The gut microbiome and melanoma: A review.

Disturbances in the microbial ecosystem have been implemented in chronic inflammation, immune evasion and carcinogenesis, with certain microbes associated with the development of specific cancers. In recent times, the gut microbiome has been recognised as a potential novel player in the pathogenesis and treatment of malignant melanoma. It has been shown that the composition of gut microbiota in early-stage melanoma changes from in situ to invasive and then to metastatic disease. The gut bacterial and fungal profile has also been found to be significantly different in melanoma patients compared to controls. Multiple studies of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapies have shown that the commensal microbiota may have an impact on anti-tumor immunity and therefore ICI response in cancer patients. When it comes to chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments, studies demonstrate that gut microbiota are invaluable in the repair of radiation and chemotherapy-induced damage and therapeutic manipulation of gut microbiota can be an effective strategy to deal with side effects. Studies demonstrate the oncogenic and tumor-suppressive properties of the gut microbiome, which may play a role in the pathogenesis of melanoma. Despite this, investigations into specific interactions are still in its infancy, but starting to gain momentum as more significant and clinically relevant effects are emerging.

Bilateral Anteverted Conchal Bowls: Surgical Correction of a Rare Anomaly.

Anteverted conchal bowl is a rare auricular anomaly in which a convexity of the conchal bowl is seen. The condition may pose both aesthetic and functional implications for affected patients. Most cases are benign and require minimal or no intervention. In severe cases, the external acoustic meatus can be occluded, giving rise to a host of complications. Correction of anteverted conchal bowls is achieved by either conservative or surgical modalities, with the latter commonly undertaken in the post-neonatal stage. Reconstructive surgery can be performed using relatively simple techniques and yields desirable results. Here, we present a case of a patient surgically treated in our Plastic Surgery Unit in the North East of Scotland, along with a description of the operative methods utilised.

Paediatric Burns of the Hand: Our Experience Over Three Years.

Background and aim Contact burn injuries to the hand are common in the paediatric population, with the most common aetiology involving touching hot surfaces in the household. The hand is also often involved in paediatric scald injuries. The aim of this study was to determine the different presentations of hand burn injuries and analyse the outcomes in the paediatric population at Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital (RACH). Methods Anonymised clinic data for paediatric patients with hand burns presenting to our burn centre from 2017 to 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. A total of 52 patients (65 affected hands) were included in the study. Clinic letters stored on NHS Grampian's electronic patient record system were reviewed for burn surface area, time to healing, management measures including medications prescribed and sequelae of the burn injury. Results The average patient age was three years and four months old. There were 31 male patients and 21 female patients. Paediatric hand burns were most commonly confined to the palm only, followed by the fingers only. Contact with a hob was the most common aetiology, followed by scald burns. The average time to healing was 10 days (range 2-28 days). No correlation was found between length of stay on initial hospital admission and time to complete healing. A total of 86.5% (n=45) of patients were managed with dressings and 13.5% (n=7) of patients underwent surgical management. Of these seven patients, four had surgical debridement of burn tissue, washout, and dressing, and the remaining three had an excision and grafting with thick split-thickness skin grafts. Of these three patients, one patient had to undergo secondary reconstruction with a full-thickness skin graft. Conclusion It has been found that most patients in this study completely healed with primarily conservative measures of dressing care and regular check-ups. Isolated hand burns in the paediatric population present a low rate of sequelae and palms are the most common area of burn injury in this demographic.

Breast oedema following free flap breast reconstruction.

OBJECTIVES: Breast oedema causes significant morbidity and is historically difficult to quantify. The aim of this study was to identify changes in breast tissue water content from pre-operative levels in the native breast to post-operative levels in mastectomy skin flaps and free flaps in the reconstructed breast. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred patients undergoing unilateral mastectomy and immediate free flap breast reconstruction were examined pre-operatively and at three post-operative appointments. A validated moisture meter was used to record dermal water percentages of each breast quadrant and areola in both breasts pre-operatively, then four quadrants of both breasts plus the unaffected areola and free flap at each post-operative review. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Native skin of the reconstructed breast showed significant, persistent increase in MWC from 45.6% ± 0.5% to 72.8% ± 0.9% at 1st follow up (p < 0.001), decreasing only to 67.6% ± 0.8% by 3rd follow up. There was a marked difference (p < 0.001) in the mean water content (MWC) of the initial free flap (39.7% ± 0.6%) compared to 61.8% ± 1.7% at 1st follow up, then 55.1% ± 1.4% at 2nd and 53.7% ± 1.3% at 3rd follow ups. The unaffected breast showed a small but significant increase in MWC of all quadrants at subsequent follow up (greatest difference 3.1% at 1st follow up). This patient group demonstrates significant, persistent oedema of the reconstructed breast, which can be monitored using a non-invasive moisture meter.