[Dorsal skin defect: What solutions exist?] / Perte de substance cutanée médiane du dos : quelles solutions s'offrent à nous ?

Dorsal subcutaneous or cutaneous defects can be of multiple origin: tumor, congenital malformation, trauma, chronic radiodermitis ulceration, parting of sutures or spine surgery infection, pressure sore, etc. Wound healing of these defects can be really difficult to obtain with simple processes, such as direct sutures or skingrafts, and often implies skin flap surgery. The rarity of recipients vessels from the dorsal area makes free flaps surgery harduous. Various local or locoregional back cover solutions are available: muscular or musculocutaneous flaps (latissimus dorsi, trapezius muscle, spinal muscles, gluteus maximus), perforator flaps (DICAP, DLICAP, SCAP and IGAP…), random flaps. These flaps are really useful and must be mastered in order to propose the best-suited cover solution for each patient after a precise evaluation of their medical and clinical background. Our study, based on the Literature and some clinical cases, aims to draw up a complete table of local, locoregional and microsurgical coverage solutions by anatomical area for median and paramedian back wound defects and thus to produce a decisional algorithm facilitating our care.

Searching for novel multimodal treatments in oligometastatic pancreatic cancer.

BACKGROUND: Metastatic pancreatic cancer has a median overall survival of less than 12 months, even if treated with chemotherapy. Selected patients with oligometastatic disease could benefit from multimodal treatments connecting chemotherapy and surgical treatment or radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of metastases. CASE PRESENTATION: We present a patient with oligometastatic pancreatic cancer recurrence who was successfully treated with a multimodal therapeutic approach. A 57-year-old male initially presenting with resectable pancreatic cancer underwent pancreatoduodenectomy. The histopathological diagnosis revealed ductal pancreatic adenocarcinoma with positive surgical resection margins and negative lymph nodes. He completed six cycles of adjuvant therapy with gemcitabine (1000 mg/mq 1,8,15q 28), followed by external radiotherapy (54 Gy in 25 fractions) associated with gemcitabine 50 mg/mq twice weekly. Three years later, the patient developed multiple liver metastases, and he started FOLFIRINOX (oxaliplatin 85 mg/mq, irinotecan 180 mg/mq, leucovorin 400 mg/mq and fluorouracil 400 mg/mq given as a bolus followed by 2400 mg/mq as a 46 h continuous infusion,1q 14) as a first-line treatment. The CT scan showed a partial response after 6 cycles. After multidisciplinary discussion, the patient underwent a laparotomic metastasectomy of the three hepatic lesions. After additional postsurgical chemotherapy with 4 cycles of the FOLFIRINOX schedule, the patient remained free of recurrence for 12 months. A CT scan showed a new single liver metastasis, which was treated with radiofrequency ablation (RFA). A second radiofrequency ablation was performed when the patient developed another single liver lesion 12 months after the first RFA; currently, the patient is free from recurrence with an overall survival of 6 years from the diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Our case has benefited from successful multimodal treatment, including surgical and local ablative techniques and systemic chemotherapy. A multimodal approach may be warranted in selected patients with oligometastatic pancreatic cancer and could improve overall survival. Further research is needed to investigate this approach.

Nostril Surgery: Indications, Surgical Procedures and Outcomes-A Systematic Review of Published Cases.

INTRODUCTION: To achieve adequate nasal proportions, nostril surgery can be a complementary technique useful in facial surgery. To help surgeons with the decision to realize nostril surgery, we conducted a systematic review to summarize reported cases on surgical procedures with a specific interest on indications, surgical procedures and postoperative outcomes. A therapeutic algorithm is also proposed. METHOD: We carried out this review in accordance with the PRISMA criteria. Twenty-two eligible studies were identified using Medical databases, including 1599 patients. A qualitative and quantitative analysis was carried out. DISCUSSION: Excision techniques were realized on 728 patients (45.5%), followed by cinching sutures on 642 patients (40%) and combined techniques: excision techniques with flap advancement techniques in 189 cases (12%), excision techniques with flap advancement techniques and cinching suture in 40 patients (2.5%). When excessive alar flaring was present, alar wedge resection was preferred in the 92% of followed by alar and sill resection. Cinching sutures were realized when excessive alar flaring was associated with a vertical alar axis, in cases of wide alar base, of associated orthognathic surgery. When excessive alar flaring was associated with wide alar bases, indications changed basing on the associated deformities. In 795 patients, nostril surgery was conducted simultaneously with rhinoplasty. CONCLUSION: Nostril surgery through excision techniques, cinching sutures or flaps advancement techniques, reveals good outcomes and can be complementary to rhinoplasty or orthognathic surgery. Through this systematic review, we tried to orient surgeons to find the best treatment for nostril base surgery. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE III: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Monsplasty after massive weight loss: Assessment of its aesthetic and functional impact.

INTRODUCTION: Massive weight loss frequently leads to a ptosis or a pubic bulge. This deformation is a source of functional as well as aesthetic discomfort, and it also has psychological repercussions. We have analyzed the degree of satisfaction reported by 23 female patients having undergone a monsplasty procedure and have also proposed a decisional algorithm designed to facilitate surgical care according to type of pubic deformation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a one-year prospective study involving 23 female patients having undergone a monsplasty procedure following massive weight loss. The interventions were all carried out in standardized fashion by the same surgeon according to stage of deformation. Analysis of the patients' degree of aesthetic and functional satisfaction was performed using a questionnaire filled out during preoperative and postoperative consultations, the latter taking place 6 months to one year after the operation. It included a self-esteem assessment based on the Rosenberg scale, appraisal of functional benefits (clothing, sexual activity, daily physical activities, intimate hygiene) and evaluation of the pubis in aesthetic terms. RESULTS: Assessment of impact on self-esteem revealed average improvement of 10.08 points, rising from 25.87 to 35.95. All of the patients, without exception, were satisfied or very satisfied with the impact of monsplasty on the different items under evaluation. stage 3 and stage 4 patients were particularly sensitive to improvement involving personal hygiene, physical activities and the clothes they wore. In most cases, they likewise reported a positive impact on their sexual experience. CONCLUSION: Abdominoplasty or body lift without monsplasty can entail long-lasting aesthetic and functional discomfort. Thorough preoperative semiological analysis is essential to optimized surgical care conducive to successful integration of the monsplasty. An appropriate caretaking attitude enhances both the aesthetic result and patient self-esteem.

[Fournier's gangrene: Cervical and facial extension. A very rare case]. / Gangrène gazeuse périnéo-fessière à extension cervico-faciale. À propos d'un cas exceptionnel.

Fournier's gangrene is a fearsome disease with a bad prognosis and a mortality rate ranging between 10 and 80% according to the literature. It is extensive in 13 to 54% of cases. Up to date, cervico-facial extension has never been reported. We describe the case of a 51-year-old overweighed woman with a history of type 2 diabetes and a narrow lumbar canal who was referred to our institution for significant fatigue and increasingly painful legs. A diagnosis of Fournier's gangrene was made after correlating the physical findings with the results of a full body scan. Diffuse subcutaneous emphysema involving the face, neck, mediastinum, abdominal wall, right buttock, perineum and the right thigh was identified. Treatment included multiple surgical debridements, admission to intensive care unit, and an efficient antibiotic therapy that enabled preservation of the patient's life. To our knowledge, this is the first case of cervical and mediastinal extension of Fournier's gangrene to be reported. No clear guidelines exit on the management of this complication (cervico-facial and mediastinal drainage). We share our experience of this unusual case.

Medial thighplasty: Current concepts and practices.

Medial thighplasty, also known as medial thigh lift, is a procedure that has been carried out for five decades. The original "Lewis" technique has undergone many changes, and thereby been rendered widely available to plastic surgeons. Given the increasingly high number of surgical reconstructions after massive weight loss, this technique is now an integral part of a surgeon's therapeutic arsenal as he strives to meet the evolving demands of patients. The objective of this article, which is based on a comprehensive review of the literature, is to summarize current knowledge on medial thighplasty and thereby allow plastic surgeons to adopt the operating technique best suited to the deformations presented by their patients and to the overall context. The different techniques, outcomes and complications are successively discussed.

[Morbidity of bodylift. Evaluation of 111 patients over 5 years]. / Morbidité de la dermolipectomie abdominale circulaire. Série rétrospective de 111 patients sur 5 ans.

INTRODUCTION: The management of patients with weight loss sequelae, sometimes major, is increasingly well standardized. However, this surgery is not without risk. Complications of bodylift are more frequent than those of conventional abdominoplasties. The objective of this study was to evaluate the morbidity associated with this surgery through a retrospective, single-center study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and eleven circular abdominaloplasties were conducted between June 2011 and September 2015 in the plastic surgery department of the university hospital of Toulouse. Minor and major complications were identified and analyzed. RESULTS: Frequency of postoperative complications was 44.1% in our series. Major complications have involved 15.3% of patients. Blood transfusions (9%) and hematoma requiring reoperation (7.2%) were the most frequent major complications. We found significantly more major complications in patients with important fat resection with a cut off at 3200 g (P=0.02). Men experienced significantly more major complications than women (P=0.005). The average delta-BMI (before and after weight loss) was significantly higher in the group of patients with the highest percentage of minor complications (P=0.045). Indeed, a high delta-BMI (greater than 19.5) was associated with an excess risk of minor complications in our population. CONCLUSION: Democratization and progress in the field of bodylift should not obscure the fact that it is, in reality, a procedure at risk. While we manage increasingly better cosmetic results and thromboembolic complications, it still persists many complications.

[Electrical flash burns, about 33 cases. A 10-year retrospective study. Epidemiology, treatment and prevention]. / Brûlures par flash électrique, à propos de 33 cas. Une étude rétrospective sur 10ans. Épidémiologie, traitement et prévention.

BACKGROUND: The electric flash burns are a common cause of accident at workplace, especially among electricians. The aim of this study is to determine the parts of the body most often burned by the flash, to define the usual course and finally to give some simple rules of care and prevention. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective, observational and descriptive study including all patients treated at the University Hospital of Tours for electrical flash burns between 1 January 2003 and 01 January 2013. A collection of medical and socio-economic data was achieved. We present 3 cases of patients hospitalized in our department. RESULTS: Thirty-three patients were included. In our series, all hospitalized patients were men. The average age was 43.2years (range 18 to 82years). In 81% of cases, the burn was due to a low voltage source, in 19% of cases to a high voltage source. It was an accident at workplace for 71% of patients, of whom 67% were electricians. The average total burned area was 9,52% (from 1.5% to 24%). The main locations included the face (86%), upper limbs (86%) and hands (86%). Medical treatment has healed 95% of patients. A surgical procedure was required in 5% of cases. A post-traumatic stress was found in 41% of patients. Outpatient treatment was performed in 36% of cases. CONCLUSION: Flash burns remain a common cause of hospitalization. Screening for hearing and eye disorders, a post-traumatic stress, as well as the prescription of early physiotherapy for burned hands are important components of their management. Following simple rules of prevention would limit their morbidity.

Preoperative imaging prior to breast reconstruction surgery: benchmarking bringing together radiologists and plastic surgeons. Proposed guidelines.

BACKGROUND: Prescription of preoperatory imaging assessment prior to planned breast reconstruction surgery (reduction or augmentation mastoplasty, correction of congenital breast asymmetry) is poorly codified. The objective of this study was to analyze the attitudes of French radiologists and plastic surgeons with regard to prescription of preoperative imaging in the framework of non-oncologic breast surgery. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This is a descriptive and comparative observational study involving two groups, one consisting of 50 plastic surgeons (P) and the other of 50 radiologists (R) specialized in breast imaging. A questionnaire was handed out to radiologists during a conference on breast imaging at the Institut Gustave-Roussy in Paris (France) held on 17th December 2012. The same questionnaire was handed out to plastic surgeons at the National Congress of the French Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (SOFCPRE) held on 19th, 20th and 21st November 2012, also in Paris (France). The questionnaire focused on prescription of preoperative and postoperative imaging evaluation for non-oncologic breast surgery in patients with no risk factors for breast cancer or clinically identified indications. RESULTS: Forty-six percent of the plastic surgeons considered an imaging exam to be recent when it had been carried out over the previous 6 months, while 40% of the radiologists set the figure at 1 year. Clinical breast density exerted no influence on 92% of the plastic surgeons and 98% of the radiologists. A majority of the plastic surgeons would prescribe a preoperative exam regardless of age (57% for breast reduction, 61% for breast implant placement and 61% for surgical correction of asymmetry) while the radiologists would prescribe exams mainly for patients over 40 years (50% for reduction, 44% for augmentation, 49% for asymmetry correction). The plastic surgeons would prescribe either ultrasound or mammograms (59% for reduction, 72% for augmentation, 66% for asymmetry correction) while radiologists would usually prescribe mammograms (64%, 57%, 64%). Most of the radiologists, along with the plastic surgeons, did not think that postoperative examination is justified (58% of P and 62% of R for reduction, 56% P and 68% of R for augmentation, 52% of P and 64% of R for asymmetry correction). CONCLUSION: In 2012, there existed no French consensus on prescription of a preoperative imaging assessment in the framework of non-oncologic breast surgery in patients without risk factors for breast cancer. Active cooperation bringing together radiologists and plastic surgeons is likely to facilitate the harmonizing of their respective practices. In this paper, we propose guidelines that could help them to synchronize their efforts.

The response of the Liguria Region (Italy) to the pandemic influenza virus A/H1N1sv.

Influenza is a cause of acute respiratory disease. It has a typical epidemic nature during the winter season, but may also assume a pandemic pattern when a completely new virus spreads among humans. Influenza places a heavy economic and healthcare burden on both the National Health Service and society. During the 2009/2010 influenza pandemic season, the Liguria Region drew upon the specific skills of the various sectors of the Department of Health and Social Services. In collaboration with the Department of Health Sciences of the University of Genova, the Regional Health Agency (RHA) and other public organizations, steps were taken to address the issues of technical and scientific updating and the coordination of all the departments of Local Healthcare Units in Liguria. The main activities conducted at the regional level provided an adequate response to the influenza pandemic. These activities focused on Local and National Influenza Surveillance Systems, the regional Pandemic Plan, vaccination strategies for seasonal and pandemic influenza, and the communication of data from monitoring programs (sentinel physicians--syndromic surveillance). The prevention of influenza transmission and containment of epidemics and pandemics require effective communication strategies that should target the whole population.

Epidemiological and molecular approaches for management of a measles outbreak in Liguria, Italy.

Since March 2010 a measles outbreak has been occurred in Genoa, Liguria, an administrative Region in Northern Italy. Epidemiological and molecular data on the outbreak, obtained from the passive mandatory notification system, the laboratory surveillance and an innovative syndrome surveillance system, were investigated. Overall 39 cases were reported in the urban area. Information about demography, vaccination status, hospitalization and geographic distribution of measles cases are available. 19 cases (48.7%) were laboratory-confirmed and were characterized by sequence analysis: 18 strains belonged to genotype D8, so identifying a new measles variant within the Liguria population. Adopted control measures seem to have limited viral circulation. The outbreak allowed to test the efficacy of the 3 surveillance systems active in Liguria, highlighting their advantages and some important limitations. More efforts are needed to collect and integrate any epidemiological and virological available data in order to better describe the local measles transmission dynamics.

Is there a therapeutic effect of botulinum toxin on scalp alopecia? Physiopathology and reported cases: A systematic review of the literature.

Botulinum toxin is a treatment whose effectiveness has been widely demonstrated in the treatment of facial wrinkles. Its use in alopecia has been much less studied in the literature. Therefore, we carried out a systematic review of the literature in December 2019 in order to index published cases of alopecia patients treated with botulinum toxin. Pub Med, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases were explored. Six studies that included 94 patients were selected. Only one study was prospectively controlled against placebo. Of the 94 patients, 85 were affected by androgenetic alopecia, 8 by alopecia areata, and 1 by radiation-induced alopecia. The doses injected per session varied between 30 and 150 units and the number of sessions between 1 and 12. In the majority of the studies, the injections were carried out in all the muscles of the scalp (frontal, temporal, peri-auricular, occipital). Four studies showed a frank improvement in hair growth. Two of them showed improvement in hair density using an objective endpoint (hair count). The remaining reported studies showed inconclusive results. Patient satisfaction was high across all studies, but this systematic review did not clearly demonstrate the value of using the botulinum toxin in the treatment of alopecia. Subsequent prospective randomized controlled studies are required.

Finger joint denervation in hand osteoarthritis: Indications, surgical techniques and outcomes. A systematic review of published cases.

In cases of osteoarthritis with preserved motion, joint denervation can be an effective alternative to arthroplasty or arthrodesis to reduce joint-related pain. Although denervation is a standardized procedure for wrist osteoarthritis, it is used sparingly for finger joints. We conducted a systematic review to summarize reported cases of finger joint denervation in hand osteoarthritis with a specific focus on surgical procedures and postoperative outcomes. PubMed, Cochrane and Science Direct databases were searched from 1998 to 2019 and 13 relevant articles were selected. Three hundred and twenty-five denervations were conducted on 291 patients. Distal interphalangeal (DIP) joint denervation was performed through a dorsal approach; 83% of patients were satisfied with the surgery and complications occurred in 58%. Proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint denervation was performed through a palmar approach; 90% of patients were satisfied with the surgery; complications were observed in 14%. Good results were observed in 95% of patients who underwent metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint denervation; complications were observed in 26%; denervation was carried out with dorsal and palmar approaches in all cases. Denervation of the trapeziometacarpal (TMC) joint was achieved through the Wagner approach (61%), multiple incisions (26%), or dorsal approach (13%); satisfaction rate was 91%, with a 6% complication rate. Finger joint denervation in hand osteoarthritis is a simple and effective procedure, providing satisfactory pain relief. Good results are reported in all studies, especially for PIP and TMC joint denervation. Further investigations should be conducted on DIP and MCP joint denervation.

Decline in pneumonia and acute otitis media after the introduction of childhood pneumococcal vaccination in Liguria, Italy.

The effect of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine immunization programme on pneumococcal-associated or potentially pneumococcal-associated hospital admissions in the Italian region of Liguria was assessed. Hospital admission rates were compared in subjects belonging to birth cohorts before and after the introduction of widespread immunization for 0 - 2-year old children with a seven-valent conjugate vaccine (PCV7). Significant reductions in hospitalization rates for all-cause and pneumococcal pneumonia and for acute otitis media were observed in subjects born after widespread uptake of the vaccine. The preventive fraction (a measure of vaccine effectiveness) ranged from 15.2% for all cause pneumonia to 70.5% for pneumococcal pneumonia. This study contributes to the growing body of information that supports the beneficial effect of PCV7 vaccination.

Emergency department syndromic surveillance system for early detection of 5 syndromes: a pilot project in a reference teaching hospital in Genoa, Italy.

Early detection is fundamental for achieving effective control of infectious disease outbreaks. We described the development of a local chief complaint emergency department (ED)-based syndromic surveillance system to improve public health response in Genoa, Italy. The five syndromes under investigation by the syndromic surveillance system were influenza-like illness (ILI), low-respiratory tract illness (LRTI), not-haemorrhagic gastroenteritis, acute hepatitis, fever-with-rash (maculo-papular or vescicular) syndrome. Syndrome coding, data capture, transmission and processing, statistical analysis to assess indicators of disease activity and alert thresholds, and signal response were operatively described. Preliminary results on ILI syndromic surveillance showed that new system allowed the activation of the alert state with a specificity of 90.3% and a sensitivity of 72.9% in predicting epidemiological relevant events, such as > or = 10 accesses to ED for ILI in 3 days. The new syndromic surveillance system allowed to alert the public health institutions 2.5 days before than the local surveillance system based on sentinel physicians and paediatricians, permitting the early activation of the necessary measures for the containment and for burden reduction of the epidemic event. It is noteworthy that the syndromic surveillance epidemic cut-off was overcome once before and 4 times after influenza outbreak detected by sentinel-based surveillance system: all episodes were contemporary with Respiratory Syncytial Virus and Parainfluenza Virus circulation, as detected by regional reference laboratory.

Assessment of quality-of-life in patients with face-and-neck burns: The Burn-Specific Health Scale for Face and Neck (BSHS-FN).

INTRODUCTION: Burns to the cephalic extremities are particularly implicated in problems of self-image and alterations to personal social relations. The aim of this study was to objectively assess the quality-of-life (QoL) of patients suffering from face-and-neck burns through our newly created scale: The Burn-Specific Health Scale for Face and Neck (BSHS-FN). METHODS: After constructing the BSHS-FN, we compared QoL of patients with or without face-and-neck burns. SF-36, the French version of the BSHS-B (Burn Specific Health Scale-Brief), and the BSHS-FN were administrated to 53 patients divided into two groups: GB group (general burns, 26 patients) and FN group (face-neck burns, 27 patients). RESULTS: QoL evaluated using the SF-36 had a higher average total score in GB patients compared to FN patients, but there were no significant difference between the two groups (54.3±18.5 vs. 47.0±17.3, respectively, p=0.11). In contrast, in BSHS-B the total score was significantly different between the two groups with a higher score recorded for the GB group (71.9±13.4 [median: 72.8] in the GB group vs. 62.2±14.4 [median: 64.4] in the FN group). In percentage terms, total score of BSHS-FN for GB group was 79.1±10.1, while total score for FN group was 53.6±13.1 (p<0.001), with the highest score for the Face and Neck domain in GB group (99.7±1.1, p<0.001) CONCLUSION: The BSHS-FN seemed to be more appropriate to assess QoL for FN burn patients. This study supports its application in routine clinical practice and in international studies.

Regional point prevalence study of healthcare-associated infections and antimicrobial use in acute care hospitals in Liguria, Italy.

BACKGROUND: Given the importance of monitoring healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) and the consumption of antibiotics, a regional point prevalence survey was conducted in Liguria between March and April 2016. AIM: To measure the overall prevalence of HCAI and describe the use of antibiotics in all public hospitals. METHODS: Data on risk factors and use of antibiotics were collected for each hospitalized patient. To define the variables significantly associated with HCAI, univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted. Standardized infection ratio and standardized antimicrobial use ratio were measured for each participating hospital. FINDINGS: A total of 3647 patients were enrolled. In all, 429 HCAIs were diagnosed in 376 patients, giving a prevalence of HCAI of 10.3%. Respiratory tract (21.7%) and urinary tract (20%) were the most frequent sites of infection. High rates of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (47.4%) and Enterobacteriaceae resistant to carbapenems (26.3%) were isolated. Forty-six percent of patients received at least one antibiotic. Combinations of penicillins including ß-lactamase inhibitors (24.1%) were the most widely used; the main indication (46.7%) was the treatment of a community-acquired infection. CONCLUSION: There was an increase in HCAI prevalence compared to a similar survey conducted in 2007; however, the performance of overlapping investigations will enable more reliable considerations. Nevertheless, data on antimicrobial resistance and use of antibiotics are consistent with the national trend. Despite methodological limitations, prevalence studies are useful to monitor HCAI over time and encourage greater awareness of the problem by all stakeholders.

Molecular epidemiology and case-control approaches for management of an outbreak of hepatitis A in Liguria, Italy.

INTRODUCTION AND METHODS: Hepatitis A remains an important public health problem in low endemicity areas, because of the social and economic high burden of cyclical outbreaks. In this study we described an outbreak of HAV infection occurred in the city of Genoa and in its proximity and the viral circulation in the post-epidemic period. In order to identify risk factors associated to the illness and to determine the source of infection and the dynamics of virus evolution, we conducted an epidemiological and molecular investigation by a case-control study and by sequence analysis of high variable regions of the genome. RESULTS: From May to October 2005, 58 HAV hepatitis cases were notified. The case-control study showed that beach establishment attending is strongly associated with HAV hepatitis (OR = 24.5, p-value < 0.01), at multivariate analysis. The profile of epidemic curve, the clinical onset of primary cases who occurred in few weeks and the geographic distribution of cases clearly indicated a common exposure to a point source: the outbreak can be probably associated with a contaminated food product dispensed in the affected area. The outbreak has been mainly caused by a single variant, confirming the common exposure to a point source; this variant previously circulated within homosexual man (MSM) network in Northern Europe. During the outbreak and in the following months, different variants originating from Southeast Asia, Southern America and Northern Africa, have co-circulated: all these cases were related to international travel and none of these had determined secondary cases. DISCUSSION: The epidemiological picture of hepatitis A in Liguria is characterized by a wide heterogeneity of circulating HAV strains. This pattern could be associated with the increase of imported cases and transmission within network of persons with similar risk factors. Molecular approach coupled to descriptive and analytical epidemiological studies appeared un-replaceable tools for management and control of HAV outbreaks, because of their capacity to recognize infection origin, transmission patterns and dynamics of virus evolution.

Mandibular reconstruction after cancer: an in-house approach to manufacturing cutting guides.

The restoration of mandibular bone defects after cancer can be facilitated by computer-assisted preoperative planning. The aim of this study was to assess an in-house manufacturing approach to customized cutting guides for use in the reconstruction of the mandible with osteocutaneous free flaps. A retrospective cohort study was performed, involving 18 patients who underwent mandibular reconstruction with a fibula free flap at three institutions during the period July 2012 to March 2015. A single surgeon designed and manufactured fibula and mandible cutting guides using a computer-aided design process and three-dimensional (3D) printing technology. The oncological outcomes, production parameters, and quality of the reconstructions performed for each patient were recorded. Computed tomography scans were acquired after surgery, and these were compared with the preoperative 3D models. Eighteen consecutive patients with squamous cell carcinoma underwent surgery and then reconstruction using this customized in-house surgical approach. The lengths of the fibula bone segments and the angle measurements in the simulations were similar to those of the postoperative volume rendering (P=0.61). The ease of access to 3D printing technology has enabled the computer-aided design and manufacturing of customized cutting guides for oral cancer treatment without the need for input from external laboratories.