Outcome differences between gastroschisis repair methods.

BACKGROUND: Gastroschisis is a congenital abdominal wall defect that is repaired with either a primary closure or staged closure. The outcome of these infants may differ because of different closure techniques. In addition to the usual markers of parenteral nutrition (PN) use and length of stay (LOS) as outcome measures, we examined the duration of postoperative acidosis and positive fluid balance as markers for postoperative stress associated with these two techniques. METHODS: A retrospective review of newborns with gastroschisis was conducted at a free-standing children's hospital from 2002 to 2008. The demographic data, gestational age, birth weight, operative reports, days on PN, LOS, duration of postoperative acidosis and fluid balances were reviewed. Data were analyzed using the Fisher's exact test or unpaired t test. RESULTS: Thirty-two infants with gastroschisis were identified. One was excluded from analysis due to incomplete follow-up. The patients were classified as either primary closure (n = 8) or staged repair (n = 23). There was one death in our series. Patients who underwent primary closure had significantly older gestational age and higher birth weight. Primary closure is associated with significantly less duration of postoperative metabolic acidosis and fewer days with positive fluid balance. Patients who had primary repair also had less parenteral nutrition use and shorter length of hospitalization, though not statistically significant. Gastroschisis with associated intestinal atresia was more likely to be repaired with staged closures. CONCLUSIONS: There are physiologic advantages to primary repair of gastroschisis that can lead to better outcome, but the indications for the choices of closure technique remain unclear. Primary closure should be used when possible.

Lawn mower-related projectile injury.

Lawn mower injuries are a potentially devastating, yet preventable cause of morbidity and mortality in the pediatric population. The sequelae to these injuries can become even worse if the initial presentation goes unsuspected by medical staff, leading to a delay in treatment. The authors report the case of a lawn mower-related penetrating missile injury, where the extent of injury was not appreciated by the patient until signs and symptoms of a soft-tissue infection developed, prompting the patient to seek medical attention the next day.

Pattern of neck recurrence after lateral neck dissection for cervical metastases in papillary thyroid cancer.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to determine the rate and pattern of nodal recurrence in patients who underwent a therapeutic, lateral neck dissection (LND) for papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) with clinically evident cervical metastases and to determine if there was any correlation between the extent of initial dissection and the rate and pattern of neck recurrence. METHODS: A total of 3,664 patients with PTC treated between 1986 and 2010 at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center were identified from our institutional database. Tumor factors, patient demographics, extent of initial LND, and adjuvant therapy were recorded. Patterns of recurrent lateral neck metastases by level involvement were recorded and outcomes calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: A total of 484 patients had an LND for cervical metastases; 364 (75%) had a comprehensive LND (CLND) and 120 (25%) had a selective neck dissection (SND). The median duration of follow-up was 63.5 months. As expected, patients with CLND had a greater number of nodes removed as well as a greater number of positive nodes (P < .001). There was no difference in overall lateral neck recurrence-free status (CLND 94.4% vs SND 89.4%, P = .158), but in the dissected neck, the ipsilateral lateral neck recurrence-free status was superior in the CLND patients (97.7% vs 89.4%, P < .001). CONCLUSION: Patients with clinically evident neck metastases from PTC managed by CLND have lesser rates of recurrence in the dissected neck compared with patients managed by SND. SND should only be done in highly selected cases with small volume disease.

Schwann cells induce cancer cell dispersion and invasion.

Nerves enable cancer progression, as cancers have been shown to extend along nerves through the process of perineural invasion, which carries a poor prognosis. Furthermore, the innervation of some cancers promotes growth and metastases. It remains unclear, however, how nerves mechanistically contribute to cancer progression. Here, we demonstrated that Schwann cells promote cancer invasion through direct cancer cell contact. Histological evaluation of murine and human cancer specimens with perineural invasion uncovered a subpopulation of Schwann cells that associates with cancer cells. Coculture of cancer cells with dorsal root ganglion extracts revealed that Schwann cells direct cancer cells to migrate toward nerves and promote invasion in a contact-dependent manner. Upon contact, Schwann cells induced the formation of cancer cell protrusions in their direction and intercalated between the cancer cells, leading to cancer cell dispersion. The formation of these processes was dependent on Schwann cell expression of neural cell adhesion molecule 1 (NCAM1) and ultimately promoted perineural invasion. Moreover, NCAM1-deficient mice showed decreased neural invasion and less paralysis. Such Schwann cell behavior reflects normal Schwann cell programs that are typically activated in nerve repair but are instead exploited by cancer cells to promote perineural invasion and cancer progression.

The chemokine (CCL2-CCR2) signaling axis mediates perineural invasion.

UNLABELLED: Perineural invasion is a form of cancer progression where cancer cells invade along nerves. This behavior is associated with poor clinical outcomes; therefore, it is critical to identify novel ligand-receptor interactions between nerves and cancer cells that support the process of perineural invasion. A proteomic profiler chemokine array was used to screen for nerve-derived factors secreted from tissue explants of dorsal root ganglion (DRG), and CCL2 was identified as a lead candidate. Prostate cancer cell line expression of CCR2, the receptor to CCL2, correlated closely with MAPK and Akt pathway activity and cell migration towards CCL2 and DRG. In vitro nerve and cancer coculture invasion assays of perineural invasion demonstrated that cancer cell CCR2 expression facilitates perineural invasion. Perineural invasion is significantly diminished in coculture assays when using DRG harvested from CCL2(-/-) knockout mice as compared with control CCL2(+/+) mice, indicating that CCR2 is required for perineural invasion in this murine model of perineural invasion. Furthermore, 20 of 21 (95%) patient specimens of prostate adenocarcinoma with perineural invasion exhibited CCR2 expression by immunohistochemistry, while just 3 of 13 (23%) lacking perineural invasion expressed CCR2. In summary, nerve-released CCL2 supports prostate cancer migration and perineural invasion though CCR2-mediated signaling. IMPLICATIONS: These results reveal CCL2-CCR2 signaling as a key ligand-receptor mechanism that mediates cancer cell communication with nerves during perineural invasion and highlight a potential future therapeutic target.

An alternative to open incision and drainage for community-acquired soft tissue abscesses in children.

BACKGROUND: The continually rising incidence of soft tissue abscesses in children has prompted us to seek an alternative to the traditional open incision and drainage (I&D) that would minimize the pain associated with packing during dressing changes and eliminate the need for home nursing care. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective review of all patients with soft tissue abscesses from November 2007 to June 2008 was conducted after institutional review board approval. Patients who were treated with open I&D were compared to those treated with placement of subcutaneous drains through the abscess cavities. Both groups received equivalent antibiotic treatment, and all patients were followed in outpatient clinics until infection resolved. The demographics, presenting temperature, culture results, and outcomes were compared between these 2 groups. RESULTS: A total of 219 patients were identified; 134 of them underwent open I&D, whereas 85 were treated with subcutaneous drains. The demographics, anatomical location of the abscesses, and bacteriology were comparable between the 2 groups. There were equal number of patients in each group who presented with fever initially. Of those treated with open I&D, 4 had metachronous recurring abscesses within the same anatomical region and 1 patient required an additional procedure because of incomplete drainage. There were no recurrences or incomplete drainages in the subcutaneous drain group. The cosmetic appearance of the healed wound from subcutaneous drain placement during the immediate follow-up period is better than that of an open I&D. CONCLUSIONS: Placement of a subcutaneous drain for community-acquired soft tissue abscesses in children is a safe and equally effective alternative to the traditional I&D.

Staphylococcal colonization of caretakers of children who have community-acquired skin and soft tissue infections.

PURPOSE: Colonization with Staphylococcus aureus is considered a risk factor for the rising incidence of pediatric community-acquired skin and soft tissue infections (CA-SSTIs), and intrafamily spread is thought to be the source of colonization. METHODS: A prospective study was conducted to determine skin and nasal staphylococcal colonization rates among the caretakers of CA-SSTI patients and those of nonabscess controls. A questionnaire regarding risk factors was administered to all participants. Fisher's Exact test and the chi(2) test were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Forty-six patients and their caretakers were enrolled in both the study and control groups. Of the caretakers in the study group, 19.6% (n = 9) had staphylococcal colonization of nares; and 2.2% (n = 1), skin. In the control group, 17.4% (n = 8) had nasal colonization; and none had skin colonization. Of the children in the study group, 58.7% (n = 27) had a family history of CA-SSTI compared with only 17.4% (n = 8) of controls (P = .0001). Of CA-SSTI patients, 45.7% (n = 21) had prior abscesses compared with 6.5% (n = 3) of controls (P = .0001). No other risk factor was identified. CONCLUSION: There was no increase in nasal or skin staphylococcal colonization among caretakers of children with CA-SSTI. Family and personal histories of CA-SSTI were the only identified risk factors for CA-SSTI.