The superficial circumflex iliac artery perforator (SCIP) flap differs from the established groin flap in that it is nourished by only a perforator of the superficial circumflex iliac system and has a short segment (3 to 4 cm in length) of this vascular system. Three cases in which free superficial circumflex iliac artery perforator flaps were successfully transferred for coverage of soft-tissue defects in the limb are described in this article. The advantages of this flap are as follows: no need for deeper and longer dissection for the pedicle vessel, a shorter flap elevation time, possible thinning of the flap with primary defatting, the possibility of an adiposal flap with customized thickness for tissue augmentation, a concealed donor site, minimal donor-site morbidity, and the availability of a large cutaneous vein as a venous drainage system. The disadvantages are the need for dissection for a smaller perforator and an anastomosing technique for small-caliber vessels of less than 1.0 mm.

This is the first report on the effectiveness of minimal invasive lymphaticovenular anastomosis under local anesthesia for leg lymphedema. Fifty-two patients (age: 15 to 78 years old; 8 males, 44 females) were treated with lymphaticovenular anastomoses under local anesthesia and by postoperative compression using elastic stockings. The average duration of edema of these patients before treatment was 5.3 +/- 5.0 years. The average number of anastomosis in each patient was 2.1 +/- 1.2 (1-5). The patients were followed for an average of 14.5 +/- 10.2 months, and the result were considered effective (82.5%) even for the patients with stage III (progressive edema with acute lymphangitis) and IV (fibrolymphedema), but others showed no improvement. Among these cases, 17 patients showed reduction of over 4 cm in the circumference of the lower leg. The average decrease in the circumference excluding edema in bilateral legs was 41.8 +/- 31.2% of the preoperative excess length. These results indicate that minimal invasive lymphaticovenular anastomosis under a local anesthesia is valuable instead of general anesthesia.

We treated 31 patients with non-traumatic paralysis of the posterior interosseous nerve over 15 years. There were 10 men and 21 women of mean age 40.3 years (17 to 71). Six were managed conservatively, and 25 by operation. In 14 patients entrapment occurred at the supinator, including three who had double compression at both the entrance and exit from the muscle. In four it was caused by a ganglion, in one by a lipoma, in one by a dislocated radial head and in two by a marked constriction in the nerve of unknown cause. The remaining three patients were retrospectively diagnosed as having neuralgic amyotrophy, the only observable change at operation being slight oedema of the nerve. Paralysis recovered in 24 out of the 25 patients at between 2 to 18 months (mean 5.6) after operation, and the one failure was treated later by tendon transfer.

Reconstruction for defects around the ankle continues to be challenging. Repairs have been effected with the dorsalis pedis flap, the medial plantar flap, and with reverse-flow island flaps using the anterior and posterior tibial systems and the peroneal system. However, sacrifice of the major vessels of the lower leg and wide and long scars at the donor site are disadvantages of these flaps. To overcome these disadvantages, the authors developed island lateral and medial malleolar flaps with the perforators located close to the ankle. These flaps are easy to elevate, involve a short operating time, require no sacrifice of major vessels or muscles of the lower legs, and the use of these adipofascial flaps makes donor scars more acceptable. Malleolar perforator flaps are suitable for the repair of small ankle defects.

The incidence of breast cancer in female-to-male (FTM) transsexuals who received mastectomy and sex reassignment surgery is very rare. In fact, there is only one previous medical report of such a case. We experienced a case of an FTM transsexual who developed breast cancer 12 years after mastectomy and hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. Because he had been continuously receiving testosterone during the last 15 years and because histopathological examination revealed positive estrogen receptor and androgen receptor expression, we suggest that exogenous testosterone may have initiated the development of breast cancer via two distinct pathways. We describe the clinical course and condition of the patient and recommend that medical personnel consider the possibility of hormone-related cancer in FTM transsexuals receiving cross-sex hormones.

The free radial forearm flap is a very common material for penile reconstruction. Its major problems are donor-site morbidity with large depressive scar after skin grafting, urethral fistula due to insufficiency of suture line for the urethra, and need for microvascular anastomosis. A new method using combined bilateral island SCIP flaps for the urethra and penis is developed for gender identity disorder (GID) patients. The advantages of this method are minimal donor-site morbidity with a concealed donor scar, and possible one-stage reconstruction for a longer urethra of 22 cm in length without insufficiency, even for GID female-to-male patients. A disadvantage is poor sensory recovery.

Perforator flaps are defined as skin flap without fascia or muscle and they are nourished by one or more perforating vessels perforating the fascia, muscle, or intermuscular septum. As early as 1985 in Japan, we proposed this concept over that of the fasciocutaneous flap, which was believed to be nourished by fascial plexus. The pedicle perforators are classified as septocutaneous, muscular (intermuscular), periosteal, and intertendinous perforators. As useful perforator flaps in the lower extremity, posterior tibial perforator island flaps, saphenous island flaps, peroneal island flaps, malleolar island perforator flaps, deep inferior epigastric perforator free flap (DIEP flap), anterolateral thigh free flap (ALT flap), and latissimus dorsi muscle free perforator flap (thoracodorsal artery perforator flap, T-DAP or TAP flap) were described. These flaps have the advantage of minimal donor-site morbidity, relatively rapid dissection and flap elevation, and reliable skin territory.

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