Obstetric and perinatal outcomes of pregnancy in patients with repeated implantation failure

ObjectiveDespite the great advance of assisted reproductive technology (ART) in recent decades, many IVF patients failed to achieve a pregnancy even after multiple IVF-ET attempts. These patients are considered to have repeated implantation failure (RIF). While exhausting efforts have been devoted to the improvement of pregnancy rate in RIF patients, it is not clear whether RIF patients have aberrant obstetric or perinatal outcomes after they eventually achieved a pregnancy.Materials and methodsTaking advantage of a relatively large database of IVF-ET cycles at the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, we compared obstetric and perinatal outcomes of RIF patients who have a successful pregnancy after IVF-ET treatment(s) to those of control IVF-ET patients.ResultsBecause multiple pregnancies are associated with a high risk of obstetric complications, we restricted the analysis to patients who had singleton pregnancies. Analysis of a total of 596 control and 46 RIF cases showed the rates of almost all obstetric and perinatal outcomes investigated are not different between the two groups. However, the rate of placental abruption in the RIF group (4.35%) appeared to be significantly higher than that of controls (0.50%; OR = 8.99). This difference is still statistically significant after adjustment with the age (adjusted OR = 8.2).ConclusionWhile the rates of a spectrum of obstetric and perinatal outcomes are normal in RIF patients, these patients could have an enhanced risk of placental abruption. However, investigations with a large sample size are needed to substantiate this inference.     

上皮间充质转化在后囊膜下混浊中的研究进展

白内障是我国首位致盲性眼病，也是世界上多数国家致盲的主要原因，目前手术是唯一有效的治疗方法。而后囊膜下混浊即后发性白内障(PCO)是白内障术后常见的并发症，也是导致术后视力下降的主要原因。研究表明，术后残留的晶状体上皮细胞(LECs)发生上皮间充质转化(EMT)在PCO的发生发展中起到了重要的作用。本文主要概述了近些年来EMT在PCO中的研究进展。     

Fluctuaciones de presión intraocular en pacientes operados con implante de implantable collamer lens (ICL V4c). Seguimiento a 3 meses

IntroductionFluctuating elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) is one of the complications of an implantable collamer lens (ICL), and its alteration is a predictive factor for the development of glaucoma.Material and methodsA prospective, cross-sectional analytic study was conducted on patients suitable for ICL implantation. Complete clinical and biometric work-ups were performed, as well as night-time IOP curve, in supine position, with 4 determinations, in order to assess fluctuation, considering abnormal with a value higher than 5 mmHg. Patients underwent surgery with conventional technique and three months after the work-ups were repeated, including a night-time IOP curve to assess any changes in IOP fluctuations.ResultsA total of 31 eyes of 16 patients were studied. Mean IOP fluctuation in the preoperative assessment was 3.35 ± 2 mmHg, whereas the postoperative mean was 3.0 ± 2.2 mmHg, with the difference not being statistically significant. Visual acuity and capacity, as well as spheric equivalent did show a statistically significant improvement. There were 6 cases of complications, which were related to a higher vault and a greater ICL size. There was no relationship between these findings and the angle grade, pigment, and the level of training of the surgeon.ConclusionsThe effect of an ICL on IOP fluctuations, has been studied for the first time, which was found to be not statistically significant. As in previous publications, the procedure was safe and reproducible, adding the fact that the level of training of the surgeon is not a determining factor in these findings.     

The Effect of Corneal Higher Order Aberrations on Postoperative Residual Astigmatism after Toric IOL Implantation

Background: To demonstrate the effect of preoperative higher order aberrations (HOAs) on postoperative residual astigmatism in toric intraocular lens (IOL) implantation.

Methods: A retrospective, controlled, comparative study that involved patients who underwent toric IOL implantation. Patients were divided into two groups according to the difference between the estimated residual astigmatism and actual postoperative astigmatism [difference ≤0.5 diopters (D), Group A; difference >0.5 D, Group B]. Corneal astigmatisms with axis, and various aberration values were compared between the two groups.

Results: Total RMS and HOA RMS values in Group B were significantly higher than those in Group A (p < .001, = 0.003). The vertical coma value, and its absolute value, in Group B were significantly higher than those in Group A (p < .001, = 0.002). The total RMS and absolute value of the vertical coma showed a positive linear correlation with the degree of residual postoperative astigmatism (R-square = 0.139, 0.131; p = .027, 0.036).

Conclusions: If the residual astigmatism after insertion of the toric IOL was greater than expected, corneal aberrations, shown by total RMS and HOA RMS values before surgery, especially of the vertical coma, tended to be high.     

Single-source dual energy CT to assess myocardial extracellular volume fraction in aortic stenosis before transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI)

PurposeTo assess myocardial extracellular volume fraction (ECV) measurement provided by a single-source dual-energy computed tomography (SSDE-CT) acquisition added at the end of a routine CT examination before transcatether aortic valve implantation (TAVI) compared to cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).Materials and methodsTwenty-one patients (10 men, 11 women; mean age, 86 ± 4.9 years [SD]; age range: 71–92 years) with severe aortic stenosis underwent standard pre-TAVI CT with additional cardiac SSDE-CT acquisition 7 minutes after intravenous administration of iodinated contrast material and myocardial MRI including pre- and post-contrast T1-maps. Myocardial ECV and standard deviation (σECV) were calculated in the 16-segments model. ECV provided by SSDE-CT was compared to ECV provided by MRI, which served as the reference. Analyses were performed on a per-segment basis and on a per-patient involving the mean value of the 16-segments.ResultsECV was slightly overestimated by SSDE-CT (29.9 ± 4.6 [SD] %; range: 20.9%–48.3%) compared to MRI (29.1 ± 3.9 [SD] %; range: 22.0%–50.7%) (P < 0.0001) with a bias and limits of agreement of +2.3% (95%CI: −16.1%– + 20.6%) and +2.5% (95%CI: −2.1%– + 7.1%) for per-segment and per-patient-analyses, respectively. Good (r = 0.81 for per-segment-analysis) to excellent (r = 0.97 for per-patient-analysis) linear relationships (both P < 0.0001) were obtained. The σECV was significantly higher at SSDE-CT (P < 0.0001). Additional radiation dose from CT was 1.89 ± 0.38 (SD) mSv (range: 1.48–2.47 mSv).ConclusionA single additional SSDE-CT acquisition added at the end of a standard pre-TAVI CT protocol can provide ECV measurement with good to excellent linear relationship with MRI.     

植入物乳房重建一步法和二步法临床对比研究

目的:探讨即刻乳房假体重建（一步法）和应用扩张器的假体重建（二步法）两种不同手术方式在术后并发症、美容效果和成本效益的差异。方法:回顾性分析我院乳腺外科2015年5月至2018年5月收治的285例乳腺癌植入物重建患者，依据手术方式不同分为一步法组（145例）和二步法组（140例），比较两组患者临床资料的差异。结果:一步法组术后出血发生率（6.8%）高于二步法组（1.4%），差异有统计学意义（P=0.021）。一步法组术后伤口皮瓣坏死率（6.2%）高于二步法组（1.4%），差异有统计学意义（P=0.036）。二步法组乳房满意度评分（81.5±7.1）分高于1步法组（78.6±6.2）分，差异有统计学意义（P=0.035）。二步法组住院总花费（80 334.8±6 149.8）元高于一步法组（60 966.5±5 544.9）元，差异有统计学意义（P=0.049）。二步法组住院天数（34.3±3.2）天多于一步法组（17.5±3.9）天，差异有统计学意义（P=0.014）。结论:在植入物乳房重建两种手术方式中，二步法相较于一步法，其并发症少，美容效果好，但在成本效益上并不优于一步法。     

前房穿刺时限对原发性急性闭角型青光眼大发作的预后影响

目的评价前房穿刺时限对药物不可控制、持续高眼压状态下的原发性急性闭角型青光眼大发作的预后影响。方法回顾性分析2014年1～12月收治于华中科技大学同济医学院附属同济医院眼科的原发性急性闭角型青光眼大发作患者27例(28眼),发作眼急诊行前房穿刺放液术,术后按眼压情况即房水外流通道是否有效恢复分为A、B两组,对两组前房穿刺时限及视力转归情况进行比较。结果 A组前房穿刺时限明显低于B组,差异有统计学意义(t=-7.30,P0.01);A组视力恢复情况明显优于B组,差异有统计学意义(t=6.15,P0.01)。结论原发性急性闭角型青光眼大发作行前房穿刺后,对房水外流通路能有效恢复、眼内压短期下降的患者,穿刺放液时限较短,视力恢复较好。