Journal Reviews
Management of keloid and hypertrophic scars
The management of keloid and hypertrophic scars is commonplace in all burns and plastic surgery outpatient clinics, and in this paper the authors review many of the current treatments available for this difficult problem. They start with an introduction about...
How accurate are doctors in estimating burn size
This was a retrospective review with data collated from two burns units in Sydney, Australia. The purpose of the study was to compare total body surface area (TBSA) burn size estimation between referring centres and burn units in adult patients....
Surgical indications for infantile haemangiomas
Infantile haemangiomas (IHs) are embryonic tumours and represent the most common tumour of infancy, with an estimated incidence of 4-5%. There is a well described natural history, usually becoming apparent in the first few weeks of life and proliferating rapidly,...
Comparison of petrolatum gel with silver sulfadiazine dressings in small superficial burns
This was a randomised controlled trial set up in a single burns centre in Manila in the Philippines. Inclusion criteria were superficial burns not requiring skin grafting, and up to 10% total body surface area in young, fit adults between...
Hey look! Smaller arms and no scars...
The author of this chapter presents his experience of arm reduction leaving a scar in the axilla only; minimal incision brachioplasty (MIB). The technique is a modification of the Pollack technique to treat axillary hydradenitis. It is suitable for patients...
Body contouring surgery: Use common sense!
This informative article, which kicks off this excellent edition of Clinics in Plastic Surgery, provides a sensible and balanced review of when, why and what to do with the massive weight loss patient group. The recommended wisdom will be familiar...
An update on alopecia treatment options
In this paper the authors make a thorough review of the different medical and surgical options for the treatment of androgenic alopecia. Combined therapy with oral finasteride and topical minoxidil continue to be the mainstay for medical treatment. Follicular unit...
Post auricular advancement flap for partial helix defect repair
Ear defects can be the result of trauma, burns or ablative surgery. The three dimensional structure of the pinna with its subunits presents a difficult reconstructive challenge as successful reconstruction requires both similar tissue cover and a supporting framework. Partial...
Ultrastructural changes in keloid scars
One of the most intriguing and infuriating problems confronting plastic surgeons is the occurrence of hypertrophic and keloid scars, in some patients – particularly black Africans – but not in others. Many theories have been proposed regarding the cause of...
A model for Lentigo Maligna recurrence
Lentigo Maligna presents a difficult problem for both the histopathologist and the plastic surgeon. The pathologist has great difficulty in assessing where the borders of the lesion lie, while the plastic surgeon is dealing with these lesions which commonly occur...
Review of free flap use in burns
The authors looked at 346 studies of the use of free flaps in burns and undertook a systematic review of 30 of these studies after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria. They found that the use of free flaps could be...
Age-specific models for predicting burns mortality
The authors of this paper attempt to add to the numerous burn mortality prediction models which have been described in many papers from many countries, by analysing data from the American Burn Association National Burn Repository. As such they have...
