The effect of the perfluorodecalin patch on particle emission and skin temperature during laser-induced tattoo removal.

Laser-based procedures for tattoo removals are popular due to high efficacy and a relatively moderate insult. However, it often requires multiple sessions to achieve a satisfactory effect. The perfluorodecalin (PFD) patch utilizes an optical clearing agent to speed up the removal process and may decrease skin insult and harmful particles emission during treatment. This study assessed in pigs the effect of the PFD patch in connection with laser treatment of skin with and without tattoos to determine whether the PFD patch provides benefit in lowering thermal skin insult and particle emission during treatment. Skin temperature measured by infrared thermometer during laser treatment or shortly thereafter showed a significant (approximately 40%) decrease with the PFD patch in sites with tattoos. For laser-treated sites without tattoos, there was a significant decrease of particles observed with the PFD patch. In laser-treated sites with tattoos, a strong trend was seen (approximately a twofold decrease) but did not reach statistical significance due to high variability. The present data show that the PFD patch limits the increase in skin temperature produced with laser during treatment. Moreover, it decreases the emission of particles in sites without tattoos and is suggestive of a similar effect in sites with tattoos.

Post-thyroidectomy hemorrhage: a national study of patients treated at the Danish departments of ENT Head and Neck Surgery.

As bleeding in the neck region is a potentially life-threatening complication, we found it imperative to concretize the frequency and to identify possible reasons for this complication. A national database of all thyroid surgery performed inside the specialty of ENT Head and Neck Surgery (THYKIR) was established in January 2001. This nationwide cohort study represents 5,490 patients included until December 2007. Overall hemorrhage frequency was 4.2% with a wide variation among departments. Multiple regression analysis identified age, male gender, malignant histology and extent of surgery as independent risk factors for hemorrhage. Increased hospital stay and infection rates were found in patients treated with drainage. The median time for onset of postoperative hemorrhage was 3 h (range 0-105). Compared with international literature our incidence of post-thyroidectomy hemorrhage is relatively high. Improvement might be reached by the exchange of experience between departments with focus on adequate surgical technique and careful hemostasis.

[Novel tonsillectomy technique]. / Ny metode til tonsillektomi.

INTRODUCTION: Coblation (Co) is a relatively new technique, which may offer a better postoperative course after tonsillectomy than traditional techniques. The purpose of this study was to determine whether Co outperforms classic dissection. Coblation uses radiofrequency energy to excite the electrolytes in a saline solution, creating a precisely focused plasma. The plasma's energized particles have sufficient energy to break molecular bonds within tissue, causing the tissue to dissolve at temperatures between 40 degrees C and 70 degrees C. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A case-control study was conducted in which 26 patients undergoing Co tonsillectomy were matched concerning gender, age and the surgeon's charge with 26 patients undergoing classic tonsillectomy. Furthermore, to compare the rates of postoperative haemorrhage, we reviewed the health records of all patients undergoing Co (60 patients) and routine dissection tonsillectomy (403) at Roskilde County Hospital. RESULTS: Intraoperative bleeding was significantly lower in the Co group (median (MD) 5.0 ml; range (R) 1-32 ml) than in the control group (MD 10.0 ml; R 5-200 ml) (p < 0.0001). The median operation time was also significantly shorter for the Co group (23 min.; R 13-40 min. vs. 32 min.; R 21-63 min.; p = 0.002). Postoperatively, there was no significant difference between the two groups regarding pain scores, analgesics intake, time to return to work and normal diet or weight changes. Neither the primary (0% vs. 2%, p = 0.60) nor the secondary (3.3% vs. 2.5%, p = 0,66) haemorrhage rate was significantly different between Co and traditional tonsillectomy. CONCLUSION: The intraoperative bleeding was lower and the surgery times were shorter in the Co group compared with classic dissection. There was no difference in the postoperative haemorrhage rate between the two tonsillectomy methods.

[Multiple synchronous tumours of different histological type of the salivary glands]. / Multiple synkrone tumorer med forskellig histologi i de store spytkirtler.

Multiple tumours of different histological type of the salivary glands are extremely rare. Here we report a 72-year-old woman who was diagnosed with simultaneously occurring Warthin's tumour of the left parotid and mixed tumour of the homolateral submandibular gland. To our knowledge this combination of histology and localization has not been reported previously. This case also illustrates the importance of thorough examination even after the identification of a single tumour, as multiple synchronous primary tumours--even if rare--can be a diagnostic possibility.