Does Early Repair of Orbital Fractures Result in Superior Patient Outcomes? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PURPOSE: To date, no clear evidence-based guidelines exist pertaining to the ideal timing to perform surgical treatment of orbital fractures. The purpose of this study was to determine if early treatment of orbital fractures resulted in better patient outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We designed and implemented a systematic review and meta-analysis to test the null hypothesis of no difference in outcomes between different time intervals between orbital injury and surgical intervention. PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, the Elsevier text mining tool database, and clinicaltrials.gov trial registry were queried. The quality of evidence was based on Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology. The predictor variable was the timing of operative repair (early vs late). The outcome variable was complete recovery. Other variables of interest were diplopia, enophthalmos, and preoperative motility restriction. Meta-analyses were performed when definitions of active and control interventions and patient outcomes were deemed similar. In addition, χ2 tests were performed to determine differences in clinical outcomes between early and late operative repair. RESULTS: Of the 1,160 articles reviewed, 20 met the inclusion criteria. Surgery performed less than 2 weeks after injury was significantly associated with greater odds of complete recovery of symptoms (odds ratio [OR], 6.9 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.35-35.06]), as well as a lower incidence of postoperative diplopia (OR, 0.3 [95% CI, 0.1-0.9]) and enophthalmos (OR, 0.2 [95% CI, 0.1-0.9]). Repair performed less than 30 days after injury was associated complete resolution of preoperative motility restriction (OR, 24.6 [95% CI, 1.30-462.34]) as well as diplopia. CONCLUSIONS: Differences in the timing of surgery and definition of patient outcomes, as well as variations in methods of evaluating postoperative outcomes, potentiate the risk of bias and warrant downgrading of the quality of evidence in a study. The timing of repair varied among 2, 4, and 8 weeks after injury. However, a short time to surgical intervention was significantly associated with resolution of vertical dystopia, postoperative enophthalmos, and motility restriction.

Fixation Points in the Treatment of Traumatic Zygomaticomaxillary Complex Fractures: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PURPOSE: Controversy remains regarding the optimal degree of anatomic exposure, reduction, and fixation required during open reduction and internal fixation of zygomaticomaxillary complex (ZMC) fractures. We critically examined the reported data to compare the patient outcomes after various degrees of ZMC reduction and internal fixation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A systematic review and meta-analysis were designed to test the null hypothesis of no difference in outcomes between different degrees of fixation of ZMC fractures. The PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Elsevier text mining tool database, and clinicaltrials.gov trial registries were queried. The quality of evidence was determined using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation method. RESULTS: Of 1213 screened studies, 13 met the inclusion criteria. Fracture instability at 3 months was greater with 2-point fixation (61.1%) than with 3-point fixation (10.6%; relative risk, 2.5, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.4 to 3.3). Less vertical orbital dystopia was seen with 3-point fixation than with 2-point fixation (mean difference, 0.9 mm; 95% CI, 0.6 to 1.3 mm). The incidence of infection and malar asymmetry did not differ between the groups. The quality of evidence was very low to low. CONCLUSIONS: The reported data were limited by low quality, retrospective studies. However, the meta-analysis of randomized control trial data suggested a superiority of 3 points of exposure and fixation regarding fracture stability. When 2 points appear to provide stable fixation, the potential benefits of a third point should be weighed against the cost, operative time, and exposure/periosteal stripping on a case-by-case basis.

Left subdiaphragmatic paraganglioma supplied by contralateral right renal artery.

INTRODUCTION: Paragangliomas are neuroendocrine tumors of the autonomic nervous system that arise from neural crest cells. Paragangliomas are typically extra-adrenal, non-functional and can be discovered incidentally, posing diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. PRESENTATION OF CASE: We present the unusual case of a young man who presented with an acute abdomen secondary to small bowel obstruction, and was found to have an incidental left-sided subdiaphragmatic paraganglioma supplied by a branch of the contralateral right renal artery. DISCUSSION: Emergent laparotomy revealed an internal hernia as the source of the small bowel obstruction. Initial attempts to remove an incidental left subdiaphragmatic mass were aborted because of bleeding. Subsequently, after preoperative superselective embolization of the feeding vessel arising from the right renal artery, the mass was successfully resected. Pathology was consistent with a paraganglioma. CONCLUSION: This report highlights the rarity of the location and blood supply of an incidental left subdiaphragmatic paraganglioma found in the setting of a small bowel obstruction.