Microvascular reconstruction of the mouth, face and jaws. Oromandibular reconstruction - free fibula flap.

Dental surgeons may encounter in their clinical practice patients who present with aggressive pathologies that require early diagnosis and prompt treatment. This action may limit the extent of tissue damage and, where relevant, improve survival outcome. Clinicians should therefore be aware of the range of resective, reconstructive and rehabilitative options that are available in the management of these patients. We present our experience with the free fibula flap used for oromandibular reconstruction; this was undertaken in 21 patients following resective surgery for malignant pathology, cytologically benign but biologically aggressive odontogenic pathology and radiation induced osteonecrosis. We also review the history, surgical anatomy, surgical assessment and potential complications that are relevant to the free fibula flap.

Cardiovascular radiography.

The differential diagnosis of acute chest pain and shortness of breath is extensive. A plain chest radiograph often is ordered to aid in establishing the precise diagnosis. Frequently, this useful imaging tool is viewed quickly, and thus, many important diagnostic clues can be missed. This article provides an organized approach to interpreting the chest radiograph and reviews some of the important radiographic findings of various diseases.

TRISS methodology in penetrating trauma: 198 patients at Baragwanath Hospital.

TRISS methodology is a statistical technique by which the probability of survival in injury can be estimated. It combines an anatomical index of injury severity (the injury severity score, ISS), a physiological index (the revised trauma score, RTS), age and the mechanism of injury. In this study TRISS was used to assess 198 patients with penetrating injury at Baragwanath Hospital. One hundred and sixty-two patients had stab wounds, 26 gunshot wounds, and 10 received other injuries. Fifty patients were seriously injured (ISS > 15). Four patients (2%) died. The respective probabilities of survival for these four patients, as derived by TRISS, were 0%, 0%, 6% and 46%. TRISS demonstrated that the outcome of the patients as a group was comparable to other centres. TRISS is a useful method for monitoring the effectiveness of a trauma unit and objectively identifying cases for peer review.

Treatment options in high-grade brain tumors: brain brachytherapy.

The extremely poor prognosis of high-grade brain tumors (glioblastoma multiforme and anaplastic astrocytomas) has been well documented in the literature. Almost 90% of patients die within 18 months after therapy, most commonly because of local persistence of the tumor, which may be controlled if a sufficient amount of irradiation can be delivered. Currently, postoperative radiation therapy offers the best median survival rate. However, the response to external-beam radiation therapy has reached a plateau because of the intolerance of healthy brain tissue to excessive irradiation. To treat these tumors, brachytherapy (interstitial implantation of radioactive sources) can be used with debulking surgery. This therapy is becoming an effective alternative to conventional external-beam radiation therapy, since it allows a higher dose to be delivered to the tumor bed without damaging the surrounding healthy brain tissue. With continual refinements of the technique, brachytherapy, performed by a skilled brachytherapy team, offers an opportunity to improve patient survival.

Central pontine myelinolysis as a manifestation of the paraneoplastic syndrome.

We have described a patient who had lung carcinoma, syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone, and central pontine myelinolysis (CPM). Although this association is well-known, it appears to be the first report having radiographic documentation of both the intracranial and intrathoracic abnormalities. When searching for the cause of CPM, the possibility of an underlying malignancy should also be considered. This may be more common than the radiology literature would suggest.

Positron emission tomography and its role in the evaluation of brain tumors.

Positron emission tomography (PET) is a newly evolving, biological method for quantitative imaging of regional function and metabolism within various organs of the living human body. Whereas existing conventional tomographic imaging modalities--CT and MRI--provide only anatomical information, positron emission tomography provides quantifiable information about organ metabolism and function. Brain tumors are the disease entities for which positron emission tomography is most widely applied. PET has the great potential for providing clinically important information about disease processes. PET has not only had a major impact on the diagnostic role of radiology in brain tumors, but also has potential role for therapeutic application to brain brachytherapy.

Gastrointestinal radiology from the time of Walter B. Cannon to the 21st century.

From its very inception, gastrointestinal radiology was at the forefront of radiology, combining physiologic and anatomic information. From evaluation of esophageal motility to the first depiction of gastric ulcers and carcinomas of the alimentary tube, gastrointestinal radiology became indispensable to physicians and surgeons. Improvements in fluoroscopic and radiographic equipment, the tilting table, the image intensifier with the television train, the introduction of selective visceral angiography with safer contrast media and, more recently, digital subtraction angiography, digital ultrasound (US), color Doppler US, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging--all of these advances have made imaging diagnosis more precise and specific. A new modality--localized tissue MR spectroscopy--should offer an insight into metabolism and suggest optimal modes of treatment and follow-up. The gastrointestinal radiologist of the future will have to be multimodality trained. A new generation of alimentary tract interventional radiologists will further the trend toward less invasive surgical therapy. No end of advances is in sight.

Complementary use of Doppler sonography and delayed right lateral scintigraphy for the diagnosis of choledochal cysts.

Both sonography and hepatobiliary scintigraphy can help to demonstrate a choledochal cyst. Our case further demonstrates that Doppler sonography and right lateral or oblique scintigraphic views can be used to differentiate more completely this entity from other infantile cholestatic syndromes. These additional maneuvers may be particularly advantageous in the affected infant under a year old in whom a confusing clinical picture may obscure the correct diagnosis.