Massive osteoradionecrosis of facial bones and soft tissues.

Osteoradionecrosis (ORN) is one of the most serious and uncommon complications in head and neck irradiation for cancer. It is defined as a combination of necrotic soft tissue and bone not being able to heal spontaneously, it demonstrates a general resistance to antibiotics and requires conservative surgical management. Even with modern radiation therapy, its incidence is highly unpredictable and varies between 4-30%. We report on a patient with a huge open cavitation in the cheek, communicating with the mouth and extending to contralateral periodontal gingival and temporal fossa. He had been treated with radiation therapy for nasopharyngeal cancer 5 years ago and presented with restriction of the opening of the mouth. Osteonecrosis complicated with osteomyelitis was evident in bilateral mandible and maxillary bones and the temporal bone. The ramus of the mandible and zygomatic arc were resected, subtotal maxillectomy was performed and the defect was repaired by a free double island flap from the scapular and parascapular osteocutaneous latissimus dorsi muscle flap supplied by subscapular artery. To our knowledge, this is the most extensive bone and soft tissue destruction due to radiation reported in the literature.

Gorham-Stout disease of the humerus.

Gorham-Stout disease is characterized by local proliferation of small vascular or lymphatic channels resulting in progressive destruction and resorption of bone. The etiology and pathogenesis of the disease remains mostly unknown, despite some 175 reported cases. A case of Gorham-Stout disease of the humerus in a 14-year-old boy is described. The patient presented with progressive pain and deformity of the right arm. Although the disease was described in different bones of the body its location in the humerus is rare. We report the natural history and clinical follow-up in a young patient. A fibular graft was performed but 10 months later, resorption and pathological fractures occurred again. This study presents the radiographic and MRI features of Gorham disease.

An unusual association of cutaneous myxoma with Favre-Racouchot syndrome.

We present a case of bilateral foot multiple cutaneous myxomas, associated with Favre-Racouchot syndrome (FRS) which is a dermatologic condition of multiple large comedones and nodules of the periorbital areas. As the mucocutaneous and cardiac manifestations were absent, Carney complex was excluded. To our knowledge, there has been no report of the association of cutaneous myxoma and FRS. Additionally, the magnetic resonance images of this benign tumor which is rare in the literature are presented.

Secondary venous ischemic injury associated with neutrophil infiltration and lipid peroxidation: amelioration of injury by cyclosporin A in a rat inguinal island flap.

Secondary venous ischemia caused by anastomotic failure is one of the major causes of failure after free tissue transfers and replantations. The effects of cyclosporin A (CsA) on secondary ischemic injury associated with neutrophil infiltration and lipid peroxidation were evaluated in a rat inferior epigastric island skin flap model. Primary ischemia was produced by arteriovenous occlusion for 2 hours. Twenty-four hours later, secondary venous ischemia was produced by 5 hours of venous occlusion. Nonischemic (n = 5), primary ischemic (n = 5), and secondary ischemic control groups (n = 10), and four treatment groups (n = 10) were created. Treatment groups received either 15 or 30 mg per kilogram per day oral CsA for 3 days before flap elevation, or 15 or 30 mg per kilogram intravenous CsA at 4 hours of secondary venous ischemia. Flap survival area, malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity were assayed for each group. The mean flap survival area of the high-dose posttreatment group was significantly higher than the secondary ischemic control group (29% +/- 39% vs. 3% +/- 8%; p < 0.05, Student's t-test). The MDA and MPO levels of each treatment group were significantly lower than the secondary ischemic control group at hours 1 and 24 (p < 0.0001, Student's t-test). The lowest MDA and MPO levels were achieved in the high-dose posttreatment group. Results suggest that CsA may improve flap survival after secondary venous ischemia by attenuating neutrophil infiltration and by reducing lipid peroxidation.