TITLE:
Management of Post-Mastectomy Radio-Necrotic Ulcers & Osteoradionecrosis
AUTHORS:
Alaadin Hussein, Rimoun Boutros, Amani Saber
KEYWORDS:
Radionecrotic Ulcer, Osteoradionecrosis, Pedicled Myo-Cutaneous Flaps, Breast Cancer
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Cancer Therapy,
Vol.10 No.6,
June
19,
2019
ABSTRACT: Background: Breast cancer is still the most common indication for chest wall
irradiation, despite the advances in RTH techniques complications still occur,
and the time of its occurrence vary and could take few months to many years.
ORN usually manifests with pain, exposed bone, fistulae and pathological
fracture and the proper management needs proper debridement and coverage by
thick musculocutaneous
flaps. Objective: To evaluate different techniques of surgical
management of post-irradiation
persistent radio-necrotic ulcer & ORN with emphasis on the outcome of each
technique. Patients and methods: A retrospective study from 2010 to 2015 reviewed 20 patients
subjected to post-mastectomy radiotherapy as a treatment for breast cancer inNCICairo, and Minia oncology center Hospital,
Egypt. Cases were biopsied to exclude local recurrence. The age, sex, type of
ulcer, dose of radiotherapy received and the management done for these cases were recorded. Results:
Only 4 patients responded to conservative treatment in the form of repeated
dressings, and 16 patients needed surgical treatment; 5 of them were treated
with debridement and coverage with split thickness graft with high rate of
complications reaching 80%, the other 11 patients were reconstructed with musculocutanoeus flaps, of
these 7 patients were reconstructed with LD flaps with 57.14% success rate and
minor complications only, the other 4 cases were reconstructed with TRAM flap
with 50% success and major loss of the flap in one case that needed salvage by
LD flap. Pre-operative comorbidity was found in 6 patients and all of them experienced complications while only
3 of the other 14 who had no comorbidity had postoperative complications. Conclusion: Pedicled flaps provide a good choice for reconstruction and provide chest wall
support without the use of synthetic mesh.