Eosinophilic gastroenteritis: Pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

Eosinophilic gastroenteritis (EGE) is a gastrointestinal disorder of unclear etiology that is characterized by eosinophilic infiltration of the stomach and small intestine, and consists of mucosal, muscular, and serosal subtypes. Eosinophilic infiltration of the gastrointestinal tract is a fundamental histopathological characteristic of EGE and is driven by several T-helper type 2 (Th2)-dependent cytokines and induced by food allergy. Due to the lack of a diagnostic gold standard, EGE has a high rate of delayed diagnosis or misdiagnosis. However, several new diagnostic strategies have been developed, such as novel genetic biomarkers and imaging tests. Although dietary therapy and corticosteroids remain the common choices for EGE treatment, recent decades have seen the emergence of novel treatment alternatives, such as biologics that target particular molecules involved in the pathogenic process. Preliminary investigations and clinical trials have demonstrated the efficacy of biologics and provided additional insights for the era of refractory or corticosteroid-dependent EGE biologics.

Evaluation of Mental Workload in Working Memory Tasks with Different Information Types Based on EEG / 中国医疗器械杂志

OBJECTIVE@#Exploring the effectiveness of using EEG linear and nonlinear features for accessing mental workload in different tasks.@*METHODS@#Working memory tasks with different information types and various mental loads were designed based on N-Back paradigm. EEG signals from 18 normal adults were acquired when tasks were being performed. Linear and nonlinear features of EEGs were then extracted. Indices that can effectively reflect mental workload levels were selected by using multivariate analysis of variance statistical approach.@*RESULTS@#With the increment of task load, power of frontal Theta, Theta/Alpha ratio, and sample entropies (scales>10) in parietal regions increased significantly first and decreased slightly then, while the power of central-parietal Alpha decreased significantly first and increased slightly then. No difference in power of frontal Theta, central-parietal Alpha, and sample entropies (scales>10) of parietal regions were found between verbal and object tasks, as well as between two spatial tasks. No difference of frontal Theta/Alpha ratio was found in all the four tasks.@*CONCLUSIONS@#The results can provide evidence for the mental workload evaluation in tasks with different information types.

Evaluation of safety and consistency of inhaled allergen extracts in the diagnosis of allergic diseases in children / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

Objective:To investigate the safety and consistency of domestic inhaled allergen extracts in the diagnosis of allergic diseases in children.Methods:Nine thousand five hundred and sixty-three children diagnosed with allergic diseases from September 2018 to June 2020 in Children′s Hospital Affiliated to Capital Institute of Pedia-trics were selected in this study, and all of them were subjected to skin prick test(SPT), and 415 of them were subjected to serum specific IgE (sIgE) test at the same time.The adverse events during SPT were recorded and the consistency of the results between SPT and sIgE test was analyzed.Results:There were 14 cases with adverse events in 9 563 patients, and the overall incidence was 0.15%.The incidence of adverse events was 0.07% (2/2 581 cases) in the 1-5 years old group, 0.19% (12/6 197 cases) in the 6-11 years old and 0 in the 12-17 years old group.The severity of all these events was grade Ⅰ.Out of the 14 cases with adverse events, only 1 case was considered to be related to allergen preparations, with the incidence being 0.01% (1/9 563 cases). The Kappa index showed that the results of dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, dermatophagoides farinae, alternaria and artemisia measured by SPT and sIgE were almost the same.There was high consistency between tree pollens and ragweed ( P<0.01), and moderate consistency between aspergillus fumigatus ( P<0.01). When the results of sIgE were used as the diagnostic criteria, the Youden index for the results of SPT ranged from 0.76 to 0.89, with aspergillus fumigatus (0.76) and tree pollens mixture (0.79) as the lowest.The positive likelihood ratio for most of the inhaled allergens was more than 10 except for tree pollens mixture (7.12) and dermatophagoides farinae (9.10). The negative likelihood ratio for most of the inhaled allergens was less than or equal to 0.1 except for aspergillus fumigatus (0.19). Conclusions:The domestic inhaled allergen extracts had high safety in the clinical application of SPT, and their results of SPT had good consistency with those of serum sIgE, which was conducive to the diagnosis and evaluation of allergic diseases in children.

Correlation between cervical curvature and cervical disc bulging in young patients with neck pain / 中国骨伤

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the correlation between the curvature of the cervical spine and the degree of cervical disc bulging in young patients with cervical pain.@*METHODS@#The clinical data of 539 young patients with neck pain from January 2015 to December 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 251 males and 288 females, aged 18 to 40 (32.2±6.3) years old. The cervical curvature and cervical disc bulging were measured by cervical X-ray and MRI. According to cervical curvature, the patients were divided into 175 cases of cervical lordosis group (cervical curvature > 7 mm), 163 cases of cervical erection group (0

The MRI study of brain functional changes in cervical vertigo patients / 中华骨科杂志

Objective:To explore the brain function changes in patients with cervical vertigo using functional MRI.Methods:Twenty-two patients who were diagnosed with cervical vertigo were recruited in this study for functional MRI (fMRI) analysis, while 25 age- and sex-matched adult healthy individuals were chose forhealthy controls. The Visual Analogue Scale(VAS) and Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) were used to access the severity of cervical vertigo, and the six-point categorical rating scale was used to measure the frequency of vertigo. Functional MRI was used to investigate the regions with brain functional changes between the cervical vertigo group and the control group. All the data was analyzed using low-frequency oscillation amplitude (ALFF) to explore local brain function changes. The ALFF values between the two groups were tested by two independent samples t-tests. Finally, the ALFF values in abnormal brain regions were extracted using the REST software package and correlated with the diseaseduration of cervical vertigo and thevertigo scores (VAS and DHI) using Pearson correlation analysis. P <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results:Compared to healthy controls, patients with cervical vertigo haddecreased ALFF valuesin the left superior temporal gyrus (voxel=45, t=-3.36), right superior temporal gyrus (voxel=32, t=-2.82) and left supramarginal gyrus (voxel=57, t=-4.85), and increased ALFF values in the left and right cerebellum (voxel=41, t=4.26; voxel=33, t=4.57; respectively)(AlphaSim Rest, all P values >0.05). The ALFF values of left and right superior temporal gyrus were negatively correlated with the disease duration of vertigo (left R2=0.437, right R2==0.259), the VAS score (left R2==0.453, right R2==0.341) and DHI score (left R2=0.553, right R2=0.594), respectively, and there were significant differences (all P values < 0.05). The ALFF values of left and right cerebellum were positively correlated with the disease duration of vertigo (left R2==0.555, right R2=0.490) and the VAS score (left R2=0.307, right R2=0.282) and DHI score (left R2=0.632, right R2=0.591), respectively, and the differences were significant (all P values < 0.05). Conclusion:Patients with cervical vertigo have reduced spontaneous nerve activity in bilateral Vestibular cortex, and increased spontaneous nerve activity in the bilateral cerebellum. The brain functional changes were correlated with the disease duration and the severity of vertigo.

Long-Term Outcome of Dynesys Dynamic Stabilization for Lumbar Spinal Stenosis / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>Background</b>Many clinical studies over the past decade have indicated positive outcomes for patients treated with Dynesys dynamic stabilization for lumbar degenerative disease. However, long-term outcomes of Dynesys for lumbar spinal stenosis are rarely reported. The aim of this study was to analyze the long-term clinical and radiologic outcomes for patients with lumbar spinal stenosis treated with Dynesys stabilization.</p><p><b>Methods</b>Thirty-eight patients with lumbar spinal stenosis were treated with Dynesys stabilization from July 2008 to March 2010. The minimal duration of follow-up was 72 months. The patients were divided into stenosis and spondylolisthesis groups according to degenerative spondylolisthesis. Clinical outcomes were evaluated using the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and visual analog scale (VAS). Radiographic evaluations included range of motion (ROM) and the disc heights of stabilized segments and the upper adjacent segments. We also evaluated the occurrence of radiographic and symptomatic adjacent segment degeneration (ASD).</p><p><b>Results</b>There were 23 patients in stenosis group and 15 patients in spondylolisthesis group. The ODI scores were significantly improved at the final follow-up evaluation, as compared to the baseline values (16.1 ± 5.7 vs. 57. 2 ± 14.2, t = 61.41, P < 0.01). The VAS scores for back and leg pain were significantly improved from 4.82 ± 0.89 and 4.04 ± 0.82 preoperatively to 0.93 ± 0.61 and 0.54 ± 0.51 postoperatively (t = 6.59, P < 0.01, and t = 5.91, P < 0.01, respectively). There were no differences between the two groups with respect to VAS and ODI scores. The ROM of stabilized segments decreased significantly from 7.8° ± 2.4° to 4.5° ± 1.5° (t = 7.18, P < 0.05), while the upper adjacent segments increased significantly from 8.3° ± 2.4° to 10.4° ± 2.4° (t = 2.87, P = 0.01). The change in disc height of stabilized segments was not significant (11.9 ± 2.1 preoperatively vs. 12.5 ± 1.5 postoperatively, t = 1.43, P = 0.15), whereas the decrease in disc height of the upper adjacent segments was significant (12.5 ± 2.0 preoperatively vs. 11.0 ± 1.7 postoperatively, t = 2.94, P = 0.01). The occurrence of radiographic and symptomatic ASD was 16% (6/38) and 3% (1/38), respectively.</p><p><b>Conclusions</b>Decompression and Dynesys stabilization for lumbar stenosis with or without spondylolisthesis showed good long-term clinical and radiographic results. Lumbar stenosis with or without Grade I spondylolisthesis, particularly in patients <60 years of age with mild-to-moderate lumbar disc degeneration, would be one of the main indications for the Dynesys system.</p>

The clinical value of China Savin pollen extract used for skin prick test / 临床耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of China Savin pollen extract which was used for skin prick test (SPT) in the diagnosis of China Savin pollen allergy. Patients with diagnosis of allergic diseases were collected from Allergy Department of Peking Union Medical College Hospital. All patients were given SPT with China Savin pollen extract, and the mean wheal diameter (MWD) was measured after 15 minutes. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis was performed based on the results of serum specific immunoglobulin E (sIgE). The effectiveness of SPT in the diagnosis of China Savin pollen allergy was evaluated under different diagnostic cutoff values. Adverse events were also recorded to evaluate the safety. A total of 1 029 patients were enrolled in this study without drop out case. There were 1 007 patients in full analysis set (FAS) and 765 patients in per protocol analysis set (PPS). The elimination rate was 25.66%. The area under the ROC curve of FAS is 0.814 (95%: 0.788-0.839); which of PPS is 0.829 (95%: 0.801-0.857). Based on the ROC curve of PPS, the optimal and the 95% specificity diagnostic cutoff values of MWD were 3.25 mm and 4.75 mm respectively. Based on different diagnostic cutoff value (3.00, 3.25 and 4.75 mm), the sensitivities of SPT with China Savin pollen extract were 0.740 0 (95%: 0.701 6-0.778 4), 0.700 (95%: 0.659 8-0.740 2) and 0.532 (95%: 0.488 3-0.575 7) respectively, whereas the specificity was gradually increased in sequence, which was 0.769 8 (95%: 0.719 1-0.820 5), 0.826 4 (95%: 0.780 8-0.872 0) and 0.950 9 (95%: 0.924 9-0.976 9) respectively. There were 7 adverse events observed among 6 patients (rate: 0.583%, 6/1 029). The manifestation was mild. There was no severe adverse event. SPT with China Savin pollen extract is an effective and safe tool for the diagnosis of China Savin pollen allergy. The effectiveness of diagnosis could be improved based on integration of medical history and different diagnostic threshold values of SPT.

Effect on quality of life of the mixed house dust mite/weed pollen extract immunotherapy

BACKGROUND: Although many patients with allergic rhinitis have symptoms due to sensitization to more than one kind of allergens, and mixed allergen extracts are widely used for immunotherapy, there are few published trials. OBJECTIVE: Our study aimed to evaluate the effect of multiple-allergen immunotherapy on improving the symptoms and quality of life of allergic rhinitis patients. METHODS: We performed a 1-year single-center observation study of subcutaneous immunotherapy using house dust mite extract (n = 12), weed pollen extract (n = 21), or mixed house dust mite/weed pollen extract (n = 11) in 44 allergic rhinitis patients. All the allergens responsible for the symptom of each patient were included in his immunotherapy. Symptom score, medication score, and quality of life of the patients were evaluated before and after 1-year immunotherapy. Quality of life was evaluated with the Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire. RESULTS: In all 3 groups receiving subcutaneous immunotherapy, significant improvement of symptom score, medication score, and quality of life was found vs. baseline at 1 year, irrespective of the allergen used. In the weed pollen season, the changes of quality of life questionnaire score after 1-year treatment were not significantly different between the weed pollen group (1.55 ± 1.24) and the mixed house dust mite/weed pollen group (1.14 ± 1.01). The same happened in the nonpollen seasons, during which dust mite immunotherapy (1.23 ± 1.63) and mixed immunotherapy (0.60 ± 0.47) did not show significantly different effect on the quality of life. CONCLUSION: The multiple-allergen immunotherapy might be effective in polysensitized allergic rhinitis patients, and could improve their quality of life. Our result did not show significant difference between the effects of multiple-allergen immunotherapy and mono-allergen immunotherapy.

Use of sIgE/T-IgE in Predicting Systemic Reactions: Retrospective Analysis of 54 Honeybee Venom Allergy Cases in North China / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Venom allergy is significantly underestimated in China. Venom-specific IgE may not provide accurate clinical reactions. Our conducted retrospective analysis observes alternative diagnostic considerations in assessing confirmation and severity of honeybee venom allergy.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Retrospective review of honeybee venom allergy versus nonallergy patients presented with positive honeybee venom (i1) sIgE results. According to clinically observed reactions caused by a honeybee sting, patients were divided into three groups. Patient residence and exposure types were analyzed. The sIgE/T-IgE among allergy and control groups was compared.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Gender ratio male:female was 32:22; median age was 39 years (31, 50). 48% (26/54) of patients live in urban areas, 52% (28/54) in rural areas. Based on bee sting reactions, patients were divided into common localized reactions (32/54), large localized reactions (7/54), and systemic reactions (15/54). In the systemic reaction group, patients presented as Type II (6/15), Type III (6/15). There is significant difference (P < 0.001) between the three groups in regards to exposure types. In the systemic reaction group, 8.7% (13/15) of patients are beekeepers. A significant difference (P < 0.001) was observed between allergic and control groups based on sIgE/T-IgE results. As well as significant difference observed between the systemic reaction group to the other two reaction groups in regards to sIgE/T-IgE results. Six systemic reaction patients presented with large localized reactions before onset of system symptoms 1 month to 1 year of being stung.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Occupational exposure is the most common cause in honeybee venom allergy induced systemic reactions. The use of sIgE/T-IgE results is a useful diagnostic parameter in determining honeybee venom allergy.</p>

Quality of life in 164 allergic rhinitis patients caused by different aeroallergens / 临床耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

OBJECTIVE@#We aimed to analyze the quality of life (QOL) in adults with allergic rhinitis according to the sensitization profile for relevant aeroallergens in Northern China, investigate the proportion of patients with coexisting asthma, and explore the correlation between QOL of rhinitis patients and the specific IgE level to the causative allergen.@*METHOD@#One hundred and sixty-four allergic rhinitis patients participated in this study, whose clinical history, results of intradermal skin test and serum specific IgE levels to common aeroallergens in North China were collected. QOL was evaluated using the rhinoconjunctivitis quality of life questionnaire (RQLQ).@*RESULT@#QOL of rhinitis patients was worse in those sensitized to tree pollens or weed pollens than those sensitized to house dust mites in Northern China. The proportion of patients with co-existing asthma was lower in tree pollen group than in house dust mite group or weed pollen group, and there was no significant difference between house dust mite group and weed pollen group. There was no significant correlation between QOL of rhinitis patients and the specific IgE level to the causative allergen.@*CONCLUSION@#In our study group, QOL of patients with allergic rhinitis varied with the allergen responsible for symptoms, but was not influenced by the specific IgE level to relevant allergen. The proportion of patients with co-existing asthma also varied with different pollen allergens. Rhinitis patients sensitized to weed pollens might be more likely to suffer from asthma than those sensitized to tree pollens.

Minimally invasive treatments of spinal metastases: vertebroplasty, radiofrequency ablation and radiation therapy / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND:The development of minimaly invasive technology significantly reduces the occurrence of surgical complications due to spinal metastases. Currently, the minimaly invasive treatment basicaly has three broad categories: vertebral cement augmentation, radiofrequency ablation combined with vertebroplasty, intraoperative radiotherapy combined with vertebroplasty. OBJECTIVE:To summarize the research progress of three kinds of minimaly invasive treatments for spinal metastases. METHODS:PubMed and Wanfang databases were searched using the keywords of spinal metastases, vertebroplasty, radiofrequency ablation, radiotherapy in English and Chinese, respectively. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Vertebral cement augmentation with good analgesic effect has been used widely, and the efficiency is up to 80%-90%. But its effect to kil tumors is very limited that is unable to control tumor growth. Radiofrequency ablation and radiation can kil the tumor, but cannot rebuild the vertebral stability. Therefore, the combination of different technologies can improve the therapeutic effect on spinal tumors. In recent years, intraoperative radiation and implantation of radioactive particles or radioactive bone cement have been developed as new technologies. However, there is no conclusion that these new technologies have better outcomes than the vertebral cement augmentation because of less reports and lack of long-term folow-up. Especialy in the metastatic patients with damaged vertebral posterior wal and tumors invaded into vertebral canal, the risk of nerve function damage caused by bone cement leakage is stil very high, even after many attempts. Above al, there is no a perfect minimaly invasive treatment for spinal metastases.

Differentiation of adipose-derived stem cells toward nucleus pulposus-like cells induced by hypoxia and a three-dimensional chitosan-alginate gel scaffold in vitro / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Injectable three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds have the advantages of fluidity and moldability to fill irregular-shaped defects, simple incorporation of bioactive factors, and limited surgical invasiveness. Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) are multipotent and can be differentiated toward nucleus pulposus (NP)-like cells. A hypoxic environment may be important for differentiation to NP-like cells because the intervertebral disc is an avascular tissue. Hence, we investigated the induction effects of hypoxia and an injectable 3D chitosan-alginate (C/A) gel scaffold on ADSCs.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The C/A gel scaffold consisted of medical-grade chitosan and alginate. Gel porosity was calculated by liquid displacement method. Pore microstructure was analyzed by light and scanning electron microscopy. ADSCs were isolated and cultured by conventional methods. Passage 2 BrdU-labeled ADSCs were co-cultured with the C/A gel. ADSCs were divided into three groups (control, normoxia-induced, and hypoxia-induced groups). In the control group, cells were cultured in 10% FBS/DMEM. Hypoxia-induced and normoxia-induced groups were induced by adding transforming growth factor-β1, dexamethasone, vitamin C, sodium pyruvate, proline, bone morphogenetic protein-7, and 1% ITS-plus to the culture medium and maintaining in 2% and 20% O2, respectively. Histological and morphological changes were observed by light and electron microscopy. ADSCs were characterized by flow cytometry. Cell viability was investigated by BrdU incorporation. Proteoglycan and type II collagen were measured by safranin O staining and the Sircol method, respectively. mRNA expression of hypoxia-inducing factor-1α (HIF-1α), aggrecan, and Type II collagen was determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>C/A gels had porous exterior surfaces with 80.57% porosity and 50-200 üm pore size. Flow cytometric analysis of passage 2 rabbit ADSCs showed high CD90 expression, while CD45 expression was very low. The morphology of induced ADSCs resembled that of NP cells. BrdU immunofluorescence showed that most ADSCs survived and proliferated in the C/A gel scaffold. Scanning electron microscopy showed that ADSCs grew well in the C/A gel scaffold. ADSCs in the C/A gel scaffold were positive for safranin O staining. Hypoxia-induced and normoxia-induced groups produced more proteoglycan and Type II collagen than the control group (P < 0.05). Proteoglycan and Type II collagen levels in the hypoxia-induced group were higher than those in the normoxia-induced group (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, higher mRNA expression of HIF-1α, aggrecan, and Type II collagen was detected in hypoxia-induced and normoxiainduced groups (P < 0.05). Expression of these genes in the hypoxia-induced group was significantly higher than that in the normoxia-induced group (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>ADSCs grow well in C/A gel scaffolds and differentiate toward NP-like cells that produce the same extracellular matrix as that of NP cells under certain induction conditions, which is promoted in a hypoxic state.</p>

Dynesys dynamic stabilization system for the lumbar degenerative disease: a preliminary report from China / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Dynesys dynamic stabilization system was first implanted in patients in 1994, and introduced to China in 2007. Therefore, it was a new technique for Chinese orthopedics and hence necessary to collect clinical data about Dynesys in China. The objective of this study was to report the preliminary results of Dynesys for the lumbar degenerative disease in China.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Twenty-seven patients were treated with the Dynesys between July 2007 and January 2009. The diagnosis included degenerative spondylolisthesis (12 cases), degenerative spinal stenosis (nine cases), and lumbar intervertebral disc herniation (six cases). Back pain and leg pain were evaluated using 100-mm visual analog scales (VAS). The Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) was used to evaluate the patients' function. The intervertebral disc height and range of motion at the operative level were taken on radiographs.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>All the patients were followed-up, with an average of (22.40 ± 4.23) months (range 15-32 months). VAS of back pain and leg pain were improved significantly (P < 0.05) at follow-up. The ODI scores were reduced from (62.58 ± 12.01)% preoperatively to (15.01 ± 5.71)% at follow-up (P < 0.05). The preoperative mean height of the intervertebral disc was (11.21 ± 1.58) mm (range 8.5-13.8 mm) and mean was (10.10 ± 1.78) mm (range 7.0-13.4 mm) at follow-up (P < 0.05). The mean range of motion of the implanted segment was (6.00 ± 1.79)° (range 2.5-9.3°) preoperatively and (5.47 ± 1.27)° (range 2.9-7.8°) at follow-up (P = 0.11).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The preliminary results of Dynesys for the lumbar degenerative disease in China are similar to the published results of other countries. It can significantly improve the clinic symptoms and preserved motion at the level of implantation. However, the long-term follow-up data need to be collected.</p>

Effects of vertebral height restoration of vertebroplasty for osteoporotic vertebra compression fractures / 中国骨伤

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the effect of vertebral height restoration of vertebroplasty for osteoporotic vertebra compression fractures (VCFs).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>From October 2004 to June 2007, a total of 37 patients with 40 VCFs were treated by vertebroplasty. There were 12 males and 25 females with a mean age of (72.4 +/- 12.7) years (ranged, 48 to 87). Pain easement state was evaluated by visual analog scale (VAS) before and after operation, as well as in followed-up. Preoperative and postoperative vertebral height, kyphosis angle at fractured levels were measured on X-rays.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>All of patients were followed-up for 12 to 47 months (averaged, 35.8 +/- 9.6). The VAS score was 8.4 +/- 1.6 before operative, 2.1 +/- 1.2 at the 2nd day after operative, there were significant difference between pre-and postoperative (P < 0.05); the average follow-up VAS was 1.6 +/- 0.9, there were significant difference as compared with the preoperative (P < 0.05). Lateral X-ray showed that the preoperative degree of vertebral height in the of anterior and middle vertebral were (72.0 +/- 10.6)% and (68.0 +/- 15.6)%, and postoperative were (76.0 +/- 8.6)% and (73.0 +/-6.1)%, respectively. There were no significant difference in vertebral height between preoperative and postoperative. The vertebral kyphosis angle was corrected from preoperative (7.8 +/- 2.7) degree to postoperative (8.1 +/- 2.3) degree.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Vertebroplasty is a safe and effective method for treatment of osteoporotic VCFs, it can relieve the pain effectively. Failure to restore vertebaral height does not seem to interfere with the excellent pain management.</p>

En bloc resection of semi-facet and lamina for thoracic ossification of ligamentum flavum with epidural adhesion / 中华骨科杂志

Objective To explore the strategy and outcomes of surgical treatment of thoracic ossification of ligamentum flavum(OLF),especially combined with ossification of posterior longitudinal ligament,thoracic kyphosis and epidural adhesion.Methods Fifty-three cases of thoracic OLF from January 2003 to December 2009 were reviewed retrospectively.All patients were treated by the methods of en bloc resection of semi-facet and lamina.All patients were followed up for more than half an year,including 32 males and 21 females,aged from 43 to 73 years(average 54.7 years).The lesions located in upper thoracic for 18 patients,and in thoracolumbar for 35 patients.For multi-level or jumping OLF patients,the responsible levels were determined by combination of images and clinical symptoms.For multi-level OLF with ossification of posterior longitudinal ligament(OPLL)or thoracic kyphosis(＞50°),multi-level pedicle screw fixation and correction of kyphosis were performed.For dural adhesion patients,part of cerebrospinal fluid was released with a caudal incision of dural sac resulting in collapse and epidural arachnoid separation.Ossific and adhesion dura mater were removed with integrity of arachnoid.The surgical outcomes were evaluated with preoperative and postoperative thoracic Japanese Orthopaedic Association(JOA)score,Nurick grade and neurologic functional recovery ratio.Results Fifty-three cases were followed up for 6 months to 6 years,with an average of 18 months.The average preoperative JOA score was 4.3±2.3,which significantly increased to 8.3±1.8 after operation.Postoperative neurologic functional recovery rates were 11% to 80%(average 65.8%),including excellent in 18 cases,good in 20,fair in 10,and poor in 5.The excellent or good rate was 71.7%.The mean preoperative Nurick grade was 3.7(2-5 grade)and decreased to 2.3 grade after operation.Conclusion En bloc resection of semi-facet and lamina is a safe and effective method for treatment of thoracic OLF.For the patients with OPLL or kyphosis,pedicle screws fixation and kyphosis correction was beneficial for recovery of neurologic function of thoracic OLF patients.

Clinical classification and surgical options of the far-lateral lumbar disc herniation / 中华外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVES</b>To suggest the clinical classification of the far-lateral lumbar disc herniation and offer the considerations for clinical choice of different surgical procedures.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>According to the locations of the herniated disc and relevant clinical symptoms, the far-lateral lumbar disc herniation was divided into three types: Type I: posterolateral and foraminal herniation(double herniations); Type II: foraminal disc herniation and Type III: extraforaminal herniation. From January 2002 to January 2007, 38 patients with far lateral lumbar disc herniation underwent surgery in the institute. The surgical options were decided by means of the classification. The surgical procedures included (1) discectomy by inter-TP (transverse process) approach, (2) discectomy with partial facetectomy and (3) discectomy with facetectomy and PLIF (posterior lumbar interbody fusion). Among the 38 patients, there were 25 males and 13 females. The mean age was 58.4 years old. The herniated discs located at L(3-4) in 17, L(4-5) in 13, and 8 cases at L(5)S(1). Twenty-three patients were simple disc herniation, 15 cases with concomitant lumbar spinal stenosis. The symptoms and signs of exiting root compression at herniated disc level were presented in all patients and passing root compression presented in 7 Type I cases as well; while intermittent claudication being presented in 15 and low back pain in 21 patients. The VAS (visual analog pain scale) of radicular leg pain was taken before and after the operation. The postoperative outcomes were evaluated through the MacNab's method in all the patients.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>By using the new classification system, the 38 patient were divided into Type I 10 cases, Type II 19 cases and Type III 9 cases. The adopted surgeries included discectomy by intertransverse approach in 5, discectomy with partial facetectomy in 7, and discectomy with facetectomy and PLIF in the rest 26 cases. The mean follow-up period was ranging from 6 months to 4 years and 10 months, average 2 years and 11 months. The mean VAS scores of radicular pain was 7.4 preoperatively, 2.7 at 2 weeks after the operation and 3.1 at final follow-up. The final clinical outcomes by MacNab's method were as follow: excellent results in 20 cases, good in 12, fair in 5 and poor in 1 case. The overall improvement ratio was 84.2%. The postoperative complications included superficial wound infection in 1 case, insufficient decompression in 1 case and leakage of cerebrospinal fluid in 1 case respectively. No breakage and loosening of internal fixation were detected.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>A new clinical classification of far lateral lumbar disc herniation was suggested, which is significant to understanding the relevant pathology and choosing the surgical procedures.</p>

The surgical separation of pygopagus conjoined twins / 中华外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the program of preoperative evaluation, preoperative preparation and separation operation of pygopagus conjoined twins.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Clinical data of one case of pygopagus (male, gestational age 37 weeks, uterine-incision delivery, 3.5 months old; twins of triplets; total body weight 8.0 kg. The twins have self-governed extremities, anus, penis. Four limbs can move independently). Separated successfully were analyzed. The auxiliary examination of X-rays, MRI, ultrasound, CT and 3D reconstruction, sensory evoked potential showed that there were process hypoplasia and lamina bifid of lumbosacral vertebrae below L3. Dural sac connected below L3 and conus medullaris located at L3. There were no conjunction of spinal cord and cauda equine. The decision of direct suture of dural sac was made by preoperative evaluation through measurement of circumference and area of conjoined dural sac. The separation surgery program was decided through team debate and sham operation. Separation operation was performed under the general anaesthesia. Crossing V-shaped skin flap was used to cover the wound surface. The dura of conjoined twins were sutured directly. The tension of skin flap was normal postoperative with continuing negative pressure drainage under the flap and pressure sterilized dressing.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Successful separation of pygopagus conjoined twins was achieved. Lower extremities movements of separated twins were normal 6 h after operation. The drainage was removed 1 day postoperative, blood supplies of skin flap were normal. There were no complications of infection, cerebrospinal fluid leakage and neurological deficit. The healing of the skin flap was good. With 6 months follow-up, the growth and neurological function were normal.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Consummate preoperative preparation, accurate preoperative investigations, meticulous operative management, careful postoperative administration and good team cooperation are the keys to successful separation of pygopagus conjoined twins.</p>

Comparison and evaluation of several Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus allergen extracts for skin prick test / 中国医学科学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the significance of several Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus allergen extracts for skin prick test (SPT) in patients allergic to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Two hundred and nineteen patients enrolled in Peking Union Medical College Hospital underwent SPT and serum specific IgE assay to detect the Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus allergen. Three kinds of house dust mite allergen extracts were used for SPT, including the Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus extract prepared by our laboratory (group A), standardized Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus extract (group B), and mixed extracts of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and Dermatophagoides farinae (group C). Human serum specific IgE result was regarded as the reference standard for diagnosis of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus allergy. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic performance of SPT with the extracts of three groups.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>SPT results showed that the median wheal diameter of group A, group B, and group C was 0.43, 0.35, and 0.28 cm, respectively, with significant difference among three groups (P<0.05). The difference was significant between group A and B (P<0.01) as well as group A and C (P<0.01), but not between group B and C (P>0.05). There was no local urticaria or systemic allergic reactions following the procedure of SPT. Local reaction was observed in 5 patients and delayed reaction was in 2 patients of group A. As for group B and C, local reaction occurred in 3 cases and delayed reaction in 2 cases in each group. The area under ROC curve of SPT with extract in group A, group B, and group C was 0.765, 0.801, and 0.782, respectively. Based on the detection results of serum specific IgE, the sensitivity of SPT in diagnosis of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus allergy with extract of group A, group B, and group C was 92.4%, 87.0%, and 81.5%, and the specificity was 60.6%, 73.2%, and 74.8%, respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus extract for SPT prepared by our laboratory offers good sensitivity and specificity comparable to commercially available allergen extracts, and it may be an appropriate candidate for clinical screening and diagnosis of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus allergy.</p>

Value of imaging in the preoperative diagnosis of pygopagus conjoined twins / 中华儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the value of imaging in the preoperative evaluation of pygopagus conjoined twins (PCT), and analyze the significance of imaging for separation surgery plan and prognosis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Imaging data of a case with PCT, including ultrasound, X-ray, CT, MRI were collected from the case with PCTs treated in our hospital. The features of the images were analyzed for identification of the conjoined region, size, and structures and for judgement of other organ malformation and general body state.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The conjoined region located at the lumbosacral spine of which anteroposterior diameter was 7.9 cm, and 6.0 cm for cranial-caudal diameter. Spina bifida were found below L3 in bilateral twins. There were no bone structures but cartilage fusion in spine and pelvis. The neural structure such as spinal cord and cauda equina, lower GI tract and anus, and urinary tract were separated. The dural sac were fused. There were cryptorchidism in one twin, patent ductus arteriosus in both twins. The intraoperative finding matched with imaging results. Crossing V-shaped skin flap was used to cover the wound surface. The dura of conjoined twins were sutured. Successful separation of the PCT was achieved. There were no complications of infection, cerebrospinal fluid leakage and neurological deficit. The healing of the skin flap was good. With 6 months follow-up, the growth and neurological function were normal.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Imaging methods were selected according to the type of conjoined twins and the clinical symptoms and signs. The radiologic investigation can reveal the structure and size of conjunction area. Imaging investigation has important significance for the prediction of difficulty in surgery, selection of surgical procedures, and evaluation of prognosis.</p>

Postoperative Spondylodiscitis after Lumbar Intervertebral Disc Herniation:9 Case Report / 中国康复理论与实践

@#Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics of postoperative spondylodiscitis after lumbar intervertebral disc herniation.Methods 9 cases with spondylodiscitis were reviewed,about their clinical symptoms,laboratory tests,bacteria culture,CT and MRI finging,etc.Results and Conclusion The clinical symptoms occurred 8~24 d after operation.Laboratory test and MRI were helpful for the early diagnosis.The outcome of both surgical and non-surgical treatment was satisfactory.