Daniel J Hauben

Morphometry of the adult human earlobe: a study of 547 subjects and clinical application.

The purpose of this study was to define the factors that influence earlobe length and to establish a standard for adult earlobe length by sex and age. The study sample consisted of 547 adult subjects older than 20 years of age. A randomized, prospective design was used. Patients with malignancies, previous surgery or trauma to the earlobe, or congenital earlobe anomalies were excluded. The following variables were studied: sex; age; ethnic origin; skin complexion; height, weight, and body mass index; and piercing. Pearson’s correlation, analysis of variance, t test, and multiple regression analysis were used for the statistical analysis. There were 383 women (70 percent) and 164 men (30 percent) aged 20 to 80 years. The average length of the left earlobe was 1.97 cm (SD, 0.42 cm), and that of the right earlobe, 2.01 cm (SD, 0.42 cm) (p < 0.0001). A post hoc test revealed a statistically significant difference among the three age groups (20 to 40 years, 40 to 60 years, and >60 years) in both men and women. Pendulous earlobes were significantly longer and less symmetrical than nonpendulous ones by t test. In men, nonpierced left earlobes were longer than pierced lobes; in women, there was no significant difference between pierced and nonpierced ears. Pearson’s correlation tests for weight, height, and body mass index showed that only weight had a significant effect on earlobe length, and only in women. Analysis of variance for ethnic origin and skin color revealed a longer left earlobe in Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews compared with Ethiopian, Asian, and American Jews and Arabs and a short earlobe in blacks compared with dark and fair-skinned people. On multiple regression analysis, sex and age were the only factors that contributed to earlobe length. A table of average earlobe length by age was formulated on the basis of the authors’ findings. These data, together with the knowledge that earlobe length changes little in women over 40, that earlobes are not symmetrical, and that right and left nonpendulous earlobes are symmetrical in individual patients and shorter than pendulous earlobes, can assist the plastic surgeon in deciding on the proper time for loboplasty. The preferable technique is creating a nonpendulous earlobe to minimize the chances of further elongation with time.

Effect of facial pressure garments for burn injury in adult patients after orthodontic treatment

Pressure garments are commonly used to prevent and control hypertrophic scar tissue. Complications are unusual, though in children with facial burns, pressure garments may lead to skeletal and dental deformities. Studies in adolescents and adults are sparse. We describe a 24-year-old woman who sustained facial burns. Prior to injury, the patient had undergone premolar extraction in preparation for orthodontic treatment. Her post-burn care consisted of application of a Jobst pressure garment. After 2 months treatment, severe deformation of the dental-alveolar structure was observed. This reports suggests that adults after dental extraction are at a high risk of dental-alveolar deformities from pressure garments and might benefit from the use of occlusal wafers.

Exploding microwaved eggs—revisited

Different types of injuries are described as caused by the use of microwave ovens. Four of 41 burns from microwave ovens, presented by an international survey in 1986, were due to exploding microwave-heated eggs. Careful review of the English language literature through a Medline search from 1966 to 2000 was performed, in search of burns caused by exploding eggs. Clinical information from the published articles was reviewed and missing information was completed by e-mail correspondence with authors. Our own case was added to the collected data, and a total of 13 cases were analyzed. The average age of patients was 24.3 years (range, 7-49 years). All patients suffered from superficial burns of the mid and upper face, namely the forehead, periorbital region, dorsum of nose and malar areas. All patients with information available complained of ocular disturbances, and three suffered long-term decrease in visual acuity. Long-term skin complications were not reported. In summary, the clinical presentation of a facial injury from an exploding microwave-heated egg is relatively constant and mild. Favorable outcome can be expected but a meticulous ophthalmologic evaluation and a close follow-up are mandatory for prevention of long-term sequelae.

The vertical dimension in the surgical treatment of cutaneous malignant melanoma – how deep is deep?

Abstract. The surgical treatment of primary cutaneous malignant melanoma has been an issue of debate throughout the past decades. It is generally accepted that the excised tumor-free surgical margins around the lesion should be proportional to the lesion thickness. However, the issue of adequate thickness of tumor-free margins to be resected in the depth of the lesion has not been addressed as yet. In order to assess the influence of thickness of the tumor-free margins resected under malignant melanoma on patients outcome, we have reviewed 48xa0patients treated for primary cutaneous malignant melanoma in the Rabin Medical Center in the years 1987–1988. Biopsy specimens and clinical charts were evaluated, the tumor-free margin in depth of the excision was measured and compared with clinical outcome. The study population comprised 21xa0men and 27xa0women with an average age of 60.2±15.2xa0years. Most of the primary melanomas were of intermediate thickness with a mean Breslow thickness of 1.6xa0mm. During a median follow-up time of 112.8xa0months, ten (21%) patients developed relapse of their malignancy and 13xa0patients (27.08%) died. In univariate analysis, the thickness of the tumor-free margin excised under the melanoma was one of seven clinical and pathological variables that showed significant predictive value for patient survival. The 10-year survival rate in patients with tumor-free margins thinner than 3xa0mm was 50%, compared with 82% in patients with thicker tumor-free margins (P=0.01). In multivariate analysis, these margins remained an independent significant prognostic factor, as were four other variables. Evidence indicating a tendency for local and distant melanoma recurrence in thin excisions with small margin/tumor thickness ratio was detected. The recurrence rate in the group with margin/tumor thickness ratio smaller than 1 was nearly five times higher than the rate in patients with higher ratios (66% vs 14%, P=0.003). In univariate and multivariate analysis of 10xa0years survival, this ratio also proved to be an independent prognostic factor. In this study we have shown that the tumor-free margins resected under the lesion play an important role in the comprehensive surgical treatment of primary cutaneous melanoma and in determining the clinical outcome of the patients.

Use of the SpaceMaker® balloon dissector for repair of sacral pressure sores

Most of the techniques that have been suggested for closure of sacral pressure sores use musculocutaneous flaps. We report our experience in three patients using the SpaceMaker® balloon dissector. The dissector was inserted into the subgluteal maximus muscle plane to expand the muscle and overlying skin, thereby forming bilateral sliding and tension‐free musculocutaneous flaps. The procedure is simple, safe, bloodless, and combines the advantages of advancement of a muscle flap and expansion.