Toenail Paronychium Flap: Novel Surgical Approach for Ingrowing Toenail and Review of the Literature of Conventional Surgical Methods.

Ingrown toenails are most common among school-age children and adolescents though they can be observed at any age. Causes of ingrown toenails are increased curvature, trauma, and external pressure. Treatment of ingrown toenails can be broadly characterized as conservative and surgical. Conservative treatment can be performed using various methods, such as a gutter splint, dental floss, and cotton. Surgical treatments may be divided into two main approaches; narrowing of the nail plate and debulking of periungual tissues. However, these various conservative and surgical treatments have high recurrence rates, and thus, the author used a permanent surgical method based on the use of a paronychium flap to treat a 15-year-old male adolescent with excessive periungual tissues and curved ingrown toenails who did not improve despite conservative and several surgical treatments over 4 years. Subsequently, toenail shape was maintained without recurrence 22 months after surgery, and there were no complaints of inflammation or pain while walking. This simple surgical method can be performed on patients with advanced ingrown toenails due to excessive periungual tissues and nail curvature and can be expected to have permanent effects.

A new technique of suturing using adhesive skin closure for uncooperative patients.

Open wounds are usually closed with suture. However, young patients often do not cooperate and prevent proper suture placement. Young patients are often terrified of mild pain and wholly uncooperative, which is why we introduce this timesaving, less painful, more aesthetic technique of placing and removing stitches. 104 patients with facial lacerations aged 5 to 15 years were treated at a single center from May 2019 to March 2021. Patients were randomly assigned equally to a simple interrupted suture group (the SI group) or a continuous locking with Steri-Strip group (the CS group). Suture times, times for stitch removal, pain scores at stitch removal and mature scar scores were evaluated. Suture and stitch removal times were significantly shorter, and pain scores at stitch removal and observer scar assessment scale scores were lower in the CS group. Patient scar assessment scale score was non-significantly lower in the SI group. This study shows that the novel continuous locking with the Steri-Strip technique is easier and quicker to perform, causes less pain when removing stitches, provides better aesthetic results than the simple interrupted suture technique and suggests the continuous locking with Steri-Strip technique would be very useful for uncooperative young patients.

Optimal initial dose of chloral hydrate in management of pediatric facial laceration.

BACKGROUND: Chloral hydrate (CH) is the primary agent most commonly used for pediatric sedation prior to diagnostic, therapeutic procedures. In the management of pediatric facial laceration, the initial dose of CH has to balance the need for adequate sedation against the need to minimize sedative complications. METHODS: A retrospective review of medical records of 834 children who visited our emergency room for facial lacerations from August 2010 to September 2012 was conducted. They were divided into six groups on the basis of the initial dose of CH administered. Further, each group was compared with the standard group (70 to ≤80 mg/kg) with respect to sedation success, augmentation dose, failed sedation, time to procedure, and time of stay. RESULTS: With respect to the complication rate, only group 1 (range, 40 to ≤50 mg/kg) showed a significantly lower complication rate. In the case of all the other variables considered, there were no significant differences among any of the groups. CONCLUSIONS: An initial CH dose of 48±2 mg/kg does not negatively affect the success rate of sedation or the need for additional sedative during the primary closure of facial lacerations in pediatric patients. Further, lower doses reduce the incidences of adverse effects and do not delay procedure readiness. Therefore, 48±2 mg/kg of CH can be considered the optimal initial dose for pediatric sedation.

A Case of Rapidly Growing Extraocular Sebaceous Carcinoma.

Sebaceous carcinoma is a rare malignant tumor differentiated from the adnexal epithelium of sebaceous glands and forms less than 1% of all cutaneous malignancies. We present a case of a 93-year-old woman with a rapidly growing mass on the right cheek. Initial histiopathologic finding was basal cell carcinoma. The mass was widely excised and superficial parotidectomy was performed while preserving the facial nerve branches. The resulting defect was covered with a transposition flap from the ipsilateral posterior auricular area and the donor site was closed primarily. However, histopathologic examination of the excised mass showed a poorly differentiated sebaceous carcinoma with a clear resection margin. The diagnosis of sebaceous carcinoma can be difficult to make at initial presentation. This report describes a rare case of a rapidly growing extraocular sebaceous carcinoma, which resulted in a good treatment outcome, and provides a review of relevant literature.

Usefulness of v-y advancement flap for defects after skin tumor excision.

BACKGROUND: After skin tumor excision on the face, extremities, or trunk, the choice of treatment for a skin defect is highly variable. Many surgeons prefer to use a local flap rather than a skin graft or free flap for small- or moderately-sized circular defects. We have used unilateral or bilateral V-Y advancement flaps, especially on the face. Here we evaluated the functional and aesthetic results of this technique. METHODS: All of the patients were pathologically diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), basal cell carcinoma (BCC), or malignant melanoma or premalignant lesion (Bowen's disease). Thirty-two patients underwent V-Y advancement flap repair (11 unilateral and 21 bilateral) from January 2007 to June 2011. We analyzed the patients' age and satisfaction, and location and size of defect. The patients were followed up for 6 months or more. RESULTS: There were 22 women and 10 men. The ages ranged from 47 to 93 years with a mean age of 66 years. The causes were SCC in 15 cases, BCC in 13 cases, malignant melanoma in 1 case, Bowen's disease in 2 cases, and another cause in 1 case. The tumor locations were the face in 28 patients, and the scalp, upper limb, and flank each in one patient. All of the flaps survived and the aesthetic results were good. Postoperative recovery was usually rapid, and no complication or tumor recurrence was observed. CONCLUSIONS: The V-Y advancement flap is often used not only for facial circular defects but also for defects of the trunk and extremities. Its advantages are less scarring and superior aesthetic results as compared with other local flap methods, because of less scarification of adjacent tissue and because it is an easy surgical technique.

The utility of Alloderm in hand resurfacing.

Alloderm as a biomechanical scaffold in situations such as skin grafting has been previously demonstrated. In this paper we describe its utility in a broad range of post-traumatic and congenital hand defects. During the recent three years, 11 patients (7 male, 4 female) ranging in age from 8 to 84 years underwent hand resurfacing using acellular dermis graft. There were 10 traumatic and 1 congenital hand deformities (constriction ring syndrome). The acellular dermis was used as both a dermal filler and as a spacer construct. There was no obvious loss of the acellular dermis or infection. Stable resurfacing was achieved in all patients with reasonable functional and cosmetic outcomes.