Objective:To explore the short-term clinical effects of deep cervical lymph node-venous anastomosis in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD).Methods:A prospective exploratory study was conducted on the treatment of AD patients using the cervical deep lymph node-venous anastomosis technique in Scar and Wound Treatment Department, Plastic Surgery Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, from September to October 2024. The patients underwent high-frequency ultrasound to locate deep cervical lymph nodes and the external jugular vein. Under general anesthesia, bilateral deep cervical lymph node-venous anastomoses were performed. Indocyanine green (ICG) lymphography was conducted via subcutaneous injection behind the ear to visualize lymph nodes in levels Ⅱ and Ⅲ. After making a skin incision along the posterior margin of the sternocleidomastoid muscle, the external jugular vein, internal jugular veins, and associated lymph nodes were exposed. Adjacent veins were selected for anastomosis of lymph node. Using microsurgical techniques, end-to-side or end-to-end anastomosis was completed for lymph nodes in levels Ⅱ and Ⅲ. Preoperative assessments included the mini-mental state examination (MMSE, a higher score indicates better cognitive function), Alzheimer’s disease assessment scale-cognitive subscale (ADAS-Cog, a higher score indicates greater impairment of cognitive function), Alzheimer’s disease cooperative study scale for activities of daily living (ADCS-ADL, a higher score indicates better ability to perform daily activity), and neuropsychiatric inventory (NPI, a higher score indicates more severe behavioral and emotional symptom). Postoperative follow-up included the same scales to observe changes in cognitive function, activities of daily living, and emotional communication.Results:Four patients (1 male, 3 females, aged 58-79 years) with AD were included. All were diagnosed based on cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers. All patients successfully underwent bilateral deep cervical lymph node-venous anastomoses. On average, 4.3 (2-7 per person) anastomoses were performed per patient. Surgical procedures lasted an average of 6.5 h (5.5-8.5 h) with minimal blood loss (less than 50 ml). Patients resumed normal activity within 6 hours postoperatively and were discharged after an average of 4.1 d (3.5-5.0 d). Postoperative complications included one case each of aspiration pneumonia, lower limb venous thrombosis, and transient delirium, all of whom resolved without long-term effects. Clinical symptoms, including memory decline, mood swings, and anxiety, showed varying degrees of improvement. Patients reported enhanced quality of life, emotional stability, and social engagement, confirming the procedure’s safety and potential cognitive benefits. At one month postoperatively, the MMSE scores of the four patients increased by an average of 0.8 points compared to preoperative levels. Additionally, the two patients who completed the ADAS-Cog assessments showed a decrease in their scores (reduced by 1.0 points and 11.3 points, respectively, compared to preoperative scores), indicating a certain degree of improvement in cognitive function during this period. The ADCS-ADL and NPI scores of four patients varied significantly, without showing any clear pattern.Conclusion:Lymphovenous anastomosis of the deep cervical lymph node-venous anastomosis may provide a new surgical intervention approach for AD, but further large-scale studies and long-term follow-up are needed to validate its safety and effectiveness.

Objective:To investigate the clinical effect of indocyanine green angiography (ICGA)-assisted design and harvest of expanded flaps for scar reconstruction.Methods:This study was a retrospective observational study. From April 2019 to August 2023, 19 patients with scars (8 males, 11 females; aged 3-38 years) treated at the Plastic Surgery Hospital of Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences met the inclusion criteria. The scars were distributed on the head, face, trunk, and extremities. In stage Ⅰ surgery, skin soft tissue expanders were implanted in suitable areas around the scars for skin soft tissue expansion. In stage Ⅱ surgery, the scar tissue was excised, resulting in wound areas ranging from 100 to 210 cm 2, and expanded flaps were designed. ICGA was used to identify target perforators and their accompanying veins, and the flap design was adjusted to ensure the inclusion of complete arterial and venous axes. The expanded flap with an area of 120 to 240 cm2 was harvested using unilateral back-cut technique and transferred to the recipient site, and the donor site wound was sutured directly. The durations of the arterial and venous phases of ICGA during flap design were recorded. The length-to-width ratios of the back-cut flaps were calculated for different regions. After stage Ⅱ surgery, the blood perfusion and survival of the flap, the wound healing at the donor site, and the occurrence of complications were observed. During follow-up, the appearance, color, and texture of the patient's flap were observed. Results:The arterial phase of ICGA lasted 10-27 (18±5) s, and the venous phase lasted 78-116 (100±10) s. The length-to-width ratios of the back-cut flaps were 1.22±0.32, 1.63±0.12, and 1.15±0.21 for the head and neck, trunk, and limb regions, respectively. After stage Ⅱ surgery, one patient had a large area of insufficient blood perfusion in the flap. By comparing ICGA images before and after flap transfer, the sutures at the oral commissure were loosened, the blood flow of the flap was restored. The blood perfusion of the flaps in other patients was good. All flaps survived completely, with well-healed donor site wounds and no complications. During 0.5-14.0 months of follow-up, all flaps of patients demonstrated excellent appearance, with color and texture matching the surrounding skin.Conclusions:As a means of superficial blood flow visualization, ICGA can not only clearly show the microvascular distribution of the expanded flap before operation, assist in optimizing the design of the flap, but also evaluate the blood perfusion of the flap after operation, reduce the occurrence of complications, and provide a full-process navigation for the harvesting of expanded flaps, thereby improving the safety of flap transfer for scar reconstruction.

Objective:To investigate the clinical effect of indocyanine green angiography (ICGA)-assisted design and harvest of expanded flaps for scar reconstruction.Methods:This study was a retrospective observational study. From April 2019 to August 2023, 19 patients with scars (8 males, 11 females; aged 3-38 years) treated at the Plastic Surgery Hospital of Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences met the inclusion criteria. The scars were distributed on the head, face, trunk, and extremities. In stage Ⅰ surgery, skin soft tissue expanders were implanted in suitable areas around the scars for skin soft tissue expansion. In stage Ⅱ surgery, the scar tissue was excised, resulting in wound areas ranging from 100 to 210 cm 2, and expanded flaps were designed. ICGA was used to identify target perforators and their accompanying veins, and the flap design was adjusted to ensure the inclusion of complete arterial and venous axes. The expanded flap with an area of 120 to 240 cm2 was harvested using unilateral back-cut technique and transferred to the recipient site, and the donor site wound was sutured directly. The durations of the arterial and venous phases of ICGA during flap design were recorded. The length-to-width ratios of the back-cut flaps were calculated for different regions. After stage Ⅱ surgery, the blood perfusion and survival of the flap, the wound healing at the donor site, and the occurrence of complications were observed. During follow-up, the appearance, color, and texture of the patient's flap were observed. Results:The arterial phase of ICGA lasted 10-27 (18±5) s, and the venous phase lasted 78-116 (100±10) s. The length-to-width ratios of the back-cut flaps were 1.22±0.32, 1.63±0.12, and 1.15±0.21 for the head and neck, trunk, and limb regions, respectively. After stage Ⅱ surgery, one patient had a large area of insufficient blood perfusion in the flap. By comparing ICGA images before and after flap transfer, the sutures at the oral commissure were loosened, the blood flow of the flap was restored. The blood perfusion of the flaps in other patients was good. All flaps survived completely, with well-healed donor site wounds and no complications. During 0.5-14.0 months of follow-up, all flaps of patients demonstrated excellent appearance, with color and texture matching the surrounding skin.Conclusions:As a means of superficial blood flow visualization, ICGA can not only clearly show the microvascular distribution of the expanded flap before operation, assist in optimizing the design of the flap, but also evaluate the blood perfusion of the flap after operation, reduce the occurrence of complications, and provide a full-process navigation for the harvesting of expanded flaps, thereby improving the safety of flap transfer for scar reconstruction.

Objective:To explore the short-term clinical effects of deep cervical lymph node-venous anastomosis in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD).Methods:A prospective exploratory study was conducted on the treatment of AD patients using the cervical deep lymph node-venous anastomosis technique in Scar and Wound Treatment Department, Plastic Surgery Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, from September to October 2024. The patients underwent high-frequency ultrasound to locate deep cervical lymph nodes and the external jugular vein. Under general anesthesia, bilateral deep cervical lymph node-venous anastomoses were performed. Indocyanine green (ICG) lymphography was conducted via subcutaneous injection behind the ear to visualize lymph nodes in levels Ⅱ and Ⅲ. After making a skin incision along the posterior margin of the sternocleidomastoid muscle, the external jugular vein, internal jugular veins, and associated lymph nodes were exposed. Adjacent veins were selected for anastomosis of lymph node. Using microsurgical techniques, end-to-side or end-to-end anastomosis was completed for lymph nodes in levels Ⅱ and Ⅲ. Preoperative assessments included the mini-mental state examination (MMSE, a higher score indicates better cognitive function), Alzheimer’s disease assessment scale-cognitive subscale (ADAS-Cog, a higher score indicates greater impairment of cognitive function), Alzheimer’s disease cooperative study scale for activities of daily living (ADCS-ADL, a higher score indicates better ability to perform daily activity), and neuropsychiatric inventory (NPI, a higher score indicates more severe behavioral and emotional symptom). Postoperative follow-up included the same scales to observe changes in cognitive function, activities of daily living, and emotional communication.Results:Four patients (1 male, 3 females, aged 58-79 years) with AD were included. All were diagnosed based on cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers. All patients successfully underwent bilateral deep cervical lymph node-venous anastomoses. On average, 4.3 (2-7 per person) anastomoses were performed per patient. Surgical procedures lasted an average of 6.5 h (5.5-8.5 h) with minimal blood loss (less than 50 ml). Patients resumed normal activity within 6 hours postoperatively and were discharged after an average of 4.1 d (3.5-5.0 d). Postoperative complications included one case each of aspiration pneumonia, lower limb venous thrombosis, and transient delirium, all of whom resolved without long-term effects. Clinical symptoms, including memory decline, mood swings, and anxiety, showed varying degrees of improvement. Patients reported enhanced quality of life, emotional stability, and social engagement, confirming the procedure’s safety and potential cognitive benefits. At one month postoperatively, the MMSE scores of the four patients increased by an average of 0.8 points compared to preoperative levels. Additionally, the two patients who completed the ADAS-Cog assessments showed a decrease in their scores (reduced by 1.0 points and 11.3 points, respectively, compared to preoperative scores), indicating a certain degree of improvement in cognitive function during this period. The ADCS-ADL and NPI scores of four patients varied significantly, without showing any clear pattern.Conclusion:Lymphovenous anastomosis of the deep cervical lymph node-venous anastomosis may provide a new surgical intervention approach for AD, but further large-scale studies and long-term follow-up are needed to validate its safety and effectiveness.

In recent years, the number of patients with vaginal relaxation has increased year by year, and the minimally invasive vaginal contraction has been carried out more and more widely in clinical practice, but the treatment normalization and safety have not been thoroughly studied. We summarized six cases of characteristics and treatment measures for patients with various complications after minimally invasive vaginal contraction surgery from September 2021 to December 2023 at Department of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital. The patients' age ranged from 26 to 44 years. Two cases accepted vaginal contraction with embedded vaginal thread, and four accepted vaginal contraction with acellular allogenic dermis. One patient showed vaginal hyper-tightness, one patient showed subcutaneous suture nodules, two patients showed explosion of acellular allogenic dermis, and three patients showed vaginal infection symptoms such as yellow leucorrhea and peculiar smell. All patients had sexual pain and discomfort. One patient underwent vaginal orifice dilation, one patient underwent suture extraction and secondary vaginal contraction, one patient underwent acellular allogenic dermis extraction and immediate vaginal contraction, two patients underwent acellular allogenic dermis extraction and secondary vaginal contraction, and one patient underwent secondary vaginal contraction. The symptoms of all six patients were relieved after treatment. Despite the short operation time and fast postoperative recovery of minimally invasive vaginal contraction, there are still complications after surgery, causing physical and mental damage to patients. Plastic surgeons, therefore, should be cautious in the treatment process to avoid collateral damage, so that patients get the best treatment effect.

In recent years, the number of patients with vaginal relaxation has increased year by year, and the minimally invasive vaginal contraction has been carried out more and more widely in clinical practice, but the treatment normalization and safety have not been thoroughly studied. We summarized six cases of characteristics and treatment measures for patients with various complications after minimally invasive vaginal contraction surgery from September 2021 to December 2023 at Department of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital. The patients' age ranged from 26 to 44 years. Two cases accepted vaginal contraction with embedded vaginal thread, and four accepted vaginal contraction with acellular allogenic dermis. One patient showed vaginal hyper-tightness, one patient showed subcutaneous suture nodules, two patients showed explosion of acellular allogenic dermis, and three patients showed vaginal infection symptoms such as yellow leucorrhea and peculiar smell. All patients had sexual pain and discomfort. One patient underwent vaginal orifice dilation, one patient underwent suture extraction and secondary vaginal contraction, one patient underwent acellular allogenic dermis extraction and immediate vaginal contraction, two patients underwent acellular allogenic dermis extraction and secondary vaginal contraction, and one patient underwent secondary vaginal contraction. The symptoms of all six patients were relieved after treatment. Despite the short operation time and fast postoperative recovery of minimally invasive vaginal contraction, there are still complications after surgery, causing physical and mental damage to patients. Plastic surgeons, therefore, should be cautious in the treatment process to avoid collateral damage, so that patients get the best treatment effect.

Objective To investigate the value of the volume percentage of solid component in differential diagnosis of stage Ⅰ lung adenocarcinoma subtypes,and to predict the optimal critical CT value of solid component.Methods A total of 962 nodules with sur-gical pathological findings confirmed as adenocarcinoma in situ(AIS)or pulmonary adenocarcinoma and manifested as subsolid nod-ules on thin-section CT were analyzed retrospectively,and divided the lesions into:(1)AIS(n=350)or pulmonary adenocarcinoma(n=612)groups;and(2)minimally invasive adenocarcinoma(MIA)(n=213)or invasive adenocarcinoma(IAC)(n=399)groups based on pathological findings.The volume percentage of solid components within pulmonary nodules was measured via CT density histogram analysis at different thresholds,the diagnostic efficacy of different thresholds was analyzed and the optimal critical CT val-ues of solid component was found.Results In the AIS versus pulmonary adenocarcinoma groups,age,mass,and volume percentage of solid component were statistically significant(P＜0.001);the CT threshold of-350 HU had the highest diagnostic efficacy[area under the curve(AUC)0.859,accuracy 81.69％,sensitivity 85.60％,and specificity 74.86％,respetively],and the critical value of volume percentage of solid component determined under this threshold was 8.3％.In the MIA versus IAC groups,age(P=0.017),mass(P＜0.001),and volume percentage of solid component(P＜0.001)were statistically significant;the CT threshold of-350 HU had the highest diagnostic efficacy(AUC 0.857,accuracy 78.27％,sensitivity 82.91％,and specificity 69.48％,respectively),and the critical value of volume percentage of solid component determined under this threshold was 16.9％.Conclusion The volume percentage of solid component measured based on CT density histogram analysis may be helpful in the differential diagnosis of early stage lung ade-nocarcinoma subtypes.

Objective:To systemically evaluate the characteristics of cytokine levels in intraocular fluid of neovascular glaucoma (NVG).Methods:Literature on the detection of cytokine levels in NVG published before June 2022 was searched in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang databases, and China Science and Technology Journal Database (VIP).Two investigators independently completed the literature search, inclusion, and data extraction following the inclusion and exclusion criteria.Quantitative analyses were performed using Stata 16.0 software.Study heterogeneity was assessed using the I2 test, and effects were combined using the appropriate effect model to complete the meta-analysis. Results:A total of 24 studies were screened, including 771 NVG cases and 727 age-related cataract cases (control group).The standardized mean difference ( SMD) of the combined effect value of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) mass concentration in the aqueous humor between the two groups was 8.79, with a 95% confidence interval ( CI) of 6.43 to 11.14.The SMD of interleukin-6 (IL-6) between the two groups was 12.50, with a 95% CI of 9.41 to 15.58.The VEGF and IL-6 levels in aqueous humor and vitreous humor were significantly higher in NVG group than in control group (all at P<0.05).The pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) level in aqueous humor was lower in NVG group than in control group ( SMD: -3.03, 95% CI: -5.50--0.55, P<0.05).The levels of IL-8 ( SMD: 3.99, 95% CI: 1.14-6.85), erythropoietin (EPO) ( SMD: 9.62, 95% CI: 0.44-18.79), placental growth factor (PIGF) ( SMD: 2.62, 95% CI: 1.38-3.86), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) ( SMD: 3.37, 95% CI: 1.87-4.87) were all significantly higher in NVG group than in control group (all at P<0.05).There was no significant difference in IL-1β level in aqueous humor between the two groups ( P>0.05). Conclusions:In NVG patients, VEGF, IL-6, IL-8, EPO, PIGF, TNF-α levels are obviously increased and PEDF level is obviously decreased.These biomarkers can be used as potential predictors or therapeutic targets for NVG.

Objective To investigate the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on male semen quality through meta-analysis and retrospec-tive study.Methods Literature retrieval was conducted in PubMed,CNKI,Wanfang Database and CBM database.Meta-analysis was performed using Stata 15.0.The male patients meeting the inclusion criteria from our hospital were enrolled as study subjects.General demographic data and semen parameters were collected.Single factor analysis of variance and graphing of semen parameters were con-ducted using GraphPad Prism 9.5.1.The test level was set at 0.05.Results A total of 9 studies involving 267 patients were included in the meta-analysis.There were no significant differences in sperm concentration and survival rate before and after SARS-CoV-2 infec-tion(P＞0.05).Semen volume and percentage of normal morphology significantly increased during 1-3 months after infection(P=0.005,P=0.010),with semen volume recovering to pre-infection level＞3 months later(P＞0.05).Sperm motility and progressive mo-tility increased＞3 months after infection(P=0.046,P=0.045),recovering to pre-infection levels(P=0.099,P=0.098).Sperm DNA fragmentation index may be temporarily elevated within 3 months after infection but gradually decreased＞3 months later.In the retrospective study of 8 cases,there were no statistical differences in semen parameters at different stages compared with pre-infection(P＞0.05),but semen parameters showed a negative trend during＜1 month after infection and recovered to pre-infection levels＞3 months later.Conclusion The results of this laboratory study are basically consistent with the meta-analysis.SARS-CoV-2 infection in males only caused short-term negative effects on sperm morphology,vitality and DNA integrity,but generally recovered to pre-infection levels＞3 months after infection.Due to the limitations of study subjects and sample size,the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on male semen quality needs to be further confirmed by long-term large-scale prospective studies.

Objective:To improve and optimize the modified surgical strategies for patents with Simon Ⅰ and Simon Ⅱ type of gynecomastia, based on their magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features.Methods:Clinical data of 190 patients aged 12 to 56 years (mean age 26.7±8.6) with gynecomastia who underwent modified surgeries in the Department of Plastic Surgery of Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 2017 to January 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. The study measured breast MRI images of 44 male patients to calculate the area ratio of the glands on the transverse plane via nipple. This provided insight into the physiological structure and the tissue distribution of gynecomastia for improving the modified surgical strategies. All 190 patients were treated with enhanced liposuction and " Pull-Through and Bottom-Up" techniques. The duration of operation, amount of liposuction and amount of glandular resection, postoperative complications were recorded, and postoperative satisfaction was investigated by questionnaire surveys.Results:MRI images of the 87-side male breast showed that the average area ratio of the glands on the transverse plane via nipple was (10.9±12.5) %. The most prevalent subtype of gynecomastia was branch pattern, accounting for 46.0%. The median surgical duration of 190 patients was 95 (65-210) minutes, the median liposuction volume was 300 (50-1 400) ml, and the median glandular removal was 19.9 (1.5-157.0) g. Eighty-eight patients (46.3%) went through followed up for more than 6 months post-posterative with an overall satisfaction score of 4.68±0.53. Postoperative complications occurred in 19 sides (5.1%), and the reoperation rate was 1.3%.Conclusions:The MRI imaging of gynecomastia shows that the component of patients′ breasts are mainly fat, with a small amount of glandular tissue and the dominant subtype is branch pattern. Enhanced liposuction combined with " Pull-Through and Bottom-Up" stab incision technique can be an effective treatment for Simon grades Ⅰ and Ⅱ gynecomastia. The method results in high patient satisfaction with fewer postoperative complications.