Management of a patient with multiple recurrences of fibromatosis (desmoid tumor) of the breast involving the chest wall musculature.

BACKGROUND: Fibromatosis or desmoid tumor is a rare soft tissue tumor that lacks a metastatic potential, but is characterized by a locally aggressive and infiltrating growth pattern and a high propensity toward local recurrence if incompletely excised. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a patient with three post-surgical recurrences of fibromatosis of the breast over a seven year period. The fibromatosis was found to be involving the chest wall musculature and causing persistent and worsening pain. An aggressive operative strategy was undertaken, consisting of mastectomy with en bloc resection of the underlying chest wall musculature, ribs, and parietal pleura. CONCLUSION: Aggressive surgical management of fibromatosis of the breast with suspected chest wall involvement is appropriate to attempt to obtain a long-term durable cure.

Tetanus and the plastic surgeon.

Tetanus in the United States is decidedly rare, and most of us will not see a case of it during our careers. Given its lethality, it is a disease about which one must be aware. Be willing to consider it as a diagnosis, no matter the immunization status of the patient, if clinical signs and symptoms warrant. To emphasize this point, the authors present a case of an otherwise healthy 41-year-old man who sustained electrical burns when he fell from a ladder and struck a power line on his way to the ground. He developed a compartment syndrome of his left leg at the exit site and subsequently underwent fasciotomies. When he later began to exhibit signs and symptoms of sepsis, his wound was debrided, and most of his anterior compartment was resected. Despite this, his condition worsened, and his clinical picture was suggestive of tetanus, including the classic findings of trismus, risus sardonicus, and opisthotonus. Using mechanical ventilation, paralysis, narcotics, and muscle-relaxing sedatives, the authors supported him until his tetany subsided. He survived and was discharged to home when complete coverage of his burns and left leg anterior compartment was obtained. The authors discuss the presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of tetanus, as well as its incidence in the general population and in the previously immunized patient.