Subcutaneous Sparganosis on Abdomen Mimicking Multiple Lipomas.

Human sparganosis is a food-borne zoonosis mainly caused by the plerocercoid belonging to the genus Spirometra. The most common clinical sign of sparganosis is a subcutaneous mass in the trunk including abdominal or chest wall. The mass may be mistaken for a malignant tumor, thereby causing difficulty in terms of diagnosis and treatment. A 66-year-old woman visited our clinic for the removal of a lipoma-like mass. It was movable, hard, and painless. We identified 2 white mass, measuring 0.2×4 cm and 0.2×1 cm. Pathologic findings indicated the white mass was a sparganum. She recalled having eaten a raw frog approximately 60 years before. A 35-year-old who lived North Korea was also presented to our clinic with an asymptomatic nodule on her abdomen. Intraoperatively, we found sparganum approximately 24 cm size. Subcutaneous masses are associated with clinical signs of inflammation or they may mimic a soft tissue neoplasm. While the incidence rate of sparganosis has decreased with economic development and advancements in sanitation, surgeons still encounter patients with sparganosis in the clinical setting. Therefore, a careful history is required in order to diagnose sparganosis.

Complication After PDO Threads Lift.

Thread-lifting is as a minimally invasive procedure with limited scarring, rapid recovery, and fewer complications compared with the standard incisional surgery for facial rejuvenation. Using absorbable thread-like polydioxanone is a relatively simple procedure that is also performed by nonmedical professionals in Korea. Although several acute or delayed complications after using nonabsorbable thread types were also reported, it is uncommon to find cellulitis caused by a delayed complication after thread-lifting. A 41-year-old woman presented to our clinic with inflamed multiple palpable masses. She underwent 3 courses of acupoint embedding therapy at a Korean oriental medical clinic. She was treated with combination antibiotic therapy; however, the inflammation did not subside. Consequently, excisional biopsy was performed under local anesthesia. During the procedure, threads were detected and removed. Dimpling, thread exposure, alopecia, under-correction, asymmetry, and parotid gland injury also can occur as early complications of the procedure. Fortunately, these reactions are predominantly mild to moderate in intensity, and can be corrected by a relatively simple procedure. Chronic inflammatory reactions in the thread-lifting area, as identified in the authors' case, are an infrequent complication. It is recommended to consult with experts in the field for the implementation of this procedure. In addition, experts also need to notify the above side effects and solutions in advance to ensure safe and satisfactory procedures for their patients.

Oroantral fistula after a zygomaticomaxillary complex fracture.

Zygomaticomaxillary complex (ZMC) fractures account for a substantial proportion of trauma cases. The most frequent complications of maxillofacial fracture treatment are infections and soft tissue flap dehiscence. Postoperative infections nearly always resolve in response to oral antibiotics and local wound care. However, a significant infection can cause a permanent fistula. A 52-year-old man visited our clinic to treat an oroantral fistula (OAF), which was a late complication of a ZMC fracture. Postoperatively, the oral suture site dehisced, exposing the absorbable plate. However, he did not seek treatment. After 5 years, an OAF formed with a 2.0× 2.0 cm bony defect on the left maxilla. We completely excised the OAF, harvested a piece of corticocancellous bone from the iliac crest, inserted the harvested bone into the defect, and covered the soft tissue defect with a buccal mucosal transposition flap. Although it is necessary to excise OAFs, the failure rate is higher for large OAFs (> 5 mm in diameter) because of the extensive defect in the underlying bone that supports the overlying flap. Inappropriate management of postoperative wounds after a ZMC fracture can lead to disastrous outcomes, as in this case. Therefore, proper postoperative treatment and follow-up are essential.