CT-Guided Sclerotherapy for Simple Renal Cysts: Value of Ethanol Concentration Monitoring

OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to evaluate the differences between sclerotherapy with and without ethanol concentration monitoring for the treatment of simple renal cysts. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty-seven patients with 70 simple renal cysts were randomly assigned to two groups in a 12-month prospective controlled trial. One group (group A) was treated with computed tomography (CT)-guided sclerotherapy without ethanol concentration monitoring (33 patients with 35 cysts), whereas the other group (group B) had ethanol concentration monitoring (34 patients with 35 cysts) during the procedure. Treatment outcomes between the two groups were compared 12 months later with follow-up ultrasound examination. RESULTS: After the 12-month follow-up period, the overall success rate was 74.3% in group A and 94.3% in group B (p = 0.022). The mean cyst size before and after treatment was 8.6 +/- 2.0 cm and 2.3 +/- 2.9 cm, respectively, in group A, and 8.4 +/- 1.7 cm and 0.8 +/- 1.9 cm, respectively, in group B. The final size of the cysts in group B was significantly smaller than that in group A (p = 0.015). The likelihood of treatment with ethanol concentration monitoring being successful was approximately 16 times higher than without ethanol concentration monitoring (p = 0.026; odds ratio = 15.7; 95% confidence interval: 1.38-179.49). There were no major complications in either group. CONCLUSION: Monitoring of Hounsfield units (HU) of ethanol by CT is an effective method in the treatment of simple renal cysts with ethanol sclerotherapy. The ethanol sclerotherapy procedure can be terminated at the point of clear fluid aspiration because the HU (-190) of CT scan corresponds to it.

Effects of tanycytes transplantation on the motor function score and rubrospinal motor evoked potentials of adult rats after spinal cord completely transected / 中国应用生理学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To determine whether tanycytes be able to support the regeneration of completely transected spinal cord in adult rats.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Subcultured tanycytes was transplanted into completely T8 transected spinal cord using the untranslated completely transected rats as control. After transplantation the rubrospinal motor evoked potentials were recorded below the injury level at the end of 12th week, assistant by Basso-Beatie-Bresnahan locomotor rating scale and histology method.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>At the end of 12th week the total peak amplitude of rubrospinal motor evoked potentials (MD = 133.2 microV, P < 0.01) and BBB locomotor rating scale (MD = 5.0000, P < 0.01) were both significantly improved in cell transplanted group compared with that in the untranslated control group, while the latency of the first peak was shortened (MD = 0.061 ms, P = 0.040). HE staining showed more integrity in transected spinal cords in cells transplanted groups.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Transplanted tanycytes can support the regeneration of transected spinal cords in rats.</p>

The preoperative size measurement of breast cancer by ultrasonography and mammography / 中华医学超声杂志（电子版）

Objective To comparatively analyze the preoperative value of the size of primary breast cancer presenting as a mass by ultrasonography and by mammography.Methods The tumor size data obtained preoperatively by mammography and by ultrasonography were retrospectively analyzed in all the patients pathologically diagnosed with primary breast cancer in our hospital from July 2006 to July 2009.The Pearson correlation coefficient was calculated for the size of tumors between with pathological method and with each of the imaging modalities.Results A total of 57 patients with breast cancers took both of imaging modalities including 51 cases of infiltrating ductal cancer,4 cases of infiltrating lobular cancer,and 2 of ductal carcinoma in situ.The ranges of the maximum diameter of tumor was 0.6-11.8 cm and mean value was (2.3±2.1) cm by pathological examination,0.6-12.6 cm and mean value was (3.4±2.9)cm by mammography and 0.7-10.2 cm and mean value was (2.4±1.8)cm by ultrasonography,respectively.The Pearson correlation coefficient in the accuracy of imaging assessments was superior to those by ultrasonography (r=0.744,P＜0.05) than those by mammography (r=0.544,P＜0.05).Conclusion Ultrasonography is more accurate than mammography for size assessment of primary breast cancer.