Reconstruction of Bilateral Upper and Lower Eyelid Ectropion Caused by a Liquid Unblocker Chemical Burn.

Liquid drain unblockers, although meant to be used by professionals with protective equipment, are sometimes used in the household without any precautions. This could lead to severe chemical burns, as in the case we present with severe eyelid ectropion. This study aims to stress the need for preventive measures regarding the use of chemicals and for close observation and timely surgical intervention in chemical burn patients to prevent and limit disfigurement. A 45-year-old woman was injured while using an unblocker (90% sulfuric acid) at home. Accidentally, a quantity of the liquid was spilled on her face. She was initially examined in ophthalmology emergencies because of the obvious ocular involvement, and the cutaneous component was underestimated. On the third post-burn day, she was referred as an outpatient to our clinic, and because of the soft consistency and patchy pattern of the burn, she was asked to revisit in a week. Unfortunately, she reappeared two months post-burn with severe ectropion of all four eyelids and a high risk of corneal abrasion, desiccation, and further damage to the already injured left eye as well as the right eye. She underwent three operations in six months and a fourth 15 months after the accident, with the release of the scarred eyelids with full-thickness skin grafts, Z-plasties, and V-Y plasties. After four operations and sessions of triamcinolone acetonide intralesional injection, the patient has a satisfactory eyelid position and function with adequate closure and scar maturation. Domestic use of strong industrial chemicals is dangerous, and public education for prevention is urgently needed. On the other hand, it is mandatory to follow up very closely with chemical burn patients to prevent severe sequelae, especially in the delicate and contraction-prone periocular and perioral areas. Reconstruction, in these cases, is a complex task. Often, several surgeries are needed to restore acceptable function and appearance. Burn disfigurement and self-stigma will follow the patients to some extent throughout their lives.

Giant Pilomatrix Carcinoma of the Thorax: An Uncommon and Clinically Misdiagnosed Tumor.

Pilomatrix carcinoma is an unusual and aggressive malignant tumor deriving from follicular matrix cells and exhibiting a metastatic potential to lungs and regional lymph nodes in 10% of cases. We report the case of a 54-year-old male patient who presented with a biopsy-proven malignant pilomatrixoma of the thoracic region, which recurred multiple times after previous excisions. Due to the size of the tumor (28 by 22 cm), wide excision and axillary lymphadenectomy of levels I and II were performed, followed by reconstruction with a free deep inferior epigastric artery perforator flap and adjuvant radiotherapy. Owing to its rarity, this tumor can initially be misdiagnosed, resulting in delayed treatment and recurrences if inadequately excised. Also, large tumor size is correlated with a higher incidence of metastasis. High index of clinical suspicion and wide excision are recommended, along with the need of establishing oncological guidelines for better prognosis.

Wrist and hand degloved injuries salvaged with reverse radial forearm flap in the CoVid-19 era.

Reverse radial forearm flap is a quick and reliable flap, providing a well-vascularized tissue for coverage of hand defects. It is based on the reverse flow of the radial artery and the only drawback is the proximal ligation of the vessel. Two cases with complex dorsal hand defects were referred with delay to our Hand Unit, due to the CoVid-19 pandemic restrictions. In both cases deep structures of the wrist and fingers were exposed and the wounds were infected. Surgical debridement, skin coverage and reconstruction were decided in a staged approach: The reverse radial forearm flap was first performed, and in subsequent stages, functional restoration with hamstrings tendon grafts and finger joints arthrodesis successfully followed. These two cases highlight the reliability of a traditional pedicled flap in the salvage of complex hand defects, especially when time and resources are limited due to a pandemic.

An Endoscopic-Assisted Open Removal of a Retained Foreign Body From Frontal Sinus.

Facial penetrating injuries can cause retention of foreign bodies in the frontal sinus. This rare condition can remain underdiagnosed for years, since non-specific symptoms, such as headaches and nasal obstruction, can be developed. So far, removal by an endoscopic approach is the most preferred treatment option because it is less invasive with a short recovery time. However, removal by an open surgical approach remains the method of choice for large foreign bodies, especially in cases of coexistent non-reducible fractures of the anterior table of the frontal bone. We present a case where a combined approach - open and endoscopic - was necessary to successfully remove a retained foreign body from a frontal sinus. With the assistance of a transnasal endoscope, the retained stone was mobilized and removed from the open frontal sinus followed by osteosynthesis of the anterior table. Therefore, in special circumstances, a combination of both techniques should be considered for the optimal outcome.

Simultaneous Compression of the Neurovascular Bundle of Both Arms by a Bilateral Supracondylar Humeral Process: A Rare Case of Bilateral Nerve Entrapment of the Elbow in a Child.

The supracondylar process is a beak-shaped bone spur arising from the anteromedial area of the distal humerus and in the majority of cases, it is connected to the medial epicondyle with a band of connective tissue which is known as ligament of Struthers. The complex of bone spur and ligament creates a ring that may compress the median nerve causing soreness and paresthesia of the hand and fingers. We present a rare case of bilateral supracondylar process compressing the neurovascular bundles in both arms and causing simultaneous bilateral upper limb pain, numbness, and weakness in an otherwise healthy young child. Surgical excision of the bone spurs and release of Struthers' ligaments provided immediate pain relief and complete resolution of symptoms. Three years after the index surgery, no limitations of activities or signs of recurrence were reported. Median nerve compression neuropathy in a child or a young adult should always raise the suspicion of the presence of supracondylar process particularly when bilateral symptoms exist. Although there are limited data about the incidence of recurrence and the extent of bone resection, the supracondylar process should be excised together with the overlying periosteum to minimize the theoretical risk of local regrowth.

Evaluation of Adipose Cell-Based Therapies for the Treatment of Thumb Carpometacarpal Joint Osteoarthritis.

Adipose tissue and its regenerative products which are isolated with enzymatic or mechanical processing of the harvested fat have been studied in a wide range of degenerative diseases, including osteoarthritis of the knee and hip. Intra-articular injection of these products can provide symptomatic relief of pain and postpone surgery. However, their use in the treatment of thumb carpometacarpal joint (CMCJ) osteoarthritis is limited and just a few studies have been published on that topic. For this reason, a review of the literature was performed by a thorough search of eight terms using the Pubmed database. In total, seven human studies met the selection criteria, including case-control studies, case-series and one case report. In all studies, intra-articular injection of autologous fat in osteoarthritic thumb CMCJ provided reduction in pain and improvement in hand function. Grip and pinch strength showed variable results, from no change to significant improvement. Fat-processing techniques were based on centrifugation and mechanical homogenization but biological characterization of the injected cells was not performed in any study. Although the results are encouraging, a uniformly standardized method of fat processing and the conduction of randomized controlled trials in the future could better evaluate the effectiveness of this procedure for thumb CMCJ osteoarthritis.

A Low Virulence Infective Tenosynovitis Triggered by a Neisseria Species.

A persistent infective tenosynovitis, caused by a non-pathogenic Neisseria species and involving the little finger and the thumb of a middle-aged woman, forming a horseshoe-type infection is presented. An extensive volar approach was utilised for excision of the granulomatous synovium and drainage of turbid fluid. Neisseria spp was isolated by tissue microbiology and targeted antibiotic therapy for 6 weeks was required to eradicate infection. The presence of low virulence microorganisms which might act as true pathogens should always be considered as a causative factor leading to persistent infections that require open surgical debridement and washout. Level of Evidence: Level V (Therapeutic).

A rare case of congenital plexiform fibrohistiocytic tumor of the foot in a 4-year-old boy: case report and literature review.

The plexiform fibrohistiocytic tumor (PFHT) is an infrequent soft-tissue neoplasm with uncertain biological behavior. We report a rare congenital PFHT case in a 4-year-old boy, treated with wide excision and skin grafting. After a 52-month follow-up, no recurrence, regional or distant metastases were documented. A literature review on the management of PFHTs is reported.

Adipose-derived stromal vascular fraction aids epithelialisation and angiogenesis in an animal model.

OBJECTIVE: Limited data exist regarding the correlation between adipose-derived stromal vascular fraction (SVF) and wound healing. The aim of this study was to investigate the direct effect of intradermally injected SVF on full-thickness cutaneous wounds in a murine model. METHOD: Wistar rats were divided into three groups (A, B and C) according to their day of euthanasia (day 7, 16 and 21). Inguinal fat pad was excised and SVF enzymatically extracted. Full-thickness cutaneous wounds were created on each side of the dorsum; SVF injected intradermally at one side while the contralateral wound served as control receiving normal saline. Postoperatively, evaluation of wound healing was performed by planimetry (percentages of wound contraction, epithelialisation and total wound healing) on days 0, 3, 5, 7, 10, 13, 16 and 21, and histology and immunochemistry (cellular infiltration score, collagen production score, neoangiogenesis and epithelial thickness) on days 7, 16 and 21. RESULTS: Despite the high rate of wound contraction, it was significantly lower in the SVF-treated wounds on day 21 (p=0.037). On days 13, 16 and 21, the percentages of epithelialisation were higher in the SVF-treated wounds compared with control wounds (p=0.026, p=0.048 and p=0.05, respectively). Histologically, the number of new vessels was significantly higher in the SVF-treated wounds compared with controls on days seven (p=0.028) and 16 (p=0.027). This was also confirmed by immunohistochemistry. No significant differences were found between treated and control wounds regarding cellular infiltration score, collagen production score and epithelial thickness. CONCLUSION: Data indicate that intradermally injected SVF increases angiogenesis and enhances epithelialisation in full-thickness cutaneous wounds in rats.

Full thickness burns caused by cyanoacrylate nail glue: A case series.

Artificial (acrylic) nails are popular cosmetic enhancements that provide the user with the appearance of manicured nails, do not chip or crack, and are generally considered very safe to apply. We report three cases where full thickness thermal burns were sustained from nail glue adhesive (cyanoacrylate) during the application of artificial nails. All three cases underwent surgical debridement and split skin graft reconstruction. We carried out an experiment to characterize the exothermic reaction between nail glue and cotton leggings. The average high temperature produced was 68°C which was sustained for 12.2s which is more than sufficient to cause full thickness burns on skin. We report these cases to increase both professional and public awareness of this serious potential complication associated with the application of artificial nails.

Management of the complications of tissue expansion during a 5-year period (2005-2010).

We report our experience of using tissue expansion where we deal particularly with complications and their management. Forty patients had tissue expanded during a 5-year period (2005-2010). Indications included reconstruction of a scar (after a burn, after injury, or postoperative), congenital naevi, microtia, and breast reconstruction after mastectomy. Of the 50 expanders inserted, complications occurred in 12 (10 patients). Exposure and perforation of the expander were the most common complications, followed by infection, seroma, and local pain. In all cases, complications were managed successfully either by conservative treatment or by a single procedure. The reconstructive plan ended in an acceptable aesthetic result in 9 of the 10 complicated areas. The insertion of multiple expanders over extensive scar tissue and particularly over the lower limb, is associated with high morbidity. Selection of patients, identification of high-risk sites, and suggestions for treatment are important. When complications occur, immediate management usually results in a successful outcome.

Monitoring buried jejunum free flaps with a sentinel: a retrospective study of 20 cases.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: The free jejunum transfer has become a widely used reconstruction option after total laryngopharyngectomy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of using an exteriorized jejunal segment for flap monitoring. STUDY DESIGN: Case series. METHODS: Twenty patients with tumors involving the pharynx, larynx, or cervical esophagus were subjected to total laryngopharyngectomy and neck dissection. The resulting esophageal defect was reconstructed with a free jejunal flap based on a major branch of the superior mesenteric artery and vein. After completion of anastomoses with the recipient vessels, the flap was divided into two segments of common vascular supply. The smaller segment was exteriorized in the cervical region for direct monitoring of serosal color, temperature, peristalsis, and bleeding during the postoperative period. This sentinel was resected once the viability of the flap was judged appropriate. RESULTS: Of the 20 patients who had free jejunum transfers for pharyngoesophageal reconstruction, 14 had an uneventful postoperative course, and six needed re-exploration due to signs of arterial insufficiency in the sentinel segment. On re-exploration, four flaps were found to have arterial thrombosis and two had no abnormality at the anastomotic site. One of the flaps that developed thrombosis was subsequently lost. CONCLUSIONS: Monitoring of buried free jejunal flap with a sentinel is an effective method of assessing flap viability after total laryngopharyngectomy and guides re-exploration in cases of anastomotic complications.