Occult breast cancer during reduction mammoplasty: case report.

AIM: Breast carcinoma occurring in routine reduction mammaplasty is rare. MATERIAL OF STUDY: In our Breast Unit each patient eligible for any breast surgery is routinely evaluated by preoperative breast imaging. We reported the clinical case of a woman with an infiltrating lobular breast cancer detected during surgical reduction mammaplasty despite a negative preoperative bilateral mammography. RESULTS: The clinical case was discussed at multidisciplinary breast cancer meeting in order to evaluate the different therapeutic options. In conjunction with general surgeons, oncologists, radiologists and radiotherapists, and upon patient's ultimate decision, a conservative tumor approach was chosen: first-level axillary node dissection followed by adjuvant chemotherapy and hormonotherapy. DISCUSSION: The mean frequency of breast cancer detection during reduction mammaplasty ranges from 0.06% up to 4%. There are many possible treatment choices for these patients ranging from radical mastectomy to more conservative approaches dealing with lumpectomy followed by radiation therapy or chemotherapy and radiation therapy alone. The therapeutical plan must be discussed by a multidisciplinary team and many tumors and patients characteristics should be evaluated in the decision making process. CONCLUSION: All patients selected for breast aesthetical surgery must be screened, during preoperative workup, for breast cancer. Combination of three diagnostic modalities increases sensitivity and reaches the diagnostic accuracy of 93.2%. The reported case stresses the importance of an oncological approach to breast surgery even in case of planned aesthetical procedures.

Five years of experience using a dermal substitute: indications, histologic studies, and first results using a new single-layer tool.

BACKGROUND: Dermal substitutes have been used in Europe since 1996 as a mean of reconstructing the dermal layer. OBJECTIVES: To introduce the dermal substitute as a dual-stage reconstructing procedure using the dual-layer version and as a single-stage procedure, combining the single layer with a skin graft to achieve immediate closure. Our further objective was to evaluate the persistence of a commercial dermal substitute in the host's dermal layer using serial histologic studies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The dermal substitute used was a membrane made using a porous coprecipitate of type I bovine collagen and glycosaminoglycan organized in a three-dimensional structure that allows the host's cell to migrate into it. It is available in a double-layer structure, covered by a silicone sheet, and in a single-layer structure without silicon. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: We describe the dermal substitute indications in dermatologic surgery and our first results with the single layer as a single-stage procedure with an 80% to 100% take rate. Our histological studies of both products show their perfect integration and the persistence of the peculiar three-dimensional structure (neodermis) 5 years from implantation of the dual-layer dermal substitute.

Distally-based superficial sural flap: advantages of the adipofascial over the fasciocutaneous flap.

The distally-based superficial sural flap has proved to be an easy and reliable method of reconstruction in soft tissue cover of the distal third part of the leg. There are two ways to prepare this flap: as a fasciocutaneous flap, which includes the fascia with the subcutaneous tissue including the skin; or as an adipofascial flap, which is made up of both the fascia and the subcutaneous adipose tissue. In the latter case, the flap is covered with a partial thickness skin graft either immediately after or at a later stage. The aim of this study was to assess the advantages and disadvantages of the two flaps. The adipofascial flap seems to be better, as it is associated with less donor site morbidity, improved quality of reconstruction, and fewer complications.

Microsurgical latissimus dorsi flap in a case of breast aplasia caused by radiation therapy.

The use of ionizing radiation in the breast region while a patient is at developmental age is still responsible for most monolateral hypoplasias and iatrogenic-based breast asymmetries. These alterations often involve several anatomical structures, thus causing severe hypoplasia of the breast and muscle tissues and stiffness of soft tissues, with atrophic and cicatricial skin. Reconstruction methods vary from case to case, but most of the time reconstruction with a homolateral latissimus dorsi with or without a breast implant seems most suitable. In some cases, however, this is not a viable alternative due to particular general and local conditions, making it necessary to consider other solutions. We present the case of a young prepubertal patient who came under our observation due to a radiotherapy outcome in the right breast and thoracic region; she had been previously subjected to breast reconstruction elsewhere, with the fitting of a subcutaneous prosthesis. Due to the patient's particular general and local conditions and the pathological involvement of the homolateral thoracic musculature, to improve the clinical picture, we deemed it appropriate to use the microsurgical reinnervated contralateral latissimus dorsi muscle, which so far has enabled us to obtain considerable and lasting results.

The distally-based radial fasciosubcutaneous flap for soft tissue cover of the flexor aspect of the wrist.

The distally-based radial forearm fasciosubcutaneous flap is based on the distal perforators of the radial artery. We used it in a particularly difficult case involving loss of soft tissue at the wrist with exposure of tendons and nerves after an operation to section the transverse carpal ligament for carpal tunnel syndrome complicated by a chronic fistula.