A Unique Presentation of Multicentric Myofibromatosis in the Masseter Muscle of a Pediatric Patient.

A 12-year-old female with a history of multicentric infantile myofibromatosis (IM) presented with a tender, enlarging cheek mass and trismus. Imaging identified an intramasseteric tumor. Given the unknown etiology of the tumor and her bothersome symptoms, the mass was excised using a transoral approach with concurrent facial nerve monitoring. Her pathology report confirmed the diagnosis of a myofibromatosis lesion embedded within the masseter muscle. While IM can often present with lesions in the head and neck region, the intramasseteric location is rare and presents unique considerations for surgical approach. Myofibromatosis lesions typically occur before two years of age, although there are some rare documented cases of multicentric myofibromatosis lesions presenting at older ages. Furthermore, this patient's family history of similar lesions suggests a familial variant, which may have implications for disease behavior and need for further work-up, monitoring, and management. Overall, this was an unusual presentation of IM given the patient's age, prevalent family history, and the location of the mass. This case report adds to the literature and discusses the clinical differential of a pediatric cheek mass, the surgical considerations for an intramasseteric tumor, and the natural history of infantile myofibromatosis.

Gender Differences in Entrustable Professional Activity Evaluations of General Surgery Residents.

OBJECTIVE: To determine differences in entrustable professional activity (EPA) assessments between male and female general surgery residents. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Evaluations play a critical role in career advancement for physicians. However, female physicians in training receive lower evaluations and underrate their own performance. Competency-based assessment frameworks, such as EPAs, may help address gender bias in surgery by linking evaluations to specific, observable behaviors. METHODS: In this cohort study, EPA assessments were collected from July 2018 to May 2020. The effect of resident sex on EPA entrustment levels was analyzed using multiple linear and ordered logistic regressions. Narrative comments were analyzed using latent dirichlet allocation to identify topics correlated with resident sex. RESULTS: Of the 2480 EPAs, 1230 EPAs were submitted by faculty and 1250 were submitted by residents. After controlling for confounding factors, faculty evaluations of residents were not impacted by resident sex (estimate = 0.09, P = 0.08). However, female residents rated themselves lower by 0.29 (on a 0-4 scale) compared to their male counterparts (P < 0.001). Within narrative assessments, topics associated with resident sex demonstrated that female residents focus on the "guidance" and "supervision" they received while performing an EPA, while male residents were more likely to report "independent" action. CONCLUSIONS: Faculty assessments showed no difference in EPA levels between male and female residents. Female residents rate themselves lower by nearly an entire post graduate year (PGY) level compared to male residents. Latent dirichlet allocation -identified topics suggest this difference in self-assessment is related to differences in perception of autonomy.

Peripheral nerve blocks with liposomal bupivacaine are associated with increased opioid use compared to thoracic epidural in patients with an epigastric incision.

BACKGROUND: Thoracic epidurals are commonly recommended in enhanced recovery protocols, though they may cause hypotension and urinary retention. Peripheral nerve blocks using liposomal bupivacaine are a potential alternative, though they have not been extensively studied in major cancer operations with an epigastric incision. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of prospectively collected data following the transition from thoracic epidural to liposomal peripheral nerve blocks in patients undergoing major oncologic surgery. Patients receiving peripheral nerve blocks were compared to those receiving thoracic epidural. Outcome variables included postoperative opioid use (milligram morphine equivalents [MME]), severe pain, and postoperative complications. RESULTS: Forty-seven of 102 patients studied (46%) received peripheral nerve blocks. Opioid use was higher in the peripheral nerve block group during the 0-24 h (116 vs. 94 MME, p = 0.04) and 24-48 h postoperative period (94 vs. 23 MME, p < 0.01). There was no significant difference in severe pain, hypotension, urinary retention, or ileus. Peripheral nerve blocks were associated with earlier ambulation (1 vs. 2 days, p = 0.04), though other milestones were similar. CONCLUSIONS: Liposomal peripheral nerve blocks were associated with increased opioid use compared to thoracic epidural. On the basis of our results, thoracic epidural might be preferred in surgical oncology patients with an epigastric incision.

Do Pregnancy-Induced Brain Changes Reverse? The Brain of a Mother Six Years after Parturition.

Neuroimaging researchers commonly assume that the brain of a mother is comparable to that of a nulliparous woman. However, pregnancy leads to pronounced gray matter volume reductions in the mother's brain, which have been associated with maternal attachment towards the baby. Beyond two years postpartum, no study has explored whether these brain changes are maintained or instead return to pre-pregnancy levels. The present study tested whether gray matter volume reductions detected in primiparous women are still present six years after parturition. Using data from a unique, prospective neuroimaging study, we compared the gray matter volume of 25 primiparous and 22 nulliparous women across three sessions: before conception (n = 25/22), during the first months of postpartum (n = 25/21), and at six years after parturition (n = 7/5). We found that most of the pregnancy-induced gray matter volume reductions persist six years after parturition (classifying women as having been pregnant or not with 91.67% of total accuracy). We also found that brain changes at six years postpartum are associated with measures of mother-to-infant attachment. These findings open the possibility that pregnancy-induced brain changes are permanent and encourage neuroimaging studies to routinely include pregnancy-related information as a relevant demographic variable.

Comorbilidad entre el trastorno del espectro autista y el espectro de la esquizofrenia. A propósito de un caso / Comorbidity between autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia spectrum. A case report

Los trastornos del espectro de la esquizofrenia incluyen un abanico de disfunciones cognoscitivas y emocionales que abarcan alteraciones en la percepción, del pensamiento inferencial, del lenguaje y la comunicación, del comportamiento, de la afectividad, la fluidez y productividad del pensamiento y el habla, de la capacidad hedónica, de las funciones ejecutivas. Algunos de estos síntomas se solapan con los contemplados en el espectro autista. Establecer el diagnóstico diferencial y/o la comorbilidad puede resultar complicado, especialmente en personas adultas con trastorno del espectro autista con buen funcionamiento en el área intelectual y del lenguaje. En este artículo, presentamos un caso de un paciente de 28 años con una amplia trayectoria psiquiátrica, diagnosticado de trastornos del espectro de la esquizofrenia y sospechas de un posible trastorno del espectro autista que nos permite analizar y revisar el solapamiento y las diferencias entre ambos diagnósticos (AU)

The schizophrenia spectrum disorders include a wide variety of cognitive and emotional dysfunctions. These can cause some alterations in the perception of the inferential thinking, in the language and communication, in the behaviour, in the affectivity, in the thinking and language fluency and production, as well as in hedonic capacity and executive functions. Some of these symptoms overlap those in the autism spectrum. Establishing the differential diagnosis and/or the comorbidity could be really complex, especially among adults, who suffer the autism spectrum disorder but having a good functioning in the intellectual and language area. Through this article, the specific case is presented of a patient aged 28 who suffers a wide trajectory of psychiatric symptoms. He was diagnosed with a schizophrenia spectrum disorders and some suspicion of a possible autism spectrum. An analysis and review is presented on the overlapping symptoms and the differences that exist between both diagnoses (AU)