Medicine
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Preterm infants are babies born alive before 37 weeks. Many survived infants concomitant with defects of growth and development, a lifetime of disability usually as following when insufficient intervention. In early intervention of preterm infants, pediatric Tuina shows good effect in many Chinese and some English clinical trials. This systematic review is aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of pediatric Tuina for promoting growth and development of preterm infants. ⋯ This systematic review protocol has been registered in the PROSPERO network (No. CRD42018090563).
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Review Case Reports
Rare case of squamous cell carcinoma arising in a recurrent ovarian mature cystic teratoma of a young woman: A case report and review of the literature.
Malignant transformations of ovarian mature cystic teratomas (MCTs) occur rarely, especially in young women. Although it is extremely difficult to diagnose them, serum tumor marker level testing in combination with the use of imaging techniques may be useful in preoperative diagnosis. ⋯ The malignant transformation of MCTs usually occurs in postmenopausal women with poor prognoses; it is very rarely observed in young women. Although the early detection and complete surgical resection of the tumor are crucial to survival, preoperative diagnosis of this malignancy is difficult. This case reiterates the fact that malignant transformation of MCTs can occur at any age. Rapid tumor growth along with persistently elevated tumor marker levels may be indicative of the malignant transformation of MCTs.
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Review Case Reports
Isolated interrupted of aortic arch diagnosed using CT angiography: A case report and literature review.
Interrupted aortic arch (IAA) is defined as a complete luminal and anatomical interruption between the ascending and descending aortas. The majority of patients with IAA rarely reach adulthood. In most cases, IAA is associated with an intracardiac malformation, such as ventricular septal defect, bicuspidaortic valve, and patent ductus arteriosus. We reported a 70-year-old man with isolated IAA diagnosed using computed tomography angiography (CTA) without previous intervention. ⋯ IAA can present in adulthood with different clinical symptoms. Careful physical examination of the lower and upper peripheral pulses in adults with a chief complaint of hypertension is of outmost importance. CTA is a useful noninvasive imaging modality for the morphologic evaluation of aortic interruption and collateral circulation.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Spore powder of Ganoderma lucidum for the treatment of Alzheimer disease: A pilot study.
This study explored the feasible efficacy and safety of the Spore Powder of Ganoderma Lucidum (SPGL) for treating patients with Alzheimer disease (AD). ⋯ The results of this study did not find the promising efficacy of SPGL for the treatment of AD after 6-week treatment. It may be because of the relative short-term of intervention. Future clinical trials with larger sample size and longer treatment period are urgently needed.
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Chronic constipation is described as a common complication determined by difficult and/or rare passage of stool or both. The difference in definition of constipation has led to a wide range of reported prevalence (i.e., between 1% and 80%). Various factors are involved in the pathogenesis of the disease, including type of diet, genetic predisposition, colonic motility, absorption, social economic status, daily behaviors, and biological and pharmaceutical factors. Diagnostic and therapeutic options play a key role in the treatment of chronic constipation. There are still debates about the timing of these diagnostic and therapeutic algorithms. ⋯ Ethical approval and informed consent are not required, as the study will be a literature review and will not involve direct contact with patients or alterations to patient care.