An adult female epispadias without exstrophy was presented with urinary incontinence: a case report

A 39-year-old woman with three children presented with primary severe urinary incontinence. Epispadias without exstrophy was determined in physical examination. The single-stage procedure including vulvoplasty and modified Young-Dees-Leadbetter bladder neck repair was performed to obtain sufficient cosmetic outcome and continence. Excellent functional and cosmetic results were obtained.     

Ultrastructural changes in pneumocyte type II cells following traumatic brain injury in rats.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to demonstrate the time-dependent ultrastructural changes in pneumocyte type II cells following brain injury, and to propose an electron microscopic scoring model for the damage. METHODS: Forty Wistar-Albino female rats weighing 170-200 g were used. The rats were allocated into five groups. The first group was the control and the second was the craniotomy without trauma. The others were trauma groups. Weight-drop method was used for achieving head trauma. Samples were obtained from the right and left pulmonary lobes at 2-, 8-, and 24-h intervals after transcardiac perfusion. An electron microscopic scoring model was used to reveal the changes. RESULTS: There were no ultrastructural pathological findings pointing to lung injury in any rat of the control groups. There was intense intracellular oedema in type II pneumocyte and interstitial oedema in the adjacent tissue in trauma groups. Oedema in mitochondria and dilatation in both smooth endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus was more evident in the 8- and 24-h trauma groups. The chromatin dispersion was disintegrated in the nucleus in all trauma groups. Scores of all trauma groups were significantly different from the controls (P<0.05). All trauma groups were different from each other at significant levels (P<0.05 for each trauma groups). CONCLUSIONS: The data suggested that ultrastructural damage is obvious at 2 h and deteriorates with time. The electron microscopic scoring model worked well in depicting the traumatic changes, which were supported by lipid peroxidation. Further experiments are needed to determine the exact outcome after brain death model.     

Effect of intra-abdominal pressure level on gastric intramucosal pH during pneumoperitoneum

The present study was designed to examine the effect of intra-abdominal pressure level on gastric intramucosal pH using gastric tonometry during pneumoperitoneum. One hundred patients were prospectively randomized into 5 equal groups (N = 20 each). Intra-abdominal pressure levels were 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16 mm Hg in groups I, II, III, IV, and V, respectively. Intramucosal pH measurement was done 2 times: 30 minutes following insufflation and 1 hour after the ending of the surgery. In the first and second measurements, intramucosal pH values were found as 7.39 +/- 0.02 and 7.36 +/- 0.03 in group I; 7.41 +/- 0.03 and 7.38 +/- 0.03 in group II; 7.37 +/- 0.03 and 7.37 +/- 0.03 in group III; 7.36 +/- 0.03 and 7.37 +/- 0.03 in group IV; and 7.39 +/- 0.03, 7.36 +/- 0.03 in group V, respectively. Statistical significance was not found in the comparison of these values within the groups and between the groups (P > 0.005, for each). In conclusion, intra-abdominal pressure between 8 and 16 mm Hg did not cause significant difference in gastric intramucosal pH.     

Does the complication rate increase in laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis?

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) has replaced open cholecystectomy for the treatment of gallbladder disease. Despite the well-accepted success of LC in chronic cholecystitis, the efficacy of this technique has been subject to some debate in acute cholecystitis (AC). This study was designed to evaluate our institution's experience with LC for AC and chronic symptomatic calculous cholecystitis (CC), based on complication and conversion rates to open surgery. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The records of 1158 patients with LC from September 1991 to December 2001 were analyzed. The parameters of age, gender, early and late complication rates, and conversion rates from LC to open cholecystectomy were compared in patients with AC and CC. RESULTS: During the study period, LC was performed in 1158 patients. Of these, 162 patients had AC (group 1) and 996 patients had CC (group 2). The conversion rates were 4.3% (7/162) in group 1 and 2.4% (24/996) in group 2. The complication rates were not significantly different (5.6% in group 1, 5.1% in group 2, P > 0.05). Difficulty in dissection around Calot's triangle and obscure anatomy were the main reasons for conversion to conventional open surgery. The mortality rate was 1.2% in group 1 and 0.01% in group 2. CONCLUSION: LC appears to be a reliable, safe, and effective treatment modality for AC and CC. The surgical approach should be performed carefully because of the spectrum of potential hazards of the laparoscopic procedure. Conversion and complication rates are similar in both AC and CC groups, and improve as surgeons gain experience.     

Pyloric atresia associated with epidermolysis bullosa: report of two cases and review of the literature

The coexistence of pyloric atresia (PA) and epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is a rare but well-known surgical emergency in neonates. PA/EB is described by the association of atresia of the pylorus and bullous lesions on the skin. Ninety one cases have been reported in the literature to date. We present two new cases and evaluate the association of PA/ EB, its etiopathogenesis and the clinical properties. Case 1: A three-day-old female presented with nonbilious vomiting and bullous lesions 2-3 cm in diameter on the extremities. Abdominal X-ray showed a single air-fluid level in the left upper quadrant. At laparotomy, we found PA and performed a pyloro-pylorostomy. The patient died due to sepsis complication of EB two months after surgery. Case 2: A two-day-old male presented with severe dermal bullous lesions on the trunk, neck and extremities. His stomach was dilated and there was no gas distally. We found PA and performed gastroduodenostomy. Initially, he tolerated the feeding well, but he died due to severe sepsis on the postoperative 23rd day. Almost all neonates born with the PA/EB result in a fatal outcome in the first few years. The complications related to EB are usually the cause of death. Even after successful repair of PA, skin lesions lead to death due to infection.     

Use of continuous horizontal mattress suture techniques in microsurgery: an experimental study in rats

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether the continuous horizontal mattress suture technique can replace the continuous simple suture technique and to compare the results with other microvascular suture procedures. METHODS: Sixty-four femoral arteries of 32 Sprague-Dawley rats were used in this study. The animals were divided equally into 4 groups with 16 anastomoses in each group. The arteries (0.8-1.0 mm diameter) were anastomosed by using the continuous horizontal mattress suture technique in group I, interrupted horizontal mattress suture technique in group II, simple interrupted suture technique in group III, and simple continuous suture technique in group IV. At the end of the anastomosis time, leakage, and patency were assessed and graded in all groups. On the 14th day after surgery the rats were killed and 5 patent specimens from each group were examined under light microscopy for histology. One specimen from each group was prepared for scanning of the endothelial surface under electron scanning microscopy. RESULTS: Group I anastomoses were performed the most quickly. Groups I and III anastomoses had 100% patency rates. Under light microscopy the edge eversion was apparent consistently and under electron microscopy all endothelial surfaces were intact and no suture material was seen in groups I and II. In group III some suture material was covered by endothelial cells and lumen surfaces were torn; endothelization also was rough compared with groups I and II. In group IV suture material was seen in the lumen because of a loose suture knot. The endothelium also was not regular. CONCLUSIONS: The horizontal mattress suturing technique is the only technique in which the suture material never contacts the lumen. Continuous horizontal mattress suture technique is superior to the other microvascular procedures and is the safest and fastest procedure for microvascular anastomosis in rats.     

Timing of surgical treatment for type III supracondylar humerus fractures in pediatric patients

Background  Type III supracondylar humeral fracture is a common cause of emergency hospitalization among children requiring surgical treatment. The configuration of the internal fixation material, surgical technique, and optimal timing of surgery (TS) have always been popular topics of debate. The TS in uncomplicated cases is usually determined by surgeons. Methods  In this study, we prospectively followed children with type III supracondylar fractures. We aimed to clarify the effects of injury side, gender, and post-injury delay on switching to open surgery and the ease of the reduction. Results  Based on our results, the probability of switching to open surgery increased by a factor of 4 every 5 h beginning 15 h after injury. Open surgery was necessary after 32 h. Conclusion  Reduction became technically more difficult as TS increased.     

MR fluoroscopy-guided transthoracic fine-needle aspiration biopsy: feasibility

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of using an open-configuration magnetic resonance (MR) imaging system with MR fluoroscopic guidance to perform percutaneous transthoracic fine-needle aspiration biopsy in patients with lung masses. Percutaneous transthoracic aspiration biopsies were performed with MR fluoroscopic guidance in 14 patients. The masses were 2-7 cm in diameter (mean, 4.1 cm). The needle was positioned by using a free-hand technique with MR fluoroscopic guidance. The needle tip reached the target lesion, and biopsy was performed. Analysis of the biopsy specimens facilitated a specific diagnosis in all patients. Pneumothorax was noted in two patients (14%) with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Study results showed that the described MR fluoroscopy-guided transthoracic biopsy technique can be used safely and successfully for lung masses. MR fluoroscopy can be used to reach the target lesion easily and accurately.     

Value of Dual Energy Computed Tomography for detection of myocardial iron deposition in Thalassaemia patients: initial experience

Purpose

The aim of our study was to compare the value of cardiac DECT (cDECT) for detection of myocardial iron deposition to T2*w cardiac MRI (cMRI).

Material and methods

Nineteen patients with clinical history of Thalassaemia underwent T2*-weighted cardiac MRI (cMRI) with a 1.5 T MR scanner (MAGNETOM Symphony, Siemens Medical Solutions, Erlangen, Germany) and cardiac dual energy CT (cDECT) with a DSCT scanner (SOMATOM Definition, Siemens Medical Solutions, Erlangen, Germany) on the same day. HU values obtained from cDECT scans and T2*-values from cMRI were statistically correlated to calculate significance levels. Table times were measured for both cDECT and cMRI and compared. Patients were asked to grade their subjective comfort during the examination.

Results

In all patients cDECT scans were successfully acquired.HU values of septal muscle correlated strongly with T2*-values, whereas no correlation was found for paraspinal muscle.Table time was significantly shorter for cDECT compared to cMRI (mean: 3.7 min vs. 11.2 min) and subjective patient comfort was rated comfortable for cDECT and average to poor for cMRI. Mean radiation dose was 0.71 mSv.

Conclusion

cDECT scans seem to be possible for evaluation of myocardial iron load in pediatric Thalassaemia patients.