Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Hand: A Retrospective Study in Immunosuppressed and Immunocompetent Individuals.

BACKGROUND: Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the hand presents a treatment challenge because of the anatomical complexity of this location. Immunosuppressed patients are disproportionately affected by cutaneous SCC. Existing data on SCC of the hand are primarily presented in the orthopedic literature, and may thus be affected by referral bias. OBJECTIVE: Characterization of epidemiology and treatment outcomes for hand versus nonhand cutaneous SCC in immunosuppressed versus immunocompetent patients, across all clinical departments. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Single-institution retrospective cohort study of cutaneous SCC evaluated over 3 years and hand SCC over an additional 5 years. RESULTS: A cohort of 522 hand SCC cases (1,746 total SCC) was ascertained among 1,064 patients, of whom 175 were immunosuppressed. Occurrence on the hand was more common for SCC arising in immunosuppressed versus immunocompetent patients (38% vs 24% of cases respectively). Hand SCC cases demonstrated balanced laterality and comparable spectra of differentiation regardless of immunosuppression. No cases of hand SCC metastasis were observed over greater than 2 years' mean follow-up, and digital amputation was only required in approximately 1% of hand SCCs. CONCLUSION: In our cohort, assessment of hand SCC across all clinical departments suggests more favorable prognosis than reflected in the previous literature.

Development and Validation of a Prognostic, Risk-Adjusted Scoring System for Operative Upper-Extremity Infections.

PURPOSE: Acute infections of the distal upper extremity (UE) can require one and possibly multiple debridements. We aimed to develop and validate a prognostic scoring system based on patient, infection, and microbiology risk factors to help with operative planning and patient counseling. METHODS: We studied all acute surgical UE infections distal to the elbow joint over a 5-year period. A split-sample design was created with 1:1 randomization into development and validation samples. The primary outcome was infection persistence, defined as the need for additional operative drainage according to usual indications. Multivariable logistic regression identified risk factors for persistent infections in the development sample, which was translated to a simple clinical scoring system derived from regression coefficients. The model was then tested separately against the validation sample. RESULTS: A total of 602 patients were included; 31% of all infections exhibited persistence. Independent risk factors from the development sample included diabetes (3 points), smoking (2 points), leukocytosis at presentation (2 points), animal bite mechanism (3 points), osteomyelitis (4 points), tenosynovitis (7 points), pyarthrosis (3 points), necrotizing fasciitis (11 points), and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (3 points). These were all confirmed in the validation sample. Infections were categorized into 3 groups based on risk for persistent infection: low (less than 8 points), medium (8-11 points), and high (12 points or more). In the validation sample, the probability of persistent infection for these 3 groups was 23%, 57%, and 79%, respectively. The c statistic for the model in the validation sample was 0.79. CONCLUSIONS: Persistence of acute surgical distal UE infections is mediated by patient and microbiology factors, as well as infection mechanism and type. Surgeons can use this risk-adjusted prognostic scoring system to anticipate which infections may require additional therapeutic debridement and plan operative schedules and counsel patients accordingly. TYPE OF STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic II.

Quantifying the Effect of Diabetes on Surgical Hand and Forearm Infections.

PURPOSE: Diabetes has long been established as a risk factor for hand and forearm infections. The purpose of this study was to review the effect of glycemic factors on outcomes among diabetic patients with surgical upper-extremity infections. We hypothesized that diabetic inpatients may benefit from stronger peri-infection glycemic control. METHODS: A prospective cohort study enrolled diabetic and nondiabetic surgical hand and forearm infections over 3 years. Glycemic factors included baseline glycosylated hemoglobin, blood glucose (BG) at presentation, and inpatient BG. Poor baseline control was defined as glycosylated hemoglobin of 9.0% or greater and poor inpatient control as average BG of 180 mg/dL or greater. The main outcome of interest was the need for repeat therapeutic drainage. Multivariable logistic regression quantified the association between diabetic factors and this outcome. RESULTS: The study involved 322 patients: 76 diabetic and 246 nondiabetic. Diabetic infections were more likely than nondiabetic infections to result from idiopathic mechanisms, occur in the forearm, and present as osteomyelitis, septic arthritis, and necrotizing fasciitis. Diabetic microbiology was more likely polymicrobial and fungal. After first drainage, diabetic patients were more likely to require repeat drainage and undergo eventual amputation. Among diabetic patients, poor inpatient control was associated with need for repeat drainage. CONCLUSIONS: Diabetes exacerbates the burden of surgical upper-extremity infections: specifically, more proximal locations, deeper involved anatomy at presentation, broader pathogenic microbiology, increased need for repeat drainage, and higher risk for amputation. Among diabetic patients, poor inpatient glycemic control is associated with increased need for repeat drainage. TYPE OF STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic I.

Impact of Time Interval between Radiation and Free Autologous Breast Reconstruction.

Background To evaluate whether the timing of surgery after radiation in autologous breast reconstruction affects major complications. Methods We performed a retrospective review of 454 free flaps (331 patients) for breast reconstruction at a single institution from 2003 to 2014. Charts were reviewed for age, BMI, laterality, flap type (TRAM, msTRAM, DIEP), surgeon, donor vessels (IMA, TD), chemotherapy, smoking, diabetes, hypertension, DVT, venous anastomoses, vein size, and time from radiation (none, < 12 months, or ≥ 12 months). The primary outcome of major complications was defined as partial/total flap loss, thrombosis, ischemia, or hematoma requiring return to the operating room. To identify independent predictors of major complications, a multivariate logistic regression was constructed. Alpha = 0.05 indicated significance in all tests. Results Average age was 47.4 ± 8.4. Free flaps consisted of msTRAM (41.1%), TRAM (29.6%), or DIEP (29.3%). The donor vessel was IMA in 66.9% of flaps or TD in 33.0% of patients with 90.7% using only one vein and 9.3% with two veins. The average IMA/TDV size was 2.5 cm ± 0.5. Preoperative radiation occurred in 31.2% of flaps. There were 54 flaps with at least one major complication (11.7%). On multivariate regression, only flap type (OR =4.04, p < .01) and vein size (OR = 0.13, p = 0.02) independently predicted major complications. Conclusion There was no significant difference in major complications between flaps who had reconstruction within 12 months and greater than 12 months after radiation. Only having a more muscle sparing technique or smaller vein size were independent risk factors for major complications.

Successful metabolic adaptations leading to the prevention of high fat diet-induced murine cardiac remodeling.

BACKGROUND: Cardiomyopathy is a devastating complication of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). It arises even in patients with normoglycemia (glycosylated hemoglobin, A1C ≤7 %). As obesity and T2DM are approaching epidemic levels worldwide, the cardiomyopathy associated with these diseases must be therapeutically addressed. We have recently analyzed the systemic effects of a 12-week high fat diet (HFD) on wild type mice from the C57Bl/6 (B6) strain and the wild type super-healing Murphy Roths Large (MRL) mouse strain. The MRL HFD mice gained significantly more weight than their control diet counterparts, but did not present any of the other usual systemic T2DM phenotypes. METHODS: Cardiac pathology and adaptation to HFD-induced obesity in the MRL mouse strain compared to the HFD C57Bl/6 mice were thoroughly analyzed with echocardiography, histology, qPCR, electron microscopy and immunoblots. RESULTS: The obese HFD C57Bl/6 mice develop cardiac hypertrophy, cardiomyocyte lipid droplets, and initiate an ineffective metabolic adaptation of an overall increase in electron transport chain complexes. In contrast, the obese HFD MRL hearts do not display hypertrophy nor lipid droplets and their metabolism adapts quite robustly by decreasing pAMPK levels, decreasing proteins in the carbohydrate metabolism pathway and increasing proteins utilized in the ß-oxidation pathway. The result of these metabolic shifts is the reduction of toxic lipid deposits and reactive oxygen species in the hearts of the obese HFD fed MRL hearts. CONCLUSIONS: We have identified changes in metabolic signaling in obese HFD fed MRL mice that confer resistance to diabetic cardiomyopathy. The changes include a reduction of cardiac pAMPK, Glut4 and hexokinase2 in the MRL HFD hearts. Overall the MRL hearts down regulate glucose metabolism and favor lipid metabolism. These adaptations are essential to pursue for the identification of novel therapeutic targets to combat obesity related cardiomyopathy.

LMO7-null mice exhibit phenotypes consistent with emery-dreifuss muscular dystrophy.

INTRODUCTION: Mutations in the inner nuclear envelope protein emerin cause Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy (EDMD), which is characterized by progressive skeletal muscle wasting, cardiac conduction defects, and tendon contractures. We previously showed that emerin binds directly to the transcription regulator Lmo7 and attenuates its activity to regulate the proper temporal expression of important myogenic differentiation genes. METHODS: The skeletal muscle and cardiac phenotypes were analyzed in a newly generated Lmo7-null mouse using histological analysis, echocardiography, and various neuromuscular tests to determine if Lmo7 was important for skeletal muscle and cardiac function. RESULTS: Lmo7-null mice had growth retardation, decreased fiber size, and impaired skeletal muscle and cardiac function. Lmo7-null mice also had lower levels of phosphorylated retinoblastoma (Rb), extracellular signal-regulated kinase, and c-Jun N-terminal kinase, which is consistent with altered Rb and mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling. CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrate that loss of Lmo7 in mice causes myopathic phenotypes similar to those seen in other EDMD mouse models.

Recurrent Compartment Syndrome Leading to the Diagnosis of McArdle Disease: Case Report.

Glycogen storage disorders are rare diseases of metabolism that are usually diagnosed when a patient presents with recurrent fatigue, muscle pains, and exercise intolerance. In this case report, we describe a patient who presented with the second episode of nontraumatic compartment syndrome over a 10-year span. Because of the obscure presentation, we performed a muscle biopsy, which on muscle phosphorylase staining revealed McArdle disease (glycogen storage disease type V).

Current Trends in Use of Epinephrine in Hand Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Epinephrine use during hand surgery has been stigmatized due to a fear of digital necrosis. Clinical experience in the past 2 decades has shown epinephrine in local anesthetic to be safe. We sought to analyze the use of epinephrine among hand surgeons and identify variables associated with it. METHODS: A deidentified 21-question survey was distributed via email to the 914 and 415 members of the American Association for Hand Surgery and the Canadian Society for Surgery of the Hand, respectively. Questions included residency type, years of practice, practice setup/ownership, practice leadership, usage of epinephrine, availability of reversal agents, and reasons for or against usage. RESULTS: Of 188 responders, 170 (90%) used epinephrine in local anesthetic for hand surgery procedures. By nationality, 100% (43) of Canadian surgeons and 89% (108) of US surgeons use epinephrine (P = .01). Among surgeons with practice ownership, 88% (102) used epinephrine compared with 93% (85) of those surgeons that we employed (P = .28). Comparing surgeons with teaching responsibilities versus those without training responsibilities showed that surgeons who did not teach used epinephrine at a higher rate (87% vs 98%, P = .04). In addition, plastic surgery-trained surgeons (111) used epinephrine in 97.2% of cases while orthopedic surgery-trained surgeons (57) used epinephrine in 80.2% of cases (P = .0003). No difference was found when examining the use of epinephrine and surgeon age (P = .28). CONCLUSIONS: Most respondents believe that epinephrine is safe. Training background, location, and practice setup are significant factors in the use of epinephrine, whereas practice ownership and physician age are not major factors.

Surgical Upper Extremity Infections in Immunosuppressed Patients: A Comparative Analysis With Diagnosis and Treatment Recommendations for Hand Surgeons.

Background: Immunosuppression is encountered in patients with oncologic, transplant, and autoimmune disorders. The purpose of this study is to provide guidance for physicians treating surgical hand and upper extremity (UE) infections in immunosuppressed (IS) patients. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed our database of patients presenting with UE infections over 3 years. IS patients were matched randomly to non-IS patients. Patient background, infection presentation, surgical evaluation, and microbiology variables were recorded. Infection variables included mechanism, location, and type. Outcomes included inpatient length of stay (LOS) and need for repeat drainage. Results: We identified 35 IS and 35 non-IS out of 409 UE infection patients. Patients most commonly had a hematologic malignancy (34%) as their IS class, and the most frequent immunosuppressive medication was glucocorticoids (57%). IS patients were more likely to be older and less likely to have a history of drug abuse or hepatitis C virus infections. IS infections were more likely to have idiopathic mechanisms, more likely to involve deeper anatomy such as joints, bone, tendon sheath, or muscle/fascia, and less likely to present with leukocytosis. IS cultures more commonly exhibited atypical Mycoplasma or fungus. There was no difference between IS and non-IS patients regarding LOS or recurrent drainage. Conclusions: Mechanism and white blood cell count are less reliable markers of infection severity in IS patients. Physicians treating infections in IS patients should maintain a higher suspicion for deeper involved anatomy and atypical microbiology. Nonetheless, with careful inpatient management and closer surveillance, outcomes in IS patients can approach that of non-IS patients.