RESUMEN
Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) overlying an arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is rare and presents unique challenges. This case report describes a method of fistula preservation after CSCC excision using a flow-through venous free flap. The saphenous vein of the venous flap was used as flow-through segment for AVF preservation. The flap was inserted along the dorsal aspect of the forearm wound and microvascular anastomosis of the arterial inflow was completed using a vein just proximal to the radiocephalic fistula anastomosis. Venous outflow was established by creating an end-to-end vascular anastomosis between the cephalic vein and the greater saphenous vein. A separate subcutaneous vein was used to provide a low-pressure outflow for the flap to avoid congestion. This case demonstrates an option for AVF preservation that has not been previously described. It also highlights the importance of a multidisciplinary approach for the safe treatment of CSCCs overlying AVFs.
RESUMEN
Purpose Pisiformectomy is the baseline treatment for pisotriquetral arthritis when medical treatment fails to address the problem. This operation may lead to loss of mobility and strength in the wrist. This study reports the short-term outcomes of a new technique for treating pisotriquetral arthritis using a pisotriquetral interposition arthroplasty with a pyrocarbon implant. Patients and Methods We performed a clinical and radiographic study on a series of eight patients who received this treatment at a mean follow-up of 2.8 years. We also studied the mobility of the implant and did assessed articular instability using dynamic radiology and fluoroscopy. Results We observed one proximal dislocation of the implant in one hand which was reoperated to reposition the implant and strengthen the capsule. All patients were satisfied or very satisfied with their operation and had an average functional recovery period of 1.6 months. At the last follow-up, the Mayo Wrist Score (MWS), Quick Disability of Arm Shoulder and Hand (QDASH), and Patient-Rated Wrist Evaluation (PRWE) scores were 89, 18, and 20, respectively. Postoperatively, there was a 22% improvement in the grip strength of the wrists as well as improved mobility, mainly as regards the radioulnar deviation (47% improvement) and the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) pain scores decreased from 8 preoperatively to 2 at the latest follow-up. The functional radiologic and fluoroscopic study reported good adaptive mobility of the implant in all the patients, without any indication of pisotriquetral joint instability. Conclusion The short-term results of pisotriquetral arthroplasty using the Pyrocardan implant are encouraging. This new surgical solution appears to be a valid alternative to pisiformectomy or pisotriquetral arthrodesis. Long-term studies are required to confirm these preliminary findings.
RESUMEN
The noninvasive assessment of flap viability in autologous reconstruction surgery is still an unmet clinical need. To cope with this problem, we developed a proof-of-principle fully automatized setup for fast time-gated diffuse optical tomography exploiting Mellin-Laplace transform to obtain three-dimensional tomographic reconstructions of oxy- and deoxy-hemoglobin concentrations. We applied this method to perform preclinical tests on rats inducing total venous occlusion in the cutaneous abdominal flaps. Notwithstanding the use of just four source-detector couples, we could detect a spatially localized increase of deoxyhemoglobin following the occlusion (up to 550 µM in 54 min). Such capability to image spatio-temporal evolution of blood perfusion is a key issue for the noninvasive monitoring of flap viability.