Prediction of degree of carotid stenosis with the transluminal attenuation difference ratio

PURPOSEWe aimed to assess the diagnostic performance of transluminal attenuation difference (TAD) in predicting the severity of internal carotid artery (ICA) stenosis.METHODSThe study cohort consisted of 48 patients with 70%) stenosis compared with control arteries and low-moderate stenosis. A TAD ratio cutoff of 4.5 predicted 70%–99% stenosis with a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 93%. The inter- and intraobserver agreements in TAD measurements were almost perfect (ICC, 0.89–0.86).CONCLUSIONAssessment of TAD ratio predicts the degree of stenosis in concordance with NASCET system

High Voltage Electric Burn Repair of the Forehead by Reverse Flow Temporalis Muscle Flap

Repairing soft tissue defects of the forehead which exposes the bare bone is a dilemma with few reconstructive techniques for plastic surgeons. Forehead is an important aesthetic unit of the face which is covered with the glabrous skin. Due to the relative lack of similar mobile tissue locally, reconstruction of large soft tissue defects of the forehead region by local flaps is demanding. Temporalis muscle flap does not reach to the midline of the forehead region because of the insufficient length of the deep temporal vascular system. During the transfer of the muscle, only a small volume and size of the muscle can reach to the defect, remaining most of the muscle bulk in the pedicle and a relatively limited arc of rotation, thus a small volume of usable tissue at the distal portion of the flap. We successfully used reverse flow temporalis muscle flap for the purpose of eliminating the above-mentioned disadvantage of temporalis muscle flap in a 23-year-old male patient who sustained a high-voltage electrical burn resulting 12 x 8 cm left forehead defect exposing the bare bone

Application of Split-Thickness Dermal Grafts in Deep Partial- and Full-Thickness Burns: A New Source of Auto-Skin Grafting

Early tangential excision of nonviable burn tissue, followed by immediate skin grafting with autograft or allograft, has resulted in the improvement of burn patient survival. The aim of this study was to add split-thickness dermal grafts (STDGs) as a new source of auto-skin grafting tool to our reconstructive armamentarium in deep partial-and full-thickness burns and soft tissue defects. The authors successfully applied STDGs along with split-thickness skin grafts as a new source of auto-skin grafting in 11 deep partial- and full-thickness burns over a period of 1 year without any significant donor site morbidity. Dermal graft take was complete in all but one patient. There was no donor site healing problem, and donor site epithelization was completed generally 1 week later than split-thickness skin graft by semi-open technique. Autologous split-thickness skin grafting still remains the standard therapy for burn wound closure but may be in limited availability in severe burns. The authors conclude that STDGs may be a new source of auto-skin grafting tool in extensive deep partial-and full-thickness burns. (J Burn Care Res 2012;33:e94-e100