Breast implant seroma: A SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine side effect.

Fluid collection surrounding breast implants, called seroma, is a frequent issue that has diverse etiologies. We describe a 48-year-old woman with an acute onset of bilateral breast swelling occurring 5 years after aesthetic surgery and 10 days after a second SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine dose. At breast ultrasound, we found an abundant bilateral peri-implant seroma. Our patient noticed symptom improvement 48 h after nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug treatment, complete disappearance of symptoms after 10 days with seroma disappearance documented by ultrasound. We hypothesized a breast implant seroma as post-SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine side effect, as different other diagnosis had been excluded.

SurLym trial: study protocol for a multicentre pragmatic randomised controlled trial on the added value of reconstructive lymphatic surgery to decongestive lymphatic therapy for the treatment of lymphoedema.

INTRODUCTION: Lymphoedema is a chronic condition caused by lymphatic insufficiency. It leads to swelling of the limb/midline region and an increased risk of infection. Lymphoedema is often associated with mental and physical problems limiting quality of life. The first choice of treatment is a conservative treatment, consisting of exercises, skin care, lymph drainage and compression. Reconstructive lymphatic surgery is also often performed, that is, lymphovenous anastomoses, lymph node transfer or a combination. However, robust evidence on the effectiveness of reconstructive lymphatic surgery is missing. Therefore, the objective of this trial is to investigate the added value of reconstructive lymphatic surgery to the conservative treatment in patients with lymphoedema. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A multicentre randomised controlled and pragmatic trial was started in March 2022 in three Belgian university hospitals. 90 patients with arm lymphoedema and 90 patients with leg lymphoedema will be included. All patients are randomised between conservative treatment alone (control group) or conservative treatment with reconstructive lymphatic surgery (intervention group). Assessments are performed at baseline and at 1, 3, 6, 12, 18, 24 and 36 months. The primary outcome is lymphoedema-specific quality of life at 18 months. Key secondary outcomes are limb volume and duration of wearing the compression garment at 18 months. The approach of reconstructive lymphatic surgery is based on presurgical investigations including clinical examination, lymphofluoroscopy, lymphoscintigraphy, lymph MRI or CT angiography (if needed). All patients receive conservative treatment during 36 months, which is applied by the patient's own physical therapist and by the patient self. From months 7 to 12, the hours a day of wearing the compression garment are gradually decreased. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study has been approved by the ethical committees of University Hospitals Leuven, Ghent University Hospital and CHU UCL Namur. Results will be disseminated via peer-reviewed journals and presentations. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT05064176.

Ex vivo study correlating the stiffness of the ovine patellar tendon to age and weight.

Tendons play a crucial role in the musculoskeletal system. In humans, tendon injuries, especially chronic tendinopathy, are very common and the patellar tendon is a frequent location for tendinopathy or injuries. The biomechanical characteristics of the patellar tendon, such as elasticity and stiffness, are of paramount importance and constitute major outcome measures in research studies. We aimed to assess whether the stiffness of the healthy ovine patellar tendon changes with age and weight in a population of normal animals. Sixty-eight 'patella-patellar tendon-tibial tuberosity' units from thirty-four Ile-de-France ewes of body mass 65 to 95 kg, euthanized for reasons other than musculoskeletal diseases, underwent a tensile test providing a measure of the tendon stiffness. Animals were sorted into three categories of age (1-2 yo, 3-5 yo, 6-10 yo). We found a positive but not significant correlation between age category and stiffness (r = 0.22, p = 0.27). There was a significantly positive correlation between weight and stiffness (r = 0.39, p = 0.04). In conclusion, the study characterized biomechanical properties of healthy tendons, provided useful reference values, and established the basis for future biomechanical tests on healing tendons in sheep. The most appropriate sheep population for those future studies would be non-overweight young adults presenting with no lameness.

Subgaleal Lipoma: Imaging Findings.

Subgaleal lipoma is a benign tumor of adipose tissue. It should be suspected when a semi-spherical avascular mass with well-defined margins, iso- or hyperechoic in most cases, with thin internal echogenic lines parallel to the long axis of the tumor, is observed between the galea aponeurosis and periosteum of the cranial bone. We report a series of cases of three patients who underwent surgical lesion excision and whose histopathological examination findings confirmed the diagnosis of lipoma. MAIN TEACHING POINT: The presence of long continuous echogenic lines within a lens-shaped soft tissue mass located beneath the galea aponeurosis may suggest the diagnosis of subgaleal lipoma.

Chylothorax due to central vein thrombosis treated by venous stenting using a dual approach: A case report.

RATIONALE: Central vein thrombosis is an uncommon cause of chylothorax, usually secondary to central venous catheterization in association with prothrombotic state causes such as malignancies. In the following case, thrombosis was located in the left brachiocephalic vein and caused recurrent chylothorax resistant to the first line of treatment and successfully treated by percutaneous recanalization using a dual approach. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 52-year-old male patient with current follicular lymphoma undergoing treatment and recent history of COVID-19 pulmonary infection was hospitalized for dyspnea. A chest X-ray revealed extensive bilateral pleural effusion. Analysis of the pleural fluid was compatible with a chylothorax. Iodin injected thoracic computed tomography (CT) revealed a complete left brachiocephalic thrombosis extending to the left axillary vein, with no thoracic mass. DIAGNOSES: Chylothorax due to left brachiocephalic vein thrombosis. INTERVENTIONS: Following an unsuccessful first line of treatment consisting of a low-fat diet, somatostatins and anticoagulation medication, the patient was elected to undergo minimally invasive venous recanalization with stenting. After a first failed attempt of recanalization by femoral access, we successfully crossed the thrombus through brachial access and conducted a dilatation and stenting of the brachiocephalic vein by femoral access, using a "telepheric" method. OUTCOMES: During the 4-month follow up, PET-scanner and chest X-ray demonstrated a significant reduction of the pleural effusion, and the patient reported complete clinical recovery. LESSONS: Central vein thrombosis is an unusual cause of chylothorax. We report a case of chylothorax complicating a brachiocephalic vein thrombosis successfully treated by percutaneous recanalization and stenting using a dual brachial and femoral approach. No thoracic duct embolization or ligature was required.

Delineation guidelines for the lymphatic target volumes in 'prone crawl' radiotherapy treatment position for breast cancer patients.

Our recently developed prone crawl position (PCP) for radiotherapy of breast cancer patients with lymphatic involvement showed promising preliminary data and it is being optimized for clinical use. An important aspect in this process is making new, position specific delineation guidelines to ensure delineation (for treatment planning) is uniform across different centers. The existing ESTRO and PROCAB guidelines for supine position (SP) were adapted for PCP. Nine volunteers were MRI scanned in both SP and PCP. Lymph node regions were delineated in SP using the existing ESTRO and PROCAB guidelines and were then translated to PCP, based on the observed changes in reference structure position. Nine PCP patient CT scans were used to verify if the new reference structures were consistently identified and easily applicable on different patient CT scans. Based on these data, a team of specialists in anatomy, CT- and MRI radiology and radiation oncology postulated the final guidelines. By taking the ESTRO and PROCAB guidelines for SP into account and by using a relatively big number of datasets, these new PCP specific guidelines incorporate anatomical variability between patients. The guidelines are easily and consistently applicable, even for people with limited previous experience with delineations in PCP.

Ultrasound anatomy of the normal stifle in the sheep.

Though the ovine stifle is commonly used as a model in research, there is no description of its anatomy at ultrasonography (US). The objective of this study was to provide reference US images of the ovine stifle that are relevant in musculoskeletal research. Four pairs of hindlimbs were scanned, whilst four other pairs were frozen and cut in different planes to compare gross anatomy to US scans. In another pair, the synovial compartments of the stifle were injected and scanned. This study demonstrated that US could be used to assess the ovine stifle. Several structures of clinical interest could be identified with cranial, lateral and medial approaches, such as (a) the tendons of m. quadriceps femoris, m. gluteobiceps, m. popliteus, (b) the common tendon of m. peroneus tertius-extensor longus digitorum-extensor digiti III proprius, (c) the patellar ligament, (d) the medial and lateral collateral ligaments, (e) the cranial horn and middle segment of medial and lateral meniscus, and (f) the synovial recesses. However, the caudal approach was not successful to identify caudal anatomical structures of the joint, due to the muscular mass, that is the caudal aspects of the articular surfaces of the femoral and tibial condyles, the caudal horns of the menisci and the supracondylar synovial recesses. In addition, US remained challenging to assess the internal structures such as cruciate ligaments and articular surfaces. The feasibility of US needs to be tested in vivo.