Plastic Surgery Training During Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic: A Quantitative Study on Trainees' Wellness and Education.

PURPOSE: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had far reaching impacts on all aspects of the healthcare system, including plastic surgery training. Due to reduction in the number of elective surgery cases and need for social distancing, plastic surgery education has shifted from the operating room to the virtual learning environment. Although these changes have been qualitatively described, the authors present a quantitative analysis of plastic surgery training changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our study has identified residents' greatest impediments and inquired about suggestions for further improvements. Our goal is to help residency programs through the COVID-19 pandemic era and contribute to future guidelines when residency education encounters additional unexpected changes. METHODS: An institutional review board approved anonymous survey using Qualtrics was forwarded on April 23, 2020 to US plastic surgery program directors to be distributed to plastic surgery residents and fellows. Questions centered on the impact of COVID-19 on residents' well-being, education and career plans results were collected for data analysis. Residents were given the option to be in a raffle to win a $50 amazon gift card. Completion of the survey was both anonymous and voluntary. RESULTS: A total of 69 trainees responded (52 integrated residents and 17 independent fellows) from 18 states. Fifty-one percent were male and 49% were female. Fifty-six percent of trainees plan to complete a fellowship program after graduation, 31% will join private practice. Nine percent of trainees reported changes in their postgraduation plans due to the pandemic, 67% were senior trainees. Of those whose goals were affected by COVID-19 pandemic, 56% opted to pursue additional fellowship training. They described reduced operative exposure and cancelations of elective surgeries (50%), the limited availability of private practice jobs (37.5%), and financial reasons (12.5%) for their decision. Twelve percent reported being concerned about not meeting the necessary requirements to finish their residency and graduate on time. Seventy-six percent of trainees expressed concerns about the health and safety of themselves, family and loved ones. Forty-nine percent of trainees reported increased levels of stress since the onset of the pandemic. Ninety-seven percent of trainees reported having reduction in their operative time during the COVID-19 pandemic. They utilized their nonoperative time for online education modules (84%), educational readings (82%), and research (80%). Plastic surgery trainees learned about national webinars through emails from professional society (83%), co-resident/fellow (77%), program director emails (74%), and social media (22%). Webinars attended were mostly through virtual platform modalities, among which Zoom and Webex were the most preferred. Less interactions with colleagues and faculty was the biggest barrier to adopting virtual conferences. Despite this, 72% agreed that having grand rounds, didactics and journal clubs online increased attendance. Additionally, 88% of respondents expressed interests in attending professional society sponsored virtual grand rounds in the future. CONCLUSIONS: Results from our survey demonstrated that the overwhelming majority of plastic surgery residents have had reductions in operative times and widespread curriculum changes during the COVID-19 pandemic. These recent changes have increased residents' stress levels and adversity affected their future career plans. Additionally, COVID-19 has heralded an increase in virtual conferences and learning modules. Plastic surgery trainees expressed a preference for virtual educational platforms and interest in continuing virtual didactics in the future. This may irreversibly change the landscape of future plastic surgery training.

The influence of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination on post-operative outcomes in microsurgery patients.

BACKGROUND: The healthcare industry's efforts to immunize the global community against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) have been unprecedented. Given the fast-tracking of the novel vaccine, its short- and long-term medical implications remain largely to-be-determined in most patient populations. This study aims to analyze 90-day post-operative outcomes in microsurgical patients, who have received or not received SARS-CoV-2-vaccination, using a continuously updated federated electronic medical record network (TriNetX Inc, Cambridge, MA). METHODS: After screening 70 million de-identified records, 16,799 microsurgery patients aged 18-99 meeting medical coding criteria were allocated into two cohorts. Cohort One received SARS-CoV-2-vaccination prior to undergoing microsurgery whereas Cohort Two did not. Two equally sized cohorts, totaling 818 patients were created after propensity score matching for characteristics including: age, race, ethnicity, smoking, hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and history of SARS-CoV-2 exposure. Postoperative outcomes within 30-, 60-, and 90-days of microsurgery were analyzed. RESULTS: Patients who were SARS-CoV-2-immunized experienced significantly lower (p < .01) surgical site infections (Absolute Risk Reduction (ARR)[95%CI]) = (3.79%-5.36% [0.84-8.54]) ICU admission (9.47%-9.82%[5.45-13.88]), generalized infections (7.68%-9.92%[3.15-14.64]), and hospitalizations (28.48%-32.57%[20.99-40.13]) within 30-, 60-, and 90-days of microsurgery. Additionally, SARS-CoV-2-vaccinated patients also experienced significantly less flap failure (2.49%[0.97-4.02]) and death (2.46%[0.96-3.97]) within 30- and 60-days post-operatively. CONCLUSION: Our analysis examines the potential protective effect of SARS-CoV-2-vaccination in microsurgical patients. Limitations include the retrospective nature of this analysis and the inherent reliance on medical coding. Future prospective studies are warranted to better understand if in fact pre-operative SARS-CoV-2-vaccination has the potential to protect against post-operative microsurgery outcomes.

Reflecting on Plastic Surgery Training During Early COVID-19 Pandemic: Resident Exposure and Telemedicine.

PURPOSE: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been an unprecedented public health crisis. As hospitals took measures to increase their capacity to manage COVID-19 patients, plastic surgeons have also had to modify their routine to continue serving their vital role within the hospital environment. In an effort to reduce exposure to COVID-19 and conserve hospital resources, many plastic surgery programs drastically modified call schedules, restructured inpatient teams, triaged operative cases, and expanded telemedicine encounters. Plastic surgery programs focused on craniofacial procedures were impacted by precautionary preventative protocol and shifts in case load made to protect both the healthcare teams and the patients. At academic centers, plastic surgery trainees of all domains felt the impact of these changes. Recognizing the implications on future craniofacial surgical practice, the pandemic has made, the goal of the authors' study is to measure initial impacts of COVID-19 on plastic surgery trainees using a nationwide survey. The authors' results present the first quantitative analysis of plastic surgery trainees' exposure to COVID-19, deployment to other medical specialties, usage of personal protective equipment, and implementation of telemedicine during the pandemic. While healthcare systems have greatly adapted to pandemic complications and can anticipate vaccination, resurgence of COVID-19 cases linked to the delta variant heightens the authors' urgency in understanding the early pandemic, and its lasting impacts on healthcare. In the months following pandemic onset, telemedicine has become a mainstay in healthcare, trainees have adapted and become integrated in patient care in novel ways, and visits unable to transition to telemedical settings received substantial attention to ensure patient and provider safety. METHODS: An institutional review board-approved anonymous, multiple-choice and short-answer, Qualtrics survey regarding plastic surgery resident experiences with COVID-19 exposure. It was sent to all US plastic surgery program directors and program coordinators on April 23, 2020 with the request to distribute the survey to their residents. Residents were given the option to participate in a raffle for a $50 gift card. Outcomes measured included demographics, exposure to COVID-19, availability of resources, and adjustments to residency training practices. RESULTS: Sixty-nine plastic surgery residents throughout all years of training from 18 states responded. Gender, year of training, and location did not significantly impact these reports.Sixteen percent of residents reported covering a COVID-19 team. Twelve percent reported covering a shift not within their scope of practice. From these reports, residents mostly worked in the intensive care unit (50%) and the emergency department (29%).Half of the residents believe they were exposed to high-risk patients. This was reported in a variety of settings: the emergency department for plastic surgery consults (34%), caring for plastic surgery inpatients (16%), performing trauma reconstruction surgery (16%), cancer reconstruction surgery (12%), elective surgery (6%), and intraoperative consults (6%).Seventy-two percent of residents reported adequate access to personal protective equipment. Equipment type varied by patient exposure. When attending to a non-COVID-19 inpatient, most residents used a standard mask (62%) rather than an N95 mask (21%). N95 masks were generally used in patients with unknown COVID-19 status. Residents reported using eye and face shields when attending to non-COVID-19 ICU patients (17%), patients with unknown COVID-19 status (27%), and in the operating room (34%).Forty percent of residents implemented telemedicine to see patients for new consults, follow-up visits, postop checks, and wound checks. Eighty-five percent of residents report that they would continue to incorporate telemedicine in the future. Most significant reported barrier to using telemedicine is the limited ability to perform a physical examination (33%) followed by limited patient access to telemedicine (21%). Other challenges included poor ease of use for patients or providers, billing questions, and lack of interpersonal connection with patients. CONCLUSION: This study, to the best of the authors' knowledge, is the first to quantitatively investigate how plastic surgery residents have been affected by the widespread impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. It reports resident exposure to COVID-19 and their associated concerns, resident access to and perceived adequacy of personal protective equipment, as well as changes to clinical practice.

Operational and Financial Impact of COVID-19: A Survey of Plastic Surgeons in Miami.

BACKGROUND: In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, new guidelines were issued cautioning against performing elective procedures. We aimed to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on operational and financial aspects of plastic surgery in Miami. METHODS: A multiple-choice and short-answer survey regarding practice changes and financial impact was sent to all 67 members of the Miami Society of Plastic Surgeons. RESULTS: A 41.8% (n = 28) response rate was obtained, five responses did not meet the inclusion criteria, and statistical analysis was performed on 34.3% (n = 23) of responses. Of the plastic surgeons who responded, 21.74% operate in an academic setting, 60.87% are in a single practitioner private practice, and 17.39% are in a multi-practitioner private practice. An estimated 60% of academic plastic surgeons had 75% or more of their previously scheduled cases canceled, compared with 57.14% in single practitioner private practice and 100% in multi-practitioner private practice. In total, 64.29% of single practitioner private practices and 50% of multi-practitioner private practices have had to obtain a small business loan. Single practitioner private practice plastic surgeons reported having an average of 6.5 months until having to file for bankruptcy or permanently close their practices, and multi-practitioner private practice plastic surgeons reported an average of 6 months. CONCLUSIONS: Guidelines to support small business must be implemented in order to allow private practice surgeons to recover from the substantial economic impact caused by the pandemic because it is necessary to reestablish patient access and provide proper care to our patients.

Rolling With the Punches: A National Electronic Injury Surveillance System Database Study of Craniofacial Injuries in Boxing.

INTRODUCTION: Boxing is a popular combat sport in which competitors may sustain high impact blows to the face. For this reason, they are at high risk for craniofacial injuries; however, data on facial injuries specific to boxing remains sparse. Studies on safety measures, such as headgear, to prevent such injuries in boxing have been inconclusive. Boxing is popular with a wide audience. However, there is no consensus on safety measures across different populations involved in boxing due to lack of data. The objective of this study is to characterize the demography and incidence of injury types of patients presenting to emergency departments with boxing-related craniofacial injuries on a national scale in order to facilitate the establishment of evidence-based safety guidelines for prevention of boxing-related injuries. METHODS: The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System database was searched for boxing-related craniofacial injuries from the last 10 years (2010-2019). Injuries involving boxing were isolated and organized into 5-year age groups. Information on demographics and injury type was extracted from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System database. Statistical analysis was performed between different age and gender groups. RESULTS: A total of 749 boxing-related craniofacial injuries treated in US emergency departments between 2010 and 2019 were recorded. The 19 to 34-year-old age group had the highest number of cases (54%), followed by the 12 to 18-year-old age group (31%). The most common injury types within both of these age groups were concussions and lacerations. This difference was found to be significant when compared to other craniofacial injury types (P < 0.05). The majority of athletes in these age groups were male (93% and 91%, respectively). Analysis of sex differences demonstrated concussions were more common in females compared to other injury types, whereas lacerations in males were more common compared to other injury types; these differences were found to be significant (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The high incidence of boxing-related craniofacial injuries such as concussions and lacerations incurred in young adults (19-34 years) and adolescents (12-18 years) indicate that protective measures such as community-based safety interventions and revised guidelines for protective equipment may be indicated in these groups to protect against craniofacial injuries such as lacerations and concussions. Further studies are required to develop algorithms for management of boxing-related craniofacial injuries and to evaluate the safety and efficacy of protective equipment such as boxing headgear on concussions.

Design of a Novel Reproducible Cartilage-Sparing Autologous Technique for Microtia Repair.

Microtia reconstruction through manual carving of autologous rib cartilage has a steep learning curve, is operator dependent, is time consuming, requires multiple stages, and frequently results in suboptimal results with poor patient satisfaction. The use of temporoparietal fascia over polypropylene implants achieves excellent cosmetic outcomes in a single stage, although is burdened by infection and extrusion in some cases. We describe the development of a hybrid technique with a novel device that allows for standardization of the cartilaginous construct, minimization of the need for donor cartilage and operative time, and minimization of the number of stages. Clinical Trial: NCT03624608.

Trauma in Iraq's Wars: Assessment and Management of Craniofacial Injury.

As the most prominent portion of the human body, the face embraces a multifaceted responsibility for functionality and survival while contributing to identity and self-image. Inopportunely, due to its distinctive anatomical location, the face as a unit is highly suspectable to trauma, particularly in warfare. As a result, facial injury creates a physical and psychological trauma that needs to be addressed immediately. In the following article, a detailed literature review was conducted to examine the interplay between facial injuries throughout multiple wars in Iraq and their management. The authors found a significant increase in facial injuries due to shell fragments corresponding with modern advances in warfare targeting mass casualties. The capacity to manage the magnitude and level of trauma observed in Iraq requires a substantial amount of resources and a systematic approach that unfortunately is unattainable in a country that is still struggling to rebuild after decades of oppression and war. Due to the circumstances, surgeons have to rely on training and experience to provide the best care for their patients and it is imperative that we continue to train our surgeons to rely on their skills and experience to ensure a high level of care with limited resources and lack of technology.

The Accuracy of Conflict-of-Interest Disclosures Reported by Plastic Surgeons and Industry.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to analyze the frequency and nature of self-reported conflict-of-interest disclosures in the plastic surgery literature and to compare these findings to the Physician Payments Sunshine Act database. METHODS: All articles published from August of 2013 through December of 2013 in four major plastic surgery journals were analyzed. For every publication, the conflict-of-interest disclosure statement for each investigator was reviewed. These statements were then compared to transactions of value for each investigator as reported by biomedical companies in the Sunshine Act database. An analysis was performed to identify and characterize specific factors associated with conflict-of-interest disclosures. RESULTS: A total of 1002 independent investigators/authors were identified. Of these, 90 investigators (9 percent) self-reported a conflict of interest. In contrast, a total of 428 authors (42.7 percent) were found to have received transactions of value from a biomedical company according to the Sunshine Act database. Conversely, a total of 22 authors (2.2 percent) self-reported a conflict of interest but were not found to have received transactions of value in the Sunshine Act database. Our analysis found that (1) academic investigators, (2) transactions of value in excess of $500, and (3) publishing articles related to the sponsoring biomedical company were all statistically associated with reporting conflicts of interest (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Discordance exists between investigator/authors self-reporting in scientific journals and the government-mandated reporting of conflicts of interest by industry. Factors associated with conflict-of-interest disclosure include academic status, transaction amount, and article content related to the sponsoring biomedical company.

Patients with a resected pancreatic mucinous cystic neoplasm have a better prognosis than patients with an intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm: A large single institution series.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Mucinous cystic neoplasms (MCNs) are rare pancreas tumors distinguished from intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) by the presence of ovarian-type stroma. Historical outcomes for MCNs vary due to previously ambiguous diagnostic criteria resulting in confusion with IPMNs. This study seeks to characterize and clarify the clinical features and long-term outcomes of MCNs versus IPMNs in the largest single-institution series of pathology-confirmed MCNs to date. METHODS: We compared 142 MCNs and 746 IPMNs resected at a single institution. MCNs were reviewed for confirmation of ovarian-type stroma and reclassified according to current WHO guidelines. RESULTS: MCNs presented almost exclusively in middle-aged women (median 47.5 years, 96.5% female) as solitary (100%), macrocystic (94.2%) lesions in the distal pancreas (92.1%). IPMNs were distributed equally by sex in an older population (median 69.0 years, 49.6% female) and favored the proximal pancreas (67.6%). Compared with IPMNs, MCNs were larger (4.2 cm vs 2.5 cm) and more often low-grade (71.1% vs 13.8%). Associated invasive carcinoma was less common in MCNs than in IPMNs (9.9% vs 32.4%). Surgical resection was curative for 100% of noninvasive MCNs. Patients with an MCN-associated invasive carcinoma had a much better prognosis than did patients with an IPMN-associated invasive carcinoma with 10-year disease-specific survival of 79.6% versus 27.2%, respectively. CONCLUSION: MCNs have a stereotypical clinical profile that is readily distinguishable from IPMNs based on demographic features, imaging, and pathology. Most MCNs are noninvasive and curable with surgical resection. Prognosis remains excellent even for invasive disease with 10-year survival approaching 80% following resection.

The Impact of Financial Conflicts of Interest in Plastic Surgery: Are They All Created Equal?

BACKGROUND: Recently, several studies have demonstrated that articles that disclose conflicts of interests (COI) are associated with publication of positive results. The purpose of this study was to learn more about the different types of COI as they relate to the general topic of COI in plastic surgery. Specifically, we aimed to examine whether different types of COI are more likely than others to be associated with the presentation of positive findings. METHODS: We reviewed all original articles in Annals of Plastic Surgery, Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Aesthetic Surgery, and Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery from January 1, 2012, to December 31, 2013. All scientific articles were analyzed, and several article characteristics were extracted. Disclosed COI were categorized into the following categories: consultant/employee, royalties/stock options, and research support. The findings reported in each article abstract were blindly graded as reporting a positive, negative, neutral, or not applicable result. A multivariable analysis was performed to determine whether an association existed between certain types of COI and publication of positive conclusions. RESULTS: A total of 3124 articles were identified of which 1185 fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Financial COI were reported in 153 studies (12.9%). The most common type of COI was "research support" (7.3%), whereas the least common was "royalties/stock options" (1.2%). Rates of different types of COI varied significantly by plastic surgery subspecialty field (P < 0.001). In the multivariable analysis, authors who disclosed COI related to research support, consultant/employee, and royalties/stock options were 1.31, 6.62, and 8.72 times more likely, respectively, to publish positive findings when compared with authors that disclosed no COI after correcting for potential confounding factors. However, consultancy/employee status was the only COI category statistically associated with publication of positive results (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Self-reported COI are uncommon in plastic surgery research. Our results provide evidence that certain types of financial COI are more likely than others to be associated with the presentation of positive findings. This analysis suggests that certain investigators may be more biased, consciously or unconsciously, by the type of financial benefit offered by industry.

Outcomes after open infrainguinal bypass in patients with scleroderma.

BACKGROUND: There are limited reports of outcomes after infrainguinal bypass surgery in patients with scleroderma. This study evaluated the long-term outcome after lower extremity bypass in these patients. METHODS: The study included all patients with systemic sclerosis who underwent infrainguinal bypass surgery for severe peripheral arterial disease at our institution from January 1, 2007, to August 31, 2014. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses were used to evaluate graft failure and limb salvage. These outcomes were compared with those of nonscleroderma patients who underwent infrainguinal bypass surgery during the same period. Outcomes were defined and evaluated by Society for Vascular Surgery standards. RESULTS: There were 18 autogenous grafts (6% femoral-popliteal, 11% femoral-tibial, 72% popliteal-tibial, 11% tibial-tibial) placed in 18 limbs from 12 patients with systemic sclerosis. Mean ± standard deviation age was 71 ± 9.5 years, and most of the patients were women (83%) and white (78%). All patients presented with critical limb ischemia. History of hypertension and coronary artery disease were 94% and 61%, respectively. All grafts used were autogenous, continuous, and harvested from the lower extremity (nonreversed great saphenous in 61% and reversed great saphenous in 39%). Mean follow-up duration was 2.3 ± 1.6 years. Graft failure was significantly higher in scleroderma patients than in nonscleroderma patients who underwent bypass in the same study period (hazard ratio, 7.2; 95% confidence interval, 1.44-41.4; P = .02). The limb salvage rate was 72%. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term outcomes after open infrainguinal bypass surgery in scleroderma patients are significantly worse than those in nonscleroderma patients. Careful consideration of their inherently poor outcomes should be made when reaching a decision for revascularization.

Lymphovascular invasion: a comprehensive appraisal in colon and rectal adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Colon and rectal adenocarcinomas differ at a multitude of levels. The association between outcome and predictor in 1 group may obscure the relationship between outcome and predictor in the other. OBJECTIVE: The current study aims to evaluate the prognostic properties of lymphovascular invasion in colon and rectal adenocarcinoma separately. MATERIALS AND METHODS (DESIGN, SETTING AND PATIENTS): A comparative retrospective analysis was undertaken to determine the prognostic properties of lymphovascular invasion in colon and rectal adenocarcinomas. Patients were classified as lymphovascular invasion positive and lymphovascular invasion negative in separate colon and rectal cancer cohorts. Within cohorts, a univariate analysis was undertaken to determine the association between lymphovascular invasion positivity and local/systemic recurrence and overall/disease-free survival. Findings were evaluated by using Kaplan-Meier estimates, log-rank analysis, and a Cox proportional hazards multivariate model. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The primary outcomes measured were overall and disease-free survival. RESULTS: Five hundred twenty-seven patients were included in the analysis (379 with colon cancer and 148 with rectal cancer). On univariate analysis, lymphovascular invasion positivity was associated with adverse locoregional recurrence in colon (p = 0.002) but not rectal adenocarcinoma (p = 0.13). Conversely, lymphovascular invasion positivity was associated with adverse systemic recurrence in rectal (p = 0.002) but not colon adenocarcinoma (p = 0.35). On multivariate analysis, lymphovascular invasion positivity was an independent predictor of adverse disease-free survival in colon (p = 0.02) and rectal adenocarcinoma (p < 0.001). Regarding overall survival, lymphovascular invasion positivity was a poor prognostic indicator in rectal adenocarcinoma only (p = 0.04). LIMITATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS: In this retrospective analysis, lymphovascular invasion positivity was associated with different patterns of disease recurrence in colon and rectal cancer. Lymphovascular invasion positivity was associated with adverse overall survival in rectal cancer only.

Emergency presenting colon cancer is an independent predictor of adverse disease-free survival.

Twenty percent of colon cancers present as an emergency. However, the association between emergency presentation and disease-free survival (DFS) remains uncertain. Consecutive patients who underwent elective (CC) and emergent (eCC) resection for colon cancer were included in the analysis. Survival outcomes were compared between the 2 groups in univariate/multivariate analyses. A total of 439 patients underwent colonic resection for colon cancer during the interval 2000-2010; 97 (22.1%) presented as an emergency. eCC tumors were more often located at the splenic flexure (P = 0.017) and descending colon (P = 0.004). The eCC group displayed features of more advanced disease with a higher proportion of T4 (P = 0.009), N2 tumors (P < 0.01) and lymphovascular invasion (P< 0.01). eCC was associated with adverse locoregional recurrence (P = 0.02) and adverse DFS (P < 0.01 ) on univariate analysis. eCC remained an independent predictor of adverse locoregional recurrence (HR 1.86, 95% CI 1.50-3.30, P = 0.03) and DFS (HR 1.30, 95% CI 0.88-1.92, P = 0.05) on multivariate analysis. eCC was not associated with adverse overall survival and systemic recurrence. eCC is an independent predictor of adverse locoregional recurrence and DFS.

Interleukin-2 alters distribution of CD144 (VE-cadherin) in endothelial cells.

BACKGROUND: High-dose IL-2 (HDIL2) is approved for the treatment of metastatic melanoma and renal cell carcinoma, but its use is limited in part by toxicity related to the development of vascular leak syndrome (VLS). Therefore, an understanding of the mechanisms that underlie the initiation and progression of HDIL2-induced increases in endothelial cell (EC) permeability leading to VLS are of clinical importance. METHODS: We established a novel ex vivo approach utilizing primary human pulmonary microvascular ECs to evaluate EC barrier dysfunction in response to IL-2. RESULTS: Complementary in vitro studies using exogenous IL-2 and ex vivo studies using serum from patients treated with IL-2 demonstrate that HDIL2 induces VLS through CD144 (vascular endothelial (VE)-cadherin) redistribution. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide new insight into how IL-2 induces VLS and identifies VE-cadherin as a potential target for preventing IL-2-related VLS.

Rapid resolution of pulmonary Langerhans cell histiocytosis.

A 38-year-old woman with a long-term history of smoking presented to the lung cancer clinic with weight loss and recurrent lower respiratory tract infections. A diagnosis of Langerhans cell histiocytosis was made by specimen samples taken from video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. She was advised to stop smoking, which she adhered to. She was followed up in the respiratory clinic with pulmonary function tests every 6 months, which were all normal. Follow-up chest x-ray showed complete resolution of the multifocal interstitial infiltrates, and with smoking cessation, the patient has sustained an excellent quality of life.