Earlier structural magnetic resonance imaging in schizophrenia have noted smaller white matter volumes in diverse brain regions and recent diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) studies have allowed better elucidation of changes in brain white matter integrity within the illness. As white matter abnormalities have been reported to occur early in the course of schizophrenia, we systematically review extant DTI studies of anomalies of white matter integrity in first episode schizophrenia (FES) up till October 2011. Overall, disruptions of white matter integrity were found in the cortical, subcortical brain regions and white matter associative and commissural tracts, suggesting that changes of cortical-subcortical white matter integrity were found at an early stage of the disorder. These changes in white matter integrity were correlated with specific cognitive deficits (verbal and spatial working memory) as well as psychopathology (positive more than negative symptoms) in patients with FES. The correlation of these white matter integrity changes with cognitive and phenomenological factors may shed light on neurobiological substrates underlying these clinical manifestations. Future studies need to validate these findings in larger samples of subjects and in different populations as well as chart the progress of these cerebral white matter changes over time so as to better appreciate their trajectory with illness course, treatment and chronicity.
Anisotropy ; Brain ; Diffusion ; Diffusion Tensor Imaging ; Humans ; Light ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Psychopathology ; Schizophrenia

INTRODUCTIONBreast reconstruction is an integral part of breast cancer management with the aim of restoring a breast to its natural form. There is increasing awareness among women that it is a safe procedure and its benefits extend beyond aesthetics. Our aim was to establish the rate of breast reconstruction and provide an overview of the patients who underwent breast reconstruction at National University Hospital (NUH), Singapore.

METHODSWe evaluated factors that impact a patient's decision to proceed with breast reconstruction, such as ethnicity, age, time and type of implant. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of women who had breast cancer and underwent breast surgery at NUH between 2001 and 2010.

RESULTSThe breast reconstruction rate in this study was 24.3%. There were 241 patients who underwent breast reconstruction surgeries (including delayed and immediate procedures) among 993 patients for whom mastectomies were done for breast cancer. Chinese patients were the largest ethnic group who underwent breast reconstruction after mastectomy (74.3%). Within a single ethnic patient group, Malay women had the largest proportion of women undergoing breast reconstruction (60.0%). The youngest woman in whom cancer was detected in our study was aged 20 years. Malay women showed the greatest preference for autologous tissue breast reconstruction (92.3%). The median age at cancer diagnosis of our cohort was 46 years.

CONCLUSIONWe noted increases in the age of patients undergoing breast reconstruction and the proportion of breast reconstruction cases over the ten-year study period.