Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery after Preoperative CT-Guided Lipiodol Marking of Small or Impalpable Pulmonary Nodules

Purpose: Small pulmonary lesions that include ground-glass attenuation have been increasingly discovered because of progressive imaging diagnostic technologies. Despite the detection of such small lesions, sometimes it is quite difficult to localize them because of their size or considerable depth from the visceral pleura. In the present study, we examined the usefulness of computed tomography-guided lipiodol marking for thoracoscopic resection of impalpable pulmonary nodules.Methods: Fifty-six patients with an undiagnosed peripheral lesion(s) of the lung who had undergone preoperative computed tomography-guided lipiodol marking followed by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery were studied.Results: All of the nodules were successfully marked by computed tomography-guided lipiodol marking, and all except for one case were localized by means of intraoperative fluoroscopy as clear spots. With regard to complications, pneumothorax occurred in 21 patients (37.5%), and only one patient required transient drainage. Although hemorrhaging in the lung parenchyma and hemosputum occurred in nine patients (16.1%) and one patient (1.8%), respectively, no patients were in serious condition. No intra- or postoperative mortality or morbidity was observed.Conclusion: Preoperative computed tomography-guided lipiodol marking of small or impalpable pulmonary nodules is a safe and useful procedure for thoracoscopic resection of the lung.     

胸腔镜肺小结节切除术前微弹簧圈定位的临床应用研究

目的:研究孤立性肺结节(SPN)胸腔镜术前CT引导下双弹簧圈精准标记定位的应用价值。方法:回顾分析43例SPN胸腔镜术前定位病例资料，包括双弹簧圈组22例，Hook-wire定位组21例。统计双弹簧圈定位的术中、术后并发症，衔接期时间以及作楔形切除所用时间，并将两组结果进行对比分析。结果:两组病例定位均取得成功；双弹簧圈组的气胸发生率(9.0%)，肺出血发生率(9.0%)，胸痛发生率(9.0%)均低于Hook-wire组，其中肺出血发生率与Hook-wire组比较，差异有统计学意义(P＜0.01)；衔接时间双弹簧圈组（15.38±8.32）h长于Hook-wire组（4.21±3.29）h，差异有统计学意义（P＜0.05）；作楔形切除所用时间双弹簧圈组(21.01±7.14)min与Hook-wire组(18.22±5.18)min差异无统计学意义(P＞0.05)。结论:采用双微弹簧圈进行SPN胸腔镜手术前精准标记定位安全可靠、效果良好，与Hook-wire定位比较并发症发生率更低，并可获得更长的衔接期，具有较高的应用价值。     

Agminated fibroblastic connective tissue nevus in a 1‐year‐old boy

Fibroblastic connective tissue nevus (FCTN) is a benign cutaneous mesenchymal lesion characterized by proliferation of CD34‐positive fibroblastic/myofibroblastic spindle‐shaped cells. We report a case of agminated FCTN on the right lower abdomen of a 1‐year‐old boy.     

High-magnitude mechanical strain inhibits the differentiation of bone-forming rat calvarial progenitor cells

Purpose: Orthodontic tooth movement occurs during the bone remodeling induced by therapeutic mechanical strain. It is important to investigate the relation between the strength of mechanical stress and bone formation activity. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of high-magnitude mechanical strain on bone formation in detail.

Materials and methods: Osteoblast-like cells isolated from fetal rat calvariae were loaded with 18% cyclic tension force (TF) for 48?h. To phenotypically investigate the effect of TF, we measured the number and the size of bone nodules stained by von Kossa technique on day 21 after cell seeding and determined the calcium content of bone nodules on day 14. Furthermore, we examined the gene expression of BMP-2, Runx2 and Msx2, which are important factors for bone nodule formation, on days 1, 4 and 7 after TF loading.

Results: The maximum bone nodule size in the control group was 1620 and 719?μm in the TF group. Furthermore, the mean number of bone nodules sized over 360?μm in the TF group was significantly decreased compared to the control group. The calcium content was also significantly decreased to 42% by TF loading. The mRNA expression of BMP-2, Runx2 and Msx2 was decreased 1 and 4 days after TF loading.

Conclusion: The differentiation of bone forming progenitor cells into bone nodule forming cells was inhibited by TF due to the decreased expression of bone formation related factors such as BMP-2, Runx2 and Msx2.     

Spinocerebellar ataxia types 2 and 3 segregating simultaneously in a single family.

Spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) types 2 and 3 are autosomal-dominant neurodegenerative disorders caused by mutations in two different genes. We identified mutations for SCA2 and SCA3 segregating simultaneously in a single Brazilian family. The index patient had SCA2, whereas her two second-degree cousins had SCA3. Disease was more rapidly progressive in the SCA2 patient, who presented severe brainstem and pancerebellar atrophy, as opposed to the two SCA3 patients, who had only mild cerebellar vermian atrophy. In such situations, molecular confirmation of all patients may avoid misdiagnosis of SCA subtypes and eventual errors in predictive testing of unaffected family members.     

小剂量低LET辐射对人淋巴细胞SCE的影响

本文用磷酸盐Giemsa法观察了小剂量X射线照射对人离体外周血淋巴细胞SCE的影响。其结果照射组各剂量点均不明显地高于对照组,证实了SCE对电离辐射不敏感,说明染色体结构畸变和SCE的发生是彼此独立的两个不同事件。     

~(99)Tc~m扫描对甲状腺结节的诊断价值

目的 :评价99Tcm 核素甲状腺扫描对甲状腺结节的临床诊断价值。方法 :对 2 87例甲状腺结节患者行99Tcm 甲状腺扫描并行甲状腺手术 ,将扫描结果与术后病理诊断进行对比。结果 :扫描对各种甲状腺结节定位诊断准确 ,但各组甲状腺结节扫描定性诊断结果无差异 (P >0 .0 5 )。结论 :发现99Tcm 扫描对甲状腺结节的定位准确 ,但对甲状腺结节良恶性鉴别帮助不大。该方法快捷方便 ,病人所受辐射较少 ,尤其适用于儿童     

Deep Granuloma Annulare (Pseudorheumatoid Nodule) in Children: Clinicopathologic Study of 35 Cases

Deep granuloma annulare (DGA) is one of several lesions of skin and superficial soft tissues whose histologic character is a palisading granuloma with a small central focus of necrosis or necrobiosis. Unlike the other palisading necrobiotic lesions, DGA has a predilection for children in the first 5 to 6 years of life. A painless subcutaneous nodule(s) in the lower anterior tibial region or foot and the scalp, typically in the occiput, was the most common presenting feature in this study of 35 cases. Additional or recurrent lesions were reported in approximately 70% of cases with clinical follow-up. All lesions showed the presence of necrobiosis; however, one of the characteristic features was the multinodular character of the predominantly mononuclear cellular aggregates. The presence of vascular spaces at the periphery of the nodular profiles served as a clue to the diagnosis of DGA. The palisading arrangement of the mononuclear cells was evident only in those foci with central necrobiosis. A histiocytic disorder or fibrohistiocytic process was a common consideration in the differential diagnosis, especially in those cases with less apparent foci of necrosis. Palisading histiocytes with prominent eosinophilic cytoplasm and some nuclear atypism were problematic with regard to possible epithelioid sarcoma. Our study failed to identify any underlying or predisposing factors in the development of DGA. Despite the fact that DGA is a well-documented lesion in children, it occurs sufficiently infrequently that it is often not considered clinically when it presents as a subcutaneous mass or masses in a child. Its recognition by the pathologist is especially important as the occurrence of additional lesions in a high proportion of children can be anticipated without undue concern. Received June 16, 1997; accepted October 28, 1997.