Obstructive sleep apnea after surgical treatment of velopharyngeal insufficiency: analysis of signs and symptoms in middle-aged adults.

Objetivos: Investigar a prevalência de obstrução respiratória em indivíduos com fissura de palato submetidos à cirurgia de retalho faríngeo para a correção de insuficiência velofaríngea (estudo 1). Analisar a qualidade do sono e sintomas respiratórios relacionados a apnéia obstrutiva do sono (AOS) de adultos de meia-idade com fissura de palato previamente operada e retalho faríngeo, comparativamente a indivíduos com fissura de palato operada sem retalho faríngeo e indivíduos sem fissura (estudo 2). Determinar a gravidade dos sintomas respiratórios relacionados a AOS e sua correlação com o grau de obstrução velofaríngea provocada pelo retalho (estudo 3). Modelo/Participantes: O estudo 1 foi realizado por meio de revisão sistemática da literatura. O estudo 2 foi realizado, prospectivamente, em 15 indivíduos controles sem fissura (grupo C) e 38pacientes com fissura operada, não sindrômicos, sendo 20 sem retalho (grupo SR) e 18 com retalho (grupo CR), com idade entre 40 e 66 anos. A qualidade do sono e os sintomas de AOS foram avaliados por meio dos questionários de Pittsburgh, Epworth e Berlin. O estudo 3 foi realizado em 12 dos pacientes do grupo CR. A gravidade dos sintomas relacionados a AOS foi avaliada por meio da escala de Trindade e os achados foram correlacionados com o grau de obstrução velofaríngea provocada pelo retalho, avaliado por meio de rinomanometria modificada de Warren. Local de Execução: Laboratório de Fisiologia, HRAC-USP. Resultados: A prevalência de obstrução respiratória durante o sono em indivíduos com retalho faríngeo alcançou percentuais variáveis nos 28 estudos analisados, chegando a ser observada em até 95% dos casos, incluindo sintomas como hiponasalidade, ronco, obstrução nasal e eventos relacionados a apnéia obstrutiva do sono (estudo 1). Os escores aferidos nos questionários de Pittsburgh, Epworth e Berlin não diferiram entre os três grupos analisados, notando-se, contudo, tendência a piores escores no grupo com retalho, indicativos de sonolência excessiva diurna e alto risco para AOS (estudo 2). Sintomas respiratórios relacionados a AOS de maior gravidade foram observados com maior frequência no grupo de indivíduos com retalho. Não foi constatada relação entre a gravidade dos sintomas e o grau de obstrução velofaríngea provocada pelo retalho (estudo 3). Conclusão: Esses achados demonstram que o retalho faríngeo, usado com sucesso para o tratamento dos distúrbios de fala secundários à insuficiência velofaríngea, está associado a um potencial significativo de comprometimento das vias aéreas na meia-idade, exigindo condutas efetivas de triagem e de diagnóstico.Objectives: To investigate the prevalence of airway obstruction in individuals with cleft palate who underwent pharyngeal flap surgery for the treatment of velopharyngeal insufficiency (study 1). To assess the quality of sleep and respiratory symptoms related to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in middle-aged adults with repaired cleft palate and pharyngeal flap, as compared to individuals with repaired cleft palate without pharyngeal flap and individuals without cleft (study 2). To determine the severity of respiratory symptoms related to OSA and its correlation with the degree of obstruction caused by flap (study 3). Model/Participants: Study 1 was conducted through a systematic review of the literature. Study 2 was performed prospectively in 15 control subjects without cleft (group C) and 38 non-syndromic patients with a repaired cleft, 20 of them without flap (NF group) and 18 with a flap (WF group), aged from 40 to 66 years. Quality of sleep and OSA symptoms were assessed by means of Pittsburgh, Epworth and Berlin questionnaires. Study 3 was conducted in 12 patients of the CR group. The severity of OSA-related symptoms was assessed by the Trindade scale and the findings were correlated to the degree of velopharyngeal obstruction caused by flap, assessed by Warrens modified rhinomanometry. Setting: Laboratory of Physiology, HRAC-USP. Results: The prevalence of airway obstruction during sleep in patients with pharyngeal flap achieved variable percentages in the 28 studies analyzed, being observed in up to 95% of cases, including symptoms such as hyponasality, snoring, nasal obstruction and sleep apnea- related events (study 1). Scores obtained in the Pittsburgh, Epworth and Berlin questionnaires did not differ among the three groups. However, the worst scores were seen in the WF group, suggesting excessive daytime sleepiness and high risk for OSA (study 2). More severe OSA relatedrespiratory symptoms were most frequently observed in the WF group. No relation was found between the severity of symptoms and the degree of velopharyngeal obstruction caused by flap (study 3). Conclusion: These findings demonstrate that pharyngeal flap surgery, successfully used for the management of speech disorders secondary to velopharyngeal insufficiency, is associated to a significant potential for airway impairment in the middle age, requiring effective approaches of screening and diagnosis

Use of skin graft punch graft type for the healing of leg ulcers in treated Hansen's disease patients

Hansen's disease is an infectious illness caused by Mycobacterium leprae. It affects preferentially the skin and the peripheral nervous system leading to incapacities, such as leg ulcers, which happens due to the direct action of the bacillus on the organs or its indirect action on the peripheral nervous system. Leg ulcers can occur by two physiopathologic processes. There are many treatments for general leg ulcers, which include the ones caused by Hansen's disease sequels. Among them, surgical treatment shows to be effective when using skin graft, which can be performed by several techniques. Considering the low number of techniques known for treating leg ulcers in Hansen's disease sequels, the aims of this work were to standardize alternative techniques, to detect the main bacteria found in ulcer secretion cultures, to analyze the patients profile and the ulcers, to describe the histophatologies found, and to correlate these data with those of literature from all over the world. Skin graft punch type was carried out and analyzed; males had a mean age of 59.4 years old and females, 54.2 years old. Patients were 73.6% male and 26.3% female. Lepromatous type was present in 89.4% patients and tuberculoid type was seen in 10.5% of them. Associated systemic diseases were observed in 26.3% patients. Mean time of ulcers evolution was 11.6 years in male and 12.8 years in women. The average diameter of ulcers in the pre-treatment period was 8.5 X 9.5 cm in male and 10.2 X 6.8 cm in women. After the graft, their average diameters were 3.2 X 2.7 cm in male and 5.1 X 5.6 cm in women. Statistical analysis showed that there was no significant correlation between the ulcer diameter and its reduction or not in the post-surgery period (p=0.269732). The mean age of patients whose ulcers diameter did not change or reduced by only 20% was 63.5 years. Using the Spearman's coefficient, it was possible to observe that there was no significant correlation between the patients' age and the ulcers diameter reduction after the skin graft (p=0.222531). Evolution time of ulcers that did not present any satisfactory result in the post-surgery period was 12.1 years. The Spearman's coefficient showed that there was no significant correlation between the ulcers evolution time and the ulcers diameter reduction in the post-surgery period (p=0.191655). Cultures presented 50% of cases with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Statistical analysis showed there is no correlation between the bacterial types found and the ulcer evolution in the post-surgery period (p=0.697531). The average of the ulcers diameter reduction was 42.4%, and in 26.3% of the patients the lesions disappeared after the skin graft