Clinical value of endoluminal ultrasonography in the diagnosis of rectovaginal fistula.

BACKGROUND: Rectovaginal fistula (RVF) refers to a pathological passage between the rectum and vagina, which is a public health challenge. This study was aimed to explore the clinical value of endoluminal biplane ultrasonography in the diagnosis of rectovaginal fistula (RVF). METHODS: Thirty inpatients and outpatients with suspected RVF from January 2006 to June 2013 were included in the study, among whom 28 underwent surgical repair. All 28 patients underwent preoperative endoluminal ultrasonography, and the obtained diagnostic results were compared with the corresponding surgical results. RESULTS: All of the internal openings located at the anal canal and rectum of the 28 patients and confirmed during surgery were revealed by preoperative endosonography, which showed a positive predictive value of 100%. Regarding the 30 internal openings located in the vagina during surgery, the positive predictive value of preoperative endosonography was 93%. The six cases of simple fistulas confirmed during surgery were revealed by endosonography; for the 22 cases of complex fistula confirmed during surgery, the positive predictive value of endosonography was 90%. Surgery confirmed 14 cases of anal fistula and 14 cases of RVF, whereas preoperative endoluminal ultrasonography suggested 16 cases of anal fistula and 12 cases of RVF, resulting in positive predictive values of 92.3 and 93%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The use of endoluminal biplane ultrasonography in the diagnosis of RVF can accurately determine the internal openings in the rectum or vagina and can relatively accurately identify concomitant branches and abscesses located in the rectovaginal septum. Thus, it is a good imaging tool for examining internal and external anal sphincter injuries and provides useful information for preoperative preparation and postoperative evaluation.

[Correlative analysis of the parameters of eTRACKING detection of femoral artery and the syndrome types of traditional Chinese medicine in type 2 diabetic patients].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the correlation between the parameters of eTRACKING detection of femoral artery and the syndrome types of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in type 2 diabetic patients so as to provide clinical evidence for early prevention and treatment of diabetic lower extremity arterial disease. METHODS: A total of 147 cases of type 2 diabetic patients were included. Basic data and TCM clinical information were collected, and eTRACKING detection of common femoral arteries was performed. Differentiation of symptoms and signs for classification of TCM syndromes was performed in all patients. The correlations between TCM syndrome and pressure-strain elastic modulus (Ep), stiffness parameter beta, arterial compliance (AC), pulse wave velocity beta (PWVbeta), and augmentation index (AI) in common femoral arteries were observed. RESULTS: In the patients with deficiency of both yin and yang, the Ep value was higher than that in the patients with deficiency of both qi and yin, the stiffness parameter beta was higher than that in the other three syndrome types (deficiency of both qi and yin, excessive heat due to yin deficiency, accumulation of damp-beat in spleen), the AC value was lower than that in the patients with excessive heat due to yin deficiency, the PWVbeta value was higher than that in the patients with excessive heat due to yin deficiency and deficiency of both qi and yin, and the AI value was higher than that in the patients with excessive heat due to yin deficiency. The stiffness parameter beta in the patients with deficiency of both qi and yin was higher than that in the patients with accumulation of damp-heat in spleen. In the patients with blood stasis, the Ep value was higher and the AC value was lower than that in the patients without blood stasis. CONCLUSION: The decrease of elasticity in lower extremities can be detected by eTRACKING. This study reveals that type 2 diabetic patients with deficiency of both yin and yang, accumulation of damp-heat in spleen and blood stasis have more severe lower extremity arteriosclerosis. In eTRACKING parameters, stiffness parameter beta, AC and PWVbeta may become the objective indexes in evaluating early diabetic lower extremity arteriosclerosis.

[Color Doppler ultrasound study on pathological changes of lower extremity arteries in patients with metabolic syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the pathological changes of lower extremity arteries of patients with metabolic syndrome. METHODS: Fifty patients with metabolic syndrome (MS) and 30 normal volunteers were included in this study. The inner diameters, peak systolic velocities and intima-media thicknesses of the lower extremity arteries, and the sizes and numbers of the plaques in the lower extremity arteries were obtained with color Doppler ultrasound (CDU). RESULTS: In the fifty MS patients, the intima-media thicknesses of forty-one were thicker than 1.1 mm and thirty-three had plaques which had brought stenosis in different degrees. The intima-media thicknesses of the common femoral, popliteal and posterior tibial arteries in the MS patients were significantly thicker than those in the normal volunteers (P<0.01 or P<0.05), and a greater number of plaques in the lower extremity arteries were observed in the patients, as compared with the normal volunteers (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Various pathological changes had taken place in the lower extremity arteries of the MS patients. The sites and degrees of the lower extremity arterial diseases in MS patients can be definitely detected with CDU.