Postburn shoulder medial-adduction contracture: Anatomy and treatment with trapeze-flap plasty

Background

Shoulder-adduction contractures after burn, most frequent among big joints, cause functional deficiency of the upper limb and, therefore, benefits from surgical correction. Many reconstructive techniques and flaps have been suggested for contracture treatment, but the problem in choosing an adequate reconstructive technique based on the anatomy of the contracture remains. Shoulder-adduction contracture has been given less emphasis in research than any other type and its surgical reconstructive technique remains of concern.

Methods

Anatomic features of scar shoulder-adduction contractures were studied in 346 patients, personally operated upon. This allowed us to classify all contractures into three types: edge, medial and total. New surgical techniques specifically for medial contractures were developed.

Results

Eighty percent of patients had edge contractures in which the axillary fossa was spared. In 20% of patients, axilla, including the hairy dome, was involved. These cases were anatomically classified into two types: medial, making up 30% of the cases, when contracted scars involved only axilla, and total caused by scars, tightly surrounding the shoulder joint. The scars, causing medial contracture, form a crescent-shaped fold along the medial axillary line. The fold's sheets are scars in which there is skin surface surplus in width, which allows the contracture release with local tissues. Surface deficiency in length has a trapezoid form. Medial contracture can be successfully treated with opposite transposition of trapezoid adipose-scar flaps prepared from both sheets of the fold.

Conclusion

Medial shoulder-adduction contracture is a newly described type with specific anatomic features. Contracture can be successfully treated with local tissues using trapeze-flap plasty.     

A new flap design for release of parallel contracture bands: Dual opposing five-flap z-plasty

Skin contractures secondary to burn and other types of trauma can be encountered on almost every part of human body, best addressed by a custom treatment protocol tailored for each patient. Skin graft, local flap as well as distant flap options are available, each with intrinsic advantages and disadvantages. In the presence of weblike contracture the utilization of local tissue, when available, is a prefered approach for a relatively better appearance through a reasonably simpler surgical intervention, compared to skin graft applications and distant flap options. Among many other techniques and modalities utilized for this purpose, the dual opposing five-flap z-plasty method which is a novel method designed as a modification of the paired five-flap z-plasty technique promises to be a useful treatment option for the release of parallel contracture bands with satisfactory results in selected patients.     

新生儿背部肩胛间测温的临床探讨

目的 :探讨新生儿背温测定的科学性与可行性。方法 :采用自身对照法测量新生儿的背温、腋温 ,对所得数据进行统计学处理。结果 :新生儿背温、腋温差异无显著性 (P >0 0 5 )。结论 :背温测量可准确反映新生儿的真实体温 ,且操作安全、简便 ,并减少了护理人员的工作量。     

Sentinel lymph node biopsy indications and controversies in breast cancer

Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) has become the standard of care for early breast cancer. Its use in breast cancer has been evaluated in several randomized controlled trials and validated in multiple prospective studies. Additionally, it has been verified that SLNB has decreased morbidity when compared to axillary lymph node dissection (ALND). The technique used to perform sentinel lymph node mapping was also evaluated in multiple studies and the accuracy rate increases when radiocolloid and blue dye are used in combination. As SLNB became more accepted, contraindications were delineated and are still debated. Patients who have clinically positive lymph nodes or core biopsy-proven positive lymph nodes should not have SLNB, but should have an ALND as their staging procedure. The safety of SLNB in pregnant patients is not fully established. However, patients with multifocal or multicentric breast cancer and patients having neoadjuvant chemotherapy are considered candidates for SLNB. However, the details of which specific neoadjuvant patients should have SLNB are currently being evaluated in a randomized controlled trial. Patients with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) benefit from SLNB when mastectomy is planned and when there is a high clinical suspicion of invasion. With the advent of SLNB, pathologic review of breast cancer lymph nodes has evolved. The significance of occult metastasis in SLNB patients is currently being debated. Additionally, the most controversial subject with regards to SLNB is determining which patients with positive SLNs benefit from further axillary dissection.     

The sensitivity of pre-operative axillary staging in breast cancer: Comparison of invasive lobular and ductal carcinoma

Introduction

Axillary ultrasound (AUS) with fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy of abnormal lymph nodes is important for pre-operative staging and planning the surgical management of the axilla. Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) metastases are thought to be difficult to detect because the cells are small and on cytology resemble lymphocytes. To investigate this we directly compared the sensitivity of pre-operative axillary staging between ILC and invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC).

Method

Consecutive patients that presented in a single breast unit with pure IDC between April 2005 and December 2006 and pure ILC between January 2008 and December 2012 were retrospectively identified from pathology records. Pre-operative axillary ultrasound and FNA biopsy results were compared with post-operative histopathology from the sentinel node biopsy (SNB) or axillary lymph node dissection (ALND).

Results

A total of 275 and 142 axillae were identified in the IDC and ILC groups respectively. In the node positive patients there was no significant difference in the sensitivity of AUS (IDC vs. ILC; 58.7% vs. 52.8%). However, there was a significant difference in the sensitivity of ultrasound-guided FNA biopsy of abnormal nodes (IDC vs. ILC; 98.4% vs. 53.6%; p < 0.001).

Conclusion

AUS has comparative sensitivities between IDC and ILC populations. In contrast, FNA biopsy of abnormal axillary nodes is clearly less sensitive in the ILC group. In these patients, who have abnormal AUS, we suggest that a core biopsy is required to improve the pre-operative staging and prevent unnecessary surgical procedures.     

New concepts in axillary management of breast cancer

In the last decades, surgical treatment of breast cancer has evolved from more extensive procedures like radical mastectomy to less invasive breast conserving surgery. Similarly, surgical management of axilla has enormously changed from routine axillary dissection to sentinel lymph node biopsy. Traditional surgical approach to the axilla in case of sentinel lymph node negativity is to avoid completion axillary dissection. However, surgeons even avoid performing axillary dissection in selected patients with positive sentinel lymph node in clinical practice depending on the recent randomized controlled studies supporting this concept. All of the recent changes in the management of positive axilla necessitate surgeons to refresh their knowledge on this challenging topic.     

Magnetic resonance for assessment of axillary lymph node status in early breast cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction

Current methods of identifying axillary node metastases in breast cancer patients are highly accurate, but are associated with several adverse events. This review evaluates the diagnostic accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques for identification of axillary metastases in early stage newly diagnosed breast cancer patients.

Methods

Comprehensive searches were conducted in April 2009. Study quality was assessed. Sensitivity and specificity were meta-analysed using a bivariate random effects approach, utilising pathological diagnosis via node biopsy as the comparative gold standard.

Results

Based on the highest sensitivity and specificity reported in each of the nine studies evaluating MRI (n = 307 patients), mean sensitivity was 90% (95% CI: 78–96%; range 65–100%) and mean specificity 90% (95% CI: 75–96%; range 54–100%). Across five studies evaluating ultrasmall super-paramagnetic iron oxide (USPIO)-enhanced MRI (n = 93), mean sensitivity was 98% (95% CI: 61–100%) and mean specificity 96% (95% CI: 72–100%). Across three studies of gadolinium-enhanced MRI (n = 187), mean sensitivity was 88% (95% CI: 78–94%) and mean specificity 73% (95% CI: 63–81%). In the single study of in-vivo proton MR spectroscopy (n = 27), sensitivity was 65% (95% CI: 38–86%) and specificity 100% (95% CI: 69–100%).

Conclusions

USPIO-enhanced MRI showed a trend towards higher sensitivity and specificity and may make a useful addition to the current diagnostic pathway. Additional larger studies with standardised methods and standardised criteria for classifying a node as positive are needed. Current estimates of sensitivity and specificity do not support replacement of SLNB with any current MRI technology in this patient group.     

Lymph node ratio as an alternative to pN staging for predicting prognosis after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer

Axillary nodal status is one of the most important prognostic factors in breast cancer. The lymph node ratio (LNR) has been suggested as an independent prognostic factor because the number of dissected and involved lymph nodes might differ across institutions. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) has been the preferred treatment method for reducing tumor mass in the breast and axillary area. However, NAC can reduce total number of excised lymph nodes compared with upfront surgery. Therefore, an emerging question is whether axillary nodal status and LNR following NAC can accurately predict prognosis. We evaluated the prognostic value of axillary nodal status and LNR after NAC. A total of 236 patients were enrolled. Patients were divided into four groups according to the following cut-off values for LNR: 0 (n = 107), 0.01–0.20 (n = 68), 0.21–0.65 (n = 50) and >0.65 (n = 11). Pathologic complete responses were observed in 16.9% of the overall cohort. In univariate analysis, pathologic N stage was a significant prognostic factor of disease free survival (DFS, p = 0.013) and overall survival (OS, p = 0.004). However, in multivariate analysis, hormone receptor status (p = 0.043) and LNR (p = 0.028) were significantly associated with DFS and LNR (p = 0.017) showed statistical significance for OS; however, pathologic N stage was no longer significantly associated with DFS or OS. Traditional nodal staging has been accepted as an important prognostic factor; however, our result indicated that the nodal ratio could be an alternative to pN staging as a prognostic factor after NAC in breast cancer.     

Evaluation of breast sentinel lymph node coverage by standard radiation therapy fields

BACKGROUND: Biopsy of the breast sentinel lymph node (SLN) is now a standard staging procedure for early-stage invasive breast cancer. The anatomic location of the breast SLN and its relationship to standard radiation fields has not been described. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A retrospective review of radiotherapy treatment planning data sets was performed in patients with breast cancer who had undergone SLN biopsy, and those with a surgical clip at the SLN biopsy site were identified. The location of the clip was evaluated relative to vertebral body level on an anterior-posterior digitally reconstructed radiograph, treated whole-breast tangential radiation fields, and standard axillary fields in 106 data sets meeting these criteria. RESULTS: The breast SLN varied in vertebral body level position, ranging from T2 to T7 but most commonly opposite T4. The SLN clip was located below the base of the clavicle in 90%, and hence would be excluded from standard axillary radiotherapy fields where the inferior border is placed at this level. The clip was within the irradiated whole-breast tangent fields in 78%, beneath the superior-posterior corner multileaf collimators in 12%, and outside the tangent field borders in 10%. CONCLUSIONS: Standard axillary fields do not encompass the lymph nodes at highest risk of containing tumor in breast cancer patients. Elimination of the superior-posterior corner MLCs from the tangent field design would result in inclusion of the breast SLN in 90% of patients treated with standard whole-breast irradiation.