The surgical management of empyema (excluding those caused by mycobacterium tuberculosis and non-tuberculous mycobacteria) is rapidly evolving towards minimally invasive, precise, and stepwise approaches. The traditional three-stage classification (exudative, fibrinopurulent, and organizing) has limitations in guiding dynamic clinical decision-making. For the first time, this consensus explicitly identifies two critical junctures in the pathological progression of empyema: "early transformation" (stage Ⅰ to Ⅱ) and "late transformation" (stage Ⅱ to Ⅲ), and thereby constructs a corresponding "identification-early warning-intervention" stepwise therapeutic framework. The consensus emphasizes that proactive debridement via video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery should be performed during the early transformation phase to halt disease progression. Conversely, during the late transformation phase, therapeutic goals should be rationally adjusted to prioritize adequate drainage, avoiding futile pleural decortication. Moreover, the consensus underscores the pivotal role of precise perioperative etiological diagnosis (e.g. metagenomic nest-generation sequencing) and standardized anti-infective therapy. Integrating practical experiences from multiple thoracic surgery centers in China and relevant evidence-based literature, this consensus formulates recommendations on the precise definitions of staging, surgical indications for each phase, key technical points, perioperative management, and training systems. It aims to promote the standardized and individualized surgical management of empyema, ultimately optimizing patient prognosis.

Objective To investigate the effects of RNA interference targeting EphA7 gene on the growth of SMMC-7721 cell xenograft in nude mice.Methods Recombinant plasmid of EphA7 gene-targeting siRNA was transfected into hepatic cancer SMMC-7721 cells by LipofectamineTM2000,comparing with the empty vector transfected group,untransfected group and control group.The nude mice tumor model was established by subcutaneous injection of hepatic cancer cells in the left upper limb of the mice.Control group was injected with PBS as blank.Real-time PCR,immunohistochemistry and Western blot were employed to detect the mRNA and protein expressions of EphA7 in tumor tissues.The tumor formation time,tumor mass and weight of tumor were also considered in the analysis.Results About 9 ～ 12 days after the injection of tumor cells,the xenograft tumor formation can be observed around the injection site except the control group.35 days after tumor formation,there were obvious decreases in the tumor growth rate,tumor mass,as well as tumor weight in transfected group,comparing with empty vector transfected group and untransfected group (P ＜0.05).Transfection of RNA interference can inhibit the growth of xenograft tumor by 55％.Immunohistochemistry tests showed that there were less cells with positive staining of EPHA7 protein in transfected group,and the staining was lighter as pale yellow,in contrast with the untransfected group and the empty vector transfected group.Real-time PCR and Western blot revealed that the expression of EphA7 mRNA and EPHA7 protein of transfected group were significantly lower than those of untransfected group and empty vector trausfected group with statistically significance (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion Silencing EphA7 gene with RNA interference can effectively inhibit the growth of SMMC-7721 cell in nude mice,which is expected to become a new target for gene therapy of hepatic cancer.

Objective To summarize the diagnosis and therapeutic experience of insulinoma in order to improve the surgical success rate and prognosis. Methods The clinical data of 138 patients with insulinoma from 1966 to 2007 were retrospectively analyzed. Results In this group of patients, hypoglycemia of different levels and Whipple triad were detected. 64 patients expressed different psychic symptom, 12 patients' psychic symptom were still present after blood glucose normalized after operation. Fasting serum insulin values in 88 patients were measured, and the insulin release index was higher than 0. 3. Before operation, tumor was detected in 8 of 75 patients by B-ultrasound scan, and in 17 of 68 patients by CT, and in 5 of 10 patients by MRI. The intra-operative B-ultrasound (IOUS) examination was applied in 44 cases, and 43 cases were successfully detected. The operations included enucleation of insulinoma (n=88) , resection of the body and tail of pancreass (n = 44) , pancreaticoduodenectomy (n=2) , and biopsy (n=1). The blood glucose symptoms normalized postoperatively in 132 patients. The blood glucose rebound in 110 patients, but blood glucose normalized within 2 weeks. After operation, 20 patients developed pancreatic fistula, 32 patients developed acute pancreatitis. Conclusions Insulinoma could be qualitatively diagnosed according to Whipple triad and the insulin release index. Operations with IOUS were simple and effective methods to localize the tumors. The only way to cure insulinoma was operation, and IOUS guided operation could avoid main pancreatic duct and vessel injury, decrease post-operative complications.

Objective To summarize the experience in the diagnosis and management of insulinoma. Methods From January 1966 to December 2007, the clinical data of 131 patients with insulinoma were retrospectively analyzed. Results All the 131 cases had Whipple triad syndrome and 64 eases suffered from psychoneurosis symptoms. The fasting blood glucose or insultus blood glucose concentration of all the cases was lower than 2.8 mmol/L. The ratios of serum insulin to glucose were all higher than 0.3. Before operation, tumor was detected in 8 of 75 patients by B-us scan, and in 17 of 68 by CT, and in 5 of 10 by MRI. The intraoperative ultrasonography(IOUS) was applied in 44 eases, and tumor was found in 43 cases. Surgery included enucleation of insulinoma (88 cases), resection of the corpus and eauda of the pancreas (40 cases), duodenopancreatectomy (2 cases), and biopsy (1 case). The low blood glucose symptoms disappeared postoperatively in 130 cases. Pancreatic fistulae occurred in 20 cases, acute pancreatitis occurred in 32 cases. Conclusions Insulinoma can be diagnosed based on symptoms of Whipple triad and the ratio of serum insulin to glucose. Exploration and IOUS are the simple and effective methods to localize insulinoma.