Immediate free tissue transfer for coverage of Achilles tendon injury or reconstruction.

BACKGROUND: The restoration of function and contour to the Achilles region is a complex problem. This is reflected in the variety of reconstructive options described in the literature. The aim however remains to normalise the range of movement at the ankle joint and restore the power of plantar flexion. Few techniques have demonstrated this. METHODS: Six patients underwent soft tissue reconstruction over the Achilles tendon with a free scapular flap. Two ruptured Achilles tendons were reconstructed with FHL transfers. RESULTS: All six flaps remained viable and achieved stable coverage over the Achilles tendon. Five of the six required thinning for use of normal foot wear. Those that had FHL transfer normalised their range of movement. CONCLUSIONS: It has previously been shown that FHL transfer provides optimum results in terms of functional outcome while here the scapular flap has fulfilled the requirement to restore the contour of this region.

Detection of melanoma seeding during surgical procedures--an RT-PCR based model.

AIM: It has long been suggested that malignant cells may be shed into the blood stream during any given surgical procedure for cancer. A number of studies have now reported the detection of occult melanoma cells in peripheral blood using a reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) based assay. The principal aim of these studies has been to determine a prognostic value for the test and not to evaluate the influence of intervention upon results. METHODS: In this pilot study we aimed to determine whether the assay could be used as a model to detect cells that are seeded during surgery. Peripheral blood samples were obtained pre- and post-operatively on twenty patients undergoing surgery for malignant melanoma - ten with primary disease and ten undergoing regional lymphadenectomy. A further ten patients undergoing surgery for non-melanoma conditions provided controls. RESULTS: Using RT-PCR, it was possible to identify tyrosinase transcripts in the peripheral blood of one of ten patients undergoing excision of local disease and four of ten undergoing surgery for regional metastatic disease. CONCLUSION: It was concluded that this technique does enable detection of a greater percentage of RT-PCR findings post-operatively. This in turn may provide a means for optimizing or comparing surgical techniques and provides a potential guide in the use of adjuvant therapies.

Aplasia cutis congenita. A case of scalp defect repair using two opposing bipedicled local flaps.

Aplasia cutis congenita is a rare congenital condition characterised by the absence of some or all layers of the skin. It may also be associated with absence of underlying muscle and bone. Where dura is exposed there exists a risk of ulceration and haemorrhage and thus primary closure is indicated. We report a case of cutis aplasia successfully closed with opposing bipedicled flaps. To our knowledge this is a novel approach which offers a simple safe technique that can be applied in the neonate.

Ossification in the rectus sheath following free rectus flap.

Heterotopic ossification (HO) is a rare complication of laparotomy wounds. In this report, we describe an unusual presentation of ossification within the closed sheath following the harvest of a free rectus flap for lower limb reconstruction. Of specific interest to this case is that access to the rectus was gained through a lower transverse approach. Furthermore, the extremities of this incision were utilised for harvest of cancellous bone from the iliac crests. Given that one explanation for HO is intraoperative seeding it is of note that no problem was encountered in the wound intimately associated with the bony disruption.

The detection of tyrosinase mRNA in peripheral blood samples is unlikely to aid in the management of patients with localised malignant melanoma.

A number of authors have reported the detection of tyrosinase mRNA in the peripheral blood of patients with malignant melanoma using the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The precise value of this assay as a prognostic tool, however, remains in doubt. This is particularly so with relation to localised disease, where relatively little data has been accumulated. In this study we analysed the peripheral blood of 50 consecutive patients with primary malignant melanoma referred to a plastic surgical centre with the facility of a pigmented lesion clinic. Samples were analysed from an additional 35 patients with advanced melanoma disease and 35 patients with benign pigmented cutaneous lesions. We were able to identify tyrosinase transcripts in the peripheral blood of only two of 50 patients with localised disease. Of those with more advanced disease, a positive finding was found in three with regional disease and four patients with metastatic spread. Stage of disease was found to correlate significantly with PCR status. No correlation was identified with other prognostic markers or with outcome over a three-year period. This data would support the conclusion that the detection of tyrosinase mRNA in peripheral blood is likely to be of little value as an aid in the management of patients with early malignant melanoma.