Faculty Bibliography

Pancreatoblastoma is a rare tumor with approximately 60 cases described in the English literature and only five case reports illustrating the cytologic findings, four by fine-needle aspiration cytology and one by imprint cytology. We herein report the sixth case diagnosed by imprint cytology. Both the cytologic and histopathologic literatures are reviewed, and the pathologic variations observed in our case are also documented.

Malignant proliferating trichilemmal tumor is a rare cutaneous neoplasm derived from the outer root sheath of the hair follicle. Fine-needle aspiration cytology is being increasingly used in the investigation of primary and metastatic cutaneous tumors. However, there are few reports on the cytology of trichilemmal tumors in the literature. We describe the cytological features of this uncommon adnexal tumor presenting as a scalp mass in a 58-year-old woman. In view of its aggressive biological behavior, it is crucial for cytologists to be aware of this rare lesion and distinguish it from primary cutaneous squamous-cell carcinoma. The differences on fine-needle aspiration cytology can be subtle and pose problems in diagnosis.

The prevalence of psoriasis is estimated to be 2.2% in the United States, and 6-39% of patients with psoriasis also develop psoriatic arthritis. New advances have been made in developing treatment options. A new human tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha antibody, golimumab, has been shown to significantly improve symptoms of psoriatic arthritis. In addition, clinical trials of certolizumab pegol, a PEGylated Fab' fragment of an anti-TNF-alpha monoclonal antibody, show promising results for treating rheumatoid arthritis and suggest that it may be applicable for treating psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis in the future. New biologic therapies also include antibodies to interleukin-12 and interleukin-23. Phase II studies suggest that ustekinumab is effective in alleviating symptoms of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. However, longer studies with radiographic evaluation will be required before their impact on joint destruction can be assessed.

Cystatin C is a novel marker of renal function that has been found to predict adverse cardiovascular outcomes in ambulatory patients. The aim of this study was to investigate whether this biomarker predicts the length of hospitalization and adverse outcomes in patients hospitalized for heart failure. Two hundred forty consecutive patients aged > or =25 admitted to Johns Hopkins Hospital with exacerbations of heart failure were prospectively enrolled. Cystatin C levels were measured on admission. Patients were followed for 1 year. The primary outcome measure was the length of hospitalization. Secondary outcomes included all-cause mortality and readmission for heart failure. Cystatin C showed no significant association with the length of hospitalization. Patients in the highest quartile (quartile 4) of cystatin C level were at increased risk for death (hazard ratio 2.07 for quartile 4 vs quartiles 1 to 3, p = 0.01) and death or rehospitalization (hazard ratio 1.61 for quartile 4 vs quartiles 1 to 3, p = 0.01). The association between cystatin C and the combined end point of death or rehospitalization during 1-year follow-up remained significant after adjusting for age, race, gender, co-morbidities, and creatinine. Cystatin C was more predictive of these end points than creatinine, and the combination of cystatin C and creatinine was more predictive than either variable alone. In conclusion, cystatin C may be useful in addition to creatinine for predicting outcomes after admission for acute heart failure exacerbations.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Inter-clinician communication accounts for more than half of all information exchanges within the health care system. A non-participatory, qualitative time-and-motion observational study was conducted in order to gain a better understanding of inter-clinician communication behaviors, routine workflow patterns, and the use of information communication technologies (ICTs) within the clinical workspace. METHOD: Over a 5-day period, seven attending physicians and two nurses were shadowed for 2-4h at a time. Inter-clinician communication events were tracked in real-time using synchronized digital stopwatches. Observations were recorded on a paper-based, semi-structured observation tool and later coded for analysis. RESULTS: Nine hundred and eighty-seven communication events were observed over 2024.67 min. Clinicians were observed to spend the majority of their time on patient care (85.4% in this study) with about three-fourths of that time spent on indirect patient care (e.g. charting). Clinicians were observed to prefer using synchronous communication modes, which led to multitasking and created a highly interrupted workflow. Forty-two percent (n=415) of communication events were coded as interruptions and study participants were seen multitasking 14.8% of the time. Though each interruption was short-lived (on average 0.98+/-2.24 min for attending physicians), they occurred frequently. Both attending physicians and nurses were the recipients of more interruptions than they initiated. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that the clinical workspace is a highly interruptive environment. Multiple interruptions in the communication processes between clinicians consume time and have the potential to increase the risk of error. This workflow analysis may inform the development of communication devices to enhance inter-clinician communication by reducing interruptions or deferring interruptions to more appropriate times.

The present study reports on a case of a 10-year-old patient with recurrent right shoulder instability after a traumatic event leading to a mid-substance tear of the anterior band of the inferior glenohumeral ligament complex in an L-shaped pattern. Arthroscopic repair consisting of a 2.4 mm bioabsorbable suture anchor at the apex and a four PDS sutures placed through the capsulolabral junction leads to an anatomic repair with excellent short-term results similar to those found in other studies. The injury pattern is thought to be about 1% of shoulder dislocations, but tear pattern recognition is critical for a successful repair and clinical result.

Suprascapular nerve entrapment can cause disabling shoulder pain. Suprascapular nerve release is often performed for compression neuropathy and to release pressure on the nerve associated with arthroscopic labral repair. This report describes a novel all-arthroscopic technique for decompression of the suprascapular nerve at the suprascapular notch or spinoglenoid notch through a subacromial approach. Through the subacromial space, spinoglenoid notch cysts can be visualized between the supraspinatus and infraspinatus at the base of the scapular spine. While viewing the subacromial space through the lateral portal, the surgeon can use a shaver through the posterior portal to decompress a spinoglenoid notch cyst at the base of the scapular spine. To decompress the suprascapular nerve at the suprascapular notch, a shaver through the posterior portal removes the soft tissue on the acromion and distal clavicle to expose the coracoclavicular ligaments. The medial border of the conoid ligament is identified and followed to its coracoid attachment. The supraspinatus muscle is retracted with a blunt trocar placed through an accessory Neviaser portal. The transverse scapular ligament, which courses inferior to the suprascapular artery, is sectioned with arthroscopic scissors, and the suprascapular nerve is decompressed.

Emerging techniques and instrumentation have allowed orthopaedic surgeons to achieve rotator cuff repair through an all-arthroscopic technique. The most critical steps in rotator cuff repair consist of proper identification of the cuff tear pattern and anatomic restoration of the torn tendon footprint. With anatomic reduction of the rotator cuff tendons, a sound fixation construct can help restore rotator cuff contact pressure and kinematics, allowing for decreased repair tension and optimal healing potential. We provide surgical methods to recognize tear patterns and present a repair construct that will restore the anatomic footprint of the torn rotator cuff tendon. The key, initial maneuver to restore the anatomic footprint of the cuff includes placement of a suture anchor at the anterolateral corner for L-shaped tears and at the posterolateral corner for reverse L-shaped and U-shaped tears. After insertion of the medial-row anchors, the tendon stitches should be planned by use of a grasper to hold the tendon in a reduced position and guide location of the stitch. The lateral row with suture bridge can be visualized, and the final repair construct should produce an anatomic restoration of the rotator cuff footprint.

BACKGROUND: Trainees struggle with the evaluation and management of inpatient clinical ethical dilemmas. AIM: To meet their needs for both conceptual clarification and practical management, we designed a program to teach medical residents a systematic approach to resolving clinical ethical dilemmas. METHODS: We instituted monthly resident ethics educational case conferences to clarify residents' understanding of key concepts of medical ethics and to teach an 8-step systematic approach to resolving ethical dilemmas. We surveyed learners on the appropriateness, immediate utility, and potential for future usefulness of the approach. RESULTS: The vast majority of residents found the approach to be applicable and helpful with clinical decisions and interactions with patients and their family members. CONCLUSIONS: Teaching residents to use a systematic approach in understanding and resolving ethical dilemmas can facilitate their management of the ethical dilemmas that arise in clinical practice. Providing trainees with a concise structure for the thought process involved gives them confidence in their ability to address the issues directly and to act for reasons that are explicit, transparent, and reflect medical professionalism.