Value of left ventricular regional ejection fraction determined by real-time three-dimensional echocardiography in diagnosis of aneurysm: compared with left ventriculography / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Regional ejection fraction (EF(R)) measured by real-time three-dimensional echocardiography (RT-3DE) provides a novel method for quantifying left-ventricular (LV) regional systolic function. We aimed to explore the diagnostic value of regional ejection fraction (EFR) derived from RT-3DE in detecting LV aneurysms in patients with myocardial infarction.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty-eight patients with myocardial infarction were prospectively enrolled and underwent electrocardiography (ECG), two-dimensional echocardiography (2-DE), RT-3DE and left ventriculography (LVG). Subjects with a negative EFR in at least one segment on RT-3DE were considered as having a ventricular aneurysm. We compared the sensitivity, specificity, Youden's index, and positive and negative predictive values of ECG, 2-DE and RT-3DE in determining LV aneurysm with detection by LVG.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>On LVG an LV aneurysm was diagnosed in 16 (42.1%) patients. The sensitivity and specificity were 62.5% and 86.4% for ECG, 81.2% and 95.4% for 2-DE, and 100.0% and 90.9% for RT-3DE in diagnosing LV aneurysm. Youden's indexes for ECG, 2-DE and RT-3DE were 0.49, 0.77 and 0.91, respectively. Positive and negative predictive values were 76.9% and 76.0% for ECG, 92.9% and 87.5% for 2-DE, and 88.9% and 100.0% for RT-3DE.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>RT-3DE-derived EFR provides a novel, reliable index in the diagnosis of LV aneurysm and has excellent sensitivity and specificity.</p>

Observation on therapeutic effects of red-hot needle therapy on nodules of breast of the type of stagnation of liver-qi and phlegm coagulation / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To compare therapeutic effects of red-hot needle therapy and filiform needle therapy on nodules of breast of the type of stagnation of liver-qi and phlegm coagulation.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Six hundred cases were randomly divided into a treatment group and a control group, 300 cases in each group. The treatment group were treated with red-hot needle pricking at the proliferative parts and Ashi points as main, and the control group with filiform needle therapy.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In the treatment group, 240 cases were cured, 58 cases improved and 2 cases were not cured with an effective rate of 99.3%; and in the control group, 113 cases were cured, 165 cases improved and 22 were not cured with an effective rate of 92.7%, with a significant difference between the two groups (P = 0.001).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The therapeutic effect of red-hot needle therapy is better than that of filiform needle therapy on nodules of breast of the type of stagnation of liver-qi and phlegm coagulation.</p>