Horizontal Fissure Research Articles

Morphological variations of fissures, lobes, and hilar pattern of the lung in a select South African sample.

The lungs are essential respiratory organs divided into lobes by the horizontal and oblique fissures. The hilum, located on the mediastinal surface of each lung, is where the bronchus, pulmonary veins, and pulmonary arteries enter and exit. This study aims to investigate and record the variations in the morphology of lung fissures, lobes, and hilar patterns observed in a South African sample. This cross-sectional observational study employed descriptive analysis. A total of 48 formalin-fixed bodies, comprising 24 females and 24 males from the Department of Human Biology at the University of Cape Town were studied were examined. Fissures were classified according to the Craig and Walker criteria. Incomplete oblique fissures were found in 25 right lungs and 30 left lungs. Incomplete horizontal fissures were observed in 39 right lungs, and one right lung exhibited the absence of both horizontal and oblique fissures. Accessory fissures were present in five right and seven left lungs. Variations in the hilar pattern were noted, including differences in the number and arrangement of structures in both right and left lungs. Variations were observed in the lobes, fissures and the hilar patterns of several lungs. Awareness of these morphological variations is crucial for surgeons and radiologist to avoid misdiagnosis and complications during surgical procedures.

Acquired Ankyloblepharon Correction Using Ocular Surface and Tarsal Mucous Membrane Grafting in Cicatrizing Ocular Surface Diseases

Purpose: To report the long-term surgical outcomes of acquired ankyloblepharon correction using mucous membrane graft. Methods: Five eyes of 4 patients (median age, 19 years) with acquired ankyloblepharon were managed using eyelid splitting and mucous membrane graft anchored to the recti muscles on the bulbar surface in the respective quadrant and onto the bare tarsal surface. Outcome measures include a change in the palpebral fissure width, ability to fit scleral contact lenses, visual acuity, and cosmesis. Results: The underlying etiologies of ankyloblepharon were chronic Stevens-Johnson syndrome (n = 3), and chemical injury (n = 2). All 5 eyes had conjunctival shortening, and 3 had severe dry eyes (median Schirmer 4.5 mm). Four eyes had limbal stem cell deficiency. The median horizontal palpebral fissure width improved to 22 mm from 8 mm. This single-staged surgical technique allowed for fornix formation and prosthetic replacement of the ocular surface ecosystem lens fitting in all 5 eyes. Median logMAR visual acuity improved from 2.1 to 0.7 following ankyloblepharon release, prosthetic replacement of the ocular surface ecosystem lens fitting in 4 eyes, and keratoprosthesis in 1 eye. Repeat mucous membrane graft for recurrent symblepharon in 1 quadrant was required in 2 eyes where complete 360 degrees bulbar and tarsal conjunctiva loss were present preoperatively. At the median follow-up period of 27 months, all patients reported better cosmesis and had no symblepharon recurrence following repeat surgery in 2 eyes and single surgery in 3 eyes. The donor site healed well without any complications. No mitomycin C or symblepharon ring was used. Conclusion: Ocular surface and adnexal reconstruction using bulbar and tarsal mucous membrane grafts help visually rehabilitate patients with acquired ankyloblepharon secondary to cicatrizing ocular surface disorders.

Chromosomal instability in a patient with ring chromosome 14 syndrome: a case report

BackgroundRing chromosome 14 syndrome is a rare disorder primarily marked by early-onset epilepsy, microcephaly, distinctive craniofacial features, hypotonia, intellectual disability, and delay in both development and language acquisition.Case presentationA 21-year-old woman with a history of epileptic seizures since the age of 1.5 years presented with distinctive craniofacial features, including a prominent and narrow forehead, sparse and short eyebrows, palpebral ptosis, horizontal palpebral fissures, a broad nasal bridge, a prominent nasal tip, a flat philtrum, hypertelorism, midfacial hypoplasia, horizontal labial fissures, a thin upper lip, crowded teeth, an ogival palate, retrognathia, and a wide neck. Additional physical abnormalities included kyphosis, lumbar scoliosis, pectus carinatum, cubitus valgus, thenar and hypothenar hypoplasia, bilateral hallux valgus, shortening of the Achilles tendon on the left foot, and hypoplasia of the labia minora. Chromosomal analysis identified a ring 14 chromosome with breakpoints in p11 and q32.33. An aCGH study revealed a ~ 1.7 Mb deletion on chromosome 14qter, encompassing 23 genes. Genomic instability was evidenced by the presence of micronuclei and aneuploidies involving the ring and other chromosomes.ConclusionThe clinical features of our patient closely resembled those observed in other individuals with ring chromosome 14 syndrome. The most important point was that we were able to verify an instability of the r(14) chromosome, mainly involving anaphasic lags and its exclusion from the nucleus in the form of a micronucleus.

Is Botox an Alternative to Surgery for Anal Fissure?

Objective To compare the results of the lateral internal sphincterotomy(LIS) technique and high dose botulinum toxin, which is one of the treatments applied when medical treatment is insufficient in anal fissure. Materials and methods The files and outpatient clinic notes of the patients who underwent lateral internal sphincterotomy and botulinum toxin injection due to lack of response to medical treatment due to anal fissure between May 2020 and May 2023 were examined retrospectively. Preoperative and postoperative visual analog scale (VAS) scores, five-point horizontal scale (FPHS) scores, hospitalization times, fissure locations, follow-up periods, anesthesia type, and postoperative complications of the patients were recorded. Results Total 30 LIS and 24 botulinum toxin-treated patients were included. Hospitalization time was shorter in botulinum toxin groups than in the LIS group (p<0.001). First-week VAS score was lower than botulinum toxin injection group (p<0.001). There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of FPHS scores, follow-up periods, and recurrence (p:0.15, p:0.07, p:0.14). Conclusion: While LIS is faster in the early period, botulinum toxin injection can be considered as an alternative to surgical treatment for long-term results.

Determining Asymmetry Thresholds in Anophthalmia/Microphthalmia Using a Three-dimensional Animated Model.

Congenital microphthalmia and anophthalmia are rare development disorders with underdevelopment of the orbital region, resulting in asymmetry of the face. No clear guidelines exist to determine when these deviations are acceptable. The face of a healthy 6-year-old child was three-dimensionally scanned. On this scan, we modeled various incremental degrees of facial asymmetries using three-dimensional modeling software. We modeled for smaller palpebral fissures, sunken eyes, and downward displacement of the eye. We also tested whether adjusting the vertical palpebral fissure height in relation to the horizontal palpebral fissure width affected perception. A total of 22 videos were created in which the model turned the head horizontally and vertically. We created a questionnaire asking raters how acceptable the face is, on a linear scale from 0 to 10. Results showed a correlation between the degree of asymmetry and the acceptability score of the raters. Enophthalmos of ≥6 mm, palpebral fissure width ≤79% compared with the other eye, and 2 mm or more downward displacement of the eye resulted in a significant different acceptability score. The desire for correction was strongly increased when these thresholds were exceeded. Adjusting the vertical palpebral fissure height to the horizontal palpebral fissure width resulted in a worse acceptability score. A unilateral sunken eye (enophthalmos) of 6 mm or more, asymmetric horizontal palpebral fissure length of ≤79%, and a lower position of one eye of more than 2 mm resulted in unacceptable judgment. These data can be used to evaluate treatment outcome in children treated for congenital microphthalmia and anophthalmia.

Quantifying lung fissure integrity using a three-dimensional patch-based convolutional neural network on CT images for emphysema treatment planning.

Evaluation of lung fissure integrity is required to determine whether emphysema patients have complete fissures and are candidates for endobronchial valve (EBV) therapy. We propose a deep learning (DL) approach to segment fissures using a three-dimensional patch-based convolutional neural network (CNN) and quantitatively assess fissure integrity on CT to evaluate it in subjects with severe emphysema. From an anonymized image database of patients with severe emphysema, 129 CT scans were used. Lung lobe segmentations were performed to identify lobar regions, and the boundaries among these regions were used to construct approximate interlobar regions of interest (ROIs). The interlobar ROIs were annotated by expert image analysts to identify voxels where the fissure was present and create a reference ROI that excluded non-fissure voxels (where the fissure is incomplete). A CNN configured by nnU-Net was trained using 86 CT scans and their corresponding reference ROIs to segment the ROIs of left oblique fissure (LOF), right oblique fissure (ROF), and right horizontal fissure (RHF). For an independent test set of 43 cases, fissure integrity was quantified by mapping the segmented fissure ROI along the interlobar ROI. A fissure integrity score (FIS) was then calculated as the percentage of labeled fissure voxels divided by total voxels in the interlobar ROI. Predicted FIS (p-FIS) was quantified from the CNN output, and statistical analyses were performed comparing p-FIS and reference FIS (r-FIS). The absolute percent error mean (±SD) between r-FIS and p-FIS for the test set was 4.0% (), 6.0% (), and 12.2% () for the LOF, ROF, and RHF, respectively. A DL approach was developed to segment lung fissures on CT images and accurately quantify FIS. It has potential to assist in the identification of emphysema patients who would benefit from EBV treatment.

A case of single fissured right lung

Two soft, spongy lungs are located in the chest cavity on either side of the mediastinum. Tripartitions are typically observed in the right lung with oblique and horizontal fissures, and bipartitions are observed in the left lung with a single oblique fissure. Expansion of the lungs during breathing is largely helped by fissures. During undergraduate cadaveric chest dissection, we discovered and examined the right lung with a single fissure. In this case, the right lung has transitioned from trilobular to bilobular, with a single oblique fissure separating the upper and lower lobes. The left lung had a normal shape with one oblique fissure and two lobes. Lung fissures and lobar patterns are often altered due to developmental changes during the fetal period. Clinicians should be aware of these anatomical differences in the lung fissures before performing lung surgery to prevent subsequent complications.

Morphological Study of Human Fetal Lung with Respect to Gestational Age in the Tertiary Care Center of Kumaon Region of Uttarakhand

Introduction: The lung fissures are helpful in the movement of lobes in relation to one another. Variation in the presence or absence of fissures indicates about the pattern of development of the lung. The study was done to observe the appearance of lung fissures in human fetal lungs in relation to the gestational age. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Anatomy on 32 pairs of human fetal lungs of either gender which were divided into five subgroups of various gestational ages ranging from 15 weeks to 40 weeks. The morphological details of the appearance of fissures of lungs and the presence of any variation were noted. Results: Out of 32 specimens of the right fetal lung, the horizontal fissure was absent in two fetuses. The oblique fissure was complete and present in all 32 specimens of the right lung. Among 32 specimens of the left lung, the absence of oblique fissure was observed in one lung. No accessory fissure and lobe was seen. Conclusion: In our study, there was no correlation between the appearance of fissure and gestational age as the absence of horizontal fissure in the right lung is found among two gestational age groups; one in 21–25 weeks and one in 36–40 weeks. Furthermore, the absence of oblique fissure in the left lung is seen in the age group of 36–40 weeks. However, it was found that oblique fissure in both lungs and horizontal fissure in the right lung appear as early as 15 weeks of gestation.

Comparative analysis of ocular biometry, ocular protrusion, and palpebral fissure dimensions in brachycephalic and nonbrachycephalic dog breeds.

This study compared skull morphology and ocular parameters in brachycephalic (BC, n=16) and nonbrachycephalic (NB, n=16) dogs using head CT scans. The results of a Schirmer tear test I (STT I), intraocular pressure (IOP), ocular biometry, external structure, ocular protrusion, and palpebral fissure dimensions were evaluated and compared between BC and NB dogs. There were no statistically significant differences in the STT I results, IOP, globe dimensions, globe volume, internal structure, and external structure between BC and NB dogs (P>.05). Brachycephalic dogs exhibited significantly greater ocular protrusion and significantly larger palpebral fissure dimensions compared with NB dogs. For all dogs, we found a strong positive correlation between globe volume and body weight (r=0.836, P=.0000). The globe volumes, external structure parameters, and ocular protrusion were normalized by body weight and were also significantly larger in BC dogs compared with NB dogs (P<.001). The ocular protrusion (r=0.521, P<.0000) and horizontal palpebral fissure (r=0.372, P=.0024) showed a moderate positive correlation with the cephalic index (CI). Additionally, normalized globe volume (r=0.435, P=.0003), normalized orbital depth (r=0.419, P=.0005), and normalized retrobulbar depth (r=0.444, P=.0002) had a moderate positive correlation with the CI. The study emphasizes how the distinctive skull structure of BC dogs, with shortened facial bones and thickened retrobulbar soft tissue, influences their ocular appearance and raises the risk of eye problems.

Levator Resection in Neurogenic Ptosis Oculi Sinistra et causa Third Nerve Paresis + Type II Diabetes: A Case Report

Introduction : Neurogenic ptosis is abnormal position of the upper eyelid caused by dysfunction or damage to the oculomotor or sympathetic nerves supplying the eyelids. Third nerve palsy (35.7%) is the most common cause among others. We report a case of neurogenic ptosis managed surgically by levator resection.&#x0D; Case Illustration : A 67-year-old male complained of drooping left upper eyelid, getting worse in 7 months. He had history of falling off motorcycle 6 months ago. Clinical histories of hypertension and diabetes mellitus were found. Right and left eyelids measurements in millimeter showed horizontal palpebral fissure (HPF) 28/26, vertical palpebral fissure (VPF) 6/3, margin reflex distance 1 (MRD1) 2/-2, margin reflex distance 2 (MRD2) 6/5, margin limbal distance (MLD) 8/4, and levator function (LF) 8/3. Bell’s phenomenon was negative in both eyes. Ice pack test was negative. There were ocular movement restriction in his left eye. Patient underwent a maximum levator resection and had better levator function after 3 weeks follow up.&#x0D; Discussion : Neurogenic ptosis caused by third nerve injury is associated with microvascular ischemia such as diabetes mellitus and hypertension. Operative management is carried out after 3 to 6 months observation. Evaluation of levator function allows the clinician to correctly classify the degree and type of ptosis. Maximal levator resection is the treatment of choice for ptosis with poor levator function.&#x0D; Conclusion : Although various surgical techniques have been developed, ptosis correction should be performed according to the indications and clinical condition of the patient.

The Medial Canthus Fibrous Band's Impact on Epicanthal Fold Severity and Classification in Asians: Implications for Epicanthoplasty.

The epicanthal fold (EF) is a semilunar skin fold located in the medial canthus in most Asians. The medial canthus fibrous band (MCFB) reportedly plays a critical role in EF formation. Variations in MCFB shape and size affect the severity and type of EF. We aimed to analyze MCFB variations in different types and severities of EF and explore the effect of the MCFB resection epicanthoplasty technique (MCFB epicanthoplasty). Surgical videos of 40 patients undergoing MCFB epicanthoplasty in our department were reviewed. The MCFB (area), transverse dimension, vertical dimension, upper eyelid direction length (UEDL), and lower eyelid direction length (LEDL) were measured. For aesthetic assessment, 37 patients were followed up for 6 months; intercanthal distance (ICD) and horizontal lid fissure length (HLFL) were measured. Preoperative and postoperative ICD/HLFL ratios were compared. Postoperative scar recovery was evaluated with the Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale. Statistical significance was set at P < .05. The MCFB diameter and area were larger for severe EF than for moderate EF (P < .01). Patients with severe EF had larger LEDL than UEDL (P < .01). The tarsalis type had a larger LEDL than the palpebralis type with the same severity (P < .01). MCFB epicanthoplasty yielded favorable postoperative cosmetic effects and scar recovery. Postoperative ICD decreased, while HLFL increased compared to preoperative values (P < .001). The ICD/HLFL ratio was significantly lower postoperatively than preoperatively (P < .001). Postoperative ICD/HLFL ratio was 1.2:1. The MCFB affects the severity and type of EF. MCFB epicanthoplasty effectively corrected moderate to severe EF.

Pulmonary Fissures Including Accessory and Azygos Fissures and their Clinical Significance

Introduction: The lungs are divided into lobes by oblique and horizontal fissures. Knowledge of extent of completeness of fissures is important for surgical planning. This study highlights the variation in Pulmonary fissures including accessory and azygos fissure and their clinical relevance. Materials and Methods: The sample consists of fifty (50) lung specimens (25 right and 25 left), collected from formalin fixed cadavers, which were dissected during undergraduate teaching. The lungs were observed for complete, incomplete, and absent fissures. Additional fissures including accessory and azygos fissures were also observed and findings compared with previous studies. Results: Accessory fissure was found in 35% right and 40% left lungs. Horizontal fissure was found to be absent in 30% right lungs. Oblique fissure was found absent in 5% right and left lungs. Four right lungs had azygous fissure. Inferior accessory fissures were found in 15% right lungs. 20% left lungs had both inferior accessory and left minor fissures. Conclusion: It is important to assess the incompleteness or absence of fissures, when planning any surgical procedure. Lung fissure variations are frequently encountered during surgical procedures and knowledge of pattern of these fissures is important to avoid and reduce associated mortality and morbidity.

Microsurgical Procedures of Microvascular Decompression for Trigeminal Neuralgia

Microvascular decompression for trigeminal neuralgia was successfully performed following the secure surgical steps. The most crucial step involves creating a safe operative field in the dural opening. The petrotentorial junction should be identified without cerebellar retraction before proceeding to the deeper areas. Dissecting the petrosal vein and opening the horizontal fissure contributed to the expansion of the operative field. Bleeding often occurs from the dorsal cerebellar bridging vein and junction of the petrosal vein into the superior petrosal sinus. Transposition of the most common offenders, the superior and anterior inferior cerebellar arteries, is effectively achieved by dissecting both the proximal and distal sides of the neurovascular compression site. Teflon should be placed at a sufficient distance to prevent contact with the nerve, which can lead to recurrence. Treating vertebrobasilar artery-related cases is challenging and involves the risk of cranial nerve injuries. Multiple offending vessels are commonly involved. In such cases, it is essential to be aware of the course of the trochlear and abducens nerves during decompression. Applying the most effective and least risky maneuver is necessary for treating cases involving the vertebrobasilar artery.

Anatomical Variations in Fissure of the Lung on Computed Tomography

Objective: Lung fissures embryologically separate the bronchopulmonary segments from each other. We aimed to detect anatomical variations in fissures in patients who underwent thoracic computed tomography (CT). Materials and Methods: All the patients underwent a thoracic CT examination between July 1 - July 15, 2022. The patients’ gender, lung fissures continuity, accessory fissures presence, and variation side were recorded. The frequency of fissures was compared between the genders using the chi-square test. Results: The study included a total of 352 patients (211 men, 141 women). A total of 105 variations were detected in 95/352 (26.99%) of the patients, 61/211 (28.91%) were male, 34/141 (24.11%) were female. The right oblique fissure was incomplete in nine (2.6%), and the right horizontal fissure was incomplete in 14 (4%) patients and absent in 14 (4%). The left oblique fissure was observed to be incomplete in 16 (4.5%) patients. A total of 52 (14.8%) accessory fissures were detected. Conclusion: In the literature, a wide variety of fissure variations have been reported. Due to this diversity, having good knowledge of the fissure anatomical architecture is essential when performing surgical procedures and interpreting radiological images to clinically identify the location of bronchopulmonary segments.

Ophthalmic Parameters of Healthy Captive Blue-Tongued Skinks (Tiliqua scincoides)

Abstract Normal ophthalmic parameters of the blue-tongued skink (Tiliqua scincoides), one of the largest members of the skink family of lizards, have yet to be evaluated. The objective of this study was to establish baseline ophthalmic parameters for a captive population of 12 healthy, one year old, blue-tongued skinks. Ophthalmic examination, corneal touch threshold, tear production including phenol red thread test (PRTT) and modified Schirmer tear test-2 (mSTT-2), horizontal palpebral fissure length (HPFL), rebound tonometry (TONOVET and TONOVET Plus), and bacterial and fungal culture were performed. The blue-tongued skinks were all amenable to ocular diagnostic testing. Corneal touch threshold (mean ± SD) was 5.48 ± 0.81 cm. PRTT (mean ± SD) was 9.17 ± 6.62 mm/15 seconds. mSTT-2 (mean ± SD) was 2.54 ± 2.72 mm/60 seconds. HPFL (mean ± SD) was 6.96 ± 0.62 mm and was positively correlated with body weight. Intraocular pressure (IOP) assessed using TONOVET (mean ± SD) was 8.43± 1.51 mmHg, while IOP assessed using TONOVET Plus (mean ± SD) was 12.39± 1.54 mmHg. Differences in TONOVET and TONOVET Plus tonometry values were statistically significant (P&amp;lt;0.0001) and TONOVET values positively correlated with body weight. The most common bacterial species identified were Staphylococcus xylosus (10/12) and Staphylococcus sciuri (8/12). Fungal cultures were all negative. One animal had superficial corneal ulceration which resolved with treatment. Ophthalmic examination and testing is readily performed in blue-tongued skinks. These parameters may be useful for ocular assessment of this species in a clinical setting.

Approaches to the Middle Cerebellar Peduncle for Resection of Pontine Cavernomas.

The expanded retrosigmoid approach with splitting of the horizontal cerebellar fissure provides a more direct and shorter route for central and dorsolateral pontine lesions while minimizing retraction of tracts, nuclei, and cerebellum. 1-4. The middle cerebellar peduncle is partially covered by the petrosal surface of the cerebellum. The horizontal cerebellar fissure (petrosal fissure) divides the petrosal surface of the cerebellar hemisphere into superior and inferior parts. Splitting the petrosal fissure separates the superior and inferior petrosal surfaces and exposes the posterolateral middle cerebellar peduncle (posterior and lateral to the root entry zone of CN5). 1-4. Expanded retrosigmoid craniotomy is performed, including unroofing of the sigmoid sinus; petrosal fissure is split to expose the posterolateral middle cerebellar peduncle; entry point for resection of the cavernoma is identified; nims stimulator stimulator is used to confirm the absence of tracts and nuclei; myelotomy is performed; and cavernoma and its draining vein (but not the developmental venous anomaly) are removed using a combination of traction and countertraction against gliotic plane. Wide splitting of the horizontal cerebellar fissure minimizes retraction or resection of the cerebellum and offers the best angle of attack. Knowledge of brainstem anatomy and use of intraoperative navigation are critical to avoid complications. Far lateral through the middle cerebellar peduncle is a variant that can be used to resect pontine cavernomas if a caudocranial trajectory is preferred.The patient consented to the procedure and to the publication of her image.

Medmont Meridia™: Much More Than a Corneal Topographer.

In recent years, advanced diagnostic instruments have become widely available in optometric practices, offering various functions that optimize clinical information gathering. This article focuses on the Medmont Meridia™, a state-of-the-art multipurpose diagnostic device with corneal topography and cutting-edge features. Corneal topography is pivotal in the early diagnosis of corneal disorders, determining baseline ocular surface assessment, helping in contact lens fitting, and monitoring ocular health over time. The Medmont Meridia boasts Placido-disc-based imaging with extensive corneal coverage. Furthermore, the Meridia accurately measures the horizontal visible iris diameter, pupil diameter, and palpebral fissure width, which assists in making contact lens parameter decisions. Additionally, it offers sagittal height data for scleral lens design and first lens selection, streamlining the fitting process. Beyond its topography capabilities, the Meridia excels as a comprehensive dry eye assessment tool. With features like tear meniscus height, tear film surface quality, and meibography capabilities, it aids in diagnosing dry eye and monitoring its progression. The device also provides customizable dry eye reports with integrated grading scales and questionnaires, making dry eye management, patient education, and compliance more accessible. In conclusion, the Medmont Meridia consolidates a multitude of examination tools in a single instrument, enhancing practice efficiency and elevating patient care and communication. Its versatility and accuracy make it an invaluable asset in optometric practices worldwide.

Attention U-net for automated pulmonary fissure integrity analysis in lung computed tomography images

Computed Tomography (CT) imaging is routinely used for imaging of the lungs. Deep learning can effectively automate complex and laborious tasks in medical imaging. In this work, a deep learning technique is utilized to assess lobar fissure completeness (also known as fissure integrity) from pulmonary CT images. The human lungs are divided into five separate lobes, divided by the lobar fissures. Fissure integrity assessment is important to endobronchial valve treatment screening. Fissure integrity is known to be a biomarker of collateral ventilation between lobes impacting the efficacy of valves designed to block airflow to diseased lung regions. Fissure integrity is also likely to impact lobar sliding which has recently been shown to affect lung biomechanics. Further widescale study of fissure integrity’s impact on disease susceptibility and progression requires rapid, reproducible, and noninvasive fissure integrity assessment. In this paper we describe IntegrityNet, an attention U-Net based automatic fissure integrity analysis tool. IntegrityNet is able to predict fissure integrity with an accuracy of 95.8%, 96.1%, and 89.8% for left oblique, right oblique, and right horizontal fissures, compared to manual analysis on a dataset of 82 subjects. We also show that our method is robust to COPD severity and reproducible across subject scans acquired at different time points.

Morphological variations of the lung: Accessory fissures and lobes.

Anatomical variability in the human body is not as rare as was previously hypothesised. Indeed, as recently reviewed, the term 'norm' in anatomy can be considered an approximation. Thus, anatomical variations occur quite often, as largely demonstrated during non-invasive diagnosis, surgical intervention, or post mortem investigations. In the present study, we describe different anatomical variations in both the right and left lungs derived from cadavers of different ethnicities. The analysed organs were collected during dissection, and accessory lobes and fissures were observed in both the right and left lungs. Moreover, a horizontal fissure was missing from the right lung, resulting in only two lobes. Since lung anatomical variability is common in clinical practice and preclinical imaging studies can miss different morphologies, a deep and accurate knowledge of the anatomical variations of the lung is of extreme importance to avoid difficulties or changes during the surgical procedure.

Improvement of 1-Stage Comprehensive Operation Technique for Blepharophimosis-Ptosis-Epicanthus Inversus Syndrome.

This retrospective case series presents the clinical results of a modified 1-stage comprehensive surgical method for blepharophimosis-ptosis-epicanthus inversus syndrome (BPES). A total of 25 patients with BPES underwent a modified reverse Z-plastic surgery method to bisect the epicanthus into 2 unequal V-shaped flaps and suture them alternately. The medial canthus ligament was partially incised, shortened, and sutured; the outer canthus was opened with a V-Y flap. The gray line of the outer canthus was cut to extend the eyelid margin length. Ptosis was corrected using the orbicularis oculi-frontalis composite flap technique. We studied the inner intercanthal distance (IICD), interpupillary distance (IPD), horizontal palpebral fissure length (HPFL), marginal reflex distance 1 (MRD-1), IICD/IPD ratio, IICD/HPFL ratio, Vancouver Scar Scale, and overall postoperative satisfaction. The 25 patients included 12 girls and 13 boys (mean age, 8.3 ± 6.8 years), 19 of whom had a family history of BPES. The mean IPD value was 50.15 ± 7.43 mm. IICD decreased from 39.38 ± 2.39 mm preoperatively to 31.64 ± 2.37 mm postoperatively, IICD/IPD from 0.8 ± 0.1 preoperatively to 0.6 ± 0.1 postoperatively ( P < 0.05), and IICD/HPFL from 1.98 ± 0.33 preoperatively to 1.22 ± 0.10 postoperatively ( P < 0.01). HPFL increased from 20.08 ± 3.53 mm preoperatively to 26.04 ± 1.36 mm postoperatively ( P < 0.01), and MRD-1 from -1.12 ± 0.71 mm preoperatively to 3.24 ± 0.47 mm postoperatively ( P < 0.01). The postoperative Vancouver Scar Scale score was 3.68 ± 1.07. Patient satisfaction was rated as 8.8 ± 1.08, with a relatively high overall satisfaction rate. The corrective effect on BPES was noticeable, improving the IICD/HPFL and IICD/IPD ratios. Postoperative scars were not evident, and patient satisfaction was high. Therapeutic, IV.