ObjectiveTo explore the clinical value of transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) in the diagnosis of infective endocarditis. MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed the transthoracic echocardiogram in 35 patients with infective endocarditis confirmed between September 2003 and September 2013. Patients underwent routine heart scan in all sections to measure sizes of all chambers and cardiac function, observe morphologies, activities and functions of all valves and ventricular walls, and diagnose whether underlying heart diseases exist, focusing on intracardiac vegetations and their distributions, morphologies, sizes, numbers, echoes and activities, and a full analysis of the blood culture findings was also conducted. ResultsOf the 35 patients undergoing initial TTE, 29 were positive, and 6 were negative (2 positive and 4 negative in the reexamination one week later). Vegetations were found in the mitral valve (8/35), aortic valve (15/35), tricuspid valve (5/35), pulmonary valve (1/35), pulmonary arterial wall (1/35) and right ventricle (1/35), respectively. There were 29 (8 and 21 with congenital and acquired heart diseases, respectively) and 6 patients with and without underlying heart diseases, respectively. Of the 35 blood cultures, 33 were positive and 2 were negative. ConclusionsTTE is rapid and accurate for early diagnosis of infective endocarditis, precise localization and rough quantification of vegetations, determination of whether valve damage occurs and what its severity is, and detection of whether complications exist. It is valuable for early diagnosis, treatment, follow-up and prognosis judgment.
ObjectiveTo review and summarize the clinical data and survival information of patients with cholangiocarcinoma treated by surgery, and to explore the clinical and pathological features of cholangiocarcinoma, and the relationship between intraoperative and postoperative characteristics and prognosis. MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 678 cholangiocarcinoma patients after operation in the PLA General Hospital from January 2004 to December 2010, including the follow-up results of 397 cases. Only 293 patients with surgical resection of cholangiocarcinoma and non-surgical reasons for death were analyzed using Cox proportional hazards model. All indicators were analyzed by univariate and multivariate analysis. ResultsThe median follow-up time was 55.9 months. As of the end of follow-up, there were 158 cases of recurrence (53.9%) and 223 cases of death (76.1%). The median overall survival time was 21.2 months, and 1-year, 3-year and 5-year survival rates were 71.7%, 38.2% and 10.6%, respectively. Tumor differentiation, TNM stage, surgical margin, intraoperative blood transfusion, tumor location, alkaline phosphatase levels in blood and recurrence were independent risk factors for overall survival time. ConclusionLow degree of tumor differentiation, advanced TNM stage, cancer invasion on the surgical margin, intraoperative blood transfusion, tumor located outside the liver, alkaline phosphatase levels in blood higher than normal, and cholangiocarcinoma tumor recurrence are risk factors for overall survival rate in patients with cholangiocarcinoma.