Does intervertebral disc degeneration in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis correlate with patient-reported pain scores? A review of 968 cases.

PURPOSE: Report the rate and severity of degenerative disc disease (DDD) in non-surgical adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients and correlate these findings with patient-reported symptomatology scores. Additionally, to quantify the rate of concurrent pathological radiological findings in this group. METHODS: This was a retrospective chart review study at a single tertiary centre. AIS patients aged 10-16 who had received a whole spine MRI between September 2007 and January 2019 and who had not received surgical intervention to their spine were included. MRI scan reports were screened to extract those who had evidence of DDD. These were then reviewed by a blinded second reviewer who graded every disc using the Pfirrmann grading system. SRS-22 scores were extracted for patients when available. RESULTS: In total, 968 participants were included in the study. Of these, 93 (9.6%) had evidence of DDD, which was Pfirrmann grade ≥ 3 in 28 (2.9%). The most commonly affected level was L5/S1 (59.1% of DDD cases). A total of 55 patients (5.7%) had evidence of syringomyelia, 41 (3.4%) had evidence of spondylolisthesis (all L5/S1), 14 (1.4%) had bilateral L5 pars defects, and 5 (0.5%) had facet joint degeneration. Spondylolisthesis and bilateral pars defects were more common in patients with DDD identified on MRI scan (p < 0.001 and p = 0.04, respectively). Function (p = 0.048) and pain (p = 0.046) scores were worse in patients with DDD. CONCLUSION: We present a baseline for the rate and severity of DDD in the non-operative AIS cohort. This should assist in decision-making and counselling of patients prior to surgery. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

Ethnicity-related stereotypes and their impacts on medical students: A critical narrative review of health professions education literature.

BACKGROUND: Stereotypes are oversimplified beliefs about groups of people. Social psychology concepts and theories describing ethnicity-related stereotypes are well reported in non-medical educational settings. In contrast, the full impact of stereotyping on medical students, and the extent to which they were represented in health professions education (HPE) is less well-described. Using the lens of social psychological theory, this review aimed to describe ethnicity-related stereotypes about medical students portrayed in HPE literature and the impacts of those stereotypes. METHODS: A critical narrative approach was undertaken. Social psychology concepts and theories were used as a framework through which to review the impacts of ethnicity-related stereotypes on medical students as described in HPE literature. A database search of Ovid MEDLINE, JSTOR, Project Muse, and PsychINFO was conducted to identify both theoretical and empirical articles relating to this topic in the HPE literature. Data was synthesised using thematic analysis, giving particular care to appraise the evidence from perspectives in social psychology. FINDINGS: In HPE, the experiences and impact of stereotyping on learners from minority ethnic groups was explained by social psychology concepts such as stereotype threat, stereotype reactance, attributional ambiguity, self-fulfilling prophecy, stereotype boost, stereotype lift, and stereotype masking. Stereotype boost and stereotype lift were particularly described among students who identified as White, whereas stereotype threat was described more commonly among students from minority ethnics groups. The impact of stereotyping is not just on assessment, but may be across all teaching and learning activities at medical school. INTERPRETATION: Social psychology concepts and theories can be used to describe the experience and impact of ethnicity-related stereotypes in HPE. Educators can better support learners from minority ethnic groups by self-reflecting over assumptions about individuals from minority ethnic groups, as well as minimise the impact of stereotyping and bias to create more inclusive learning environments.

Evaluation of Intraoperative Triamcinolone Injection or Primary Lobe Tacking (Pexing) Sutures for Preventing Pincushioning in Bilobed Transposition Flaps.

BACKGROUND: Bilobed transposition flaps are prone to pincushioning (trapdooring), whereby contraction of the flap over the wound bed may produce an unsatisfactory functional and aesthetic outcome. There are several proposed methods to prevent this, but there is currently no clear consensus on the ideal technique. OBJECTIVE: To compare primary lobe pexing sutures versus intraoperative triamcinolone (TAC) injection as methods to prevent pincushioning in bilobed transposition flaps. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective chart review of bilobed flap reconstructions identified from the Mohs micrographic surgery database at a single tertiary center in New Zealand. RESULTS: Three hundred forty-two patients met the inclusion criteria: 37 received pexing sutures, 42 intraoperative TAC, and 263 no additional intervention. The most defect common location was the nasal tip (43.6%), followed by the ala (20.8%). Ninety-three participants (27.2%) developed pincushioning at a median 35 days postoperatively. Participants receiving no intervention had a 30.8% pincushioning rate. The TAC group had a 23.8% pincushioning rate (p = .358), and the pexing group had a 5.5% pincushioning rate (p = .001). CONCLUSION: Participants receiving primary lobe pexing sutures had a statistically significantly lower rate of pincushioning than those receiving no intervention. Intraoperative TAC injections appeared to have little impact on pincushioning.

Assessing the accuracy of computed tomography in detecting bony invasion and thickness of squamous cell carcinoma of the scalp.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to ascertain the accuracy of computed tomography (CT) in assessing the presence of bony involvement and thickness of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the scalp. METHODS: A single-centre retrospective chart review was carried out. Inclusion criteria were scalp SCC, CT between January 2008 and 2018, and the availability of a reference test. Reference tests were either histology, surgical notes or clinical notes. Tabular assessment of accuracy was performed and Student's t-test, Mann-Whitney U test and Fisher exact test were used in univariable analysis. Accuracy of thickness measurement was calculated using the limits of agreement method, and linear regression was used to examine trend. RESULTS: Thirty-nine patients were included. Most patients were male (74.4%), white (97.4%), not immunosuppressed (66.6%) and had poorly differentiated tumours (33.3%). The most common tumour sites were the vertex (28.2%) and temporal region (23.1%). Sensitivity of CT in detecting presence or absence of bony invasion of scalp SCC was 76.9% (95% CI 46.2-94.9%) and specificity was 96.2% (95% CI 80.4-99.9%). Overall accuracy was 89.7% (95% CI 75.8-97.1%), positive predictive value was 90.1% (95% CI 58.7-99.8%) and negative predictive value was 89.3% (95% CI 71.8-97.7%). No significant differences were found comparing patients with an accurate or inaccurate CT scan. Thickness on CT was found to be consistent with histological thickness at the 95% confidence level. CONCLUSIONS: CT is accurate at assessing the presence of bony involvement and thickness of scalp SCC. This study was limited somewhat by small sample size.

Longitudinal complications associated with PEG: Rate and severity of 30-day and 1-year complications experienced by patients after primary PEG insertion.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy (PEG) feeding is utilised in patients with exceptionally poor oral intake but is associated with both short and long-term complications. This study reviews longitudinal PEG complications and compares key subgroups. METHODS: Single-centre retrospective observational study of all patients receiving PEG insertion between January 2016 and December 2018. RESULTS: 306 patients met the inclusion criteria. The mean age at insertion was 67 years. The majority were cared for in their own home (80.4%) by themselves or family (74.9%). 127 PEG tubes were inserted for dysphagia and 165 prophylactically prior to treatment for head and neck cancer. In the first 30 days 16.7% experienced a complication. The most frequently reported was peristomal pain (9.2%). In the first year, 35.6% experienced at least one complication, 12.4% two complications and 6.6% three complications and 6.5% required inpatient treatment for their complication. The most common was pain (14.4%) followed by site weeping, site infection and external overgranulation. Patients with dysphagia took longer to develop complications, had fewer complications and took longer to require management by members of the secondary care team than those with head and neck cancer. Discounting peristomal pain, there was no difference in total complications between patients caring for themselves when compared to those receiving professional input. CONCLUSION: One third of patients will experience a complication related to their PEG tube over 1 year, but the majority are managed in an outpatient setting. This study has implications for planning support services and consenting and counselling patients pre-PEG-insertion.