Management of traumatic popliteal vein injuries

PurposeThe aim of this study was to evaluate different repair methods of popliteal vein injuries, and to assess the relationship between early patency and surgical outcome.MethodsThirty patients with popliteal vein injuries underwent surgical repair procedure at our hospital from March 2000 to April 2010. Patients who were haemodynamically unstable and those with massive bleeding from limb wounds were taken directly to the operating room. Stable patients underwent preoperative colour-flow duplex ultrasonography (CFDU).ResultsOur study group consisted of 26 males and 4 females, ranging in age from 17 to 60 years with a mean age of 25.3 ± 5.9 years. The mechanism of trauma was penetrating in 27 patients and blunt in the remaining 3 patients. Treatment included primary venous repair in 11 cases, end-to-end anastomosis in 8, interposition vein graft in 10, and interposition polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) graft in 1. There were 26 patients with associated arterial injury, of which 4 cases had primary repair, 9 had end-to-end anastomosis, 11 had saphenous vein graft interposition, and 2 had PTFE graft interposition. Associated bone fracture was seen in 6 patients. There were no deaths. One patient required a below-knee amputation. Postoperative CFDU revealed thrombosed venous repair in 7 cases without any sequelae.ConclusionPopliteal venous injuries can be repaired with minimal downside and a good early patency rate. Additionally, transient venous patency allows for establishment of venous and lymphatic collateralisation. Alternatively, venous ligation should be considered only in unstable patients who refuse blood transfusion (Jehovah's witnesses). In these victims, adjuvant management may be required such as the use of fasciotomy and anticoagulation treatment.     

Uterine perforation during brachytherapy for cervical cancer: Complications,outcomes, and best practices for forward treatment planning and management

PurposeThe purpose of the study was to determine the incidence of uterine perforations, review the associated complications, and propose guidelines for management of perforations after brachytherapy.Methods and MaterialsA retrospective chart review was conducted for all patients with cervical cancer who received single or multiple high-dose-rate brachytherapy implants between April 2006 and May 2017 at a single academic institution. CT and MRI images were retrospectively evaluated to record incidences of uterine perforation of tandem during brachytherapy. Acute and long-term complications during and after treatment were scored using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, Version 4.0, of the National Cancer Institute.ResultsA total of 123 patients were included in the study. Perforations were observed in 22 patients (17.9%) with 31 (6.4%) of the 482 total implants. Of the different categories of adverse events, only the rate of acute infectious complications among those with perforations (n = 3, 13.6%) versus those without perforations (n = 3, 3.0%) was significant (p = 0.040). Two of the three perforated patients with acute infections had mild urinary tract infections, and all resolved without complications or treatment delays. The remaining one patient had a frank perforation of the anterior uterine wall with a subsequent Grade 3 pyometra infection despite administration of prophylactic antibiotics and 1-week treatment delay. This case was eventually resolved with cervical dilation and evacuation of fluid. Long-term complications were not different between the two arms.ConclusionsPatients with cervical cancer with uterine perforations may be able to safely proceed with brachytherapy treatment without delay or need for prophylactic antibiotics in the acute setting. Further validating data would be able to assist in establishing a new standard of care and help prevent unnecessary and harmful breaks during treatment.     

Expanding the Mutational Spectrum of CRLF1 in Crisponi/CISS1 Syndrome

Crisponi syndrome (CS) and cold‐induced sweating syndrome type 1 (CISS1) share clinical characteristics, such as dysmorphic features, muscle contractions, scoliosis, and cold‐induced sweating, with CS patients showing a severe clinical course in infancy involving hyperthermia associated with death in most cases in the first years of life. To date, 24 distinct CRLF1 mutations have been found either in homozygosity or in compound heterozygosity in CS/CISS1 patients, with the highest prevalence in Sardinia, Turkey, and Spain. By reporting 11 novel CRLF1 mutations, here we expand the mutational spectrum of CRLF1 in the CS/CISS1 syndrome to a total of 35 variants and present an overview of the different molecular and clinical features of all of them. To catalog all the 35 mutations, we created a CRLF1 mutations database, based on the Leiden Open (source) Variation Database (LOVD) system ( https://grenada.lumc.nl/LOVD2/mendelian_genes/variants ). Overall, the available functional and clinical data support the fact that both syndromes actually represent manifestations of the same autosomal‐recessive disorder caused by mutations in the CRLF1 gene. Therefore, we propose to rename the two overlapping entities with the broader term of Crisponi/CISS1 syndrome.     

A randomized clinical trial on the use of medical Portland cement,MTA and calcium hydroxide in indirect pulp treatment

Objectives

Studies on indirect pulp treatment (IPT) show varying success rates of 73 to 97 %. The necessity of re-opening the cavity and the question of the optimal capping material is still under debate. The aim of this prospective in vivo study was to compare the clinical and microbiological outcomes of mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA), medical Portland cement, and calcium hydroxide on the dentin–pulp complex of permanent and primary teeth treated with two-step IPT.

Materials and methods

In 86 regular patients (51 % men; 49 % women; age 17.2 years ±13.8), one deep carious lesion each was treated with incomplete caries removal, randomly selected capping with either calcium hydroxide (n?=?31), medical Portland cement (29) or white MTA (26), and re-entry (6.3 months ±1.0). Clinical (color, humidity, and consistency of dentin) and microbiological (Lactobacilli/Mutans Strep. counts) parameters were recorded at the first and second treatment.

Results

The IPT had a high success rate of 90.3 % regardless of the material used (p?=?0.72). The arrested lesions showed consistently darker, dry, and therefore, sclerotic dentine (p?<?0.05) as well as a decrease in bacterial counts at re-entry (Lactobacilli p?=?0.01/Mutans Strep. p?=?0.07).

Conclusions

The findings of this study support the use of the IPT as a treatment for deep carious lesions preferably with non-resorbing materials such as MTA or medical Portland cement.

Clinical relevance

The findings of this study could promote the improvement of the IPT as a one-step treatment of deep carious lesions when the remaining demineralized dentin would be sealed with durable restorations.     

The growth rate and clinical outcomes of radiation induced meningioma undergoing treatment or active monitoring

Journal of Neuro-Oncology - Radiation induced meningioma (RIM) incidence is increasing in line with improved childhood cancer survival. No optimal management strategy consensus exists. This study...