Aesthetic reconstruction of lower leg defects using a new anterolateral lower leg perforator flap.

Our objective in this study was to report on the successful clinical use of a new perforator flap obtained from the proximal quarter of the anterolateral lower leg. Eight patients had the procedure either as a result of trauma (seven patients) or to treat Marjolin's ulcer (one patient). During the procedure, a line was drawn from the anterior fibular head to the anterior lateral malleolus. Then, using Doppler, a septocutaneous perforator from the fibular head to the proximal quarter point of the line was identified. The subfascial dissection was continued to the detected perforator. Along the perforator in the anterior intermuscular (peroneal) septum, a deep dissection was performed. The perforator was then separated and the flap harvested. The septocutaneous perforator was the perforator of the superficial peroneal nerve accessory artery in three cases, the perforator of the superior lateral peroneal artery in one case, and the perforator originating directly from the anterior tibial artery in four cases. Seven of eight cases were treated successfully. The results obtained were satisfactory, both aesthetically and functionally. This flap is a valuable alternative to the various perforator flaps from the lower leg. This flap has the advantage of being very thin, which makes it suitable for reconstruction of defects in the foot, ankle, pretibial area, and knee. However, one limitation of this procedure is that the diameter of the perforator was approximately 0.6-1.2 mm.     

Does body mass index affect infection-related outcomes in the intensive care unit?

BACKGROUND: Obesity is a worldwide healthcare concern, but its impact on critical care (intensive care unit; ICU) outcomes is not well understood. The general hypothesis is that obesity worsens ICU outcomes, but published reports fail to demonstrate this effect consistently. We hypothesized that increasing BMI would be an independent predictor of higher mortality rates in the surgical/trauma ICU. METHODS: Data on patients with infections, defined by U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria, were collected prospectively from a single university surgical/trauma ICU. From 1996 to 2003, 807 such patients had measurable BMIs on admission to the ICU and were divided into underweight (<18.5 kg/m(2)), normal weight (18.5-24.9 kg/m(2)), overweight (25.0-29.9 kg/m(2)), obese (30.0-39.9 kg/m(2)), and morbidly obese (> or =40.0 kg/m(2)). The primary outcome was in-hospital death. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed. RESULTS: In-hospital death was associated with increasing age, increasing average Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score, history of diabetes (p = 0.001), cardiac disease (p = 0.001), hypertension (p = 0.044), history of cerebrovascular disease (p = 0.021), renal insufficiency (p = 0.007), need for hemodialysis (p < 0.001), history of pulmonary disease (p = 0.012), requirement for mechanical ventilation while in the ICU (p = 0.107), history of malignant disease (p < 0.001), and history of liver disease (p < 0.001). The multivariate analysis selected age (odds ratio [OR] 1.03 per integer; confidence interval [CI] 1.0, 1.05), APACHE II score (OR 1.17 per integer; CI 1.12, 1.74), diabetes (OR 2.20; CI 1.32, 3.65), mechanical ventilation (OR 1.88; CI 1.21, 2.94), malignancy (OR 2.54; CI 1.43, 4.47), and liver disease (OR 5.01; CI 2.69, 9.32) as significant risk factors. When controlling for these variables, none of the BMI groups had an independent association with death compared with the normal weight group. CONCLUSION: Contrary to the hypothesis, the data suggest no discernable independent association of increasing BMI with heightened mortality rate in the surgical/trauma ICU patient with infection.     

Atypical femoral fractures after anti-osteoporotic medication: a Korean multicenter study

Purpose

Increasing numbers of atypical femoral fractures have been reported among long-term bisphosphonate users. We evaluated clinical characteristics of atypical femoral fractures throughout Korean multicenter studies.

Methods

We retrospectively analysed the bone mineral density, prodromal symptoms before femoral fracture, and medication history of osteoporosis in 76 cases of atypical femoral fracture.

Results

The mean age of cases was 71.4 ± 8.8 (range, 43–89) years old. The mean follow-up period after the fracture operation was 24.5 ± 12.9 (range, 12–79) months. BMI was 23.2 ± 3.0 on average. The mean BMD of femur was −1.9 ± 1.4 (range, −4.8 to 1.3). Prodromal symptoms including thigh pain before femoral fracture appeared in 22 (28.9 %) of 76 patients. All patients included in the study used bisphosphonate. The duration of taking bisphosphonate before fracture was 36.8 ± 50.8 (one–204 months) months. Fifty-seven (75 %) of 76 patients were taking the medication for more than three years. Delayed union occurred in 43 (56.5 %) of 76 patients. Delayed union was defined as a fractured bone that did not completely heal within six months of injury. The group of having taken anti-osteoporotic medication for more than three years showed relatively longer union period compared to that for a shorter period medication group (4.8 ± 2.5 months vs 9.3 ± 3.7 months, p = 0.017). The delayed union developed in 43 (56.5 %) of 76 patients and showed a significantly higher incidence in the group with long-term therapy (five/43 vs 38/43, p = 0.021). The bilateral femoral fractures developed in 23 (30.2 %) of 76 patients and showed a high incidence in the group medicated more than three years (two/23 vs 21/23, p = 0.039).

Conclusions

The longer bisphosphonates are used, the more the cases of delayed union and the more frequent the development of bilateral fractures following unilateral fractures. With regard to the delayed union, the methods of the acceleration of fracture healing may be beneficial in atypical femoral fracture patients who had been receiving long-term bisphosphonates therapy. Careful observation is required for contra-lateral femurs due to a high incidence of bilateral atypical femoral fractures.     

Positional change of hyoid bone after anesthesia in anterior surgery of upper cervical spine

Background contextThe hyoid bone is used as a landmark in anterior upper cervical spine operations and is supposed to represent the level of C3 body. However, this correspondence between hyoid bone position and cervical level is not static and changes during surgery (extension after anesthesia).PurposeTo find the cervical level corresponding to the position of hyoid bone before and after anesthesia and to evaluate the adequacy of its usage as a surgical landmark.Study designA retrospective study.Patient sampleOne hundred twenty-eight patients with degenerative cervical diseases who had undergone anterior cervical discectomy and fusion.Outcome measureRadiologic measure.MethodsFor each patient, preanesthesia neutral, preanesthesia extension, and postanesthesia induction extension C-spine lateral image were obtained. The level of cervical vertebra that midline of hyoid bone indicated was measured by radiological method. A cervical vertebra was divided into three segments, consisting of upper half, lower half, and disc space, and each of these segments was considered as one level. The differences between pre- and postanesthesia induction hyoid positions were classified as minimal change (one level or less) and significant change (two levels or greater). Relationship between positional change of hyoid bone to gender, obesity, and age were respectively investigated.ResultsThere were 20 cases of one-level distal displacement of the hyoid bone, 40 cases of two-level distal displacement, 34 cases of three-level distal displacement, 16 cases of 4-level distal displacement, and two cases of five-level distal displacement. In eight cases, there was no level change, and in the remaining 8 cases, the hyoid bone had been displaced proximally. There were 34 cases of minimal change. The remaining 94 cases (73.4%) had significant changes. No respective relationship was found between sex, obesity, age and pre-and postanesthesia induction positional change of hyoid bone.ConclusionsAmong the 128 cases studied, 73.4% hyoid bone positions had changed by more than one cervical vertebra body between the pre- to postanesthesia induction X-ray images. Sex, age, and body mass index were not associated with statistically significant differences in these positions. The hyoid bone should not be trusted as a landmark for upper cervical operations, and the cervical level to be operated should be confirmed by a radiological method before a skin incision is made.     

CD151 Overexpression is Associated with Poor Prognosis in Patients with pT3 Gastric Cancer

Introduction

CD151, a transmembrane protein of the tetraspanin family, is implicated in the regulation of cell-substrate adhesion and cell migration. Overexpression of CD151 has been reported in several cancers and controls MET-dependent neoplastic growth by enhancing receptor signaling. However, association of CD151 overexpression with MET or tumor progression has not been reported in gastric cancer.

Materials and Methods

We conducted immunohistochemical analysis of CD151 overexpression in 491 pT3 gastric carcinomas and analyzed the relationship with MET overexpression and prognostic significance.

Results

CD151 was highly expressed in 119 gastric carcinomas (24.2 %) and was significantly associated with higher pN stages. Patients with CD151-positive gastric cancer showed shorter overall (p = 0.003) and disease-free survival (p = 0.001) compared with patients with CD151-negative gastric carcinoma. CD151 overexpression was an independent prognostic factor for overall survival [hazard ration (HR) 1.335; 95 % CI 1.005–1.775; p = 0.046] and disease-free survival (HR 1.903; 95 % CI 1.348–2.685; p < 0.001). Co-overexpression of CD151 and MET was observed in 30 (6.1 %) gastric cancers and was more frequent in advanced pN stages than in other groups. Moreover, co-overexpression of CD151 and MET was a strong independent prognostic factor for overall survival (HR 3.163; 95 % CI 1.958–5.108; p < 0.001) and disease-free survival (HR 3.834; 95 % CI 2.145–6.852; p < 0.001).

Conclusion

CD151 overexpression is an independent prognostic factor and could be a potential molecular therapeutic target in patients with advanced gastric cancers. Further studies are needed to establish the biological significance of CD151/MET co-overexpression and the potential of targeting both molecules as a therapeutic strategy.     

Proposal of the Surgical Options for Primary Tumor Control During Sentinel Node Navigation Surgery Based on the Discrepancy Between Preoperative and Postoperative Early Gastric Cancer Diagnoses

Background

There is no consensus on the optimal method of primary tumor control, determined by preoperative clinical factors, during sentinel node (SN) navigation surgery for early gastric cancer (EGC). In this study, we investigated the accuracy of clinical diagnosis based on preoperative examination in patients with EGC and proposed surgical options for primary tumor control during SN navigation surgery.

Methods

We analyzed 815 patients with clinical stage IA gastric cancer who underwent gastrectomy at the National Cancer Center in Korea between March 2001 and February 2011. The clinical stage was determined by endoscopy, endoscopic ultrasonography, and abdominal computed tomography.

Results

The preoperative assessment of tumor depth and tumor size was accurate in 57.5 and 70.8 % of patients, respectively. Tumor depth and size were underestimated in 8 and 25.3 % of patients. The overall accuracy of histologic diagnosis by endoscopic biopsy was 87.2 %. Of those tumors diagnosed preoperatively as differentiated, 20.5 % revealed mixed histology of undifferentiated type.

Conclusions

The recommendation for SN biopsy may be limited to tumors sized 3 cm or smaller to avoid positive lateral margins and to minimize the risk of skip metastases. Endoscopic resection may safely be applied to small mucosal cancers, but other surgical options should be employed for undifferentiated large mucosal lesions, given their tendency for diffuse invasion. Full-thickness resection is preferable for submucosal cancers, to secure clear vertical margins.     

Prognostic Impact of Microscopic Tumor Involved Resection Margin in Advanced Gastric Cancer Patients after Gastric Resection

Background

The prognosis of patients with positive surgical resection margins is dismal in gastric cancer. However, the influence of positive margin itself on prognosis is still uncertain, especially in advanced gastric cancer (AGC). The aims of the present study were to evaluate the prognostic impact of microscopic tumor involved resection margins in stage III–IV AGC after gastric resection in comparison with other well-known factors.

Methods

Among 1,536 consecutive gastric cancer patients who received intentional curative resection for stage III–IV AGC between April 2001 and December 2011 at the National Cancer Center, 35 patients (2.28 %) had positive resection margins on their final histology. A comparison of clinicopathologic characteristics, recurrence pattern, overall survival (OS), and disease-free survival (DFS) was made between positive margin (PM) patients and negative margin (NM) patients.

Results

Among the 35 PM patients, 15 (42.9 %) had proximal involved margins, 21 (60.0 %) had distal involved margins, and one (2.9 %) had both involved margins. Twenty-eight PM patients (80.0 %) were stage III, and 7 (20.0 %) were stage IV. Recurrence was significantly higher in PM than NM (63.6 % vs. 39.7 %, respectively; p = 0.005). The OS and DFS rates were significantly lower in the PM group than in the NM group (14.9 vs. 36.3 months, p < 0.001 and 11.6 vs. 27.1 months, p = 0.005, respectively). The presence of PM was an independent risk factor for both OS and DFS.

Conclusions

The presence of PM is an independent risk factor for OS and DFS. Considering the prognostic impact of PM, a sufficient resection margin should be ensured when determining the resection line in gastrectomy with curative intent. The reoperation to secure clear resection margins should be considered as a treatment of choice in the case of PM.     

Muscle involvement in Dent disease 2

Background

Dent disease, an X-linked recessive renal tubulopathy, is caused by mutations in either CLCN5 (Dent disease 1) or OCRL (Dent disease 2). OCRL mutations can also cause Lowe syndrome. In some cases it is difficult to differentiate Dent disease 1 and 2 on the basis of clinical features only without genetic tests. Several studies have shown differences in serum levels of muscle enzymes between these diseases. The aim of our study was to test the validity of these findings.

Methods

In total, 23 patients with Dent disease 1 (Group A), five patients with Dent disease 2 (Group B) and 19 patients with Lowe syndrome (Group C) were enrolled in our study. The serum levels of three muscle enzymes [creatine phosphokinase (CPK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), aspartate aminotransferase (AST)], were measured. The levels of a hepatic enzyme, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), were also measured as a control.

Results

One patient in Group B had muscle hypoplasia of both upper extremities. The serum levels of all three muscle enzymes assayed were higher in Group B or C patients than in Group A patients. Serum ALT levels were normal in all three groups of patients.

Conclusions

The serum levels of muscle enzymes in patients with Dent disease can be used as a biomarker to predict genotypes, even though the patients do not have clinical symptoms of muscle involvement.