Does a Vertebra Fracture Cause a Tumor? A Dorsolumbar Paraspinal Desmoid Tumor: Case Report

Extraabdominal desmoid tumors are uncommon soft-tissue tumors. The etiology of the tumor is still unclear. Injury is one of the etiological factors of soft-tissue tumors. A 41-year-old female patient who had a traumatic vertebral body fracture on the thoracic spine was treated conservatively. Two and a half years later, she presented a painful, palpable swelling on the thoracolumbar region. In the present report, was discuss the patient, who underwent a surgery to remove the desmoid tumor (aggressive fibromatosis), within the context of the current literature. The literature on desmoid tumor caused by a trauma is rare. This is the first case that demonstrates an extraabdominal desmoid tumor following a spinal fracture. The swelling on the region of the trauma must be examined carefully and desmoid tumor must be kept in mind as a possible diagnosis.

Snakebite in Korea: A Guideline to Primary Surgical Management

PURPOSE: Snakebite is an emergency which causes local symptoms such as pain and edema around the bite. Systemic symptoms may also develop, such as dizziness or renal failure, and may even cause death. The purpose of this research was to assess the validity and safety of snakebite protocol for surgery when treating snakebite patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective research was performed on patients who were admitted after being treated at the emergency center from January 2008 to December 2012. When necessary, debridement was also performed, and 46 of 111 patients (41.4%) underwent debridement. Those who had received debridement without antivenom administration due to a positive skin reaction test were classified as group A, and group B received antivenom and delayed debridement. We reviewed the emergency and admission charts of the patients in each group and recorded and compared their age, sex, bite site, severity of local and general symptoms, time to receive antivenin, and complications. RESULTS: Of the ten patients (21.7%) in group A, two (66.6%) developed cellulites, and one of them experienced skin necrosis, resulting in a skin graft. In group B, there were 36 patients (78.2%), 19 (52.7%) of whom developed cellulitis. Skin necrosis occurred in two patients, and one of these patients received a skin graft. Compartment syndrome was found in one patient, and fasciotomy and a skin graft were performed. CONCLUSION: The treatment protocol implemented to treat snakebite patients admitted to the emergency center during this research was safely and properly followed during surgical treatment.

Extensive soft tissue injuries as a cause of death.

The blunt trauma injury is the most common type, a pathologist encounter when doing medico-legal autopsies. Sometimes, while searching the main cavities of the body for the fatal injuries like lacerations and damages to the vital organs, we, the Forensic Pathologist commonly ignores the superficial small abrasions, bruises over the other parts of the body. Cutaneous injuries i.e. abrasions, contusions in most cases, are not fatal and are seemingly unimportant. However, soft tissue injuries not always are simple as mostly described in the literature but sometimes these injuries may be so extensive internally that leads to irreversible shock. In fact, these injuries prove fatal when taken collectively into consideration. Sometimes trivial circumstances lead to serious quarrel, resulting into death of the victim which apparently looking uninjured externally while conducting autopsy. Under such circumstances sometimes at primary health care centres the inexperienced autopsy surgeons are not in a position to correlate the superficial looking soft tissue injuries attributing towards death.

Efficacy of Postoperative Radiograph for Evaluating the Prevertebral Soft Tissue Swelling after Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion

BACKGROUND: After surgery for degenerative spinal disease by the anterior approach, the degree of soft tissue swelling can be assessed simply using plain radiographs. However, there are little studies according to the surgical methods or extent of surgery, and no study had addressed the clinical meaning of swelling determined by plain radiography. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical significance of prevertebral soft tissue swelling (PSTS) after anterior cervical fusion with plate fixation for the treatment of degenerative cervical spinal disorders. METHODS: One hundred and thirty-five patients that underwent anterior cervical fusion with plate augmentation for degenerative cervical spondylosis were included in this study. PSTS differences were analyzed with respect to numbers of fusion segments and location of fusion. Cases were divided into two groups based on the amount of PSTS, and incidences of dyspnea, dysphagia, dysphonia were evaluated. RESULTS: PSTS increments were significantly greater in patients that had undergone multi-level or high-level fusion. Complications of dyspnea, dysphagia and dysphonia were found more frequently in patients with marked PSTS group. CONCLUSIONS: Increments of PSTS after anterior cervical fusion for degenerative spinal disorders are greater and incidences of complications are higher in patients that undergo multi-level or high-level fusion. Thus, measurement of PSTS using consecutive cervical lateral radiographs after anterior cervical surgery is clinically meaningful procedure.

Efficacy of Postoperative Radiograph for Evaluating the Prevertebral Soft Tissue Swelling after Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion

BACKGROUND: After surgery for degenerative spinal disease by the anterior approach, the degree of soft tissue swelling can be assessed simply using plain radiographs. However, there are little studies according to the surgical methods or extent of surgery, and no study had addressed the clinical meaning of swelling determined by plain radiography. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical significance of prevertebral soft tissue swelling (PSTS) after anterior cervical fusion with plate fixation for the treatment of degenerative cervical spinal disorders. METHODS: One hundred and thirty-five patients that underwent anterior cervical fusion with plate augmentation for degenerative cervical spondylosis were included in this study. PSTS differences were analyzed with respect to numbers of fusion segments and location of fusion. Cases were divided into two groups based on the amount of PSTS, and incidences of dyspnea, dysphagia, dysphonia were evaluated. RESULTS: PSTS increments were significantly greater in patients that had undergone multi-level or high-level fusion. Complications of dyspnea, dysphagia and dysphonia were found more frequently in patients with marked PSTS group. CONCLUSIONS: Increments of PSTS after anterior cervical fusion for degenerative spinal disorders are greater and incidences of complications are higher in patients that undergo multi-level or high-level fusion. Thus, measurement of PSTS using consecutive cervical lateral radiographs after anterior cervical surgery is clinically meaningful procedure.

Diagnóstico y tratamiento del síndrome de Morel-Lavallée: revisión de dos casos clínicos / Diagnosis and treatment of Morel-Lavallee syndrome: review of two clinical cases

El síndrome de Morel-Lavallée fue descrito ya a mediados del siglo diecinueve, y si bien es conocido por los médicos traumatólogos, rara vez se menciona en la literatura médica. Corresponde a la formación de una masa hemolinfática localizada entre la hipodermis y la aponeurosis, secundaria a traumatismos. El diagnóstico clínico, complementado con exámenes radiológicos. El tratamiento de este síndrome es aún controvertido.

Management of soft tissue defects of hand with local [posterior interosseous] flaps

Observational case series study. To evaluate the role of Local Flaps in the management of the soft tissue injuries of hand. Study was conducted at BV Hospital, Bahawalpur from June 2002 to May 2003. In this study, we selected cases in which direct skin closure was not possible due to large defect or skin grafting was contraindicated for example in cases where bones and tendons were exposed, or in certain conditions where some secondary procedures may have to be carried out like tendon repair, tendon grafting nerve repair or fixation of fracture. Patients with severely crushed, non-salvageable hands, manageable with primary suturing and skin grafts and Patients with peripheral vascular disease, Elderly diabetic and Patients medically unfit for anesthesia. A total of 10 patients were treated between June 2002 and May 2003. There were 8 males and 2 females [male to female ratio 4:1]. Mean age of the patients was 26.26 years with range between 10 and 60 years. Most common cause of skin defects was agriculture machine injury [6 cases] followed by roadside accidents [2 cases], blast injury [I cases], and electric burn [1 cases]. In 7 patients there was an uneventful recovery. One flap was lost completely, partial flap loss occurred in one case, marginal necrosis and infection noted in one case. Local [posterior interosseous island] flaps are useful for coverage of the skin defects over the hand when applied with proper indications

Diagnóstico da esclerodermia sistêmica baseado em alteraçöes orofaciais: revisäo da literatura / Diagnosis of Scleroderma based on orofacial alterations: review of the literature

A Esclerose Sistêmica Progressiva (Esclerodermia) é uma doença crônica caracterizada por esclerose difusa do tecido conjuntivo. Os tecidos cutâneos e viscerais podem estar envolvidos e há manifestaçöes orofaciais clínicas e radiográficas que os dentistas devem conhecer. Através do estudo radiológico dos dentes e maxilares, o dentista poderá contribuir para o diagnóstico da doença, encaminhando o paciente ao médico especialista e o conscientizando em relaçäo à higiene oral adequada