超声定量检查技术新进展

近年来，超声定量检查技术在临床的应用为心血管疾病患者的心功能评估提供了量化的依据，本文介绍了超声诊断仪的使用部分最新定量检查技术。     

贲门失弛缓症的超声诊断价值

目的:探讨超声在贲门失弛缓症诊断中的应用价值。方法:对临床拟诊为贲门失弛缓症病人首先采用超声检查,诊断贲门失弛缓症38例,同时进行了X线钡剂食管及胃肠造影,并与40例正常人进行了对照。结果:超声对贲门失弛缓症的诊断符合率为100%,失弛缓症的食管管径明显大于正常对照组(P<0.01),管壁厚度亦大于正常对照组(P<0.01)食管蠕动明显减弱,甚者消失,扩张的食管腔内见有潴留的内容物。结论:超声对贲门失弛缓症诊断具有重要的临床应用价值,可取代传统的X线钡剂造影检查。     

The relationship between activity and pain in patients 6 months after lumbar disc surgery: Do pain-related coping modes act as moderator variables?

BACKGROUND: In LBP patients, the relationship between pain and physical activity remains unclear. Whereas a negative relationship between pain and self-reported physical activity was found, this relation disappeared in the case of overt behavioral data (e.g., accelerometer). Cognitive-behavioral models of the development of chronic pain suggest subgroups with signs of physical underuse and overuse. AIMS: To examine if patients with pain-related adaptive, endurance and fear-avoidance coping differ in pain, self-reported physical function and overt physical activity 6 months after disc surgery. METHODS: 24 patients completed questionnaires (Von Korff chronic pain grade (CPG), Kiel pain inventory (KPI), Funktionsfragebogen Hannover-Rücken FFbH-R) and underwent an 8-h accelerometer assessment in their daily life (physical activity level (PAL), number of constant postures (CP)). The KPI differed between adaptive coping (AC) (N=9), fear avoidance coping (FAC) (N=1) and endurance coping (EC) (N=14). RESULTS: In the whole group, pain intensity was negative related to self-reported physical activity whereas PAL and CP displayed no correlation with pain. EC patients showed significantly higher pain scores and lower self-reported physical functioning compared to AC but the same level of PAL and furthermore, a significantly higher number of CPs in daily life. The visual inspection of the FAC patient revealed also high pain, low physical functioning and low overt physical activity. CONCLUSIONS: The assessment of pain-related coping modes yielded an important differentiation between subgroups of LBP patients 6 months after surgery. Endurance copers displayed signs of overuse in their daily behavior in spite of pain than adaptive copers. The one fear avoidance coper tends to do less physical activity in the sense of underuse.     

230例隐睾临床分析

目的　总结隐睾及其并发症的诊治经验 ,提高对隐睾合理治疗年龄的认识。　方法　回顾性分析 1996至 2 0 0 1年 2 30例 2 99侧隐睾患者诊治资料。就诊时年龄 1～ 5 9岁 ,平均 (9.5± 9.0 )岁。左侧 88例 ,右侧 73例 ,双侧 6 9例。合并尿道下裂 11例 ,隐匿性阴茎 2例。　结果　 2岁以内手术治疗患者 2 5例 (10 .9% )。手术治疗 2 89侧 ,其中行一期下降固定术 2 73侧 ,另外疑为萎缩或恶变而行手术切除送病理 15侧 ,探查缺如 1侧。手术 2 89侧中 2 73例下降固定术后随访 4个月～ 5年 ,2 70例未见睾丸回缩及萎缩 ,成功率 98.9% (2 70 / 2 73侧 )。腹外型 2 6 0侧 (90 .0 % ) ,腹内型 2 5侧 (8.7% ) ,缺如 4侧 (1.4 % )。合并斜疝 74侧 (2 5 .6 % ) ,鞘状突未闭 2 4侧 (8.3% ) ,睾丸附睾分离 33侧 (11.4 % )。14 6侧腹外型隐睾B超检查符合率 86 .3% (12 6 / 14 6 ) ,查体符合率 6 3.0 % (92 / 14 6 ) ,P <0 .0 0 5。　结论　 2岁以内最佳手术时机的隐睾患者诊治率明显偏低 ,应引起重视。B超对隐睾的定位诊断符合率较高。     

Intra-observer and inter-observer agreement of the manual examination of the lumbar spine in chronic low-back pain

Examination is a cornerstone in the manual procedures leading to mobilisation/manipulation of the low back. The observer variation of the more specific segmental tests remains to be investigated. Two skilled specialists in manual medicine examined the segmental changes in the lumbar spine. The patients were unknown to the examiners and no information of the case history was given. All test results were recorded by an observer present in the room who ensured that no conversation was allowed during the examination. The primary outcome measures were the kappa values for each test. The matching was defined as acceptable (acc) within two neighbouring levels and perfect (per) on the same level. Intra-observer variation (tested in 33 patients and 10 subjects without low-back pain): The agreement between first and second segmental diagnosis examination was 70% (per) and 82% (per + acc). Kappa values were: segmental diagnosis 0.60 (per) and 0.70 (per + acc), multifidus test 0.51 (per) and 0.60 (per + acc), sideflexion 0.57 (per) and 0.69 (per + acc), and ventral flexion 0.31 (per) and 0.45 (per + acc). Inter-observer variation (tested in 60 patients): The agreement for segmental diagnosis between the examiner A and B was 42% (per) and 75% (per + acc). Kappa values were: segmental diagnosis 0.21 (per) and 0.57 (acc), multifidus test 0.12 (per) and 0.48 (acc), sideflexion 0.22 (per) and 0.45 (acc), and ventralflexion 0.22 (per) and 0.44 (acc). By manual tests, skilled examiners seem to be able to diagnose segmental dysfunctions in the low back. The clinical implication of these dysfunctions remains to be clarified.     

The effects of brisk walking on markers of bone and calcium metabolism in postmenopausal women

Weight-bearing exercise has been shown to maintain or increase bone mass in younger as well as older individuals but the mechanisms by which mechanical loading affects bone metabolism are not known in detail. Twelve postmenopausal women participated in a single bout of brisk walking (50% of VO_{2 max}) for 90 minuttes. Calciotropic hormones and markers of type I collagen formation (PICP) and degradation (ICTP) were measured before the exercise, and 1, 24, and 72 hours following the exercise. Total body bone mineral content (BMC) and density (BMD) were measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Brisk walking did not induce any significant changes in the concentrations of ionized calcium, parathyroid hormone (PTH), calcitonin, or osteocalcin. A significant increase of PICP was noted 24 and 72 hours (P<0.01) after exertion and a significant decrease in the concentration of serum ICTP at 1 hour (P<0.05) was followed by an increase at 72 hours (P<0.001). There was no significant difference between the increases in the concentrations of PICP and ICTP at 72 hours. Strong inverse correlations between the basal levels of PTH and BMD (r=−0.78;P<0.01) as well as between osteocalcin and BMD (r=−0.83;P<0.01) were noticed. The changes in serum levels of bone collagen markers indicate an altered bone collagen turnover due to this moderate endurance exercise. The results also support the fact that serum levels of PTH as well as those of osteocalcin are associated with total body BMD in postmenopausal women.     

Coexistence of Neoplasia and Cortical Dysplasia in Patients Presenting with Seizures

Summary: Tumors and cortical dysplasia are associated with epilepsy, but few studies have examined the coexistence of neoplasia and dysplasia in these patients. We studied 13 patients (age 4–29 years) with recurrent seizures of 1 month to 21-year' duration (median 72 months). Ten patients were aged <21 years. Imaging studies localized the lesion to the temporal lobe (10 patients), parietal lobe (2 patients), and frontal lobe (1 patient). Tumors included ganglioglioma (8 patients), dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor (DNT) (3 patients), and low-grade as- trocytoma (2 patients). Cortical dysplasia, including atypical aggregates of neurons (6 patients), multifocal loss of the cortical laminar architecture (7 patients), and neurons in the molecular layer of the cortex (3 patients) were observed near but separate from the tumor. Coexistence of certain tumors with cortical dysplasia, most frequently observed in the pediatric population, suggests a hamar-tomatous/dysplastic nature of the neoplasms.     

Histamine turnover in the brain of morphine-dependent mice

Summary The turnover of brain histamine was examined in mice implanted subcutaneously with a morphine pellet (50 mg free base). The numbers of naloxone-precipitated jumpings and body shakes were maximum 2 and 3 days after implantation, respectively. The brain tele-methylhistamine level significantly increased (50% to 115%) during 12 h3 days after implantation of a morphine pellet, whereas the histamine level remained unchanged. The accumulation of tele-methylhistamine by pargyline treatment was significantly enhanced when pargyline was administered 12 h after implantation, suggesting an enhancement of histamine turnover. However, a similar degree of the tele-methylhistamine accumulation was induced by pargyline during 1–5 days after implantation, as compared with the accumulation in the control mice implanted with a placebo pellet. In mice undergoing morphine withdrawal by either the removal of morphine pellet or the treatment with naloxone 3 days after implantation, the degree of the pargyline-induced telemethylhistamine accumulation or the (S)--fluoromethylhistidine (-FMH)-induced histamine decrease was similar to that observed in the placebo pellet-control mice. The numbers of naloxone-precipitated jumpings and body shakes occurring in mice 3 days after implantation were not significantly affected by any of l-histidine, -FMH or metoprine. These results suggest that turnover of histamine in the brain is enhanced by acute morphine treatment and returns to the normal rate in the stage of chronic treatment and remains unchanged during the state of withdrawal. Send offprint requests to K. Saeki