No abstract

We evaluated the prevalence, image appearance, associated cardiovascular anomalies, and surgical outcomes of left pulmonary artery sling (LPAS) using cardiovascular computed tomography angiography (CCTA). A retrospective search of patients from our database between October 2007 and December 2014 identified 52,200 patients with congenital heart diseases (CHD) referred for CCTA, echocardiography, or magnetic resonance imaging. Clinical information, CCTA findings, associated cardiovascular anomalies, and surgical outcomes were analyzed. We showed a hospital-based prevalence of 71 patients with LPAS (0.14%, 71/52,200) among CHD patients. Of these, 47 patients with CCTA examinations were assessed further. Most patients (40/47, 85%) had associated cardiovascular anomalies, of which ventricular septal defects (22/47, 47%), atrial septal defects (20/47, 43%), patent ductus arteriosus (16/47, 34%), persistent left superior vena cava (14/47, 30%), and abnormal branching of the right pulmonary artery (ABRPA) (14/47, 30%) were most commonly identified. In total, 28 patients underwent LPA reanastomosis and/or tracheoplasty in our center, and 5 died. LPAS had a hospital-based prevalence of 0.14% among CHD patients. ABRPA is not uncommon and must be recognized. CCTA is a feasible method for demonstrating LPAS and its associated cardiovascular anomalies for an optimal pre-operative assessment of LPAS.

Surgical resection is superior to nonsurgical ablation for the treatment of small HCC. Among the studies analyzed, RFA is the most efficacious single nonsurgical ablation treatment.

Altered γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glutamate (Glu) levels, and an imbalance between GABAergic and glutamatergic neurotransmissions have been involved in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. However, it remains unclear how these abnormalities impact the onset and course of psychosis. In the present study, 21 drug-naïve subjects at ultrahigh risk for psychosis (UHR), 16 drug-naïve patients with first-episode schizophrenia (FES), and 23 healthy controls (HC) were enrolled. In vivo GABA and glutamate+glutamine (Glx) levels in the medial prefrontal cortex were measured using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Medial prefrontal GABA and Glx levels in FES patients were significantly lower than those in HC and UHR, respectively. GABA and Glx levels in UHR were comparable with those in HC. In each group, there was a positive correlation between GABA and Glx levels. Reduced medial prefrontal GABA and Glx levels thus may play an important role in the early stages of schizophrenia.

Restrictive fluid therapy and liberal conventional therapy were associated with similar rates of overall and cardiopulmonary complications; however, restrictive fluid therapy was associated with a more rapid recovery and a shorter length of hospital stay.