Soft tissue sarcoma (STS) represents an uncommon and heterogenous group of malignancies, and poses substantial therapeutic challenges. Pyroptosis has been demonstrated to be related with tumor progression and prognosis. Nevertheless, no studies exist that delineated the role of pyroptosis-related genes (PRGs) in STS. In the present study, we comprehensively and systematically analyzed the gene expression profiles of PRGs in STS. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) databases were utilized to identify differentially expressed PRGs. In total, 34 PRGs were aberrantly expressed between STS and normal tissues. Several PRGs were validated with RT-qPCR. Consensus clustering analysis based on PRGs was conducted to divide STS patients into two clusters, and significant survival difference was observed between two distinct clusters (p = 0.019). Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between pyroptosis-related clusters. Based on the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) COX regression analysis, the pyroptosis-related gene signature with five key DEGs was constructed. The high pyroptosis-related risk score group of TCGA cohort was characterized by poorer prognosis (p < 0.001), with immune infiltration and function significantly decreased. For external validation, STS patients from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) were grouped according to the same cut-off point. The survival difference between two risk groups of GEO cohort was also significant (p < 0.001). With the combination of clinical characteristics, pyroptosis-related risk score was identified to serve as an independent prognostic factor for STS patients. In conclusion, this study provided a comprehensive overview of PRGs in STS and the potential role in prognosis, which could be an important direction for future studies.

Keloids are caused by an imbalance between collagen matrix decomposition and production during wound repair. Spontaneous keloids are a rare type of keloid that arise without a significant history of trauma or surgery. We herein report a case involving a 59-year-old woman with symmetric neoplasms at the bilateral labia majora that had persisted for about 3 years and a >10-year history of pruritus and pain at the bilateral labia majora with folliculitis. The bilateral labia majora gradually swelled and lost their normal physiological morphology. The patient was diagnosed with keloids. Under general anesthesia, the keloids were resected. The right incision was sutured directly and the left was closed using an inguinal flap. Adjuvant radiotherapy was administered after the surgery. No recurrence of the keloids was observed at the 1-year follow-up, and the patient was satisfied with the appearance of the vulvar region. This is the first report of spontaneous symmetrical giant keloids at the bilateral labia majora, and it emphasizes the importance of the effect of abnormal inflammation on keloid formation. Repairing genital defects using an inguinal flap has only a minor effect on the patient’s postoperative movement, and an ideal vulvar appearance can be achieved.

BACKGROUND Subcuticular suture is an important technique for achieving optimum wound closure, and there has been no comprehensive summary of subcuticular sutures to date. OBJECTIVE To summarize the origin and development of interrupted subcuticular suture to help clinicians improve their wound closure skills. MATERIALS AND METHODS A comprehensive review of subcuticular suture techniques was conducted in PubMed to summarize the advantages and disadvantages of various methods and clinical indications. RESULTS Buried suture is the oldest subcuticular suture technique, followed by buried vertical mattress suture, intracutaneous butterfly suture, modified/variant buried vertical mattress suture, intradermal buried vertical mattress suture, buried horizontal mattress suture, wedge-section and modified buried vertical mattress suture, set-back suture, and modified buried horizontal mattress suture, which have gradually been applied in clinical practice. Buried vertical mattress suture is currently the most widely used subcuticular suture technique. CONCLUSION Patients can certainly benefit from the appropriate application of subcuticular suture. There is also no single ideal method for achieving optimal results in all cases. Fully understanding the history of subcuticular suture can help doctors improve their wound closure technique.