[Cytosteatonecrosis after breast reconstruction by fat flap with or without ischemic preconditioning]

INTRODUCTION

Cytosteatonecrosis (CTN) is a frequent postoperative complication after breast autologous reconstruction using DIEP (deep inferior epigastric perforator) flap. CTN radiological diagnostic reveals different types of lesions, as nodes or extended fat necrosis, which become in some cases infected, or pass for tumor recurrence after breast cancer treatment. CTN is caused by intraoperative ischemia of the flap, and no current method can prevent postoperative CTN development after DIEP breast reconstruction. Mechanical ischemic preconditioning, consisting in intraoperative briefs consecutive cycles of ischemia reperfusion using vascular clamp upon the graft pedicle, is used in transplantation surgery. This procedure improves the graft tolerance towards ischemic surgical lesions. The aim of this retrospective observational study was to assess PCIM effects on CTN development after DIEP surgery, comparing CTN occurrence after breast reconstruction using DIEP flap with or without intraoperative PCIM.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

All patients breats reconstructed using DIEP flap between novembre 2020 and may 2022, presenting 6 months postoperative breast echography were retrospectively included. Primary outcome was the ultrasonic existence of CTN, according to the Wagner classification. Clinical data, postoperative outcomes such as infection, hematoma or surgical revision, and length of stay in hospital were also recorded.

RESULTS

Twenty nine patients among which 8 PCIM were included. CTN occurrence rate after PCIM (25%) was quite lower than CTN rate without PCIM (71,4%), although the difference was not significant (P=0,088). Other postoperative complications rates were not significantly different with or without PCIM.

CONCLUSION

PCIM seems to improve CTN occurrence after DIEP breast reconstruction, improving fat flap tolerance to ischemic perioperative lesions. Those preliminary results need to be confirmed with clinical prospective study.

[Frontal sinus anatomical scanographic study of transgender patients for feminization frontoorbitoplasty surgery]

INTRODUCTION

Little is known about the anatomical elements that allow safe and predictable performance of fronto orbital surgery for facial feminization. The primary objective of this study was to analyze the characteristics (dimensions, pneumatization rate, and anterior wall thickness) of the frontal sinus in MtF transgender patients. The secondary objective was to establish reproducible criteria for CT measurements that could guide preoperative planning of frontal impaction in feminization frontoplasty (FF).

MATERIALS

Fifty preoperative facial mass scans of FF surgery patients were included. The mean age of the operated patients was 34 years. The F line represented the ideal forehead tilt in the absence of a frontal hump.

RESULTS

The height, width, depth, and thickness of the anterior sinus wall were 26.6mm (±5.7), 49.5mm (±11.3), 10.9mm (±3.3), and 3mm (±0.7), respectively. The mean sinus width to skull width ratio was 0.73 (±0.12). Six percent of patients had bilateral frontal sinus agenesis. An osteotomy of the anterior wall of the frontal sinus was performed in the 64% of patients with frontal sinus projection anterior to the F-line. The emergence of the supraorbital nerves from the frontal bone was through a bony notch in 73.8% of cases.

CONCLUSIONS

Knowledge of the anatomy of the frontal sinus and preoperative study of the scans of the facial mass is essential for planning the FF. These characteristics guide the surgical technique of bone remodeling as well as the procedure for releasing the supraorbital nerves.

[Surgical revision in case of DIEP failure in breast reconstruction]

INTRODUCTION

Immediate or delayed breast reconstruction by deep inferior epigastric perforant flap (DIEP) is a frequent and widespread autologous breast reconstruction technique that presents a risk of failure inherent in its microsurgical nature. The main objective was to evaluate the interest of surgical revision in case of DIEP failure, the secondary objective was to evaluate the consequences of surgical revision on the subsequent management.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This is a retrospective monocentric and single-operator analytical study of 167 unilateral DIEPs carried out from 2008 to 2016. Two groups were compared: success of DIEP without revision versus DIEP requiring a revision that resulted in success or failure. After analyzing the failure and recovery rates of DIEP, we compared the transfusion rate, total operating time, hospitalization time, and final breast reconstruction in the two groups.

RESULTS

One hundred and sixty-seven DIEPs were performed from 2008 to 2016 in 167 women, 18 revisions were reported (10.7%), 12 revisions were successfully reported (7.2%) 6 failures were reported after revision (3.6%). Surgical revision allows the flap to be rescued in 67% of cases. Revision increases the risk of blood transfusion by a factor of 12 (OR=12.24 [95% CI=3.74-43.17] P<0.05). Revision or failure doubles the total operating time (281.8min [170-570] vs. 577.8min [285-860] P<0.05) and increases hospitalization time by 2.5days compared to DIEP's initial success (5.74days [4-9] vs. 8.33days [5-17] P<0.05). Fifty percent of patients choose another type of breast reconstruction after DIEP failure.

CONCLUSION

DIEP is a reliable microsurgical breast reconstruction technique, failure can be prevented in two thirds of cases by monitoring and early reoperation.

Depression, psychosocial variables and occurrence of life events among patients with cancer

Depressive disorders and psychosocial related factors were investigated in 113 patients one year after the diagnosis of cancer. Patients with an ICD-10 diagnosis of depression (31% of the sample) showed higher external locus of control, poorer social support, higher incidence of undesirable and/or uncontrollable events than non-depressed patients. They also differed in reporting more frequently a life-time history of emotional disorders, inability to adjust to the diagnosis of cancer and in having a lower score on the performance status. Of these factors, past psychiatric history, early maladjustment to cancer, poor social support and low performance status were predictors of depressive symptoms. However, because of the cross-sectional nature of the study, no conclusion regarding a causal relationship between depression and psychosocial variables is possible.

Manic syndrome associated with multiple sclerosis: secondary mania?

Mania is generally assumed to be a "primary" affective disorder and is usually regarded as part of bipolar manic-depressive disease or as unipolar mania. Suggestions that manic states can be causally related to organic dysfunction--medical and pharmacological--are found in the most recent literature. These manic states are best considered "secondary" manias. We present a patient in whom mania occurred in association with multiple sclerosis. We assumed that, in this patient, the temporal coincidence of neurological and manic manifestations was not accidental, but that the manic state was caused by the demyelinating process. Multiple sclerosis is absent from the list of possible physical causes of secondary mania reported in literature, and we suggest that even multiple sclerosis merits consideration as a possible antecedent to secondary mania.

Emotional and psychotic reactions induced by aphasia

A systematic study of the emotional and psychotic reactions induced by aphasia was conducted on 63 aphasic patients. 'Indifference reaction' was found in 19 cases and 'depressive reaction' in 36 cases. In 3 aphasics, we observed 'Goldstein's catastrophic reaction' and in 3 other patients, a state of 'euphoric unrestrained excitement'. Finally, in 2 aphasics 'psychotic reaction' was found, characterized by a state of psychomotor catatonic excitement. The hypothesis is advanced that the catatonic phenomenology of these subjects may be interpreted as 'Bonhoeffer's acute exogenous reaction' with catatonic symptoms.