Free deep inferior epigastric artery perforator flap for reconstruction of soft‐tissue defects in extremities of children

The deep inferior epigastric artery perforator (DIEP) flap has been a valuable tool in breast reconstruction, but seldom in extremity reconstruction. The aim of this report is to present our experience on the use of the DIEP flap for reconstruction of soft‐tissue defects in the extremities of pediatric patients. From January 2007 to February 2011, 22 consecutive free DIEP flap transfers were performed for reconstruction of complex soft‐tissue defects in the extremities of children with a mean age of 5.7 years old (ranging 2–10 years old). The flap design included transverse, oblique, and irregular DIEP flaps, containing one to three perforators in the flap. The flap size ranged from 7 × 4 cm to 18 × 17 cm. Primary donor‐site closure was accomplished in all of patients. The postoperative course was uneventfully in most of cases. The venous congestion was observed in two cases. One case of venous congestion was caused by flap inset with tension. The other case with venous thrombosis ended with partial loss of the flap after salvage procedure. There was one total flap loss due to the arterial thrombosis. The flap survival rate was 95.5%. The mean follow‐up was 12 months (ranging 6–36 months). All reconstructed extremities had satisfactory aesthetic and functional outcomes except two cases undergoing the secondary debulking procedures. The donor sites healed well in all cases without complications. Our experience showed that the free DIEP flap could be an alternative for reconstruction of soft‐tissue defects in the extremities of children. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microsurgery 33:612–619, 2013.     

Vacuum assisted closure therapy for treatment of complex wounds in replanted extremities

The object of this study was to compare the outcomes of the vacuum assisted closure (VAC) therapy and conventional wound care with dressing change for treatment of complex wounds in patients with replantation of amputated upper and lower extremities. Data of 43 patients with replantation of amputated extremities from May 2004 to December 2011 were reviewed. There were 18 wounds of 18 patients with replantation, which were treated by dressing change and 26 wounds of 25 patients by VAC therapy. The outcomes were evaluated by the survival rate of replanted extremities, growth of granulation tissue, interval between wound treatment and secondary procedure and eventual secondary wound coverage methods. Vascular thromboses were found in 3 patients with wound treatment by dressing change and 5 by VAC. All replants of two groups of patients survived after salvage procedures. The wound score was 3.6 ± 0.7 in the conventional dressing change group and 5.8 ± 0.7 in the VAC group at the sixth day after treatment, respectively. The intervals between wound treatment and secondary wound coverage procedure were 12.0 ± 1.7 days in the dressing change group and 6.1 ± 0.7 days in the VAC group. Flaps were applied for wound coverage in 9 out of 18 (50.0%) wounds in the dressing change group and 5 out of 26 (19.2%) in the VAC group (P < 0.05), when the wounds of rest of patients were covered by the skin graft. The results showed that VAC could promote the growth of granulation tissue of wound, decrease the need of flap for wound coverage, and did not change the survival of replantation. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microsurgery 33:620–624, 2013.     

SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA IN SOUTHERN AND NORTHERN AUSTRALIA

Squamous cell carcinoma (scc) of the skin was studied in two similar populations, one living in the temperate zone of Australia, the other living in the tropics. In the tropics, the patients were significantly younger, the man to woman ratio approached unity, and women had significantly more sccs on the legs. In the temperate zone, men had significantly more on the head and neck, but women had significantly more on the upper and lower limbs.     

Leserbrief Zum Beitrag von W. Harth und R. Linse: “Botulinophilie” Der Hautarzt (2001) 52:312–316

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Pemphigus Therapy with Oral Prednisolone Regimens A 5-Year Study

Twenty-two newly diagnosed patients with pemphigus were randomly divided into two groups of 11 each. One group was placed on a high-dose prednisolone (120 mg/day) therapy and the other group on a low-dose (60 mg/day) therapy. The patients were followed for 5 years. Although a rapid initial control of the pemphigus appeared to be achieved with the high-dose regimen, this regimen did not have any long-term benefit over the low-dose regimen with respect to the frequency of relapse or in the incidence of complications.     

关于空腹血糖、空腹胰岛素乘积的倒数在流行病学研究中应用的补充说明

高胰岛素正糖钳夹技术可以测定活体的胰岛素敏感性,但它并不适用于大规模流行病学研究。流行病学研究需要简单的胰岛素抵抗测定法。本文补充报告在空腹血糖(FPG)(75～306mg/dl或4.2～17.1mmol/L)及空腹胰岛素(FIns)(9.7～120mU/L)范围很宽的Pima印第安人群中,正糖钳夹技术测定的胰岛素介导的葡萄糖代谢率(M)与涉及FPG、FIns的多种复合的胰岛素敏感指数的相关性:胰岛素作用指数(IAI)=1/(FPG×FIns)在非糖尿病人群及2型糖尿病人群都与M显著正相关(r>0.7,P=0.0001),而且这两者的相关性强于M与其他指数如FIns或FPG/FIns比值的相关性,也不弱于M与糖负荷后3～5个时间点的血糖、胰岛素曲线下面积乘积的相关性。IAI的五分变量分布情况表明有90.4%的IAI落在所预测的M值五分变量区域或与之相邻的一个五分变量区域之内。1/FPG×FIns虽相对简单但确实与机体的胰岛素敏感性密切相关,它可以做为胰岛素敏感指数在流行病学研究中应用。