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Biomedical subjects

W H McCarthy

Publications and source records attributed to W H McCarthy.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1998

Treatment of large, persistent lymphocoeles using an argon beam coagulator and talc.

BACKGROUND: Lymphocoele formation can be a troublesome surgical complication after lymph node dissection and mobilization of large skin flaps. Occasionally, lymphocoeles persist for prolonged periods despite repeated aspiration. Treatment by sclerotherapy has been recommended, but this requires a prolonged treatment time and often causes intense pain. METHODS: The technique used to treat large, persistent lymphocoeles involved 'painting' the lymphocoele wall with an argon beam coagulator after evacuating its contents. Sterile talc was then distributed liberally through the cavity, a closed suction drain placed and the wound closed. RESULTS: The procedure was completely successful in each of the four patients treated. After a mean follow-up period of 11 months (range 6-15 months) no lymphocoele recurrence has occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Use of an argon beam coagulator and talc reliably achieves rapid, definitive obliteration of large, persistent lymphocoeles.

Aged↗
PubMed1997

Classification of localized melanoma by the exponential survival trees method.

BACKGROUND: Over the past 2 decades, remarkable progress has been made in the identification of clinical and pathologic factors that affect the survival of patients with melanoma. Through the use of multivariate regression methods, key prognostic factors, such as tumor thickness, tumor ulceration, invasion level, and lesion location, have been identified. Clinical investigators are often interested in developing criteria to classify melanoma patients into different risk groups based on the key prognostic factors identified. However, classical multivariate regression models are generally less efficient in accomplishing this task than newly developed tree-based methods. METHODS: In this study, the authors applied the exponential survival trees method to analyze a combined data set (n = 4568) from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the Sydney Melanoma Unit in Camperdown, Australia. A survival tree was created according to prognostic factors that classified patients into homogeneous subgroups by survival. Six clinical and pathologic factors were included in the analysis. This tree-based method provided a superior means of prognostic classification and was shown to have greater ability to detect interactions among the variables than regression models. RESULTS: Tumor thickness was found to be the most important prognostic factor, followed by tumor ulceration and primary lesion site. Some important interactions among these prognostic factors were identified. Five distinct risk groups, defined by tumor thickness, ulceration, and primary lesion site, were created. Patients who had tumor thickness less than or equal to 0.75 mm and lesions on their arms or legs had the best prognosis. Patients who had ulcerated tumors with thickness greater than 4.50 mm had the poorest prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: The authors' analysis, based on exponential survival trees, provides a comprehensive, easy-to-use risk grouping system for classifying patients with localized melanoma. This grouping system would be useful in the clinical management of melanoma patients and in designing and analyzing clinical trials.

Decision Trees↗
PubMed1997

Complete regression of primary cutaneous malignant melanoma.

While partial spontaneous histopathological regression is a common finding in invasive primary melanoma, proven complete regression is rare, with only 33 cases having been documented. None of the patients in these reported cases had a biopsy specimen taken from the original lesion, which would unequivocally prove the diagnosis of complete regressing melanoma. Over 4 years, we saw a 62-year-old white man who refused treatment of a biopsy specimen-proved superficial spreading melanoma (Breslow thickness, 0.7 mm) that eventually regressed completely. A biopsy specimen confirmed complete histopathological regression. There was no clinical evidence of regional or distant metastases throughout the 4 years. To our knowledge, this is the first documented case of a biopsy specimen-proved primary melanoma completely regressing. We present sequential photographic documentation and review the literature about this phenomenon. While the prevalence of such an event is unknown, evidence is presented that it may be more common than previously thought.

Biopsy↗
PubMed1997

Adjuvant radiotherapy following neck dissection and parotidectomy for metastatic malignant melanoma.

BACKGROUND: Regional recurrence remains a problem in the management of patients with metastatic malignant melanoma in the cervical lymph nodes and parotid. In this study, the influence of the number of positive nodes, extracapsular spread, and the use of adjuvant radiotherapy on regional control and survival were analyzed. METHODS: A non-randomized, prospectively documented series of 143 patients with histologically positive nodes in the neck or parotid was analyzed. There were 152 dissected necks or parotids: 45 of these received postoperative radiotherapy, 6 x 5.5 Gy fractions over 3 weeks; 107 were not irradiated. RESULTS: The regional recurrence rate was 6.5% in the irradiated group, compared with 18.7% in the non-irradiated group (p = .055). The irradiated group, however, had more extensive nodal involvement than the non-irradiated group: 65% had two or more positive nodes, and 48% had extracapsular spread, compared with 40% and 19%, respectively, in the non-irradiated group. Survival was significantly worse when there was extracapsular spread (p < .05) or multiple node involvement (p < .01). By multivariate analysis, the use of adjuvant radiotherapy was associated with a trend toward improved regional control (p = .065), but survival was not improved. CONCLUSIONS: Adjuvant radiotherapy was associated with improved control of metastatic malignant melanoma in the neck and parotid; however, statistical significance was not reached. A prospective trial should be supported to clarify this question.

Female↗
PubMed1997

Cutaneous melanoma in childhood: incidence and prognosis.

The incidence and prognosis of cutaneous melanoma in children under 13 years of age has always been difficult to assess. The main reasons for this difficulty include the rarity of melanoma in children, referral biases from investigating institutions, changing conceptions in the histological diagnosis of true melanoma, and the lack of large enough study groups with sufficient follow-up to estimate 10-year survival rates. The present study documents 32 cases of childhood cutaneous melanoma drawn from the records of two large referral centres in New South Wales, Australia: the Sydney Melanoma Unit and the Newcastle Melanoma Unit in order to demonstrate some of the difficulties in the assessment of incidence and prognosis in children.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Communicating with patients: surgeons' perceptions of their skills and need for training.

BACKGROUND: This study assessed surgeons' current perceived level of competence in a number of interactional skills, their perceptions of the need for training and assessment in interactional skills, and their perceptions of the appropriateness of the format and content of two existing communication skills training packages. METHODS: Of 267 surgeons who were sent the survey, 63% (n = 143) of eligible respondents completed and returned it. RESULTS: More than three-quarters of the sample identified the following skills as being important or very important in being a good surgeon: breaking bad news; preparing patients for surgical procedures; educating patients about their diagnosis and treatment, and increasing the likelihood that they will remember what they have been told; detecting anxiety and depression in patients, encouraging patients to express these and listening to their anxieties. More than half the sample felt at least competent at seven of the 10 interactional skills, but almost one-third of the sample reported being 'not or not at all competent' at increasing patients' ability to remember what they have been told and at encouraging patients to express anxieties about their condition, and a further 13.3% reported a lack of competence at breaking bad news to patients about their diagnosis/prognosis. A higher proportion reported a lack of competence in providing bereavement counselling (59.6%), and gaining consent for organ donation (56.6%) and for autopsy (48.9%). The majority rated different aspects of the two communication skills training packages as either 'good' or 'excellent'. CONCLUSIONS: The survey identified a number of communication skills which are perceived by surgeons to be important and to require formal training and assessment.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Critical analysis of the current American Joint Committee on Cancer staging system for cutaneous melanoma and proposal of a new staging system.

PURPOSE: To critically review the accuracy of the current American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging system for cutaneous melanoma and propose a more useful staging system. METHODS: Retrospective evaluation of the published data as well as a reanalysis of the University of Alabama and Sydney Melanoma Unit (UAB/SMU) data bases (n = 4,568) for patients with primary melanoma was performed to examine specifically the impact of level of invasion and ulceration on the prognostic value of tumor thickness. In addition, an overlay graphic technique was used to compare the Kaplan-Meier survival curves of patients with local recurrences, satellites, in-transit metastases, and nodal metastases reported in the literature. RESULTS: Tumor thickness and ulceration remained the most powerful prognostic indicators in patients with stage I and II disease. Level of invasion provided statistically significant prognostic information only in the subgroup of patients with tumor thickness < or = 1 mm, but the absolute 10-year survival differences were small and inconsistent (level II, 95%; level III, 85%; level IV, 89%). The best statistical fit for tumor thickness cutoffs was at 1 versus 2 versus 4 mm. The overlay graphic technique showed that patients who developed satellite lesions or local recurrence had prognoses similar to those of patients with stage III disease. The most important prognostic factor for patients with nodal metastases was number of involved nodes rather than size. CONCLUSION: Our analysis showed that the current AJCC staging system has many inaccuracies that should be modified to conform to published data. On the basis of our analysis and review of the literature, we propose a new and more accurate staging system.

Humans↗
PubMed1996

Naevi and pigmentary characteristics as risk factors for melanoma in a high-risk population: a case-control study in New South Wales, Australia.

The relationship between risk of cutaneous malignant melanoma and total body and site-specific naevus counts and other host factors was investigated in a Caucasian population aged 15-84 years in New South Wales, Australia. The study sample comprised 244 cases with melanoma diagnosed in 1989-1993, and 276 controls. The strongest relationship was with total body naevus count. Risk of melanoma was raised 12 times in those with more than 100 naevi compared with those with less than 10. There were also strong risks, with odds ratios of 5 or more, associated with having multiple atypical naevi, multiple large naevi, high naevus counts in sun-exposed or sun-protected areas and being unable to tan on repeated sun exposure. The effect of inability to tan was stronger at younger than older ages. Lesser risks, with odds ratios of 2-3, were associated with being prone to burn on sun exposure, having many freckles as a child and having red hair. The site distribution of naevi in males compared with females resembled the distribution of melanoma by sex. Risk of melanoma of the back was significantly more closely related to back naevus count than naevus count for the remainder of the body. For other anatomical sites, naevus count was non-significantly more closely related to naevus counts at that site than counts over the remainder of the body. Naevus count declined with age in both cases and controls. In those aged under 40, having 100 or more naevi was associated with an aetiological fraction (AF) of 41%. In those aged 60 and over, however, the AF associated with this number of naevi was only 5%.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Subungual melanoma of the hand.

Subungual melanoma is a rare but well-recognized tumor of the hand. Its management is ill defined and the factors influencing prognosis have not been well described. The clinicopathologic features of a series of 38 patients with subungual melanoma of the hand are reported. The median thickness was 3 mm, and only seven patients presented with pathologic stage I disease (American Joint Committee on Cancer [AJCC] system). Ulceration and lack of pigmentation were the only significant univariate prognostic indicators. There was no significant difference in local recurrence rates among patients whose amputation was carried out proximal or distal to the interphalangeal joint of the thumb or the middle of the middle phalanx in the other fingers. Management of the regional lymph node field based on the use of selective lymphadenectomy is described.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

A sensitivity and specificity analysis of the surface microscopy features of invasive melanoma.

In vivo cutaneous surface microscopy, epiluminescence microscopy, dermoscopy, dermatoscopy and magnified oil immersion diascopy, are terms that describe the use of an incident light magnification system to examine cutaneous lesions, usually with immersion oil at the skin-microscope interface. The result is the visualization of a multitude of morphological features, not visible with the naked eye, that enhance the clinical diagnosis of nearly all pigmented lesions. Sixty-two invasive melanomas and 159 randomly selected non-melanoma pigmented lesions were used in the study. The non-melanomas, while randomly selected from a large data base, were all clinically atypical. Using the x 10 magnification of hand-held surface microscopes (Dermatoscope, Episcope), we present an analysis of 72 surface microscopic variables (constituting over 15,000 single observations) for the diagnosis of invasive melanoma. Forty of the 72 features studied were shown to differ significantly between invasive melanoma and non-melanoma pigmented lesions. Blue-white veil, multiple brown dots, radial streaming and pseudopods had a specificity greater than 95% for melanoma. Two features, symmetrically irregular pigment (non-uniform pigmentation with point and axial symmetry) and the presence of a single colour, had a sensitivity of 0%, i.e. were absent, in melanoma. The other significant features are presented, with their sensitivity and specificity for melanoma.

Humans↗
PubMed1996

Lymphatic drainage to triangular intermuscular space lymph nodes in melanoma on the back.

METHODS: Lymphoscintigraphy with 99mTc-antimony sulphide colloid was performed on patients with cutaneous melanoma of the back to define draining node fields and sentinel nodes before surgery. RESULTS: One patient was found to have drainage from the back to sentinel lymph nodes in the triangular intermuscular spaces bilaterally, above and lateral to the scapula. Subsequently, drainage to this node field has been found in 26% of 42 consecutive patients who have had lymphoscintigraphy performed for melanoma on the back. CONCLUSION: When performing lymphoscintigraphy to locate draining node fields and sentinel nodes in patients with melanoma on the back, it is important to look for drainage to the triangular intermuscular space node field by obtaining posterior and lateral scans. Any sentinel lymph nodes found in this field should be marked prior to surgery in the same way as nodes in other node fields are delineated so that they may be removed at surgery.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Frequency and morphologic characteristics of invasive melanomas lacking specific surface microscopic features.

OBJECTIVES: To create a simple diagnostic method for invasive melanoma with in vivo cutaneous surface microscopy (epiluminescence microscopy, dermoscopy, dermatoscopy) and to analyze the incidence and characteristics of those invasive melanomas that had no diagnostic features by means of hand-held surface microscopes. DESIGN: Pigmented skin lesions were photographed in vivo with the use of immersion oil. All were excised and reviewed for histological diagnosis. A training set of 62 invasive melanomas and 159 atypical nonmelanomas and a test set of 45 invasive melanomas and 119 atypical non-melanomas were used. Images from the training set were scored for 72 surface microscopic features. Those features with a low sensitivity (0%) and high specificity (> 85%) were used to create a simple diagnostic model for invasive melanoma. SETTING: All patients were recruited from the Sydney (Australia) Melanoma Unit (a primary case and referral center). PATIENTS: A random sample of patients whose lesions were excised, selected from a larger database. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Sensitivity and specificity of the model for diagnosis of invasive melanona. RESULTS: The model gave a sensitivity of 92% (98/107) and specificity of 71%. Of the 9 "featureless" melanomas the model failed to detect, 6 were pigmented and thin and had a pigment network. The other 3 were thicker, hypomelanotic lesions lacking a pigment network, some with prominent telangiectases, and all with only small areas of pigment. All featureless melanomas noted by the patients had a history of change in color, shape, or size. CONCLUSIONS: Surface microscopy does not allow 100% sensitivity in diagnosing invasive melanoma and therefore cannot be used as the sole indicator for excision. Clinical history is an important consideration when featureless lesions are diagnosed.

Algorithms↗
PubMed1996

Cutaneous melanomas that defy conventional prognostic indicators.

Tumor thickness is usually an accurate prognostic indicator for the patient with melanoma. However, very thin primary melanomas occasionally recur locally or metastasize, whereas some patients with very thick primary melanomas survive far longer than expected. There is also a group of patients with primary melanomas of various thicknesses who relapse after a very long disease-free interval. The large database of the Sydney Melanoma Unit which now contains comprehensive long-term follow-up on more than 13,000 patients treated over a 45-year period, has provided a unique opportunity to study melanomas that defy conventional prognostic indicators. Recurrence developed in 2.8% of melanoma patients classified as stage I (pTNM staging system) and with very thin lesions (< 0.50 mm). These recurrences developed more frequently in women than men and histologically were found to be associated with ulceration, high mitotic activity, and invasion to Clark's level IV, but not with regression. Concurrent lymph node metastases (stage III) were present in 3.1% of patients with very thin lesions (< 0.50 mm). In this group, most patients were men, and every lesion displayed regression. Total survival exceeded 15 years in 15.7% of stage II and III patients with very thick lesions (> 5.5 mm). In 1.7% of patients with lesions of any thickness, the disease-free interval before relapse was > 15 years. Neither in patients with very thick lesions surviving for > 15 years, nor in those with a disease-free interval of > 15 years was it consistently possible to show the presence or absence of any of the histological features usually considered to be of prognostic significance.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

The eastern Australian childhood nevus study: prevalence of atypical nevi, congenital nevus-like nevi, and other pigmented lesions.

BACKGROUND: Various melanocytic lesions are frequently observed. An understanding of phenotypic factors and environmental stimuli that are associated with these lesions may help explain their pathogenesis. OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of atypical nevi, blue nevi, cafe-au-lait macules, congenital nevus-like nevi, halo nevi, nevi spili, nevi 5 mm or more in diameter, and skin-colored melanocytic nevi in a population of schoolchildren and to explore risk factors including solar radiation in the development of these melanocytic lesions. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed by the same medical investigators to examine schoolchildren in three Australian cities that span a wide range of latitudes. RESULTS: Data from 1123 white Australian schoolchildren, 6 to 15 years of age, were analyzed. Acquired melanocytic nevi (atypical nevi, nevi > or = 5 mm in diameter, and skin-colored nevi) were more likely to develop in older fair-skinned subjects who had freckles and lived closest to the equator. Café-au-lait macules and congenital nevus-like nevi were observed in 36.3% and 4.4% of the total population, respectively. Prevalence for both these types of melanocytic lesions increased significantly with decreasing latitude. Halo nevi were present in 5.3% of the subjects and were usually solitary. These lesions were related to the presence of atypical nevi primarily by virtue of their size rather than of other features of clinical atypia. CONCLUSION: Like melanocytic nevi in general, large and atypical nevi are strongly influenced by geographic location and, by implication, degree of solar radiation. The same can be said for congenital nevus-like nevi, which suggests that many so-called congenital nevi are in fact acquired early in life.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Prediction of potential metastatic sites in cutaneous head and neck melanoma using lymphoscintigraphy.

BACKGROUND: The technique of lymphoscintigraphy may allow a more selective approach to the management of clinically negative neck nodes among patients with cutaneous head and neck melanoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A group of 97 patients with cutaneous head and neck melanoma had preoperative lymphoscintigraphy using intradermal injections of technetium 99m antimony trisulfide colloid to identify sentinel nodes. Fifty-one patients were eligible for clinical analysis after initial definitive treatment by wide excision only (n = 11), wide excision and elective dissection of the neck (n = 19) or axilla (n = 1), or wide excision and a sentinel node biopsy procedure (n = 20). RESULTS: Sentinel nodes were identified in 95 of 97 lymphoscintigrams, and 85% of patients had multiple sentinel nodes. In 21 patients (22%), sentinel nodes were identified outside the parotid region and the 5 main neck levels, mostly in postauricular nodes (n = 13). Lymphoscintigrams were discordant with clinical predictions in 33 patients (34%). Lymph nodes were positive in 4 elective dissections and 4 sentinel node biopsies. Among 16 patients evaluable after wide excision and a negative sentinel node biopsy, 4 patients subsequently developed metastatic nodes; however, confident identification of all nodes marked as sentinel nodes on lymphoscintigraphy was not achieved at the original biopsy procedure in 3 of these patients. CONCLUSIONS: Lymphoscintigraphy and sentinel node biopsy are more difficult to perform in the head and neck than in other parts of the body. The reliability of sentinel node biopsy based on lymphoscintigraphy may be improved by identifying and marking all nodes that are considered to receive direct lymphatic drainage from the primary melanoma, and by use of a gamma probe intraoperatively.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Lymphatic drainage from peri-umbilical skin to internal mammary nodes.

While performing lymphoscintigraphy to define draining lymph node groups and sentinel nodes in patients with melanoma, the authors have discovered a new lymphatic channel in two patients with tumors in the peri-umbilical area. This channel passes over the right costal margin to an interval node before passing toward the midline, where it passes through the chest wall to reach the internal mammary lymph node chain. Appreciating the possible presence of this channel in patients with periumbilical lesions has important implications for the surgical management and follow-up of these patients.

Antimony↗