Femoral shaft fracture fixed with intramedullary nailing in a child resulting in femoral neck narrowing deformity and fracture

Treatment of factures in children is different from that of adults because improper internal fixation, including selection of intemal fixation device and epiphysis approaching, may cause epiphysis injury, which may result in a series of secondary lesions in bone development, such as growth arrest,     

A 92-year-old man with retropharyngeal hematoma caused by an injury of the anterior longitudinal ligament

Traumatic retropharyngeal hematoma is a rare condition and may be lethal in some cases. In patients with this condition, the absence of a vertebral fracture or a major vascular injury is extremely rare. We present the case of a 92-year-old man who hit his forehead by slipping on the floor in his house. He had no symptoms at the time; however, he experienced throat pain and dyspnea at 6 hours after the injury. On arrival, he complained of severe dyspnea; therefore, an emergency endotracheal intubation was performed. A lateral neck roentgenogram after intubation showed dilatation of the retropharyngeal and retrotracheal space and no evidence of a cervical vertebral fracture. Cervical computed tomography （CT） with contrast medium revealed a massive hematoma extending from the retropharyngeal to the superior mediastinal space but no evidence of contrast medium extravasation or a vertebral fracture. However, sagittal magnetic resonance imaging （MRI） revealed an anterior longitudinal ligament （C4-5 levels） injury. We determined that the cause of the hematoma was an anterior longitudinal ligament injury and a minor vascular injury around the injured ligament. Therefore, we recommend that patients with retropharyngeal hematoma undergo sagittal cervical MRI when roentgenography and CT reveal no evidenee of injury.     

A severely displaced metaphyseal fracture of the proximal humerus with dislocation of the shoulder in a child

Fracture of the proximal humerus meta- physis with coexistent dislocation of the shoulder in chil- dren is a rare injury. The injury often occurs as a conse- quence of high velocity trauma. Most fractures of the proxi- mal humerus commonly associated with the epiphysis in children can be treated with closed reduction. We presented a case of 5-year-old girl who sustained this type of fracture-dislocation of the shoulder. Open reduction and internal fixation with multiple smooth K-wires was performed. At two years follow-up, the patient was pain free and regained full range of motion.     

leer Guest Editors

A/Prof. Evan Y Yu
M.D., is an Associate Professor of Medicine （Oncology） at the University of Washington School of Medicine and also an Associate Member of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. He graduated with honors from the University of Washington School of Medicine and was elected a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honors Society in 1998. He then went on to train in internal medicine at the Brigham and Women＇s Hospital and then completed oncology fellowship at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Massachusetts General Hospital. In 2004, he returned to Seattle as a genitourinary medical oncologist, and he has been at the rank of Associate Professor since 2010.     

Clinical characteristics and imaging manifestations of AIDS complicated with disseminated Penicillium marneffei infection

Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics and imaging manifestations of AIDS complicated with disseminated Penicillium marneffei （PM） infection. Methods A total of 12 patients with AIDS complicated with disseminated PM infection were collected and the symptoms, signs, laboratory examination results and image manifestations of these patients were analyzed retrospectively. Results （1） The diagnosis of PM infection in all the 12 cases were confirmed by peripheral blood culture. All the 12 cases （100%） had irregular fever （38-41℃） and enlarged lymph nodes, 8 cases （66%） had skin rashes; 8 cases （66%） had hepatomegaly; 9 cases （75%） had splenomegaly while 8 cases （66%） had anemia. （2） Imaging manifestation： Five cases manifested bilateral pulmonary disseminated miliary nodular shadows or lattice signs; 1 case showed enlarged hilar lymph node and 2 cases showed patchy shadow with pleuritis. One case presented sub-pleural curve line shadow at the posterior part of the right lower lung, and adhesion between the intestinal wall and intestinal mesentery in mass form in the abdomen by CT examination. Conclusion Patients suffering from AIDS （CD4 T lymphocytes 〈50/μ L） with impaired immunity might be susceptible to complication of disseminated PM infection, which presents mainly damage of multiple organs and symptoms such as fever; enlargement of liver, spleen and lymph nodes, as well as specific skin maculopapular rashes. Imaging manifestations in the lungs were revealed as miliary nodular shadows and lattice-like shadows. Intensified abdominal CT might reveal presence of several enlarged postperitoneal lymph nodes and intestinal adhesion in shape of ＂cakes＂.     

The prevalence of azoospermia factor microdeletion on the Y chromosome of Chinese infertile men detected by multi-analyte suspension array technology

Aim： To develop a high-throughput multiplex, fast and simple assay to scan azoospermia factor （AZF） region microdeletions on the Y chromosome and establish the prevalence of Y chromosomal microdeletions in Chinese infertile males with azoospermia or oligozoospermia. Methods： In total, 178 infertile patients with azoospermia （nonobstructed）, 134 infertile patients with oligozoospermia as well as 40 fertile man controls were included in the present study. The samples were screened for AZF microdeletion using optimized multi-analyte suspension array （MASA） technology. Results： Of the 312 patients, 36 （11.5%） were found to have deletions in the AZF region. The rnicrodeletion frequency was 14% （25/178） in the azoospermia group and 8.2% （11/134） in the oligospermia group. Among 36 patients with microdeletions, 19 had deletions in the AZFc region, seven had deletions in AZFa and six had deletions in AZFb. In addition, four patients had both AZFb and AZFc deletions. No deletion in the AZF region was found in the 40 fertile controls. Conclusion： There is a high prevalence of Y chromosomal microdeletions in Chinese infertile males with azoospermia or oligozoospermia. The MASA technology, which has been established in the present study, provides a sensitive and high-throughput method for detecting the deletion of the Y chromosome. And the results suggest that genetic screening should be advised to infertile men before starting assisted reproductive treatments.     

Effect of dynamic hip system blade on the treatment of femoral neck fractures in elderly patients with osteoporosis

Objective：To discuss the curative effect of the dynamic hip system blade （DHS-blade） on the treatment of femoral neck fractures in elderly patients with osteoporosis.Methods：A retrospective study was conducted to analyse the clinical data of 60 elderly patients with osteoporosis who had been treated for femoral neck fractures with DHS-blade in our department between September 2012 and February 2014.There were 22 males and 38 females with a mean age of （66.8±3.2） years.According to the Singh Index Classification,all the patients＇ Singh index was below level 3.The Harris criterion and function recovery after operation were analysed.Results：All patients were followed up for 12-17 months （mean 14 months）.No femoral head necrosis,femoral neck shortening,internal fixation loosening or backing out of the nails occurred.Bone nonunion was found in one case and he had a good recovery after total hip arthroplasty.The time for fracture healing ranged from 3-6 months （average 3.5 months）.According to Harris criterion,35 cases were rated as excellent,22 good,2 fair and 1 poor.The Harris scale was significantly improved from 28.46±2.35 preoperatively to 91.98±3.26 at 6 months postoperatively （P＜0.05）.Conclusion：DHS-blade,being minimally invasive,allowing earlier postoperative exercise and avoiding the complications elicited by traditional internal fixation,is advisable for treatment of femoral neck fractured patients with osteoporosis.     

Significance of age and comorbidity as prognostic indicators for patients with bladder cancer

The aim of this study was to determine the impact that age and comorbidity status have on both overall and bladder cancer-specific survival of bladder cancer patients. We obtained medical information pertaining to a population of 528 patients with newly diagnosed bladder cancer from Chung-Ang University Hospital cancer registry. The Adult Comorbidity Evaluation-27 （ACE-27） test, which has been previously validated in adult cancer patients, was used to assess comorbidity. We evaluated differences in the demographic and clinical characteristics of included patients, as well as differences in the treatments they received after categorizing them by age. The median age at the time of bladder cancer diagnosis of the entire cohort was 63 years, and the median follow-up time was 97 months. Of the 528 patients who were included in our study, 303 had at least one comorbid condition and 249 died during the follow-up period. When patients were stratified by age, we found that older patients had a higher proportion of severe comorbidities （P 〈 0.01） than younger patients, and that a lower proportion of them underwent radical cystec- tomy for invasive bladder cancer （IBC） （P 〈 0.01）. By multivariate analysis, we found that older age was predictive of lower overall survival （OS） and bladder cancer-specific survival （BCSS） rates among patients with superficial bladder cancer （SBC） and of lower OS rates among patients with IBC. We also found that moderate-severe comorbidity status and treatment through a bladder-conserving approach were predictive of lower OS and cancer-specific survival rates among patients with IBC. The disparity between overall deaths and bladder cancer deaths was shown in SBC and increased along with age and higher comorbidity. Age and comorbidity were found to be independent predictive factors of OS and BCSS among bladder cancer patients, and explained the disparity that we observed between overall bladder cancer-specific mortality rates.     

Distal femoral physeal crush injury with metaphyseal comminution e A report oftwo cases and a new perspective to physeal injury

The physis of a long bone may get ‘sandwiched’ and crushed between the metaphysis and the epiphysis if it is traumatically loaded along its long axis. Such a physeal injury may lead to complications like angular deformities and growth restrictions and hence, management of such injuries requires adequate planning and attentive execution. Two patients with distal femoral physeal crush injury were treated using a ring fixator such that one ring had the wires passing through the epiphysis and the other through the femoral shaft. On table image intensifier controlled distraction of the crushed physis was done to bring the height of the physis similar to that of the opposite limb. Patients were followed up for more than two years clinically and radiologically. There was no clinical or radiological angular deformity of the operated limbs. MRI scans showed intact physes with no physeal bar formation in either of the two patients. The distraction obtained by the ring fixator appears to have provided ample ‘breathing space’ to the compressed physis and that the growth potential may have been re-gained by the procedure. However, two years is a relatively short duration of follow-up and further follow-up of longer duration and in greater number of patients is needed to gauge the actual effectiveness of the technique used by us.     

Sperm DNA damage in men from infertile couples

Aim： To investigate the prevalence of high levels of sperm DNA damage among men from infertile couples with both normal and abnormal standard semen parameters. Methods： A total of 350 men from infertile couples were assessed. Standard semen analysis and sperm chromatin structure assay （SCSA） were carried out. Results： Ninety-seven men （28% of the whole study group） had a DNA fragmentation index （DFI） 〉 20%, and 43 men （12%） had a DFI 〉 30%. In the group of men with abnormal semen parameters （n = 224）, 35% had a DFI 〉 20%, and 16% had a DFI 〉 30%, whereas these numbers were 15% and 5%, respectively, in the group of men with normal semen parameters （n = 126）. Men with low sperm motility and abnormal morphology had significantly higher odds ratios （ORs） for having a DFI 〉 20% （4.0 for motility and 1.9 for morphology） and DFI 〉 30% （6.2 for motility and 2.8 for morphology） compared with men with normal sperm motility and morphology. Conclusion： In almost one-third of unselected men from infertile couples, the DFI exceeded the level of 20% above which, according to previous studies, the in vivo fertility is reduced. A significant proportion of men with otherwise normal semen parameters also had high sperm DNA damage levels. Thus, the SCSA test could add to explaining causes of infertility in cases where semen analysis has not shown any deviation from the norm. We also recommend running the SCSA test to choose the appropriate assisted reproductive technique （ART）.     

mpaired flow-mediated vasodilatation in Asian Indians with erectile dysfunction

Endothelial dysfunction is the postulated link between coronary artery disease （CAD） and erectile dysfunction （ED）. Brachial artery flow-mediated vasodilatation （FMD） is a non-invasive surrogate marker for endothelial function assessment. Despite Asian Indians representing a considerable global CAD burden, data on FMD and ED in these patients are lacking. Of the 225 patients undergoing coronary angiography, 72% had ED （assessed using the International Index of Erectile Function （IIEF-5） questionnaire）; ED was moderate to severe in 61% of the patients. ED patients had a higher incidence of severe and diffuse angiographic CAD, a greater number of coronary vessels involved and a lower mean brachial artery FMD （6.40%±4.60% vs. 9.10%±4.87%, P〈0.001） compared to non-ED patients. A progressive reduction in FMD was noted with increasing severity of ED. Impaired FMD （ ≤ 5.5%） was twice as common in ED patients （52% vs. 24% without ED）. Patients with impaired FMD had higher ED prevalence （85% vs. 62%） and lower mean I IEF-5 scores compared to those with normal FMD. Impaired FMD was a significant ED predictor independent of other risk factors （odds ratio, 2.33; 95% confidence interval： 0.59-9.23; P=0.03）. An inverse correlation between FMD and ED severity was observed （r=-0.22; P=0.004）. ED is common among Asian Indians with angiographically documented CAD. Patients with ED have impaired FMD independent of other risk factors, suggesting that endothelial dysfunction is the underlying pathophysiology. Urologists and cardiologists need to be aware of the association between ED, CAD and endothelial dysfunction.     

Response to the letter to the editor by Dr Waldinger et al： Hardy Weinberg Equilibrium in Genetic PE Research Remains Critical to Avoid Misinterpretation

Dear Editor;
We have read the article by Waldinger et al [1]. First of all, once again we do apologise for the mistake in our article regarding a possible asssociation of the 5-HTTLPR gene polymorphism and lifelong premature ejaculation （PE） in Turkish men. Previously, the total number of patients and controls had been mistakenly written as ＇70＇ instead of ＇69＇. The percentage of L/S and S/S had also been written mistakenly 53 % and 28 % instead of 54 % and 29 %, respectively. In addition ,     

Possible association of the 5-HTTLPR serotonin transporter promoter gene polymorphism with premature ejaculation in a Turkish population

We evaluated the genotypes of the serotonin transporter gene （5-HTT） in patients with premature ejaculation （PE） to determine the role of genetic factors in the etiopathogenesis of PE and possibly to identify the patient subgroups. A total of 70 PE patients and 70 controls were included in this study. All men were heterosexual, had no other disorders and were either married or in a stable relationship. PE was defined as ejaculation that occurred within 1 min of vaginal intromission. Genomic DNA from patients and controls was analyzed using polymerase chain reaction, and allelic variations of the promoter region of the serotonin transporter gene （5-HTTLPR） were determined. The 5-HTTLPR （serotonin transporter promoter gene） genotypes in PE patients vs. controls were distributed as follows： L/L 16% vs. 17%, L/S 30% vs. 53% and S/S 54% vs. 28%. We examined the haplotype analysis for three polymorphisms of the 5-HTTLPR gene： LL, LS and SS. The appropriateness of the allele frequencies in the 5-HTTLPR gene was analyzed by the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium using the Z-test. The short （S） allele of the 5-HTTLPR gene was significantly more frequent in PE patients than in controls （P 〈 0.05）. We suggest that the 5-HTTLPR gene plays a role in the pathophysiology of all primary PE cases. Further studies are needed to evaluate the relationship between 5-HTTLPR gene polymorphism and patient subgroup （such as primary and secondary PE） responses to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors as well as ethnic differences.     

Experimental study of verapamil on the relaxation of isolated human corpus cavernosum tissues

Aim： To evaluate the relaxant effect of verapamil on human corpus cavernosum in vitro and to assess the drug＇s potential as a treatment for erectile dysfunction （ED）. Methods： Preparations of the human corpus cavernosum were obtained from recently deceased young men who had had normal erectile function. The isometric tension and detailed curves were recorded when contractions induced by 10 mmol/L phenylephrine were reduced by different doses of verapamil or the vehicle control （sterile water）. The tension of human corpus cavernosum preparations are described as a percentage of their top tension before adding verapamil or the vehicle. ANOVA and least significant difference tests were used for statistical analysis. Results： Doses of 1μmol/L, 10 μmol/L and 100 μmol/L verapamil resulted in relaxation of （35.28 ± 7.96）%, （55.91 ± 6.41）%, （85.68 ± 4.16）% after 30 min, respectively. The vehicle control at the same time point produced relaxation of （-0.06 ± 10.57）% （P 〈 0.05）. Conclusion： Verapamil is significantly effective in relaxing normal human corpus cavernous smooth muscle induced by phenylephrine in vitro and the relaxant effect depends on the concentration of verapamil. （Asian J Androl 2006 Mar; 8： 195-198）     

Multiple bilateral lower limb fractures in a 2-year-old child: previously unreported injury with a unique mechanism

Fall from height is a common cause of unintentional injuries in children and accounts for 6％ of all trauma-related childhood deaths,usually from head injury.We report a case of a 2-year-old child with multiple fractures of the bilateral lower limbs due to this reason.A child fell from a height of around 15 feet after toppling from a balcony.He developed multiple fractures involving the right femoral shaft,right distal femoral epiphysis （Salter Harris type 2）,right distal metaphysis of the tibia and fibula,and undisplaced Salter Harris type 2 epiphyseal injury of the left distal tibia.There were no head,abdominal or spinal injuries.The patient was taken into emergency operation theatre after initial management which consisted of intravenous fluids,blood transfusion,and splintage of both lower limbs.Fracture of the femoral shaft was treated by closed reduction and fixation using two titanium elastic nails.Distal femoral physeal injury required open reduction and fixation with K wires.Distal tibia fractures were closely reduced and managed nonoperatively in both the lower limbs.All the fractures united in four weeks.At the last follow-up,the child had no disability and was able to perform daily activities comfortably.We also proposed the unique mechanism of injury in this report.     

Transient cortical blindness in fat embolism syndrome—a diagnostic enigma

Fat embolism syndrome (FES) is a serious life-threatening manifestation of the fat embolism phenomenon characterized by Bergman’s triad of dyspnea, petechiae and mental confusion. While fat embolization into systemic circulation is common, FES occurs in a meagre 0.05%e3% of patients having isolated long bone fractures. Though visual symptoms are commonly attributed to fat embolism retinopathy and is a later occurrence, it may not always be the case. Cortical blindness has been seldom reported in association with FES, and less so as a presenting complaint. Furthermore, no previous literature has described the same in context of an isolated tibia fracture. We report a 20-year-old gentleman with an isolated right tibia shaft fracture who developed sudden onset diminution of vision in both eyes less than 24 h following trauma with no other complaints. Lack of any remarkable ophthalmoscopic findings or other symptoms left us with a diagnostic conundrum. He later went on to develop altered mentation, hypoxia and generalized tonic-clonic seizures with subsequent MRI revealing multiple cerebral fat emboli also involving both occipital lobes. Supportive measures were instituted and his general condition as well as vision gradually improved following which he underwent plate fixation of the fracture under spinal anaesthesia. The perioperative period was uneventful and he was discharged following staple removal. At one month of follow-up, the patient had no residual visual field defects or neurological deficits. Though FES is rare among isolated tibia fractures, this clinical catastrophe may strike in any unsuspected setting thereby warranting a high index of suspicion to ensure early diagnosis and improved patient outcomes.     

Internal fixation with headless compression screws and back buttress plate for treatment of old Hoffa fracture

Objective： To analyze the early clinical and radiographic outcomes of Hoffa fractures treated by a standard protocol of open reduction and internal fixation using headless compression screws combined with back buttress plate in a consecutive series of 8 Chinese patients. Methods： Open reduction and internal fixation was performed on all patients. The fractures were anatomical- ly reduced and held temporarily by K-wire. If the ends of fractures were atrophic, autologous bone graft from the ipsilateral iliac crest was packed between the ends. Then the fracture fragments were fixed with AO 6.5 mm headless compression cannulated screws. At least two screws were used to provide rotational stability. One pre-contoured reconstruction plate was placed on the nonarticular surface posteromedially or posterolaterally as back buttress plate. Results： All the patients were followed up for at least 12 months （range 12-25 months）. All fractures achieved anatomical reduction and healed clinically and radiographically. At recent follow-up, the mean flexion degree was 120.6° （range 110°-135°） and the mean extension degree was 2.5° （range 0°-5°）. The average visual analogue scale score was 1.6 points （range 0-3）. Six patients were assessed as excellent and 2 as good according to the hospital for special surgery knee score system. There were no superficial or deep infections, or hardware breakages. No patient had giving way or locking of the knee, though some had intermittent pain and swelling after strenuous exercise. Injury mechanism had significant influence on the functional outcome （P=0.046）. Conclusion： Headless compression screws combined with back buttress plate and/or autologous bone grafting to treat old Hoffa fracture is one of effective measures. It would be conducive to not only fracture healing but also early exercise and functional recovery.     

Further evidence of endogenous hydrogen sulphide as a mediator of relaxation in human and rat bladder

We investigated the expression of hydrogen sulphide （H2S） in human and rat lower urinary tract （including bladder, prostate and urethra） tissues, and we sought to determine whether H2S induces relaxation of human and Sprague-Dawley （SD） rat bladder strips. Human normal lower urinary tract tissue was obtained for the evaluation of endogenous H2S productivity using a sulphide-sensitive electrode and for the analysis of the expression levels of all three synthases of endogenous H2S, cystathionine β-synthase （CBS）, cystathionine y lyase （CSE） and 3-mercaptopyruvate sulphur transferase （MPST, as known as 3-MST） by Western blot assay. CBS, CSE and MPST were located in human sample slides by immunohistochemistry. Human and male adult SD rat bladder strips were tested for H2S function with a transducer and recorded. All experiments were repeated six times. The endogenous H2S productivity and the H2S synthases had various distributions in the human and rat lower urinary tract tissues and were located in both epithelial and stromal sections. L-cysteine （L-Cys, a substrate of CBS, CSE and MPST） elicited relaxation in a dose-dependent manner on human bladder strips ere-contracted by acetylcholine chloride. This effect could be diminished by the ATe-sensitive potassium ion （KATe） channel blocker glibenclamide （GLB）, the CSE inhibitor DL-propargylglycine （PEG） and the CBS inhibitor hydroxylamine （HA）. H2S and its three synthases were present in the human and rat lower urinary tract tissues and relaxed human and rat bladder strips, which implied that endogenous H2S might play a role in physiological function and pathological disorders of the lower urinary tract symptoms （LUTS） or overactive bladder （OAB）.     

Retrospective descriptive analysis of the physiological kinetics of prostate-specific antigen in men older than 75 years

Several studies have compared prostate-specific antigen （PSA） kinetics in men with and without cancer, but there has been no adequate analysis of the longitudinal variation in PSA. The aim of this study was to assess the fluctuations in PSA in a cohort of elderly men in an attempt to define a physiological pattern of PSA kinetics. We searched a specific cohort of patients aged 〉 75 years and with PSA value 〈 2.0 ng mL^-1. A history of all PSA values over the past 10 years was compiled for each patient to create a database of patients fitting the following criteria： （1） minimum of five PSA measurements, （2） over at least 5 years. Exclusion criteria were： （1） PSA 〈 0.2 ng mL^-1 at each measurement and （2） having had more than one PSA test per year. In all, 1 327 patients （mean age： 78.52 years） fit the inclusion criteria. The mean variation from the first to the last PSA test was 0.05 ± 0.43, with a mean follow-up of 6.79 ± 1.71 years. Over the same period, the mean fluctuation from the lowest to the highest PSA value was 0.04 ± 0.55 （P = 0.925）. The mean annual PSA velocity （PSAV） was calculated by dividing the mean variation from the first to the last PSA test by the number of years of observation for each patient and was set at 0.0104 ± 0.1050. Concluding, in a large-scale cohort of elderly individuals considered healthy and evaluated for a considerable follow-up, the average annual PSAV as well as the average fluctuation from the lowest to the highest PSA value are insignificant.     

When is a bone scan study appropriate in asymptomatic men diagnosed with prostate cancer？

Aims： To determine when a bone scan investigation is appropriate in asymptomatic men diagnosed with prostate cancer. Methods： Between November 2005 and July 2006, 317 men with prostate cancer underwent a bone scan study; 176 men fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Prostate-specific antigen （PSA） cut-offs as well as univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses using digital rectal examination finding, biopsy Gleason scores and age were performed to determine when a bone scan study is likely to be of value. Results： Only 1/61 men （1.6%） with a serum PSA 〈 20 ng/mL had a positive bone scan. However, 2/38 men （4.7%） with a serum PSA 20.1-40.0 ng/mL, 3/20 men （15%） with a serum PSA 40.1-60.0 ng/mL, 7/19 men （36.8%） with a serum PSA 60.1-100.0 ng/mL and 19/38 men （50%） with a serum PSA 〉 100.0 ng/mL had positive bone scans. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were uninformative in these groups. Conclusion： Based on our findings, a bone scan is of limited value in asymptomatic prostate cancer patients presenting PSA 〈 20 ng/mL. Therefore, this investigation can be eliminated unless a curative treatment is contemplated. Furthermore, digital rectal examination finding, biopsy Gleason score and age are unhelpful in predicting those who might harbor bone metastasis.