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DermACELL: Human Acellular Dermal Matrix Allograft
A Case Report
Diabetes often causes ulcers on the feet of diabetic patients. A 56-year-old, insulin-dependent, diabetic woman presented to the wound care center with a Wagner grade 3 ulcer of the right heel. She reported a 3-week history of ulceration with moderate drainage and odor and had a history of ulceration and osteomyelitis in the contralateral limb. Rigorous wound care, including hospitalization; surgical incision and drainage; intravenous antibiotic drug therapy; vacuum-assisted therapy; and a new room temperature, sterile, human acellular dermal matrix graft were used to heal the wound, save her limb, and restore her activities of daily living. This case presentation involves alternative treatment of a diabetic foot ulcer with this new acellular dermal matrix, DermACELL.
Eccrine syringofibroadenoma is a rare adnexal tumor with acrosyringeal differentiation. It was first described by Mascaro in 1963. Its clinical presentation varies from a solitary nodule, keratotic papule, verrucous plaque, or palmoplantar keratoderma to multiple lesions with linear or diffuse distributions. Age at onset ranges from 16 to 80 years. Lesion distribution is wide and includes the face, back, abdomen, buttocks, extremities, and, rarely, nails. There are five subtypes of eccrine syringofibroadenoma. Histologically, eccrine syringofibroadenoma, independent of the subtype, is characterized by anastomosing cords of acrosyringeal cells forming ductal structures in a fibrovascular stroma and attached to the undersurface of the epidermis in multiple foci. In this article, we describe a 51-year-old woman diagnosed as having eccrine syringofibroadenomatosis.
Osteomyelitis is one of the most feared sequelae of diabetic foot ulceration, which often leads to lower-extremity amputation and disability. Early diagnosis of osteomyelitis increases the likelihood of successful treatment and may limit the amount of bone resected, preserving ambulatory function. Although a variety of techniques exist for imaging the diabetic foot, standard radiography is still the only in-office imaging modality used today. However, radiographs lack sensitivity and specificity, making it difficult to diagnose bone infection at its early stages. In this report, we describe our initial experience with a cone beam computed tomography (CBCT)–based device, which may serve as an accurate and readily available tool for early diagnosis of osteomyelitis in a patient with diabetes. Two patients with infected diabetic foot ulcers were evaluated for osteomyelitis using radiography and CBCT. Positive imaging findings were confirmed by bone biopsy. In both patients, CBCT captured early osteolytic changes that were not apparent on radiographs, leading to early surgical intervention and successful treatment. The CBCT was helpful in facilitating detection and early clinical intervention for osteomyelitis in two diabetic patients with foot ulcers. These results are encouraging and warrant future evaluation.
Necrotizing fasciitis is a rare and potentially fatal infection, with mortality of up to 30%. This case report describes a patient recovering from a laryngectomy for laryngeal squamous cell cancer who developed nosocomial necrotizing fasciitis of the lower extremity due to Serratia marcescens. Only eight cases of necrotizing fasciitis exclusive to the lower extremity due to S marcescens have been previously reported. Patients with S marcescens necrotizing fasciitis of the lower extremity often have multiple comorbidities, are frequently immunosuppressed, and have a strikingly high mortality rate.
Perniosis
A Case Report with Literature Review
Perniosis, or chilblain, is an uncommon condition of the acral skin. Presented herein is a case report of a 65-year-old otherwise healthy construction worker with perniosis. He had a 3-year history of lesions on the fingers and toes brought on by cold, damp weather. On initial presentation, a biopsy sample was taken of a hallux lesion, and the patient was given a trial course of nifedipine therapy. Follow-up at 3 weeks showed complete relief of symptoms with nifedipine use, and the biopsy results confirmed the diagnosis. The etiology and pathogenesis of perniosis are reviewed. Differential diagnoses and treatment options are reviewed and discussed. Nifedipine therapy has been shown to be effective and should be considered the standard of care in the treatment of perniosis along with avoidance of cold, damp environments, with protection using gloves and warm socks.
Peroneal tendon dislocation is often overlooked because the mechanism of injury is similar to that of lateral ligament sprains and the frequency of the disease is low. Therefore, it is difficult to treat peroneal tendon dislocation when diagnosed in the chronic state. Furthermore, because irreducible peroneal tendon dislocation has multiple causes, treatment is much harder. Herein, we present a rare case of irreducible dislocation caused by a complex pathogenesis. Surgical treatment yielded good results. Orthopedic surgeons should be aware of this issue and consider it in the preoperative simulation.
Eccrine Syringofibroadenoma of the Heel
A Case Report
Eccrine syringofibroadenoma is a rare, benign tumor of eccrine ductal differentiation, typically presenting in the extremities. Herein we report a case of a 77-year-old man with pain in the lateral midfoot and the presence of an eccrine syringofibroadenoma lesion in the lateral heel. On surgical excision of the lesion, the foot pain promptly resolved, and at the most recent follow-up visit, the patient remained pain free.
The etiology of chronic venous insufficiency is typically neglected or misunderstood when treating lower-extremity edema and venous ulcerations. Despite the high prevalence of venous compression syndromes, it is rarely considered when treating venous ulcers and unresolved venous disease. We report a case of bilateral iliac vein outflow obstruction that prohibited venous ulcer healing until properly treated. This case highlights the importance of properly identifying and treating venous compression syndromes to enhance ulcer healing and decrease the risk of venous ulcer recurrence.
We report on a 63-year-old male who was found to have an acrochordon on his plantar foot. Although acrochordons constitute a common benign clinical finding, this observation represents, to our knowledge, only the second case reported on the foot and the first occuring on the plantar surface.
Pediatric Subtalar Joint Synovial Chondromatosis
Report of a Case and an Up-to-date Review
Synovial chondromatosis is a rare, usually benign disorder affecting the population predominantly in the third and fourth decades of life and mainly involving the large weightbearing joints of the lower limb—the knees and the hip. In this report, we highlight an unusual pediatric clinical presentation of synovial osteochondromatosis involving the subtalar joint and discuss its surgical management; we also provide a comprehensive up-to-date literature review of the disorder. This patient was successfully treated with en masse surgical excision. He has been doing well, with complete pain relief and improved range of motion at 1-year follow-up. An exceptional involvement of the subtalar joint and an unusual presentation in the pediatric age group makes this case unique.
