Medicine
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The aim of the present study is to investigate the value of air bronchogram sign on computed tomography (CT) image in the differential diagnosis of solitary pulmonary consolidation lesions (SPLs). A total of 105 patients (including 39 cases of lung cancer, 43 cases of tuberculosis, and 23 cases of pneumonia) with SPLs were evaluated for the CT features of air bronchogram sign in this retrospective study. The shape and lumen of the bronchi with air bronchogram sign, the length of the involved bronchus with air bronchogram sign, the length of lesion on the same plane and direction, and the ratio between the length of the involved bronchus and that of the lesion were evaluated. ⋯ No significant difference was found in the length of lesion among the 3 SPLs (P > .05). The shape and lumen of the bronchi with air bronchogram sign can be used to distinguish lung cancer, tuberculosis, and pneumonia. The length of the involved bronchus with air bronchogram sign and the ratio between the length of the involved bronchus and that of the lesion can be used to distinguish lung cancer from tuberculosis and pneumonia.
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The associating liver partition and portal vein ligation for staged hepatectomy (ALPPS) procedure is a recently introduced treatment strategy for patients with advanced primary or metastatic liver tumors and small future liver remnants. ALPPS procedure using ischemic bipartition of the liver is a modified technique that may reduce complications compared to classical ALPPS. ⋯ The ALPPS procedure with ischemic bipartition is safe and feasible and can produce results that are the same as those of the classical ALPPS procedure while reducing invasiveness during the first stage.
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Case Reports
Burkholderia pseudomallei infection presenting with a lung abscess and osteomyelitis in an adult man: A case report.
The frequency of infections caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei is increasing worldwide. Here, we report a case of B pseudomallei infection presenting with a lung abscess and osteomyelitis in an adult man. ⋯ subsections Because of its increasing incidence, B pseudomallei infection should be highly suspected among employees who work in laboratories and healthcare facilities. Misdiagnosis can lead to treatment failure and high mortality rates, especially among individuals working in laboratories in non-endemic areas; therefore, early and accurate diagnosis of B pseudomallei infection is essential. Adequate antimicrobial treatment and long-term follow-up are imperative to reduce morbidity and mortality.
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This study aimed to investigate risk factors (such as morning hypertension, drug compliance, and biochemical parameters) of macrovascular events after cerebral infarction. This was a retrospective study of patients with cerebral infarction admitted between May 2015 and April 2016 at the Fengxian Branch, 6th People's Hospital of Shanghai. They were divided into the macrovascular events and control groups according to the diagnosis of macrovascular events following cerebral infarction. ⋯ Atrial fibrillation showed a tendency to be associated with macrovascular events (P = .077, OR = 1.531, 95% CI [0.955, 2.454]). Morning hypertension, dyslipidemia, and inflammatory infection may increase the risk of macrovascular events following cerebral infarction. Improving morning blood pressure management and drug compliance (antithrombotic drugs and statins) may reduce the risk of macrovascular events following cerebral infarction.
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Observational Study
Is biopsy enough for papillary thyroid microcarcinoma?: An analysis of the SEER database 2004 to 2013 with propensity score matching.
The treatment of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) remains deeply controversial. In this study, we investigated the prognosis of patients who underwent biopsy alone, as compared with other forms of thyroidectomy approaches. We sought to provide reference information for treatment selection in cases of PTMC. ⋯ According to multivariate Cox regression analyses, patients undergoing biopsy had similar cancer-specific survival rates and higher all-cause survival rates in comparison with patients undergoing other surgical approaches. After matching for influential factors using propensity scores, Kaplan-Meier analyses also showed that patients undergoing biopsy had similar cancer-specific survival rates and lower all-cause survival rates in comparison with patients undergoing other surgical approaches. Our results provided helpful implications for the treatment of patients with PTMC.