Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a hereditary tumor syndrome caused by biallelic inactivation of the tumor suppressor gene NF1 in glial cells in the skin, nerve plexus, or brain, resulting in the development of benign tumors such as cutaneous neurofibromas, plexiform neurofibromas, and gliomas. As the first-line treatment for NF1, surgical treatment has its limitations. Finding more effective non-surgical treatment options has always been the direction of researchers' efforts. However, despite more than 40 years of research, only one drug is currently approved to treat plexiform neurofibromas, and there are no drugs specifically designed to treat other tumors with NF1. Research over the past few years has shown that NF1 patients may benefit from inhibiting different cell signaling pathways in tumor cells, targeting cells in the tumor microenvironment, or currently mature gene therapy. In this review, we provide an overview of nonsurgical treatment options that have previously completed clinical trials, those currently undergoing clinical trials, and recent research advances that may translate into new treatment options for patients with NF1 in the future.

Aesthetic injection has become an important treatment item of plastic surgery. Botulinum toxin and dermal fillers are the two major plates of injections. It is clear that the target tissue of botulinum toxin is expression muscles, whereas there are many filling materials to choose from. According to the mechanism, filling materials can be divided into three categories: volume fillers, collagen stimulators, nutritional glossers. The selection of these materials is related to the tissue type of the injection site. This article subdivides facial soft tissues into 5 horizontal layers: skin, subcutaneous fat, superficial muscular aponeurotic system, deep tissue, periosteum or deep fascia, as well as the the vertical ligaments, which compose a three-dimensional structure. The characteristics of these tissue structures are analyzed for selection of filling materials. Particular attention should be paid to the differences between volumetric fillers and collagen stimulators, which have completely different mechanisms of action, indications, and injection technique, with the former being suitable for deep tissues that require volume supplementation, and the latter for all types of tissues that require collagen supplementation. In conclusion, there is a close logical relationship between the choice of injection material and the facial anatomy.

Objective:To summarize the experience of repairing partial areolar necrosis following reduction mammaplasty.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical data from patients who experienced partial areola necrosis after reduction mammaplasty. These patients were treated or consulted at the Department of Plastic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, between January 2017 and February 2023. Preoperatively, daily dressing changes were performed on the necrotic areola wounds until the boundaries of necrosis were clearly defined. Debridement and repair were then carried out by resecting bilateral breast glandular tissue through the original incision to reduce breast volume, followed by narrowing the areola radius. If no areola defect remained after narrowing, direct suturing was performed; if defects persisted, the resected normal areola skin was used for grafting. Postoperative follow-up was conducted to observe areola recovery and complications. At the 6-month postoperative mark, patient satisfaction was evaluated using a 5-level scale (very satisfied, satisfied, neutral, dissatisfied, very dissatisfied). An experienced plastic physician, not involved in the surgery, assessed areolar outcomes based on four criteria: color, softness, shape, and scarring, with each criterion scored from 1 to 4 (higher scores indicating better outcomes).Results:Eight female patients (9 necrotic areolas) were included in the study, with a mean age of (31.8±5.4) years and a mean body mass index of (24.1±1.8) kg/m 2. Among the 9 necrotic areolas, 3 had defect areas greater than 50% of the total areola area, while 6 had defects less than 50%. Direct suturing after areola narrowing was performed in 3 areolas, while free areola skin grafting was used in 6 areolas. Postoperatively, 2 cases exhibited mild epidermal erosion at the graft site, which improved with dressing changes. No complications such as infection, bleeding, hematoma, or seroma occurred. At the 6-month follow-up, all 8 patients demonstrated good wound healing, and all 9 areolas survived. The areolas exhibited consistent shape and color bilaterally, without significant pigmentation changes, depigmentation, or irregular shapes. In the 6 grafted areolas, the grafted skin color closely matched the surrounding native areola tissue, with no obvious demarcation or scar hyperplasia. Patient satisfaction was rated as very satisfied in 3 cases and satisfied in 5 cases. According to the physician’s evaluation, the scores for color, softness, shape, and scarring were (3.7±0.5), (3.8±0.4), (3.3±0.7) and (3.2±0.7) points, respectively. Conclusion:Partial areola necrosis following reduction mammaplasty can be effectively repaired by further reducing breast volume and narrowing the areola for direct suturing or by grafting excess areola skin to the defect site. A satisfactory appearance can be achieved after surgery.

Objective:To discuss the clinical effect of the modified rhytidectomy technique with biplanar progressive tension-reducing and suture suspension using barbed sutures in the treatment of middle and lower facial sagging.Methods:The clinical data of patients with middle and lower facial sagging treated in Hangzhou Yichao Medical Aesthetics Clinic from February 2021 to February 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. The operation was performed using barbed sutures to progressively reduce tension and suspend sutures of the superficial musculoaponeurotic system (SMAS) and the skin and subcutaneous tissue. The skin tissue flap was separated from the superficial layer of SMAS with temporal hairline to peri-auricular incision. Firstly, the sagging SMAS and the zygomatic fat pad were fixed to the deep temporal fascia by purse-string suture with barbed sutures, and then the sagging skin and subcutaneous tissue were progressively fixed to the corresponding SMAS at multiple points to the incision direction to improve the middle and lower facial relaxation and reduce the incision tension as much as possible. The nasolabial groove of the patients was scored (0-4) before surgery and 12 months after surgery to evaluate the surgical effect. The higher the score, the more serious the nasolabial groove depression was. Meanwhile, the postoperative recovery, complications and satisfaction of the patients were observed and followed up. SPSS 26.0 software was used to analyze the data. Preoperative and postoperative nasolabial groove scores were represented by Mean±SD, and paired t-test was used for comparison. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results:A total of 23 patients were included, including 4 males and 19 females. They ranged in age from 42 to 68, with an average age of 54.0. All patients showed varying degrees of middle and lower facial relaxation and nasolabial groove deepening. Nasolabial groove score was (3.6±0.5) points. One patient had mild hematoma on the second day after surgery, which subsided after suction and compression, then the facial swelling basically subsided about 7 days after the operation. After 12-17 months of follow-up (mean 13.2 months), the middle and lower facial relaxation and nasolabial depression of 23 patients were significantly improved. No serious complications such as facial nerve injury occurred in all patients, and postoperative scars were not obvious. The nasolabial groove score at 12 months after the operation was (2.0±0.6) points, which was significantly lower than that before the operation ( t=14.81, P<0.001). The patient satisfaction rate was 95.7%(22/23). Conclusion:The modified rhytidectomy technique with biplanar progressive tension-reducing and suture suspension using barbed sutures avoids deep dissection, and has simple operation, low complications, fast recovery. The relaxation of middle and lower face can be significantly improved, and the long-term effect is stable.

This paper reports a case of hepatoblastoma that is inclined to misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis. The patient, a 6-month-old male, was admitted to Dermatology Department of Children’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University and Beijing Children’s Hospital successively, because of a erythema on the neck for 6 months and a mass in the neck for 3 months. Abdominal ultrasonography and CT indicated the possibility of hepatic hemangioma, but further examination of alpha fetoprote and other indicators suggested hepatic malignant tumor. Therefore, surgery was performed to remove the liver mass, and postoperative pathology revealed hepatoblastoma. Postoperative chemotherapy was combined, and follow-up was conducted six months after the end of chemotherapy, with no recurrence of the disease. This article summarized the diagnosis and treatment process of this case and combined with literature review to provide experience for clinicians in the diagnosis and treatment of relevant cases.

Objective:To investigate the feasibility and clinical outcomes of using the deep inferior epigastric perforator flap to repair stage Ⅳ pressure ulcers in elderly patients with the femoral trochanter.Methods:Retrospective analysis of clinical data of elderly patients with stage Ⅳ pressure ulcers of the femoral trochanter treated at the Medical Center of Burn Plastic and Wound Repair, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University from May 2018 to May 2023 using the deep inferior epigastric perforator flap.The deep inferior epigastric perforator flap was designed on the same side of the abdomen based on the preoperative detection of the paraumbilical perforating branch.The axis of the inferior epigastric artery was determined by the line connecting the femoral artery pulsation point at the inguinal ligament and the obvious paraumbilical perforating branch point. The axis of the skin flap was determined by the line connecting the obvious paraumbilical perforating branch point and the subscapular angle. Combined with the situation of the sinus after pressure ulcer debridement and the range of skin and soft tissue defects, the inferior epigastric artery perforating branch skin flap was cut and repaired. The pedicle of the inferior epigastric artery was freed to the required length according to the location of the pressure ulcer, and the wound was transferred and repaired through a subcutaneous tunnel. The donor area was directly pulled and sutured. The survival of the skin flap and the healing of the donor site wound after surgery were observed, and the recurrence of pressure ulcers, the appearance and texture of the skin flap, and the recovery of the donor site were followed up regularly.Results:A total of 11 patients were included, including 7 males and 4 females; age ranged from 66 to 83 years old, with an average of 72.1 years old. There were total of 11 pressure ulcers in the femoral trochanter, with an area of 5.0 cm × 3.0 cm-13.0 cm ×6.0 cm before debridement and an area of 8.0 cm × 5.0 cm-16.0 cm × 8.0 cm after debridement. The deep inferior epigastric perforator flap was used to repair the wound. The flap was cut with an area of 10.0 cm × 6.0 cm-18.0 cm × 9.0 cm, and the length of the blood vessels in the flap pedicle was 12-16 cm, with an average of 14 cm. After surgery, 9 of the 11 flaps survived completely. One skin flap developed purplish discoloration at the distal end 24 hours after surgery, which was relieved by removing the suture at the site with high tension at the wound edge. One skin flap also showed slight necrosis at the distal end. The flap was removed under local anesthesia at the bedside of the ward, and the surgical wound was directly sutured. After dressing change, it healed. The wounds in the donor area all healed well. Follow up for 3-15 months postoperatively, with an average of 11 months, showed no recurrence of pressure ulcers in all patients. The skin flap had a soft texture, and its color and appearance were similar to those of the surrounding skin. No abdominal wall hernia was observed in the inferior epigastric donor area.Conclusion:The deep inferior epigastric perforator flap has a long vascular pedicle, reliable blood supply, sufficient tissue volume for cutting, no recurrence of pressure ulcers after surgery, good appearance and texture of the affected area, and no secondary abdominal wall hernia in the donor site. It is an effective method for repairing stage Ⅳ pressure ulcers of the femoral trochanter in elderly patients.

Objective:To explore the clinical efficacy of a free superficial palmar branch of the radial artery (SPBRA)-pedicled wrist crease flap for bridging and repairing finger C-shape soft tissue defect.Methods:From March 2021 to January 2023, the clinical data of patients with finger C-shape soft tissue defects in Department of Orthopedics, the Affiliated Changzhou No. 2 People’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University were retrospectively analyzed. Preoperatively, color Doppler was used to locate the perforator point, and the position and size of the flap were designed. A free SPBRA-pedicled wrist crease flap was used in a Flow-through method to bridge and repair the defects. Postoperatively, the survival, color, texture, sense, and shape of the skin flap were observe, and the healing of the donor site was assessed. The clinical efficacy was evaluated using Evaluation Trail Standards for Replantation Function of Chinese Society of Hand Surgery.Results:All 10 patients completed the entry result analysis, including 8 males and 2 females. The age ranged from 22 to 54 years old. Among them, 3 cases involved the index finger, 5 cases involved the middle finger, and 2 cases involved the ring finger. All of them showed segmental defects of the unilateral volar medial artery with combined digital nerve defects, including 7 cases of radial injury and 3 cases of ulnar injury. 3 cases of the vascular defect ranged in the proximal phalanx areas, 6 cases in the middle phalanx region, and 1 case in the middle to distal phalanx region. The length of the proper artery defect ranged from 1.0 cm to 1.8 cm, the area of skin defect ranged from 1.0 cm×2.5 cm to 2.2 cm×4.0 cm, and the harvested flap area range ranged from 1.2 cm×2.8 cm to 2.5 cm×5.0 cm. The patients were followed up for 10 to 19 months. All flaps survived and healed well, with no bulky appearance, and a texture similar to normal finger skin. The static two-point discrimination ranged from 7.0~ 10.0 mm (average 8.5 mm). Superficial infection around the flap occurred in 1 case after surgery. It improved after dressing change. No vascular crisis occurred. The wounds at the donor site healed primarily, leaving linear scars. The flexion and extension activities of the wrist joint were not affected. According to the Evaluation Trail Standards for Replantation Function of Chinese Society of Hand Surgery: 8 cases received excellent results, 2 cases were good, and the patient satisfaction was high.Conclusion:The free SPBRA-pedicled wrist crease flap has good and accurate efficacy in bridging and repairing finger C-shape soft tissue defects. It has the advantages of convenient harvesting, minimal trauma, and low complication rate, and has clinical promotion and application value.

Neurological dysfunction and genetic alterations are important factors to hyperhidrosis. In recent years, numerous clinical trials have confirmed the effectiveness and safety of botulinum toxin type A as both a neurotoxin and cytotoxin in the treatment of axillary hyperhidrosis. This article describes the pathogenesis of hyperhidrosis, the therapeutic applications and mechanistic advances of botulinum toxin type A for axillary hyperhidrosis, aiming to provide insights for future basic research and clinical practice.

Objective:To explore the efficacy and safety of intense pulsed light (IPL) for facial early linear scars.Methods:The patients who underwent facial plastic surgery and cosmetic suturing at the Department of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from June to December 2023 were included. A randomized self-controlled study was conducted. Each post-operative wound was divided into the treatment and control sides by random number. The treatment side received 3 sessions of IPL treatment at 2-3 d after wound suturing, 6-7 d after suture removal and 6 weeks after surgery, respectively. The control side did not receive IPL treatment. After 3 months follow-up, the Vancouver scar scale (VSS), patient and observer scar assessment scale (POSAS) were used to evaluate the scars on both sides. Adverse reactions were recorded. VSS evaluated scar severity through four items: vascularity (0-3 points), pigmentation (0-3 points), thickness (0-4 points), and pliability (0-5 points), with a total score of 0-15 points. The higher the score, the more serious the scar was. POSAS consisted of observer scar assessment scale (OSAS) and patient scar assessment scale (PSAS), OSAS included vascularity, pigmentation, thickness, surface relief, pliability, surface area and overall opinion. While PSAS included pain, itching, color, thickness, stiffness, irregularity, and overall opinion. Each component was assessed on a scale ranging from 1 to 10, while maximum scores indicated the worst outcome. Statistical analysis was performed using the Graphpad Prism 8.0 software. Normal distributed measurement data were expressed as Mean±SD, and non-normally distributed measurement data were expressed as M( Q1, Q3). Comparisons of VSS, OSAS, PSAS scores between the treatment and control sides were performed using paired sample t-test or paired sample Wilcoxon rank sum test. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results:A total of 23 facial trauma patients with 27 scars formed after debridement and aesthetic suture were enrolled in this study, including 17 males and 6 females, aged (28.2±6.1) years old. The length of the scars were (5.9±1.8) cm. After three sessions of treatment and 3 months follow-up, with regard to VSS, the treatment sides scored vascularity [0(0, 1) vs. 1(1, 1)], thickness [0(0, 0) vs. 0(0, 1)], and total scores [0.5(0, 1) vs. 1(1, 2.75)], which were statistically lower than the control sides (all P<0.05). With regard to OSAS, the treatment sides scored vascularity(2.1±0.9 vs. 3.0±1.0), pigmentation(2.2±0.8 vs. 2.3±0.8), thickness(1.4±0.7 vs. 1.9±0.9), surface relief(1.7±0.6 vs. 2.2±1.1), pliability(1.8±0.8 vs. 2.1±1.1), overall opinion(1.9±0.8 vs. 2.8±1.1) and total scores(12.6±4.4 vs. 16.2±6.2), which were statistically lower than the control sides(all P<0.05).With regard to PSAS, the treatment sides scored scar color(2.9±1.3 vs. 3.9±1.7), thickness(1.8±1.4 vs. 2.4±1.5), overall opinion(2.2±1.0 vs. 3.1±1.3) and total scores(14.3±6.7 vs. 17.7±7.7), which were statistically lower than the control sides(all P<0.05). No adverse reactions such as wound infection, delayed wound healing and blister formation were observed in all patients. Conclusion:IPL is effective in the treatment of early facial scars, which can significantly improve the vascularity, thickness, pigmentation, surface relief and pliability of scars, and improve the scars appearance. This treatment method is safe with few adverse reactions.

Objective:To investigate the clinical effect of local injection of triamcinolone acetonide acetate combined with ultra-pulsed CO 2 fractional laser in the treatment of hypertrophic scars in children. Methods:A randomized controlled study method was used. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, the subjects were selected from children with hypertrophic scars admitted to the Children’s Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University from January 2022 to September 2023, and were divided into control group and experimental group using random number table method. The control group was treated with ultra-pulsed CO 2 fractional laser. The experimental group was injected with triamcinolone acetonide acetate injection at multiple points into the scar (the ratio of triamcinolone acetonide acetate injection to 2% lidocoin hydrochloride injection was 1∶1), with a distance between the points as 1 cm, and the injection dose was about 0.1 to 0.2 ml/cm 2 according to the degree of scar protrusion. The maximum dose each time was ≤40 mg. CO 2 fractional laser treatment was performed after 10 minutes of cold compress with ice bag. Scars in both groups were treated 3 times, with an interval of 2 to 3 months. Before the treatment and 6 months after the last treatment, the Vancouver scar scale (VSS) was performed on both groups of scars score, the total score was 0 - 15. The higher the score, the more serious the scar hyperplasia was. Six months after the last treatment, the scar treatment effects of the two groups were comprehensively evaluated and divided into 3 levels: markedly effective, effective and ineffective. The total effective rate =(markedly effective + effective) number of cases/total number of cases ×100%. Patient satisfaction was investigated 6 months after the last treatment and divided into 5 levels: very satisfied, satisfied, average, dissatisfied, and very dissatisfied. Satisfaction rate =(very satisfied + satisfied) number of cases/total number of cases ×100%. The occurrence of adverse reactions was recorded throughout the treatment process. Analysis was performed using SPSS 19.0 software. Measurement data were expressed as Mean±SD, inter-group comparisons were performed using independent samples t-test, intra-group comparisons were performed using paired t-test, counting data were expressed as examples and percentages, and comparisons between the two groups were performed using χ2 test. P<0.05 indicated that the difference was statistically significant. Results:A total of 82 children with hypertrophic scars were included, 33 males and 49 females, aged 1 to 15 years old, with an area of 5 to 45 cm 2. The pathogenic factors were trauma, burns, and surgery. The course of disease was 2 to 30 months. Among them, 41 patients in the control group, 16 males and 25 females; the age was (5.8±1.6) years; 41 patients in the experimental group, 17 males and 24 females, the age was (5.6±1.5) years. There were no significant differences in age, gender, scar area, pathogenic factors and course of disease between the two groups ( P>0.05). There was no significant difference in VSS scores between the experimental group and the control group before the treatment [(9.42±1.35) points vs. (9.06±1.57) points, P>0.05]. Six months after the last treatment, there was a significant difference in VSS scores between the experimental group and the control group [(4.12±0.56) points vs. (5.50±0.75) points, P<0.01]. The VSS scores of children in both groups were significantly lower than those before the treatment ( P<0.01). Six months after the last treatment, the comprehensive evaluation result showed that the total effective rate in the experimental group was higher than that in the control group [92.7%(38/41) vs. 75.6%(31/41), P<0.05]. Six months after the last treatment, the patient satisfaction survey showed that the satisfaction rate in the experimental group was higher than that in the control group [87.8%(36/41) vs. 58.5%(24/41), P<0.01]. The main adverse reactions during treatment included edema erythema, skin ruptures, skin atrophy, and vigorous hair growth. There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the experimental group and the control group [12.2%(5/41) vs. 7.3%(3/41), P>0.05]. Conclusion:Local injection of triamcinolone acetonide acetate combined with ultra-pulsed CO 2 fractional laser is more effective in treating children’s hypertrophic scars. It can significantly improve the appearance of scars, reduce clinical symptoms, with fewer adverse reactions, and high patient satisfaction.