Ospemifene plus fractional CO2 laser: a powerful strategy to treat postmenopausal vulvar pain

Abstract

This study is a single-center, retrospective analysis of postmenopausal women presenting with dyspareunia and vulvar pain, aiming to evaluate relative effectiveness of vestibular CO₂ laser therapy as a treatment. Three monthly sessions of laser were performed to each patient and thereafter a three-months follow-up was stablished. A total number of 72 patients undergoing vestibular laser treatment were recruited from patient files in the period between 2016 and 2018. Among these, 39 women also received a concomitant treatment with ospemifene (60?mg/day) during the study period. There was a statistically significant reduction of all the symptoms in both groups up to the three month follow-up. Regarding dryness and dyspareunia, the relief tent to be more prominent in the ospemifene?+?laser group at all follow-ups and remained statistically significant at three-month follow-up. Specifically, vestibular dryness was significantly lower in the ospemifene?+?laser group compared with the laser treatment group (?87% vs???34%, respectively), and the vestibular health score started declining faster in the ospemifene?+?laser group. Although, additional research is needed to understand the mechanism of action, our data shows that a combination regimen of laser and ospemifene may improve clinical effectiveness for long-term treatment of symptoms associated with the under-recognized genitourinary syndrome of menopause.     

SALVAGE THERAPY IN PATIENTS WITH UNRESECTABLE HILAR CHOLANGIOCARCINOMA

We describe our methods and outcomes of multidisciplinary treatments in patients with unresectable hilar cholangiocarcinoma. Fifty‐seven patients with a known outcome were enrolled. Thirty‐four of 57 patients were treated and evaluated by salvage therapy. For salvage therapy, we used internal and external radiotherapy, photodynamic therapy, YAG laser therapy and microwave coagulation therapy. The median survival time was 548 days for the group receiving salvage therapy and 198 days for the group not receiving this treatment. In conclusion, although no randomization of the patients was performed in this retrospective study, our present data provide convincing evidence that salvage therapy is a useful therapeutic approach for unresectable hilar cholangiocarcinomas.     

Renal Allograft Biopsies with Borderline Changes: Predictive Factors of Clinical Outcome

The clinical outcome and appropriate management for patients showing 'borderline changes' on allograft biopsy after renal transplantation is still controversial. In an attempt to identify predictive factors of clinical outcome of patients with such lesions, we reviewed the clinical course of 91 patients with borderline changes. Multivariate analysis revealed significant and independent effects of histological stage (i + t < or = or > 2) and time to borderline changes (< or = or > 3 months after transplant) on serum creatinine levels at 1 year from borderline changes episodes (respectively, p = 0.04 and p = 0.02) and only a significant effect of time to borderline changes on serum creatinine levels at 2 years (p = 0.005). Renal function at 1 year and 2 years as 5- and 8-year graft survival were not significantly different in the group of patients treated with antirejection therapy (T group, n = 49) compared with the untreated group (UT group, n = 42). This study strongly suggests that borderline changes with histological score (i + t) > 2 and late episodes of borderline changes should be considered to be of poor prognosis.     

Nd∶YAG激光防治根管治疗期间急症发生的效果分析

目的分析激光消毒根管,防治根管治疗期间急症(endodonticinterappointmentemergencies,EIAE)发生的效果。方法慢性根尖周炎、慢性牙髓炎、牙髓坏死患者189例,随机分为激光组94例和对照组95例。激光组用激光消毒根管后一次性完成根管治疗;对照组直接行一次性完成根管治疗。对激光防治EIAE的效果进行临床评估。结果EIAE的发生率激光组为9.6%,对照组为35.8%,两组比较差异有显著意义(P<0.01)。结论运用激光消毒根管能有效地预防和降低根管治疗期间急症的发生。     

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.     

Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis: the importance of early magnetic resonance imaging

The diagnosis of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) is frequently missed or delayed with consequent delay in instituting therapy in the crucial phase of the illness. The role of MRI in the diagnosis of ADEM is well established, however, the value of its early utilization of treatment on the outcome of patients has not been adequately stressed. Three patients with ADEM are described. Delay in the diagnosis of the first was associated with severe sequelae, while in the other two early diagnosis and institution of corticosteroid therapy which was facilitated by MRI, was associated with a better outcome. MRI should be carried out early once the diagosis of ADEM is entertained.     

Role of intracortical mechanisms in the late part of the silent period to transcranial stimulation of the human motor cortex

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial electrical stimulation (TES) of the human motor cortex produce a silent period (SP) following motor evoked potentials (MEPs). The early part of the SP can be explained by decreased alpha motor neuron excitability, whereas the late part is presumably due to suprasegmental mechanisms. In order to determine the level of the suprasegmental contribution to the generation of SPs, we recorded excitatory and inhibitory responses to TMS, TES, and percutaneous electrical brainstem stimulation (PBS) in the voluntarily activated first dorsal interosseous muscle of the hand. Stimulus intensities were set so that PBS and TES induced MEPs with areas equal to or larger than those of MEPs obtained with TMS. This procedure revealed that SPs were 49% and 83% shorter with TES and PBS, respectively, than with TMS. As TMS is more effective than TES or PBS in activating cortical interneurons, these findings support the idea that a significant component of the SP arises from intracortical mechanisms.     

Ultrastructural reversible changes in fish neuromuscular junctions after chronic exercise

Neuromuscular junctions (NJs) of fin muscles of teleostean fishes, Lebistes reticulatus, were ultrastructurally analyzed during 60 min of chronic exercise and a subsequent period of 90 min of induced recovery. NJs from 30-min-exercised fishes showed an almost complete depletion of synaptic vesicles (SVs), corresponding to 83% of SV consumption; 76% of axon terminals were branched at the end of this period. During the recovery period, it was possible to observe the reversibility of the changes induced by the exercise and the transitory events that lead to the reacquirement of the normal NJ morphology. After 15 min of rest, SV population increased to a value of 54.6 SVs/micron2 and the percentage of branched axons was 66.5%. At 60 min of recovery the number of SVs reached a value of 84.6 SVs/micron2. The SV population was fully reestablished at 80 min of rest, while the percentage of branched axons was found within normal ranges after 90 min of recovery. These results demonstrate that chronic exercise induced physiological depletion of NJ SVs and other axon terminal morphological changes, as well as that postexercise rest induces the reestablishment of the normal NJ morphology.     

异环磷酰胺为主的联合方案治疗晚期复发鼻咽癌

[目的]观察比较异环磷酰胺(IFO)、顺铂(DDP)、5-氟尿嘧啶(5-Fu)联合方案(IPF方案)与DDP,5-Fu(PF方案)治疗晚期复发鼻咽癌(Ⅲ-Ⅳ期)的近期疗效及毒副反应。[方法]136例均经病理证实为晚期复发鼻咽癌患者,随机分为IPF组69例,PF组67例(对照组)[结果]IPF组和PF组有效率分别为69.56％(48/69)和43.3％(29/67),两组间差异有显著性(X2=8.519,P<0.01)。中位生存期:IPF组16个月(8-34个月),PF组为6.5个月(4-21个月),两组间差异有显著性(X2=22.36,P<0.05)。毒副作用主要为骨髓抑制,Ⅲ-Ⅳ度白细胞下降率IPF组为49.4％,PF组为5.97％,两组差异有显著性(X2=29.54,P<0.01)。Ⅲ-Ⅳ度血小板下降率IPF组为29.18％,PF组为0％(X2=30.29,P<0.01);Ⅲ-Ⅳ度消化道反应两组的发生率分别为15.94％和11.94％(x2=0.234,P>0.01).且以Ⅲ度为主。[结论]以IFO为主的方案联合治疗晚期复发鼻咽癌疗效好,毒副反应能耐受,可作为一线方案。