Medicine
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Observational Study
Fat-restricted low-glycemic index diet controls weight and improves blood lipid profile: A pilot study among overweight and obese adults in Southwest China.
Evidence from trials demonstrating the benefits and risks of low-glycemic index and fat-restricted diets in weight loss and blood lipid profile changes is unclear. This study aimed to assess the implemented and effects of a fat-restricted low-glycemic index diet on weight control and blood lipid profile changes in in overweight/obese Southwest Chinese individualst. This prospective pilot study enrolled overweight/obese subjects at the People's Hospital of Sichuan Province between February and July 2019. ⋯ After adjusting for potential confounders, weight (P < .001), body mass index (P < .001), waist circumference (P < .001), waist-hip ratio (P < .001), body fat percentage (P < .001), visceral fat area (P < .001), basal metabolism (P = .002), cholesterol (P < .001), and triglycerides (P < .001) were significantly reduced after the 3-month intervention. The above indexes showed no significant differences between men and women. Regardless of gender, fat-restricted low-glycemic index diet might be helpful for controlling weight and lowering blood cholesterol and triglycerides in overweight/obese individuals in Southwest China.
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Sexual dysfunction is a common problem after cerebral infarction; however, little is known about sexual arousal in poststroke patients. Thus, this study aimed to investigate brain activation in response to visual sexual stimuli in patients with right middle cerebral artery (MCA) territory infarction using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Using fMRI in 20 participants (11 right MCA infarction patients and 9 age-matched healthy controls), we assessed brain activation elicited by visual sexual stimuli (erotic images) and visual nonsexual stimuli (landscape images). ⋯ Brain areas that were more activated by visual sexual stimuli in right MCA infarction patients than in controls included the right parahippocampal gyrus and the bilateral frontal subgyral area. These fMRI results suggest that brain activation patterns in response to visual sexual stimuli might be influenced by right MCA infarction. Further research is needed to explore the association between sexual dysfunction and brain activation in poststroke patients.
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Hormone therapies, particularly those targeting estrogen and its receptors, are a key treatment modality for patients with estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast or ovarian cancer. Some gastric cancers (GCs) express ERs, and preclinical studies suggest the potential of estrogen-targeting hormone therapy on GC; however, the clinical relevance of this hormone therapy on GC treatment has not been well elucidated. ⋯ A patient with ER positive GC with peritoneal dissemination and right axillary lymph node metastasis presented remarkable response to letrozole. The long-term survival obtained using letrozole for a patient with GC with distant metastasis suggests the potential of estrogen targeting hormone therapies for GC.
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Laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy (LPD) is widely used as a treatment for periampullary tumors and pancreatic head tumors. However, postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF), which significantly affects mortality and length of hospital stay of patients, remains one of the most common and serious complications following LPD. Though numerous technical modifications for pancreaticojejunostomy (PJ) have been proposed, POPF is still the "Achilles heel" of LPD. ⋯ Double R anastomosis is potentially a safe, reliable, and rapid anastomosis with a low rate of POPF and post-pancreatectomy hemorrhage. It provides surgeons more options when performing LPD. However, its safety and effectiveness should be verified further by a larger prospective multicenter study.
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Case Reports
Composite hemangioendothelioma of the spleen with multiple metastases: CT findings and review of the literature.
Composite hemangioendothelioma (CHE) is a rare vascular neoplasm of intermediate malignant potential. Only 52 cases have been reported in the English literature, and one case previously reported occurred in the spleen. The purpose of our study was to report a 65-year-old man diagnosed as CHE primary arising from the spleen with multiple metastases. ⋯ This diagnosis was confirmed by histopathological examination. The patient underwent splenectomy and still survives with tumors after six months followed-up. Due to the lack of specificity of clinical features and laboratory tests, it is necessary to combine imaging features and pathological findings to make a correct diagnosis.