Patients with Merkel cell carcinoma tumors < or = 1.0 cm in diameter are unlikely to harbor regional lymph node metastasis.

Purpose: Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare, aggressive neuroendocrine cutaneous malignancy. Current recommendations include offering regional lymph node evaluation by either sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) or complete lymph node dissection (CLND) to all patients with MCC; however, we hypothesized a cohort of low-risk patients may exist for whom regional nodal metastasis would be unlikely.

Methods: A retrospective review of the Department of Veterans Affairs national health care database was performed.

The clinical importance of variations in the surgical anatomy of the superficial peroneal nerve in the mid-third of the lateral leg.

The superficial peroneal nerve (SPN) provides fundamental motor and sensory innervation to the leg and foot. A variety of surgical procedures is performed in the vicinity of this nerve, requiring that the surgeon be familiar with its specific anatomy. We dissected 111 legs to define the anatomic position of the SPN and found that the nerve had 4 distinct variations in location.

Mechanisms and clinical applications of the vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) Device: a review.

The use of sub-atmospheric pressure dressings, available commercially as the vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) device, has been shown to be an effective way to accelerate healing of various wounds. The optimal sub-atmospheric pressure for wound healing appears to be approximately 125 mm Hg utilizing an alternating pressure cycle of 5 minutes of suction followed by 2 minutes off suction. Animal studies have demonstrated that this technique optimizes blood flow, decreases local tissue edema, and removes excessive fluid from the wound bed.