Evaluation of Skin Viscoelasticity in Type 1 Neurofibromatosis Patients

Age-dependent oral manifestations of neurofibromatosis type 1: a case-control study

INTRODUCTION

Most craniofacial manifestations of neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) are considered as a result of tumor compression. We sought to determine salivary changes, caries, and periodontal complications in NF1 patients without tumors in the oral cavity.

OBJECTIVE AND METHODS

Eleven NF1 patients without tumors in the oral cavity and 29 matched controls without NF1 were enrolled in this case-control study. Demographic information, medical history, and data of intraoral examinations, including the Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth (DMFT) scores and Russel's periodontal index (PI), were recorded. The functional salivary analysis was performed for sialometry, salivary pH values, and amylase activity. Ingenuity Systems Pathway Analysis (IPA) was conducted to identify mutually activated pathways for NF1-associated oral complications.

RESULTS

NF1 patients were associated with periodontitis (OR = 1.40, 95% CI = 1.06-1.73, P = 0.04), gingivitis (OR = 1.55, 95% CI = 1.09-2.01, P = 0.0002), and decreased salivary flow rates (OR = 1.40, 95% CI = 1.05-1.76, P = 0.005). Periodontal destruction, salivary changes, and dental caries in NF1 patients were age-dependent. Subgroup analyses based on age stratification suggested that salivary flow rates and salivary amylase activities were significantly low in NF1 patients aged over 20 years and that salivary pH values, PI and DMFT scores were significantly high among NF1- controls aged over 20. All oral complications were not significantly presented in NF1 patients aged below 20 years. IPA analyses suggested that cellular mechanisms underlying NF1-associated oral complications involved chronic inflammatory pathways and fibrosis signaling pathway.

CONCLUSION

NF1 patients without tumors in the oral cavity presented a comparatively high prevalence of age-dependent oral complications, including periodontal destruction and salivary gland dysfunction, which were associated with chronic inflammatory pathogenesis.

Long-Term Results for a One-Stage Surgery Technique for Patients With Craniofacial Plexiform Neurofibroma

BACKGROUND

Neurofibromatosis (NF) is an autosomal dominant genetic disorder, and NF type 1 (NF1) is one of the most common forms. Plexiform neurofibroma (PNF) is one of the characteristic expressions of NF1. The proper treatment for patients with craniofacial PNF is surgery. The evaluation methods for the surgical outcome of these patients are still controversial. As a consequence, a one-stage surgical technique and an appropriate evaluation method for patients with craniofacial PNF were discussed in this article.

METHODS

This research is a retrospective study. Nine patients with craniofacial PNF were included in this study. They had undergone a one-stage surgical technique of tumor debulking and nasolabial fold reconstruction. Three methods had been applied to evaluate the surgical outcome.

RESULTS

Significant improvement was observed in 8 patients. Eight patients were assessed by the relatively objective evaluation method. Obvious symmetry improvement was calculated using Mimics software in 7 patients.

CONCLUSION

The surgical technique could achieve good surgical outcomes in both functional and cosmetic terms. Additionally, the relatively objective evaluation technique based on Mimics software could be a more convincing method for evaluating the surgical outcomes of craniofacial patients with PNF.

Influence of therapeutic ultrasound on the biomechanical characteristics of the skin

BACKGROUND

Skin function is dependent on its biomechanical characteristics, resistance, malleability, and elasticity. Therapeutic ultrasound may increase cutaneous malleability thus and optimize the rehabilitation process on specific diseases. The aim of this study is to evaluate possible alterations of biomechanical characteristics of the normal skin after therapeutic ultrasound application.

METHODS

Thirty-one volunteers took part of the study, and the average age was 31.61 ± 8.37 years old. Biomechanical characteristics evaluation of the skin was performed with the Cutometer MPA 580 (Courage + Khazaka Electronic-Köln, Germany) of 2-mm probe hole and 500-mbar vacuum. Skin characteristics were analyzed before and after therapeutic ultrasound application, and the variables R0 (distensibility), R2 (gross elasticity), and R6 (viscoelasticity) were used for the study. Areas of therapeutic ultrasound application (continuous, 3 MHz, 1 W/cm(2) SATA) were defined at the upper limbs and standardized using a neoprene template. Sociodemographic data of volunteers were analyzed using SPSS 15.0. To analyze the distribution of the data, the Shapiro-Wilk test was used, which showed the normal distribution for R0 values, R2 and R6. For this procedure, the PROC TTEST from SAS® 9.0 software and Minitab 16 software, with significance, was set at the 0.05 level.

RESULTS

In relation to R0, a significant increase (p = 0.001) was observed for the distensibility, when compared to values of pre- (0.3273 mm) and immediately post- (0.3795 mm) resource application which feature a greater distensibility. Related to R2 values, a significant increase (p = .001) of the gross elasticity at pre- (0.8419) and post- (0.8884) therapeutic ultrasound application was found.

CONCLUSIONS

Therapeutic ultrasound promotes significant alterations of the biomechanical characteristics of the skin.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov, 1111-1146-7342.

Low Rates of Blood Transfusion in Elective Resections of Neurofibromas in a Cohort Study: Neurofibroma Length as a Predictor of Transfusion Requirement

BACKGROUND

Neurofibromas in neurofibromatosis type 1 induce aesthetic and functional morbidity. Perioperative bleeding has been reported as an obstacle to neurofibroma resections. The authors studied the requirement for blood transfusion during surgical treatment of neurofibromatosis type 1.

METHODS

Six hundred twenty-two procedures performed on 390 neurofibromatosis type 1 patients at the national referral center from 1995 to 2011 were analyzed in two chronologic sets of patients: set 1 (February of 1995 to September of 2007), in which only one surgeon operated; and set 2 (October of 2007 to January of 2011), in which two additional surgeons were involved. Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors, reconstructive procedures, and spontaneous hemorrhages were excluded from the analysis. Age, sex, preoperative hemoglobin concentration, location, length, estimated volume and histologic features of the largest neurofibroma (cumulative values for multiple neurofibromas), and procedure duration were studied as potential predictors of blood transfusion that were measured in terms of units of packed red blood cells.

RESULTS

Seventy reconstructive procedures, two cases of spontaneous hemorrhage, and 32 malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor resections were excluded. Among 516 procedures (318 and 198 in sets 1 and 2, respectively), 17 (2.7 percent) required blood transfusions. The requirement for transfusion was associated with neurofibroma length in both sets, with an optimal cutoff value of 13 cm in both sets.

CONCLUSIONS

Contrary to the literature, the requirement for blood transfusion was found to be low (2.7 percent of the cases) during elective resection of neurofibromas in neurofibromatosis type 1. Elective resections of benign neurofibromas less than 13 cm in length were not associated with a requirement for blood transfusion.

CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Risk, III.

Surgical care burden in orbito-temporal neurofibromatosis: Multiple procedures and surgical care duration analysis in 47 consecutive adult patients

Patients with orbito-temporal neurofibromatosis (OTNF) bear a heavy burden of surgical care. We studied 47 consecutive patients with OTNF from the French Neurofibromatosis 1 Referral Center cohort (n > 900), over a 15-year period to determine the clinical features most likely to predict repeat surgery and longer duration of surgical care. Forty-seven patients (5.2% of the NF1 patients' cohort) underwent 79 procedures with a 4.8 years average follow-up. Soft-tissue surgery had a high revision rate (19/45 patients), skeletal surgery did not (2/13 patients). Transosseous wire canthopexy and facial aesthetic unit remodeling were associated with stable outcome. Ptosis repair carried an unfavorable outcome, particularly in the presence of sphenoid dysplasia. Stable skeletal remodeling was achieved with polyethylene implants and/or cementoplasty. Multiple procedures were undertaken in 70% of patients and were predicted by the NF volume, canthopexy, skeletal dysplasia, or a Jackson's classification 2 and/or 3; but not by declining visual acuity. A classification based upon predictive risk of repeated procedures is proposed: Group 1: Isolated soft tissue infiltration not requiring levator palpebrae or canthal surgery; Group 2: Soft tissue involvement requiring ptosis repair or canthopexy, or NF great axis over 4.5 cm; Group 3: Presence of sphenoid dysplasia with pulsatile proptosis, regardless of visual acuity.

[Management of plexiform neurofibroma isolated in childhood: four patients]

Plexiform neurofibroma is a rare and benign tumor often associated with type 1 neurofibromatosis (NF1) or Von Recklinghausen's disease. Present in one third of cases of NF1, there are isolated forms where the diagnosis should remain a diagnosis of exclusion. We report four cases of isolated plexiform neurofibromas found in children from topographies and we discuss the pretherapeutic assessment, the surgical management and the long-term follow-up.

[Orbitotemporal facial involvement in type 1 neurofibromatosis (NF1)]

Plexiform neurofibromas of the orbit, sometimes extending to the temporal region and the face, are considered to be a rare but devastating and disfiguring complication of neurofibromatosis type 1. The first symptoms appear in infancy and the involvement of the orbit and the face is present in nearly all children after the age of 5. The disease is unilateral in most cases but can exceptionally involve both sides of the face. Progressive deformation of the orbital frame due to the expanding plexiform neurofibroma and buphthalmos occurs in a large proportion of cases. The associated sphenoidal dysplasia, which is thought to be, according to the most recent hypothesis, genetically determined, will inescapably increase the burden to the orbital content, cause pulsating proptosis and will endanger noble structures, finally resulting in loss of vision. Using the Jackson classification, the authors report their personal series of 22 cases (19 operated). Until now, there has been no effective medical treatment for plexiform neurofibroma and surgery remains the standard care for these patients. Controversies remain about the timing of the first operation and today most multidisciplinary teams involving plastic, maxillofacial, ophthalmologic, and neurosurgeons favor early intervention to try to minimize the secondary deformation of the orbital and facial skeleton. A number of cases of plexiform neurofibromas are illustrated within the three Jackson groups and treatment results of the rare elephantiasis neuromatosa cases are presented. Special techniques such as preoperative embolization of heavily vascularized plexiform neurofibroma are also discussed.