British journal of plastic surgery最新文献

Hibernoma is a rare benign tumour of brown fat. In most cases it presents as a voluminous slow-growing mass in the regions where remnants of brown fat can remain in adults. We report a case of a hibernoma on the thigh and present the diagnostic and therapeutic elements of this type of tumour, whose differential diagnosis of liposarcoma.

Sentinel node biopsy is emerging as a successful means of identifying subclinical lymph node disease in mucosal head and neck cancer. Sentinel node studies in melanoma and breast cancer have identified sentinel nodes at unusual sites and the technique is redefining our understanding of dynamic lymphatic flow. In this study, the sentinel nodes in mucosal head and neck malignancies were mapped according to their site within the neck and this was correlated with tumour site within the oral cavity. Fifty-two necks were explored for sentinel nodes from tumours located in the tongue (23 cases), floor of mouth (12 cases), palate (six cases), retromolar trigone (five cases), alveolus (three cases), buccal mucosa (two cases), tonsil (two cases) and lip (one case). In total, 124 sentinel nodes were found in levels I–V. Two hot spots were found in the tonsils and were not excised, two nodes were located in level IIB, four nodes were found in level IV, three in the contralateral neck and one in level V. The sentinel nodes located at unusual sites would not have been excised in a supraomohyoid neck dissection and the study has improved our understanding of dynamic lymph flow from tumours.

In this study, the effects of smoking on skin flap survival were evaluated. For purposes of comparison 12 female rats were divided into four groups.

Group 1 comprised nonsmoker, nonpregnant rats; group 2 nonsmoker, pregnant rats; group 3 smoker, nonpregnant rats and group 4 smoker pregnant. On each subject a standard 4×10 cm McFarlane dorsal skin flap was raised.

On the seventh day postoperatively, the flaps were traced on a transparent sheet marking off the necrotic areas. The area of skin flap necrosis was assessed by ‘netcad’ digital imaging analysis program.

The area of skin flap viability in the pregnant groups was greater than in the nonpregnant groups. The nonsmoker pregnant group's flap viability was the highest and the smoker nonpregnant group's viability was the lowest.

This result supports the conclusion that pregnancy enhances flap viability and produces some defensive factors against some of the adverse effects of smoking.

Primary cutaneous mucormycosis is a rare and often fatal disease of infants and neonates. This is a case report of successful management of potentially fatal cutaneous fungal sepsis and use of tumescent technique to harvest a large skin graft with minimal blood loss in a premature neonate.

Photodocumentation of the face before aesthetic or plastic surgery is of fundamental importance for at least three reasons: it is an aid to surgical planning, it can be used for illustrative purposes in discussions with the patient, and it satisfies medico-legal requirements for documentation. To achieve efficient and economic documentation of preoperative and postoperative status in aesthetic and reconstructive plastic procedures, the mirror system described here permits the required planes to be documented in a single photograph. The simple and inexpensive technical design allows six planes to be documented in constant and, therefore, comparable quality. Because the patient's data are also documented with the photographic record, the potential for mistaken patient identity is eliminated. No technical training is needed to operate the device and it can, therefore, be readily used by ancillary medical personnel. In a typical nasal surgery department performing about 150 rhinoplasty procedures per annum, the mirror system offers cost and time savings generated as a result of reducing the documentation burden by 750 photographs.

Congenital swan neck deformity is a rare condition, secondary to congenital laxity of the palmar plate of the proximal interphalangeal joint. Here, we describe a new surgical method which is based on the palmar plate reinforcement using the Mitek mini anchor system (Mitek Surgical Products Inc., Norwood, MA, USA).

Four fingers of a patient with congenital swan neck deformities were corrected with this technique at two stages. First, the anchor was inserted into the volar surface of the proximal phalanx. The two sutures of the anchor system were then crossed the PIP joint in a V fashion. Two holes, 5 mm apart from each other, were created through the middle phalanx distal to both insertion points of superficial flexor tendon. The suture ends of the anchor were passed through these holes from the volar to the dorsal side of the middle phalanx and then turned around the edges of the bone to the volar surface. They were tied to each other as the PIP joint was stabilised at 20° flexion by use of a K-wire. The K-wire was removed 21 days later and a rehabilitation program was then initiated. A second operation for the two fingers of the opposite hand was performed 2 months after the first operation.

No postoperative complications were encountered. At 2 years follow-up, the active range of motion was within normal limits at PIP and DIP joints of all four fingers without any recurrence of hyperextension or hyperflexion. The final result was satisfactory regarding both the functional and cosmetic aspects.

The Mitek mini anchor offers a practical, reliable and functional reconstruction of the volar plate in the management of congenital swan neck deformities. We believe that it may also be used for the acquired deformities.

We present reconstruction of a wide anterior abdominal defect measuring 30×45 cm², the result of necrotising pancreatitis. After serial debridements and reconstruction of the peritoneum using a Prolene mesh support, a delayed extended groin flap was transposed. No complications were encountered afterwards. An extended groin flap can be used safely to cover a full-thickness defect of the abdominal wall encompassing all of the anatomic subunits.