Self-management in the post-hair transplantation recovery period among patients with androgenetic alopecia: A qualitative study.

Background: The success of hair transplantation surgeries for androgenetic alopecia is evaluated by postoperative long-term outcomes. Patients' self-management during the long recovery period affects this outcome. Objective: This study aimed to explore patients' self-management status, facilitators, and impediments in the postoperative period and to provide a reference for developing a postoperative self-management intervention program. Methods: Patients who underwent hair transplantation for androgenetic alopecia were selected using purposive sampling. They were interviewed using one-to-one semi-structured interviews at a general tertiary hospital in Hangzhou from March to April 2022. Qualitative research analysis software Nvivo 12.0 was used to analyze the collected data. Results: The self-management of postoperative patients with androgenetic alopecia during the recovery period encompasses six areas: more problems with postoperative medication (e.g., not being able to take medication on time) and wound care (e.g., not daring to shampoo, etc.), not being able to review their postoperative condition on time (due to busy schedules at work and at home), more hindrances to the establishment of good living habits (affected by overtime work, socialising, and bad habits of the people around them), and seeking positive ways of relieving bad emotions (stress, anxiety, depression, etc.), worrying about one's image during recovery and taking the initiative to obtain and use resources to promote recovery (through the Internet, books, etc.). Conclusions: Various factors impact the postoperative self-management abilities of patients, including medication, shampooing, and emotions. It is essential to design support programs to enhance these abilities and improve long-term hair transplantation outcomes.

CT and MRI manifestations of retroperitoneal dedifferentiated liposarcoma / 中国肿瘤临床

Objective:To investigate the computed tomography(CT)and magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)features of retroperitoneal ded-ifferentiated liposarcoma(DDL),and improve the understanding of DDL and the accuracy of preoperative diagnosis.Methods:Clinical and imaging features of 25 patients with retroperitoneal DDL from Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute&Hospital,confirmed by patho-logy from January 2012 to June 2022,were retrospectively analyzed.Results:Among 25 cases of retroperitoneal DDL,19 and 6 had single and multiple tumors,respectively and 10 and 15 were oval and irregular shaped tumors,respectively.Most lesions had unclear boundaries,with 15 cases invading the surrounding tissues and organs.Small vessel shadows were visible in 15 cases,while calcifications or ossifications were observed in 7 cases,and cystic necrosis was observed in only 3 cases.Enhanced scanning exhibits a centripetal and progressive con-tinuous augmentation characteristic defined as"slow in and slow out."According to its manifestations in CT and MRI,it can be divided into two types:type I(soft tissue mass type),where the tumor has a soft tissue component with no fat content(14 cases);and type Ⅱ(fat con-taining),where the tumors exhibit both soft tissue and adipose components,most of which are clearly defined and rarely present in a mosa-ic shape.In abnormal fat areas,cord-like fibrous septa can be seen.Among them,the intratumoral fat composition<50%was Ⅱa type(10 cases).Intratumor fat composition≥50%was type Ⅱb(1 case).Conclusions:Combined with imaging classification,a comprehensive ana-lysis of the CT and MRI imaging characteristics of retroperitoneal DDL is of great value for its preoperative qualitative diagnosis.

Foundation of acute symptomatic osteoporotic thoracolumbar fracture classification system and its validity examination and clinical application evaluation / 中华创伤杂志

Objective:To establish the acute symptomatic osteoporotic thoracolumbar fracture (ASOTLF) classification system, and to examine the reliability and evaluate the effect of clinical application.Methods:A retrospective case series study was conducted to analyze the clinical data of 1 293 patients with osteoporotic thoracolumbar fracture(OTLF) admitted to Honghui Hospital from January 2016 to December 2018. There were 514 males and 779 females, aged 57-90 years [(71.4±6.3)years]. The T value of bone mass density was -5.0--2.5 SD [(-3.1±-0.4)SD]. According to the clinical symptoms a and fracture morphology, OTLF was divided into 4 types, namely type I(I occult fracture), type II(compressed fracture), type III (burst fracture) and type IV(unstable fracture). The type II was subdivided into three subtypes (type IIA, IIB, IIC), and the Type III into two subtypes (type IIIA, IIIB). of all patients, 75 patients (5.8%) were with type I, 500 (38.7%) with type II A, 134 (10.4%) with type IIB, 97 (7.5%) with type IIC, 442 (34.2%) with type IIIA, 27(2.1%) with type IIIB and 18 (1.4%) with type IV. After testing the validity of the classification, different treatment methods were utilized according to the classification, including percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) for Type I, PVP after postural reduction for Type II, percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) for Type IIIA, posterior reduction and decompression, bone graft fusion and bone cement-augmented screw fixation for Type IIIB, and posterior reduction, bone graft fusion and bone cement-augmented screw fixation for Type IV. The visual analog score (VAS), Oswestry disability index (ODI), Frankel grade of spinal cord injury, local Cobb Angle, and vertebral body angle (vertebral body angle) were recorded in all patients and in each type of patients before surgery, at 1 month after surgery and at the last follow-up. The neurological function recovery and complications were also recorded.Results:The patients were followed up for 24-43 months [(29.9±5.1)months]. A total of 3 000 assessments in two rounds were conducted by three observers. The overall κ value of inter-observer credibility was 0.83, and the overall κ value of intra-observer credibility was 0.88. The VAS and ODI of all patients were (5.8±0.7)points and 72.5±6.6 before surgery, (1.8±0.6)points and 25.0±6.3 at 1 month after surgery, and (1.5±0.6)points and 19.5±6.2 at the last follow-up, respectively (all P<0.05). The Cobb angle and vertebral body angle of all patients were (13.0±9.1)° and (8.0±4.6)° before surgery, (7.9±5.2)° and (4.6±2.9)° at 1 month after surgery, and (9.1±6.0)° and (5.8±3.0)° at the last follow-up, respectively (all P<0.05). At the last follow-up, VAS, ODI, Cobb Angle and VBA of each type of patients were significantly improved compared with those before surgery (all P<0.05). The spinal cord compression symptoms were found 1 patient with type IV and 5 patients with type IIIB preoperatively. At the last follow-up, neurological function improved from grade C to grade E in 1 patient and from grade D to grade E in 5 patients ( P<0.05). The lower limb radiation pain or numbness in 3 patients with type IV and 22 patients with type III preoperatively were fully recovered after surgical treatment at the last follow-up except for three patients. Conclusions:The ASOTLF classification is established and has high consistency and reliability. The classification-oriented treatment strategy has achieved a relatively satisfactory effect, indicating that the classification has a certain guiding significance for treatment of OTLF.

Clinical and radiologic comparison of dynamic cervical implant arthroplasty and cervical total disc replacement for single-level cervical degenerative disc disease.

Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion, to date the most successful spine procedure for the surgical treatment of cervical radiculopathy, has limitations that have led to the development of non-fusion cervical procedures, such as cervical total disc replacement (TDR) and dynamic cervical implant (DCI) arthroplasty. We compared the clinical and radiological results of DCI and cervical TDR for the treatment of single-level cervical degenerative disc disease in Chinese patients. A retrospective review of 179 patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy who underwent DCI or TDR between April 2010 and October 2012 was conducted, and 152 consecutive patients (67 patients single-level DCI and 85 single-level TDR) who completed at least 2years of follow-up were included. Clinical and radiological assessments were performed preoperatively and at 1week and 3, 6, 12, and 24months postoperatively. The most common operative level was C5/C6 (49.3%). The differences in blood loss, duration of surgery, and duration of hospitalization were not statistically significant. The Japanese Orthopaedic Association scale, Visual Analog Scale, Neck Disability Index, and Short Form-36 scores improved significantly after surgery in both the DCI and TDR groups (P<0.05), but the differences were not statistically significant at the final follow-up. The rate of occurrence of heterotopic ossification was 22.4% and 28.2% in the DCI and TDR groups, respectively. As an effective non-fusion technique, DCI is a more economical procedure. Further prospective, randomized studies with long-term follow-up periods are needed to determine the long-term effects.

Induction of apoptosis by antimycin A in differentiated PC12 cell line.

Antimycin A (AMA) is an inhibitor of mitochondrial electron transport chain via binding to mitochondrial complex III. This inhibition increases the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of AMA on PC12 cells in vitro. Results of the nuclear morphology and the flow cytometer indicated that AMA efficiently induced PC12 cell apoptosis. Moreover, the levels of ROS and Ca(2+) increased in the early stage of cell apoptosis induced by AMA treatment. All of Ca(2+) chelators, L-type Ca(2+) channel blockers and inhibitors of Ca(2+) released from endoplasmic reticulum and ROS scavenger, were used in this experiment. It was found that the Ca(2+) chelators and ROS scavengers, in particular, could delay AMA-induced PC12 cell apoptosis. In conclusion, the present study found that AMA induced PC12 cell apoptosis through ROS and Ca(2+).