Impact of radiotherapy on breast reconstruction.

Breast reconstruction in the face of radiotherapy poses a unique set of challenges to the plastic surgeon and thus alters the algorithm of the reconstruction. The impact of radiation changes on alloplastic and autologous breast reconstruction is unpredictable. This article reviews the pathophysiology of radiation changes and the alterations to the reconstructive process.

Angiogenesis in Endocrine Neoplasms.

Angiogenesis promotes the growth of tumors, because it both facilitates oxygenation and nutrient flow, and removes metabolic waste. During the past two decades, as the importance of tumor vascularity became recognized, angiogenesis and the relationship between blood vessels and tumor progression received increasing attention. It was found that isolated tumor tissues failed to expand beyond few millimeters unless vascularized, whereupon vascularization they exhibited a rapid growth.

Vasculature in Nontumorous Hypophyses, Pituitary Adenomas, and Carcinomas: A Quantitative Morphologic Study.

Vascular supply is essential for tumor proliferation and metastasis formation. Correlation was noted between vascular density and tumor size as well as metastases in several tumor types. The aim of the present study was to assess vascular density in nontumorous hypophyses, pituitary adenomas, primary pituitary carcinomas, and carcinomas metastatic to the pituitary.