Complex Mandibular Reconstruction for Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma-The Ongoing Challenge in Reconstruction and Rehabilitation
CANCERS
Authors: Zrnc, Tomislav A.; Tomic, Josip; Tomazic, Peter V.; Hassanzadeh, Hamid; Feichtinger, Matthias; Zemann, Wolfgang; Metzler, Philipp; Pau, Mauro
Abstract
Simple Summary Cancer therapy includes a broad range of microvascular free flaps that may restore defects and improve patients' quality of life. This is particularly important for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and composite mandibular reconstructions, containing tissues of bone, muscle, and skin, which may be problematic due to their magnitude and sensitive location. The subscapular system offers a highly valuable donor site with the most versatility and the potential for rapid rehabilitation. Interestingly, other donor sites are more commonly used internationally. Therefore, we evaluated the use of the subscapular system free flap (SFF), which is the most commonly used free flap at our department. To our knowledge, this retrospective study represents the largest number of SFF cases reported to date in the literature. Furthermore, we examined the quality of life in a subgroup of patients, combining prospective occurrences to provide insight into overall rehabilitation from the patients' viewpoints. Large head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) tumors affecting the mandible require a versatile reconstruction to maintain form, function, and quality of life. Large defect reconstruction of soft and hard tissue in the head and neck necessitates, at best, one vascular system including various tissues by large dimensions. The subscapular flap system seems to meet these standards. A retrospective study was conducted focusing on clinical data, including an analysis of the quality of life with the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaires, (QLQ-C30 and QLQ-H&N43). A total of 154 patients (122 males, 32 females; age range: 31-71 years, mean: 54.5 years) treated at our department from 1983 through to 2019 were included. Of the subscapular system free flaps (SFFs), 147 were based on the angular artery branch of the thoracodorsal pedicle (95.45%), and the remaining seven cases (4.55%) were lateral scapular border flaps. Mean mandible defect length was 7.3 cm. The mean skin paddle dimension was 86.8 cm(2). The most common recipient artery was the thyroid superior artery (79.22%). Major postoperative complications occurred in 13 patients (8.44%). This study confirms that SFFs offer excellent soft and hard tissue quality, component independence, a large arc of rotation length, and a large gauge of pedicle, making them the gold standard for the reconstruction of large composite defects of mandibular HNSCC tumors.
Epidemiological Characteristics and Clinical Features of Patients Infected With the COVID-19 Virus in Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
FRONTIERS IN MEDICINE
Authors: Hong, Jian-Ming; Hu, Long-Hua; Zhong, Qiao-Shi; Zhu, Long-Chuan; Hang, Ya-Ping; Fang, Xue-Yao; Sun, Hua-Bao; Huang, Zhi-Hua; Xu, Jianping; Chen, Yan-Hui
Abstract
Objectives: The 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is the biggest public health crises in the 21st century. While most patients infected with the COVID-19 virus have no to moderate symptoms, there is currently limited clinical information about these patients. Methods: In this study, we retrospectively investigated 41 patients infected with the COVID-19 virus in Nanchang, Jiangxi province, China, from February 4 to March 2, 2020. Nanchang is about 260 km southeast of Wuhan, the initial epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic. We retrieved information on patient demographics, physical examination results, epidemiology, clinical manifestations, underlying conditions, laboratory analyses, radiological images, and treatment outcomes. Results: Most patients (70.7%) had a history of close contact with patients with confirmed COVID-19, and 16 patients (39.0%) showed a high degree of family clustering. All 41 patients had no to moderate symptoms. The median age was 39.9 years and common symptoms of illness were fever (69.2%), cough (65.4%), and fatigue (19.2%). The dominant patient group was middle-aged women, with hypertension (14.6%) and chronic liver disease (12.2%) as the most frequent underlying conditions. All patients recovered, with the mean time of viral nucleic acid clearance at 10.6 days. Chest CT scans presented ground-glass opacities in 53.7% of patients while 26.8% had normal CT images. Laboratory results showed that lymphocyte counts, lymphocyte percentages, ESR, CRP, IgG, Fib, and cytokines were correlated to patients' conditions. Approximately 60-90% of patients had abnormally high levels of cytokines IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, and/or TNF-alpha. Conclusions: Our results showed variable clinical and laboratory presentations among this group of patients infected with the COVID-19 virus. Though all 41 patients recovered, our results suggest that cytokine levels and other biochemical indicators should be monitored for patients infected with the COVID-19 virus showing no to moderate symptoms to ensure quick access for critical medical attention, if needed.