Functional results of the surgery of esophageal opening hernia]

The article presents an original method of laparoscopic anti-reflux surgery, immediate and long-term results of the treatment of 132 patients with esophageal opening hernia. It also describes the analysis of the life quality of patients with the gastroesophageal reflux disease before and after the surgery.     

Unilateral congenital elongation of the cervical part of the internal carotid artery with kinking and looping: two case reports and review of the literature

Unilateral and bilateral variation in the course and elongation of the cervical (extracranial) part of the internal carotid artery (ICA) leading to its tortuosity, kinking and coiling or looping is not a rare condition, which could be caused by both embryological and acquired factors. Patients with such variations may be asymptomatic in some cases; in others, they can develop cerebrovascular symptoms due to carotid stenosis affecting cerebral circulation. The risk of transient ischemic attacks in patients with carotid stenosis is high and its surgical correction is indicated for the prevention of ischemic stroke. Detection of developmental variations of the ICA and evaluation of its stenotic areas is very important for surgical interventions and involves specific diagnostic imaging techniques for vascular lesions including contrast arteriography, duplex ultrasonography and magnetic resonance angiography. Examination of obtained images in cases of unusual and complicated variations of vascular pattern of the ICA may lead to confusion in interpretation of data. Awareness about details and topographic anatomy of variations of the ICA may serve as a useful guide for both radiologists and vascular surgeons. It may help to prevent diagnostic errors, influence surgical tactics and interventional procedures and avoid complications during the head and neck surgery. Our present study was conducted with a purpose of updating data about developmental variations of the ICA. Dissections of the main neurovascular bundle of the head and neck were performed on a total 14 human adult cadavers (10 – Africans: 7 males & 3 females and 4 – East Indians: all males). Two cases of unilateral congenital elongation of the cervical part of the ICA with kinking and looping and carotid stenoses were found only in African males. Here we present their detailed case reports with review of the literature.     

聚磷酸钙纤维和左旋聚乳酸软骨支架复合自体骨髓间充质干细胞构建组织工程化人工关节软骨

目的应用组织工程学技术，体外初步构建组织工程化人工关节软骨。方法制备三维多孔软骨支架材料CPP／PLLA，体外诱导兔MSCs向软骨细胞表型分化，免疫组织化学染色检测软骨特异性Ⅱ型胶原表达，将诱导细胞与软骨支架材料CPP／PLLA复合，体外培养构建人工关节软骨，1周后终止培养，扫描电镜观察组织工程化人工软骨的微观结构；同时将构建人工软骨移植于兔大腿皮下，3周后处死动物，甲苯胺蓝染色观察。结果扫描电镜观察可见该复合材料CPP／PLLA为高孔隙率的网状、连通、微孔结构，微孔分布均匀，孔径大小为300～400Ⅳn之间；兔MSCs经体外软骨表型定向诱导后，Ⅱ型胶原免疫组化染色阳性。诱导后的MSCs可在支架材料内良好贴附生长，细胞被分泌的胶原基质包裹；从体内获取的培养物组织切片观察可见大量的软骨细胞生成，甲苯胺蓝染色阳性。结论经软骨起源诱导后的MSCs与CPP／PLLA复合培养可以构建自体软骨移植的替代物，为应用软骨组织工程方法修复关节软骨缺损和功能重建提供一种新材料，具有较大的潜在应用价值。     

Endobronchial ultrasound: new insight for the diagnosis of sarcoidosis.

A diagnosis of sarcoidosis should be substantiated by pathological means in order to thoroughly exclude other diseases. The role of real-time endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) in the diagnosis of sarcoidosis has not been reported. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the diagnostic yield of EBUS-TBNA in demonstrating the pathological features of sarcoidosis. In total, 65 patients with suspected sarcoidosis, with enlarged hilar or mediastinal lymph nodes on computed tomography, were included in the study. Patients with a suspected or known malignancy or previously established diagnosis of sarcoidosis were excluded. Convex probe endobronchial ultrasonography integrated with a separate working channel was used for EBUS-TBNA. Surgical methods were performed in those in whom no granulomas were detected by EBUS-TBNA. Patients were followed up clinically. EBUS-TBNA was performed on a total of 77 lymph node stations in 65 patients. A final diagnosis of sarcoidosis was made for 61 (93.8%) of the patients. The remaining four patients were diagnosed as having Wegener's granulomatosis (n=1) or indefinite (n=3). In patients with a final diagnosis of sarcoidosis, EBUS-TBNA demonstrated noncaseating epithelioid cell granulomas in 56 (91.8%) of the patients. No complications were reported. Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration proved to be a safe procedure with a high yield for the diagnoses of sarcoidosis.     

Changes in HRCT findings in patients with respiratory bronchiolitis-associated interstitial lung disease after smoking cessation.

High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) findings in patients with respiratory bronchiolitis-associated interstitial lung disease (RB-ILD) are varied and nonspecific. There is no known report of changes in HRCT findings and respiratory function test results for RB-ILD patients following the cessation of smoking. Five patients with RB-ILD, confirmed by surgical lung biopsy, were retrospectively studied. Each stopped cigarette smoking and did not receive corticosteroid therapy after diagnosis. The clinical symptoms, respiratory function test results and HRCT findings obtained at the final observation were compared with those from the time of diagnosis. Ground-glass opacity and centrilobular nodules corresponding to pathological respiratory bronchiolitis, as well as intralobular fine linear-reticular opacity corresponding to fibrosis involving the subpleural alveolar septa, showed computed tomography-pathological correlations. Both clinical symptoms and the diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide improved significantly following smoking cessation, as did ground-glass opacity and centrilobular nodules seen during the initial HRCT examination. Centrilobular nodules and ground-glass opacity, which are the main features of high-resolution computed tomography of respiratory bronchiolitis-associated interstitial lung disease patients and represent pathological respiratory bronchiolitis, can be improved by smoking cessation. The diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide in respiratory function tests can be also improved.     

危重患者经外周静脉置入中心静脉导管的临床研究——前瞻性随机对照研究

目的 比较经外周静脉置入中心静脉导管(peripherally inserted central catheter,PICC)与经锁骨下静脉中心静脉置管在危重患者中的临床应用.方法 通过前瞻性随机对照研究方法,将80例ICU危重患者分为PICC组(40例)和锁骨下静脉组(40例),观察两组穿刺成功率、穿刺时间、穿刺不良反应发生率等.结果 PICC组较锁骨下静脉组一次穿刺成功率高(92.5%vs 75.0%,χ2=4.501,P=0.034),穿刺时间短[(15.7±5.3)min vs(23.9±6.3)min,t=-6.263,P=0.000],总不良反应发生率低(10.0%vs 27.5%,χ2=4.021,P=0.045).结论 PICC穿刺简便易行,危险性小,在危重患者中PICC置管优于锁骨下静脉置管.