One anastomosis or two

This is a cumulative meta-analysis from Hong Kong reviewing 27 articles and a total of 7389 flaps. The authors, at the outset, acknowledge that the number of anastomoses is not the only factor of venous compromise and flap failure. Nonetheless...

Bleach peeling for melasma

Identifying and treating melasma is a continued challenge in aesthetic practice and the dermatologist author shares an insightful piece outlining some of the treatment options for topical bleach peel depigmenting approaches. A brief summary of current literature findings are explored...

Body contouring modalities for sculpting the abdomen and flanks

The author discusses the importance of appropriately assessing an individual’s BMI in relation to assessing suitability for non-surgical body contouring, with a detailed and balanced discussion of non-surgical methods of contouring the abdomen and flanks. Some of the more commonly...

SPECT scans not justified in growth of the mandibular condyle

This is a paper from Hong Kong of 200 patients between January 2011 and July 2013 who underwent SPECT bone scintigraphy for assessment of growth causing condylar hyperplasia and subsequent mandibular asymmetry. Thirty-four patients were found to have active growth...

Tranexamic acid and blood loss in bimaxillary surgery

This is a randomised, double blind, placebo-controlled trial from Thailand to clarify the most effective dose of Tranexamic acid in reducing blood loss during a bimaxillary osteotomy. They confirmed that the dose of 10mg per kg is the most efficacious...

A review of orbital plasmacytomas

This is a multicentre review of 30 patients with orbital plasmacytomas. There were equal numbers of males and females, and the average age at diagnosis was 57 years. All patients were either already diagnosed with systemic multiple myeloma or it...

Large collar diameter Jones tubes

This is the first report of the success rates of frosted Jones tubes with larger diameter, 4.5 or 5mm collars. This is a retrospective review of 29 eyes of 25 patients who underwent insertion of a large diameter collar frosted...

PD-1 and PD-L1 in exenteration specimens

This is an immunohistochemical study looking at variation in the expression of the programmed death-1 receptor (PD-1) and the programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1), comparing cutaneous malignancies which invaded the orbit with uncomplicated nodular basal cell carcinomas. The authors retrospectively...

Imaging and histological relationship of orbital schwannomas

This is a retrospective review of 15 patients with orbital schwannomas comparing the radiological characteristics, in particular the signal intensity on MRI with the histological sub-types of the tumours. Five patients had MRI imaging alone, three had CT alone and...

A possible role for adipose tissue-derived stem cells in modulation of keloid scarring

Keloid scarring remains a challenging clinical problem due to both resistance to treatment as well as high rates of recurrence. Research into possible treatments is also hindered by keloid scarring being a uniquely human phenomenon. Recent evidence supports a role...

The FLIR ONE thermal imager for the assessment of burn wounds

The authors look at a new system called the FLIR ONE thermal imager in the assessment of burn wound depth. This is a small, handheld device with two cameras that can be attached to iOS or android tablets or smartphones....

The use of intense pulsed light therapy in the treatment of acne vulgaris

Intense pulsed light (IPL) is discussed in relation to its application in acne vulgaris. The author acknowledges that it may not be the most effective, or the first line therapy for managing such a challenging and persistent skin condition, but...