Lower ADC values (< 1.227 × 10(-3)  mm(2) /s) on DWI with b-value of 0.500 s/mm(2) can be a useful preoperative predictor of MVI for small HCCs.

Diffusion-weighted MRI can provide additional information to differentiate HCC from DN. Combined with CE-MRI, DWI allows improved characterization of HCC versus DN in cirrhotic liver.

AO clavicular hook plate fixation provides more rigid fixation and good bony union rates for Neer type II distal clavicular fractures. However, the hook may cause rotator cuff tears and subacromial impingement, which adversely affect the clinical results. T-plate fixation is another surgical method of treatment for unstable clavicle fractures, and its clinical efficacy has been demonstrated. The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical outcomes of AO clavicular hook plate and T-plate fixation for Neer type II distal clavicular fractures. Forty-two patients with Neer type II fractures were divided into 2 groups. The hook plate group comprised 23 patients who underwent hook plate fixation, and the T-plate group comprised 19 patients who underwent distal radius volar locking T-plate fixation. Hook plates were removed 3 to 14 months postoperatively in 15 patients because of shoulder function limitations. All patients were evaluated postoperatively for shoulder pain, activities of daily living, range of motion, strength, and satisfaction according to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Shoulder rating scale. All fractures in the 2 groups achieved stable fixation and bony union. Both groups yielded similar outcomes with regard to shoulder strength and patient satisfaction (P5.207 and P5.398, respectively). Significant differences existed between the 2 groups in the mean scores of shoulder pain, activities of daily living, range of motion, and total UCLA score (P5.001, P5.011, P5.038, and P5.001, respectively). More patients (74%) in the hook plate group had mild to severe shoulder pain than in the T-plate group (16%). However, shoulder pain was relieved and function improved significantly after removal of the hook plate (P5.001).

Qualitative and quantitative visual outcomes of Asian optic neuritis (ON) patients with seropositive myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) antibodies remain unknown. We retrospectively evaluated a cohort of new-onset ON patients in Shanghai, China between January 2015 and December 2016. Serum MOG and aquaporin-4 (AQP4) antibodies were detected using cell-based assays, and patients were followed-up for at least 6 months. The clinical characteristics and optical coherence tomography (OCT) results were evaluated in the MOG-seropositive optic neuritis (MOG-ON), AQP4-seropositive (AQP4-ON), and double seronegative (Seronegative-ON) patients. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness after 6 months of follow-up were compared. Among MOG-ON (n = 49, 64 eyes), AQP4-ON (n = 76, 102 eyes), and Seronegative-ON patients (n = 100, 116 eyes), the percentages of BCVAs better than 0.8 (20/25) at the 6-month visit were 67.19, 19.60, and 72.41%, respectively, which showed no statistical difference between MOG-ON and Seronegative-ON patients (p = 0.198), but were better than the AQP4-ON patients (P = 0.001). The average peripapillary RNFLs measured 6 months after the attack were 58.03 ± 8.73, 64.34 ± 12.88, and 78.12 ± 13.34 μm for the MOG-ON, AQP4-ON, and Seronegative-ON patients, respectively. There was no statistical difference between MOG-ON and AQP4-ON patients (P = 0.089), but both were thinner than Seronegative-ON patients (P = 0.001). The visual acuity in MOG-ON patients was as good as Seronegative-ON patients, whereas the RNFL of the optic nerve head showed a significant thinning as in the AQP4-ON patients.

The purpose of this study was to conduct a cone-beam computed tomographic (CBCT) investigation on the root and canal configuration of the mandibular first molars, especially the morphology of the disto-lingual (DL) root, in a Chinese subpopulation. A total of 910 CBCT images of the mandibular first molars were collected from 455 patients who underwent CBCT examinations as a preoperative assessment for implants or orthodontic treatment. The following information was analyzed and evaluated: tooth position, gender, root and root canal number per tooth, root canal type of the mesial root(s) and distal root(s), angle of the DL root canal curvature, distance between two distal canal orifices in the teeth with DL root, and angle of disto-buccal canal orifice–disto-lingual canal orifice–mesio-lingual canal orifice (DB-DL-ML). Most of the mandibular first molars (64.9%, n = 591) had two roots with three root canals, and most of the mesial root canals (87.7%, n = 798) were type VI. The prevalence of the DL root was 22.1% (n = 201). The right side had a higher prevalence of DL root than the left side (p<0.05). Additionally, the curvature of the DL root canal were greater in the bucco-lingual (BL) orientation (30.10°±14.02°) than in the mesio-distal (MD) orientation (14.03°± 8.56°) (p<0.05). Overall there was a high prevalence of DL root in the mandibular first molars, and most of the DL roots were curved in different degrees. This study provided detailed information about the root canal morphology of the mandibular first molars in a Chinese subpopulation.

Objectives Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV), characterized by valve malformation and risk for aortopathy, displays profound alteration in systolic aortic outflow and wall shear stress (WSS) distribution. The present study performed 4-dimenstional flow MRI in BAV patients with right-left (R-L) cusp fusion, focusing on the impact of valve function upon hemodynamic status within ascending aorta. Methods Four-dimensional flow MRI was performed in 50 R-L BAV subjects and 15 age- and aortic size-matched controls with tricuspid aortic valve. BAV patients were categorized into 3 groups according to their aortic valve function as follows: BAV with no more than mild aortic valve dysfunction (BAV-CTL, n=20), BAV with severe aortic insufficiency (BAV-AI, n=15), and BAV with severe aortic stenosis (BAV-AS, n=15). Results All R-L BAV patients exhibited peak WSS at the right-anterior position of the ascending aorta (BAV vs. TAV at right-anterior position: 0.91±0.23 N/m2 vs. 0.43±0.12 N/m2, p<0.001) with no distinct alteration between BAV-AI and BAV-AS. The predominance of dilatation involving the tubular ascending aorta (82%, type 2 aortopathy) persisted, with or without valve dysfunction. Compared to BAV-CTL subjects, the BAV-AI group displayed universally elevated WSS (0.75±0.12 N/m2 vs. 0.57±0.09 N/m2, p<0.01) in the ascending aorta, which was associated with elevated cardiac stroke volume (p<0.05). The BAV-AS group showed elevated flow eccentricity in the form of significantly increased standard deviation of circumferential WSS, which correlated with markedly increased peak aortic valve velocity (p<0.01). Conclusions The location of peak aortic WSS and type of aortopathy remained homogeneous among R-L BAV patients irrespective of valve dysfunction. Severe aortic insufficiency or stenosis resulted in further elevated aortic WSS and exaggerated flow eccentricity.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the current state of post-traumatic growth (PTG) and identify its influencing factors in discharged COVID-19 patients. PTG refers to individual experiences of significant positive change arising from the struggle with a major life crisis. This descriptive cross-sectional study used the convenient sampling method to recruit 140 discharged COVID-19 patients in Hunan, China. The results show that the PTG of the discharged COVID-19 patients was positively correlated with self-esteem, post-traumatic stress disorder, coping style tendency, and social support, but negatively correlated with the time from onset to diagnosis. Our findings could provide guidance on improving the psychological state and well-being of discharged COVID-19 patients.

Background: Endoscopic thyroidectomy is popular among patients with cosmetic requirements. However, when lateral neck dissection (LND) is required, endoscopic surgery may be challenging. Therefore, we introduced needle-assisted endoscopic technique to achieve endoscopic LND procedure and evaluated its safety and feasibility in the present study. Methods: Medical records of 37 patients who underwent needle-assisted endoscopic thyroidectomy with LND were retrospectively reviewed. Results: All of 37 patients had excellent cosmetic outcomes. The mean operative time was 338.2 ± 58.74 minutes. Mean number of lymph nodes retrieved in the lateral was 33.5 ± 11.69 and 15.9 ± 7.51 in the central neck. The rates of transient and permanent hypocalcemia were 32.4% and 2.7% and the rates of transient and permanent recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy were 8.1% and 0%, respectively. Conclusions: Needle-assisted endoscopic thyroidectomy with lateral neck dissection shows potential feasibility but further study is needed to better characterize its safety and applicability. K E Y W O R D Spapillary thyroid carcinoma, endoscopic thyroidectomy, lateral neck dissection, needle assisted, anterior chest approach