Background Total body photography may aid in melanoma screening, but is not widely applied due to time and cost. We hypothesized that a near-simultaneous automated skin photo-acquisition system would be acceptable to patients and could rapidly obtain total body photographic images that enable visualization of pigmented skin lesions. Methods From 2/09–5/09, a study of 20 volunteers was performed at the University of Virginia to test a prototype 16-camera imaging booth built by the research team and to guide development of special purpose software. For each participant, images were obtained before and after marking ten lesions (5 “easy” and 5 “difficult”), and images were evaluated to estimate visualization rates. Imaging logistical challenges were scored by the operator, and participant opinion was assessed by questionnaire. Results Average time for image capture was 3 minutes (range 2–5). All 55 “easy” lesions were visualized (sensitivity 100%, 90%CI 95–100%) and 54/55 “difficult” lesions were visualized (sensitivity 98%, 90%CI 92–100%). Operators and patients graded the imaging process favorably, with challenges identified regarding lighting and positioning. Conclusions Rapid-acquisition automated skin photography is feasible with a low-cost system, with excellent lesion visualization and participant acceptance. These data provide a basis for employing this method in clinical melanoma screening.

Melanoma has a high propensity for cardiac seeding, with heart involvement noted in a significant number of patients at autopsy. Therapeutic options are currently limited, and the prognosis of cardiac metastasis is poor. We report two cases of cardiac metastasis of melanoma and review the current literature. In addition we propose an algorithm for dealing with this difficult problem.

BACKGROUND:Single-center data demonstrates that regional analgesia (RA) techniques are associated with reduced risk of delirium in older patients with multiple rib fractures. We hypothesized that a similar effect between RA and delirium would be identified in a larger cohort of patients from multiple level I trauma centers. METHODS:Retrospective data from seven level I trauma centers were collected for intensive care unit (ICU) patients 65 years or older with ≥3 rib fractures from January 2012 to December 2016. Those with a head and/or spine injury Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) score of ≥ 3 or a history of dementia were excluded. Delirium was defined as one positive Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit score in the first 7 days of ICU care. Poisson regression with robust standard errors was used to determine the association of RA (thoracic epidural or paravertebral catheter) with delirium incidence. RESULTS:Data of 574 patients with a median age of 75 years (interquartile range [IQR], 69-83), Injury Severity Score of 14 (IQR, 11-18), and ICU length of stay of 3 days (IQR, 2-6 days) were analyzed. Among the patients, 38.9% were women, 15.3% were non-White, and 31.4% required a chest tube. Regional analgesia was used in 19.3% patients. Patient characteristics did not differ by RA use; however, patients with RA had more severe chest injury (chest AIS, flail segment, hemopneumothorax, thoracostomy tube). In univariate analysis, there was no difference in the likelihood of delirium between the RA and no RA groups (18.9% vs. 23.8% p = 0.28). After adjusting for age, sex, Injury Severity Score, maximum chest AIS, thoracostomy tube, ICU length of stay, and trauma center, RA was associated with reduced risk of delirium (incident rate ratio [IRR], 0.65; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.44-0.94) but not with in-hospital mortality (IRR, 0.42; 95% CI, 0.14-1.26) or respiratory complications (IRR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.42-1.16). CONCLUSION:In this multicenter cohort of injured older adults with multiple rib fractures, RA use was associated with a 35% lower risk of delirium. Further studies are needed to standardize protocols for optimal pain management and prevention of delirium in older adults with severe thoracic injury.