An unusual neck lump: intramuscular haemangioma of the sternocleidomastoid muscle

Neck lumps can often present a diagnostic dilemma, with a wide pre-operative differential diagnosis. We present an unusual case of an intramuscular haemangioma arising in the sternocleidomastoid muscle. Pre operative diagnosis is often difficult, as these lesions are extremely rare in the head and neck region and only few sporadic cases have been reported in the literature. We report the presentation diagnosis and management of intramuscular haemangiomas of the sternocleidomastoid muscle.     

Posterior Acromioclavicular Dislocation with Clavicular Fracture and Trapezius Entrapment

AbstractBackground: Posterior acromioclavicular dislocation is rare. Dislocation associated with fracture of the clavicle and simultaneous entrapment of the lateral end of the clavicle by trapezius muscle has not been reported. Posterior dislocation occurs frequently owing to forceful move of the scapula anteriorly and superiorly or from direct force applied to the lateral end of the clavicle and this may be associated with clavicular fracture. In acute dislocations, open reduction, internal joint stabilization and soft tissues reconstruction have been recommended.Case Study: Acute posterior dislocation occurred in a 32-year-old man. The lateral end of the clavicle was displaced posteriorly and inferiorly, and firmly entrapped in trapezius muscle. The clavicular fracture was undisplaced. The coracoclavicular ligaments were stretched but intact. Open reduction was secured with two smooth Kirschner wires. The disrupted soft tissues were repaired. The clavicular fracture was not explored. Shoulder movement started at 6 weeks. Wires were removed. 10 years later he had pain-free, unrestricted shoulder movement, and the radiographs showed wellreduced, essentially normal acromioclavicular joint.Conclusion: Open reduction, internal joint stabilization and soft tissue reconstruction will result in return and long lasting unrestricted pain-free function of the shoulder.     

握力大小与前臂肌肉表面肌电活动模式的相关性研究

目的 研究手部握力大小与前臂肌肉表面肌电信号特征的相关性.方法 9名健康被试者参加了试验,包括最大自主收缩力(maximum volunteer contraction,MVC),80% MVC及40% MVC,记录指浅屈肌和腕长伸肌的表面肌电信号,并采用均方根和小波分析方法提取其特征参数;运用SPSS软件统计以被试者自身的MVC为基准的不同握力水平的相对特征值,使不同的被试者具有可比性.结果 对于单个被试者握力水平与表面肌电活动模式存在正相关性,即握力越大则对应的表面肌电信号的特征值也越大;对于所有的被试者这种正相关性也存在.结论 握力水平与肌肉活动模式具有相关性,这提示通过表面肌电信号的特征值不但可以预测握力的大小,还可用于运动功能测试及康复的评价.     

运动神经元病患者胸锁乳突肌肌电图的特征

目的探讨运动神经元病(MND)患者胸锁乳突肌(SCM)肌电图的特征。方法回顾性分析461例MND患者及349例非MND患者的临床和肌电图资料。结果MND组SCM肌电图异常率(60.3%)显著高于非MND组(4.6%)(P<0.01);确诊级MND患者SCM肌电图的异常率(77.4%)明显高于其他诊断级(均P<0.01);MND组中,SCM肌电图的异常率(60.3%)低于上、下肢体肌肉的肌电图(93.2%、84.4%)(均P<0.001);MND患者SCM肌电图异常以自发电位(42.5%)和轻收缩时运动单位电位时限增宽(43.2%)最为常见;MND组有延髓症状者SCM肌电图的异常率(71.7%)明显高于无延髓症状者(54.3%)(P<0.05)。结论MND患者SCM肌电图异常率及其特异性高,为延髓肌受累的指征,有助于MND的诊断与鉴别诊断。     

The herbal preparation STW5 (lberogast®) has potent and region-specific effects on gastric motility

Functional dyspepsia (FD) is amongst the most common functional gastrointestinal disorders. Symptomatic treatment includes the use of herbal preparations whose effects on gastric motility are unclear. The present study aimed at investigating the effects of STW 5 (Iberogast), a fixed combination of hydroethanolic herbal extracts, on gastric motility in vitro. Muscle strips from guinea-pig gastric fundus, corpus and antrum were set up in organ baths either in circular or longitudinal orientation. Addition of ethanol-free STW 5 to the organ baths (32-512 microg mL(-1)) dose-dependently evoked a sustained and reversible relaxation of circular and longitudinal fundus and corpus muscle strips without changes in phasic activity. In contrast, antral muscle strips responded to STW 5 with a significant increase in the contractile force of phasic contractions without changes in tone. All effects were resistant to tetrodotoxin (0.5 micromol L(-1)), atropine (1 micromol L(-1)), omega-conotoxin GVIA (0.5 micromol L(-1)), capsaicin (1 micromol L(-1)) or L-NAME (100 micromol L(-1)), suggesting that neither nerves nor nitric oxide pathways were involved. These data demonstrate that STW 5 profoundly alters gastric motility in a region-specific but not layer-specific manner and thus implicates Iberogast in the treatment of FD patients suffering from motility disorders with impaired fundus accommodation and/or antral hypomotility.     

黄芪对SHR心肌SERCA表达及血管平滑肌钙离子水平影响的初步探讨

目的:探讨黄芪注射液对SHR心肌SERCA的表达及血管平滑肌钙离子含量的影响.方法:将19只自发性高血压大鼠(SHR)与16只Wistar-kyoto大鼠(WKY)随机各分为空白对照组、低黄芪剂量组、中黄芪剂量组、高黄芪剂量组四组,分别每天腹腔注射0.9ml生理盐水和0.9ml、1.2ml、1.8ml的黄芪注射液共8周,再测量大鼠心肌中SERCA的表达和血管平滑肌钙离子含量.结果:SHR生理盐水组心肌SERCA在蛋白水平的表达,较WKY生理盐水组明是下降;SHR大剂量黄芪组心肌SERCA在蛋白水平的表达,较SHR生理盐水组明显升高.SHR生理盐水组血管平滑肌钙离子水平明显高于WKY组:SHR大剂量黄芪组血管平滑肌钙离子水平较SHR生理盐水组明显降低.结论:大剂量黄芪注射液能显著增加SHR心肌SERCA在蛋白水平的表达,能明显的减少SHR血管平滑肌钙离子的水平.     

Three-dimensional biomechanical properties of the human rectum evaluated with magnetic resonance imaging

A method to evaluate the three-dimensional (3-D) geometry of the human gastrointestinal wall may be valuable for understanding tissue biomechanics, mechano-sensation and function. In this paper we present a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) based method to determine rectal geometry and validation of data obtained in three volunteers. A specially designed rectal bag was filled in a stepwise manner while MRI and bag pressure were recorded. 3-D models of curvatures, radii of curvature, tension and stress were generated and the circumferential and longitudinal strains were calculated. The computed bag volumes corresponded to the infused volumes. A pronounced bag elongation and decrease in wall thickness was observed during the bag filling. The spatial distributions of the biomechanical parameters were distinctly different between individuals and non-homogeneous throughout the rectal wall due to its complex geometry. The average tension and stress increased as a function of infused volume and circumferential strain. The present study provides a method for characterizing the complex in vivo 3-D geometry of the human rectum. The non-homogenous spatial curvature distribution suggests that simple estimates of tension based on pressure and volume do not reflect the true 3-D biomechanical properties of the rectum.     

Decreased expression of DMPK: correlation with CTG repeat expansion and fibre type composition in myotonic dystrophy type 1

Abstract Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is an autosomal dominant disease caused by a trinucleotide repeatexpansion, cytosine-thymine-guanine (CTG)_n, in the 3′ untranslated region of a gene encoding the myotonic dystrophy protein kinase (DMPK). To correlate CTG expansion and protein expression, we studied muscle specimens from 16 adult DM1 patients using three anti-DMPK antibodies for immunoblotting. We estimated the amount of the full-length DMPK (85 kDa) in muscle biopsies from normal controls and from DM1 patients carrying different (CTG)_n expansions. We found that DMPK concentration was decreased to about 50% in DM patients’ muscles; the protein decrease did not seem correlated with the CTG repeat length. However, the fibre type composition in skeletal muscle seemed somehow to affect DMPK decrease, as the lowest level of the enzyme was found in patients with the lowest content of type 1 fibre.     

Comparison of near heterophoria tests under varying conditions on an adult sample

PURPOSE: This study compared the near phoria measurement using the Bernell muscle balance card with and without prism neutralization, using both trial frame and phoropter correction, and compared with the conventional Maddox rod method. METHODS: Forty young normal Chinese adults had their near phoria measured with trial frame correction using the conventional muscle balance card method (method 1). Any deviation was compensated with a prism bar as an alternative approach (method 2). The conventional Maddox rod method (method 3) was also carried out for comparison. These three methods were repeated with phoropter correction and considered as methods 4, 5 and 6. RESULTS: The phorias obtained from these six methods were not significantly different from each other (repeated measures anova, p > 0.05). More than half of the subjects were exophoric. Although the difference in phoria was not significant, phoria measurement using phoropter correction yielded a greater coefficient of variation. CONCLUSIONS: Near phoria measurement using the muscle balance card conducted with trial frame correction was less variable, and was also more natural and similar to a real reading situation. The use of prism for compensation did not affect the phoria results. Exophoria seems to be more common than esophoria in young Chinese adults.     

Effects of ageing on the total number of muscle fibers and motoneurons of the tibialis anterior and soleus muscles in the rat

The age-related changes in the total number of muscle fibers and motoneurons of the tibialis anterior and soleus muscles were studied using 10-, 65-, and 135-week-old rats. The number of fast twitch muscle fibers was decreased at age 65 weeks, while the numbers of slow twitch fibers and of alpha motoneurons were decreased only later, at age 135 weeks. Therefore, the degenerative process of muscle fibers differs with the fiber type.