Giant hemangioma presenting as a scalp mass leading to a craniofacial deformity

Hemangioma is the most common vascular tumor during childhood. However, cases of giant hemangiomas determining deformities in the craniofacial region are not reported frequently. Craniofacial giant hemangiomas are challenging for surgeons since they cause aesthetic and/or functional problems and may be associated with important complications such as ulcerations, infections and bleedings. The present report is aimed at describing a rare case of craniofacial asymmetry in a 30-year-old patient, secondary to an extensive mass whose growth deformed the scalp in the frontal-parietal-temporal region. The lesion was completely surgically removed with good aesthetic results, and the anatomopathological examination revealed that it was a cavernous hemangioma.

Super giant squamous cell carcinomas

Squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) larger than 2 cm in diameter are associated with a greater risk for disfigurement, local recurrence, and metastasis. Giant SCCs are rare. They may develop near aesthetically and functionally important structures and infiltrate them. Treatment may be difficult with the need for large tissue resections and complex surgical reconstruction, with important repercussions on the quality of life of patients. We report 2 cases of super giant SCCs with long-standing evolution that were successfully treated with surgical excision and followed for 24 months posttreatment without signs of local recurrence and/or metastasis.

Proposal of a synthetic ethylene-vinyl acetate bench model for surgical foundations learning: suture training

Due to ethical and legal aspects involved in the handling of cadavers and animals the synthetic simulators are an alternative for learning how to suture technique plus the practice of various procedures such as incision and surgical flap. In this context, this paper describes and propose the use of a synthetic model manufactured from plates of ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) to teach primary surgical skills in medical students with no previous exposure to surgery. The model that provides the convenience of being easily reproducible, allowing the students in training can thus improve their skills before applying the technique in clinical practice.

Migration mesh mimicking bladder malignancy after open inguinal hernia repair

Despite the benefits of using surgical meshes to repair abdominal and inguinal hernias, there are increasing reports of mesh migration into the gastrointestinal and urinary tracts-a complication that cannot be overlooked or neglected. Resolution of such cases can be difficult and depends on the degree of migration and the anatomical site involved. The present paper reports the case of a 68-year-old patient undergoing a trans-ureteral resection of a possible bladder malignancy diagnosed following clinical and radiological evaluation. During the procedure (cytoscopy), it was found that migration of a mesh was mimicking the urological disease initially suspected. A polypropylene mesh had been inserted into the right inguinal region 20 years previously to repair an inguinal hernia. This is one of only a few case reports on mesh migration presenting as a suspected bladder malignancy.

Ectopic thyroid presenting as a submandibular mass

Although extremely rare, the presence of ectopic thyroid tissue in the submandibular region should be considered in the differential diagnosis of tissue masses in the cervical region. Diagnosis is confirmed by fine-needle aspiration biopsy and exclusion of malignancy should be confirmed by histopathologic analysis of the lesion. In general, surgery is the treatment of choice. A rare case of ectopic thyroid in the right submandibular region is reported; it was diagnosed after total thyroidectomy and successfully treated through surgery.