Anthropometric measurements: effect of CT depth of pretracheal soft tissue on tracheotomy tube selection.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Tracheotomy is a commonly performed procedure; however, in the obese, it can be associated with a high morbidity and mortality, partially due to accidental decannulation. We hypothesize that a simple and rapid measurement of the DPST on CT will accurately predict those patients in need of an extended-length tracheotomy tube. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review of the electronic health record and available CT imaging of the neck was performed for all patients who underwent tracheotomy at a tertiary care center. Measurement of the DPST was performed and compared with the recorded tracheotomy tube used at surgery. RESULTS: Five hundred twenty-two adult patients underwent an initial tracheotomy procedure, of whom 293 met the inclusion criteria for the study. A statistically significant correlation between the DPST and the need for an extended-length tracheotomy tube was seen. A discriminatory soft-tissue depth indicating the need for an extended-length tracheotomy tube was calculated. CONCLUSIONS: CT measurement of the anterior soft-tissue depth is a simple tool that appears to provide a discriminatory threshold for the need for an extended-length tracheotomy tube. Further validation of this model through prospective application is needed. Although routine use of CT as a pretracheotomy evaluation is not advocated, the anatomic information is often available through prior imaging and has the potential to decrease the incidence of tracheotomy tube dislodgement in the obese and subsequent morbidity.

Management of malignant, mixed mesodermal tumors of the uterus.

Forty-two patients with malignant, mixed mesodermal tumors of the uterus were identified by retrospective chart review. Only 2 patients were premenopausal at the time of diagnosis. Six of the patients had previously received pelvic radiotherapy. Surgical/pathologic findings were inconsistent with clinical staging in 17 of the patients. Patients with stage I tumors were found to have extrauterine extension of tumor in 39% of the cases. Overall, 2- and 5-year actuarial survival rates were 40 and 18%, respectively. The surgical extent of disease was a major prognostic factor in patient survival (P = 0.006). Patients with tumors showing no invasion or invasion limited to the inner two-thirds of the myometrium also demonstrated a significant survival advantage as compared to those with deeper myometrial invasion (P = 0.02). However, no statistically significant relationship was demonstrated between survival and patient age, the nature of the sarcomatous element (homologous or heterologous), or the presence of cervical involvement. Patients with recurrent or persistent disease did poorly; only 4 patients have survived more than 1 year after documentation of recurrent disease. Two patients had prolonged disease stabilization with radiotherapy and cisplatin. Another patient with pulmonary metastases had a 6-month, complete response to cisplatin.