Initial Treatment Choice Affects Cost-Effectiveness and Reintervention Rates for Dupuytren Contracture: A National Census Among Veterans Affairs Patients.

BACKGROUND: A multitude of treatments for Dupuytren contracture are available, including both invasive and minimally invasive options. This study compares the reintervention rates and costs associated with various treatment options for Dupuytren disease (DD) within the Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Administration. METHODS: Using the Corporate Data Warehouse, a national census was performed including all patients treated for DD in years 2014 to 2020 within the VA health care system. Patients treated with collagenase clostridium histolyticum (CCH), percutaneous needle aponeurotomy (PNA), open fasciotomy, palmar fasciectomy, single finger fasciectomy, and multifinger fasciectomy were compared. The total cost of initial treatment was compared between modalities. The 5-year reintervention rates were compared using a Kaplan-Meier analysis. RESULTS: During the study period, 8530 patients were treated for DD (3501 fasciectomy, 3351 CCH, 880 PNA, 798 fasciotomy). The overall median treatment cost was found to be the least for PNA (P < .0001). The 5-year reintervention rates were significantly lower for single finger fasciectomy (6.5%), operative fasciotomy (8.2%), and palmar fasciectomy (9%) when compared with PNA (12.3%), multifinger fasciectomy (13.1%), and CCH (14.4%) (P < .001). However, reintervention rates were comparable between patients treated with PNA, multifinger fasciectomy, and CCH (P > .05). CONCLUSIONS: Within the VA population, PNA is the most affordable procedure per treatment episode and is associated with reintervention rates that are comparable to those of CCH. Multifinger fasciectomy, CCH, and PNA had comparable reintervention rates. The differences in reintervention rates may partially be explained by patients' willingness to consider additional treatment to correct any remaining or recurrent deformity.

Primary Cutaneous Peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma of the Hand: Case Report of a Rare Diagnosis and Review of the Literature.

Purpose Primary cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) is a rare diagnosis, and the subset primary cutaneous peripheral T-cell lymphoma (pcPTL) is even more uncommon. Both CTCLs and pcPTLs typically occur in the head and neck. The authors aim to evaluate the literature for reports of presentation in the hand. Materials and Methods A case report of a 77-year-old man with pcPTL of the hand is presented. Oncologic workup revealed an independent diagnosis of medullary thyroid carcinoma. A review of the literature was performed using the following search terms in the PubMed database: primary, cutaneous, T-cell lymphoma, peripheral presentation, and hand. One case of pcPTL in the hand was identified and included in this study. Results One case report in the literature was identified describing a 78-year-old man with a 1-year history of a progressive hand lesion. Biopsy revealed pcPTL. Conclusion This report presents a rare presentation of pcPTL in the hand, reviews the current literature, and provides insight into management. Prompt biopsy of any unresolving lesion of the hand is crucial to expedite diagnosis and treatment of otherwise difficult to diagnose pathologies. Increased awareness of rare malignancies is important to avoid delay in patient care and to improve outcomes.

Selection criteria for the integrated model of plastic surgery residency.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to identify those qualities and characteristics of fourth-year medical students applying for the Integrated Model of Plastic Surgery residency training that will make a successful plastic surgery resident. METHODS: A three-part questionnaire was distributed to the training program directors of the 20 Integrated Model of Plastic Surgery programs accredited by the Residency Review Committee for Plastic Surgery by the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education. The first section focused on 19 objective characteristics that directors use to evaluate applicants (e.g., Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society membership, United States Medical Licensing Examination scores). The second section consisted of 20 subjective characteristics commonly used to evaluate applicants during the interview process. The third section consisted of reasons why, if any, residents failed to successfully complete the training program. RESULTS: Fifteen of the 20 program directors responded to the questionnaire. The results showed that they considered membership in the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society to be the most important objective criterion, followed by publications in peer-reviewed journals and letters of recommendation from plastic surgeons known to the director. Leadership capabilities were considered the most important subjective criterion, followed by maturity and interest in academics. Reasons residents failed to complete the training program included illness or death, academic inadequacies, and family demands. CONCLUSIONS: The authors conclude that applicants who have achieved high academic honors and demonstrate leadership ability with interest in academics were viewed most likely to succeed as plastic surgery residents by program directors of Integrated Model of Plastic Surgery residencies.

Benefit from exemestane as extended adjuvant therapy after 5 years of adjuvant tamoxifen: intention-to-treat analysis of the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast And Bowel Project B-33 trial.

PURPOSE: Patients with early-stage, hormone receptor-positive breast cancer have considerable residual risk for recurrence after completing 5 years of adjuvant tamoxifen. In May 2001, the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP) initiated accrual to a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial to evaluate the steroidal aromatase inhibitor exemestane as extended adjuvant therapy in this setting. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Postmenopausal patients with clinical T(1-3)N(1)M(0) breast cancer who were disease free after 5 years of tamoxifen were randomly assigned to 5 years of exemestane (25 mg/d orally) or 5 years of placebo. Our primary aim was to test whether exemestane prolongs disease-free survival (DFS). In October 2003, results of National Cancer Institute of Canada (NCIC) MA.17 showing benefit from adjuvant letrozole in this setting necessitated termination of accrual to B-33, unblinding, and offering of exemestane to patients in the placebo group. RESULTS: At the time of unblinding, 1,598 patients had been randomly assigned; 72% in the exemestane group continued on exemestane and 44% in the placebo group elected to receive exemestane. With 30 months of median follow-up, original exemestane assignment resulted in a borderline statistically significant improvement in 4-year DFS (91% v 89%; relative risk [RR] = 0.68; P = .07) and in a statistically significant improvement in 4-year relapse-free survival (RFS; 96% v 94%; RR = 0.44; P = .004). Toxicity, assessed up to time of unblinding, was acceptable for the adjuvant setting. CONCLUSION: Despite premature closure and crossover to exemestane by a substantial proportion of patients, original exemestane assignment resulted in non-statistically significant improvement in DFS and in statistically significant improvement in RFS.

Preoperative chemotherapy: updates of National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project Protocols B-18 and B-27.

PURPOSE: National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP) Protocol B-18 was designed to determine whether four cycles of doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide (AC) administered preoperatively improved breast cancer disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) compared with AC administered postoperatively. Protocol B-27 was designed to determine the effect of adding docetaxel (T) to preoperative AC on tumor response rates, DFS, and OS. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Analyses were limited to eligible patients. In B-18, 751 patients were assigned to receive preoperative AC, and 742 patients were assigned to receive postoperative AC. In B-27, 784 patients were assigned to receive preoperative AC followed by surgery, 783 patients were assigned to AC followed by T and surgery, and 777 patients were assigned to AC followed by surgery and then T. RESULTS: Results from B-18 show no statistically significant differences in DFS and OS between the two groups. However, there were trends in favor of preoperative chemotherapy for DFS and OS in women less than 50 years old (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.85, P = .09 for DFS; HR = 0.81, P = .06 for OS). DFS conditional on being event free for 5 years also demonstrated a strong trend in favor of the preoperative group (HR = 0.81, P = .053). Protocol B-27 results demonstrated that the addition of T to AC did not significantly impact DFS or OS. Preoperative T added to AC significantly increased the proportion of patients having pathologic complete responses (pCRs) compared with preoperative AC alone (26% v 13%, respectively; P < .0001). In both studies, patients who achieved a pCR continue to have significantly superior DFS and OS outcomes compared with patients who did not. CONCLUSION: B-18 and B-27 demonstrate that preoperative therapy is equivalent to adjuvant therapy. B-27 also showed that the addition of preoperative taxanes to AC improves response.

Twenty-year outcome following central duct resection for bloody nipple discharge.

BACKGROUND: Patients found with pathologic nipple discharge present a diagnostic dilemma to surgeons. No one diagnostic test, including cytology or radiologic imaging, has proved superior to any other in the differentiation of benign versus malignant sources of pathologic nipple discharge. Ductoscopy has been introduced as a way to assist with identification of potential sources of pathologic nipple discharge. Ductoscopy is also useful in the resection of deep or peripheral masses that may be missed with standard blind resection. This report evaluates the risk of missed malignancy following central duct resection (CDR). METHODS: Records of 56 patients who underwent CDR for pathologic nipple discharge greater than 15 years previous were reviewed. Data including type of nipple discharge, future biopsy, and pathology reports were all examined. RESULTS: Of the 56 patients, 36 had bloody, 18 serous, and 2 green initial discharges. Fifty-seven percent were found to have intraductal papilloma as the source of discharge, with fibrocystic disease and ductal ectasia providing the next most common causes. One woman was found to have ductal cancer and one lobular carcinoma in situ at time of CDR. Patients were followed for a mean period of 22 years. Fourteen women required future biopsy. Of these, 10 had benign disease and 4 had cancer, 3 on the ipsilateral side. The 3 women with breast cancer were 9, 13, and 17 years from initial resection. CONCLUSIONS: CDR for pathologic nipple discharge is an effective way to diagnose and treat pathologic nipple discharge without missing underlying cancers.

Watchful waiting vs repair of inguinal hernia in minimally symptomatic men: a randomized clinical trial.

CONTEXT: Many men with inguinal hernia have minimal symptoms. Whether deferring surgical repair is a safe and acceptable option has not been assessed. OBJECTIVE: To compare pain and the physical component score (PCS) of the Short Form-36 Version 2 survey at 2 years in men with minimally symptomatic inguinal hernias treated with watchful waiting or surgical repair. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Randomized trial conducted January 1, 1999, through December 31, 2004, at 5 North American centers and enrolling 720 men (364 watchful waiting, 356 surgical repair) followed up for 2 to 4.5 years. INTERVENTIONS: Watchful-waiting patients were followed up at 6 months and annually and watched for hernia symptoms; repair patients received standard open tension-free repair and were followed up at 3 and 6 months and annually. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Pain and discomfort interfering with usual activities at 2 years and change in PCS from baseline to 2 years. Secondary outcomes were complications, patient-reported pain, functional status, activity levels, and satisfaction with care. RESULTS: Primary intention-to-treat outcomes were similar at 2 years for watchful waiting vs surgical repair: pain limiting activities (5.1% vs 2.2%, respectively; P = .06 [corrected]); PCS (improvement over baseline, 0.29 points vs 0.13 points; P = .79). Twenty-three percent of patients assigned to watchful waiting crossed over to receive surgical repair (increase in hernia-related pain was the most common reason offered); 17% assigned to receive repair crossed over to watchful waiting. Self-reported pain in watchful-waiting patients crossing over improved after repair. Occurrence of postoperative hernia-related complications was similar in patients who received repair as assigned and in watchful-waiting patients who crossed over. One watchful-waiting patient (0.3%) experienced acute hernia incarceration without strangulation within 2 years; a second had acute incarceration with bowel obstruction at 4 years, with a frequency of 1.8/1000 patient-years inclusive of patients followed up for as long as 4.5 years. CONCLUSIONS: Watchful waiting is an acceptable option for men with minimally symptomatic inguinal hernias. Delaying surgical repair until symptoms increase is safe because acute hernia incarcerations occur rarely.Clinical Trials Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00263250.

Otoplasty: sequencing the operation for improved results.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: : After studying this article, the participant should be able to: 1. Understand the anatomy and embryology of the external ear. 2. Understand the anatomic causes of the prominent ear. 3. Understand the operative maneuvers used to shape the external ear. 4. Be able to sequence the otoplasty for consistent results. 5. Understand the possible complications of the otoplasty procedure. Correction of prominent ears is a common plastic surgical procedure. Proper execution of the surgical techniques is dependent on the surgeon's understanding of the surgical procedure. This understanding is best founded on an understanding of the historical bases for the operative steps and the execution of these operative steps in a logical fashion. This article describes the concept of sequencing the operation of otoplasty to produce predictable results combining the technical contributions from many authors. The historical, embryological, and anatomic bases for the operation are also discussed. Finally, the authors' preferred techniques are presented. Sequencing the steps in the preoperative assessment, preoperative planning, patient management, operative technique, and postoperative care will produce reproducible results for the attentive surgeon. Careful attention to the details of the operation of otoplasty will avoid many postoperative problems.

A cutaneous manifestation of antiphospholipid antibody syndrome.

Antiphospholipid antibody syndrome is a disease defined by the presence of a hypercoagulable clinical state in association with antiphospholipid antibodies. This syndrome can involve large-vessel thrombosis or thrombotic microangiopathy. Approximately 40% of patients will present with a cutaneous manifestation as the first indication of this disease, with a marked number of patients concurrently developing multiorgan involvement. The authors present a patient with extensive cutaneous necrosis-a devastating sequela of antiphospholipid antibody syndrome. Additionally, multiorgan involvement developed, requiring systemic anticoagulation and supportive care. When medically stable, plastic surgical intervention was necessary to treat extensive areas of cutaneous necrosis. Widespread cutaneous necrosis is a rare but known sequela of this syndrome. Studies have demonstrated that prophylaxis for thrombosis is not effective. However, long-term medical management with oral anticoagulants has been shown to reduce the risk of recurrent thrombosis. Occasionally, plastic surgical intervention is needed to treat the sequelae of this disease. Therefore, knowledge of the presentation and manifestations of this disease is critical in the early detection and prompt treatment of patients to prevent life-threatening consequences of this catastrophic disease process.