Predicting lipoabdominoplasty complications with infrared thermography: a delta-R analysis

The diagnosis of the main complications resulting from lipoabdominoplasty has not yet been standardized. Infrared thermal imaging has been used to assess possible complications, such as necrosis and changes in micro- and macro-circulation, based on perforator mapping techniques, among others. The objective of this study was to present two clinical cases involving thermal imaging monitoring of the healing process of lipoabdominoplasty in the immediate postoperative evaluation and its preliminary results. Infrared thermography was performed 24 hours after the operation and on postoperative days 5, 25, and 27. In clinical case 1, it was found that the delta-R (∆TR)–defined as the difference in minimum temperature between the highest and lowest points in the SA3 region (caution suction area) following the classification established by Matarasso–was 0.4°C at 24 hours after surgery and decreased to 0.1°C on a postoperative day 5. There were no complications in this case. In contrast, in clinical case 2, the ∆TR was 1.7°C at 24 hours after surgery (upon hospital discharge) and remained high, at 2.2°C, on postoperative day 5. A higher ∆TR was found in the second patient, who developed necrosis of the surgical wound. The ∆TR thermal index may be a new tool for predicting possible complications, complementing the clinical evaluation and therapeutic decision-making.

Predicting lipoabdominoplasty complications with infrared thermography: a delta-R analysis

The diagnosis of the main complications resulting from lipoabdominoplasty has not yet been standardized. Infrared thermal imaging has been used to assess possible complications, such as necrosis and changes in micro- and macro-circulation, based on perforator mapping techniques, among others. The objective of this study was to present two clinical cases involving thermal imaging monitoring of the healing process of lipoabdominoplasty in the immediate postoperative evaluation and its preliminary results. Infrared thermography was performed 24 hours after the operation and on postoperative days 5, 25, and 27. In clinical case 1, it was found that the delta-R (∆TR)–defined as the difference in minimum temperature between the highest and lowest points in the SA3 region (caution suction area) following the classification established by Matarasso–was 0.4°C at 24 hours after surgery and decreased to 0.1°C on a postoperative day 5. There were no complications in this case. In contrast, in clinical case 2, the ∆TR was 1.7°C at 24 hours after surgery (upon hospital discharge) and remained high, at 2.2°C, on postoperative day 5. A higher ∆TR was found in the second patient, who developed necrosis of the surgical wound. The ∆TR thermal index may be a new tool for predicting possible complications, complementing the clinical evaluation and therapeutic decision-making.

Acupuncture treatment for idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia: A longitudinal case-control double blinded study / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the treatment effect of acupuncture on patients with idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia (ITN) by case-control longitudinal blinded study.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixty ITN patients and 30 healthy subjects were included. The ITN patients were randomly assigned to acupuncture group (15 cases), sham-acupuncture group (15 cases) and carbamazepine group (30 cases), respectively. Clinical orofacial evaluation (including pain intensity and medication doses), research diagnostic criteria for temporomandibular disorders (RDC/TMD) and Helkimo indexes (for functional evaluation of the masticatory system), and quantitative sensory testing for sensory thresholds (gustative, olfactory, cold, warm, touch, vibration and superficial and deep pain) were evaluated before treatment, immediately after treatment, and 6 months after treatment.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The mean pain intensity by the Visual Analogue Scale only decreased in the acupuncture group at the last evaluation (P=0.012). Patients in the sham-acupuncture group had an increase in carbamazepine doses according to the prescriptions (P<0.01). There was a reduction in secondary myofascial pain and mandibular limitations at the acupuncture and sham-acupuncture groups, however only the acupuncture group kept the changes after 6 months (P<0.01, P=0.023). There was a decrease in mechanical thresholds in the acupuncture group (tactile, P<0.01; vibration, P=0.027) and an increase in deep pain thresholds in both acupuncture and sham-acupuncture groups (P=0.013).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Acupuncture can be an option in the treatment of ITN due to its analgesic effect in both ITN and secondary myofascial pain associated with it.</p>

Blood blister-like aneurysms of the internal carotid artery / Aneurismas das porções não ramificadas da artéria carótida interna

Blood blister-like aneurysms (BBA) originate at non-branching sites of the internal carotid artery (ICA), these vascular lesions are rare and constitute approximately 1% of all intracranial aneurysms. They are small, with extremely fragile walls and a poorly defined broad-based neck. BBA tend to have a precipitous clinical course, enlarging rapidly, these have been associated with significant morbidity and mortality including rebleeding, regrowth, and ischemic complications; therefore their diagnosis is essential for proper management and depends of its high suspicion and careful evaluation of computed tomography angiogram (CTA) and digital substraction angiography (DSA). Various surgical and endovascular strategies have been attempted for these lesions, but the definitive treatment is controversial even. This paper attempts to describe the clinicopathological features as well as elements important for diagnosis and treatment.

Os aneurismas das porções não ramificadas da artéria carótida interna (BBA, da sigla em inglês) são lesões vasculares raras e constituem cerca de 1% de todos os aneurismas intracranianos. Eles são pequenos, com paredes extremamente frágeis e um colo mal definido com base ampla. Os BBA tendem a ter curso clínico rápido e têm sido associados com morbidade e mortalidade significativas, incluindo ressangramento e complicações isquêmicas, por isso seu diagnóstico é essencial para o bom tratamento e depende de elevada suspeição e cuidadosa análise da angiografia por tomografia computadorizada e por subtração digital. Várias estratégias cirúrgicas e endovasculares têm sido tentadas para essas lesões, mas o tratamento definitivo é controverso. Este artigo tenta descrever as características clinicopatológicas, bem como elementos importantes para o diagnóstico e tratamento dessa entidade patológica.

Massive intra and extracranial benign meningioma metastasizing to the lung and spine: the problem of meningiomas classification and iatrogenic metastasizing / Meningioma benigno intra e extracraniano com metástase para pulmão e coluna: o problema da classificação e disseminação iatrogênica

Meningioma is a common CNS tumor and metastasis in these tumours is a rare occurrence. Malignant meningiomas are more prone to metastase. However, there are frequent case reports of metastases in atypical (grade II) and even benign (grade I), which demonstrates the somehow unsatisfying prognostic power of the current classification system. We describe an extraordinary case of a patient with a massive intra and extra-cranial, benign meningioma, metastasizing to both lung and spine. Following the report we discuss 1) some of the problems of classifying meningioma, 2) massive meningiomas and 3) the possibility of intra-operative iatrogenic metastasizing. This case is unique due to its combination of different sites of metastases, massiveness, invasive growth and benign histology. Thus it ranks among those rare but not uncommon complicated courses in meningioma which is otherwise a common benign tumor. Unfortunately the existing classification-criteria do not have sufficient power to predict such complicated courses.

Meningioma é um tumor comum que raramente metastatiza, principalmente em casos de meningiomas malignos. Contudo, há casos frequentes de metástases em casos de tumores benignos ou atípicos, o que denota evidente falha no sistema atual de classificação desses tumores. Os autores descrevem o caso de um paciente com extenso meningioma benigno intra e extracraniano que metastizou para pulmões e coluna e adicionalmente discutem questões relativas a classificação e mecanismos de disseminação hematogênica.