Reconstruction of maxillary defects with serratus anterior muscle and angle of the scapula.

Large maxillary defects ideally require reconstruction with a free flap. Varied classifications have been reported to describe maxillary/orbital defects. We describe our experience of free flaps in large maxillary defects using composite tissue of serratus anterior muscle and the angle of the scapula. Eleven patients (6 men and 5 women, age range 42-69 years) were studied retrospectively and the outcome was recorded. We conclude that the composite flap is versatile enough to reconstruct maxillary defects of various sizes.

Power modulation contrast enhanced ultrasound for postoperative perfusion monitoring following free tissue transfer in head and neck surgery.

This feasibility study evaluated whether contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEU) was able to assess free flap perfusion following free tissue transfer in the head and neck region. Thirty-six patients underwent standard clinical monitoring (SCM) and CEU postoperatively. The time taken for each technique to detect flap failure was recorded. Qualitative CEU analysis by visual assessment predicted survival in 30/30 (100%) and failure in 5/6 (83%) flaps with sensitivity, specificity, positive (PPV) and negative (NPV) predictive values of 100, 86, 97 and 100%, respectively. Quantitative CEU measurement of blood volume (α) values within healthy perfused flaps was over 60 times higher than in failing flaps (8.25±2.82dB vs. 0.12±0.17dB, respectively, P<0.0001). If a cut-off α value of <1.5dB was used to predict future flap failure, the accuracy of the test was 100% (sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV). If a cut-off α value of >1.9dB indicated flap success, the PPV and NPV are 100%. Following surgery, SCM took 76 (±15) h to detect flap failure compared with 18 (±38) h with CEU (P<0.05). CEU is highly accurate in its ability to distinguish between perfused and failing flaps. The technique is quick (<10min) and capable of imaging all flap types.

Ultra-fast track hospital discharge using conventional cardiac surgical techniques.

BACKGROUND: Recent introduction of minimally invasive adult cardiac surgical techniques has emphasized the advantage of early hospital discharge. However, we chose an alternative approach to determine the safety, efficacy, and feasibility of ultra-fast track protocols while retaining both standard surgical exposure (median sternotomy) and conventional cardiac surgical techniques (hypothermia, cardiopulmonary bypass with cardiac arrest, and optimal myocardial protection). METHODS: From September 1995 to January 1998, a total of 258 consecutive patients underwent cardiac procedures by a single surgeon. Acceleration of clinical pathways was used to initiate earlier discharges. Stringent postdischarge follow-up was implemented. Prospectively entered data were then analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: A variety of isolated as well as combined coronary and valve procedures were performed. Of the 258 patients operated on during this entire study period, a total of 144 patients (56%) were discharged within postoperative days 1 to 4 (ultra-fast track discharge). Over the past 12 months, this incidence increased to 70% (76 of 108 patients). Approximately 50% of these patients were operated on urgently or emergently. To date, there have been no deaths in this ultra-fast track group. There were eight brief readmissions, of which one was for rewiring of a noninfected sternal dehiscence, and the remaining were for cardiac diagnostic studies or a noncardiac problem altogether. CONCLUSIONS: Conventional cardiac operation can allow ultrafast hospital discharges while retaining the advantage of time-tested techniques and providing wider application without requiring new or additional training or equipment.

Ectodermal dysplasia, cleft lip/palate, and severe cutaneous and osseous syndactyly in a mentally retarded girl: a new multiple malformation syndrome.

A 13-year-old mentally retarded girl with severe cutaneous and osseous syndactyly of the hands and feet, cleft lip/palate, and ectodermal dysplasia is presented. We conclude that the pattern of malformations described represents a new multiple malformation syndrome. A comparison with Zlotogora-Ogür syndrome is presented.

The importance of immunoglobulin-breakdown supporting the growth of bacteria in oral abscesses.

Oral bacteria play an important rôle in the causation of oro-facial abscesses. However, they can also be involved in brain, liver and lung abscesses. To persist, it is essential that these bacteria can grow on those sites. The main source of nutrients for growth in abscesses is likely to be tissue exudate, which is rich in serum-derived proteins, and relatively poor in free amino acids and carbohydrates. Degradation of intact proteins seems a crucial step in providing the peptides necessary for energy generation. The aim of this study was to investigate the capacity of microorganisms from asscesses to degrade serum proteins, in particular immunoglobulins. To this end, samples were taken by aspiration from 16 odontogenic abscesses. It was found that pus from abscesses differed strongly in the concentration of viable bacterial cells. The ability of the abscess microflora to degrade serum proteins was investigated after growth of the sample in heat-inactivated human serum. The microflora from abscesses with a high concentration (n = 10) of bacteria strongly degraded immunoglobulins, whereas breakdown of immunoglobulins was virtually absent after growth of the microflora from low-bacterial concentration (n = 6) abscesses. Bacteriological analyses revealed the presence of at least one proteinase-producing species, like Porphyromonas, black-pigmented Prevotella species, or Actinomyces meyeri, in abscesses with a high density of bacteria, but not in those with low bacterial density. The results indicate that the capacity to degrade intact proteins, in particular immunoglobulins, is a major determinant of bacterial growth in abscesses.

Plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1) activity is elevated in Asian and Caucasian subjects with non-insulin-dependent (type 2) diabetes but not in those with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) or non-diabetic Asians.

In order to study the plasminogen activator inhibitor activity (PAI-1) in subjects at different risk of non-insulin-dependent diabetes and ischaemic heart disease we examined 89 subjects with diet controlled NIDDM (49 Caucasian, 40 Asian), 29 with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) (13 Caucasian, 16 Asian), and 149 with normal glucose tolerance (67 Caucasian, 82 Asian). Diabetes was diagnosed by WHO criteria and highly specific, monoclonal antibody-based assays were used to measure insulin, intact proinsulin, and des 31,32 proinsulin. Subjects with NIDDM were significantly more obese, had more central distribution of obesity, higher fasting plasma specific insulin concentrations (NIDDM median 74 pmol l-1 vs IGT 41 pmol l-1, p < 0.01 and vs normals 34 pmol l-1, p < 0.001) and higher PAI-1 activity than normals and those with IGT (NIDDM 23.0 +/- 6.9 vs IGT 16.8 +/- 5.0, p < 0.001 and vs normals 17.1 +/- 6.9 AU ml-1, p < 0.001). However, PAI-1 activity was not significantly different between Asian and Caucasian normals (17.5 +/- 7.3 vs 16.5 +/- 6.4 AU ml-1, p = ns) and diabetic (22.8 +/- 7.3 vs 23.1 +/- 6.6 AU ml-1, p = ns) subjects. In addition to relationships with obesity and plasma triglyceride, PAI-1 activity, after controlling for age, sex, body mass index, and waist-hip ratio, was related to fasting insulin (partial r = 0.22, p < 0.001), intact proinsulin (partial r = 0.36, p < 0.001), and des 31,32 proinsulin concentrations (partial r = 0.33, p < 0.001) as measured by highly specific assays. The association of PAI-1 with diabetes was weakened but remained statistically significant (p = 0.042) after controlling for age, sex, ethnicity, obesity, plasma triglyceride, and all insulin-like molecules. We conclude that, although PAI-1 activity is raised in subjects with diet-treated NIDDM, it is normal in subjects with IGT and non-diabetic Asians, populations at high risk of NIDDM and ischaemic heart disease. Raised PAI-1 activity may play an important role in the pathogenesis of macrovascular disease in subjects with NIDDM, but is unlikely to explain excess risk of ischaemic heart disease in Asians and those with impaired glucose tolerance.

Hyperinsulinemia in nondiabetic Asian subjects using specific assays for insulin, intact proinsulin, and des-31, 32-proinsulin.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the contributions of intact proinsulin and of des-31,32-proinsulin to fasting concentrations of insulin-like molecules in nondiabetic subjects from two ethnic groups (Asian and white) and to see whether Asian subjects are hyperinsulinemic compared with white subjects using highly specific assays for insulin. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We investigated subjects with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) (82 Asian and 67 white) and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) (16 Asian and 13 white), diagnosed by using standard World Health Organization criteria. Highly specific monoclonal antibody-based assays were used to measure insulin, intact proinsulin, and des-31,32-proinsulin. An index of insulin secretion was derived as a ratio of incremental insulin to incremental glucose concentrations from 0 to 30 min during an oral glucose tolerance test. RESULTS: Asian subjects with NGT, despite being significantly thinner than whites (BMI 24.4 +/- 3.5 vs. 25.7 +/- 3.7 kg/m2, P = 0.04), had a more central distribution of obesity (subscapsular-to-triceps skinfold ratios 1.36 +/- 0.69 vs. 1.17 +/- 0.41, P = 0.047). Asian subjects with NGT showed significant hyperinsulinemia 2 h after oral glucose load (plasma insulin median 274 pmol/l [range 26-1,505] vs. 186 pmol/l [27-720], P < 0.005) compared with whites. Asian subjects with NGT also had significantly higher insulin increments (P < 0.02) compared with white subjects and significantly higher fasting concentrations of intact proinsulin (median 2.7 pmol/l [range 0.9-14.1] vs. 2.1 [0.8-7.9], P < 0.02) but not of des-31,32-proinsulin. The ratio of proinsulin-like molecules to the total sum of three insulin-like molecules, however, was similar between Asian and white subjects with NGT and IGT. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that when specific assays for insulin are used, Asian subjects show postglucose load hyperinsulinemia and fasting hyperproinsulinemia compared with white subjects, suggesting increased insulin secretion and/or the presence of underlying insulin resistance in this ethnic group. The contribution of proinsulin-like molecules to total insulin-like molecules was similar between Asian and white subjects with NGT and IGT, and there was no contribution to hyperinsulinemia in Asian subjects.