Acute Management of Deep Facial Burns

Introduction: Management of deep facial burns is a serious challenge for many reasons: a considerable anatomic and functional diversity is concentrated in a small space, a uniform treatment does not exist, late sequelae are frequent and may be severe, and the literature on the subject is ambiguous. Aim: To analyse management of deep facial burns. Patients and methods: A retrospective medical chart review was conducted for 569 patients with deep facial burns hospitalized between January 2005 and January 2015. Demographic data, type, depth and size of burns, chronology and type of surgical treatment, length of hospital stay, and type and incidence of late sequelae were analysed and compared. Results: Over 10 years, 596 patients with deep facial burns, 216 (36.24%) females and 380 (63.76%) males, aged from 5 months to 95 years (mean 39.5±26 years) were treated. The most common burn agents were hot liquids and flames. The mean total body surface area (TBSA) burned was 17±13.3%. Concomitant eye injury was detected in 63 (10.6%) patients. Priority was given to the early, meticulous, staged surgical approach aimed at sparing the survived tissues and rapid wound closure. Follow-up ranged from 3 months to 5 years. Late functional sequelae were documented for 50 (8.38%) patients and ocular sequelae - for 33 (5.54%) of them. There was no incidence of secondary corneal perforation or definitive loss of vision. Conclusions: Adequate and up-to-date acute management of deep facial burns based on early, judicious, surgical approach could limit initial damage and reduce late sequelae.

Report on Late Toxicity in Head-and-Neck Tumor Patients with Long Term Survival after Radiochemotherapy

Regular tumor follow-up care provided by ear-nose-throat (ENT) specialists ends when patients reach 5-year survival, but radiotoxicity is a continuous lifelong process. In this study, long-term head-and-neck cancer (HNC) survivors undergoing tumor follow-up (FU) care exceeding five years in a certified HNC center of a German university hospital were analyzed for newly diagnosed late sequelae after radio-(chemo-)therapy. Patients diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the oral cavity, larynx or oro-/hypopharynx receiving treatment between 1990 and 2010 with a tumor FU care beyond five years were reviewed retrospectively for signs of late sequelae after radio-(chemo-)therapy (R(C)T) including carotid artery stenosis, stenosis of the cranial esophagus, dysphagia, osteoradionecrosis, and secondary malignancies. Long-term survivors that solely received surgical treatment served as control. Of 1143 analyzed patients we identified 407 patients with an overall survival beyond five years, 311 with R(C)T and 96 patients without R(C)T. Furthermore, 221/1143 patients were lost to FU and the mortality rate within the first 5-years was 45%. Moreover, 27.7% of the long-term survivors were diagnosed with new onset late sequelae within the following five years. RT was significantly associated with a two-fold risk increase for newly diagnosed symptoms, especially after RT of the lymphatic pathways (LP) which showed a hazard ratio of 23.3 to develop alterations on the carotid arteries. Additional chemotherapy had no statistical correlation with any late onset toxicity nor did the mode of R(C)T (adjuvant/definitive). Although the validity of this study might be limited due to its retrospective nature and the dependence on the voluntary participation in a prolonged tumor FU, the results nevertheless provide the need to offer and encourage a tumor FU by ENT specialists exceeding the common 5-year margin. This could prevent secondary morbidities and improve quality of life for long-term cancer survivors.

The skeletal consequences of meningococcal septicaemia

Meningococcal septicaemia and its complication of purpura fulminans has a significant impact upon the extremities as the ischaemic insult caused by the intravascular thrombosis typical of the fulminant infection can lead to gangrene and tissue loss in the acute phase of illness and the late sequelae of growth arrest and deformity. The initial management and long-term assessment and intervention are described in this chapter.

Conservative Surgery of the Nasal Dorsum: Septal Pyramidal Adjustment and Repositioning

The term SPAR (septum pyramidal adjustment and repositioning), aims to conserve the nasal dorsum without detachment of the upper lateral nasal cartilage of the nasal septum, based on the Cotte's principles, unlike classical rhinoplasty. The aim of the study is to describe surgical technique of SPAR with the surgical steps used to reviewing the literature on the surgical treatment of the nasal dorsum. This is a less invasive form of rhinoplasty, but no less effective, not being necessary additional techniques to nasal reconstruction, and preservation of essential nasal structures. It is an evolution of push down and the other conservative surgery, making a more modern technique and may be suitable for most types of cavities. More studies are needed, especially comparative, showing the following late sequelae, complications, and their long-term results.