ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the efficacy and safety of electrochemotherapy in treating venous malformations.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Electrochemotherapy was applied to 665 patients with venous malformations of limbs and trunk, and 505 cases were followed up for half to 6 years. In this study, 228 male and 277 female patients were involved. Diagnosis was made by clinical manifestations and magnetic resonance imaging. The platinum electrodes were inserted into tumor through a trocar with plastic insulating cannula percutaneously and connected with the electrochemical therapeutic apparatus in anodes and cathodes separately. Then electricity was given. The treating voltage is 6-12 V and volume 100-180 mA, the total electricity used is in general 80-100 coulombs per 1.0 square centimeter of tumors' area. The treating time was usually from several dozen minutes to over 2 h depending on the size of the tumor. The severe cases which needed to be treated once again usually were operated after 6 months.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The primary efficacy end point was defined as an improvement of patients' symptoms and a reduction in size of tumor 6 months after treatment. Effects were divided into 4 grades, and the efficacy rate decreased from grade 1 to grade 4. The efficacy turned out that 30.1% (152/505) of patients was classified as grade 1; 46.3% (234/505) as grade 2; 19.0% (96/505) as grade 3 and 4.6% (23/505) as grade 4.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Electrochemotherapy shows special superiorities in treating venous malformations. It might bring a confirmed clinical efficacy with the advantages of less injury, quick recovery, simple operation and less complications.</p>
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Adult , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Electrochemotherapy , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Neoplasms , Drug Therapy , Pathology , Retrospective Studies , Vascular Malformations , Drug TherapyABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the significance of soluble DLL1 (Delta-like-1) levels of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum in the diagnosis of intracranial infection in children.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Fifty children with intracranial infection, including 20 cases of tuberculous meningitis (TM), 20 cases of viral meningitis (VM) and 10 cases of purulent meningitis (PM), and 20 children without intracranial infection (control group) were enrolled. The levels of soluble DLL1 in CSF and serum were measured using ELISA.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The level of CSF soluble DLL1 in the TM group was significantly higher than that in the VM, PM and control groups (2.89 ± 1.72 ng/mL vs 0.14 ± 0.14 ng/mL, 0.27 ± 0.21 ng/mL, 0.13 ± 0.12 ng/mL; P<0.01). The level of serum soluble DLL1 in the TM group was also significantly higher than that in the VM, PM and control groups (12.61 ± 6.45 ng/mL vs 2.28 ± 2.27 ng/mL, 2.38 ± 1.79 ng/mL, 2.26 ± 2.10 ng/mL; P<0.01). The levels of soluble DLL1 in the CSF and serum in the VM and PM groups were not significantly different from those in the control group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Soluble DLL1 as a novel indicator might have potentially important value in the diagnosis of TM.</p>
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Child , Female , Humans , Male , Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins , Blood , Cerebrospinal Fluid , Membrane Proteins , Blood , Cerebrospinal Fluid , Meningitis, Bacterial , Diagnosis , Meningitis, Viral , Diagnosis , Suppuration , Diagnosis , Tuberculosis, Meningeal , DiagnosisABSTRACT
Los primeros estudios clínicos en Cuba fueron realizados para evaluar la seguridad y efectividad de la electroterapia en 4 pacientes con tumor sólido superficial maligno. Se empleó básicamente el equipo chino multifuncional ZAY-6B, en el que además de insertar electrodos en la base perpendicular al eje mayor, se utilizó un arreglo de cátodos y ánodos alternos. Los pacientes fueron cuidadosamente observados durante y después de la sesión con electroterapia para poder evaluar sus efectos terapéuticos. Se obtuvo un retardo significativo del crecimiento tumoral después del tratamiento, particularmente del carcinoma ductal invasor de mama, aunque se logró la remisión parcial de todos los neoplasmas malignos tratados con electricidad. Un hecho interesante fue que las 2 pacientes con carcinoma ductal invasor de mama inoperable, pudieron ser intervenidas quirúrgicamente luego de haber recibido electroterapia.. La necrosis de los 4 tumores malignos se produjo inmediatamente después de la terapia. Transcurridos 8 meses, los hallazgos histopatológicos y peritumorales en el carcinoma ductal invasor de mama de la segunda paciente, revelaron gran necrosis tumoral, congestión vascular, infiltraciones de monocitos y linfocitos y una respuesta inflamatoria crónica. Los resultados preliminares derivados de este adiestramiento indican que la terapia con corriente eléctrica directa de baja intensidad puede ser introducida en el Sistema Nacional de Salud Pública por constituir un método seguro, simple, económico, eficaz, apenas traumático y muy factible para tratar a los pacientes con tumores inoperables en estadios avanzados (III y IV), que no toleran la radioterapia y quimioterapia o en quienes la aplicación de estos métodos oncoespecíficos no proporcionó la respuesta objetiva esperada
Subject(s)
Humans , Female , Breast Neoplasms , Electric Stimulation Therapy , Neoplasms , Breast Neoplasms/therapyABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the clinical effect of electro-acupuncture (EA) in treating patients with lingual hemangioma (LHG).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>EA therapy was applied on 36 patients by directly inserting the platinum needles into LHG through a trocar with plastic insulating cannula to protect the normal tissues and connecting the needles with the electro-chemical therapeutic apparatus of model ZAY-B. Then electricity was given until the tumor body got contracted and rigid. The result was assessed 6 months after EA was started.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>All patients were treated effectively, namely, the effective rate was 100%, with the therapeutic effect reaching grade I in 29 patients (80.6%), grade II in 7 (19.4%), and all having the function of tongue recovered to normal.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>EA shows special superiorities in treating LHG, proved to bring about less injury and quick recovery and being simple in operation. Especially when applied on huge LHG, it could not only remove the tumor, but also preserve the function of the tongue, so it is a brand-new approach that is likely to be accepted by patients.</p>