Faculty Bibliography

The biology underlying normal and premature cranial suture fusion remains unknown. To develop a model for normal cranial suture fusion, the temporal sequence of the posterior frontal cranial suture fusion in the mouse was determined. To do this, all the cranial sutures of three distinct strains of mice (CD-1, CF-1, and C57bl-6) were studied histologically for fusion at sequential time points. Two studies were set up using group A mice (n = 72, all sutures studied) and group B mice (n = 78, only the posterior frontal suture studied, but more precisely along its anatomic length). In the group A cranial suture study, mice were sacrificed starting at newborn age and then every 5 days until age 50 days. In addition, two mature mice (250 days old) from each strain were sacrificed. In all three mouse strains, histologic examinations showed that the anterior frontal, sagittal, coronal, lambdoid, and occipitointerparietal sutures remained patent at up to 50 days of age and were patent in the 250-day mature mice. However, examination of the midpoint of the posterior frontal suture showed patency at 30 days, partial fusion at 35 days, and complete fusion by 40 days. These data prompted the posterior frontal suture fusion study. In the group B posterior frontal suture fusion study, mice were sacrificed at age 23 days and then every 2 days until 47 days of age. The anterior, midpoint, and posterior aspects of the posterior frontal suture were examined: The anterior aspect fused between 25 and 29 days; the midpoint fused between 31 and 37 days; and the posterior aspect fused between 39 and 45 days. These data indicate that fusion of the posterior frontal cranial suture in the mouse proceeds in a defined temporal sequence from an anterior to posterior direction in three distinct strains of mice, while in the same mice all other cranial sutures remain patent. By describing and understanding the fusion of the normal posterior frontal suture, a biologic basis of normal suture development and fusion can be established and used as a comparison for murine cranial sutures altered surgically, biochemically (with growth factors), or genetically (with craniosynostotic phenotypes)

In severe trigonocephaly, metopic suture synostosis extends inferiorly to involve the frontoethmoid suture, resulting in orbital hypotelorism. To correct this growth disturbance, a nasofrontal osteotomy with bone graft interposition has been advocated. We describe an alternative procedure, supraorbital bar step expansion, which does not require a bone graft or metallic miniplate fixation. The supraorbital bar step expansion avoids donor site morbidity and the potential for plate migration. This procedure not only corrects orbital distopia, but also improves the anterolateral position of the brows, lateral canthus, and temporal regions

Pigmented lesions of the nail bed, especially without a history of trauma, represent a diagnostic challenge to the clinician. These lesions are often categorized as melanonychia striata (MS), which refers to any linear tan-brown-black pigmentation of the nail bed. The differential diagnosis of MS includes subungual hematomas, onchomycosis nigricans, junctional nevi, melanoma in situ (MIS), and malignant melanoma (MM). Our algorithm at the New York University (NYU) Medical Center for the treatment of pigmented lesions of the nail bed is presented. A histopathologic diagnosis with any evidence of melanocytic atypia, however subtle, requires absolute confirmation by complete excision. The absence of a clear margin or recurrence requires total nail bed excision and reconstruction using a full-thickness graft. The diagnosis of MIS is similarly treated. The surgical management of subungual MM is discussed. All cases of MM of the hand treated at NYU were reviewed. In all, 30 patients were treated from 1982 to 1995. Follow-up ranged from 6 months to 13 years. In our series, there were 8 cutaneous and 22 subungual melanomas. There was a marked delay in treatment of both groups, with subungual melanomas more often erroneously treated as other pathology prior to correct diagnosis. The 5-year survival rate was 100% for patients with cutaneous lesions, but only 80% for those with the subungual variety. There was a statistical difference in the depths of the lesions (subungual, 3.68 mm; cutaneous, 1.36 mm) with a p-value of 0.008. The role of elective lymph node dissection in the absence of clinical metastases as well as intraoperative sentinel lymphatic mapping remains controversial and is discussed

Presented is a prospective study comparing limited SMAS (lateral SMASectomy), conventional SMAS, extended SMAS, and composite rhytidectomies. Randomized patients received either a limited SMAS or conventional SMAS face lift on one side and an extended SMAS or composite rhytidectomy on the other. All procedures were performed at Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital in accordance with their well-defined surgical descriptions. Postoperative courses were followed clinically for at least 1 year. Photographs were taken preoperatively and at 6 and 12 months postoperatively. Photographs were reviewed by three independent experienced face lift surgeons. The study comprises 21 patients, 20 women and 1 man, with a mean age of 59 years (range 47 to 70 years). Nineteen patients underwent primary rhytidectomies; two underwent secondary face lifts. For the first 12 patients, each had an extended SMAS procedure performed on one side; on the other, 7 had a conventional SMAS and 5 had a limited SMAS (lateral SMASectomy) face lift. In the last 9 patients, a conventional SMAS was carried out on one side in 8, a limited SMAS in 1, and on the opposite side, a composite rhytidectomy was performed. Complications were few. Temporary weakness of the buccal branch of the facial nerve occurred in 2 patients on the side of the more extensive surgery. On the operating table at completion of the surgery, there was more improvement in reversal of midfacial ptosis and flattening of the nasolabial folds with both extended SMAS and composite rhytidectomies. The composite flap had the most dramatic effect on the nasolabial folds and oral commissure. After 24 hours, once swelling developed and facial motion became reactivated, the noticeable differences in the midface and nasolabial folds were lost. No discernible differences in facial halves were noted again. Differences between facial sides on the 6- and 12-month postoperative photographs were not detectable. We conclude that for routine facial plasty, comparable clinical outcomes are obtained at 6 months and 1 year with limited (lateral SMASectomy) and conventional SMAS face lifts compared with extended SMAS and composite rhytidectomies. All procedures are lacking in their improvement of midface ptosis and the nasolabial folds. The increased surgical risks, morbidity, and convalescence associated with those more extensive procedures do not seem to be warranted in the average patient

Rare individuals have been multiply exposed to HIV-1 but remain uninfected. The CD4+ T-cells of two of these individuals, designated EU2 and EU3, are highly resistant in vitro to the entry of primary macrophagetropic virus but are readily infectable with transformed T-cell line adapted viruses. We report here on the genetic basis of this resistance. We found that EU2 and EU3 have a homozygous defect in CKR-5, the gene encoding the recently described coreceptor for primary HIV-1 isolates. These individuals appear to have inherited a defective CKR-5 allele that contains an internal 32 base pair deletion. The encoded protein is severely truncated and cannot be detected at the cell surface. Surprisingly, this defect has no obvious phenotype in the affected individuals. Thus, a CKR-5 allele present in the human population appears to protect homozygous individuals from sexual transmission of HIV-1. Heterozygous individuals are quite common (approximately 20%) in some populations. These findings indicate the importance of CKR-5 in HIV-1 transmission and suggest that targeting the HIV-1-CKR-5 interaction may provide a means of preventing or slowing disease progression

One of the most unsettling sequela of facial paralysis (FP) is the loss of the blink reflex, leading to both a functional and aesthetic deformity. A successful method of treating FP and, in particular, loss of eye-sphincter function, is the use of the cross-facial nerve graft (CFNG) to reinnervate the previously denervated orbicularis oculi muscle. The present study examined the histomorphometric aspects of the entire CFNG, with respect to axon diameter and myelin area. The axon profile of the CFNG had a positive correlation with motor end-plate counts and electrophysiologic recordings. These results should help in further understanding the number of motor axons needed to restore adequate function to the paralyzed eye sphincter, and establish more rational reconstructive procedures