Medicine
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Aortic stenosis (AS) and aortic regurgitation (AR) are associated with congenital isolated bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) disease. The chronic pressure overload of AS and the volume overload of AR are known to impair the left ventricular function. This study assessed whether two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2D-STE) is capable of detecting the myocardial dysfunction associated with BAV caused by various aortic valve lesions in patients retaining normal ejection fraction (EF). ⋯ The AS and AS&AR groups demonstrated lower GLS than the TAV group, and the smallest degree of twist was detected in the AR group. There were no significant differences between the NF and TAV groups. The AR and AS&AR groups demonstrated significant differences in multiple parameters of cardiac mechanics compared with the NF group.2D-STE is able to detect altered cardiac mechanics associated with aortic lesion types in BAV patients with normal EF compared with normal TAV controls, and so can provide valuable information for clinical decision-making.
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This numerical study aimed to evaluate tissue and implant responses to the hybrid surgery (HS) of cervical artificial disc replacement (C-ADR) and anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF). Four hybrid strategies of two-level C-ADR and ACDF were compared in terms of adjacent segment degeneration (ASD) and implant failure. The rotary C-ADR and semirigid ACDF have been extensively used in the multilevel treatment of cervical instability and degeneration, but the constrained mobility at the ACDF segments can induce postoperative ASD problems. ⋯ The PA strategy is a tradeoff to preserve mobility and reduce cost. The C-ADR of the PA construct preserves the mobility of the C5/C6 segment and shares the transferred motion and loads of the fused C4/C5 segment. The PA construct shows optimal biomechanical results for minimizing ASD and implant failure, whereas the AP strategy is only recommended when cranial degeneration is the major concern.
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Case Reports
Early Surgical Management of Large Scalp Infantile Hemangioma Using the TopClosure® Tension-Relief System.
Infantile hemangiomas (IHs) are the most common benign vascular neoplasms of infancy and childhood. The majority do not need medical intervention. However, large ulcerated scalp IHs may lead to fatal bleeding as well as severe cosmetic disfigurement that indicate early surgical excision, inflicting substantial surgical risks, with short- and long-term morbidity. ⋯ This is the first reported case of early resection of a scalp hemangioma in the neonatal period, with successful immediate primary closure by application of stress-relaxation technique through the TRS. The application of the TopClosure TRS in this age group has significant advantages. It reduces the complexity and length of surgery, reducing blood loss, eliminating donor site morbidity, improving wound aesthetics, and minimizing the need for future reconstructive procedures.
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Observational Study
Decreased Expression of SETD2 Predicts Unfavorable Prognosis in Patients With Nonmetastatic Clear-Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma.
DNA sequencing revealed that mutations in SETD2 occur in 3% to 12% of clear-cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) cases and are associated with poor clinical outcome. In this study, we used an immunohistochemistry (IHC) assay to evaluate the impact of SETD2 loss, with expression of H3K36me3, a nonredundantly histone modification by SETD2, on recurrence and survival of nonmetastatic ccRCC patients after nephrectomy. SETD2 and H3K36me3 were assessed in 192 nonmetastatic ccRCC patients enrolled retrospectively from a single institution. ⋯ Furthermore, using prespecified SETD2/H3K36me3 score could stratify nonmetastatic ccRCC patients into different risk subgroups, especially in patients dichotomized by pT stage and Fuhrman grade, respectively. Finally, the C-index for predicting OS increased from 0.727 to 0.747, after adding SETD2/H3K36me3 score to pT stage and Fuhrman grade. The combined score based on expression of SETD2 and H3K36me3 using IHC could predict poor clinical outcomes in nonmetastatic ccRCC patients, and it may benefit preoperative risk stratification and guide treatment planning in the future.
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Observational Study
Molecular Analysis of Oral Bacteria in Heart Valve of Patients With Cardiovascular Disease by Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction.
Structural deficiencies and functional abnormalities of heart valves represent an important cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, and a number of diseases, such as aortic stenosis, have been recently associated with infectious agents. This study aimed to analyze oral bacteria in dental plaque, saliva, and cardiac valves of patients with cardiovascular disease. Samples of supragingival plaque, subgingival plaque, saliva, and cardiac valve tissue were collected from 42 patients with heart valve disease. ⋯ The micro-organism most frequently detected in heart valve samples was the S. mutans (89.3%), followed by P. intermedia (19.1%), P. gingivalis (4.2%), and T. denticola (2.1%). The mean decayed, missing, filled teeth (DMFT) was 26.4 ± 6.9 (mean ± SD), and according to the highest score of periodontal disease observed for each patient, periodontal pockets > 4 mm and dental calculus were detected in 43.4% and 34.7% of patients, respectively. In conclusion, oral bacteria, especially S. mutans, were found in the cardiac valve samples of patients with a high rate of caries and gingivitis/periodontitis.