Thymoma complicated with polymyositis and myasthenia gravis is a rare case, which can be clearly diagnosed and given symptomatic treatment according to its own diagnostic criteria, imaging and laboratory examinations. This paper reports the clinical data of a thymoma patient with polymyositis and myasthenia gravis admitted to the Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, and discusses the possible pathogenesis and treatment methods.
Objective To investigate the safety and efficacy of completely thoracoscopic lobectomy and the indications of this procedure. Methods Between Sep. 2006 and Jun. 2008, 100 consecutive patients（46 men，54 women, median age60.1±12.5 years，range from 18 to 82 years) underwent completely thoracoscopic lobectomy. All candidates were either peripheral pulmonary nodules suspected of lung cancer (85 pts.) or benign lesions (15 pts.) localized within single lobe who needed to receive lobectomy. The lobectomy was completed through three tiny incisions in the intercostal space. Anatomic lobectomies were carried out in all cases and systemic lymph node dissection was performed in malignancies. This group consisted of lobectomies of right upper lobe (n=25), right middle lobe (n=14), right lower lobe (n=22), left upper lobe (n=18), and left lower lobe (n=21). Results All procedures were successfully completed except for 3 conversions to thoracotomy. Postoperative diagnosis were primary lung cancer (n=81), lymphoma (n=1), metastasis of clear cell carcinoma from kidney (n=1), and, benign lesions (n=17). Five patients had mild complications in which two had atelectasis, one needed temperately echanical ventilation, one had pneumonia and one had chylothorax. All were treated conservatively without reoperation. No operative mortality or serious complications occurred in this group. The operative duration was 186.4±52.9min (range from 60 to 300 minutes). The blood loss was 233.9±275.9ml（range from 50 to 750ml）, and only one case needed blood transfusion. Chest drainage time was 7.1±3.0 days. Postoperative hospital stay was 9.5±3.2 days. Followedup time was for 1 to 27 months, metastasis happened in two patients with primary lung cancer 15 and 3 months separately after operation. Conclusion The completely thoracoscopic lobectomy is a safe and feasible surgical procedure with minimal invasiveness. The advocated indications include selected peripheral typed early stage lung cancer and benign pulmonary lesions which need lobectomy.
Objective To investigate the application and techni ques of endoscop ic linear stapling device in complete video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy, a n d to improve the safety and quality of the operation. Methods From September 2006 to January 2008,sixty consecutive complete video-assisted thoracoscopic lo b ectomies were performed. The patients include 30 men and 30 women with average a ge of 59.8 years old. Eight patients suffered from benign lung lesions, and 52 p atients suffered from primary lung cancers or other pulmonary malignancy. The op erations were performed under general anesthesia with doublelumen intubation a nd complete thoracoscopy.The procedures include 12 right upper lobectomies, 10 right middle lobectomies, 14 right lower lobectomies, 8 left upper lobectomies a nd 16 left lower lobectomies. All arteries, veins, bronchus involved were manag ed with endoscopic linear stapling devices. Results All the pr ocedures were successful with one conversion case（1.67%） due to tense lymph no des adhesion, no severe complications, as active bleeding, continuous air leak, foreign body reac tion or operation related death occured. Endoscopic linear stapling devices were used for stapling in 381 different procedures with average of 6.35 per case, am ong which 124 (2.06 per case)were for pulmonary arteries, 66(1.10 per case) for pulmonary veins, 60 for lobar bronchus and 131 for interlobar fissures.A period of 11.3 months (2-18 months) follow-up of all patients shows no dela yed bleeding, bronchialpleural fistula, pyothorax or pneumonia. Concl usion The application of endoscopic linear stapling device is one of th e major difficulty in complete video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy. Careful manipulation under some specific principles is the key for the security of the operation.
Objective To summarize our experience of using rigid bronchoscopy in the managent of patients with tracheobronchial disease. Methods From Sep.2002 to Nov.2007, 44 patients of tracheobronchial disease（31 men，13 women, median age 51.9 years) underwent rigid bronchoscopic operations. All procedures were carried out under general anesthesia with high frequency jet ventilation. After the rigid bronchoscope was placed in the main trachea through the mouth , the airway was checked out firstly, and then the lesion was removed by repeated freezing, argon plasma coagulation, cauterization or mechanical ablation, and a stent maybe implanted while needed. Results All 54 procedures were accomplished endoscopically without mortality or major morbidity (16 clearence,19 core out,8 scar clearance,3 foreign body removal, 8 stent insert or removal).The lesion located at trachea in 19 cases, at carina in 4 cases,at left main bronchus in 11 cases and at right main bronchus in 10 cases. There were 17 benign diseases and 27 malignant diseases. There were 3 slight complications. 16 patients compliating with benign disease were followed-up and 1 patient was missed,there was no tumor recurrence except 3 patients complicating with tracheal scar who received reoperations during 4-44 (mean 23.0) months follow-up period. Of the 27 malignant cases,23 patients were followed-up and 4 patients were missed, the follow-up period were 5-58(mean 27.1)months.3 patients died in one months after operation of other disease; the other patients all survived more than one month,especially 7 patients who received radical resection of the tumor survived more than one year. Conclusions These data show that rigid bronchoscope can be applied safely and effectively in the management of tracheobronchial disease.
In 1994, a statement on the performance of lung function testing was issued by the Association for Respiratory Technology & Physiology (ARTP), and it has been updated in 2020. In this paper, we introduced the updated content, including general procedures, normal value ranges and interpretations of obstructive ventilation dysfunction, precautions of lung function tests, and paediatric lung function testing. We also compared the differences between the ARTP statement and the lung function guidelines issued by the Chinese Thoracic Society (CTS) and put forward some appropriate suggestions from the viewpoint of our current situation. We expected it to provide valuable references for the normative update and application of pulmonary function tests in China.
In 2005, interpretative strategies for pulmonary function tests were issued jointly by the American Thoracic Society (ATS) and the European Respiratory Society (ERS), and they have since been updated in 2021. In this article, we introduced the updated key points, including reference equations and normal limits, natural changes in lung function over time, bronchodilator responsiveness testing, the classification of physiological impairments, and the severity of lung function impairment. We also put forward some suggestions from the viewpoint of our national conditions. We expected it to provide useful references for those concerned with the application of pulmonary function tests in China.
ObjectiveTo emphasize the important role of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) in treatment of mediastinal bronchogenic cysts (MBCs).MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed the clinical data of 112 patients (53 males and 59 females) of mediastinal bronchogenic cysts who underwent VATS in our institution between April 2001 and Aprial 2016. Median age was 4–75 (45.6±15.0) years. All patients underwent chest CT preoperatively. The patients were divided into two groups: an anterior mediastinum group, 47 patients; a middle and posterior mediastinum group, 65 patients including 35 patients in the middle mediastinum, 30 patients in the posterior mediastinum. The average diameter was 0.5–22.0 (3.50±2.33) cm. The average CT attenuation was 0–67 (35.5±15.3) Hu on unenhanced CT. We began each operation with the VATS technique.ResultsThe CT diagnostic accuracy for group middle and posterior mediastinum with CT value≤20 Hu was higher than others (61.5% vs. 13.1%, χ2=17.675, P<0.001). A total of 111 patients underwent VATS, only one patient converted to open thoracotomy. Cyst resection and thymectomy were conducted in 45 patients, cyst resection and extended thymectomy were conducted in 2 patients in the anterior mediastinum group. Simply cyst resection were performed in the middle and posterior mediastinum group (n=65). The average operative time was 40–360 (104.5±43.1) min. The average intraoperative blood loss was 5–600 (57.9±88.9) mL. The intraoperative complication rate was 3.6% and the incomplete resection rate was 6.3%. The main reason for these was severe adhesion between the cyst and mediastinal structure. No serious postoperative complication was found. Follow-up was done in 99 patients, and the mean follow-up time was 42 (12–191) months. There was no local recurrence.ConclusionVATS resection of MBCs is a safe and efficacious procedure, and minimally invasive and surgical resection should be performed as early as possible for MBCs.
Objective To investigate the financial burden of in-patients with thyroid diseases in the West China Hospital in Chengdu, Sichuan province, from January 2011 to December 2012, so as to provide baseline data for further research. Methods The data of in-patients (who had been discharged from the department of endocrinology and metabolism or discharged after being transferred to other departments for diagnosis and treatment in the West China Hospital in 2011) were collected from the Hospital Information System (HIS) of the West China Hospital, including basic information, initial diagnosis when the patients were discharged, hospital costs, the information about whether the patients had been registered the insurance in hospital, etc. We classified diseases according to ICD-10 based on the initial diagnosis when the patients were discharged on the first page of case reports. The data were input using Excel 2010 software, and statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 13.0 software. Results The results showed that: a) in 2011, 205 person-times were hospitalized in the department of endocrinology and metabolism, of which, 84 were male and 121 were female, with mean age of 45.3±15.7 years; b) for patients with thyroid diseases, median hospital stay was 10 days, the average cost of hospital stay for each patient was RMB 2 881.43 yuan, most of which was for lab tests and examination; c) the person-times of patients with hyperthyroidism was 162, accounting for 79.5% of the total of thyroid diseases, median hospital stay was 10 days, and the average cost of hospital stay was RMB 2 958.36 yuan; and d) there was no association between the number of hyperthyroidism complications and hospital stay and costs. Conclusion Thyroid diseases are a commonly-seen disease in the department of endocrinology and metabolism, of which, hyperthyroidism accounts for the most. There is no association between the number of hyperthyroidism complications and hospital stay/costs.
Objective To investigate financial burden of in-patients with hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal gland/gonad diseases in the West China Hospital of Sichuan University, 2011, so as to provide baseline data for further research. Methods The data of in-patients (who had been discharged from the department of endocrinology and metabolism or discharged after being transferred to other departments for diagnosis and treatment in the West China Hospital in 2011) were collected from the Hospital Information System (HIS) of the West China Hospital, including basic information, initial diagnosis when the patients were discharged, hospital costs, the information about whether the patients had been registered the insurance in hospital, etc. We classified diseases according to ICD-10 based on the initial diagnosis when the patients were discharged on the first page of case reports. The data were input using Excel 2010 software, and statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 13.0 software. Results The results showed that: in 2011, 352 person-times of in-patients with hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal gland/gonad disease as first diagnosis were hospitalized in the department of endocrinology and metabolism, of which, 139 were male and 213 were female, with mean age of 42.9±15.0 years; and b) median hospital stay was 11 days, the average cost of hospital stay for each patient was RMB 4 361.09 yuan, most of which was for lab tests, examination, and biomedicine cost. Conclusion Hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal gland/gonad diseases are an important health problem in the department of endocrinology and metabolism in a Triple-A Hospital. Most of hospitalization costs are for lab tests, examination, and biomedicine cost.
Objective To investigate the association between costs of hospitalized patients with diabetes mellitus and their complications in the West China Hospital of Sichuan University, so as to provide baseline data for further research. Methods We extracted the hospitalization case data of hospitalized patients with diabetes mellitus who were discharged from the department of endocrinology and metabolism, or discharged after being transferred to other departments for treatment from January 2011 to December 2012, using the hospital information system (HIS) of the West China Hospital of Sichuan University. The data included baseline of hospital patients, discharge diagnosis, hospitalization costs, and if their medical insurance had been registered in hospital. Then, we classified the diseases according to ICD-10 based on discharge diagnosis, coped the data using Excel 2010 software, and conducted statistical analysis using SPSS 13.0. Results a) In 2011, acute and chronic diabetes complication in diabetes inpatients were 11.9% (166/1 396) and 67.1% (930/1 396), respectively. Most of them had peripheral neuropathy and peripheral vascular disease. b) The most frequently-occurred complications were hypertension, followed by dyslipidemia, and osteoporosis. c) The median hospital stay was 13 days (7 to 9 days), and the median total cost of hospital/person-time was 6 578.88 yuan (4 186.93 to 10 953.89 yuan). d) The total cost and duration of hospitalization increased along with the increasing number of the chronic complications of diabetes. e) The diabetic foot patients were 255 person-times, the median duration of hospitalization was 18 days (13 to 29 days), and the median total cost of hospital/person-time was 16 672.19 yuan (10 903.93 to 28 530.37 yuan). Diabetes patients with foot complication had higher total costs and longer duration of hospitalization than those without foot complication. Conclusion Diabetes mellitus is one of the most important diseases in the department of endocrinology and metabolism, which is heavy disease burden. The costs of hospitalization and chronic complications are closely associated. Among these complications, diabetic foot is the heaviest disease burden.