Role of the sternocleidomastoid muscle flap preventing Frey's syndrome and maintaining facial contour following superficial parotidectomy.

The sternocleidomastoid muscle flap may play a significant role in reducing the incidence of Frey's syndrome and maintaining facial contour after parotidectomy. Patients who underwent superficial parotidectomy from August 1992 to March 1999 were divided into two groups (N = 26). One group had sternocleidomastoid muscle flap reconstruction. A historical cohort study was designed with the two groups being matched for sex, age, pathology, postoperative radiation, date of surgery, and extent of dissection. The starch iodine test was used to evaluate for gustatory sweating, and the Observer Rated Disfigurement Scale was used to assess facial contour and aesthetics. The results of our study suggest that the sternocleidomastoid flap reconstruction following parotidectomy surgery does not alter the incidence of Frey's syndrome and does not significantly improve facial contour and aesthetics.

Use of a commercially available metal detector for the localization of metallic foreign body ingestion in children.

UNLABELLED: Metallic foreign body (FB) ingestion is a common occurrence in the general paediatric population. We have shown that the use of a commercially available metal detector is sensitive in localizing and confirming metallic FB objects in the digestive tract. METHOD: In a double-blinded randomized control trial, we used a commercially available metal detector to localize metal coins in the digestive tract in an animal model. Localization of the coins was confirmed using fluoroscopy. In 10 consecutive patients with metallic FB ingestion, detection and localization of the FB using the metal detector was compared with standard confirmatory radiographic imaging. RESULTS: Using a commercially available, hand-held metal detector, we were able to localize a metallic FB in the gastrointestinal tract with 100% sensitivity in both the animal model and in 10 paediatric patients.