Pathological complete response after conversion therapy in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma is a highly lethal tumor worldwide, and China has a correspondingly high incidence and mortality rate. For patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma, the prognosis is often poor. The objective of this retrospective study was to investigate the effects of conversion therapies on these patients. METHODS: The study included patients between the ages of 18 and 75 who were initially diagnosed with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma and received conversion therapy. After completing surgery, the patients underwent pathological diagnosis, which showed complete necrosis. The study was conducted retrospectively at the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, from January 2019 to December 2021. The main objectives of the study were to evaluate the overall survival and recurrence-free survival. RESULTS: A total of 60 patients who met the inclusion criteria were enrolled. The median age of the patients was 56.6 ± 9.5 years, and 85% of them were male. The one-year overall survival rate (OS) was 98.3%, and the three-year OS was 95.6%. The one-year recurrence-free survival rate (RFS) was 81.1%, and the three-year RFS was 71.4%. In subgroup analysis, there was no statistically significant difference in RFS between patients with BCLC stages 0-A and BCLC stages B-C (p = 0.296). Additionally, there was no statistically significant difference in RFS between patients who received postoperative new adjuvant therapy and those who did not (p = 0.324). CONCLUSIONS: Conversion therapy followed by surgical resection could be a promising treatment for patients with initially unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma, and the prognosis is good with a pathological complete response.

Pregnancy Risk Assessment, Management, and Delivery Plan for Pregnant Women with Moyamoya Disease Using a Multidisciplinary Collaborative Approach: A Case Series.

Purpose: This case report aimed to summarize the risk factors, clinical characteristics, imaging changes, and maternal and fetal prognosis associated with Moyamoya disease in pregnant women and to explore effective management strategies and a comprehensive delivery plan. Case Presentation: The clinical data of four pregnant women who were diagnosed with Moyamoya disease and admitted to our hospital between January 2010 and January 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. Their diagnosis, treatment, delivery, and postpartum management during the pregnancy were analyzed. Among the four pregnant women, three were primipara and one was multipara. The age ranged from 27 to 41 years old. The gestational week of termination of pregnancy ranged between 8 and 39 weeks. During pregnancy, one case died in utero; one case was complicated with postpartum hemorrhage; one case was complicated with chronic hypertension, multiple cerebral artery stenosis and occlusion, bilateral middle cerebral artery occlusion, bilateral internal carotid artery occlusion, and Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Under epidural anesthesia, two cases underwent a lower segment cesarean section; one case underwent artificial abortion; and one case underwent induced labor during late pregnancy. Two newborns survived. Conclusion: Moyamoya disease is a rare and serious complication of pregnancy. Pregnancy and childbirth may exacerbate the progression of this disease or induce cerebrovascular accidents, with a high mortality and disability rate, which seriously threatens the safety of mother and infant lives; however, with the close collaboration of a multidisciplinary team, it is possible to maximize a good pregnancy outcome.

Post-traumatic syringomyelia resolution following surgical treatment: the moniliform syrinx with a better prognosis.

BACKGROUND: Post-traumatic syringomyelia (PTS) presented as a serious delayed complication after spinal cord injury (SCI). In our preliminary pathological investigation of PTS in an animal model, the endogenous repair was activated during the early stage of the central canal expansion. We thought about whether there might be an "early syringomyelia state" with a better outcome. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to further understand the pathophysiological basis of PTS's occurrence, development, and outcome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional observational study from a single-center syringomyelia database prospectively maintained at China International Neuroscience Institute (CHINA-INI). A consecutive series of 28 PTS patients at our institution for surgical treatment met the inclusion criteria of this study. Their clinical and imaging data in a long-term follow-up were reviewed retrospectively. We compared the surgical outcome between moniliform and distended syringomyelia based on high­resolution MRI and syringomyelia-related symptoms. American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) impairment scale (AIS) grade to assess their neurological status. RESULTS: Through a series of phenotypic comparisons, we found that moniliform-like syrinx belongs to a special morphological state with a shorter natural history. The patients in the moniliform group had a better surgical outcome compared with those in the distended group (P = 0.028): more obvious symptom improvement as shown in Kaplan-Meier analysis (P = 0.033, Chi square = 4.523) and a higher syringomyelia resolution rate (P = 0.024). CONCLUSION: We consider the delayed post-traumatic syringomyelia with moniliform type with a better surgical outcome and emphasize the importance of timely intervention to restore cerebrospinal fluid circulation.

Characteristics of Sciatic Scoliotic List in Lumbar Disc Herniation.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective radiological study. OBJECTIVES: Physical examination reveals sciatic scoliotic list (SSL) in some patients with lumbar disc herniation (LDH). We aimed to evaluate the coronal and sagittal parameters of the SSL curve, describe their characteristics, and establish a new classification system. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 230 patients (SSL group = 96; non-SSL group = 134) diagnosed with single-segment LDH from January 2018 to December 2020. The control group comprised 70 healthy volunteers. Radiographic parameters were compared between the groups. RESULTS: In the SSL group, the Cobb's angle was 12.5 ± 5.3° (4.2-31.2), trunk shift 26.2 ± 17.9 mm (.0-88.2 mm), and apical vertebral translation 31.7 ± 16.0 mm (1.18-8.58 mm). Further, 62.5% of patients had L4/5 disc herniation, 76.0% had disc herniation at the convex side of the lumbosacral scoliosis, and 81.3% had disc herniation at the opposite side of the trunk shift. Compared to the control group, lumbar lordosis and thoracic kyphosis decreased, pelvic tilt increased, and the sagittal vertical axis moved forward in the other patients. The sagittal imbalance in the SSL group exacerbated. Using the positional relationship between vertebrae and the central sacral vertical line (CSVL), we identified two main SSL patterns with which 95.8% of the patients were defined as Type 1. CONCLUSIONS: The SSL curve is characterized by a long thoracic or thoracolumbar curve, with a relatively straight sagittal profile and little rotation. Further, the lumbar and thoracic vertebrae shifts are on the same side as the CSVL. These features of the SSL curve differentiate it from other types of structural scoliosis.