Iatrogenic immunodeficiency-associated lymphoproliferative disorder presenting as small bowel perforation.

A woman in her late 50s on mycophenolate for limited systemic sclerosis presented with abdominal pain. Vital signs and investigative evaluations were normal. Cross-sectional imaging identified gastric and small bowel wall thickening, free fluid, and pneumoperitoneum. In the operating room, a small bowel perforation was found and resected. Postoperatively, immunosuppression was held and she completed a course of amoxicillin/clavulanate. She discharged home and re-presented on postoperative day 8 with seizures and was found to have a frontal brain mass which was biopsied. Pathology from both the resected bowel and brain biopsy demonstrated Epstein-Barr virus-positive B-cell lymphoproliferative disorder with polymorphic B-cell features. The patient's immunosuppression was discontinued, and she was enrolled in a clinical trial for chemotherapy. Lymphoproliferative disorder can present years after immunosuppression initiation with either spontaneous perforation or solid tumour. Pathological assessment determines treatment options. Heightened concern for atypical clinical presentations in immunosuppressed patients is always warranted.

A pseudo-dilemma: Are we over-diagnosing and over-treating traumatic splenic intraparenchymal pseudoaneurysms?

BACKGROUND: Splenic embolization for traumatic vascular abnormalities in stable patients is a common practice. We hypothesize that modern contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) over diagnoses posttraumatic splenic vascular lesions, such as intraparenchymal pseudoaneurysms (PSA) that may not require embolization. METHODS: We reviewed the experience at our high-volume center with endovascular management of blunt splenic injuries from January 2016 to December 2021. Multidisciplinary review was used to compared initial CT findings with subsequent angiography, analyzing management and outcomes of identified vascular lesions. RESULTS: Of 853 splenic injuries managed overall during the study period, 255 (29.9%) underwent angiography of the spleen at any point during hospitalization. Vascular lesions were identified on 58% of initial CTs; extravasation (12.2%) and PSA (51.0%). Angiography was performed a mean of 22 hours after admission, with 38% done within 6 hours. Embolization was performed for 90.5% (231) of patients. Among the 130 patients with PSA on initial CT, 36 (27.7%) had no visible lesion on subsequent angiogram. From the 125 individuals who did not have a PSA identified on their initial CT, 67 (54%) had a PSA seen on subsequent angiography. On postembolization CT at 48 hours to 72 hours, persistently perfused splenic PSAs were seen in 41.0% (48/117) of those with and 22.2% (2/9) without embolization. Only one of 24 (4.1%) patients with PSA on angiography observed without embolization required delayed splenectomy, whereas 6.9% (16/231) in the embolized group had splenectomy at a mean of 5.5 ± 4 days after admission. CONCLUSION: There is a high rate of discordance between CT and angiographic identification of splenic PSAs. Even when identified at angiogram and embolized, close to half will remain perfused on follow-up imaging. These findings question the use of routine angioembolization for all splenic PSAs. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic/Care Management; Level IV.

Understanding the burden of traumatic injuries at the United States-Mexico border: A scoping review of the literature.

ABSTRACT: The US-Mexico border is the busiest land crossing in the world and faces continuously increasing numbers of undocumented border crossers. Significant barriers to crossing are present in many regions of the border, including walls, bridges, rivers, canals, and the desert, each with unique features that can cause traumatic injury. The number of patients injured attempting to cross the border is also increasing, but significant knowledge gaps regarding these injuries and their impacts remain. The purpose of this scoping literature review is to describe the current state of trauma related to the US-Mexico border to draw attention to the problem, identify knowledge gaps in the existing literature, and introduce the creation of a consortium made up of representatives from border trauma centers in the Southwestern United States, the Border Region Doing Research on Trauma Consortium. Consortium members will collaborate to produce multicenter up-to-date data on the medical impact of the US-Mexico border, helping to elucidate the true magnitude of the problem and shed light on the impact cross-border trauma has on migrants, their families, and the US health care system. Only once the problem is fully described can meaningful solutions be provided.

Safety and efficacy of low-titer O whole blood resuscitation in a civilian level I trauma center.

BACKGROUND: Military experience has shown low-titer O whole blood (LTOWB) to be safe and beneficial in the resuscitation of hemorrhaging trauma patients. However, few civilian centers use LTOWB for trauma resuscitation. We evaluated the early experience and safety of a LTOWB program at a level 1 civilian trauma center. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed our trauma registry from January 2018 to June 2020 for patients admitted in shock (defined as ≥1 of the following: heart rate, >120 beats per minute; systolic blood pressure, <90 mm Hg; or shock index, >0.9) who received blood products within 24 hours. Patients were grouped by resuscitation provided: LTOWB (group 1), component therapy (CT; group 2), and LTOWB-CT (group 3). Safety, outcomes, and variables associated with LTOWB transfusion and mortality were analyzed. RESULTS: 216 patients were included: 34 in Group 1, 95 in Group 2, and 87 in Group 3. Patientsreceiving LTOWB were more commonly male (p<0.001) and had a penetrating injury (p=0.005). Groups 1 and 3 had higher median ISS scores compared to Group 2 (19 and 20 vs 17; p=0.01). Group 3 received more median units of blood product in the first 4h (p<0.001) and in the first 24h (p<0.001). There was no difference between groups in 24h mortality or transfusion-related complications (all p>0.05). Arrival ED SBP was associated with LTOWB transfusion (odds ratio [OR] 0.98, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.95-1.00, p=0.03). ED lactate was independently associated with 24h mortality. (OR 1.27, CI 1.02-1.58, p=0.03). LTOWB transfusion was not associated with mortality (p=0.49). Abstract. CONCLUSION: Severely injured patients received LTOWB-CT and more overall product units but had similar 24 h mortality when compared with the LTOWB or CT groups. No increase in transfusion-related complications was seen after LTOWB transfusion. Low-titer O whole blood should be strongly considered in the resuscitation of trauma patients at civilian centers. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Retrospective, therapeutic, level IV.

Therapeutic anticoagulation in patients with traumatic brain injuries and pulmonary emboli.

BACKGROUND: Patients with traumatic intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) and concomitant pulmonary embolus (PE) have competing care needs and demand a careful balance of anticoagulation (AC) versus potential worsening of their ICH. The goal of this study is to determine the safety of therapeutic AC for PE in patients with ICH. METHODS: This is a retrospective single-center study of patients older than 16 years with concomitant ICH and PE occurring between June 2013 and December 2017. Early AC was defined as within 7 days of injury or less; late was defined as after 7 days. Primary outcomes included death, interventions for worsening ICH following AC, and pulmonary complications. Multivariate logistic regression was used to evaluate for clinical and demographic factors associated with worsening traumatic brain injury (TBI), and recursive partitioning was used to differentiate risk in groups. RESULTS: Fifty patients met criteria. Four did not receive any AC and were excluded. Nineteen (41.3%) received AC early (median, 4.1; interquartile range, 3.1-6) and 27 (58.7%) received AC late (median, 14; interquartile range, 9.7-19.5). There were four deaths in the early group, and none in the late cohort (21.1% vs. 0%, p = 0.01). Two deaths were due to PE and the others were from multi-system organ failure or unrecoverable underlying TBI. Three patients in the early group, and two in the late, had increased ICH on computed tomography (17.6% vs. 7.4%, p = 0.3). None required intervention. CONCLUSION: This retrospective study failed to find instances of clinically significant progression of TBI in 46 patients with computed tomography-proven ICH after undergoing AC for PE. Therapeutic AC is not associated with worse outcomes in patients with TBI, even if initiated early. However, two patients died from PE despite AC, underlining the severity of the disease. Intracranial hemorrhage should not preclude AC treatment for PE, even early after injury. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Care management, Level IV.

Preclosure spectroscopic differences between healed and dehisced traumatic wounds.

BACKGROUND: The complexity and severity of traumatic wounds in military and civilian trauma demands improved wound assessment, before, during, and after treatment. Here, we explore the potential of 3 charge-coupled device (3CCD) imaging values to distinguish between traumatic wounds that heal following closure and those that fail. Previous studies demonstrate that normalized 3CCD imaging values exhibit a high correlation with oxygen saturation and allow for comparison of values between diverse clinical settings, including utilizing different equipment and lighting. METHODS: We screened 119 patients at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and at Grady Memorial Hospital with at least one traumatic extremity wound of ≥ 75 cm2. We collected images of each wound during each débridement surgery for a total of 66 patients. An in-house written computer application selected a region of interest in the images, separated the pixel color values, calculated relative values, and normalized them. We followed patients until the enrolled wounds were surgically closed, quantifying the number of wounds that dehisced (defined as wound failure or infection requiring return to the operating room after closure) or healed. RESULTS: Wound failure occurred in 20% (19 of 96) of traumatic wounds. Normalized intensity values for patients with wounds that healed successfully were, on average, significantly different from values for patients with wounds that failed (p ≤ 0.05). Simple thresholding models and partial least squares discriminant analysis models performed poorly. However, a hierarchical cluster analysis model created with 17 variables including 3CCD data, wound surface area, and time from injury predicts wound failure with 76.9% sensitivity, 76.5% specificity, 76.6% accuracy, and a diagnostic odds ratio of 10.8 (95% confidence interval: 2.6-45.9). CONCLUSIONS: Imaging using 3CCD technology may provide a non-invasive and cost-effective method of aiding surgeons in deciding if wounds are ready for closure and could potentially decrease the number of required débridements and hospital days. The process may be automated to provide real-time feedback in the operating room and clinic. The low cost and small size of the cameras makes this technology attractive for austere and shipboard environments where space and weight are at a premium.

A Surgeon's Guide to Obtaining Hemorrhage Control in Combat-Related Dismounted Lower Extremity Blast Injuries.

The application of lessons learned on the battlefield for timely surgical control of lower extremity hemorrhage secondary to blast injuries to the civilian practice for similar wounding patterns from industrial accidents or terrorist activities is imperative. Although simple cut-down procedures are commonly sufficient for the control of blood vessels for distal extremity traumatic amputations, high-thigh or disarticulation wounding patterns often require more complex surgical methods. The following details both the decision-making process and operative techniques for controlling hemorrhage from lower extremity blast injuries.

An Evolving Uncontrolled Hemorrhage Model Using Cynomolgus Macaques.

BACKGROUND: Trauma-induced hemorrhagic shock produces hemodynamic changes that often result in a systemic inflammatory response that can lead to multiple organ failure and death. In this prospective study, the pathophysiology of a nonhuman primate uncontrolled hemorrhagic shock model is evaluated with the goal of creating an acute systemic inflammatory syndrome response and a reproducible hemorrhage. METHODS: Nonhuman primates were divided into 2 groups. A laparoscopic left hepatectomy was performed in groups A and B, 60% and 80%, respectively, resulting in uncontrolled hemorrhage. Resuscitation during the prehospital phase lasted 120 min and included a 0.9% saline bolus at 20 mL/kg. The hospital phase involved active warming, laparotomy, hepatorrhaphy for hemostasis, and transfusion of packed red blood cells (10 mL/kg). The animals were recovered and observed over a 14-day survival period with subsequent necropsy for histopathology. RESULTS: Baseline demographics and clinical parameters of the two groups were similar. Group A (n = 7) underwent a 57.7% ± 2.4% left hepatectomy with a 33.9% ± 4.0% blood loss and 57% survival. Group B (n = 4) underwent an 80.0% ± 6.0% left hepatectomy with 56.0% ± 3.2% blood loss and 75% survival. Group B had significantly lower hematocrit (P < 0.05) for all postinjury time points. Group A had significantly elevated creatinine on postoperative day 1. Nonsurvivors succumbed to an early death, averaging 36 h from the injury. Histopathologic evaluation of nonsurvivors demonstrated kidney tubular degeneration. CONCLUSIONS: Nonhuman primates displayed the expected physiologic response to hemorrhagic shock due to liver trauma as well as systemic inflammatory response syndrome with resultant multiple organ dysfunction syndrome and either early death or subsequent recovery. Our next step is to establish a clinically applicable nonhuman primate polytrauma model, which reproduces the prolonged maladaptive immunologic reactivity and end-organ dysfunction consistent with multiple organ failure found in the critically injured patient.

Impact of degree of extrathyroidal extension of disease on papillary thyroid cancer outcome.

BACKGROUND: The clinical importance of extrathyroidal extension (ETE) on outcome of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), particularly with respect to disease extending to the surgical margin is not well established. This study assessed the importance of surgical margin and extrathyroidal invasion relative to local control of disease and oncologic outcome. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of a prospective institutional endocrine database was conducted on 276 patients with PTC treated between 1955 and 2004 to determine the impact of margin-negative resection (n=199, 72%), disease up to within 1 mm of surgical margin (n=19, 7%), microscopic (n=39, 14%), and gross (n=19, 7%) ETE. Data were compared with Fisher's exact test or analysis of variance (ANOVA). RESULTS: Median follow-up was 3.1-6.8 years per study group (disease-free survival, range 1-37 years). The proportion of those with age >45 years, prior radiation exposure, distant metastasis at presentation, and those undergoing total thyroidectomy was not significantly different between groups. Tumor size and multifocality correlated with extent of local disease, which in turn was significantly associated with regional nodal disease at time of primary operation as well as prevalence of persistence of disease after multimodality therapy. Extent of local disease correlated significantly with subsequent clinical recurrence after a disease-free period (p=0.006); however, recurrence rates were not significantly different between negative and close (≤1 mm) margin resection. CONCLUSION: Oncological outcome correlates with the extent of extrathyroidal invasion. Outcome is worse in patients with gross extrathyroidal disease extension than in those with microscopic local invasion apparent on histopathological assessment. However, the risk of clinical recurrence appears similar between patients undergoing margin-negative and "close margin" resection.

Delayed presentations of popliteal artery entrapment syndrome in a middle-aged military population.

Popliteal artery entrapment syndrome (PAES) is a rare but significant cause of disability usually diagnosed in young, healthy adults. Advancements in diagnostic imaging modalities have prompted a current report of our recent experience with PAES in a middle-aged military population at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. The addition of computed tomographic angiography (CTA) and magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) permit accurate and facile diagnosis of this complex syndrome.

Racial disparities in voice outcomes after thyroid and parathyroid surgery.

BACKGROUND: There is evidence that the outcomes of head and neck surgery may differ across racial and ethnic groups. Vocal changes related to the operation are an anticipated risk of thyroidectomy and parathyroidectomy. Race-specific voice outcomes after thyroid and parathyroid operations have not been reported. Therefore, our aim was to examine the potential disparity in voice outcomes between white and black patients after thyroid or parathyroid operations. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eighty-seven patients (59 white and 28 black) were included in a prospective observational trial. Subjects were evaluated before operation, and 2 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months postoperatively using a comprehensive battery of functional voice assessments of voice characteristics. The association of race with voice outcomes over time was evaluated with generalized linear models. RESULTS: Aside from volume of pathologic specimen (black, 117.5 cm3 vs. white, 43.2 cm3; P = .004), presence of multinodular goiter (black, 32.1% vs. white, 6.8%; P = .004) or Hashimoto's thyroiditis (black, 3.6% vs. white, 28.8%; P = .009), there were no differences between racial groups. Blacks were more likely than whites to have negative voice outcomes (odds ratio, 2.6; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-6.2; P = .034] throughout the postoperative period, especially at 6 months (black, 25% vs. white, 4%; P = .018). This finding was related principally to divergent scores on the voice-related quality-of-life scale, the voice handicap index. CONCLUSION: We observed greater rates of self-reported, negative voice outcomes among blacks than whites after thyroid or parathyroid operations. The precise mechanism for this disparity has not been described. The observed racial disparity in self-perceived voice impairment in this study merits further investigation.

Pain ratings by patients and their providers of radionucleotide injection for breast cancer lymphatic mapping.

BACKGROUND: Disparity between patient report and physician perception of pain from radiotracer injection for sentinel node biopsy is thought to center on the severity of the intervention, ethnic composition of population queried, and socioeconomic factors. OBJECTIVE: The objectives of this study were, first, to explore agreement between physicians' and their breast cancer patients' pain assessment during subareolar radionucleotide injection; and second, to evaluate potential ethnic differences in ratings. METHODS: A trial was conducted, from January 2006 to April 2009, where 140 breast cancer patients were randomly assigned to standard topical lidocaine-4% cream and 99mTc-sulfur colloid injection, or to one of three other groups: placebo cream and 99mTc-sulfur colloid injection containing NaHCO3, 1% lidocaine, or NaHCO3 + 1% lidocaine. Providers and patients completed numeric pain scales (0-10) immediately after injection. RESULTS: Patients and providers rated pain similarly over the entire cohort (median, 3 vs 2, P = 0.15). Patients rated pain statistically significantly higher than physicians in the standard (6 vs 5, P = 0.045) and placebo + NaHCO3 (5 vs 4, P = 0.032) groups. No significant difference in scores existed between all African Americans and their physicians (3 vs 4, P = 0.27). CONCLUSION: Patient-physician pain assessment congruence over the less painful injections and their statistically similar scores with the more painful methods suggests the importance of utilizing the least painful method possible. Providers tended to underestimate patients with the highest pain ratings-those in the greatest analgesic need. Lack of statistical difference between African American and physician scores may reflect the equal-access-to-care over the entire patient cohort, supporting the conclusion that socioeconomic factors may lie at the heart of previously reported discrepancies.