Negative-pressure dressings in the treatment of hidradenitis suppurativa

Negative-pressure dressings have been used in the treatment of a variety of open wounds, and as a bolster for skin grafts. The benefits of these dressings include increased oxygen tension in the wound, decreased bacterial counts, increased granulation formation, and the prevention of shear force on wounds. Also, by virtue of the diminished need for daily dressing changes, there are the additional advantages of enhancing patient comfort, decreasing nursing work, and diminished cost of wound care. Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic infection of the apocrine sweat glands. Treatment options range from oral isotretinoin to radical excision. Wound closure may be achieved by secondary intention, skin grafting, or flap closure. Complications may still arise and include disease progression and squamous cell carcinoma. Radical excision yields the best results in terms of disease eradication. The authors describe using the negative-pressure dressing in two cases of bilateral axillary HS to secure skin grafts firmly to the wound bed after radical excision of all involved tissues. Patient comfort and acceptance was high, and skin graft take was excellent. The dressings themselves are simple to apply and are highly effective.

Phlegmasia cerulea dolens of the upper extremity

Phlegmasia cerulea dolens (PCD) is the term describing the painful venous congestion that results from near-total venous occlusion of a limb. It is unusual in the lower extremity but is decidedly rare in the upper extremity with only a handful of cases reported in the literature. PCD of the upper extremity usually occurs in patients with significant comorbid conditions such as severe cardiac failure or advanced malignancy. PCD of the upper extremity is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. We present a case of upper extremity PCD in an elderly man with a complex medical history, complicated clinical course, and poor outcome that is typical for this rare disease.

Primary epineural repair of the ulnar nerve in children

Transectional nerve injuries are uncommon in children. We report the outcome of 19 children aged < or = 13 years with acute transectional injuries to the ulnar nerves who were treated by primary epineural repair. There were 13 boys and 6 girls with a mean age at the time of injury of 6.7 years (range, 2-12 years). The site of injury was the palm in 4 children, wrist in 10, forearm in 4, and above the elbow in 1. Associated injuries to other structures occurred in 13 children. The mean recovery (Medical Research Council scale) of the first dorsal interosseous muscle was grade 4.0 (range, grade 3-5) and the mean outcome for the abductor digiti minimi was grade 3.9 (range, grade 2-5). The mean static 2-point discrimination was 6 mm (range, 2-20 mm). The mean follow-up period was 50 months (range, 12-103 months). Although proximal injuries (at or above the elbow) had a poorer outcome, satisfactory function of the intrinsic hand muscles still occurred; this finding contrasts to results reported in adults. Similarly, associated injuries to adjacent structures had no impact on ulnar nerve recovery. Primary epineural repair of the acutely transected ulnar nerve leads to a satisfactory recovery in both motor and sensory function in children younger than 13 years.

Primary epineural repair of the median nerve in children

We report 18 children (12 boys and six girls) with a mean age of 6.1 years who sustained lacerations of the median nerve. Associated injuries to other structures occurred in 15 children. Treatment was by primary epineural repair. All the children were assessed at least 1 year after injury. The mean return of motor power to the opponens pollicis was 4.5 with a range of 3 to 5 (MRC scale) and the mean static 2-point discrimination was 5 mm (range 2-10 mm). All children showed a full functional recovery as assessed by the Bruininks-Oseretsky test. Primary epineurial repair in children leads to very satisfactory motor and sensory results. A fully functional hand can be expected.

Regeneration after in situ flushing of partially hepatectomised rat livers

The effect of various components of the transplant procedure upon the regenerative process in reduced liver grafts is not known. In this study, partially hepatectomised rat liver remnants were flushed with 5 ml of either Ringer's lactate, Euro Collins solution or University of Wisconsin solution at 4 degrees C and then 5 ml Ringer's lactate at 4 degrees C. After partial hepatectomy alone, the peak increase in thymidine kinase was measured at 24 hours (36,021 +/- 8,060 disintegrations per minute per milligram protein; the mitotic index was 25 +/- 7). In all the groups in which the remnant was flushed, peak thymidine kinase and mitotic index were measured at 48 hours. The pattern of ornithine decarboxylase activity was disorganised in all groups. Flushing of the liver remnant therefore delays the regenerative response by 24 hours. In large animals, including humans, regeneration appears to commence within the first 5 days after resection. A comparable delay doubling this time might coincide with the onset of rejection and further compromise liver function.