Rectal flap advancement – a simple and effective approach for the treatment of rectourethral fistula

Objective Rectourethral fistula is a rare complication of prostatic surgery and other pelvic procedures. We report our experience of surgical repair of using a rectal advancement flap. Patients Three patients with rectourethral fistula following prostatic surgery were treated. Two patients had an anterior partial thickness of rectal flap advancement via a trans‐anal approach without urinary or faecal diversion. In one patient a rectal flap repair was performed through a posterior transsphincteric approach following urinary and faecal diversion. Results No significant postoperative complications occured. Healing was successful in each patient and faecal and urinary continence was normal. Conclusion Transanal rectal advancement flap is a simple and effective technique for the treatment of a rectourethral fistula with no need for urinary or faecal diversion.     

Meckel Gruber syndrome: a first trimester diagnosis of a recurrent case.

We report of a case of Meckel Gruber Syndrome (MGS) in a woman, who suffered previously from a pregnancy with the same disorder. MGS, consisting of an occipital encephalocele, bilateral cystic kidneys and postaxial polydactyly, is a rare autosomal recessive disorder, with a recurrence risk of 25%. With the present technology, a targeted ultrasound in the late embryonic or early fetal stages of pregnancy has the potential to diagnose this syndrome. Clinical screening in further pregnancies is of utmost importance and the management of such cases is presented.     

Tibolone versus four estrogen replacement therapy protocols and plasma lipid levels in postmenopausal women.

OBJECTIVES: To compare tibolone therapy with four different estrogen replacement therapy protocols, with regard to the effects on plasma lipid profiles. METHODS: The plasma lipid levels of 178 postmenopausal women in five different therapy groups were compared with each other as well as their baseline levels with 6-month intervals during 2-year follow-up. Student's t-test, paired t-test and Pearson correlation analysis were utilized for statistical analysis. RESULTS: HDL cholesterol levels increased significantly from baseline in groups using oral estrogen (P<0.05) but a slight non-significant decrease was seen in tibolone therapy (P>0.05). LDL cholesterol levels significantly decreased at the end of the second year in oral estrogen and tibolone users (P<0.05). Triglyceride levels increased non-significantly with estrogen therapy (P>0.05), whilst decreased significantly in the tibolone group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Tibolone may be a good alternative to estrogen replacement therapy in postmenopausal women, as it has beneficial effects on LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels, which play important role in atherosclerosis.     

Complement-human histocompatibility antigen haplotypes in C2 deficiency.

C4 allotyping 13 homozygous C2-deficient individuals demonstrated 23 of 25 haplotypes to be of the relatively rare type C4A4 B2. This is of the same magnitude as the association of C2Q0 with HLA-DW2/DR2.     

The Effect of Platelet-Rich-Plasma on the Healing of Left Colonic Anastomosis in a Rat Model of Intra-Abdominal Sepsis

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) on the healing of colonic anastomosis in the presence of sepsis. Materials and Method: Fifty Wistar-albino male rats were used. Ten healthy rats were euthanized to prepare PRP, the rest were subjected to colonic anastomosis and randomly allocated into four groups of 10 rats each as anastomosis without PRP (C), without PRP in sepsis (SC), anastomosis with PRP (C-PRP), and with PRP in sepsis (S-PRP). Sepsis was induced by cecal ligation and puncture procedure. All animals were euthanized on postoperative day 7. The body weight change, anastomotic bursting pressure (ABP), tissue hydroxyproline (TH) and histopathological examination of each group were analyzed by using one-way analysis of variance (ANOWA) and Tukey's HSD post-hoc test to assess the differences between the groups. Results: There was no statistical difference among the groups in terms of body weight changes. The ABP was measured at a mean value of 179.5 ± 10.3, 129.3 ± 14.2, 209 ± 14.4, and 167.5 ± 7.5 mm-Hg, in group C, SC, C-PRP, and S-PRP, respectively. The ABP and TH of C-PRP group was significantly higher than three groups (p < .05, for each comparison). In sepsis, PRP significantly raised the mean ABP and TH levels up to the levels of C group. Tissue regeneration was significant with increased collagen formation in C-PRP group than the other groups (p < .05). The healing effect of PRP in the presence of sepsis was significant than S-group (p < .05), while similar to C group (p = .181). Conclusion: PRP application to colonic anastomosis promotes the healing process in rats with intra-abdominal sepsis.     

Double inlet left ventricle–ventriculoarterial discordance without surgical treatment

Univentricular heart is a rare congenital defect that consists, in nearly 80% of cases, of double inlet left ventricle, to which both atrioventricular valves connect. A 31‐year‐old male patient was diagnosed with single ventricle at the age of 9. He had not received any surgical intervention and was not on any medication. Functional capacity was assessed as New York Heart Association class III. Both atrioventricular valves were found to open into the morphological left ventricle, which was located on the right; the hypoplasic right ventricle was on the left side of the left ventricle, the posteriorly located aorta emerged from the right ventricle, and the anteriorly located pulmonary artery emerged from the left ventricle. There was significant subvalvular and valvular stenosis in the pulmonary valve site. The disease is complex and it is very rare that untreated patients reach adulthood.     

Combined duplication of the colon and vermiform appendix in an adult patient

Combined duplication of the colon and vermiform appendix is one of the rare congenital anomalities of the alimentary tract. Only a few cases have been reported in the adult population. A 28-year-old man presented to the clinic with a mass in the right flank. Imaging showed only a hydronephrotic atrophic kidney. The final diagnosis was only available at exploration. Combined duplication of the tubular colon and vermiform appendix was confirmed histopathologically. The patient was treated with nephrectomy and complete resection of the duplicated colon and vermiform appendix. The patient recovered uneventfully, and has done well for the past year. This is believed to be one of the first reports of combined duplication of the tubular colon and vermiform appendix as a cause of hydronephrotic atrophic kidney in an adult patient.