Superomedial pedicle skin-reducing mastectomy in ptotic and large-sized breasts with two-stage reconstruction through transaxillary video-assisted technique: An effective surgical and anesthetic approach.

Introduction: Skin-reducing mastectomy has been applied to several surgical techniques in which subcutaneous mastectomy is associated with various types of skin reduction, with preservation of a lower dermal flap to reinforce the inferior lateral seat of an implant. The aim of the study is to present a case series of patients with pendulous/ptotic and/or large-sized breasts treated for breast cancer at the Breast Surgery Unit of Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione "G. Pascale", Naples, Italy, with the superomedial pedicle skin-reducing mastectomy technique, two-stage reconstruction, and transaxillary video-assisted technique, when a postoperative radiotherapy was indicated.

Lower Eyelid Orbicularis Oculi Myocutaneous Flap: A Feasible Technique for Full Thickness Upper Eyelid Reconstruction.

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most frequent malignant eyelid tumor, followed by squamous cell carcinoma, sebaceous gland carcinoma and malignant melanoma. These eyelid malignancies represent main reason for eyelid reconstruction in ophthalmoplastic surgery which can be challenging. Lower eyelid orbicularis oculi myocutaneous flap was used for reconstructive purpose in four consecutive patients with a full thickness upper eyelid BCC.

Safety and efficacy of electrochemotherapy in a series of patients with nonmetastasized primary or recurrent anorectal malignant melanoma.

Anorectal malignant melanoma (AMM) is a rare malignant tumor. Surgery remains the gold standard but new adjuvant treatments to allow local sphincter-saving are warranted. Electrochemotherapy (ECT) is an alternative to surgery in selected cohorts of patients.

Impaired Mitochondrial ATP Production Downregulates Wnt Signaling via ER Stress Induction.

Wnt signaling affects fundamental development pathways and, if aberrantly activated, promotes the development of cancers. Wnt signaling is modulated by different factors, but whether the mitochondrial energetic state affects Wnt signaling is unknown. Here, we show that sublethal concentrations of different compounds that decrease mitochondrial ATP production specifically downregulate Wnt/β-catenin signaling in vitro in colon cancer cells and in vivo in zebrafish reporter lines.

Tissue sealants for the prevention of lymphoceles after radical inguinal lymph node dissection in patients with melanoma: A systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis.

Background And Objectives: Postoperative lymphoceles and further wound complications occur frequently after radical inguinal lymph node dissection (ILND). In various studies, tissue sealants have shown to reduce the incidence of postoperative morbidity.

Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the effectiveness of tissue sealants in reducing the incidence of postoperative lymphoceles following ILND in patients with melanoma was conducted.

Effect of electrochemotherapy on human herpesvirus 8 kinetics in classic Kaposi sarcoma.

Background: Electrochemotherapy (ECT) has shown to be an effective treatment for cutaneous and subcutaneous Kaposi sarcoma (KS) lesions. However, no study has investigated the impact of ECT treatment on the kinetics of human herpesvirus type 8 (HHV8), which is considered the necessary causal agent of KS. We aimed to evaluate HHV8 viral load and expression levels in patients affected by classic KS who received one or more ECT treatments and have been followed semi annually for up to four years.

Electrochemotherapy efficacy evaluation for treatment of locally advanced stage III cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma: a 22-cases retrospective analysis.

Background: Extensive squamous cell carcinoma has few therapeutic options. In such cases, electrochemotherapy involving electroporation combined with antineoplastic drug appears to be a new potential option and may be considered as an alternative treatment. The aim of this retrospective single-center study was to evaluate electrochemotherapy efficacy in treatment of locally advanced stage III squamous cell carcinoma, in which surgical procedures would have entailed wide tissue sacrifice.

Levator alae nasi muscle V-Y island flap for nasal tip reconstruction.

Nasal tip reconstruction can be very challenging. It requires close attention to skin texture, colour and thickness matching, with the respect of the nasal aesthetic units and symmetry. Flaps are usually preferred to skin grafts where possible.

Melanoma and immunotherapy bridge 2015 : Naples, Italy. 1-5 December 2015.

MELANOMA BRIDGE 2015 KEYNOTE SPEAKER PRESENTATIONS Molecular and immuno-advances K1 Immunologic and metabolic consequences of PI3K/AKT/mTOR activation in melanoma Vashisht G. Y. Nanda, Weiyi Peng, Patrick Hwu, Michael A.

Assessing a novel immuno-oncology-based combination therapy: Ipilimumab plus electrochemotherapy.

Melanoma is responsible for most skin cancer-related deaths and is one of the most common cancers diagnosed in young adults. In melanoma, tumors can become established by activation of the negative regulator of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), CTL antigen-4 (CTLA-4). Ipilimumab blocks the interaction of CTLA-4 with CD80/CD86 and augments T-cell activation and proliferation.

Clinicopathologic features and surgical management of primary umbilical melanoma: a case series.

Background: Primary umbilical melanoma is an uncommon tumor that is poorly described in the medical literature. The umbilical region is a particular anatomic site owing to the presence of embryonal remnants, which can be a potential metastatic pathway, as well as the braided lymphatic network drainage. Hence, primary malignant neoplasms affecting the umbilicus require a different and more radical surgical approach compared with other melanomas.

Long-lasting response to electrochemotherapy in melanoma patients with cutaneous metastasis.

Background: Treatment of early and multiple cutaneous unresectable recurrences is a major therapeutic problem with around 80% of patients relapsing within 5 years. For lesions refractory to elective treatments, electrochemotherapy (ECT) involving electroporation combined with antineoplastic drug treatment appears to be a new potential option. This study was undertaken to analyze the short- and long-term responses of lesions treated with ECT with intravenous injection of bleomycin in melanoma patients with in-transit disease or distant cutaneous metastases.

Surgical management of sentinel lymph node biopsy outside major nodal basin in patients with cutaneous melanoma.

Purpose: To assess the incidence of nonmajor lymphatic basin sentinel nodes in patients with cutaneous melanoma in order to propose a correct nomenclature and inform appropriate surgical management.

Methods: This was a retrospective review of 1,045 consecutive patients with cutaneous melanoma who underwent sentinel lymph node biopsy and dynamic lymphoscintigraphy to identify sentinel node site. Nonmajor drainage sites were classified as uncommon (located in a minor lymphatic basin along the lymphatic drainage to a major classical nodal basin) or interval (located anywhere along the lymphatics between the primary tumor site and the nearest lymphatic basin) sentinel nodes.

Electrochemotherapy as "new standard of care" treatment for cutaneous Kaposi's sarcoma.

Background: Electrochemotherapy (ECT) is a novel modality for the treatment of skin nodules and cutaneous or subcutaneous tumors that allows delivery of low and non-permeant drug into cells. The aim of this prospective single-center study was to evaluate ECT efficacy in the local treatment of Classic Kaposi's sarcoma (CKS) skin localization stage I-II sec. Brambilla et al.

Superficial and deep lymph node dissection for stage III cutaneous melanoma: clinical outcome and prognostic factors.

Background: The aims of this retrospective analysis were to evaluate the effect of combined superficial and deep groin dissection on disease-free and melanoma-specific survival, and to identify the most important factors for predicting the involvement of deep nodes according to clinically or microscopically detected nodal metastases.

Methods: Between January 1996 and December 2005, 133 consecutive patients with groin lymph node metastases underwent superficial and deep dissection at the National Cancer Institute, Naples. Lymph node involvement was clinically evident in 84 patients and detected by sentinel node biopsy in 49 cases.

Collagen sealant patch to reduce lymphatic drainage after lymph node dissection.

Background: Seroma formation is a frequent complication following radical lymph node dissection (RLND) in patients with metastatic melanoma. Several strategies have been used to prevent fluid accumulation and thereby reduce the duration of postoperative drainage, including fibrin sealants.

Methods: This was a prospective, single-center study in which consecutive patients undergoing surgical treatment of stage III metastatic melanoma by axillary or ilio-inguinal RLND were randomized to receive standard treatment plus fibrinogen/thrombin-coated collagen sealant patch (CSP) or standard treatment alone.

Can high-resolution ultrasound avoid the sentinel lymph-node biopsy procedure in the staging process of patients with stage I-II cutaneous melanoma?

Purpose: The objective of our study was to define the diagnostic accuracy of high-resolution ultrasound (US) in detecting nodal involvement before sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in patients with cutaneous melanoma, to define the sonographic criteria used to assess nodal metastases, and to establish if high-resolution US can directly select patients to radical lymphadenectomy, sparing selective lymphadenectomy.

Materials And Methods: 623 patients underwent high-resolution US of the regional lymph nodes, 24 hours prior being submitted to the sentinel lymph node biopsy procedure. The US findings were compared with histological findings.

Use of neoadjuvant electrochemotherapy to treat a large metastatic lesion of the cheek in a patient with melanoma.

Background: Approximately 200,000 new cases of melanoma are diagnosed worldwide each year. Skin metastases are a frequent event, occurring in 18.2% of cases.

Sentinel lymph node biopsy in atypical Spitz nevi: is it useful?

Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of lymph node metastases in patients with atypical Spitz nevi (ASN) after sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) and during follow-up, and to assess the diagnostic value of the surgical procedure.

Methods: At the National Cancer Institute of Naples, Italy, 40 patients with ASN underwent SLNB between 2003 and 2011. Medical records were reviewed and all slides of the primary tumours were retrieved, rendered separately, and assessed by four experienced dermatopathologists from two different academic institutions.

Half forehead reconstruction with a single rotational scalp flap for dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans treatment.

Background: Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) is a soft tissue neoplasm of intermediate to low-grade malignancy. Although metastasis rarely occurs, DFSP has a locally aggressive behavior with a high recurrence rate. In the head and neck area, resection involving a wide margin of healthy tissue can be difficult because of functional and cosmetic considerations.

Lymphoscintigraphy defines new lymphatic pathways from cutaneous melanoma site: clinical implications and surgical management.

Sentinel lymph node biopsy is commonly applied as staging procedure of regional lymph nodes in patients with cutaneous melanoma. Dynamic lymphoscintigraphy defines the lymphatic pathways from a primary melanoma site and allows to identify the node receiving lymphatic drainage from the primary tumor, which is the sentinel lymph node. In rare cases, lymphoscintigraphy shows sites of lymphatic drainage in nonclassical basins never described in the past when lymphatic drainage was considered only according to the anatomical proximity of the tumor primary site.

Metastatic eccrine porocarcinoma: report of a case and review of the literature.

Eccrine porocarcinoma (EPC) is a rare type of skin cancer arising from the intraepidermal portion of eccrine sweat glands or acrosyringium, representing 0.005-0.01% of all cutaneous tumors.

Post-traumatic superior sagittal sinus thrombosis. Case report and analysis of the international literature.

The objective of this study is to focus attention on cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST), a rather infrequent disease, especially when following closed head injury. Consequently we started from the clinical case report, concerning a patient admitted to our polyvalent ICU in the Hospital of Avezzano (AQ), Italy. The patient was a 15-year-old girl, that developed superior sagittal sinus (SSS) thrombosis following closed head injury (pedestrian run down by a car): owing to slow and progressive onset of deep coma with severe intracranial hypertension, emergency decompressive craniectomy was performed.