[Electromyographic assessment of the temporalis muscle prior to a lengthening myoplasty in patients with Moebius syndrome]. / Étude électromyographique du muscle temporalis avant une myoplastie d'allongement dans le syndrome de Moebius.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Temporalis muscle lengthening myoplasty improves tightening of the lips and rehabilitates smile for patients with congenital facial palsies. Because Moebius syndrome is heterogeneous, a careful evaluation is mandatory before deciding to perform myoplasty. This series shows the role of electromyography for investigating temporalis muscle and trigeminal nerve motor functions. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of 18 patients with no upward movements of the labial commissure and absent or unsightly smile. Electromyography was used to study the temporalis muscle bilaterally. Analysis focused on the recruitment pattern of voluntary contraction and electrical silence or activity at rest. Traces were classified as normal, neurogenic, or low-amplitude. Functional outcomes of myoplasty were evaluated by measuring the upward movement of the commissure (mm), and qualified as high (≥10), medium (>5), or little (≤5). RESULTS: Surgery was cancelled for 5 patients with abnormal electromyographic signs, neurogenic (2) or low-amplitude (3). Myoplasty was performed in 7 patients (age: 8-17 years), unilaterally (3) or bilaterally (4). Preoperative electromyogram was normal (3), or showed moderate neurogenic (2) or low-amplitude (2) changes. Follow-up period after surgery was from 2 to 12 years; functional outcomes were high (5), medium (1), or little (1). CONCLUSION: Electromyographic study of the temporalis can detect muscle denervation or atrophy, or dyspraxia, and guide decision to encourage or discourage performing myoplasty, or enhance rehabilitation programme and make the patient aware of possibly modest outcome.

Acute iterative bronchospasm and "do not re-intubate" orders: sedation by an alpha-2 agonist combined with noninvasive ventilation.

A male patient presented with bronchospasm and acute respiratory distress. The patient had presented 2 previous episodes of severe bronchospasm following abdominal surgery, leading twice to intubation, mechanical ventilation, and conventional sedation. As the patient positively rejected a third episode of intubation + mechanical ventilation, noninvasive ventilation (pressure support = 8 cm H2O, positive end-expiratory pressure = 10 cm H2O), inhaled therapy, and clonidine orally (≈ 4 µg/kg) were combined. Over 1 to 2 hours, the acute respiratory distress disappeared. Noninvasive ventilation was discontinued on the next morning (day 2). The patient was discharged from the critical care unit on day 3 on good condition but died at a later interval from iterative bronchospasm. Evidence-based documentation of the effects of alpha-2 agonists in the setting of acute bronchospasm in the emergency department or status asthmaticus in the critical care unit is awaited.

Swift recovery of severe hypoxemic pneumonia upon morbid obesity.

A morbidly obese (body mass index = 55.5) female patient presented with severe hypoxemic community acquired pneumonia [PaO2/FiO2 (P/F) = 57] with primarily right basal atelectasis, but without bilateral opacities in the upper lobes on the chest X-ray. Major O2 desaturations led the nurses to object to moving the patient to the prone position: muscle relaxation combined to prone position was impossible. Therefore, stringent 60 degrees reverse Trendelenburg legs down position was constantly maintained during mechanical ventilation through the endotracheal tube, using low pressure support (pressure support = 5-10 cmH2O) and high positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP). PEEP was progressively increased to 20 cmH2O, and little or no sedation was used. A P/F improvement from 57 to 200 over three days allowed removing the tracheal tube. The patient was discharged 13 days after admission. In this paper, the use of high PEEP in the context of morbid obesity, and low pressure support are discussed.

[CO2 laser treatment of skin cylindromas in Brooke-Spiegler syndrome]. / Traitement des cylindromes cutanés par laser CO2 dans le syndrome de Brooke-Spiegler.

BACKGROUND: Multiple skin cylindromas are of autosomal dominant transmission and may be associated with spiradenoma and trichoepithelioma. This condition is known as Brooke-Spiegler syndrome. The aim of this study is to compare surgical and laser treatment for these lesions. CASE REPORTS: Five patients from a single family (two male and three female) consulted at the dermatology department for the treatment of multiple cylindromas of the scalp. The female patients presented a more severe form that had developed into "turban tumour". All patients were initially treated by surgery. Two had undergone multiple surgical excisions alone while the others had been treated with CO2 laser. One of the female patients treated with surgery had undergone complete excision of the scalp covered by total skin graft. The three patients treated with CO2 laser were completely satisfied with their therapy, which enabled a larger number of lesions to be treated at each session. They underwent one session every three months under local anaesthesia. CONCLUSION: CO2 laser constitutes an alternative to surgery in the treatment of multiple skin cylindroma. It gives excellent cosmetic result with excellent safety and a high degree of satisfaction among treated patients. It should be proposed for patients refusing surgery or where the number of lesions enables first-line use of this approach to be envisaged.

[Tissular expansion in giant congenital nevi treatment]. / Nævus pigmentaires congénitaux géants : quelle place pour l'expansion cutanée.

UNLABELLED: Surgical management of giant melanotic naevi remains a surgical challenge. Tissue expansion provides tissue of the same quality for the repair of defects. The aim of this study is to review tissular expansion for giant melanotic naevi. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study from 2000 to 2012. All children patients who underwent a tissular expansion for giant congenital naevi had been included. Epidemiological data, surgical procedure, complication rate and results had been analysed. RESULTS: Thirty-tree patients had been included; they underwent 61 procedures with 79 tissular-expansion prosthesis. Previous surgery, mostly simple excision had been performed before tissular expansion. Complete naevus excision had been performed in 63.3% of the cases. Complications occurred in 45% of the cases, however in 50% of them were minor. Iterative surgery increased the complication rate. CONCLUSION: Tissular expansion is a valuable option for giant congenital naevus. However, complication rate remained high, especially when iterative surgery is needed.

[Discovered of breast cancer in adolescent during the plastic surgery: a case report]. / Découverte d'un cancer du sein au cours de la chirurgie plastique de la jeune fille: à propos d'un cas.

Authors report the case of a ductal carcinoma diagnosed after a reduction mammaplasty in a 16 years old female. The pre-operative mammography was normal. The histologic diagnosis was made on the specimen. The specificity and efficiency of pre-operative radiology are discussed in plastic surgery in young patients.

[Scalp surgery in children: principles and therapeutic aspects]. / La chirurgie du cuir chevelu de l'enfant: principes et particularités thérapeutiques.

Surgical treatment of the lesions of the scalp in children has specific objectives: excision of an extensive lesion using minimum operative procedures, hiding scar in the hair, correcting a wide and ungraceful scar. We reviewed our experience of 450 cases (1990-2000), and found that most common lesions in childhood were: sebaceous hamartoma, pigmentary naevus, post traumatic alopecia, aplasia cutis congenita and complicated hemangiomas. Different surgical procedures are discussed: excision, tissue expansion, hair grafts. Large excision can be performed before three months of life because of the good laxity of the scalp. Tissue expansion is particularly suited to the scalp. Aplasia cutis congenita is a special condition, with local vascular abnormalities: local flaps are prohibited. Hemangiomas may require early surgical treatment in the event of complications.

[Total extended ++urethrectomy and transureteral continent cystostomy in the treatment of urethral melanoma in women. Report of a case]. / Uréthrectomie totale élargie et cystostomie continente trans-urétérale dans le traitement du mélanome de l'urèthre chez la femme. A propos d'un cas.

Malignant melanoma of the urethra is one of the rare urethral tumours which can be controlled by total urethrectomy with preservation of the bladder. The authors report the first case of melanoma of the urethra treated by total urethrectomy and continent transureteric urinary diversion according to Mitrofanoff's principle.

Paederasty and political life in archaic Greek cities.

This article deals with the importance of paederasty in political life of Archaic Greece. It shows that paederasty was present since the beginning of Greek history, in many cities, and at the highest levels of society. This study allows one to say that paederasty is not an "historical accident," late in history and geographically localisable, but is part of the self-definition of Greece since its remotest past.

[Indications for bone autografts and allografts in cranioplasties. Apropos of a series of 51 cases, 30 of them with follow-up]. / Indications respectives des autogreffes et des allogreffes osseuses au cours des crânioplasties. A propos d'une série de 51 opérés dont 30 cas revus.

Based on a series of 51 cranioplasties performed between 1978 and 1988 with follow-up of 30 cases, the authors define the respective indications for bone autografts and allografts. The various donor sites of autografts are reviewed, particularly in relation to the history of their use. Similarly, the history of the use of allografts is also reviewed and the various methods of sterilisation are considered. The authors review all of the literature on this subject and compare their results with those of other authors.