PURPOSE: Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) infection is a common childhood disease. However, old and immune compromised patients are also at risk. Necrotizing fasciitis is a life threatening infection of the subcutaneous tissues, rapidly extending along the fascial planes. It is associated with a significant mortality rate, reported between 20% and 50%, and is therefore regarded as a surgical emergency. The authors treated a patient, who developed skin necrosis of her nose and left hemifacial area, following VZV infection. There are few literatures concerning this case; therefore, we present a rare case with review of literature. METHODS: A 39-year-old woman had shown a localized, painful, multiple bullae and eschar formation in her nose and left hemifacial area for several days. Her skin lesion had rapidly worsened in size and morphology. RESULTS: We diagnosed her as a necrotizing fasciitis, following herpes zoster, and then we performed a debridement of necrotic tissue and took a full thickness skin graft on her nose and left hemifacial area. Now, she was followed up with acceptable aesthetic result after 6 months. CONCLUSION: Secondary bacterial skin infection following VZV, can cause a result in a higher risk of complications. Among the complication, a necrotizing fasciitis of the head and neck is uncommon, and involvement of the nose is even more rare. Through this uncommon case report, we intend to emphasize the fact that early diagnosis of necrotizing fasciitis is very important, since it frequently necessitates surgical treatment which improves morbidity and leads to good recovery.
Adult ; Blister ; Debridement ; Early Diagnosis ; Emergencies ; Fasciitis, Necrotizing ; Female ; Head ; Herpes Zoster ; Herpesvirus 3, Human ; Humans ; Neck ; Necrosis ; Nose ; Skin ; Subcutaneous Tissue ; Transplants

PURPOSE: Neurofibromas of neuroectodermal origin are commonly found in Von Recklinghausens disease or neurofibormatosis type 1. It is an autosomal dominant disease caused by mutation of the long arm of chromosome 17. It can present from small nodules to disfiguring giant tumor. Plexiform neurofibroma is benign in most cases, but it could be transformed into malignant tumor, which requires surgical excision. To cover the defects after the excision, a number of surgical correction methods are available. This study is to report a surgical correction of disfiguring plexiform neurofibroma using anterolateral thigh free flap for extensive defects after surgical excision of neurofibrona. METHODS: Data of five neurofibroma patients with an average age of 39 including medical history, physical examination, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging were checked. No disease other than neurofibroma were detected. Biopsy on the excised tissues was performed. The follow-up period was 7 to 27 months. RESULTS: The average size of defects after complete excision of neurofibroma was 13x10~25x15cm. Defects were covered by anterolateral thigh free flap, while donor sites were covered by local flap, split thickness skin graft and regional flap. Throughout follow-up, there were no complication, relapse, or any abnormalities. CONCLUSION: Despite various surgical correction methods are applicable to defects after excision on disfiguring plexiform neurofibroma, coverage of massive defects is still challenging in plastic and reconstructive surgeon. We have made five successful cases of surgical correction of disfiguring plexiform neurofibroma using anterolateral thigh free flap.
Arm ; Biopsy ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 17 ; Follow-Up Studies ; Free Tissue Flaps ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Neural Plate ; Neurofibroma ; Neurofibroma, Plexiform ; Neurofibromatosis 1 ; Physical Examination ; Plastics ; Recurrence ; Skin ; Thigh ; Tissue Donors ; Transplants

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Lower Extremity*

No abstract available.
Intubation, Intratracheal* ; Lacerations*

PURPOSE: The reverse digital island flap is useful for the repair of various fingertip injuries. We present a modified surgical technique with skin strip elevation for the prevention of postoperative congestion. METHODS: From January 2005 to October 2015, we performed 31 reconstructive procedures for finger injury using a reverse digital artery island flap with and without skin strip retention. Patients' clinical characteristics, surgical outcomes, and complications were investigated. RESULTS: All flaps survived and there were no donor site problems. The mean follow-up time was 5 months (range, 3-8 months). In skin strip retention group, mild venous congestion was observed in 1 case, although it resolved spontaneously. Another case retained flexion contracture, and 2 patients had stiffness at the distal interphalangeal joint. Whereas, in no retention group, venous congestion was observed in 3 cases, 1 patient had partial flap necrosis and 2 patient suffer in flexion contracture at metacarpophalangeal joint. CONCLUSION: The reverse digital island flap procedure produces consistent results and is reliable for the treatment of fingertip injury. Our modified surgical technique of elevating the flap accompanied by skin strip retention helps prevent postoperative congestion.
Arteries ; Contracture ; Estrogens, Conjugated (USP)* ; Finger Injuries ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hyperemia ; Joints ; Metacarpophalangeal Joint ; Necrosis ; Skin* ; Tissue Donors

PURPOSE: Liposarcoma is the most common soft tissue sarcoma, and usually occurs on the thigh or in the retroperitoneal space, but rarely in the oral region. This report presents a case of liposarcoma of the cheek and includes a review of the literatures. METHODS: A 21-year-old woman was admitted with a palpable mass in her cheek of about two years duration, which increased in size gradually initially, but had increased rapidly over the three months. There was no particular pain or tenderness. MRI showed a well-enhanced, well-defined mass, which suspected to be hemangioma. RESULTS: The spherical, well-encapsulated mass was surgically excised. Biopsy results revealed myxoid liposarcoma. FDG PET-CT on the seventh postoperative day, revealed a minimal to mild FDG-uptake soft tissue lesion around the mass defect area without evidence of distant metastasis. The patient is being observed and undergoing radiation therapy. CONCLUSION: Liposarcoma in the head and neck region is a rare disease, and can be overlooked as a benign tumor without a pathologic diagnosis. Therefore, proper treatment and follow-up are required based on an understanding of this disease.
Biopsy ; Cheek ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Head ; Humans ; Liposarcoma ; Liposarcoma, Myxoid ; Neck ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Rare Diseases ; Retroperitoneal Space ; Sarcoma ; Thigh ; Young Adult

PURPOSE: Epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma (EMC) represents about the 1% of the malignant neoplasms in the salivary glands and clinically most commonly found localized, well defined and sometimes presents orofacial pain. Treatment of choice is surgical excision. Postoperative radiotherapy can be used when surgical margins are doubtful. We report our experience of EMC of the parotid gland. METHODS: A 78-year-old man presented with a three-year history of a localized, painless, 7 x 6 cm sized recurred tumor in his right preauricular area. He was diagnosed as EMC of the right parotid gland. So a total parotidectomy was performed. In his old medical history, he had a mass in the same area 5 years ago. The diagnosis of pleomorphic adenoma was made and the mass excision was performed at the local clinic without further evaluation. RESULTS: It was unable to visually discriminate between the tumor and the normal tissue. So a total parotidectomy was performed. The patient was got post-operative radiotherapy and was followed up for 9 months. There was no specific evidence of recurrence. CONCLUSION: We present a case of EMC of the parotid gland in right preauricular area, which is uncommon. So we report a uncommon case of EMC to discuss about our experience with relevant journal discussion.
Adenoma, Pleomorphic ; Aged ; Facial Pain ; Humans ; Parotid Gland ; Salivary Glands

PURPOSE: Owing to the improvement of microscope, microsurgery implements, and microsuture, finger replantation has made a considerable development. With high success rate of microsurgery in children, positive results have been reported from distal amputation. We report the patients demographics, methods, and results of the microsurgery performed in children in our hospital for the last 8 years. METHODS: From the medical records of 21 patients who had given the treatment in our hospital from January 2000 to December 2007, we analyzed patients' sex, age, operative method, and complication retrospectively. RESULTS: The number of male patients was twice as many as female, where most patients belong to the ages of five to ten years. Operative methods performed in this study included end-to-end anastomosis of artery and vein, vein graft, and epineurial suture. As a result, 19 out of 21 cases were successfully accomplished, and four of them went through the debridement of necrotic tissue due to the partial necrosis of the lesion. A one-year follow-up observation was made after surgery and most of them were almost fully recovered as in their previous state. CONCLUSION: The success rate of finger replantaion in children is continuously improving despite the difficulty of vessel anastomotic procedure, rehabilitation treatment and management after surgery. We report the satisfactory results of pediatric finger replantation technically and aesthetically.
Amputation ; Arteries ; Child ; Debridement ; Demography ; Female ; Fingers ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glycosaminoglycans ; Humans ; Male ; Medical Records ; Microsurgery ; Necrosis ; Replantation ; Retrospective Studies ; Sutures ; Transplants ; Veins

PURPOSE: Self-inflicted wrist laceration is a common injury in the department of hand surgery. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical characteristics and psychiatric features of self-inflicted wrist laceration using categorization according to wound severity. METHODS: We reviewed 71 patients from 2002 through 2012. All of the patients were grouped into four groups. Data regarding the following characteristics were collected: age, gender, size, structure involved, instruments used, history of previous self-inflicted injury, comorbidities in psychiatric and presentation of follow-up outpatient appointment to the department of plastic surgery and psychiatry. RESULTS: In these patients, approximately 64% of patients were female. About 80% of patients cut their wrist using a knife. And in grade 3-4 injury, percentage of glass injury was relatively high (22%), compared with other grades (3%). Unlike previous studies, patients in grade 3-4 tended to cut their wrist repeatedly. Focusing on psychiatric problems, approximately one quarter of patients had a previous history of self-infliction. In all patient groups, mood disorder was the most common disorder in patients who had a previous psychiatric disorder. But after operation, more than two thirds of patients had not visited department of psychiatry again. CONCLUSION: We identified some other differences among their characteristics. All patients in group also should be evaluated and surgically treated properly. A multidisciplinary approach is required for patients with wrist laceration due to self-injury in comparison to those with laceration due to other causes. Because many of them have previous self-injury experiences and psychiatric disease.
Comorbidity ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glass ; Hand ; Humans ; Lacerations* ; Mood Disorders ; Outpatients ; Retrospective Studies* ; Self Mutilation ; Suicide ; Surgery, Plastic ; Wounds and Injuries ; Wrist*