Diagnosis and Management of Acute Thrombosis in Venous Dominant Orbital Venolymphatic Malformations.

PURPOSE: To report the characteristic clinical and imaging findings in a series of patients with thrombosed orbital venolymphatic malformations. METHODS: Patients affected by acute thrombosis of an orbital venolymphatic malformation were reviewed. Clinical findings including symptoms and signs of presentation, characteristic imaging features, and clinical course are presented. RESULTS: Ten patients were identified. The mean age at presentation was 56 years. All patients presented with acute pain or pressure sensation, with the most common additional presenting symptoms being proptosis (6/10) and diplopia (5/10). CT imaging typically demonstrated a nonspecific orbital mass. Nine patients underwent MRI which revealed a soft tissue mass with peripheral rim enhancement and a central, typically T2 hypointense, core. Seven out of 10 patients were observed and had improvement in symptoms and signs without surgical intervention. Two patients underwent surgical intervention for intractable pain. CONCLUSION: Patients with thrombosis of a venolymphatic malformation often present with acute pain, proptosis, and diplopia. Characteristic MRI findings of a peripheral rim enhancing mass with a T2 hypointense core can be noted. Careful observation is a reasonable management option for cases without visual compromise or intractable pain.

Effects of Micronized Cartilage Matrix on Cartilage Repair in Osteochondral Lesions of the Talus.

BACKGROUND: The repair of osteochondral lesions remains a challenge due to its poor vascularity and limited healing potential. Micronized cartilage matrix (MCM) is dehydrated, decellularized, micronized allogeneic cartilage matrix that contains the components of native articular tissue and is hypothesized to serve as a scaffold for the formation of hyaline-like tissue. Our objective was to demonstrate in vitro that the use of MCM combined with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can lead to the formation of hyaline-like cartilage tissue in a single-stage treatment model. DESIGN: In group 1 (no wash), 250 µL MCM was reconstituted in 150 µL Dulbecco's phosphate-buffered saline (DPBS) for 5 minutes. Group 2 (saline wash) included 250 µL MCM washed in 20 mL DPBS for 30 minutes, then aspirated to remove all DPBS and reconstituted in 150 µL DPBS. Group 3 (serum wash): 250µL MCM washed in 20 mL DPBS for 30 minutes, then aspirated and reconstituted in 150 µL fetal bovine serum. Each group was then added to 50 µL solution of MSC suspended in DPBS at a concentration of 1.2 × 106 cells/350 µL. After 3 weeks, the defects were extracted and sectioned to perform viability and histologic analyses. RESULTS: Stem cells without rehydration of the MCM showed almost no viability whereas near complete cell viability was seen after rehydration with serum or saline solution, ultimately leading to chondrogenic differentiation and adhesion to the MCM particles. CONCLUSION: We have shown in this proof-of-concept in vitro study that MCM can serve as a scaffold for the growth of cartilage tissue for the treatment of osteochondral lesions.