Japanese Dermatological Association guidelines: Outlines of Japanese clinical guidelines for basal cell carcinoma 2021.

To summarize the current therapies for skin cancers, the Japanese Skin Cancer Society issued the first guidelines for skin cancers, including melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma (BCC), and extramammary Paget's disease, in 2007. These guidelines were revised in 2015. Herein, we present the English version of the 2021 edition of the Japanese clinical guidelines for BCC. In the latest edition, all procedures were performed according to the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation systems. The clinical questions that could not be answered were selected for further analysis. A comprehensive literature search, systematic review, and recommendations for each clinical question were determined by a multidisciplinary expert panel comprising dermatologists, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon, and a pathologist. Surgical resection is the gold-standard therapy of BCC. Radiotherapy or topical treatments, other than surgical resection, have been used in some cases. Patients with unresectable or metastatic BCC require systemic therapy. Novel agents, such as immune response modifiers or hedgehog pathway inhibitors, are emerging worldwide for the treatment of BCC. Based on these viewpoints, four relevant clinical questions regarding, surgical resection, radiotherapy, topical treatment, and systemic therapy, were raised in this report that aims to help clinicians select suitable therapies for their patients.

Successful treatment of recurrent thoracic aortic prosthetic graft infection after omentopexy by free latissimus dorsi and rectus abdominis muscle flap.

A 50-year-old patient who underwent total aortic arch replacement for acute type A aortic dissection developed recurrent thoracic prosthetic graft infection after omentopexy for the treatment of initial postoperative graft infection of the ascending aorta and transverse aortic arch. We report the successful treatment of the disastrous complication by covering the prosthetic graft with a free latissimus dorsi muscle flap coupled with a pedicled rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap for the reduction of mediastinal dead space, following surgical disinfection with partial graft reconstruction.

Gastric remnant reconstruction with left gastroepiploic artery supercharge after esophagectomy in a patient with an occluded right gastroepiploic artery: A technical and case report.

INTRODUCTION: Gastric remnant reconstruction is commonly used for esophagectomy reconstruction. However, standard reconstruction cannot be performed in some patients with a specific medical history. We report a case of esophagectomy and gastric remnant reconstruction with left gastroepiploic artery (LGEA) supercharge to treat esophageal cancer in a patient in whom the right gastroepiploic artery (RGEA) had previously been occluded. PRESENTATION OF CASE: A 65-year-old man underwent endoscopic submucosal dissection for thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. He was diagnosed with pathological T1b cancer with lymphatic invasion and a positive horizontal margin, and needed curative resection. He had previously undergone RGEA embolization to treat a pseudoaneurysm caused by chronic pancreatitis. We successfully performed esophagectomy and gastric remnant reconstruction with preoperative left gastric artery embolization and intraoperative LGEA supercharge. DISCUSSION: An absent RGEA blood supply is not always a contraindication for gastric remnant reconstruction when the collateral blood flows are well developed and supercharge can maintain the blood supply to the gastric remnant. CONCLUSIONS: Gastric remnant reconstruction with preoperative selective arterial embolization and intraoperative supercharge represents one of the options for high-risk patients with an altered gastric blood supply.

Full-Thickness Entire Nasal Alar Reconstruction Using a Forehead Flap in Asians: No Cartilaginous Infrastructural Lining Is Necessary.

Full-thickness defects of the entire nasal ala, including the rim, can be challenging to reconstruct. A forehead flap may provide a more imperceptible and natural-appearing reconstructed nasal ala. Previously, many authors have insisted adding cartilaginous infrastructural support for an entire, full-thickness defect to keep the postoperative alar structure symmetrical. They finally use a forehead flap after thinning of the distal covering portion subcutaneously, possibly for a Caucasian-type nasal ala. However, Asian skin has a thicker and more compact dermis than that of Caucasian skin, and the Asian ala is rounder and thicker. There may be another approach for an Asian-type nasal ala. The authors propose the possibility of nasal alar reconstruction for an entire, full-thickness defect in Asians using a forehead flap without structural support. Six patients with entire full-thickness nasal alar defects treated with full-thickness forehead flaps above the periosteum without structural support were reviewed. Five patients demonstrated esthetically good to excellent outcomes in color, texture, and symmetry. Their nasal linings were reconstructed using mucoperiosteal flaps or mucosal grafts. One patient treated with a nasal lining using a local flap showed a fair result esthetically. Asians forehead above the periosteum has adequate thickness and supportability to reconstruct the entire full-thickness nasal ala in Asians. No cartilage support is necessary.

Factors that Affected Functional Outcome After a Delayed Excision and Split-Thickness Skin Graft on the Dorsal Side of Burned Hands.

Early excision and skin grafting is the principle treatment for a burned hand although there are occasions when it cannot be done such as severe general condition, delayed consultation, and the lack of a definitive assessment of burn depth. This study analyzes the factors that affected function after a delayed excision and skin graft for hands with a deep dermal burn. This study retrospectively evaluated 43 burned hands that required a delayed excision and split-thickness skin graft on the dorsal side. Cases were required to only have split-thickness skin grafting from the dorsum of the hand and fingers distally to at least the proximal interphalangeal joint at least 8 days after the injury. The hands were divided into two functional categories: Functional category A, normal or nearly normal joint movements, and functional category B, abnormal joint movements. Demographic data were assessed statistically by a univariate analysis following a multiple regression analysis by a stepwise selection. A significant difference was observed between the groups in the number of days from grafting to complete wound healing of the graft site and with or without an escharotomy in the analysis. These parameters were statistically significant predictors of functional category B. The functional outcome of a burned hand after a delayed excision and split-thickness skin graft on the dorsal side became degraded depending on the number of days from grafting to complete wound healing. Cases that underwent an escharotomy also showed deterioration in function.

Review and proposal of regional surgical management for melanoma: revisiting of integumentectomy and incontinuity dissection in treatment of skin melanoma.

BACKGROUND: Past studies showed that integumentectomy and incontinuity could be effective procedures in the surgical management of melanoma patients. The present study reports on the historical background of these procedures. In addition, we analyze the ICG assisted integumentectomy and incontinuity techniques and algorithms that we had created when performing this procedure. METHOD: In accordance with our algorithm, we performed ICG assisted integumentectomy/incontinuity procedures on 17 patients with stage III melanomas between 2008 and 2016. We also investigated the locoregional recurrence rate in a control group comprising 60 patients at stage III without using the algorithm. RESULTS: The former group exhibited a tendency of locoregional recurrence rate suppression. Melanoma cells in the dissected intervening tissue were microscopically identified in 2 out of 17 cases. CONCLUSIONS: Our ICG assisted integumentectomy or incontinuity procedures could be effective in controlling locoregional recurrence rates in melanoma cases. Moreover, our method can be generally applied because the dissection is only performed within the lymphatic pathway region identified using indocyanine green.

Exploration of more effective neurorrhaphy in facial nerve reconstruction: A comparison focusing on the difference of neural window size and condition of the neurorrhaphy site.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Various techniques have been introduced for reconstruction of the facial nerve. An improved method of neurorrhaphy to achieve satisfactory mimetic muscle function is required. We made and compared three different neurorrhaphy models to elucidate the effect of neural window size and condition of the neurorrhaphy site on axonal regeneration. METHODS: Rats were divided into four groups: group A, untreated incomplete palsy; group B, treatment by end-to-side neurorrhaphy through a small perineural window; group C, treatment by side-to-side neurorrhaphy through a large perineural window; and group D, treatment by side-to-side neurorrhaphy through a small perineural window. After surgery, mimetic muscle movement was evaluated. Retrograde-labeled neurons through the facial nuclei were counted, and mimetic muscle specimens were examined. The axon number was counted in nerve specimens. RESULTS: The facial palsy scores of groups B and C were significantly greater than those of groups A and D. With regard to the number of neurons at the facial nuclei, groups B and C had more neurons than groups A and D. Group D had significantly more neurons than group A. With respect to the number of axons, groups B, C, and D had significantly greater numbers than group A, but there were no significant differences between the reconstructed groups. CONCLUSIONS: Window size and condition of the neurorrhaphy site, which affected mainly the number of axons, influenced axonal regeneration in nerve reconstruction. This result indicates the possibility of obtaining a better result for facial nerve or other peripheral nerve reconstruction with a tidbit of operative artifice.

Reconstruction of Large Cheek Defect With/Without Sideburn Using Malar-Posterior Auricular-Cervico Flap.

The cheek region is the most common site for malignant tumor occurrence and the treatment of malignant skin tumor requires extensive local excision. Many previous reports have covered methods of reconstruction using local flaps for skin defects in the cheek region.In this article, we describe our experience with a surgical reconstruction using a new flap method for 8 patients with missing tissue in the cheek region. This flap is based on the concept of separately designing the flap with the 3 areas comprising the malar, posterior auricular, and cervical regions. We named the flap containing these 3 regions the malar-posterior auricular-cervico flap. Esthetically satisfactory outcomes were achieved in all cases.In conclusion, we recommend our malar-posterior auricular-cervico flap to reconstruct the tissue defects of approximately 20 to 40 cm after tumor excision in the cheek region. If preauricular skin is included in the design of this flap, the sideburn can be reconstructed using a part of the nape region with hair.

Neuregulin-1 released by biodegradable gelatin hydrogels can accelerate facial nerve regeneration and functional recovery of traumatic facial nerve palsy.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Neuregulin-1 is an essential axoglial signal required for peripheral nerve development, and evidence that neuregulin-1 is also required for effective nerve repair is growing. In this study, the effects of neuregulin-1-impregnated gelatin hydrogels on nerve regeneration and functional recovery after anastomosis of the facial nerve were investigated in a rat model of traumatic facial nerve paralysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-four adult male rats underwent complete resection of the facial nerve trunk, followed by end-to-end anastomosis with epineural sutures. The animals were then randomly allocated to one of three treatment groups (eight rats/group): no additional intervention (Group I), single-shot injection of neuregulin-1 into the epineurium of the facial nerve at the suture sites (Group II), or implantation of a hydrogel impregnated with neuregulin-1 at the injury site (Group III). After surgery, mimetic muscle movements were evaluated weekly. Eight weeks after surgery, the mimetic muscles were injected with a neural tracer (1,10-dioctadecyl-3,3,30,30-tetramethylindocarbocyanin perchlorate, DiI). Retrograde-labeled neurons were counted in the facial nuclei, and facial nerve specimens were stained with toluidine blue for histological examination of axon density. RESULTS: Group III exhibited significantly faster recovery of mimetic muscle function, a higher density of large-diameter axons (>5 µm) in the facial nerve, and greater numbers of retrogradely labeled neurons in the ipsilateral facial nucleus compared with Groups I and II. CONCLUSIONS: Continuous release of neuregulin-1 from impregnated gelatin hydrogels can accelerate facial nerve regeneration.

A new primary cleft lip repair technique tailored for Asian patients that combines three surgical concepts: Comparison with rotation--advancement and straight-line methods.

Various techniques have been described for unilateral cleft lip repair. These may be broadly classified into three types of procedure/concept: the straight-line method (SL; Rose-Thompson effect); rotation-advancement (RA; upper-lip Z-plasty); and the triangular flap method (TA; lower-lip Z-plasty). Based on these procedures, cleft lip repair has evolved in recent decades. The cleft lip repair method in our institution has also undergone several changes. However, we have found that further modifications are needed for Asian patients who have wider philtral dimples and columns than Caucasians, while following the principles of the original techniques mentioned above. Here, we have incorporated the advantages of each procedure and propose a refined hybrid operating technique, seeking a more appropriate procedure for Asian patients. To evaluate our new technique, a comparison study was performed to evaluate RA, SL, and our technique. We have used our new technique to treat 137 consecutive cleft lip cases of all types and degrees of severity, with or without a cleft palate, since 2009. In the time since we adopted the hybrid technique, we have observed improved esthetics of the repaired lip. Our technique demonstrated higher glance impression average scores than RA/SL.

Dynamic change of myogenin in denervated rat mimetic muscle.

We previously reported double innervation of rat mimetic muscles with labeling of facial nuclei. However, whether denervated mimetic muscles are affected after such nerve repair is not known. Rats were divided into five groups: Group A, controls; Group B, complete facial palsy; Group C, complete facial palsy with repair using end-to-end neurorrhaphy; Group D, incomplete facial palsy; and Group E, incomplete facial palsy with repair using end-to-side neurorrhaphy. Preoperatively and postoperatively, facial palsy and myogenin (Myog) expression in mimetic muscles were evaluated. Expression peaked on day 7 in Group B but was lower in Groups C and D. Expression in Groups D and E was comparable on day 28, and each model's score showed characteristic changes. Myog expression in facial mimetic muscles increases with denervation and decreases with nerve repair. Determining Myog expression levels in mimetic muscles just after nerve repair may help surgeons predict postoperative prognosis in facial palsy.

Direction of innervation after interpositional nerve graft between facial and hypoglossal nerves in individuals with or without facial palsy: a rat model for treating incomplete facial palsy.

BACKGROUND: The use of an interpositional nerve graft (IPNG) between the facial and hypoglossal nerves for incomplete facial palsy has recently been reported. However, its mechanism has not been elucidated. We established a rat model of IPNG to study incomplete facial palsy and confirmed the direction of innervation through the grafted nerve with or without facial nerve injury. METHODS: Twenty rats were divided into five groups (n = 4): a control group (group A), an incomplete facial palsy group (group B), an IPNG-treated group (group C), an incomplete facial palsy group treated with IPNG (group D) and an incomplete hypoglossal nerve palsy group treated with IPNG (group E). After surgery, mimetic muscle movement was evaluated using an original scoring system. Twelve weeks after surgery, the mimetic muscles of the tongue were injected with Fast Blue and DiI. Retrograde-labelled neurons were counted through the facial and hypoglossal nuclei, and mimetic muscle specimens stained with Masson's trichrome were examined. RESULTS: Fast Blue-labelled neurons were noted in the hypoglossal nucleus in groups C and D, and DiI-labelled neurons within the facial nucleus were noted in groups C and E. The group D facial palsy score statistically exceeded the group B score. CONCLUSIONS: The results revealed that axonal regeneration through IPNG is bi-directional and is preferentially directed towards the injured side. Innervation from the hypoglossal nerve to mimetic muscles through IPNG prevents muscle atrophy and helps counter facial palsy.

Advanced epithelioid malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor showing complete response to combined surgery and chemotherapy: a case report.

Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST) is a rare high-grade soft tissue sarcoma. The epithelioid variant accounts for 5% or less of MPNSTs; the clinical behavior of this variant is unclear. Reports of approximately 40 cases are available in the English literature; however, most reports addressed clinicopathological features rather than therapeutic procedures or clinical courses. We describe a case of a 62-year-old male with an epithelioid MPNST of the left foot. Multiple lung metastases developed after radical surgery on the primary lesion. The response to adjuvant chemotherapy including doxorubicin and ifosfamide was favorable, and thoracoscopic resection was subsequently performed on the remaining three metastases. No evidence of recurrence or metastasis was observed at the 12-month followup after the first operation. Further followup and chemotherapy may be required.