Cheek reconstruction following facial malignant melanoma surgery with the platysma myocutaneous flap.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the results of large cheek skin defect reconstruction using a superiorly based platysma myocutaneous flap accompanied by facial artery and vein preservation, following cutaneous head and neck melanoma surgery. This study offers new insight into a procedure that is a viable, but infrequently used reconstruction option. The authors report the cases of 13 consecutive patients with cheek skin defects following melanoma surgery who underwent reconstruction with a superiorly based platysma myocutaneous flap. The procedures were performed at a tertiary clinical centre and a national melanoma surgery referral centre between 2001 and 2008. According to the disease stage, eight patients underwent sentinel lymph node biopsy and five underwent comprehensive neck dissections. All of the patients were monitored for any complications related to the donor and recipient sites. Minor venous congestion of the flap was noted in two patients, with minor marginal skin necrosis in one patient. None of the patients had donor site complications. The superiorly based platysma flap proved to be a safe and reliable option for large cheek defect reconstruction, especially considering that it is a single-stage reconstruction procedure ensuring excellent colour-matching and low donor site morbidity.

[Personal experience with the occurrence of pediatric otitis of allergic etiology in the North Backa Region]. / Nasa iskustva u vezi sa ucestalosti decjeg otitisa alergijske etiologije u regionu severne Backe.

The authors report their own longtime experience with the incidence of pediatric otitis with allergic etiology. They conclude that pediatric otitis, especially the secretory type, is not always curable by the common conservative antibiotic therapy because in many cases the primary cause of the disease is not the infection but allergy. The infection in such cases is a secondary, accompanying complication. The suggestion has been supported by the statistical data. Moreover reviewed are the diagnostic methods and therapy they have applied.

[Personal experience in the treatment of chronic secretory otitis in children]. / Nasa iskustva u lecenju hronicnih sekretornih otitisa u dece.

The authors review their experiences in the treatment of secretory otitis in children. They detected a significantly higher number of positive allergometric tests to standard groups of inhalation allergens than expected. The patients were divided into two groups; in the first group the allergometric test was negative, in the second positive. The therapeutical approach was identical, consisting of the initial medicamentous treatment which did not give any results. After this, adenoidectomy, paracentesis with secretion aspiration and aeration tube implantation were performed in general endotracheal anesthesia. The comparison of the results of the treatment showed that allergic disease, being one of the etiological factors, significantly influence the course of the treatment as well as the prognosis of the disease. It has been concluded that allergy, an etiological cause of chronic secretory otitis in children, should be given a special regard to help an adequate approach to the phenomenon.