Soft tissue necrosis after radiotherapy for head and neck cancer

A 60-year-old man with cT2N0M0 hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma received definitive chemoradiotherapy. FDG PETCT at 4 weeks showed complete metabolic response at primary site (Figure 1). At 6 months, contrasted CT showed no evidence of disease with soft tissue air indicating radiation necrosis and ulceration (Figure 2). The patient had symptom of dysphagia. Laryngoscopy and esophagogastroduodenoscopy showed inflammation without other severe findings. He had conservative care as a treatment option. At 12 months, contrasted CT showed improved nonenhancing ulceration without disease progression (Figure 3).

Microsurgical Reconstruction of Lower Limb Using Thoracodorsal Artery Perforator Chimeric Free Flap after Popliteal Artery Revascularization: A Case Report

Although traumatic popliteal artery injury is uncommon, it can significantly increase the risk of limb amputation because of the anatomical complexity and delayed diagnosis and treatment. Various tools are available for treatment. Recently, an endovascular approach has been attempted for such injuries; however, open surgical repair remains the standard treatment. An integrated and stepwise procedure involving multidisciplinary specialists, including emergency department personnel for initial evaluation, orthopedic surgeons for treating accompanying fractures or dislocations, vascular and plastic surgeons for vessel repair, and interventional radiologists for immediate diagnosis and implementation of the endovascular approach, is needed. Covering wound defects due to skin and soft tissue necrosis and irreversible ischemic damage remains difficult despite successfully revascularizing the injured vessels. Here, we describe a case of revascularization after popliteal artery injury along with successful reconstruction of a complex defect with a thoracodorsal artery perforator chimeric free flap when recipient vessel selection was limited.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Suburethral Vaginal Mucosal Necrosis after Interstitial Irradiation for Recurrent Cervical Cancer

Patients with gynecological malignancies can develop radiation injuries, such as cystitis, proctitis, and soft tissue necrosis which have approved indications for hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). A 76-year-old Japanese woman with vaginal recurrence of cervical cancer was treated with the high-dose rate interstitial brachytherapy. Twenty-one months after the irradiation, she developed radiation necrosis on the external urethral opening. Two cycles of HBOT were performed. HBOT consisted of delivering 100% oxygen for 60 minutes at 2.4 atmospheres absolute. Pressure exposure was performed once daily, 5 days a week for 6 weeks. Eventually, the necrotic mucosa was completely replaced by the normal mucosa. No adverse effects were observed. We successfully treated a case of late adverse events of radiation therapy with HBOT. It was noninvasive and appears to be a useful treatment option which should be considered standard treatment practice.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for paediatric patients: an unintended consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic

Objective: Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is a useful adjunctive treatment for selected complicated wounds, including severe diabetic lower extremity ulcerations and compromised skin grafts or flaps. The Sars-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic has disrupted healthcare delivery, with its effects extending to delivery of HBOT. During the pandemic, paediatric patients in our geographic region who were referred for HBOT faced challenges as centres temporarily closed or were unprepared to treat younger patients. Our monoplace HBOT centre modified existing practices to allow for treatment of these patients. This study aims to outline the steps necessary to adapting a pre-existing HBOT centre for the safe treatment of paediatric patients. Method: A retrospective review was performed to identify patients 18 years of age or younger referred for HBOT during 2020. Patient characteristics, referral indications and HBOT complications were collected. Changes implemented to the HBOT centre to accommodate the treatment of paediatric patients were documented. Results: A total of seven paediatric patients were evaluated for HBOT and six were treated. The mean patient age was four years (range: 1–11 years). Referral diagnoses included sudden sensorineural hearing loss, skin flap or graft compromise, and radiation-induced soft tissue necrosis. All patients tolerated HBOT treatment in monoplace chambers without significant complications noted. Enhancements made to our clinical practice to facilitate the safe and effective treatment of paediatric patients included ensuring the availability of acceptable garments for paediatric patients, maintaining uninterrupted patient grounding (in relation to fire safety), and enhancing social support for anxiety reduction. Conclusion: The results of our review show that paediatric patients can be safely treated within the monoplace hyperbaric environment.

Shorting Resection and Correction of the Leg Length in the Treatment of Posttramatic Tibial Defects Complicated by Osteomyelitis

Background. Severe fractures of the shin bones are often accompanied by the formation of defects in the tibia, suppuration and soft tissue necrosis. In the case of surgical treatment of fractures, infectious complications reach 3.6-9.1%. One of the methods of treatment of infected defects is resection of the ends of the tibia with shortening. This operation has proven to be effective in the treatment of fresh fractures. The relevance of the work is due to the prospects of using this technique in the treatment of the consequences of fractures with the formation of infected defects of the tibia.Aim of the study. Improving the results of treatment of patients with post-traumatic defects of the tibia complicated by osteomyelitis by performing a shortening resection with simultaneous or sequential correction of the segment length.Material and methods. The results of treatment of 65 patients with diaphyseal post-traumatic tibial defects complicated by osteomyelitis were analysed. They were divided into 2 groups. Group 1 was formed by 31 (47.7%) patients, they underwent shortening resection of the ends of bone fragments in the defect zone with simultaneous lengthening at another level. Group 2 included 34 (52.3%) patients who underwent a shortening resection of the tibia without lengthening. In all cases, the Ilizarov apparatus was used as a fixator.Results. The technique for assessing the size of the true defect of the tibia was optimized taking into account the initial shortening of the segment and the distance between the proximal and distal fragments after resection of their ends. A treatment regimen was developed depending on the level of localization of the tibial defect, and the results of treatment of patients in the compared groups were assessed.Conclusion. Shortening resection is an effective treatment for patients with post-traumatic tibial defects complicated by osteomyelitis. Depending on the level of localization of the defect, it is advisable to carry out treatment according to one of two possible options. When the defect is localized in the upper and middle third of the tibia, shortening resection in an isolated form is shown. If the defect is localized in the lower third of the tibia, it is possible to supplement the shortening resection with an osteotomy in the upper third with Ilizarov lengthening.

Mucosal necrosis of the palate after embolization for labial arterioveinous malformation

Objective: Cervico-facial arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are complex and rare vascular lesions, and present in 0.1% of the population. Of traumatic or congenital origin, they are characterized by variable growth, and their complications can be disfiguring and potentially fatal. The treatment of choice is embolization followed by surgery if necessary. The main complications are recurrence and postoperative bleeding. Case report: We report the rare case of a 59-year-old female patient who underwent embolization of a right upper labial and jugal AVM, followed by complete necrosis of the right hemi-palatal mucosa associated with dental mobility and pain. Follow-up at 6 months showed complete reepithelialisation of the palate. Conclusions: Soft tissue necrosis after AVM embolization is a rare event and is more commonly described after embolization for epistaxis. The evolution is generally favourable within a few weeks.

Dermale Filler: Vaskulärer Verschlüsse nach intra-arterieller Injektion managen

<b>Background:</b> Inadvertent intra-arterial injection of dermal fillers including calcium hydroxylapatite (CaHA) can result in serious adverse events including soft tissue necrosis, permanent scarring, visual impairment, and blindness. When intra-arterial injection occurs, immediate action is required for optimal outcomes, but the infrequency of this event means that many physicians may never have experienced this scenario. The aim of this document is to provide evidence-based and expert opinion recommendations for the recognition and management of vascular compromise following inadvertent injection of CaHA. <b>Subjects and methods:</b> An international group of experts with experience in injection of CaHA and management of vascular complications was convened to develop a consensus on the optimal management of vascular compromise following intra-arterial CaHA injection. The consensus members were asked to provide preventative advice for the avoidance of intravascular injection and to produce a treatment protocol for acute and delayed presentation. To ensure all relevant treatment options were included, the recommendations were supplemented with a PubMed search of the literature. <b>Results:</b> For prevention of intra-arterial CaHA injection, consensus members outlined the importance of a thorough knowledge of facial vascular anatomy and patient history, as well as highlighting potential risk zones and optimal injection techniques. Individual sections document how to recognize the symptoms of vascular occlusion leading to vision loss and tissue necrosis as well as detailed treatment protocols for the management of these events. For impending tissue necrosis, recommendations are provided for early and delayed presentations with treatment protocols for acute and follow-up treatment. A separate section details the treatment options for open and closed wounds. <b>Conclusion:</b> All physicians should be prepared for the eventuality of intra-arterial injection of a dermal filler, despite its rarity. These consensus recommendations combine advice from aesthetic experts with the latest reports from the published literature to provide an up-to-date office-based protocol for the prevention and treatment of complications arising from intra-arterial CaHA injection.

Complications of Selective Intraarterial Chemotherapy in Children with Intraocular Retinoblastoma

Introduction: Selective ophthalmic arterial injection (SOAI) therapy for intraocular retinoblastoma is currently recognized by the world ophthalmic-oncological communities and this method is used in leading specialized institutions. However, the using of this type of treatment can lead to complications. Side effects can be both systemic, affecting the course of the procedure itself, and local in nature, associated with intraocular changes.Purpose: Conduct an analysis of complications during SOAI in children with intraocular retinoblastoma.Material and methods: The study includes the results of treatment of 110 children (129 eyes) with unilateral and bilateral retinoblastoma who received SOAI both with insufficient efficacy of previous treatment for resistant and recurrent forms of RB (99 children / 116 eyes), and as primary local chemotherapy without previous treatment (11 patients / 13 eyes). 313 procedures were performed, of which the treatment stage was completed in 303 cases. Depending on the hemodynamic characteristics of the blood supply to the eye and the orbital region, 2 methods of delivering of the chemotherapy were used: 1) microcatheter technique (245 procedures performed; 81.0 %) 2) microballoon technique (58 procedures performed; 19.0 %).Results: The structure of the complications was as follows. 1. The group of intraoperative complications included: spasm of the ICA, cerebral arteries — 4 cases (1.3 %), acute cardio-respiratory manifestations and hemodynamic instability — 93 (29.7 %). 2. Group of general complications: cerebrovascular accident — 3 cases (0.9 %), hematological toxicity — 14 (4.5 %). 3. Group of local complications. A) External extraocular manifestations: transient eyelid edema — 49 (15.7 %), frontal arteritis — 2 (0.6 %), ptosis of the upper eyelid — 11 (3.5 %), ptosis and deviation of the eyeball — 2 ( 0.6 %), soft tissue necrosis — 1 (0.3 %). B) Intraocular manifestations: retinal detachment — 13 (4.2 %), chorioretinal atrophy — 4 (1.2 %), edema of the optic nerve head — 2 (0.6 %), atrophy of the optic nerve head — 1 (0.3 %), hemophthalmia — 3 (0.9 %).Conclusion: Modern interventional endovascular methods allow to carry out the SOAI safety and reduce the number of possible complications.