THE Industrial Revolution starting from about 1760 and ending at around 1840 has been viewed as the first Industrial Revolution.It features with the replacement of human and animal muscle power with steam and mechanic...THE Industrial Revolution starting from about 1760 and ending at around 1840 has been viewed as the first Industrial Revolution.It features with the replacement of human and animal muscle power with steam and mechanical power.Human income per capita had taken 800 years to double by展开更多
BACKGROUND False tendon is a common intraventricular anatomical variation. It refers to a fibroid or fibromuscular structure that exists in the ventricle besides the normal connection of papillary muscle and mitral or...BACKGROUND False tendon is a common intraventricular anatomical variation. It refers to a fibroid or fibromuscular structure that exists in the ventricle besides the normal connection of papillary muscle and mitral or tricuspid valve. A large number of clinical studies have suggested that there is a significant correlation between false tendons and premature ventricular complexes. However, few studies have verified this correlation during radiofrequency catheter ablation of premature ventricular complexes.CASE SUMMARY A 45-year-old male was admitted to receive radiofrequency ablation for symptomatic premature ventricular complexes. A three-dimensional model of the left ventricle was established by intracardiac echocardiography using the CartoSound^TM mapping system. In addition to the left anterior papillary muscle,the posterior papillary muscle was mapped. False tendons were found at the base of the interventricular septum, and the other end was connected to the left ventricular free wall near the apex. An irrigated touch force catheter was advanced into the left ventricle via the retrograde approach. The earliest activation site was marked at the interventricular septum attachment of the false tendons and was successfully ablated.CONCLUSION This case verified that false tendons can cause premature ventricular complexes and may be cured by radiofrequency ablation guided by intracardiac echocardiography with the Carto Sound TM system.展开更多
BACKGROUND A swallowing disorder may occur following a brainstem stroke,especially one that occurs in the swallowing centers.Lateral medullary syndrome(referred to as LMS),a rare condition in which a vascular event oc...BACKGROUND A swallowing disorder may occur following a brainstem stroke,especially one that occurs in the swallowing centers.Lateral medullary syndrome(referred to as LMS),a rare condition in which a vascular event occurs in the territory of the posterior inferior cerebellar artery or the vertebral artery,has been reported to lead to more severe and longer lasting dysphagia.CASE SUMMARY We report two patients with dysphagia due to LMS and propose a novel technique named hyoid-complex elevation and stimulation technique(known as HEST).The two patients had no other functional incapacity back into life,but nasogastric feeding was the only possible way for nutrition because of severe aspirations.Swallowing function was evaluated by functional oral intake scale,modified water swallow test,surface electromyographic signal associated with video fluorography swallowing study to assess the situation of aspiration,pharyngeal residue,pharyngeal peristalsis,upper esophageal opening and the ability of deglutition.Both patients were treated with the HEST method for dysphagia and recovered quickly.CONCLUSION HEST is effective for shortening the in-hospital time and improving the quality of life for patients with dysphagia who suffer from LMS and likely other strokes.展开更多
BACKGROUND The perivascular epithelioid cell tumour(PEComa)family of tumours mainly includes renal and hepatic angiomyolipomas,pulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis and clear cell“sugar”tumour of the lung.Several uncom...BACKGROUND The perivascular epithelioid cell tumour(PEComa)family of tumours mainly includes renal and hepatic angiomyolipomas,pulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis and clear cell“sugar”tumour of the lung.Several uncommon tumours with similar morphological and immunophenotypical characteristics arising at a variety of sites(abdominal cavity,digestive tract,retroperitoneum,skin,soft tissue and bones)are also included in the PEComa family and are referred to as PEComas not otherwise specified.CASE SUMMARY We present a 37-year-old female patient who underwent resection of an 8.5 cm×8 cm×4 cm retroperitoneal tumour,which eventually was diagnosed as PEComa of uncertain biological behaviour.Three years after the operation,the patient remains without any evidence of recurrence.A search was performed in the Medline and EMBASE databases for articles published between 1996 and 2018,and we identified 31 articles related to retroperitoneal and perinephric PEComas.We focused on sex,age,maximum dimension,histological and immunohistochemical characteristics of the tumour,follow-up and long-term outcome.Thirty-four retroperitoneal(including the present one)and ten perinephric PEComas were identified,carrying a malignant potential rate of 44%and 60%,respectively.Nearly half of the potentially malignant PEComas presented with or developed metastases during the course of the disease.CONCLUSION Retroperitoneal PEComas are not as indolent as they are supposed to be.Radical surgical resection constitutes the treatment of choice for localized disease,while mammalian target of the rapamycin(mTOR)inhibitors constitute the most promising therapy for disseminated disease.The role of mTOR inhibitors as adjuvant or neoadjuvant therapies needs to be evaluated in the future.展开更多
BACKGROUND Surgical site infections following anterior cruciate ligament(ACL)reconstruction are an uncommon but potentially devastating complication.In this study,we present an unusual case of recurrent infection of t...BACKGROUND Surgical site infections following anterior cruciate ligament(ACL)reconstruction are an uncommon but potentially devastating complication.In this study,we present an unusual case of recurrent infection of the knee after an ACL reconstruction,and discuss the importance of accurate diagnosis and appropriate management,including the issue of graft preservation versus removal.CASE SUMMARY A 33-year-old gentleman underwent ACL reconstruction using a hamstring tendon autograft with suspensory Endobutton fixation to the distal femur and an interference screw fixation to the proximal tibia.Four years after ACL reconstruction,he developed an abscess over the proximal tibia and underwent incision and drainage.Remnant suture material was found at the base of the abscess and was removed.Five years later,he re-presented with a lateral distal thigh abscess that encroached the femoral tunnel.He underwent incision and drainage of the abscess which was later complicated by a chronic discharging sinus.Repeated magnetic resonance imaging revealed a fistulous communication between the lateral thigh wound extending toward the femoral tunnel with suggestion of osteomyelitis.Decision was made for a second surgery and the patient was counselled about the need for graft removal should there be intraarticular involvement.Knee arthroscopy revealed the graft to be intact with no evidence of intra-articular involvement.As such,the decision was made to retain the ACL graft.Re-debridement,excision of the sinus tract and removal of Endobutton was also performed in the same setting.Joint fluid cultures did not grow bacteria.However,tissue cultures from the femoral tunnel abscess grew Enterobacter cloacae complex,similar to what grew in tissue cultures from the tibial abscess five years earlier.In view of the recurrent and indolent nature of the infection,antibiotic therapy was escalated from Clindamycin to Ertapenem.He completed a six-week course of intravenous antibiotics and has been well for six months since surgery,with excellent knee function and no evidence of any further infection.CONCLUSION Prompt and accurate diagnosis of surgical site infection following ACL reconstruction,including the exclusion of intra-articular involvement,is important for timely and appropriate treatment.Arthroscopic debridement and removal of implant with graft preservation,together with a course of antibiotics,is a suitable treatment option for extra-articular knee infections following ACL reconstruction.展开更多
文摘THE Industrial Revolution starting from about 1760 and ending at around 1840 has been viewed as the first Industrial Revolution.It features with the replacement of human and animal muscle power with steam and mechanical power.Human income per capita had taken 800 years to double by
文摘BACKGROUND False tendon is a common intraventricular anatomical variation. It refers to a fibroid or fibromuscular structure that exists in the ventricle besides the normal connection of papillary muscle and mitral or tricuspid valve. A large number of clinical studies have suggested that there is a significant correlation between false tendons and premature ventricular complexes. However, few studies have verified this correlation during radiofrequency catheter ablation of premature ventricular complexes.CASE SUMMARY A 45-year-old male was admitted to receive radiofrequency ablation for symptomatic premature ventricular complexes. A three-dimensional model of the left ventricle was established by intracardiac echocardiography using the CartoSound^TM mapping system. In addition to the left anterior papillary muscle,the posterior papillary muscle was mapped. False tendons were found at the base of the interventricular septum, and the other end was connected to the left ventricular free wall near the apex. An irrigated touch force catheter was advanced into the left ventricle via the retrograde approach. The earliest activation site was marked at the interventricular septum attachment of the false tendons and was successfully ablated.CONCLUSION This case verified that false tendons can cause premature ventricular complexes and may be cured by radiofrequency ablation guided by intracardiac echocardiography with the Carto Sound TM system.
文摘BACKGROUND A swallowing disorder may occur following a brainstem stroke,especially one that occurs in the swallowing centers.Lateral medullary syndrome(referred to as LMS),a rare condition in which a vascular event occurs in the territory of the posterior inferior cerebellar artery or the vertebral artery,has been reported to lead to more severe and longer lasting dysphagia.CASE SUMMARY We report two patients with dysphagia due to LMS and propose a novel technique named hyoid-complex elevation and stimulation technique(known as HEST).The two patients had no other functional incapacity back into life,but nasogastric feeding was the only possible way for nutrition because of severe aspirations.Swallowing function was evaluated by functional oral intake scale,modified water swallow test,surface electromyographic signal associated with video fluorography swallowing study to assess the situation of aspiration,pharyngeal residue,pharyngeal peristalsis,upper esophageal opening and the ability of deglutition.Both patients were treated with the HEST method for dysphagia and recovered quickly.CONCLUSION HEST is effective for shortening the in-hospital time and improving the quality of life for patients with dysphagia who suffer from LMS and likely other strokes.
文摘BACKGROUND The perivascular epithelioid cell tumour(PEComa)family of tumours mainly includes renal and hepatic angiomyolipomas,pulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis and clear cell“sugar”tumour of the lung.Several uncommon tumours with similar morphological and immunophenotypical characteristics arising at a variety of sites(abdominal cavity,digestive tract,retroperitoneum,skin,soft tissue and bones)are also included in the PEComa family and are referred to as PEComas not otherwise specified.CASE SUMMARY We present a 37-year-old female patient who underwent resection of an 8.5 cm×8 cm×4 cm retroperitoneal tumour,which eventually was diagnosed as PEComa of uncertain biological behaviour.Three years after the operation,the patient remains without any evidence of recurrence.A search was performed in the Medline and EMBASE databases for articles published between 1996 and 2018,and we identified 31 articles related to retroperitoneal and perinephric PEComas.We focused on sex,age,maximum dimension,histological and immunohistochemical characteristics of the tumour,follow-up and long-term outcome.Thirty-four retroperitoneal(including the present one)and ten perinephric PEComas were identified,carrying a malignant potential rate of 44%and 60%,respectively.Nearly half of the potentially malignant PEComas presented with or developed metastases during the course of the disease.CONCLUSION Retroperitoneal PEComas are not as indolent as they are supposed to be.Radical surgical resection constitutes the treatment of choice for localized disease,while mammalian target of the rapamycin(mTOR)inhibitors constitute the most promising therapy for disseminated disease.The role of mTOR inhibitors as adjuvant or neoadjuvant therapies needs to be evaluated in the future.
文摘BACKGROUND Surgical site infections following anterior cruciate ligament(ACL)reconstruction are an uncommon but potentially devastating complication.In this study,we present an unusual case of recurrent infection of the knee after an ACL reconstruction,and discuss the importance of accurate diagnosis and appropriate management,including the issue of graft preservation versus removal.CASE SUMMARY A 33-year-old gentleman underwent ACL reconstruction using a hamstring tendon autograft with suspensory Endobutton fixation to the distal femur and an interference screw fixation to the proximal tibia.Four years after ACL reconstruction,he developed an abscess over the proximal tibia and underwent incision and drainage.Remnant suture material was found at the base of the abscess and was removed.Five years later,he re-presented with a lateral distal thigh abscess that encroached the femoral tunnel.He underwent incision and drainage of the abscess which was later complicated by a chronic discharging sinus.Repeated magnetic resonance imaging revealed a fistulous communication between the lateral thigh wound extending toward the femoral tunnel with suggestion of osteomyelitis.Decision was made for a second surgery and the patient was counselled about the need for graft removal should there be intraarticular involvement.Knee arthroscopy revealed the graft to be intact with no evidence of intra-articular involvement.As such,the decision was made to retain the ACL graft.Re-debridement,excision of the sinus tract and removal of Endobutton was also performed in the same setting.Joint fluid cultures did not grow bacteria.However,tissue cultures from the femoral tunnel abscess grew Enterobacter cloacae complex,similar to what grew in tissue cultures from the tibial abscess five years earlier.In view of the recurrent and indolent nature of the infection,antibiotic therapy was escalated from Clindamycin to Ertapenem.He completed a six-week course of intravenous antibiotics and has been well for six months since surgery,with excellent knee function and no evidence of any further infection.CONCLUSION Prompt and accurate diagnosis of surgical site infection following ACL reconstruction,including the exclusion of intra-articular involvement,is important for timely and appropriate treatment.Arthroscopic debridement and removal of implant with graft preservation,together with a course of antibiotics,is a suitable treatment option for extra-articular knee infections following ACL reconstruction.