Value of endobronchial ultrasound-transbronchial needle aspiration biopsy for diagnosis of PET-CT positive mediastinal lymph nodes / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the clinical value of endobronchial ultrasound-transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) biopsy for diagnosis of PET-CT positive mediastinal lymph nodes.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>One hundred and twenty-six patients with lung cancer undergoing both PET-CT scanning and EBUS-TBNA biopsy in the First Affiliated Hospital of Guanzhou Medical College from July 2008 to August 2010 were included in this study. There were 89 male and 37 female patients with a mean age of 56.3 years (range 34 to 81 years). (18)FDG-PET was considered positive in mediastinal nodes if the PET-CT reported hypermetabolic activity consistent with malignant disease (standardized uptake value > 2.5). All of the patients were clinically followed up.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Among the 126 patients, 185 stations of lymph nodes were punctured. The mean diameter of the nodes was 13.6 mm and the range was 6 - 23 mm. There were no procedural complications. The diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of EBUS-TBNA were 95.7%, 95.7%, and 100%, respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>EBUS-TBNA is a minimally invasive, highly effective and accurate, practical and safe procedure for diagnosis of PET-CT positive mediastinal lymph nodes.</p>

Acupuncture for chronic pelvic pain syndromes (CPPS) and its effect on cytokines in prostatic fluid / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the effect of acupuncture on chronic pelvic pain syndromes (CPPS), and its therapeutic mechanism.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Fourty-seven cases of CPPS were treated with electroacupuncture on Zhongji (CV 3), Guilai (ST 29), Yinlingquan (SP 9), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Guanyuan (CV 4), Shuidao(ST 28), Xuehai (SP 10) and Taichong (LR 3) as main acupoints. Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (CPSI) was adopted to grade the severity of pain or discomforts. Additionally, the levels of Interleukin-8 (IL-8), Interleukin-10 (IL-10) and Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in prostate fluid were detected and the correlation between those changes and pain score was analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>After treatment, pain or discomfort score in CPSI decreased remarkably as compared with that before treatment (P < 0.01). The levels of IL-8, IL-10 and TNF-alpha were lower than those before treatment (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). The positive correlation was obtained between IL-10 level and pain score (P < 0.05). The total effective rate was 89.4% (42/47).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Acupuncture has significant efficacy on CPPS through reducing IL-10 level to ease pain, and reducing the levels of IL-8 and TNF-alpha to relieve inflammatory reaction.</p>

Single lung transplantation for emphysema: analysis of 6 cases / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To review the experience with the management of single lung transplantation for emphysema.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Between January 2003 and August 2006, single lung transplantation was performed in 6 patients for emphysema with cold low potassium solution flushing. A triple-drug regimen was adopted using steroids, mycophenolate mofetil and tacrolimus as the maintenance immunosuppressants. Chest radiograph score, oxygenation index, and pulmonary arterial pressure of the patients in early after the transplantation were reviewed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>All the 6 patients survived for over 30 days after the operation, and 4 of them remained alive with good quality-of-life. Four patients recovered from acute rejection successfully after methylprednisolone pulse therapy for 3 days. One patient underwent reoperation for hemorrhage in the thoracic cavity and finally recovered; spontaneous pneumothorax of the autologous lungs occurred in two patients, who underwent reoperation but finally died 74 days and 77 days after the transplantation, respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Single lung transplantation is effective for end-stage emphysema. Carefully selected recipients and comprehensive design of the surgical procedures are critical to successful lung transplantation.</p>

Injection of activated carbon nanoparticles for guiding lymphadenectomy during minimal invasive surgery in lung cancer / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the clinical value of activated carbon nanoparticles for guiding lymphadenectomy in lung cancer.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Fourty-two lung cancer patients were divided into two groups: the control group (22 cases) and experiment group (20 cases) who received activated carbon nanoparticles injection around the tumor either by endoscopic injection or intraoperative subserosal injection. The number of dissected lymph node, black-stained lymph node, positive lymph node and the side effect of the procedure were analyzed, respectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>No severe complication was observed in the experiment group. The operative time was not prolonged significantly in the experiment group either. However, the number of average lymph nodes dissected in the experiment group (25.5) was significantly more than that in the control group (14.6) (P <0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Local injection of activated carbon nanoparticles around the tumor during surgical exploration is effective, safe and easy to do for guiding lymphadenectomy in lung cancer patient.</p>

Bronchial sleeve resection and reconstruction of pulmonary artery by video-assisted thoracic small incision surgery for central lung cancer: a report of 139 cases / 中华外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the efficacy and practicability between bronchial sleeve resection or reconstruction of the pulmonary artery by video-assisted thoracic small incision and routine posterolateral incision for lung cancer.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The clinic data was analyzed retrospectively, including 139 cases in our hospital underwent sleeve lobectomy and bronchoplasty by video-assisted thoracic small incision surgery for lung cancer from January 1995 to July 2007 and 99 cases in the HUAXI Hospital of SICHUAN University underwent routine posterolateral incision from April 2000 to December 2005. All patients whose bronchus and/or pulmonary artery were involved underwent the operation and experienced the bronchial sleeve resection or reconstruction of the pulmonary artery.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>All patients were done operation successfully with no perioperative mortality and no occurrence of anastomosis stenosis as well as fistula. The median survival period of video-assisted thoracic small incision patients and the posterolateral incision patients were 63.17 months and 42.00 months, respectively (P > 0.05). There was no sign of reperfusion injury in the reconstruction of the pulmonary artery patients. The small incisions' length was from 8 to 13 cm and the mean length was 10 cm. The routine posterolateral incisions' mean length was 30 cm. Compared to the patients underwent the routine posterolateral incision, patients underwent the operation of video assisted thoracic small incision had less operation time, less chest tube time, less hospitalization time and less postoperative shoulder joint dysfunction.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The bronchial sleeve resection and reconstruction of the pulmonary artery by video-assisted thoracic small incision surgery for lung cancer can finish the same work as the traditional thoracic lateral incision with less trauma and recovery time.</p>