BACKGROUND: Thoracodorsal artery perforator flap can relieve damage to donor site and avoid bulk in the recipient site,but dissociation of perforating branch took time.Some one believed that it should be done by very experienced physicians and some muscle tissues should be reserved.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the method,effectiveness and clinical application of improved latissimus dorsi flap based on perforator flap conception for reconstruction of soft tissue defects of lower extremity.METHODS: A total of 17 patients needing skin flap transplantation were selected.12 latissimus dorsi musculocutaneous/muscle flaps,3 latissimus dorsi flaps with a few muscle and 2 double-leaf segmental latissimus dorsi compound flaps were designed based on perforator flap conception.According to the territory of latissimus dorsi musculocutaneous flap,a skin paddle in which anterior underlying muscle and main perforator was designed,extend about to the anterior edge of the latissimus dorsi muscle.An additional latissimus dorsi muscle flap was selected for soft tissue enlargement if necessary.Sometimes,double-leaf segmental latissimus dorsi musculocutaneous/muscle flap,including one muscle-sparing latissimus dorsi musculocutaneous flap and the other segmental latissimus dorsi muscle flap nourished by the lateral branches of the thoracodorsal vessels was selected to repair two adjacent defects.The harvested tissue area ranged from 12 cm×8 cm to 28 cm×17 cm.Survival state of skin flap,together with shape and function of donor site and recipient site of skin flap were observed.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Following skin flap transplantation,one case developed vascular crisis that was relieved following re-exploration for vessel anastomosis.All skin flap survived.Second-stage skin grafting was done on one muscle flap wound.All donor sites were sutured directly.After a follow-up of 3 to 18 months in 15 cases,only two cases received two-stage plastic operation because bulky flaps brought some trouble in wearing shoes.Improved latissimus dorsi flap based on perforator flap conception can reduce damage to the donor site and the receipt area bulk.Double-leaf segmental latissimus dorsi compound flaps can repair both heel and toe wound.The versatile latissimus dorsi flap designed using thoracodorsal artery perforator flap conception is an ideal flap for repairing widespread soft tissue defects in the lower extremity.

OBJECTIVES: Occult cervical lymph node metastasis is the most important reason for recurrence of early-stage tongue cancer and oropharyngeal cancer. Cervical sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy may help to identify them. Pigment dyes and radionuclide were used to label SLN. Both of them had shortage. This study aims to investigate the application and clinical value of indocyanine green fluorescence imaging in cervical SLN biopsy for patients with early-stage tongue cancer and oropharyngeal cancer. METHODS: Retrospective analysis was conducted on 23 patients with early tongue cancer and oropharyngeal cancer, who received surgical treatment and used indocyanine green as a tracer to find SLN in Hunan Cancer Hospital from April to October 2021. The detection rate of SLN was calculated and the distribution of SLN in different regions of the neck was analyzed. RESULTS: SLN was successfully identified in 22 of 23 patients, with a detection rate of 95.65%. Among these 22 patients, 3 patients were found to have cancer metastasis, and the rate of occult lymph node metastasis was 13.63%. No pathologically positive lymph nodes were detected in SLN-negative patients, and thus the positive predictive rate was 100%. For patients with primary lesions located in the anterior 2/3 of the tongue, the constituent ratios of SLN in neck area I, II, III, and IV were 15.15%, 71.72%, 13.13%, and 0, respectively. For patients with primary lesions located in base of the tongue, the constituent ratios of SLN in neck area I, II, III, and IV were 0, 44.44%, 44.44%, and 11.12%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Indocyanine green fluorescence imaging has a high detection rate with accurate positive prediction in the anterior cervical SLN biopsy in patients with early-stage tongue cancer and oropharyngeal cancer. Meanwhile, it can also reflect the lymphatic drainage of tumors located at different primary sites, which has high clinical value.
Humans ; Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy/methods* ; Indocyanine Green ; Lymphatic Metastasis/pathology* ; Tongue Neoplasms/surgery* ; Retrospective Studies ; Lymph Nodes/pathology* ; Oropharyngeal Neoplasms/surgery* ; Tongue