A rare case of extensive aplasia cutis congenita: Our surgical approach.

Aplasia cutis congenita (ACC) is a rare disorder resulting in the absence of skin or deeper layers, most often involving an isolated small area on the scalp. However, extensive cutis aplasia involving multiple large critical areas of the body is extremely uncommon and remains a challenging condition to manage. Initial concerns involve early mortality from excessive moisture loss, hypothermia, bleeding, sepsis, and brain herniation while subsequent sequelae from delayed wound healing resulting in scarring and loss of function also provide numerous management dilemmas. Conservative treatment with dressings, which typically allows epithelisation in small cases, is inadequate. Surgical approaches described such as skin grafts and rotational flaps are also insufficient in extensive ACC involving the chest and entire scalp. In this article, we present how our centre successfully treated a patient with a large total body surface area of ACC involving the entire scalp, neck, forehead, chest, trunk, lateral flanks, and patchy areas of all four limbs.

Acceptance of Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation (Face and Hand Transplant) in Singapore.

Recent advancements and innovations in the burgeoning field of vascularized composite allotransplantation has enabled face and hand transplant to become a reality in the Western world. Plastic surgeons from the United States, France, and Spain have since performed vascularized composite allotransplantation as a novel therapeutic option in patients suffering from severe facial disfigurement and limb loss. Results have demonstrated remarkable functional and esthetic outcomes with improvements in the immense psychological, social, and emotional burdens that can arise in these patients. Despite the success of existing national solid organ transplant programs, face and hand transplant has yet to be established in this region. The specific aims of this study were to assess the attitudes and amount of risk Singaporeans are willing to accept towards receiving or donating face and hand transplants; and hence ultimately evaluate the feasibility of establishing such a program in Singapore.

Pleural fat-forming variant of solitary fibrous tumor.

The fat-forming variant of solitary fibrous tumor is rare. It occurs predominantly in the deep soft tissues of the retroperitoneum and thigh. We describe a case of fat-forming solitary fibrous tumor arising from the pleura, which was successfully treated using a video-assisted thoracoscopic approach. The patient remained free of recurrence 2 years after surgery and continues to be under long-term follow-up.