.

Objective    To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of a central venous catheter for thoracic drainage after video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy compared with a conventional chest tube. Methods    This study collected 200 patients with lung cancer who underwent thoracoscopic lobectomy and systematic hilar and mediastinal lymph node dissection between January 2018 and September 2019 in our hospital. The patients were randomly divided into two groups, including a group A (left with 28F chest tubes postoperatively) and a group B (left with 12G central venous catheters postoperatively). Patients in both groups were left with 2 chest tubes after upper lobectomy and 1 chest tube after middle or lower lobectomy. Duration and total volume of drainage, length of hospital stay, maximum visual analogue scale score and so forth were compared between the two groups. Results    Finally, 151 patients were included for analysis. There were 73 patients in the group A, including 26 males and 47 females, with an average age of 55.38±9.95 years, and 78 patients in the group B, including 37 males and 41 females, with an average age of 59.86±10.18 years. No statistical  difference was found between the two groups in drainage volume on postoperative day 2, and proportion of prolonged air leaks, hemothorax, chylothorax or drain reinsertion (all P>0.05). There was a statistical difference in drainage volume on postoperative day 1 [200.0 (120.0, 280.0) mL vs. 57.5 (10.0, 157.5) mL, P=0.000], postoperative day 3 [155.0 (100.0, 210.0) mL vs. 150.0 (80.0, 215.0) mL, P=0.023], total volume of drainage [890.0 (597.5, 1 530.0) mL vs. 512.5 (302.5, 786.3) mL, P=0.000], maximum pain score (2.29±0.72 points vs. 2.09±0.51 points, P=0.013) and length of hospital stay [7 (7, 9) d vs. 5 (4, 7) d, P=0.000]. Conclusion    Compared with conventional chest tubes, central venous catheters for chest drainage in patients with lung cancer after thoracoscopic lobectomy shortens the length of hospital stay and reduces postoperative pain.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a malignant tumor with rapid progress and high malignancy, accounting for 85% of all lung cancers. Treatment has shifted from traditional surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy to targeted therapy. Targeted therapy can prolong the survival of patients with positive driver gene fusion. With the continuous progress of biological research, targets related to NSCLC have gradually been discovered. Among the many driving genes of NSCLC, RET fusion is an important emerging target discovered in recent years. It has been confirmed to have a high incidence in non-smoking, young and low-differentiated NSCLC patients. This article reviews RET gene fusion in NSCLC, the relationship between the two and the treatment progress.

BACKGROUND: Perioperative treatment has become an increasingly important aspect of the management of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Small-scale clinical studies performed in recent years have shown improvements in the major pathological remission rate after neoadjuvant therapy, suggesting that it will soon become an important part of NSCLC treatment. Nevertheless, neoadjuvant immunotherapy may be accompanied by serious adverse reactions that lead to delay or cancelation of surgery, additional illness, and even death, and have therefore attracted much attention. The purpose of the clinical recommendations is to form a diagnosis and treatment plan suitable for the current domestic medical situation for the immune-related adverse event (irAE). METHODS: This recommendation is composed of experts in thoracic surgery, oncologists, thoracic medicine and irAE related departments (gastroenterology, respirology, cardiology, infectious medicine, hematology, endocrinology, rheumatology, neurology, dermatology, emergency section) to jointly complete the formulation. Experts make full reference to the irAE guidelines, large-scale clinical research data published by thoracic surgery, and the clinical experience of domestic doctors and publicly published cases, and repeated discussions in multiple disciplines to form this recommendation for perioperative irAE. RESULTS: This clinical recommendation covers the whole process of prevention, evaluation, examination, treatment and monitoring related to irAE, so as to guide the clinical work comprehensively and effectively. CONCLUSIONS Perioperative irAE management is an important part of immune perioperative treatment of lung cancer. With the continuous development of immune perioperative treatment, more research is needed in the future to optimize the diagnosis and treatment of perioperative irAE.

Objective    By applying the mutual corroboration in the diagnosis, we aimed to improve the accuracy of preoperative imaging diagnosis, select the appropriate timing of operation and guide the follow-up time for patients with pulmonary nodules. Methods    Clinical data of 1 368 patients with pulmonary nodules undergoing surgical treatment in our department from July 2016 to October 2019 were summarized. There were 531 males and 837 females at age of 44 (21-67) years. The intraoperative findings, images and pathology were classified and analyzed. The imaging pathology and pathological changes of pulmonary nodules were shown as a dynamic process through mutual collaboration and interaction. Results    Of 1 368 patients with pulmonary nodules, 376 (27.5%) were pure ground-glass nodules, 729 (53.3%) were mixed ground-glass nodules and 263 (19.2%) were solid nodules. Among the pure ground-glass nodules, adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS) accounted for the highest proportion (156 patients), followed by microinvasive adenocarcinoma (MIA, 90 patients), atypical adenomatous hyperplasia (AAH, 85 patients), and benign tumors (20 patients). Among mixed ground-glass nodules, 495 patients were invasive adenocarcinoma (IA) and 207 patients of MIA. no patient was featured by AAH, AIS or MIA. Conclusion    The mutual collaboration and interaction can improve the accuracy of preoperative diagnosis of pulmonary nodules, and it supports the choice of operation timing and the judgment of follow-up time.

Objective:To investigate the difference of HRCT imaging features between COVID-19 and the ground-glass opacity(GGO) lesion of early-stage lung carcinoma, standardize the diagnosis and treatment process of ground-glass opacity(GGO) degeneration during the epidemic.Methods:A total of 34 patients with diagnosed COVID-19 who confirmed by positive results of the new coronavirus nucleic acid test were collected as observation group 40 patients with pathologically diagnosed early-stage lung carcinoma whose preoperative HRCT examination showed pure ground glass lesions and received surgical intervention were recruited from the Department of Thoracic Surgery (The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University) from January 2018 to December 2019 as the control group. The HRCT imaging features of these two groups of patients were compared and statistically analyzed.Results:The HRCT imaging features of the new type of COVID-19 showed significant difference by characteristics of multiple lesions, lesion rapid variation within 3 days, reticular pattern, vacuolar sign and clear boundary compared to the GGO lesion of early-stage lung carcinoma( P<0.05). The chinical and imaging characteristic the sex, age, with pleural effusion or not and the lesion location showed no significant difference between these 2 groups ( P>0.05). Conclusion:Contrast with inert early lung carcinoma lesions, COVID-19 disease developed rapidly. Imaging dynamic examination can provide evidences to distinguish Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia and early-stage lung carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: When lung cancer screening work extensively developed in recent years, more and more small lung lesions were found in clinic. The aim of this study is to analysis computed tomography (CT) guided percutaneous biopsy for lung small lesions (diameter<2 cm) on results, complications and prognosis. METHODS: Choose CT guided percutaneous lung biopsy were performed in 41 cases of pulmonary peripheral lesions, single lesion in 39 cases, multiple lesions in 2 cases, 5-20 (13.1±5.2) mm in maximum diameter, depth from lung surface 1-45 (16.5±13.7) mm, ground-glass opacity (GGO) components 0%-100% (66.8%±35.2%). RESULTS: 41 patients and 43 biopsies successfully obtained pathological tissue. Atypical adenomatous hyperplasia in 3 cases, squamous carcinoma in 1 case, adenocarcinoma in 37 cases( carcinoma in situ in 7 cases, micro-invasive carcinoma in 5 cases, invasive adenocarcinoma in 25 cases, double primary lung cancer in 2 cases), inflammatory lesions in 2 cases. Except 2 cases of inflammatory lesions are in follow-up, biopsy and surgical pathology alignment (specificity) was 100%. 41 patients occurred complications related to percutaneous biopsy. Pneumothorax were in 22 cases, drainage required in 2 cases. There were 17 cases with hemoptysis, accounting for 39.5% incidence are self-limited. Intracranial air embolism occurred in 2 cases by 4.6% incidence. They were fully recovered. CONCLUSIONS For small lung lesions, CT guided percutaneous biopsy is technically feasible. However, for small lung lesions especially pure GGO biopsy, it is still need to be cautious.
Adult ; Aged ; Biopsy ; Female ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Tumor Burden

Objective The aim of the present study was to evaluate the clinical application of 2 μm thulium laser in pulmonary nodules resection under VATS.Methods 61 patients,undergoing thoracoscopic resection of pulmonary nodules in thoracic department of Xuanwu Hospital,were identified between January and December of 2016.Of those,30 underwent 2μm thulium laser dissection and 31 were treated with standard technique by using staplers.In terms of clinical characteristics,including gender,age and smoking history,there is no significant difference between the laser group and the stapler group,but the lesion size was slightly larger in the stapler group compared with the laser group.The lesions of the two groups were almost evenly distributed on the five lobes.Results All the procedures were performed successfully under VATS.The intraoperative evaluation of air leaks demonstrated that less than or equal to 2 grade air leaks were observed in 28 cases in the laser group and in 30 cases in the stapler group.Grade 3 air leaks requiring a rescue treatment were observed in 2 cases in the laser group and in 1 case in the stapler group.There were no significant differences in the postoperative hospital stay and total hospital stay between two groups.Chest tube duration was lower in the laser group compared with the stapler group even if it was not statistically significant (2.71 vs 3.55 days).Hospitalization costs was significantly lower for the laser group.Conclusion The use of 2um thulium laser to prevent intra-and postoperative air leaks and bleeding is effective and makes patients recover quickly,which allows a minimally invasive,accurate and safe application during thoracoscopic resection of pulmonary nodules.