Extracranial internal carotid artery aneurysm is rare. They usually appear as an enlarging pulsat... more Extracranial internal carotid artery aneurysm is rare. They usually appear as an enlarging pulsatile neck mass with associated tenderness and fever. The diagnosis is difficult and can lead to significant medical morbidity. Treatment of these lesions requires expert surgical management and necessitates an assiduous search for an underlying source. We report a case of a mycotic aneurysm of the extracranial carotid artery in an immunosuppressed patient successfully treated by wide excision and saphenous vein patch angioplasty.
Revue de laryngologie - otologie - rhinologie, 2002
The establishment of a direct enteral feeding route is critical in the overall treatment of many ... more The establishment of a direct enteral feeding route is critical in the overall treatment of many patients with head and neck cancer. This study evaluated the indications, success rate, and complications associated with endoscopic gastrostomies. 71 endoscopic percutaneous gastrostomies were created in 67 patients. The main indication for gastrostomy was the need for nutritional support in malignant head and neck tumors. Two localizations, buccal cavity and oropharynx, comprised 45% of the cases (32/71). All the procedures were successful. The one severe complication (peritonitis) required laparotomy. The duration of enteral nutrition via gastrostomy varied from two days to more than two years. There were no long-term complications. The method is simple, cost-saving and is very important to prevent malnutrition, the most predictive parameter for the occurrence of major postoperative complications.
Thyroid cancer rarely metastasizes to the pelvis. We report a case where the metastasis was found... more Thyroid cancer rarely metastasizes to the pelvis. We report a case where the metastasis was found two years before the thyroid cancer. Treatment included initial surgery with resection of the metastatic tumor and reconstruction of the acetabulum with bone cement, and secondly total thyroidectomy, node dissection and I131. Surgical treatment of locoregional recurrence had no influence on the clinical course leading to the patient's death. Early diagnosis of unique metastasis of a thyroid cancer is important in terms of prognosis and quality of life. This case is exceptional due to the unique bone metastasis and treatment options for acetabular metastases. Therapeutic options should be adapted according to algorithms reported in the literature.
BACKGROUND Distant metastases in head and neck cancer are often to the lung, and rarely to the sk... more BACKGROUND Distant metastases in head and neck cancer are often to the lung, and rarely to the skin sites. METHOD To ascertain that a skin metastasis indicates a poor prognosis, a review was conducted of patients with head and neck cancer. RESULTS Three out of seven patients had evidence of local recurrence at the time of development of the skin metastases, and three out of seven had evidence of distant metastases. The average survival time was 1 month after the development of skin metastases. CONCLUSION Skin metastases may represent the first clinical evidence of impending recurrence or distant metastasis. The development of skin metastasis is associated with a poor prognosis. Current treatment options are limited in their efficacity.
STUDY AIM Determination of axillary lymph node status is crucial in diagnosis of early breast can... more STUDY AIM Determination of axillary lymph node status is crucial in diagnosis of early breast cancer. However thanks to an early diagnosis, an increasing number of axillary lymph node dissections are free of disease. This raises questions about the need for this procedure. The study aim was to report an experience with lymphadenectomy and sentinel node mapping in patients with T0-T1 carcinoma of the breast. METHODS Between November 1997 and December 1999, 84 consecutive women (T0-T1 N0 according to the 1987 UICC classification) with recently diagnosed breast cancer, were included in this study for identification of the sentinel lymph node (SLN). The SLN was removed and submitted for histological examination. All patients underwent axillary dissection; nodes from levels I and II (Berg's classification) were excised and submitted to histological examination. RESULTS The average tumor diameter was 12.7 mm (range, 3 to 25 mm). The lymphatic mapping technique was obtained after injec...
INTRODUCTION Abdominal aortic aneurysms are the 13th leading cause of death in the United States.... more INTRODUCTION Abdominal aortic aneurysms are the 13th leading cause of death in the United States. Conventional surgical treatment is associated with a low mortality of 1.4-5% and a higher morbidity in high-risk patients. Endovascular aneurysm repair is now performed in patients considered at too high risk for conventional repair. Although the use of endovascular grafts was initially limited, this method is gaining popularity despite the risk of complications including endoleaks, dislocation and graft thrombosis. METHODS Between June 1997 and June 2000, 28 patients were treated with endovascular stent grafts. 53 patients were treated by open surgical repair. Six patients presenting with rupture were excluded. Endoleaks were detected by arteriogram and computed tomographic scan. The mean aneurysm diameter, with a mean length of 3.2 cm, was 6.3 cm. The mean proximal neck diameter was not greater than 2.4 cm. RESULTS There were no conversions to open repair. The mean time of the interve...
The present guidelines on the management of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NS CLC) were for... more The present guidelines on the management of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NS CLC) were formulated by the ELCWP in October 2006. They are designed to answer the following twelve questions: 1) What benefits can be expected from chemotherapy and what are the treatment objectives? 2) What are the active chemotherapeutic drugs for which efficacy has been shown? 3) Which are the most effective platinum-based regimens? 4) Which is the indicated dosage of cisplatin? 5) Can carboplatin be substituted for cisplatin? 6) Which is the optimal number of cycles to be administered? 7) Can non-platinum based regimens be substituted for platinum based chemotherapy as first-line treatment? 8) Is there an indication for sequential chemotherapy? 9) What is the efficacy of salvage chemotherapy and which drugs should be used in that indication? 10) What is the place of targeted therapies? 11) What is the place of chemotherapy in the management of a patient with brain metastases? 12) Which specific ...
Extracranial internal carotid artery aneurysm is rare. They usually appear as an enlarging pulsat... more Extracranial internal carotid artery aneurysm is rare. They usually appear as an enlarging pulsatile neck mass with associated tenderness and fever. The diagnosis is difficult and can lead to significant medical morbidity. Treatment of these lesions requires expert surgical management and necessitates an assiduous search for an underlying source. We report a case of a mycotic aneurysm of the extracranial carotid artery in an immunosuppressed patient successfully treated by wide excision and saphenous vein patch angioplasty.
AIM Metastases of melanoma are frequent. On the gastro-intestinal tract, commonest localizations ... more AIM Metastases of melanoma are frequent. On the gastro-intestinal tract, commonest localizations are small bowel, stomach and colon. Surgical treatment of digestive metastases from melanoma is not well known and its value is still debated. PATIENTS AND METHODS Medical records of 10 patients (six female and four male) operated for metastatic melanoma to gastro-intestinal tract were reviewed to determine results of surgery. RESULTS Gastro-intestinal metastases were symptomatic in eight patients (abdominal pain in three, bowel obstruction in three, abdominal mass and obstructive jaundice in one each). Two patients had anemia. Diagnosis has been suggested by imaging in seven patients and endoscopy in three. All patients were operated on by laparotomy for resection of metastases located on small bowel in four patients, gallbladder in two, stomach in two and colon in two. Complete resection suppressed symptoms in nine cases. In one patient, resection was incomplete but provided satisfying...
INTRODUCTION The fibular free flap (FFF) is the best choice method for mandibular reconstruction.... more INTRODUCTION The fibular free flap (FFF) is the best choice method for mandibular reconstruction. However, the failure and the complications risk factors (RF) are not yet fully identified. This study aims to analyze these RF in order to improve the success rate. MATERIAL This retrospective study includes all patients who benefited from a FFF mandibular reconstruction between the first of January, 2014 and the thirty-first of December, 2018 in the Department of Stomatology and Maxillofacial Surgery department of the CHU Saint-Pierre Hospital, Brussels, Belgium. RESULTS Thirty patients benefited from this intervention. The overall success rate was 90%. Majority of the patients were men (67%) (mean age: 52 years). The main associated co-morbidities were: alcohol (50%), tobacco consumption (67%) and previous radiotherapy (20%). The mean operative time was 9,5hours. The morbidities rates at the receiving site (RS) and the donor site (DS) were respectively 43% and 30%. Infection and dehiscence of the RS were the main complications. Statistical analysis identified RF for RS infections: atherosclerosis and operative time; RS dehiscence (previous cervical dissection and secondary reconstruction); flap necrosis (ischemia time, rate of infection at the recipient site, history of radiation therapy, alcohol consumption, National Nosocomial Infection Surveillance score (NNISS), and history of cervical dissection); and DS morbidities (NNISS and dehiscence rate at the DS in the early period). CONCLUSION The FFF mandibular reconstruction offers a significant success rate. Nevertheless, this study highlighted several failure and complications RF of the procedure. Previous neck dissection and radiotherapy, operative and the ischemia time, were RF associated with complication at the RS. Furthermore, the NNIS score and the dehiscence rate were also reported as RF for FFF necrosis.
INTRODUCTION Defects reconstruction after oncologic resection is challenging and complex in head ... more INTRODUCTION Defects reconstruction after oncologic resection is challenging and complex in head and neck tumors. The aim of this retrospective study is to evaluate the use of the supraclavicular artery island flap (SCAIF) in head and neck reconstruction, in particular, when traditional free flaps is not recommended. METHODS We reviewed our two years' experience of the use of SCAIF on a total of 15 cases. In 10 cases, it was used as an alternative to free flaps after head and neck tumors resection. In 5 cases, SCAIF was used for revision surgery after a free flap failure. The indications for flap use have been defects due to resection of stage II-IV cancer in the head and neck region. The operative site, time, complications and functional outcomes were assessed. RESULTS We identified 15 patients with a total of 16 SCAIF. One patient had received bilateral SCAIF. Out of the patients, 10 were men and 5 were women. Head and neck oncologic patients underwent tumor resection followed by immediate reconstruction using SCAIF. Among those 15 patients, 10 received previous radiotherapy in the head and neck region. All the patients had undergone multiple surgical procedures. Mean flap dimensions were 6.0cm (range, 5-7cm) wide and 22.0cm (range, 14-26cm) long. The proximal part of the flap was de-epithelialized to match the defect, resulting in a mean skin paddle length of 8.0cm (range, 5-12cm). After an average follow-up duration of 13 months (range 3-20 months), the flap survival rate was 90%. Two patients had had a partial loss of the flap. All the flaps were harvested in less than one hour. The donor sites were closed primarily and did not require any additional surgery. No donor site wound dehiscence had been reported. No infection or cellulitis were observed. None of the patients reported any functional donor site morbidity. CONCLUSIONS The supraclavicular flap provides a safe option for head and neck reconstruction of oncologic defects when traditional free flap is not recommended. It is also an excellent alternative to radial forearm free flap (RFFF) in head and neck soft tissue reconstruction, especially in vessel-depleted neck.
European Annals of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Diseases
INTRODUCTION Head and neck cancer (HNC) patients often experience malnutrition before and during ... more INTRODUCTION Head and neck cancer (HNC) patients often experience malnutrition before and during treatment. Prophylactic gastrostomy has emerged as an efficient tool for ensuring adequate nutrition. However, there is no suitable algorithm able to identify patients at high risk of malnutrition. The aim of this study was to describe the nutritional management, to assess the impact of prophylactic gastrostomy, and to identify predictors of malnutrition. METHODS This retrospective study included 152 patients treated with surgery, radiotherapy, or chemotherapy for HNC. The patients were classified according to their gastrostomy status (prophylactic or non-prophylactic). Nutritional, tumoral and treatment characteristics were reported. Clinical and nutritional outcomes were measured 6 weeks after the beginning of treatment. In order to describe the nutritional management and the impact of prophylactic gastrostomy on patients, univariate analysis was generated using chi-square test and Mann-Whitney test or Student's t-test. Logistic regression was performed to identify factors associated with malnutrition. RESULTS Forty-one patients received prophylactic gastrostomy whereas 111 patients had no nutritional support. Prophylactic gastrostomy placement was associated with a lower initial body mass index, with severe malnutrition, and with initial oral intake disorder. Patients who did not experienced prophylactic gastrostomy had much worse outcomes such as hospital readmissions (P=0.042), relative weight loss at 6 weeks (P<0.0001), dysphagia, severe malnutrition, and poor state of health (P=0.001). Our complication rates (4.9%) were lower than the usual range (5.9-9.3%) and no life-threatening complication was reported. Positive N status, oral intake disorder, concomitant radiochemotherapy, nasopharyngeal, and hypopharyngeal tumor site were significant predictive factors for malnutrition. CONCLUSIONS Prophylactic percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy showed advantages in terms of hospital readmissions, relative weight loss at 6 weeks, dysphagia, severe malnutrition, and poor state of health. Tumoral, nutritional and treatment characteristics seem to be predictors for malnutrition. Hence, physicians should integrate these factors in their nutrition algorithm approach.
European Annals of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Diseases
INTRODUCTION To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of placebo controlled randomized tria... more INTRODUCTION To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of placebo controlled randomized trials (RCTs) that evaluated the effectiveness of medical treatments over placebo in laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR). MATERIAL AND METHODS PubMed, Cochrane database, and Scopus were assessed for subject headings using the PRISMA recommendations. Placebo RCTs published between 1990 and 2018 describing clinical evolution throughout LPR treatment were extracted and analyzed for evidence-based level, number of patients, inclusion and exclusion criteria, gender, age, symptoms and signs used as therapeutic outcomes, and treatment schemes. RESULTS The database search identified 15 placebo RCTs with a total of 763 patients. The mean age of patients was 48.59 years and 52.68% of patients were female. Among the 15 placebo RCTs, 9 have demonstrated a partial or total superiority of a medical treatment over placebo. Most of authors based the LPR diagnosis on symptoms and signs without additional examination. Our analysis reveals an important heterogeneity between studies with regard to the diagnosis criteria, treatment schemes and signs and symptoms used as therapeutic outcomes. Many commonly reported signs and symptoms related to LPR were not used as therapeutic outcomes. Half of the authors did not prescribe diet and behavioral changes along the treatment. CONCLUSION The controversy in the RCTs about the superiority of medical treatment over placebo in LPR disease is probably due to discrepancies in the diagnosis method, exclusion criteria, therapeutic schemes and the lack of comprehensive tools for the assessment of signs and symptoms. In this context, the LPR Study Group of Young-Otolaryngologists of the International Federations of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies developed two new instruments to precisely assess signs and symptoms throughout the treatment. These two instruments could be used in future trials comparing medical treatment over placebo in LPR disease.
Neuro-endocrine tumours have particular characteristics that distinguish them from other solid ma... more Neuro-endocrine tumours have particular characteristics that distinguish them from other solid malignancies (1). In particular, tumours arising from the pancreatic islet cells represent a heterogeneous group of lesions. Some tumours present with well-characterised syndromes, while others appear to be non-functioning. The non-functioning islet cell tumour of the pancreas is an uncommon tumour with a poorly defined natural history.Treatment recommendations for individual patients are not clear. The poor survival rate of patients with adenocarcinoma of the pancreas, in contrast to the high cure rates for many patients with functioning endocrine tumours, has resulted in the general impression that the non-functioning islet cell tumour is an indolent disease and therefore requires minimal treatment. However, survival rates for the number of reported patients with a non-functioning islet cell tumour indicate that approximately 50% of patients do not survive longer than 5 years (2). Delay in diagnosis resulting from the absence of symptoms is common (2). In this paper, the authors present the clinical features and outcome of surgical treatment of one patient with a pancreatic islet cell tumour.
Extracranial internal carotid artery aneurysm is rare. They usually appear as an enlarging pulsat... more Extracranial internal carotid artery aneurysm is rare. They usually appear as an enlarging pulsatile neck mass with associated tenderness and fever. The diagnosis is difficult and can lead to significant medical morbidity. Treatment of these lesions requires expert surgical management and necessitates an assiduous search for an underlying source. We report a case of a mycotic aneurysm of the extracranial carotid artery in an immunosuppressed patient successfully treated by wide excision and saphenous vein patch angioplasty.
Revue de laryngologie - otologie - rhinologie, 2002
The establishment of a direct enteral feeding route is critical in the overall treatment of many ... more The establishment of a direct enteral feeding route is critical in the overall treatment of many patients with head and neck cancer. This study evaluated the indications, success rate, and complications associated with endoscopic gastrostomies. 71 endoscopic percutaneous gastrostomies were created in 67 patients. The main indication for gastrostomy was the need for nutritional support in malignant head and neck tumors. Two localizations, buccal cavity and oropharynx, comprised 45% of the cases (32/71). All the procedures were successful. The one severe complication (peritonitis) required laparotomy. The duration of enteral nutrition via gastrostomy varied from two days to more than two years. There were no long-term complications. The method is simple, cost-saving and is very important to prevent malnutrition, the most predictive parameter for the occurrence of major postoperative complications.
Thyroid cancer rarely metastasizes to the pelvis. We report a case where the metastasis was found... more Thyroid cancer rarely metastasizes to the pelvis. We report a case where the metastasis was found two years before the thyroid cancer. Treatment included initial surgery with resection of the metastatic tumor and reconstruction of the acetabulum with bone cement, and secondly total thyroidectomy, node dissection and I131. Surgical treatment of locoregional recurrence had no influence on the clinical course leading to the patient's death. Early diagnosis of unique metastasis of a thyroid cancer is important in terms of prognosis and quality of life. This case is exceptional due to the unique bone metastasis and treatment options for acetabular metastases. Therapeutic options should be adapted according to algorithms reported in the literature.
BACKGROUND Distant metastases in head and neck cancer are often to the lung, and rarely to the sk... more BACKGROUND Distant metastases in head and neck cancer are often to the lung, and rarely to the skin sites. METHOD To ascertain that a skin metastasis indicates a poor prognosis, a review was conducted of patients with head and neck cancer. RESULTS Three out of seven patients had evidence of local recurrence at the time of development of the skin metastases, and three out of seven had evidence of distant metastases. The average survival time was 1 month after the development of skin metastases. CONCLUSION Skin metastases may represent the first clinical evidence of impending recurrence or distant metastasis. The development of skin metastasis is associated with a poor prognosis. Current treatment options are limited in their efficacity.
STUDY AIM Determination of axillary lymph node status is crucial in diagnosis of early breast can... more STUDY AIM Determination of axillary lymph node status is crucial in diagnosis of early breast cancer. However thanks to an early diagnosis, an increasing number of axillary lymph node dissections are free of disease. This raises questions about the need for this procedure. The study aim was to report an experience with lymphadenectomy and sentinel node mapping in patients with T0-T1 carcinoma of the breast. METHODS Between November 1997 and December 1999, 84 consecutive women (T0-T1 N0 according to the 1987 UICC classification) with recently diagnosed breast cancer, were included in this study for identification of the sentinel lymph node (SLN). The SLN was removed and submitted for histological examination. All patients underwent axillary dissection; nodes from levels I and II (Berg's classification) were excised and submitted to histological examination. RESULTS The average tumor diameter was 12.7 mm (range, 3 to 25 mm). The lymphatic mapping technique was obtained after injec...
INTRODUCTION Abdominal aortic aneurysms are the 13th leading cause of death in the United States.... more INTRODUCTION Abdominal aortic aneurysms are the 13th leading cause of death in the United States. Conventional surgical treatment is associated with a low mortality of 1.4-5% and a higher morbidity in high-risk patients. Endovascular aneurysm repair is now performed in patients considered at too high risk for conventional repair. Although the use of endovascular grafts was initially limited, this method is gaining popularity despite the risk of complications including endoleaks, dislocation and graft thrombosis. METHODS Between June 1997 and June 2000, 28 patients were treated with endovascular stent grafts. 53 patients were treated by open surgical repair. Six patients presenting with rupture were excluded. Endoleaks were detected by arteriogram and computed tomographic scan. The mean aneurysm diameter, with a mean length of 3.2 cm, was 6.3 cm. The mean proximal neck diameter was not greater than 2.4 cm. RESULTS There were no conversions to open repair. The mean time of the interve...
The present guidelines on the management of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NS CLC) were for... more The present guidelines on the management of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NS CLC) were formulated by the ELCWP in October 2006. They are designed to answer the following twelve questions: 1) What benefits can be expected from chemotherapy and what are the treatment objectives? 2) What are the active chemotherapeutic drugs for which efficacy has been shown? 3) Which are the most effective platinum-based regimens? 4) Which is the indicated dosage of cisplatin? 5) Can carboplatin be substituted for cisplatin? 6) Which is the optimal number of cycles to be administered? 7) Can non-platinum based regimens be substituted for platinum based chemotherapy as first-line treatment? 8) Is there an indication for sequential chemotherapy? 9) What is the efficacy of salvage chemotherapy and which drugs should be used in that indication? 10) What is the place of targeted therapies? 11) What is the place of chemotherapy in the management of a patient with brain metastases? 12) Which specific ...
Extracranial internal carotid artery aneurysm is rare. They usually appear as an enlarging pulsat... more Extracranial internal carotid artery aneurysm is rare. They usually appear as an enlarging pulsatile neck mass with associated tenderness and fever. The diagnosis is difficult and can lead to significant medical morbidity. Treatment of these lesions requires expert surgical management and necessitates an assiduous search for an underlying source. We report a case of a mycotic aneurysm of the extracranial carotid artery in an immunosuppressed patient successfully treated by wide excision and saphenous vein patch angioplasty.
AIM Metastases of melanoma are frequent. On the gastro-intestinal tract, commonest localizations ... more AIM Metastases of melanoma are frequent. On the gastro-intestinal tract, commonest localizations are small bowel, stomach and colon. Surgical treatment of digestive metastases from melanoma is not well known and its value is still debated. PATIENTS AND METHODS Medical records of 10 patients (six female and four male) operated for metastatic melanoma to gastro-intestinal tract were reviewed to determine results of surgery. RESULTS Gastro-intestinal metastases were symptomatic in eight patients (abdominal pain in three, bowel obstruction in three, abdominal mass and obstructive jaundice in one each). Two patients had anemia. Diagnosis has been suggested by imaging in seven patients and endoscopy in three. All patients were operated on by laparotomy for resection of metastases located on small bowel in four patients, gallbladder in two, stomach in two and colon in two. Complete resection suppressed symptoms in nine cases. In one patient, resection was incomplete but provided satisfying...
INTRODUCTION The fibular free flap (FFF) is the best choice method for mandibular reconstruction.... more INTRODUCTION The fibular free flap (FFF) is the best choice method for mandibular reconstruction. However, the failure and the complications risk factors (RF) are not yet fully identified. This study aims to analyze these RF in order to improve the success rate. MATERIAL This retrospective study includes all patients who benefited from a FFF mandibular reconstruction between the first of January, 2014 and the thirty-first of December, 2018 in the Department of Stomatology and Maxillofacial Surgery department of the CHU Saint-Pierre Hospital, Brussels, Belgium. RESULTS Thirty patients benefited from this intervention. The overall success rate was 90%. Majority of the patients were men (67%) (mean age: 52 years). The main associated co-morbidities were: alcohol (50%), tobacco consumption (67%) and previous radiotherapy (20%). The mean operative time was 9,5hours. The morbidities rates at the receiving site (RS) and the donor site (DS) were respectively 43% and 30%. Infection and dehiscence of the RS were the main complications. Statistical analysis identified RF for RS infections: atherosclerosis and operative time; RS dehiscence (previous cervical dissection and secondary reconstruction); flap necrosis (ischemia time, rate of infection at the recipient site, history of radiation therapy, alcohol consumption, National Nosocomial Infection Surveillance score (NNISS), and history of cervical dissection); and DS morbidities (NNISS and dehiscence rate at the DS in the early period). CONCLUSION The FFF mandibular reconstruction offers a significant success rate. Nevertheless, this study highlighted several failure and complications RF of the procedure. Previous neck dissection and radiotherapy, operative and the ischemia time, were RF associated with complication at the RS. Furthermore, the NNIS score and the dehiscence rate were also reported as RF for FFF necrosis.
INTRODUCTION Defects reconstruction after oncologic resection is challenging and complex in head ... more INTRODUCTION Defects reconstruction after oncologic resection is challenging and complex in head and neck tumors. The aim of this retrospective study is to evaluate the use of the supraclavicular artery island flap (SCAIF) in head and neck reconstruction, in particular, when traditional free flaps is not recommended. METHODS We reviewed our two years' experience of the use of SCAIF on a total of 15 cases. In 10 cases, it was used as an alternative to free flaps after head and neck tumors resection. In 5 cases, SCAIF was used for revision surgery after a free flap failure. The indications for flap use have been defects due to resection of stage II-IV cancer in the head and neck region. The operative site, time, complications and functional outcomes were assessed. RESULTS We identified 15 patients with a total of 16 SCAIF. One patient had received bilateral SCAIF. Out of the patients, 10 were men and 5 were women. Head and neck oncologic patients underwent tumor resection followed by immediate reconstruction using SCAIF. Among those 15 patients, 10 received previous radiotherapy in the head and neck region. All the patients had undergone multiple surgical procedures. Mean flap dimensions were 6.0cm (range, 5-7cm) wide and 22.0cm (range, 14-26cm) long. The proximal part of the flap was de-epithelialized to match the defect, resulting in a mean skin paddle length of 8.0cm (range, 5-12cm). After an average follow-up duration of 13 months (range 3-20 months), the flap survival rate was 90%. Two patients had had a partial loss of the flap. All the flaps were harvested in less than one hour. The donor sites were closed primarily and did not require any additional surgery. No donor site wound dehiscence had been reported. No infection or cellulitis were observed. None of the patients reported any functional donor site morbidity. CONCLUSIONS The supraclavicular flap provides a safe option for head and neck reconstruction of oncologic defects when traditional free flap is not recommended. It is also an excellent alternative to radial forearm free flap (RFFF) in head and neck soft tissue reconstruction, especially in vessel-depleted neck.
European Annals of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Diseases
INTRODUCTION Head and neck cancer (HNC) patients often experience malnutrition before and during ... more INTRODUCTION Head and neck cancer (HNC) patients often experience malnutrition before and during treatment. Prophylactic gastrostomy has emerged as an efficient tool for ensuring adequate nutrition. However, there is no suitable algorithm able to identify patients at high risk of malnutrition. The aim of this study was to describe the nutritional management, to assess the impact of prophylactic gastrostomy, and to identify predictors of malnutrition. METHODS This retrospective study included 152 patients treated with surgery, radiotherapy, or chemotherapy for HNC. The patients were classified according to their gastrostomy status (prophylactic or non-prophylactic). Nutritional, tumoral and treatment characteristics were reported. Clinical and nutritional outcomes were measured 6 weeks after the beginning of treatment. In order to describe the nutritional management and the impact of prophylactic gastrostomy on patients, univariate analysis was generated using chi-square test and Mann-Whitney test or Student's t-test. Logistic regression was performed to identify factors associated with malnutrition. RESULTS Forty-one patients received prophylactic gastrostomy whereas 111 patients had no nutritional support. Prophylactic gastrostomy placement was associated with a lower initial body mass index, with severe malnutrition, and with initial oral intake disorder. Patients who did not experienced prophylactic gastrostomy had much worse outcomes such as hospital readmissions (P=0.042), relative weight loss at 6 weeks (P<0.0001), dysphagia, severe malnutrition, and poor state of health (P=0.001). Our complication rates (4.9%) were lower than the usual range (5.9-9.3%) and no life-threatening complication was reported. Positive N status, oral intake disorder, concomitant radiochemotherapy, nasopharyngeal, and hypopharyngeal tumor site were significant predictive factors for malnutrition. CONCLUSIONS Prophylactic percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy showed advantages in terms of hospital readmissions, relative weight loss at 6 weeks, dysphagia, severe malnutrition, and poor state of health. Tumoral, nutritional and treatment characteristics seem to be predictors for malnutrition. Hence, physicians should integrate these factors in their nutrition algorithm approach.
European Annals of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Diseases
INTRODUCTION To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of placebo controlled randomized tria... more INTRODUCTION To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of placebo controlled randomized trials (RCTs) that evaluated the effectiveness of medical treatments over placebo in laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR). MATERIAL AND METHODS PubMed, Cochrane database, and Scopus were assessed for subject headings using the PRISMA recommendations. Placebo RCTs published between 1990 and 2018 describing clinical evolution throughout LPR treatment were extracted and analyzed for evidence-based level, number of patients, inclusion and exclusion criteria, gender, age, symptoms and signs used as therapeutic outcomes, and treatment schemes. RESULTS The database search identified 15 placebo RCTs with a total of 763 patients. The mean age of patients was 48.59 years and 52.68% of patients were female. Among the 15 placebo RCTs, 9 have demonstrated a partial or total superiority of a medical treatment over placebo. Most of authors based the LPR diagnosis on symptoms and signs without additional examination. Our analysis reveals an important heterogeneity between studies with regard to the diagnosis criteria, treatment schemes and signs and symptoms used as therapeutic outcomes. Many commonly reported signs and symptoms related to LPR were not used as therapeutic outcomes. Half of the authors did not prescribe diet and behavioral changes along the treatment. CONCLUSION The controversy in the RCTs about the superiority of medical treatment over placebo in LPR disease is probably due to discrepancies in the diagnosis method, exclusion criteria, therapeutic schemes and the lack of comprehensive tools for the assessment of signs and symptoms. In this context, the LPR Study Group of Young-Otolaryngologists of the International Federations of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies developed two new instruments to precisely assess signs and symptoms throughout the treatment. These two instruments could be used in future trials comparing medical treatment over placebo in LPR disease.
Neuro-endocrine tumours have particular characteristics that distinguish them from other solid ma... more Neuro-endocrine tumours have particular characteristics that distinguish them from other solid malignancies (1). In particular, tumours arising from the pancreatic islet cells represent a heterogeneous group of lesions. Some tumours present with well-characterised syndromes, while others appear to be non-functioning. The non-functioning islet cell tumour of the pancreas is an uncommon tumour with a poorly defined natural history.Treatment recommendations for individual patients are not clear. The poor survival rate of patients with adenocarcinoma of the pancreas, in contrast to the high cure rates for many patients with functioning endocrine tumours, has resulted in the general impression that the non-functioning islet cell tumour is an indolent disease and therefore requires minimal treatment. However, survival rates for the number of reported patients with a non-functioning islet cell tumour indicate that approximately 50% of patients do not survive longer than 5 years (2). Delay in diagnosis resulting from the absence of symptoms is common (2). In this paper, the authors present the clinical features and outcome of surgical treatment of one patient with a pancreatic islet cell tumour.
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Papers by D. Dequanter