Chondroid syringoma: an unusual presentation in a 7-year-old boy.

Coined in 1961 by Hirsch and Helwig, the term chondroid syringoma refers to a rare mixed tumour of subcutaneous tissue. Histologically, these tumours are almost identical to pleomorphic adenomas, arising from salivary glands. With the obvious difference being the presence of sweat gland tissue (syringoma) within a matrix of cartilage (chondroid). These mixed tumours remain scarce throughout the world, with an incidence of less than 0.098%. The vast majority of cases are reported in middle-aged and older adults, where they typically present as painless swellings in the head and neck, which gradually grow in size.

Microtia: A Data Linkage Study of Epidemiology and Implications for Service Delivery.

Introduction: Previous studies of microtia epidemiology globally have demonstrated significant geographical and ethnic variation, cited broadly as affecting 3-5 in 10,000 live births. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of microtia in a largely homogeneous ethnic population in the United Kingdom (Wales) and to identify factors, such as distance and socioeconomic status, which may influence the access to surgical intervention. Materials and Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using data linkage to identify patients born between 2000 and 2018 with a diagnosis of microtia. Microtia incidence was calculated using annual and geographic birth rates. Surgical operation codes were used to classify patients into those that had no surgery, autologous reconstruction or prosthetic reconstruction. Sociodemographic attributes were compared using descriptive statistics to determine differences in access to each type of surgical intervention. Results: A total of 101 patients were identified, 64.4% were male and the median age was 12 (8-16). The mean annual incidence was 2.13 microtia cases per 10,000 births over the 19-year study period. Both temporal and geographic variation was noted. The majority of patients undergoing surgery opted for autologous reconstruction (72.9%) at a median age of 9 (7-10) compared to 7 (5-8) for prosthetic reconstruction. Autologous reconstruction had a higher median number of surgeries (2, 1-3) than prosthetic (1.5, 1-2) and a higher median socioeconomic status of 3 (2-4) compared to 2 (1-4) for the prosthetic cohort. There were no statistically significant differences in the distance traveled for surgery. Discussion: This study highlights a role for data linkage in epidemiological analyses and provides a revised incidence of microtia in Wales. Although the majority of patients opted for autologous reconstruction, demographic disparities in socioeconomic status warrant further investigation, emphasizing the importance of striving for equity in accessibility to surgical intervention.

How much do plastic surgeons add to the closure of myelomeningoceles?

PURPOSE: This study reviews the outcomes of children undergoing myelomeningocele (MMC) repair in the paediatric neurosurgical department in Cardiff. These procedures are historically performed by paediatric neurosurgeons with occasional support from plastic surgeons for the larger lesions. We reviewed the postoperative outcomes over a 9-year period to assess the efficacy of having a plastic surgeon present at all MMC closures. METHODS: Analysis of a prospectively collected database of all MMC closures performed at University Hospital Wales from April 2009 to August 2017 was used. Comparison was made with the published literature especially with regard to complications. RESULTS: Thirty-one children, 13 males and 18 females, underwent MMC closure over the 9-year period. Twenty-four (77.4%) defects were closed by direct approximation. Seven patients (22.5%) required a more complex plastic procedure to obtain closure. Two patients (6.5%) had a wound complication, one wound infection and one flap edge necrosis both healing with dressings alone. Two patients had cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks that responded to ventriculo-peritoneal shunting. Two patients died from unrelated conditions during the study period. CONCLUSION: In our series, 7/31 (22.5%) cases involved a more complex closure in keeping with the literature. The authors feel that having the plastic surgeon at all closures has led to a low wound complication rate.

Neural tube defects in Wales: changing demographics from 1998 to 2009.

OBJECTIVE: To establish if there is evidence for the perceived increase in the number of live births with a Neural tube defect (NTD) in South Wales from 1998 to 2009. METHODS: Data was obtained from the Congenital Abnormalities Register Information Services (CARIS), which recorded 305 cases of pregnancies involving neural tube defects. Descriptive analysis was carried out for each year in this period to obtain the number of live births, the proportion of live births compared to NTD pregnancies, plus the number and the percentage terminated each year. RESULTS: From the 305 cases, 66 resulted in live births, 230 in terminations. There was an increase in live births from 13.8% in 1998 to 33.3% in 2009, and a decrease in terminations from 82.76% in 1998 to 62.50% in 2009. The data also showed that this increase occurred mainly in the South of Wales. Discussion. Over this time period, there has been a decrease in the number of pregnancies affected by a neural tube defect and a decline in the proportion of pregnancies with neural tube defects resulting in terminations. Consequently, there has been an increase in the number of live births. The reasons for this change in trend is unclear, it may be that prospective parents are more willing to proceed with the pregnancy due to better support and services and the improved prognosis for children with neural tube defects. CONCLUSION: This data clearly shows that the number of children born with a NTD is increasing, and if this trend persists, services will have to expand and adapt to the change in the demographic of this population.