Vemurafenib is approved by the FDA for the management of unresectable or metastatic melanoma. However, its role as a neoadjuvant therapy has not been determined. We present the first documented case in which vemurafenib induced complete tumor necrosis of both lymph node and brain metastases within one month or less, an outcome that indicated that the patient was a good candidate for excisional surgery.

The presence of a contaminated surgical field in abdominal wall defects caused by trauma presents a challenge for surgeons. Both primary suture and synthetic meshes are strongly discouraged as surgical treatments in such cases. We describe the use of a porcine dermal collagen (Permacol) implant in an eight-year-old patient with multiple injuries. Three months after discharge, the child remains well with good cosmetic results. He is free of pain and has returned to full activity levels with complete wound closure and without any evidence of residual hernia. In conclusion, our experience indicates that the use of Permacol can be considered an efficient technique for reconstructing an infected abdominal wall defect of a pediatric multitrauma patient.

There is growing evidence that intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) may be a viable option in selected patients with early breast cancer. This study reports our 4-year experience with IORT. The perioperative outcome and imaging data of all patients who underwent IORT for early breast cancer at a tertiary medical center in 2014-2018 were retrospectively retrieved. The cohort included 158 patients aged 52-84 years (mean 68) with stage I (n = 137) or II (n = 21) breast cancer. Mean applicator size was 4.13 cm; IORT added a mean of 29 minutes to the operative time.Minor wound infections (n = 18, 11.4%) requiring antibiotics and drainage were the only postoperative complication. In 25 patients (15%), postoperative mammography demonstrated a seroma (n = 22) or fat necrosis (n = 3). The risk of wound infection or a new postoperative imaging finding was unrelated to patient age, operative time, tumor size, or comorbid diabetes or obesity. After a mean of 30 months' follow-up, none of the patients who met the institutional criteria for IORT had local recurrence, regardless of age, histology, tumor grade, KI67 proliferation index, pathologic stage, Recurrence Score, or additional whole-breast irradiation or adjuvant treatment.Patients for whom a Recurrence Score was determined (n = 55, 35%) had a significantly higher tumor grade, pathologic stage, and whole-breast irradiation/adjuvant chemotherapy rate than the remaining patients. IORT may be a safe alternative to traditional external beam radiation in well-selected patients with early breast cancer, with few minor complications and good 30-month outcome. K E Y W O R D Searly breast cancer, electronic brachytherapy, intraoperative radiation, radiation, Recurrence Score, targeted radiotherapy | 947 MELNIK Et aL.

IntroductionRepair of contaminated abdominal wall defect in a geriatric patient is a challenge for the surgeon. We present the case of the oldest patient (105-years old) to successfully undergo a single-stage repair of a contaminated abdominal wall defect with a Permacol™ implant.Case presentationA 105-year-old Caucasian woman presented to our emergency room with a clinical and radiological diagnosis of small bowel obstruction due to prior operative adhesions. She underwent laparotomy with small bowel resection and primary closure of her abdomen. There was total eventration of her bowel through the suture line 9 days after surgery. She underwent a second laparotomy that revealed no signs of peritonitis or turbid fluid. Her abdomen was closed with a 15×10cm Permacol™ implant sutured sublay with prolene sutures. Her postoperative period was unremarkable. After a follow-up period of 3 years and 2 months, there was no sign of recurrent hernia or wound contamination.ConclusionWe suggest that Permacol™ mesh can be considered an efficient alternative to primary closure or synthetic mesh in geriatric patients with contaminated abdominal wall defects.

Changes in blood pressure after carotid endarterectomy (CEA) may lead to the cerebral hyperperfusion syndrome (CHS), which might be accompanied by postoperative seizures. We report a case of a 71year old man that underwent left CEA and developed a tonic-clonic seizure in the recovery room after hearing a familiar voice. Physical and radiological imaging revealed a massive rotator cuff tear and locked posterior shoulder dislocation of the right humerus with a large impaction fracture. He was successfully treated with a reverse shoulder arthroplasty and gained good functional results.