Titanium plates salvage in irradiated facial areas with the lipomodeling technique.

Major defects of the facial structures cause severe functional and aesthetic impairment. For composite defects with bone loss, the use of a titanium plate bridging the bony defect, associated or not to a soft tissue pedicled flap is to be considered in complex cases, or for patients with high comorbidities. The principal limit of this technique is the risk of plate exposure, especially for patients who had adjuvant radiation therapy. We present two clinical cases of patients who had a facial reconstruction using a titanium plate associated with a locoregional soft tissue flap, and who presented a near-exposed plate a few years after the first surgery and adjuvant radiation therapy. In order to prevent plate exposure, we performed several lipomodeling sessions between skin and plate. Our results are very encouraging, with no plate exposure and thickening of the soft tissues which cover the plate at 10-years follow-up. The knowledge of the possibility to use fat grafting transfer could therefore lead to a strong return to the use of titanium plates in facial reconstruction.

Digitalized healthcare for head and neck cancer patients.

The ongoing shortage in healthcare services and the increasing cancer incidence, highlight the need for new strategies to ensure optimal treatments, cares and follow-up for all patients. Digitalized healthcare, which includes various concepts (digital health, telemedicine, telemonitoring and digital therapeutics), are a promising option to meet these needs. In this scoping review, we provide an overview of the recent available research evidence on digitalized healthcare for HNC patients and caregivers. Through the interrogation of PubMed and Cochrane Library databases, a total of 32 relevant articles reporting the use of digitalized healthcare in different settings of HNC patients' care management, were analyzed. Overall, HNC patients as well as caregivers were highly satisfied, especially because digitalized healthcare allows the early detection of health disorders, improve patient's management, quality of life, self-confidence and communication. Furthermore, digitalized healthcare were significantly time- and cost-effective. While the benefits digitalized healthcare has been reported to be feasible and clinically relevant, our future efforts should focus on the demonstration of their clinical utility in well-designed clinical trials. It is tempting to anticipate that this approach will improve patients' management and quality of life and change the way patients interact with family and professional health care givers.

The immune microenvironment of HPV-negative oral squamous cell carcinoma from never-smokers and never-drinkers patients suggests higher clinical benefit of IDO1 and PD1/PD-L1 blockade.

BACKGROUND: Never-smokers and never-drinkers patients (NSND) suffering from oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) are epidemiologically different from smokers drinkers (SD). We therefore hypothesized that they harbored distinct targetable molecular alterations. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) (discovery set), Gene Expression Omnibus and Centre Léon Bérard (CLB) (three validation sets) with available gene expression profiles of HPV-negative OSCC from NSND and SD were mined. Protein expression profiles and genomic alterations were also analyzed from TCGA, and a functional pathway enrichment analysis was carried out. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded samples from 44 OSCC including 20 NSND and 24 SD treated at CLB were retrospectively collected to perform targeted-sequencing of 2559 transcripts (HTG EdgeSeq system), and CD3, CD4, CD8, IDO1, and PD-L1 expression analyses by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Enrichment of a six-gene interferon-γ signature of clinical response to pembrozulimab (PD-1 inhibitor) was evaluated in each sample from all cohorts, using the single sample gene set enrichment analysis method. RESULTS: A total of 854 genes and 29 proteins were found to be differentially expressed between NSND and SD in TCGA. Functional pathway analysis highlighted an overall enrichment for immune-related pathways in OSCC from NSND, especially involving T-cell activation. Interferon-γ response and PD1 signaling were strongly enriched in NSND. IDO1 and PD-L1 were overexpressed and the score of response to pembrolizumab was higher in NSND than in SD, although the mutational load was lower in NSND. IHC analyses in the CLB cohort evidenced IDO1 and PD-L1 overexpression in tumor cells that was associated with a higher rate of tumor-infiltrating T-cells in NSND compared with SD. CONCLUSION: The main biological and actionable difference between OSCC from NSND and SD lies in the immune microenvironment, suggesting a higher clinical benefit of PD-L1 and IDO1 inhibition in OSCC from NSND.

Day-care unit for rigid panendoscopy of the upper aerodigestive tract: A study of 436 procedures.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the role of day-care management of upper aerodigestive tract (UADT) panendoscopy and to study criteria for conventional hospital admission and reasons for conversion. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Retrospective study, from January 2011 to May 2013. Inclusion criteria UADT panendoscopy for carcinoma assessment. Study variables, age, gender, tumor location, reason for panendoscopy, TNM stage, previous external radiotherapy, home-to-hospital distance and Apfel, Detsky and ASA scores. A day-care and a conventional admission group were compared using Fisher's test for ASA score, student's test for age and Pearson's chi2 test for the other variables. RESULTS: Four hundred and thirty-six panendoscopies were performed: 252 in day-care, including 4 cases of conversion and 184 with conventional admission. There were no significant differences between groups for age, gender, tumor location, TNM stage, reason for panendoscopy, previous external radiotherapy, home-to-hospital distance or Apfel score. A significant difference was observed for ASA score (P<0.0001) and Detsky score (P=0.03). In 39% of cases, the reason for hospital admission without criteria defined by the French Society of Anesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine (SFAR) and French Health Authority (HAS) was the patient's refusal of day care. In 10% of conventional admissions, day-care was not implemented because of psychosocial factors. CONCLUSION: Day-care management is appropriate for UADT panendoscopy in selected patients. The reasons for the high rate of patient refusal should be studied.

[Patient with homozygous sickle cell disease and free flap surgery: Ensuring the success of the procedure]. / Drépanocytose homozygote et nécessité d'une réparation par lambeau libre : comment assurer la réussite du projet thérapeutique.

Sickle cell anaemia is rare in France but frequent in Africa, leading to rigid, sickle-like shape red blood cells which bind together blocking microcirculation under certain circumstances. The vaso-occlusive crisis is the most frequent clinical manifestation especially in case of homozygous disease. Sickle cells disease is therefore usually considerated as a contraindication to microsurgery, however sometimes, a free flap procedure is mandatory. We here report the case of a 47-year-old man suffering with homozygous sickle cell anaemia and needing an antebrachial free flap procedure for a tongue reconstruction. The postoperative course was unremarkable apart from a delayed healing which is common in this particular localization. A review of the litterature allows to list the precautions to be taken to ensure a microsurgical procedure with this medical background. The preoperative examination has to assess usual sickle cell disease comorbidities such as kidney failure, heart failure or pulmonary hypertension. All the events leading to either low output syndrome, hypoxia, hypothermia, or a stress caused by uncontrolled pain should be avoided per- and postoperatively. With an optimum medical care, microsurgery is possible even in patients suffering with sickle cells anaemia. This case is rare in France but will become frequent in Africa with the improvement of the healthcare system, allowing to give all patients the best medical care.

[Reconstruction of proximal nasal defect after deep carcinological resection. Interest to combine titane mesh with fat grafting]. / Reconstruction de la racine du nez après exérèse carcinologique profonde. Intérêt de combiner implants de titane et greffe de tissu graisseux.

INTRODUCTION: The mucosal cylindroma or adenoid cystic carcinoma is the second sinonasal non-epithelial malignant tumor frequency argument. Due to the achievement of the nasal mucosa and a late diagnosis reconstructions are often complex. We report the case of a mucous cylindroma recurrence of nasal septum requiring a wide and deep excision of the root of the nose with nasal reconstruction. CASE REPORT: A patient aged 66 years whose history resection two years ago with a mucous adenoid cystic carcinoma of the right side of the nasal septum, had a local recurrence T2NOM0 imposing a wide excision with amputation nasal septum own bones of nose, the anterior portion of the triangular cartilages. The reconstruction was carried out in three areas: a musculocutaneous forehead flap to the mucosal level, a titanium plate to the bone plane, nasal native skin to skin level. Histological examination confirmed the existence of a recurrence cylindroma infiltrating the bone. The surgical margins were however in sano. Adjuvant radiotherapy to 60Gy dose of the surgical area was indicated after surgery. The consequences of surgery and radiotherapy were simple. However local changes to show a progressive refinement of the nasal skin due to irradiation leading to a small titanium plate exposure revision surgery with coverage by a glabellar flap associated with a time of lipomodeling unexposed areas have improved and trophism of soft tissue. Two further lipomodeling sessions have yielded a good quality and stable skin. From an oncological point of view, no recurrence was detected with a decline of 10 years. Aesthetic and functional point of view the results were highly satisfactory. DISCUSSION: Oncologic resections subtotal nasal pyramid are complex, we will see the benefits and disadvantages of the different techniques used in the different stages. CONCLUSION: This case report illustrates the difficulties of reconstruction after wide excision of mucosal lesions root of the nose carrying the mucous plan and nasal bones. It stresses the importance of bone reconstruction titanium plate and innovative element, the efficiency of fat transfer to restore the quality and trophicity soft tissue. Fat transfer in addition to reconstructions by titanium plates and splints may thus expand the indications of these types of techniques in complex facial and cranial reconstructions.

An unusual giant cell tumor of the thyroid: case report and review of the literature.

CONTEXT: Bone giant cell tumors (GCTs) are among the most common benign bone tumors and affect mostly young patients. They represent a rare etiology of head and neck cancer. OBJECTIVE: We report the case of a 38-yr-old male with a GCT of the thyroid cartilage, initially treated as a thyroid cancer. CASE ILLUSTRATION: The patient had incomplete initial surgery, and a substantial tumor residue was observed at postoperative morphological evaluation. Given the potential risks associated with complete definitive surgery and recent data supporting the use of the receptor activator of nuclear factor κB ligand inhibitor, we proposed treatment with denosumab. Three months after initiating denosumab, computed tomography scan imaging showed a significant modification of the lesion with several calcifications. The patient underwent partial laryngectomy, and examination of the surgical specimen revealed a complete histological response. RESULTS: A review of the literature was conducted to identify previous studies pertaining to GCTs, focusing on reports related to their management. CONCLUSION: Denosumab emerges as a new treatment for patients with GCTs. Additional clinical trial data are needed to establish the real efficacy and long-term safety of this treatment for the management of GCT.

Conformal radiotherapy for paranasal sinus and nasal cavity tumors: three-dimensional treatment planning and preliminary results in 40 patients.

PURPOSE: To assess the possibility to deliver a high and homogeneous irradiation with respect to maximal tolerated dose to the visual pathways for paranasal sinus and nasal cavity tumors. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Forty patients with advanced stage malignant tumors were treated with postoperative (30) or primary (10 patients) conformal radiotherapy (CRT). Five patients were previously irradiated. Six to 15 individually shaped isocentric noncoplanar field arrangements, using a multileaf collimator were designed. Dose-volume histograms (DVH) for the planning target volumes (PTV) and the optic pathways were analyzed in 31 cases. RESULTS: Median and maximal delivered doses to the PTV were 60 (+/-3) and 66 (+/-4) Gy. Dose distributions for critical organs are detailed. Median follow-up was 19 months (3 to 48). Local, nodal, and metastatic recurrences occurred in 8, 2, and 7 cases, respectively. Major prognostic factor for local recurrences was central nervous system (CNS) involvement. One patient died of meningitis. Two patients developed cataract, and 1 patient ipsilateral blindness due to vascular glaucoma. CONCLUSION: CRT for locally advanced paranasal sinus and nasal cavity tumors enables the delivery of high homogeneous doses to the PTV with respect to critical organs, with a low toxicity and a high local control.

[Reconstructive subtotal laryngectomy: a personal technique in a series of 100 patients operated on between 1990 and 1997]. / Laryngectomies sub-totales reconstructrices, à propos d'une technique personnelle sur une série de 100 patients opérés entre 1990 et 1997.

Described by Majer and Rieder, modified by Piquet, subtotal laryngectomy with cricohyoidoepiglottopexy (CHEP) allowed to treat intralaryngeal carcinoma with preservation of speech and swallowing. Some modifications were proposed to the procedure to simplify it and to improve functional results. Most important one is the one proposed by Guerrier. In the refined procedure we describe, we didn't do any -pexy to conserved as near as possible from normality morphology and physiology of pharyngolaryngeal unit. Dynamics is preserved by keeping jointly the laryngotracheal tract. In addition, we avoid doing a tracheotomy. We present the functional outcome of 100 patients treated between 1990 and 1997: oral feeding was initiated at the 6th day postoperative, delay to achieve proper swallowing was 11.5 days and median hospitalization duration was 18 days (14 days for non tracheotomized group). The comfort of patients without tracheotomy was greatly increased with a low risk of pneumonia. Such a procedure could be applied every time a laryngeal reconstruction had to be done (partial laryngectomy, laryngeal trauma).