Consistency of Cranial Shape Measures Obtained From Laser Surface and Computed Tomography Imaging.

OBJECTIVE: Children with cranial shape abnormalities are often subjected to radiation from computed tomography (CT) for evaluation and clinical decision making. The STARscanner Laser Data Acquisition System (Orthomerica, Orlando, FL) may be a noninvasive alternate. The purpose of this study is to determine whether the STARscanner provides valid and accurate cranial measurements compared to CT. DESIGN: We performed an institutional review board-approved retrospective review of a prospectively maintained database of patients with metopic suture abnormalities from 2013 to 2016. SETTING: Plastic surgery clinic in an institutional tertiary care center. PATIENTS: Eight patients were included that presented with metopic suture abnormalities, age less than 1 year, and CT and STARscanner imaging within 30 days of one another. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Cranial measurements were collected twice from 3 scan types: STARscanner, CT windowed for soft tissue, and CT windowed for bone. Measurements included: intracranial volume, height, base width, maximum antero-posterior length, maximum medio-lateral width, and oblique diameters. Nested analysis of variance were performed to determine the proportion of error attributable to: between-subject variance, scan type, and rater. RESULTS: Measurements from STARscanner and both CT scans windows were highly consistent, with less than 1% of total error attributable to scan type for all measures. CONCLUSIONS: Cranial shape measurements obtained from STARscanner images are highly consistent with those obtained from CT scans. The STARscanner has added benefits of speed of acquisition, minimal cost, and lack of radiation.

Relationship of a Metopic Ridge and Anterior Cranial Volume Measured by a Noninvasive Laser Shape Digitizer.

Cranial dysmorphology observed in patients with metopic craniosynostosis varies along a spectrum of severity including varying degrees of metopic ridging, bitemporal narrowing, and trigonocephaly. Management has been based upon the subjective clinical impression of presence and severity of trigonocephaly. Severity of cranial dysmorphology does not predict the occurrence or severity of associated abnormal neurodevelopment, as children with mild-to-moderate trigonocephaly may also experience developmental delays. The authors sought to determine the relationship between mild-to-moderate trigonocephaly and anterior cranial volume using a noninvasive laser shape digitizer (STARscanner) in patients with abnormal head shape.An IRB-approved retrospective review of a prospectively maintained database and medical records was performed. Two hundred three patients less than 1 year of age with abnormal head shape were categorized as having a metopic ridge with mild-to-moderate trigonocephaly, metopic ridge without trigonocephaly, or no ridge. Measurements of cranial volume, circumference, and symmetry were calculated by the STARscanner, which quantifies three-dimensional shape of the cranial surface. Measures were analyzed using a series of analyses of variance and post-hoc Tukey honest significant difference.The authors results showed ACV was significantly reduced in patients with mild-to-moderate trigonocephaly compared with those without metopic ridge (P = 0.009), and trended toward significance compared with those with a ridge but without trigonocephaly (P = 0.072). The ratio of anterior-to-posterior cranial volume was significantly reduced in those with mild-to-moderate trigonocephaly compared with those without metopic ridge (P = 0.036).In conclusion, patients with milder anterior cranial deformities demonstrated an association between a metopic ridge with mild-to-moderate trigonocephaly and reduced anterior cranial volume.

The Subtleties of Success in Simultaneous Augmentation-Mastopexy.

BACKGROUND: Many have challenged the safety of performing breast augmentation and mastopexy simultaneously. However, staging these procedures incurs the increased risk and inconvenience of two periods of anesthesia and recuperation. The authors set out to evaluate the occurrence of complications across the populations of patients undergoing (1) combined augmentation-mastopexy, (2) isolated augmentation, and (3) isolated mastopexy. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of one surgeon's consecutive series of each of these procedures from 2000 to 2009 was conducted. Preoperative risk factors were characterized. Sixteen different complications were examined, and those necessitating operative revision were tracked. Statistical analysis was performed looking for significant differences between the surgical groups. RESULTS: No instances of infection, tissue loss, or implant exposure occurred among the 297 patients over an average follow-up period of 15.5 months. The isolated mastopexy group did not provide sufficient data for statistical comparison. Tissue-related complications were most common in the combined procedure group. The operative revision rate for isolated augmentation was 7.97 percent compared with a combined procedure revision rate of 12.4 percent (p = 0.28). CONCLUSIONS: The majority of complications in this series comparing simultaneous augmentation-mastopexy to isolated augmentation were minor. Complications requiring operative revision were not found to be significantly different between the two groups. There was a much lower reoperation rate (12.4 percent) with the combined procedure compared with a 100 percent reoperation rate when the procedure is staged. Thus, the authors feel the combined procedure can safely be part of every plastic surgeon's practice. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, III.

Incidence of Amblyopia and Its Risk Factors in Children With Isolated Metopic Craniosynostosis.

OBJECTIVE: Ophthalmic abnormalities in children with syndromic craniosynostosis have been reported previously, and referral of these children to a pediatric ophthalmologist is recommended. However, it is not as clear whether a child with nonsyndromic synostosis needs to be referred to a pediatric ophthalmologist. The aim of this study is to report the incidence of amblyopia and its risk factors in children with isolated metopic craniosynostosis. DESIGN: An institutional review board-approved, retrospective review was performed on 91 children diagnosed with isolated metopic craniosynostosis. Ophthalmologic records were reviewed for diagnoses of amblyopia, strabismus, and refractive error. RESULTS: Of the 91 children, 19 (20.9%) had astigmatism, eight (8.8%) had amblyopia, eight (8.8%) had strabismus, five had myopia (5.5%), five had hyperopia (5.5%), and five had anisometropia (5.5%). The incidence of amblyopia and its risk factors found in our study are higher than the rate found in the clinically normal pediatric population. CONCLUSIONS: In our patient population, children with isolated metopic craniosynostosis demonstrate an increased rate of amblyopia and its risk factors. Amblyopia is best treated early in life to achieve a successful outcome. A referral to a pediatric ophthalmologist for a formal eye exam and potential treatment is therefore recommended for children with isolated metopic craniosynostosis.

Improving the Utility of Laryngeal Adductor Reflex Testing: A Translational Tale of Mice and Men.

OBJECTIVES: Evaluation of the laryngeal adductor reflex (LAR) entails delivering air through an endoscope positioned 1 to 2 mm from the arytenoid mucosa to elicit bilateral vocal fold (VF) closure. This short working distance limits visualization to only the ipsilateral arytenoid and results in quantification of a single LAR metric: threshold pressure that evokes the LAR. Our goal was to evolve the LAR procedure to optimize its utility in clinical practice and translational research. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective translational experiment. SETTING: Academic institution. SUBJECTS: Young healthy human adults (n = 13) and 3 groups of mice: healthy, primary aging mice (n = 5), a transgenic mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS; n = 4), and young healthy controls (n = 10). METHODS: The VFs were visualized bilaterally during supramaximal air stimulation through an endoscope. Responses were analyzed to quantify 4 novel metrics: VF adduction phase duration, complete glottic closure duration, VF abduction phase duration, and total LAR duration. RESULTS: The 4 LAR metrics are remarkably similar between healthy young humans and mice. Compared to control mice, aging mice have shorter glottic closure durations, whereas ALS-affected mice have shorter VF abduction phase durations. CONCLUSIONS: We have established a new LAR protocol that permits quantification of novel LAR metrics that are translatable between mice and humans. Using this protocol, we showed that VF adduction is impaired in primary aging mice, whereas VF abduction is impaired in ALS-affected mice. These preliminary findings highlight the enhanced diagnostic potential of LAR testing.

Incidence of Amblyopia and Its Risk Factors in Children With Isolated Metopic Craniosynostosis.

OBJECTIVE: Ophthalmic abnormalities in children with syndromic craniosynostosis have been reported previously, and referral of these children to a pediatric ophthalmologist is recommended. However, it is not as clear whether a child with nonsyndromic synostosis needs to be referred to a pediatric ophthalmologist. The aim of this study is to report the incidence of amblyopia and its risk factors in children with isolated metopic craniosynostosis. DESIGN: An institutional review board-approved, retrospective review was performed on 91 children diagnosed with isolated metopic craniosynostosis. Ophthalmologic records were reviewed for diagnoses of amblyopia, strabismus, and refractive error. RESULTS: Of the 91 children, 19 (20.9%) had astigmatism, eight (8.8 %) had amblyopia, eight (8.8%) had strabismus, five had myopia (5.5%), five had hyperopia (5.5%), and five had anisometropia (5.5%). The incidence of amblyopia and its risk factors found in our study are higher than the rate found in the clinically normal pediatric population. CONCLUSIONS: In our patient population, children with isolated metopic craniosynostosis demonstrate an increased rate of amblyopia and its risk factors. Amblyopia is best treated early in life to achieve a successful outcome. A referral to a pediatric ophthalmologist for a formal eye exam and potential treatment is therefore recommended for children with isolated metopic craniosynostosis.