RESUMO
This prospectively designed, clinical quality improvement project compared pain scores and opioid consumption between ultrasound-guided, erector spinae plane blocks (ESPB) and thoracic paravertebral blocks (PVB) in patients undergoing total bilateral mastectomies without reconstruction. Twenty-five patients were included in an enhanced recovery pathway and received an ESPB on one side and a PVB on the contralateral side. Numeric rating scores at rest and with movement for each side were recorded in the recovery room at 2, 6, 12, 24, and 48 hours and on days 3 to 7. There were no significant differences in the resting or movement-evoked pain scores between sides receiving ESPB or PVB at any time point up to day 7 after surgery. Both ESPB and PVB confer equal analgesic effects in patients undergoing mastectomies. ESPB provides an alternative to PVB in reducing postoperative pain in patients undergoing mastectomy as part of an enhanced recovery pathway.
RESUMO
Phyllodes tumors of the breast account for less than 0.5% of breast cancers and present most commonly in women 45 to 49 years old. The importance in managing fibroepithelial lesions lies in distinguishing fibroadenomas, which are benign, from phyllodes tumors, which can be malignant and require complete surgical excision. We report the case of a 56-year-old female who presented with a rapidly enlarging mass in her right breast 18 cm in maximum dimension that completely effaced the breast and distorted the nipple. The patient underwent a successful total mastectomy after core biopsy revealed a diagnosis of phyllodes tumor. Surgical resection is the primary treatment modality; neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapies remain controversial. Here, we report the case of a large malignant phyllodes tumor metastatic to the lungs, review the literature, and discuss diagnostic modalities and adjunct nonsurgical therapies.