RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Bilateral cleft lip deformity is much more difficult to correct than unilateral cleft lip deformity. The complexity of the deformity and the sensitive relationships between the arrangement of the muscles and the characteristics of the external lip necessitate a comprehensive preoperative plan for management. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the repair of bilateral cleft lip using the Byrd modification of the traditional Millard and Manchester methods. A key component of this repair technique is focused on reconstruction of the central tubercle. METHODS: Fourteen patients with mean age of 5.7 months presented with bilateral cleft lip deformity and were operated on using a modification of the Millard and Manchester techniques. Patients with a very wide cleft lip and protruded or rotated premaxilla were excluded from this study. We analyzed 30 normal children for a comparison with our patients in terms of anthropometric measurements. RESULTS: By the end of the follow-up period (between 9 and 19 months), all our patients had obtained a full central segment with adequate white roll in the central segment and a deep gingivolabial sulcus, and we obtained nearly normal anthropometric measurements in comparison with age-matched normal children. CONCLUSIONS: We recommend this modified technique for the treatment of bilateral cleft lip deformity.
RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Iron overload is a risk factor affecting all patients with thalassemia intermedia (TI). We aimed to determine whether there is a relationship of serum ferritin (SF) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) with liver iron concentration (LIC) determined by R2 magnetic resonance imaging (R2-MRI), to estimate the most relevant degree of iron overload and best time to chelate in patients with TI. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 119 patients with TI (mean age years) were randomly selected and compared with 120 patients who had a diagnosis of thalassemia major (TM). Correlations of LIC, as determined by R2-MRI, with SF and ALT levels, were assessed in all participants. A P-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: SF and LIC levels were lower in patients with TI than in those with TM; only ferritin values were significant. We found a statistically significant relationship between SF and LIC, with cut-off estimates of SF in patients with TI who had splenectomy and those who entered puberty spontaneously (916 and 940 ng/mL, respectively) with LIC >5 mg Fe/g dry weight (P<0.0001). A significant relationship was also found for patients with TI who had elevated ALT level (63.5 U/L), of 3.15 times the upper normal laboratory limit, using a cut-off for LIC ≥5 mg Fe/g dry weight. CONCLUSION: We determined the cut-off values for ALT and SF indicating the best time to start iron chelation therapy in patients with TI, and found significant correlations among iron overload, SF, and ALT.
RESUMEN
AIM: To analyse our experiences in the management of traumatic retroperitoneal hematoma (RPH), highlighting the various challenges faced and to report on the outcome of these patients. METHODS: From May 2014 to May 2017, all patients with traumatic RPH who underwent surgical treatment were retrospectively analysed. The kind of injury, intraoperative findings, sites of hematoma, postoperative morbidity and the overall outcomes were recorded. RESULTS: Ninety-six patients; 53 with blunt trauma and 43 with penetrating injury, were included in this study. The centre-medial hematoma was observed in 24 (25%) patients, lateral hematoma in 46 (47.9%) patients, pelvic hematoma in 19 (19.8%) patients, and multiple zone hematomas in 7 (7.3%) patients. All cases were managed surgically. Exploration of the retroperitoneal space was done in 72 cases. Thirty-three patients died, and the overall death rate was 34.4%. CONCLUSION: Surgical exploration should be done in RPH caused by penetrating injury, but the need for urgent exploration in blunt injury is not so high, and it depends on the anatomical site of hematoma, concomitant organ injury and the hemodynamic status of patients.
