Search Results (61)

Background/Objectives: Fibroproliferative disorders (FPDs), such as Dupuytren’s contracture, scleroderma, capsular contracture, rhinophyma, and keloid scars, are characterised by excessive fibroblast activity and collagen deposition. These conditions are frequently encountered in plastic and reconstructive surgery and remain therapeutically challenging. Cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitors have emerged as a potential adjunct therapy to modulate fibrotic pathways and improve clinical outcomes. This systematic review aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety profile of COX inhibitors in the management of plastic-surgery-related FPDs. In doing so, it explores how phenotype-guided and route-specific COX-inhibitor use may contribute to precision, patient-centred care. Methods: To identify eligible studies, a comprehensive search was conducted in MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Library. Data were synthesised using both tabular summaries and narrative analysis. The certainty of evidence was appraised according to the GRADE guidelines. Results: Thirteen studies from 1984 to 2024 met inclusion criteria, addressing FPDs such as hypertrophic scarring, Dupuytren’s contracture, and desmoid tumours, representing 491 patients. Of those, five studies were related to Dupuytren contracture, three studies were related to hypertrophic scar, and one study each was on topics related to scleroderma, keloid scar, osteogenesis imperfecta, actinic keloidalis nuchae/dissecting cellulitis of the scalp, and desmoid tumours. Nine studies reported clinical improvements (four demonstrating statistically significant outcomes), three showed no difference, and one did not assess outcomes. The thirteen studies show minor side effects from oral and topical COX inhibitors. The overall certainty of evidence was graded as “low.” Conclusions: COX inhibitors demonstrate promising efficacy with minimal adverse effects in the management of plastic-surgery-related FPDs. Their accessibility, safety, and potential to reduce fibrosis underscore the need for future high-quality, large-scale studies to establish definitive clinical recommendations. Full article

Odontogenic myxofibroma (OMF) is a rare, benign, and slow-growing tumour arising from odontogenic ectomesenchyme. Despite its low prevalence, accounting for approximately 0.5% to 17.7% of all odontogenic tumours worldwide and 3.1% in specific regional studies, it poses significant challenges due to its potential for local recurrence if inadequately excised. This case report presents the clinical course, surgical management, and follow-up of a 35-year-old female patient diagnosed with OMF in the mandibular body region. The patient presented with an osteolytic lesion between the first and second mandibular molars, as confirmed through CT imaging, with dimensions of 31 × 22 × 24 mm. Histopathological examination following excisional biopsy under general anaesthesia confirmed the diagnosis of OMF. The surgical procedure involved mandibular segment resection and reconstruction using an iliac crest bone graft stabilised with plates. Subsequent implantation procedures in 2021 restored dental function, and a four-year follow-up demonstrated excellent outcomes, with no signs of recurrence, periimplantitis, or bone graft compromise. This case highlights the importance of comprehensive imaging, histopathological confirmation, and long-term monitoring in managing odontogenic myxofibroma. Early detection and appropriate surgical intervention significantly improve patient outcomes and quality of life. Full article

Background: Reconstructive surgery with free flaps is a fundamental component in head and neck surgery, but flap failure remains a significant concern. The hemoglobin, albumin, lymphocyte, and platelet (HALP) score is a prognostic factor commonly applied in the evaluation of patients suffering from malignant tumours. This score has emerged as a potential preoperative risk assessment tool; however, its predictive accuracy for free flap failure has not been fully evaluated. The potential of this formula, in the cervical–facial reconstructive area, has not yet been well studied in the international literature. Methods: This retrospective study included patients who had undergone free flap reconstruction in the maxillofacial surgery departments of Perugia and Ancona over the past ten years. To optimize the HALP formula, advanced machine learning technologies, mainly the Julius AI platform, were applied. The HALP formula was refined through three phases: the original formula, a weighted version, and the final “Modified HALP.” Predictive performance was assessed using ROC curve analysis, multivariate logistic regression, and internal validation. Results: The final version of the HALP score, created in the present study, achieved an AUC-ROC of 0.95 (95% CI: 0.91–0.99), outperforming the original and weighted versions. At the optimal cut-off, the final “Modified” HALP score demonstrated 90.91% sensitivity and 92.36% specificity, remaining an independent predictor of flap failure after adjusting for confounders. Conclusions: The aim of the study was to optimize the HALP score by integrating clinical information with the aim of making significant progress in the prediction of failure in reconstructive flaps. The Modified HALP score emerges as a powerful tool for preoperative risk stratification in free flap surgery, potentially improving patient outcomes through targeted interventions. Future research should focus on external validation and exploring the underlying biological mechanisms. Full article

Pancreatic cancer involving the porto-mesenteric junction (PMJ) represents a challenge to pancreatic surgeons. Restoring mesenteric venous drainage is an essential component of vascular reconstruction after tumour resection. In contrast, management of the splenic venous drainage can involve the ligation or reconstruction of the splenic vein (SV). Evidence suggests that splenic vein ligation (SVL) is commonly associated with sinistral portal hypertension (SPH), especially if multiple venous tributaries were divided to facilitate resection. Although the association between SVL and SPH is well documented, the risk of symptomatic SPH is not widely reported, presumably due to the low incidence and poor survival of pancreatic cancer patients. Splenic vein reconstruction (SVR) has been proposed to decrease the risk of SPH but is fraught with technical complexity and increased morbidity. Moreover, SVR does not guarantee the prevention of SPH, as patency rates vary and associated hemodynamic changes are unpredictable. Patient selection and the surgical expertise available can guide SV intraoperative management, taking into consideration the risks and benefits associated with each approach. A comprehensive review of the current literature highlighting the incidence and clinical impact of SPH after the resection of pancreatic cancer involving the PMJ is presented. Full article

Cranioplasty enables the restoration of cranial defects caused by traumatic injuries, brain tumour excisions, or decompressive craniectomies. Conventional methods rely on Computer-Aided Design (CAD) for implant design, which requires significant resources and expertise. Recent advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) have improved Computer-Aided Diagnostic systems for accurate and faster cranial reconstruction and implant generation procedures. However, these face inherent limitations, including the limited availability of diverse datasets covering different defect shapes spanning various locations, absence of a comprehensive pipeline integrating the preprocessing of medical images, cranial reconstruction, and implant generation, along with mechanical testing and validation. The proposed framework incorporates a robust preprocessing pipeline for easier processing of Computed Tomography (CT) images through data conversion, denoising, Connected Component Analysis (CCA), and image alignment. At its core is CRIGNet (Cranial Reconstruction and Implant Generation Network), a novel deep learning model rigorously trained on a diverse dataset of 2160 images, which was prepared by simulating cylindrical, cubical, spherical, and triangular prism-shaped defects across five skull regions, ensuring robustness in diagnosing a wide variety of defect patterns. CRIGNet achieved an exceptional reconstruction accuracy with a Dice Similarity Coefficient (DSC) of 0.99, Jaccard Similarity Coefficient (JSC) of 0.98, and Hausdorff distance (HD) of 4.63 mm. The generated implants showed superior geometric accuracy, load-bearing capacity, and gap-free fitment in the defected skull compared to CAD-generated implants. Also, this framework reduced the implant generation processing time from 40–45 min (CAD) to 25–30 s, suggesting its application for a faster turnaround time, enabling decisive clinical support systems. Full article

Objective: To assess the safety of open PC-RPLND at a high-volume national referral centre over the course of several years. Materials and Methods: A retrospective chart review of patients with testicular germ cell tumours (TGCTs) who underwent PC-RPLND at our institution between 2008 and 2023 was conducted. Patient demographics, clinical characteristics, intraoperative and postoperative parameters and adjunctive procedures were recorded. ClassIntra and Clavien Dindo classifications were used to assess intraoperative and postoperative complications, respectively. Results: In total, 165 patients were studied. The median (Q1–Q3) age of patients was 30.5 years (24.75–38.25), and the median maximum diameter of retroperitoneal masses was 50 mm (26.75–81.25). The most common adjunctive procedure was synchronous nephrectomy (n = 18, 11%) followed by vascular procedures (n = 7, 4.3%), ureteric reconstruction (n = 7, 4.3%), and partial hepatectomy (n = 3, 1.9%). Intraoperatively, 20, 8 and 1 patient had a grade I, II or V complication, respectively, according to the ClassIntra classification. The median estimated blood loss was 300 mL (120–740), the median duration of the procedure was 4.9 h (4–6 h) and the median length of stay was 8 days (7–10 days). Histopathological examination of the resected specimen showed teratoma in 51.9% of patients, followed by fibrosis/necrosis in 39.5%. A total of 40 patients (24.7%) experienced at least one complication. Conclusions: PC-RPLND is a complex operation, often accompanied by adjunctive surgical procedures and therefore must be conducted in high-volume referral centres to ensure safety and minimise complications. Full article

Background/Objectives: Defects in maxillary and mandibular continuity are common in maxillofacial practice. They can occur after trauma, osteonecrosis, congenital jaw deformities, or surgical resection of benign or malignant tumours. Reconstruction with microvascular bone flaps and subsequent prosthetic rehabilitation is considered the contemporary first line treatment. This study assessed the extent to which the underlying disease influences the treatment course of microvascular segmental jaw reconstruction. Methods: A retrospective review of prospectively collected data from all patients who underwent microvascular segmental jaw reconstruction from January 2011 to December 2020 was completed. The course of treatment as well as the process of dental rehabilitation was assessed. Results: Two hundred patients were included in the study. A total of 15.5% of patients were fitted with a conventional removable prosthesis, and implant-supported prosthetic restoration could be realized in 53.5% of patients. However, dental rehabilitation was not possible in 31.0% of patients. The outcomes of prosthetic restoration showed a statistically significant difference between the different underlying diseases (p < 0.0001). About 50% of patients with malignant diseases and osteonecrosis remained without dental rehabilitation. In contrast, more than 90% of patients with jaw continuity defects, due to benign diseases or malformations, were able to receive an implant-supported prosthesis. Among the diagnostic groups, there was a significant difference regarding the number of implants placed (p < 0.0001). There was a significant correlation between increased incidence of complications and the size of the bone flaps. Conclusions: The underlying disease influenced significantly the treatment course and the outcome of dental rehabilitation after microvascular jaw reconstruction. Full article

Introduction: Prostate-specific membrane antigen positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PSMA PET/CT), in combination with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), may enhance the diagnosis and staging of prostate cancer. Image fusion of separately acquired PET/CT and MRI images serve to facilitate clinical integration and treatment planning. This study aimed to investigate different PSMA PET/CT and MRI image fusion workflows for prostate cancer visualisation. Methods: Eighteen patients with prostate cancer who underwent PSMA PET/CT and MRI prior to radical prostatectomy were retrospectively selected. Alignment of the prostate was performed between PET/CT and MRI via three techniques: semi-automatic rigid, automatic rigid, and automatic non-rigid. Image fusion accuracy was evaluated through boundary and volume agreement, quantified by the Dice Similarity Coefficient (DSC), 95% Hausdorff Distance (HD), and Mean Surface Distance (MSD), with comparison against reconstructed histopathology slices. Results: Image fusion using all techniques resulted in clear lesion visualisation from PSMA PET/CT overlay and anatomical detail afforded by the MRI base and was consistent with histopathology tumour location. Image fusion accuracy was within the recommended range based on a DSC of 0.8–0.9. The automatic non-rigid registration method had the highest volume agreement (DSC: 0.96 ± <0.01) and boundary agreement (HD: 1.17 ± 0.35 mm) when compared to automatic rigid (DSC 0.88 ± 0.02, HD 3.18 ± 0.29 mm) and semi-automatic rigid (DSC 0.80 ± 0.06, HD 5.25 ± 1.68 mm). Conclusions: Image fusion of clinically obtained PET/CT and MRI is feasible and clinically acceptable for use in prostate cancer diagnosis and surgical management. While the best accuracy was observed with the automatic non-rigid technique, which requires further validation, image fusion with clinically accessible methods (semi-automatic rigid) may currently aid patient education, pre-operative planning, and intra-operative guidance. Full article

Background: Malignant eyelid tumours present a considerable challenge in the field of ophthalmic oncology, necessitating a combination of precision oncological care and meticulous reconstruction to ensure the preservation of eyelid functionality and the maintenance of facial aesthetics. Method: This study presents a review of the outcomes of 167 patients who underwent eyelid reconstruction following the excision of primary non-melanocytic malignant tumours. The choice of reconstruction technique was dependent on a number of factors, including the stage of the tumour, its location, and the characteristics of the patient. The most commonly used techniques included regional flaps, local flaps, and skin grafts. The most frequently employed reconstruction techniques were forehead flaps (59 cases), simple excisions (38 cases), and Mustarde cheek flaps (16 cases). Result: The postoperative complications, including ectropion, epiphora, and flap necrosis, were recorded. However, no significant correlation was found between the risk of complications and either the location of the tumour or the reconstruction method employed. Despite the complexity of medial canthal and lower eyelid reconstruction, satisfactory aesthetic and functional outcomes were generally achieved. Conclusions: This study emphasises the importance of individualised surgical planning, highlighting the advantages and limitations of various techniques to optimise both the functional and aesthetic results. Full article

Surgical flaps are rudimentary tools in reconstructive surgery, especially following extensive solid tumour resections. They cover skin and soft tissue defects but are prone to ischaemia and necrosis. Since their primary aim is reconstruction, they rarely exhibit a therapeutic activity against the treated disease. Attempts have been made to develop a new therapeutic strategy—biologic brachytherapy, which uses genetically engineered surgical flaps as a drug delivery vehicle, allowing the flap tissue to act as a “biologic pump”. This systematic review summarizes the preclinical evidence on using genetically modified surgical flaps. A literature search was conducted in PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus and Web of Science. The initial literature search yielded 714 papers, and, eventually, seventy-seven studies were included in qualitative analysis. The results show that genetic enhancement of flaps has been used as a local or systemic therapy for numerous disease models. Frequently, it has been used to increase flap survival and limit ischaemia or promote flap survival in a non-ischemic context, with some studies focusing on optimizing the technique of such gene therapy. The results show that genetically modified flaps can be successfully used in a variety of contexts, but we need more studies to implement this research into specific clinical scenarios. Full article

Ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma (OPA) is an infectious, neoplastic lung disease of sheep that causes significant animal welfare and economic issues throughout the world. Understanding OPA pathogenesis is key to developing tools to control its impact. Central to this need is the availability of model systems that can monitor and track events after Jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus (JSRV) infection. Here, we report the development of an experimentally induced OPA model intended for this purpose. Using three different viral dose groups (low, intermediate and high), localised OPA tumour development was induced by bronchoscopic JSRV instillation into the segmental bronchus of the right cardiac lung lobe. Pre-clinical OPA diagnosis and tumour progression were monitored by monthly computed tomography (CT) imaging and trans-thoracic ultrasound scanning. Post mortem examination and immunohistochemistry confirmed OPA development in 89% of the JSRV-instilled animals. All three viral doses produced a range of OPA lesion types, including microscopic disease and gross tumours; however, larger lesions were more frequently identified in the low and intermediate viral groups. Overall, 31% of JSRV-infected sheep developed localised advanced lesions. Of the sheep that developed localised advanced lesions, tumour volume doubling times (calculated using thoracic CT 3D reconstructions) were 14.8 ± 2.1 days. The ability of ultrasound to track tumour development was compared against CT; the results indicated a strong significant association between paired CT and ultrasound measurements at each time point (R² = 0.799, p < 0.0001). We believe that the range of OPA lesion types induced by this model replicates aspects of naturally occurring disease and will improve OPA research by providing novel insights into JSRV infectivity and OPA disease progression. Full article

In the vast field of medical scientific research, few topics have managed to attract as much attention and mobilise academic resources as the use of dermal matrices in the reconstruction of soft tissue defects. In this study, we used bibliographic metrics such as co-authorship, keyword co-occurrence, and citations per document to analyse the relationship between the use of dermal matrices to reconstruct soft tissue defects caused by burns, tumours, and trauma. In addition, keyword analysis has highlighted the crucial role of technology in recent studies and the innovation brought about by the use of dermal matrices in the reconstruction of soft tissue defects. Keywords used in recent studies have revealed the critical role of technology in the development of the field. We extracted a set of 1329 research papers from the Web of Science Core Collection database between 2010 and 2024 that met our criteria. Through keyword analysis, we identified technology as a significant factor in recent studies. Our results showed that there is very little collaboration between authors on the topic and that most of them are from Asia. A significant number of articles on this topic come from the USA, China, Japan, Germany, the UK, and France. We discovered the top ten most cited sources analysing the use of dermal matrices in the reconstruction of soft tissue defects. Finally, we think that this study will be beneficial for our further research. Full article

Background/Objectives: Dental rehabilitation after extended tumour resection and jaw reconstruction is challenging. The present study aimed to report the prosthetic outcome and quality of life (QoL) in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) after microvascular alveolar ridge reconstruction. Methods: The prosthetic outcomes of all consecutive patients with HNC who underwent microvascular alveolar ridge reconstruction at the University Hospital Salzburg between 2011 and 2018 were investigated. Oral health-related QoL (OHrQoL) and overall QoL were assessed using the validated Oral Health Impact Profile-49 (OHIP-49) and Short Form-36 questionnaires. Results: During the study period, 115 consecutive patients with head and neck cancer underwent microvascular jaw reconstruction. Among them, 23.3% and 27.4% received conventional tissue-borne prostheses and implant-supported prostheses, respectively, while 48.7% did not undergo dental rehabilitation. The prosthetic outcome was not associated with tumour stage (p = 0.32). Oral health-related quality of life (OHrQoL) was best in patients with implant-supported dental rehabilitation (OHIP-49 median score = 7) and worst in those with conventional removable dentures (OHIP-49 median score = 54). The corresponding OHIP-49 median score for patients who could not undergo dental rehabilitation was 30.5. All Short Form-36 subscale scores were equal to or higher than the malignancy norm scores. Conclusions: After microvascular jaw reconstruction, approximately one-third of the HNC patients received adequate implant-supported dental rehabilitation. However, the risk of dental rehabilitation failure was 50%. The different prosthetic outcomes affected OHrQoL, but not overall QoL. Full article

Introduction: The eyelids are a common site for skin tumours and account for 5–10% of all skin tumours. Treatment is mainly surgical and aims to preserve the anatomical structure of the eyelid, its function and not least its aesthetic appearance. Aim: Presentation of recurrence and complication rates of tumour-related eyelid surgery in a cohort of 450 tumours. Results: Analysis of a cohort of 450 tumours operated on revealed 13 (2.8%) operations with recurrences and 32 (7%) with complications. The statistical significance of recurrences was observed for the involved and uninvolved ciliary margin. At the temporal canthus, 23.1% of recurrences occurred compared to 7.7% at the medial canthus. SGC has the highest recurrence rate. Complications include the following: ectropion, dehiscence, gross cicatrix with normal function, retraction, post-radiation damage, sub-graft haemorrhage and graft rejection. Conclusions: The recurrence rate of eyelid tumours is lower than that of complications. The choice of surgical technique determines the frequency of complications and histological control of the excised tissue, as well as the frequency of recurrences. Full article

Sound speed reconstruction has been investigated for quantitative evaluation of tissue properties in breast examination. Full waveform inversion (FWI), a mainstream method for conventional sound speed reconstruction, is an iterative method that includes numerical simulation of wave propagation, resulting in high computational cost. In contrast, high-speed reconstruction of sound speed using a deep neural network (DNN) has been proposed in recent years. Although the generalization performance is highly dependent on the training data, how to generate data for sufficient generalization performance is still unclear. In this study, the quality and generalization performance of DNN-based sound speed reconstruction with a ring array transducer were evaluated on a natural image-derived dataset and a breast phantom dataset. The DNN trained on breast phantom data (BP-DNN) could not reconstruct the structures on natural image data with diverse structures. On the other hand, the DNN trained on natural image data (NI-DNN) successfully reconstructed the structures on both natural image and breast phantom test data. Furthermore, the NI-DNN successfully reconstructed tumour structures in the breast, while the BP-DNN overlooked them. From these results, it was demonstrated that natural image data enables DNNs to learn sound speed reconstruction with high generalization performance and high resolution. Full article