ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND@#The endoscopic transnasal approach has been proven to have advantages on the removal of the tumors in pterygopalatine fossa (PPF) and infratemporal fossa (ITF). Herein, this study aimed to describe a modified approach for resection of the tumors in these areas, both in cadaveric specimen and clinical patients.@*METHODS@#The 20 adult cadaveric specimens and five patients with tumors in PPF and ITF were enrolled in this study. For the cadaveric specimens, ten were simulated anterior transmaxillary approach and ten were performed modified endoscopic transnasal transmaxillary approach. The exposure areas were compared between two groups and main anatomic structure were measured. Surgery was operated in the five patients with tumors of PPF and ITF to verify the experience from the anatomy. Perioperative management, intraoperative findings and postoperative complications were recorded and analyzed.@*RESULTS@#The modified endoscopic transnasal transmaxillary approach provided as enough surgical exposure and high operability to the PPF and ITF as the anterior transmaxillary approach did. The diameter of maxillary artery in the PPF was 3.77 ± 0.78 mm (range: 2.06-4.82 mm), the diameter of middle meningeal artery in the ITF was 2.79 ± 0.61 mm (range: 1.54-3.78 mm). Four patients who suffered schwannoma got total removal and one of adenocystic carcinoma got subtotal removal. The main complications were facial numbness and pericoronitis of the wisdom tooth. No permanent complication was found.@*CONCLUSIONS@#With the widespread use of neuroendoscopy, the modified endoscopic transnasal transmaxillary approach is feasible and effective for the resection of tumors located in PPF and ITF, which has significant advantages on less trauma and complications to the patients.
Subject(s)
Adult , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Infratentorial Neoplasms , Pathology , General Surgery , Neuroendoscopy , Perioperative Care , Postoperative Complications , Pterygopalatine Fossa , Pathology , General SurgeryABSTRACT
<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>The virtual reality (VR) system can provide the neurosurgeon to intuitively interact with and manipulate the three dimensional (3-D) image similarly to manipulate a real object. It was seldom reported that the system was used in diagnosis and treatment of cerebral aneurysms. This study aimed to investigate the application of VR system in diagnosis and therapeutic planning of cerebral aneurysms.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 24 cases of cerebral aneurysms were enrolled in this study from 2006 to 2008, which diagnosed by 3-D digital subtraction angiography (3D-DSA) or VR-based computed tomography angiographies (CTA). The VR system and 3D-DSA system were used to observe and measure aneurysms and the adjacent vessels. The data of observation and measurements were compared between VR image and 3D-DSA image. All the patients underwent surgical plan and simulated neurosurgical procedures in the VR system.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>There were 28 aneurysms detected in VR system and 3D-DSA system. The VR system generated clear and vivid 3-D virtual images which clearly displayed the location and size of the aneurysms and their precise anatomical spatial relations to the parent arteries and skull. The location, size and shape of the aneurysms and their anatomical relationship with the adjacent vessels were similar between 3-D virtual image and 3D-DSA, but the spatial relationship between aneurysms and skull only been displayed by VR system. This VR system also could simulate simple surgical procedures and surgical environments.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The VR system can provide a highly effective way to provide precise imaging details as same as 3D-DSA system and assist the diagnosis of cerebral aneurysms with virtual 3-D data based on CTA. It significantly enhances the chosen therapeutic strategy of cerebral aneurysms.</p>
Subject(s)
Humans , Angiography, Digital Subtraction , Imaging, Three-Dimensional , Intracranial Aneurysm , Diagnosis , Diagnostic Imaging , Tomography, X-Ray ComputedABSTRACT
Objective To analyze the genetic characteristics of HIV-1 CRF01_AE strains prevailing in. the four provinces of southern China. Methods Plasma samples were collected from the newly diagnosed HIV-1 individuals reported in 2006 in Guangdong, Guangxi, Jiangxi and Hunan province. The gag and env gene fragments were amplified from RNA template extracted from plasma using RT and nested PCR methods. CRF01_AE sequences were analyzed by phylogcnetie methods and characterized by calculating the genetic distance and Entropy analysis. Results Two main epidemic clusters were found to exist in the CRF01 AE strains from 210 HIV-1 CRF01 AE infected individuals collected in the 4 provinces, southern China. It was found that no international reference strain was closely correlated with cluster Ⅰ , which including 123 samples. The strains in cluster Ⅱ, consisting 57 cases of samples, were closely related with the strains identified in Vietnam. Genetic distance analysis of gag and env genes showed that the diversity of cluster Ⅰ was obviously less than that of cluster Ⅱ. Data on nucleotide polymorphism showed that nucleotides compositions of 42 sites in gag and 40 sites in env wer esignificantly different between the two clusters. When compared with cluster Ⅱ , the polymorphism decreased at 61 nucleotide sites but increased at 21 sites in cluster Ⅰ. Conclusion This was the first report describing that two main epidemic clusters were existed in CRF01_AE strains prevailing in the 4 provinces, Southern China. The vires in cluster Ⅰ was the dominant strain in this region, with shorter period of circulation and higher proportion seen in the HIV-infected population, which might belong to CRF01_AE strain with certain features facilitating the spread of the virus. The virus in cluster Ⅱ was highly homology with the CRF01_AE strains from Vietnam, and seemed to have had several events of epidemics in populations in border regions of China and Vietnam.
ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate HIV-1 molecular epidemiology of drug users in Jiangxi Province to analyze epidemic situation, subtype, origin of strain, and variation, and to provide information for prevention and control of AIDS.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Combining principles of traditional epidemiology and molecular epidemiology, the authors analyzed the epidemiologically related factors, the gene sequences and systematic mutation of HIV-1 gene in nine drug users in Jiangxi province.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The HIV spread through the drug users in Jiangxi not only by injection but also by sexual contacts. The main epidemic strain found by sequence analysis was HIV-1 CRF01-AE that was closely related to the strain among drug users in Vietnam and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, with the average gene distance of 9.00 +/- 2.27 from the Vietnam strain. The origin of strain among drug users in the province was entirely the same.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>At present, HIV-1 CRF01-AE strain has spread in the whole province among the drug users. Vigorous behavioral interventions should be developed in drug users and un-safe sexual behavior population to prevent the epidemic.</p>