Application of the inner arm perforator flap in the management of axillary hidradenitis suppurativa.

Axillary hidradenitis suppurativa is a chronic and debilitating disease that primarily affects the axillae, perineum, and inframammary areas. Surgical removal of all the diseased skin constitutes the only efficient treatment. Covering an axillary fossa defect is challenging, due to the range of shoulder movement required. Indeed, shoulder movement may be compromised by scar contraction after inadequate surgery. The present study is the first to apply an inner arm perforator flap to the treatment of twelve axillary skin defects in 10 patients. The defect originated from extensive excision of recurrent hidradenitis suppurativa in the axilla. The technique used to cover the defect is a V-Y advancement flap or a propeller flap from the inner arm based on one to three perforators arising from the brachial artery or the superior ulnar collateral artery. The flap provides a tensionless wound closure and a generally unremarkable postoperative course in a short hospital stay. No major complications occurred. Two patients had minor delayed wound healing. Outcomes (including donor site morbidity, function and the cosmetic outcome) were very satisfactory in all cases. We consider that the inner arm perforator flap is a valuable new option for the reconstruction of axillary defects.

Perforator arteries of the medial upper arm: anatomical basis of a new flap donor site.

The development of perforator flaps' concept based on knowledge on vascular anatomy of the skin represents a major improvement in reconstructive surgery. Succeeding description about vascular territories and anatomical basics of the main donor sites, the study of hidden donor sites, such as medial upper arm, constitutes a new step and an additional refinement. 20 upper limbs of 10 fresh adult cadavers were studied with colored latex injections. The origin and distribution of the perforator arteries of the superior ulnar collateral artery and the brachial artery were investigated. We have noted constant perforator arteries and described the limits of vascular territories of the medial upper arm.

[Breast implants and anaplastic large cell lymphoma: What do we know?]. / Prothèse mammaire et lymphome T anaplasique à grandes cellules: que savons-nous ?

There is a new concern about a possible association between anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) and breast implants. The purpose of this review was to identify and analyze all reported cases of ALCL occurring in patients with breast implants. Therefore, we reviewed all articles published concerning this subject between 1991 and 2011. We found 41 cases of ALCL. The mean age of the patients was 51 years old with an average of 108 months between the implantation and the diagnosis. Over 60 % of the reported cases were aesthetic augmentations. However, none of the published study managed to highlight a correlation between the prosthesis and this lymphoma. Therefore, we believe that for the moment, we can reassure our patients, but we must be aware of this association if a late seroma or a tumefaction occur on prosthesis. The surgical management seems to be essential for the diagnosis and the treatment, especially by the negative ALK and CD 30 expression of this lymphoma.

[About perforator flaps 20 years later]. / À propos des lambeaux perforants 20 ans après.

Despite the birth of reconstructive surgery 2000 years ago, the main advances in this field appeared in the second half of the 20th century. Born in Asia, it is from that same continent that the last improvement has occurred through the perforator flap concept. Combining advances in the understanding of cutaneous blood supply and advances in surgical instrumentation to optimize the reconstruction while reducing morbidity is gradually becoming a reality. Twenty years after the first perforator flap described by Koshima and Soeda, the authors review the history, the concept and nomenclature of these flaps. Furthermore, through an analyze of the international literature, the authors attempt to achieve an assessment of the reliability and morbidity of perforator flaps after 2 decades of existence.

[From Tansini to Angrigiani: improvement and refinement of the thoracodorsal flap]. / De Tansini à Angrigiani : amélioration et raffinements du lambeau thoracodorsal.

Flap surgery is the art of transposing an autonomous vascularised tissue, from a donor site to a distant recipient site. It was born 2000 years ago in India, evolving from random flaps to microsurgical flaps with a skeletonised vascular pedicle. This evolution was possible through the knowledge of cutaneous vascularisation and allows today the spreading field of perforator flaps. Writing the story of any particular flap is, in fact, looking back to understand the global concept and evolution of flaps surgery. Therefore the authors detail every step of the development and technical improvement of the thoracodorsal flap from the classical musculocutaneous latissimus dorsi flap to one of its latest achievement, the thoracodorsal perforator flap. This story helps us to appreciate the armamentarium of thin and low donor site morbidity flap that perforator flaps offer to us.

[Custom made chest-wall implant and Poland's syndrome: Between art and science]. / Prothèse sur mesure et syndrome de Poland : entre art et science.

Poland's syndrome is a well-described congenital thoracic deformity with mostly only an aesthetic damage. We report the case of a chest-wall correction of a young male patient by a custom made silicone implant, detailing the original process of manufacturing, and justifying the choice not to use a conventional technique of reconstruction. This alternative enhances the surgeon's therapeutic arsenal, so that he can provide a customized answer, adapted to the requirements and the morphological characteristics of each patient.

[Role of the association artificial dermis and negative pressure therapy: about two cases]. / Intérêt de l'association derme artificiel et thérapie par pression négative : à propos de deux cas.

In our modern health system, the improvement of the medical care cannot come along with an increase of expenses. In this purpose, we tried to bring to light the medical and economic, direct and indirect, benefits which exist with the association of an artificial dermis, Integra, and negative pressure therapy as the vacuum assisted closure (VAC) for wound which would have been treated by Integra alone. While preserving the aesthetic and functional qualities obtained by the artificial dermis alone followed by a skin graft after 21 days of treatment, the association of the negative pressure allows to perform the skin graft after only 10 days of treatment. This gain of time is a financial economy for the medical centers which have to shorten the durations of stay to be profitable. The patient benefits of a shorter hospitalization and will manage to return to work earlier. The quality of the treatment is not only improved by the absentia of immobilization of the patient but also by the decrease of the complications and the infectious risks due to the use of artificial dermis. The results so obtained highlight that in spite of the initial expense caused by this association the advantages are such that the use of the artificial dermis alone will not have interest any more.

Management of the perineal wound after abdominoperineal resection.

Although many options are available for the management of perineal wounds after abdominoperineal resection, ranging from direct closure to flap reconstruction, treatment remains challenging. A better understanding of the aims, drawbacks and progress in perineal wound management after abdominoperineal rectal resection can help the surgeon make better choices for each patient, but it is very difficult to propose a single, optimal, evidence-based procedure for the management of pelvic exenteration. Recent progress provided by the extralevator abdominoperineal resection technique and perforator flap concepts have changed our conception of reconstruction leading to the different technical options highlighted in this review.

[Reconstruction of hand dorsum soft tissue defect using anterolateral thigh perforator flap: description, case study and review of literature]. / Couverture d'une perte de substance de la face dorsale de la main par lambeau antérolatéral de cuisse : description, cas clinique et revue de la littérature.

Reconstruction of hand dorsum soft tissue defect usually requires a flap. The dorsal skin is thin and the underlying structures require coverage by vascularised tissue. We have been using perforator flaps in these cases, especially the anterolateral thigh perforator flap. After a description of the technique, we present a case report in which this flap, in a free version, was used to reconstruct a dorsal hand defect after failure of a posterior interosseous flap. The fascia underlying the flap was used to create a sliding interface for extensor tendons. Postoperative care was without complications. The indications of this flap are numerous but after a review of international literature, we found that its use was seldom reported in France compared to other countries. However, we think that its trophic qualities and minor donor site morbidity make it ideal for coverage of hand dorsum soft tissue defects.