Background: A simple superoposterior approach to thoracic transforaminal epidural injections (TFEIs) under ultrasonographic guidance was proposed to reduce zoster-associated pain (ZAP) involving multiple thoracic nerves and the likelihood of transitioning to postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). Methods: Patients were prospectively enrolled. Primary endpoints were the burden of illness (BOI) scores and epidural contrast spread. Secondary endpoints included number of needle insertion attempts, sensory blockade, hemodynamic changes, procedure time, radiation dose, adverse events, rescue analgesics, PHN incidence and EuroQoL 5-Dimension scores. Results: Thirty-five injections were performed in 27 patients. Median levels of cephalad-caudad epidural contrast spread were 3, 4, and 5 ml following injections of 2, 3, and 4 ml. Dorsal epidural spread was observed at levels 3, 4, and 5, whereas concurrent ventral spread was observed at levels 2, 3, and 4. BOI scores at 30–180 days significantly decreased (mean difference: −25.3, 95% CI [−57.4 to 6.6], P = 0.005), accounting for reduced rescue analgesic requirements and PHN occurrence and improved EuroQoL 5-Dimension scores. Median sensory blockade at 5 min post-procedure was at level 2, 3, and 4 after 2, 3, and 4 ml of therapeutic injectate. No significant hemodynamic changes were noted at 15 min post-injection. No serious adverse events were observed. Conclusions Spread of thoracic epidural contrast to all involved nerves was confirmed using this novel technique. Simplified needle placement reduced the technical difficulty and risk of complications. It might be a promising alternative approach for ZAP.

Background: A simple superoposterior approach to thoracic transforaminal epidural injections (TFEIs) under ultrasonographic guidance was proposed to reduce zoster-associated pain (ZAP) involving multiple thoracic nerves and the likelihood of transitioning to postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). Methods: Patients were prospectively enrolled. Primary endpoints were the burden of illness (BOI) scores and epidural contrast spread. Secondary endpoints included number of needle insertion attempts, sensory blockade, hemodynamic changes, procedure time, radiation dose, adverse events, rescue analgesics, PHN incidence and EuroQoL 5-Dimension scores. Results: Thirty-five injections were performed in 27 patients. Median levels of cephalad-caudad epidural contrast spread were 3, 4, and 5 ml following injections of 2, 3, and 4 ml. Dorsal epidural spread was observed at levels 3, 4, and 5, whereas concurrent ventral spread was observed at levels 2, 3, and 4. BOI scores at 30–180 days significantly decreased (mean difference: −25.3, 95% CI [−57.4 to 6.6], P = 0.005), accounting for reduced rescue analgesic requirements and PHN occurrence and improved EuroQoL 5-Dimension scores. Median sensory blockade at 5 min post-procedure was at level 2, 3, and 4 after 2, 3, and 4 ml of therapeutic injectate. No significant hemodynamic changes were noted at 15 min post-injection. No serious adverse events were observed. Conclusions Spread of thoracic epidural contrast to all involved nerves was confirmed using this novel technique. Simplified needle placement reduced the technical difficulty and risk of complications. It might be a promising alternative approach for ZAP.

Background: A simple superoposterior approach to thoracic transforaminal epidural injections (TFEIs) under ultrasonographic guidance was proposed to reduce zoster-associated pain (ZAP) involving multiple thoracic nerves and the likelihood of transitioning to postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). Methods: Patients were prospectively enrolled. Primary endpoints were the burden of illness (BOI) scores and epidural contrast spread. Secondary endpoints included number of needle insertion attempts, sensory blockade, hemodynamic changes, procedure time, radiation dose, adverse events, rescue analgesics, PHN incidence and EuroQoL 5-Dimension scores. Results: Thirty-five injections were performed in 27 patients. Median levels of cephalad-caudad epidural contrast spread were 3, 4, and 5 ml following injections of 2, 3, and 4 ml. Dorsal epidural spread was observed at levels 3, 4, and 5, whereas concurrent ventral spread was observed at levels 2, 3, and 4. BOI scores at 30–180 days significantly decreased (mean difference: −25.3, 95% CI [−57.4 to 6.6], P = 0.005), accounting for reduced rescue analgesic requirements and PHN occurrence and improved EuroQoL 5-Dimension scores. Median sensory blockade at 5 min post-procedure was at level 2, 3, and 4 after 2, 3, and 4 ml of therapeutic injectate. No significant hemodynamic changes were noted at 15 min post-injection. No serious adverse events were observed. Conclusions Spread of thoracic epidural contrast to all involved nerves was confirmed using this novel technique. Simplified needle placement reduced the technical difficulty and risk of complications. It might be a promising alternative approach for ZAP.

Background: A simple superoposterior approach to thoracic transforaminal epidural injections (TFEIs) under ultrasonographic guidance was proposed to reduce zoster-associated pain (ZAP) involving multiple thoracic nerves and the likelihood of transitioning to postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). Methods: Patients were prospectively enrolled. Primary endpoints were the burden of illness (BOI) scores and epidural contrast spread. Secondary endpoints included number of needle insertion attempts, sensory blockade, hemodynamic changes, procedure time, radiation dose, adverse events, rescue analgesics, PHN incidence and EuroQoL 5-Dimension scores. Results: Thirty-five injections were performed in 27 patients. Median levels of cephalad-caudad epidural contrast spread were 3, 4, and 5 ml following injections of 2, 3, and 4 ml. Dorsal epidural spread was observed at levels 3, 4, and 5, whereas concurrent ventral spread was observed at levels 2, 3, and 4. BOI scores at 30–180 days significantly decreased (mean difference: −25.3, 95% CI [−57.4 to 6.6], P = 0.005), accounting for reduced rescue analgesic requirements and PHN occurrence and improved EuroQoL 5-Dimension scores. Median sensory blockade at 5 min post-procedure was at level 2, 3, and 4 after 2, 3, and 4 ml of therapeutic injectate. No significant hemodynamic changes were noted at 15 min post-injection. No serious adverse events were observed. Conclusions Spread of thoracic epidural contrast to all involved nerves was confirmed using this novel technique. Simplified needle placement reduced the technical difficulty and risk of complications. It might be a promising alternative approach for ZAP.

Objective To explore the effect of Mongolian medicine Naru-3 pills on the treatment of neuropathic pain(NP)with pregabalin combined with nerve block.Methods Forty-one hospitalized pa-tients in the department of pain medicine diagnosed with NP from October 2022 to September 2023 were se-lected,including 20 males and 21 females,aged 40-80 years,BMI≥18.5 kg/m2.The patients were di-vided into two groups by random number table method:Mongolian medicine Naru-3 pills group(observation group,n=20)and conventional treatment group(control group,n=21).The control group received conventional treatment:oral pregabalin capsule combined with ultrasound-guided nerve block in pain area.The observation group was added oral administration of Mongolian medicine Naru-3 pills(2 g/10 capsules)on the basis of conventional treatment,taking 3-5 capsules orally before going to bed every night for 2 weeks.The numerical rating scale(NRS)pain score,short-form McGill pain questionnaire(SF-MPQ)score,and Pittsburgh sleep quality index(PSQI)were recorded before treatment and 2 weeks,1 month,and 2 months after the treatment.The serum concentrations of IL-6,IL-8,IL-1β,and TNF-α were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)1 day before treatment and 2 weeks after treatment.Occur-rence of adverse reactions during treatment such as nausea,vomiting,bloating,palpitations,drowsiness,and dizziness were recorded.Results Compared with 1 day before treatment,NRS pain score,SF-MPQ score,and PSQI were lower in both groups 2 weeks,1 month,and 2 months after the treatment(P＜0.05),the serum concentrations of IL-6,IL-1β,and TNF-α were reduced in both groups 2 weeks after the treatment(P＜0.05).Compared with the control group,NRS pain score,SF-MPQ score,and PSQI were lower in the observation group 2 weeks,1 month,and 2 months after the treatment(P＜0.05);the serum concentrations of IL-6,IL-1 β,and TNF-α were reduced in the observation group 2 weeks after the treatment(P＜0.05).There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups.Conclusion Mongolian Naru-3 pills combined with conventional therapy can effectively reduce the pain of NP patients,improve the quality of sleep of patients,and may have the effect of regulating neuroinflammation.

Objective:To investigate the clinicopathological features of Crooke cell tumor of adrenocorticotropic hormone differentiation specific transcription factor (TPIT, also known as transcription factor 19, TBX19) lineage neuroendocrine tumors.Methods:Six cases of Crooke cell tumor diagnosed at the First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China from October 2019 to October 2023 were collected. The clinical and pathological features of these cases were analyzed.Results:Among the six cases, one was male and five were female, with ages ranging from 26 to 75 years, and an average age of 44 years. All tumors occurred within the sella turcica. Clinical presentations included visual impairment in two cases, menstrual disorders in one case, Cushing′s syndrome in one case, headache in one case, and one asymptomatic case discovered during a physical examination. Preoperative serum analyses revealed elevated levels of cortisol and adrenocorticotropic hormones in two cases, elevated cortisol in two cases, elevated adrenocorticotropic hormone in one case, and one case with a mild increase in prolactin due to the pituitary stalk effect. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed uneven enhancement of masses with maximum diameters ranging from 1.7 to 3.2 cm, all identified as macroadenomas. Microscopically, tumor cells exhibited irregular polygonal shapes, solid sheets, or pseudo-papillary arrangements around blood vessels. The cell nuclei were eccentric or centrally located, varying in size, with abundant cytoplasm. Some tumor cells showed perinuclear halo. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated diffuse strong positivity for TPIT in five cases, focal weak positivity for TPIT in one case, diffuse strong positivity for adrenocorticotropic hormone in all cases, and faint staining around the nuclei in a few cells. CK8/18 showed a strong positive ring pattern in more than 50% of tumor cells, focal weak positive expression of p53, and the Ki-67 positive index ranged 1%-5%. Periodic acid-Schiff staining revealed positive cytoplasm and negative perinuclear areas.Conclusions:Crooke cell tumor is a rare type of pituitary neuroendocrine tumors. Its pathological characteristics include a distinctive perinuclear clear zone and immunohistochemical markers, such as CK8/18 exhibiting a ring or halo pattern. This entity represents a high-risk subtype among pituitary neuroendocrine tumors, displaying a high risk of invasion and a propensity for recurrence. Accurate diagnosis is crucial for the postoperative follow-up and multimodal treatment planning.

Objective:To screen mutations of the adenosine triphosphate(ATP)-binding cassette transporter A3(ABCA3)gene in elderly Chinese individuals with lung interstitial diseases(ILDs)and to analyze the clinical characteristics of ILDs in elderly patients.Methods:A prospective study, After further image analysis of patients diagnosed with interstitial lung diseases between September 2015 and December 2018 at the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, 103 patients were willing to provide peripheral blood samples and signed informed consent.DNA samples were extracted and whole exome sequencing was performed to screen ABCA3 gene mutations.Clinical data of patients were summarized and analyzed.Results:Seven rare variants of the ABCA3 gene were identified in 6 patients, with a mean age of 67 years(69-73 years)and an equal sex distribution, and 33.3%(2/6)were smokers.The most notable presentation was diffuse lung lesions.Patients' final diagnoses included idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis(IPF, 3/6), nonspecific interstitial pneumonia(NSIP, 1/6), and IgG4-related lung disease(2/6). Meanwhile, compound heterozygous mutations of the ABCA3 gene responsible for IPF were identified in patient No.39, including p. Asp1465Asn, p.Leu3Vval and p. Val93Ile3, a new finding in patients with ILDs.Conclusions:ABCA3 mutation-related lung interstitial diseases exhibit variable characteristics, with differences in the age of onset, clinical manifestations, imaging features and prognosis between patients.ABCA3 mutations responsible for early-onset ILDs are mostly homozygous or compound heterozygous and usually highly pathogenic nonsense mutations.In contrast, ABCA3 mutations identified in elderly patients with ILDs are often missense mutations, a possible explanation for the variability of ILDs in the elderly.Since patients with ILDs caused by ABCA3 variants respond poorly to currently available treatment options, early genetic diagnosis may benefit patients by enhancing disease awareness.

Objective:To establish the normal values of water-perfused high resolution esophageal manometry (HREM)(GAP-36A) at resting period, water swallowing, semisolid swallowing and solid swallowing in Chinese population.Methods:From September 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020, 91 healthy volunteers receiving water-perfused HREM (GAP-36A) at resting period, water swallowing, semisolid swallowing and solid swallowing were selected from 9 hospitals (Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology; the First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University; the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University; the Second Affiliated Hospital, Naval Medical University; the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University; the First Affiliated Hospital, University of Science and Technology of China; Aviation General Hospital of China Medical University; the Affiliated Hospital of Medical School of Nanjing University and the First People′s Hospital of Yichang). Parameters included the position of the upper and lower edges of the upper esophageal sphincter (UES) and lower esophageal sphincter (LES), the length of the LES and UES, the position of the pressure inversion point (PIP), the resting pressure of UES and LES and swallow-related parameters such as the distal contraction integral (DCI), 4 s integrated relaxation pressure (IRP), distal latency (DL) and UES residual pressure. One-way analysis of variance, post-hoc test and sum rank test were used for statistical analysis.Results:A total of 87 healthy volunteers were enrolled, including 40 males and 47 females, aged (38.5±14.2) years old (ranged from 19 to 65 years old). The position of the upper and lower edges of the LES was (42.7±2.8) and (45.6±2.8) cm, respectively, the length of the LES was (2.9±0.4) cm, and the position of PIP was (43.3±2.8) cm. The position of the upper and lower edges of the UES was (18.1±3.0) and (22.6±2.0) cm, respectively, and the length of the UES was (4.8±1.0) cm. The resting pressure of LES and UES was (17.4±10.7) and (84.1±61.1) mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa), respectively. The DCI value at solid swallowing was higher than those at water swallowing and semisolid swallowing ((2 512.4±1 448.0) mmHg·s·cm vs. (2 183.2±1 441.2) and (2 150.8±1 244.8) mmHg·s·cm), and the differences were statistically significant ( t=-4.30 and -3.74, both P<0.001). The values of 4 s IRP at semisolid swallowing and solid swallowing were lower than that at water swallowing ((4.6±4.1) and (4.9±3.9) mmHg vs. (5.4±3.9) mmHg), and the differences were statistically significant ( t=3.38 and 2.09, P=0.001 and 0.037). The DL at water swallowing was shorter than those at semisolid swallowing and solid swallowing ((8.5±1.8) s vs. (9.8±2.2) and (10.6±2.8) s), and the DL at semisolid swallowing was shorter than that at solid swallowing, and the differences were statistically significant ( t=-10.21, -13.91 and -4.68, all P<0.001). The UES residual pressure at water swallowing was higher than those at semisolid swallowing and solid swallowing (9.5 mmHg, 6.5 to 12.3 mmHg vs. 8.0 mmHg, 4.5 to 11.7 mmHg and 5.5 mmHg, 2.0 to 9.3 mmHg), and the UES residual pressure at semisolid swallowing was higher than that at solid swallowing, and the differences were statistically significant ( t=3.48, 10.30 and 6.35, all P<0.001). Conclusions:The normal values of water-perfused HREM (GAP-36A) in Chinese population at resting period, water swallowing, semisolid swallowing and solid swallowing can provide a reference basis for clinical diagnosis and treatment for patients receiving water-perfused HREM examination.

BACKGROUND: Scleroderma is a multisystem disease in which tissue fibrosis is caused by inflammation and vascular damage. The mortality of scleroderma has remained high due to a lack of effective treatments. However, exosomes derived from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (HUMSCs)-Ex have been regarded as potential treatments for various autoimmune diseases, and may also act as candidates for treating scleroderma. METHODS: Mice with scleroderma received a single 50 lg HUMSCs-Ex. HUMSCs-Ex was characterized using transmission electron microscopy, nanoparticle tracking analysis and nanoflow cytometry. The therapeutic efficacy was assessed using histopathology, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and western blot. RESULTS: HUMSCs-Ex ameliorated the deposition of extracellular matrix and suppressed the epithelial-mesenchymal transition process, and the effects lasted at least three weeks. In addition, HUMSCs-Ex promoted M1 macrophage polarization and inhibited M2 macrophage polarization, leading to the restoration of the balance of M1/M2 macrophages. CONCLUSION We investigated the potential antifibrotic and anti-inflammatory effects of HUMSCs-Ex in a bleomycininduced mouse model of scleroderma. So HUMSCs-Ex could be considered as a candidate therapy for scleroderma.

Objective To analyze of the effect of artificial lengthening femoral head replacement in elderly patients with stage Ⅰ of unstable femoral intertrochanteric fracture.Methods 203 patients with stage Ⅰ of unstable femoral intertrochanteric fracture were selected as the research object,and they were taken artificial lengthening femoral head replacement,among which 65caese were male,female in 138 cases.The Harris scoring,SF-36,VAS pain scores on admission,2 weeks after operation,postoperative follow-up limb were counted,and the pain of the affected limb and the hip scores were compared amond 3 time periods.Results All 203 cases of senile patients with follow-up,average operation time was 83.64 minutes,the intraoperative blood loss was 355.41mL.The curative effect was evaluated according to the Harris score,SF-36 and VAS pain scoring criteria,and the Harris scores of the affected limbs at admission,at 2 weeks after the operation and after the follow-up were (28.26 ± 5.50) points,(68.26 ±5.50) points,(93.13 ± 5.31) points,respectively,the differences were statistically significant (t =-71.27,-1 397.55,-46.07,all P ＜ 0.01);The VAS pain scores were (8.19 ± 0.48) points,(3.53 ± 0.71) points,(0.23 ± 0.42) points,respectively,the differences were statistically significant (t =88.06,324.17,60.84,all P ＜ 0.01).The sf-36 scores:physiological [(8.35 ± 1.24) points,(15.23 ± 2.17) points,(19.21 ± 2.12) points],social/family [(7.01 ±1.13) points,(14.12 ± 2.12) points,(19.85 ± 2.24) points],emotional [(4.83 ± 1.01) points,(10.12 ±1.22)points,(14.87 ± 1.32) points],function [(6.35 ± 1.21) points,(13.67 ± 1.87) points,(16.81 ±2.12) points],additional focus [(8.85 ± 1.45) points,(16.38 ± 2.12) points,(20.21 ± 2.42) points],total quality of life [(47.35 ± 4.76) points,(74.69 ± 5.87) points,(89.21 ± 6.12) points],the differences were statistically significant(-39.77,-62.92,-20.21,-44.87,-71.89,-26.79,-45.04,-89.01,-38.25,-45.79,-63.41,-15.29,-45.20,-60.39,-17.54,-52.12,-76.49,-22.58,all P＜0.O1).Conclusion Artificial lengthening femoral head replacement in elderly patients with stage Ⅰ of unstable femoral intertrochanteric fracture has good clinical effect,intraoperative high safety,less postoperative complications,postoperative limb functional recovery is good,and it is worthy of clinical promotion and application.