Time course and spacial distribution of UV effects on human skin in organ culture.

Apoptosis plays an important role in eliminating cells from populations when cells have been exposed to UV irradiation and damaged. Studies of cells in culture have provided some details of the mechanisms involved when stress response genes act after exposure to UV irradiation and other environmental stresses. However, little is known about the responses of intact sections of human skin growing in organ culture to UV irradiation. In the work reported here, it was found that the response of organ-cultured human skin after exposure to UV irradiation is different than the response of cultured cells. At wavelengths below 300 nm, the action spectrum obtained from organ-cultured skin samples showed a lower sensitivity than that observed at 300 nm, indicating that the overlying stratum corneum and upper epidermal cell layers had probably caused a selective absorption of incident UV radiation at some wavelengths. At 3 hours after UV irradiation, p53 was phosphorylated at Ser 15 and Ser 46, and accumulated in the cell nuclei, notably after exposure to 280-320 nm wavelengths. Accumulations of Bax, active Caspase-3 and cleaved PARP were detected in apoptotic cells at 24 hours post-exposure, along with a reduction of Bcl-2 levels, notably after exposure to 300-365 nm light. This difference in apoptotic responses may result from the characteristics of the different irradiation wavelengths used, and from details in the skin's structure. The data obtained in this study using an organ-culture system utilized direct measurements of the biological effects of different wavelengths of UV lights.

Liposuctioned rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap to cover a vulval skin defect.

A woman with genital Paget disease had a reconstruction with a rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap after primary liposuction during operation. The patient recovered satisfactorily.

Histological evaluation of grafted hard palate mucosa in the reconstruction of the upper eyelid.

We have used a hard palate mucosal graft for reconstruction of the posterior lamella of the eyelid and in only one case was replacement required because of discomfort and pain. The stratum corneum of the hard palate mucosa may have been the cause.

Expression of p53 family in scars.

BACKGROUND: There have been some reports on the relationship between p53 and keloid formation. However, there have been no studies comparing the p53 expression among scars in various stages of maturity. However, p63 and p73 have been identified as p53-related genes and have been found to be similar to p53 in their structures and functions and these proteins have also been suggested to relate to scar formation. OBJECTIVE: We investigate the expression of three proteins of the p53 family in scars with various clinical manifestations and discuss the shared features and differences of these proteins. METHODS: Forty untreated scar lesions consisting of keloids, hypertrophic scars, and atrophic scars were prepared for investigation. We detected the expression of p53, p63 and p73 proteins using Western blot analysis and histopathological study in each sample. RESULTS: The 40 lesions were divided into four groups according to their clinical manifestations: keloid (Group A), red hypertrophic scar (Group B), white and hard hypertrophic scar (Group C), atrophic white scar (Group D). In Groups A and B, the histopathological findings demonstrated increased fibroblasts, capillary vessels and infiltration of inflammatory cells. In Group C, most of these changes decreased but proliferation of collagen fibers was evident. In Group D, the degree of proliferation of collagen fibers was much less and capillary vessels and infiltration of inflammatory cells were not evident. The levels of p53 protein elevated in Groups A, B and C and were higher in order of Groups A, B and C. In Group D, the level of p53 was almost the same as that of the control. The level of p63 protein was almost the same as that of the control in all groups. The level of p73 protein was elevated only in Group C. CONCLUSION: The p53 family members behave in a different manner in various scar tissues. It is suggested that these proteins play different roles in scar formation and the development of unfavorable scars.

Cranial remodeling to treat craniosynostosis by gradual distraction using a new device.

OBJECT: The authors describe their experience in remodeling the shape of the cranium in children with craniosynostosis by using gradual distraction. In half of the cases, a new distraction device developed by the authors was used. METHODS: Twenty children with craniosynostosis underwent frontoorbital advancement and cranial remodeling assisted by gradual distraction. There were five children with brachycephaly, two with oxycephaly, five with scaphocephaly, two with plagiocephaly, one with combined scaphocephaly and plagiocephaly, and five with trigonocephaly. Four cases were syndromic and 16 were nonsyndromic. The patients ranged in age from 3 to 50 months (mean 14.5 months) at the first surgery. Simulated surgery was first performed on a three-dimensional solid model made of polyurethane, which accurately represented cranial flexibility, to determine the most favorable osteotomy line. Distraction was initiated 1 week postoperatively. The speed and extent of advancement (maximum extension 45 mm) were predetermined on the basis of previously reported criteria and the results of simulated surgery. Postoperatively, the cranial configuration was favorable in all cases. Spontaneous remodeling of irregularities and/or gaps apparent after distraction was found to occur 2 to 5 months after removal of the distraction devices, especially in patients with trigonocephaly or scaphocephaly. No major perioperative complication was observed in any patient. There were minor complications in six of the first 10 cases, including exposure of the device, shaft slippage, and fluid discharge. A new device was developed and used on the last 10 patients treated; it successfully eliminated device exposure and shaft slippage. A 3-year follow-up review confirmed that there was no relapse of advanced bones. CONCLUSIONS: Highly satisfactory results were achieved in cases of both syndromic and nonsyndromic craniosynostosis when gradual distraction was performed.

An evaluation of functional improvement following surgical corrections of severe burn scar contracture in the axilla.

This report present an evaluation 13 consecutive cases of severe burn scar contracture of the axilla and investigates the factors that influence functional improvement. The operation was performed at various times during the period from 3 months to 63 years after the initial burn wound healed. The active range of shoulder abduction before the operation in these patients was restricted to 30-90 degrees. The scar contractures in the axilla were released in all cases and the defects of the axillary region were covered with musculocutaneous flaps or fasciocutaneous flaps. Following operation rehabilitation was performed with the range of shoulder abduction had reached a plateau. The relations between the improved range of shoulder abduction, time to reach a stable range of abduction, patient age and duration of illness in each patient are discussed. Patient with long post-injury periods required a longer time to reach a stable range of abduction. Furthermore, the patients with an extremely long period before operation had difficulties such as nerve injury or stiff joint which restricted improvement. In conclusion, adequate surgical treatment in early period after occurrence of contracture is desirable for burn scar contracture of the axilla.

Expression of N-cadherin by skeletal muscle in the degeneration and the degeneration/regeneration processes after nerve injury.

We investigated the expression of N-cadherin by skeletal muscle during the degeneration and degeneration/regeneration processes using the rat sciatic nerve and gastrocnemius muscle model. The right sciatic nerve was exposed in the mid-thigh region, and the nerve was transsected with small scissors. After then, nerve was sutured (sutured group), or both edges of the resected nerve were turned and sutured to the muscle of each side (unsutured group). At various periods up to 24 weeks after the operation the middle portion of the gastrocnemius muscle of the treated hindlimbs was removed. Expression of N-cadherin was detected by western blot analysis and immunofluorescent staining with an anti N-cadherin antibody. In the both groups, the degree of expression had already increased by the end of the first postoperative week, but there were no significant differences between the first and second postoperative weeks between the two groups. However, the values recorded at the fourth, sixth, ninth, and twelfth postoperative weeks were significantly higher in the unsutured group than in the sutured group. Immunofluorescent staining was present around the muscular membrane in all specimens including the control. These results indicated that there was a difference in the kinetics of expression of N-cadherin in skeletal muscle between the degeneration and degeneration/regeneration processes of the muscle after injury to the nerve. It was also clear that N-cadherin has a role at the surface of the muscle cell in skeletal muscle, not in the satellite and inflammatory cells, in both groups.

Rare case of a rudimentary medial metatarsal non-ossified structure.

A 9-year-old boy presented with a rudimentary medical metatarsal non-ossified structure. We considered his condition to be classified as hypoplastic medial member type in the metatarsal type of medial ray polydactyly. When it was considered as polydactyly, it had the longest delay of ossification among reported cases.

Distortion and movement of the expander during skin expansion.

Distortion and movement of tissue expanders can cause expansion of the wrong area, such as the naevus or the scar that is to be resected. In 71 rectangular expanders, we examined the incidence of distortion (over 15 degrees) and movement (over 3 cm). We divided the expanders into three anatomical site groups: scalp, body, and extremities, and compared the complication rate between two study groups (distortion or movement, or not). In total, the incidence of distortion was 15/71 (21%) and that of movement 5/71 (7%). Distortion occurred mainly in the extremities (11/33,33%). The implanted expanders tended to move more often in the body part (3/15, 20%). In the extremities, the bigger the angle between the axis of the implanted expander and that of the extremity, the bigger the angle of distortion. Although the incidence of complications between the two groups was not significant, except for alteration in design of the flap, we recommend that these points should be considered when preoperative plans are being made for appropriate patients.

Adult umbilical hernia with vertical dislocation.

We present a case of adult umbilical hernia with vertical dislocation along the abdominal wall. The hernial sac arose from the internal ring and connected to the umbilicus 20 mm below the internal ring. The postoperative course was uneventful. Two years and four months after the operation there was no evidence of recurrent hernia even when abdominal pressure was increased, and the umbilicus looked acceptable. An umbilical hernia is usually within the umbilicus. The hernial sac arose from the internal ring so should be called an umbilical hernia not an epigastric hernia. It is unusual that the umbilical hernia dislocates vertically along the abdominal wall, while the umbilicus stays depressed. This atypical form of umbilical hernia has not been described previously as far as we know.

Chronic expanding hematoma in the temporal region.

We report a rare case of chronic expanding hematoma in the right temporal region that developed into a large mass during 12 years. The patient, who had a history of blunt trauma in her right temporal region at the age of 4 months, noticed a slowly growing mass at the same site in the last few months. Computed tomography revealed a well-circumscribed subcutaneous tumor. The tumor was completely resected. Histopathologically, this tumor was confirmed in the diagnosis of chronic expanding hematoma.

Lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) arising in the parotid gland.

Malignant lymphoma of the parotid gland is a rare condition. The authors present the case of a 59-year-old woman with primary malignant lymphoma arising from the parotid gland, in which they resected the tumors and surrounding lymph nodes. Histopathologic examination of the tumor demonstrated a lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT). Chemotherapy and radiotherapy were performed after surgery. The clinical manifestation, treatment, and postoperative course are described.

Chronic expanding hematoma in the temporal region.

A rare case of chronic expanding hematoma in the right temporal region that developed into a large mass over the course of 12 years is reported. The patient, who had a history of blunt trauma to her right temporal region at the age of 4 months, noticed a slowly growing mass at the same site over the last few months. Computed tomography revealed a well-circumscribed subcutaneous tumor. The tumor was completely resected. Histopathologically, the diagnosis of chronic expanding hematoma was confirmed.

The use of calcium phosphate cement paste for the correction of the depressed nose deformity.

The authors report the use of calcium phosphate cement paste as a material for correction of depression after nasal bone fracture, and evaluate its usefulness. Biopex R (Mitsubishi Material Corporation, Tokyo, Japan) was used in this study as calcium phosphate cement (CPC), which was developed in Japan. CPC injection was used in six patients (four women and two men) with depressed nose deformity after nasal bone fracture. The patients' ages ranged from 29 to 67 years (mean, 49 years), and the follow-up period ranged from 12 to 27 months. The amount of injected cement varied from 0.5 to 2.5 mL, approximately. There was no postoperative infection or allergic reaction in any patient. Clinical and X-ray photography findings showed that a reduction in volume of the injected cement occurred gradually as long as 7 to 8 months after surgery. After that period, the volume was mostly maintained. It seemed that the degree of reduction was approximately 10% to 15% of the original volume. Satisfactory results were obtained in all cases. The authors conclude that the use of CPC is an option for the correction of depressed nose deformity and that its application must be determined in each case, considering its advantages and disadvantages.

Usefulness and limitations of artificial dermis implantation for posttraumatic deformity.

We have previously reported the use of artificial dermis implantation to cover exposed major vessels and to correct a depressed region after tissue resection and bone deformity with satisfactory results. In this paper, we present cases with depressed lesions and adhesive lesions after trauma, treated with artificial dermis implantation. Artificial dermis (Terudermis, Terumo Co. Ltd., Tokyo, Japan) was implanted in 12 cases of posttraumatic deformity. Eight of the 12 cases involved a depressed lesion, and the other four involved adhesive lesions. There was no postoperative infection or allergic reaction in any of the patients. Improvement of the deformity was obtained in all cases, but the degree of volume reduction in traumatic cases is likely to be more severe than that in the non-traumatic cases previously reported. In conclusion, artificial dermis implantation is an easy, safe, and useful method to correct a posttraumatic deformity, such as a depression or an adhesion, although it is important to note that depressions require overcorrection in order to obtain satisfactory results, as compared with non-traumatic cases treated with artificial dermis.

Difference of molecular response to ischemia-reperfusion of rat skeletal muscle as a function of ischemic time: study of the expression of p53, p21(WAF-1), Bax protein, and apoptosis.

The authors investigated the expression of p53, p21(WAF-1), Bax protein, and apoptosis to elucidate the cellular response to ischemia-reperfusion of skeletal muscle using the rat lower limb model. The rat left lower limb was dissected in the inguinal region, isolating the bony femoral muscles, and the femoral vessels were clamped to produce an ischemic condition. After 3 or 6 hours, the clamps were removed and the gastrocnemius muscle was resected at various times up to 72 hours after reperfusion. Five specimens of the muscle were obtained at each time point from 5 rats. When any rat died during the study, additional rats were used until 5 specimens could be obtained from 5 rats at each time point. The expression of three proteins was detected by Western blot analysis. The apoptotic cells were detected using terminal deoxytransferase-mediated dUDP (deoxyuridine[-5']diphosphate) nick-end labeling assay. Histopathological study showed severe interstitial edema and leukocyte infiltration at 6 hours of ischemia compared with 3 hours of ischemia. Moreover, at 6 hours of ischemia, muscle fiber fragmentation was observed at 72 hours after reperfusion whereas no fragmentation was found at 3 hours of ischemia. At 3 hours of ischemia, p53 and p21(WAF-1) accumulated after reperfusion, and there was a time lag in the time of onset of elevation and the peak time point between these two proteins. The level of Bax protein did not elevate and the rate of apoptotic cells did not increase. At 6 hours of ischemia, p53 and p21(WAF-1) also accumulated, but the kinetics of p21(WAF-1) were similar to that of p53 in the time of onset of elevation and the peak time point after reperfusion. In addition, the level of Bax protein increased and apoptosis was induced. These results demonstrated that p53 and p21(WAF-1) accumulated after 3 and 6 hours of ischemia of skeletal muscle during reperfusion. Moreover, it was demonstrated that the kinetics of induced p53, p21(WAF-1) and Bax protein differ between 3 hours and 6 hours of ischemia, and it is speculated that this difference plays an important role in determining the consequence of the cell exposed to ischemia.

Evaluation of scars after harvest of the temporoparietal fascial flap depending on the design of the skin incision.

The authors evaluated the conspicuousness of the temporal scar caused by two incision patterns after harvesting the temporoparietal fascial flap: a straight incision and a zigzag incision. The 27 scars of 27 patients were examined in this study. Fifteen patients underwent a straight incision and 12 patients had a zigzag incision. This study showed that the zigzag incision resulted in more conspicuous scars than the straight incision and that this effect was more evident in younger patients than in older patients, at least in Japanese. In a comparison of older patients and younger patients irrespective of the skin incision patterns, the scars were substantially more conspicuous in the younger patients. A simple and short incision is preferred when harvesting the temporoparietal fascial flap and more careful management is required for young patients.

Penile reconstruction for extramammary Paget's disease.

The authors report their experience of an extremely rare case of extramammary Paget's disease presenting a deformational change of the penis, which required penile reconstruction after tumor resection. Tumor cells had invaded the dermis beyond the basement membrane of the epidermis. Tumor cells were found at the epithelium of the urethra, but had not invaded the corpus cavernosum. However, fibrotic changes were found in the corpus cavernosum. More than half the length of the penis was resected. Penile reconstruction was performed using a free sensory radial forearm flap. The defects in the mons pubis, scrotum, and the remaining corpus cavernosum were covered using a meshed split skin graft or sheeted split skin graft. Ten months after the operation, the tumor had not recurred and no metastasis was found. The urinary stream was narrow compared with that of a healthy man, but urinary voiding had not been disturbed. Sensory recovery was 12 mm with the two-point discrimination test at the distal end of the reconstructed penis.

Successful free osteocutaneous scapular flap transfer for mandibular reconstruction in a 93-year-old patient.

With the extension of the average life span and the development of surgical technique, anesthesia, and pre- and postoperative management, operations for elderly patients have become more widely accepted. In the field of plastic surgery, free-flap transfers using microvascular techniques have become a common surgical procedure in reconstruction of the head and neck region after surgical removal of a cancer. There have been several reports of free-flap transfer in patients older than 90 years, but the authors know of no reports of free osteocutaneous flap transfer for mandibular reconstruction, which is a very invasive free-flap surgery, for such patients. The mandible plays a significant role in various kinds of dynamic functions, such as mastication, deglutition, and articulation. Disorder of these functions causes a deterioration in the patient's quality of life. The authors have performed a mandibular reconstruction using an osteocutaneous scapular free flap after resection of a gingival cancer invading the mandibular bone in a 93-year-old Japanese woman. In our case, an osteocutaneous scapular free flap, which permits the patient rapid rehabilitation of the lower leg, is thought to be a good choice because it allows the patient to get out of bed as quickly as possible in the postoperative period to minimize additional complications.