A Complication of Stellate Ganglion Block?

Abstract: Stellate ganglion block is commonly used to treat the sympathetically maintained pain which may occur in one‐third of patients with complex regional pain syndrome type 1. A complication that followed a single block and presented a diagnostic dilemma for the ophthalmologist is reported.     

TEN YEARS' EXPERIENCE IN LOW VISION PRACTICE

The Low Vision Clinic at the Palmerston North Hospital has now been oerating for 70 years. Over the course of these ten years a number of factors have emerged which can be as readily applied to general ophthalmological practice as to low vision practice. The philosophy of low vision care is one of which all ophthalmologists should be aware and includes factors to be taken into account when dealing with children, people in the workplace, and everyday factors involved in daily living activities, all of which are equally relevant in routine ophthalmological practice. This paper endeavours to share some thoughts on these factors and also discusses means by which the visually handicapped can be helped in areas where specialist low vision services are not readily available.     

Congenital esophageal stenosis presenting as noncardiac,esophageal chest pain

Summary A case of a 31-year-old female with congenital esophageal stenosis presenting with symptoms of chest pain caused by esophageal dysmotility is described. The involved segment in congenital esophageal stenosis has a characteristic thickening of the muscularis propria layer, as seen by EUS examination. In these patients, symptoms of dysphagia can be managed with esophageal dilation and noncardiac esophageal chest pain responds to pharmacotherapy with diltiazem.The opinions and assertions contained herein are the private ones of the authors and are not to be construed as official policy or reflecting the views of the Army or the Department of Defense.     

Desmoplastic malignant melanoma presenting with orbital involvement

Desmoplastic malignant melanoma (DMM) is a rare variant of spindle cell melanoma. We report a case of DMM of the forehead secondarily involving the orbit. The diagnosis was based on light microscopic features, including prominent peripheral cell nest formation and spindle cell fascicles in densely collagenous stroma. Immunohistochemical studies showed strong uniform staining for S100 antigen throughout the tumour. It was negative for HMB 45, smooth muscle actin, desmin, cytokeratins and Type IV collagen. Electron microscopy showed neither melanosomes nor myelin figures. The clinical and histological characteristics of desmoplastic malignant melanoma, and its differential diagnosis of malignant schwannoma, are discussed. DMM has a poor prognosis, since it tends to invade deeply, recur locally and metastasise readily.     

Radiographic changes induced after cervical facet radiofrequency denervation

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Paraspinal infections after zygapophyseal (facet) radiofrequency denervation (RFD) are a serious but rare complication of this procedure. We are aware of only one case report of an epidural abscess after facet joint injection. PURPOSE: To report post-procedure inflammatory changes after cervical facet RFD. STUDY DESIGN: Case report. PATIENT SAMPLE: A 35-year-old Caucasian female. METHODS: Retrospective case review. RESULTS: The patient underwent cervical RFD and was admitted to the hospital 7 days after her procedure with severe neck pain. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with contrast revealed what appeared to be evidence of a paraspinal muscle abscess although blood tests were negative. She was treated with antibiotic therapy, yet she never developed systemic signs of infection. A follow-up MRI without contrast revealed no evidence of infection, and she was discharged home on hospital day 6. At her first follow-up visit, she was still experiencing scalp pain and paraspinal muscle spasm. During subsequent follow-up visits, she has continued to improve clinically without experiencing signs of infection. Another follow-up MRI 6 weeks after her discharge home revealed persistent minimal left paraspinal enhancement at C2-3, possibly representing post-procedure granulation tissue with no evidence of abscess. CONCLUSIONS: Post-procedural MRI findings after radiofrequency lesioning can resemble radiographic findings associated with a paraspinal abscess. Patients with radiographic findings consistent with abscess should only be treated if clinical signs or symptoms of systemic infection are present.     

Best-practice algorithms for the use of a bilayered living cell therapy (Apligraf®) in the treatment of lower-extremity ulcers

Tissue-engineered skin substitutes such as Apligraf have emerged over the past 20 years as among the most carefully studied and efficacious of the advanced wound modalities. These products have been proven as effective enhancements to general wound care, promoting wound closure particularly in instances where conventional wound care fails. Marketed for hard-to-heal wounds since 1998, Apligraf has become part of standard wound care in many wound centers across the United States. Despite this situation, few general wound care guidelines incorporate advanced and active wound-healing technologies, such as tissue-engineered skin products. Because of this deficiency, appropriate patient selection and proper use of these product remain largely unaddressed within the general wound care community. Here, we describe the development of guidelines surrounding optimal use of the bilayered living cell therapy, Apligraf, in the treatment of the two types of lower extremity ulcers for which the product is FDA approved: venous leg ulcer and diabetic foot ulcer. The guidelines detailed in this article focus on the identification and selection of patients who are at risk for failure of standard wound care therapy and thus appropriate for Apligraf treatment. The intended audience for these guidelines is the general wound care practitioner, for whom the developed treatment algorithms and accompanying figure legends should provide practical, user-friendly direction simplifying both patient selection and appropriate use of Apligraf within the context of good wound-healing practice.