Risks of androgen therapy

Elderly men with clinical and laboratory evidence of androgen deficiency are eligible for testosterone treatment.

With proper monitoring this is acceptably safe.

In the first year of testosterone treatment there should be a digital rectal examination of the prostate and measurement of prostate specific antigen every three months, thereafter yearly.

The rate of increase of prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels is more significant than its absolute values.

Levels of haemoglobin and the haematocrit should be monitored.     

良性阵发性位置性眩晕的自我治疗

目的比较改良的Epley耳石复位法（MEP）和改良的Semont耳石复位法（MSM）用于后半规管良性阵发性位置性眩晕（PC-BPPV）自我治疗的疗效。方法对2001年7月至2003年6月间的70例PC-BPPV患者分别使用MEP和MSM法进行自身治疗，1周后比较两组缓解率和治疗的副作用。结果MEP组中95％（n=37）患者完全缓解，而MSM组仅为58％（n=33，P〈0．001）。MSM组中，治疗的失败与动作执行的不准确密切相关。两组治疗有关的副作用差异无统计学意义。结论MEP比MSM能更有效的缓解PC-BPPV，MEP应为患者自身治疗的首选方法。     

Efficacy and safety of herbal medicines for idiopathic Parkinson's disease: a systematic review.

The objective of this study is to assess the efficacy and safety of herbal medicines (HMs), as a monotherapy or adjunct therapy, compared to placebo or conventional approaches in the treatment of idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD). We conducted a systematic review of randomized controlled trials from both conventional and alternative medicine sources. Outcome measures were overall improvement, quality of life, reduction of levodopa dose, and adverse events. Nine studies were included, each testing a different HM. Six of the trials had limited internal validity due to major flaws in design, including the lack of proper randomization; insufficient blinding; unclear inclusive criteria in terms of diagnostic criteria, baseline staging, and duration of disease; lack of proper sample size calculation; and insufficient data analysis. Imbalances in gender and ethnicity among the patients in the included trials were observed. No major adverse events emerged, and no specific pattern was detected from the trials describing such data. In addition to major methodological defects, heterogeneity in (1) HM tested, (2) control treatment, and (3) outcome measure hindered in-depth data analysis and synthesis. Current evidence is insufficient to evaluate the efficacy and safety of various HMs. Further studies with improved trial design and reporting, with assessment on cost-effectiveness, quality of life, and qualitative data are warranted.     

Fetal neural grafts for Huntington's disease: a prospective view.

Intrastriatal transplantation of striatal neuroblasts from human fetuses is a promising approach for treatment of Huntington's disease, on the basis of many experimental animal studies and, most recently, pilot clinical trials. Technically, several issues remain to be resolved (e.g., the precise site of dissection of the fetal tissue; the number and location of the fetal striatal implants; or the use of immunosuppressive therapy), and await larger-scale trials and purposely designed protocols. Further clinical data must also be obtained, and preliminary promising results must be replicated in a patient group large enough to provide conclusive results. It is important to establish (1) the amount of clinical benefit provided to the patient by the grafted cells; (2) the anticipated duration of clinical benefits; and (3) the secondary rate of decline after the benefit of the graft has been overbalanced. Evaluation of these parameters will require very long-term follow-up of the patients involved, over several years after grafting, before the technique can eventually be proposed widely to patients.     

Differential role for the striatum and cerebellum in response to novel movements using a motor learning paradigm.

The aim of this pilot study was to examine the role of the striatum and cerebellum in the adaptation to a novel movement within a sequence of practiced movements using a motor learning paradigm. The performance of patients in the early or advanced stages of Parkinson's disease (PD) and of patients with damage to the cerebellum (CE) was compared, respectively to a group of aged and young matched controls on an adapted version of the Mirror-Tracing Test. In this task, subjects were required to trace a series of complex figures in two conditions: (1) a Practiced condition, in which the figures were composed of the juxtaposition of three simple designs that were extensively practiced before; and (2) a Mixed condition in which triads were created by replacing the last simple figure of the triads in the Practiced condition by a new simple figure that had never been traced individually before. Results showed that all clinical groups were slower than controls at tracing the Practiced triads. Most interestingly, however, only patients in the advanced stages of PD showed increased completion time to trace the triads in the Mixed condition. This suggests that a bilateral striatal dysfunction affects the ability to adapt to a novel motion within a sequence of practiced movements. Although exploratory, these results support a functional dissociation between the striatum and cerebellum in acquiring visuomotor skilled behaviors.     

高分辨率CT对颞部疾病的检查价值

目的：探讨高分辨率CT（HRCT）对颞部疾病的检查价值。方法：对43例颞部疾病患者行常规CT和高分辨率CT（HRCT）检查所获图像对比分析，并讨论HRCT的检查技术和图像后处理。结果：HRCT对病变的显示率及病变引起骨质破坏的程度，病变边缘，轮廓的显示均明显优于常规CT，尤其能清楚显示常规CT难以显示的中耳及内耳的细微结构，结论：高分辨率CT是颞部疾病的首选检查方法，使用高分辨率CT对颞部疾病的检查给临床提供更多，更准确的诊断信息。     

非胰岛素依赖型糖尿病患者血清唾液酸的改变

测定20例NIDDM伴有心脑血管病变的患者、20例单纯NIDDM患者的血清唾液酸（SA）水平，并与20例正常人进行比较。结果发现所有NIDDM患者的血清SA水平均显著增高（P＜0．01），其中伴有心脑血管疾病患者的血清SA水平显著高于单纯NIDDM患者（P＜0．05），同时血清SA水平与血清胰岛素及C肽水平、收好压之间存在相关。提示血清SA水平与NIDDM患者的心脑血管疾病关系密切，可能是心脑血管并发症发生的一个危险因素。     

外阴汗腺癌七例临床分析

目的：总结外阴汗腺癌的临床特点及治疗方法。方法：对７例外阴汗腺癌病例进行回顾性分析。结果：外阴汗腺癌的发病年龄为４０～５８岁。７例患者的治疗为局部扩大切除或根治性外阴广泛切除，２例辅以术后放疗。７例中５例存活５年以上，其中１例曾在首次治疗后第７年、１１年２次复发并于第１７年死于肿瘤。２例存活＜５年，１例在术后２年半死于脑出血，１例因脊椎广泛转移在术后１年零９个月死亡。结论：外阴汗腺癌的预后较好，局部扩大切除或根治性外阴切除，是首选治疗方法。     

A new pedicled seromuscular flap technique for high-risk intestinal anastomoses

A new method for protecting intestinal anastomoses in patients at high risk of anastomotic dehiscence or fistula formation is described herein. This method involves raising a seromuscular flap on a pedicle from the stump of the intestine to be anastomosed. The anastomosis is performed, then covered with the seromuscular flap.     

单克隆IgH基因重排检测在B-NHL诊断和随访中的意义

目的　评价单克隆IgH基因重排检测在恶性淋巴瘤 (B NHL)临床中的应用价值。方法　用半巢式PCR检测单克隆IgH基因重排。病例组为B NHL ,包括 6 9例石蜡包埋组织切片、治疗前 16例骨髓和 2 9例外周血、阳性者治疗后复查骨髓和外周血 ;对照组为 10例慢性淋巴结炎、3例T NHL和 2例HD。结果　对照组均阴性。病例组 :切片中单克隆IgH基因重排阳性率为 6 3.8% (44 / 6 9) ;骨髓和外周血阳性率分别为 43 .8%(7/ 16 )和 41.4% (12 / 2 9) ,细胞形态学检查未见异常细胞者阳性率分别为 33 .3% (3/ 9)和 31.3% (5 / 16 )。 16例同时采集骨髓和外周血者 ,阳性率分别为 43 .8% (7/ 16 )和 37.5 % (6 / 16 ) ,两者无统计学差异。治疗前单克隆IgH重排阳性者 ,6例完全缓解 (CR)后转阴 ,处于持续缓解状态 ,1例临床缓解后 13个月仍阳性 ,现在继续随访中 ,另 1例CR后持续阳性者 ,6个月后复发。结论　切片、骨髓和外周血中检测单克隆IgH基因重排可以作为B NHL诊断和随访微小残留病灶的辅助手段