Obstructive uropathy in the context of ureteroinguinal hernia: experience of challenges in surgical management of an unwell patient.

This case exemplifies an unusual anatomical variation of a common presentation and highlights the importance of perioperative diagnosis and planning in complex surgical patients. A 72-year-old comorbid man presented to the emergency department with an infected obstructed right kidney secondary to an obstructing 12 mm vesicoureteric junction calculi. However, imaging also showed concurrent ureteroinguinal hernia associated with a 130 cm-long ureter, too long for conventional treatment with a ureteric stent. Acutely, the patient's collecting system was decompressed via nephrostomy, but due to the rarity of this anatomical variation, definitive treatment had to be rethought to help reduce the risk of iatrogenic damage and the associated long-term complications.

Ezogabine: a novel antiepileptic for adjunctive treatment of partial-onset seizures.

Epilepsy is defined as a tendency toward recurrent seizures unprovoked by any systemic or acute neurologic insults. It is a disruption of the electrical conductivity or activity in the brain, resulting in a seizure. In the United States, approximately 120 of every 100,000 people seek medical attention due to new seizure activity. Ezogabine, known as retigabine in Europe, is an ethyl N-(2-amino-4-[{fluorophenyl}methlamino]phenylcarbamate). The drug has been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Medicines Agency for adjunctive treatment of partial-onset seizures in adults. Ezogabine exerts its therapeutic effect by enhancing transmembrane potassium channels (KCNQ ion channels), which is a novel mechanism in comparison with other antiepileptics. There are no specific documented contraindications to ezogabine. Warnings target patients that have benign prostatic hyperplasia or are receiving concomitant anticholinergic drugs due to a risk of urinary retention (2%). The FDA has required that ezogabine be part of a risk evaluation and mitigation strategy program in order to inform health care professionals of the risk of urinary retention. Prescribers should inform patients that ezogabine can cause urinary retention, including urinary hesitation, and instruct them to seek immediate medical attention if these symptoms occur. A medication guide has been developed for distribution to patients.

Lymhomatosis cerebri--a rare cause of leukoencephalopathy.

BACKGROUND: Lymphomatosis cerebri is a rare variant of primary central nervous system lymphoma. Clinically it presents usually as rapidly progressive dementia and is accompanied by extensive white matter changes in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). CASE DESCRIPTION: A 49-year-old immuno-competent male who complained of dull diffuse headache, rapidly deteriorated in higher functions over a 6 month period. On examination he was globally declined in cognitive functions and had papilledema. MRI showed extensive white matter lesions. He became temporarily alert, and attentive after a course of parenteral steroids. However within three weeks he relapsed and a wedge biopsy of the brain revealed histopathology consistent with lymphomatosis cerebri. CONCLUSION: The differential diagnosis of diffuse white matter diseases is constantly expanding. In the background of a rapidly progressing subcortical dementia and extensive white matter disease, neoplastic disorders of the brain especially lymphomatosis cerebri should be considered. Early tissue diagnosis is important for specific treatment and interventions.

Incidental renal tumours: the frequency of benign lesions and the role of preoperative core biopsy.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence of benign renal lesions in incidentally discovered small renal tumours, increasingly detected by the widespread use of abdominal imaging, and to evaluate whether preoperative renal core biopsy is effective in identifying benign lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a retrospective study, renal core biopsies for incidental tumours over a 5-year period were analysed. The biopsies were correlated with the final pathology of the nephrectomy specimens, or with patient follow-up if nephrectomy was avoided. RESULTS: Of 70 diagnostic core biopsies, a third of cases were considered benign. The sensitivity and specificity for both benign and malignant lesions when compared to definitive pathology was 100% in all cases subjected to nephrectomy. Of the 30 non-diagnostic biopsies, three were proved to be benign, and 18 likely to be benign. The only complication of renal biopsy was one case of bleeding after biopsy. CONCLUSION: A higher than previously anticipated proportion of incidentally detected small renal masses are benign. Given the high sensitivity and specificity, there is value in taking a core biopsy of small incidental renal lesions, a procedure with a low complication rate (1%). When analysed by a pathologist familiar with renal biopsy, this might avoid radical nephrectomy in many patients.

Coronary bypass surgery for patients with chronic poor preoperative left ventricular function (EF<30%): 5-year follow-up.

BACKGROUND: Optimal therapy for patients with coronary artery disease and chronic poor left ventricular function, given the absence of randomized trials, is unclear. Although coronary surgery has been performed in such patients for 25 years, it is perceived as high risk and unproven long-term benefit, especially if thallium scanning fails to demonstrate large areas of viability. We report the results of coronary surgery in these patients. METHODS: Retrospective analysis by a standardized patient questionnaire, of 107 such consecutive patients offered coronary surgery. RESULTS: Mean follow-up was 3.3 years (range, 0.5-5.5); average patient age was 64.4+/-1 years. Preoperative thallium scans were performed solely on 31 patients with none or mild angina, of which 10 (32%) demonstrated large areas of viable myocardium. Perioperative mortality was 1.9%. On multivariate analysis, factors predictive of increased perioperative death were recent myocardial infarction (p<0.001) and nonelective surgery (p<0.001). Kaplan-Meier 5-year survival and freedom from major adverse cardiac events were 72.3 and 82.3%, respectively. In 21 patients, with preoperative nil-to-mild angina and nil-to-small areas of myocardial viability, thallium scanning failed to predict a successful outcome. CONCLUSION: Offering coronary surgery to these patients irrespective of thallium testing is safe and effective in the medium term. Early surgery is recommended.

Cystic adventitial disease: a case report and literature review.

Cystic adventitial disease (CAD) is a rare non-atherosclerotic cause of peripheral vascular disease (PVD). We describe a 54-year-old man who presented with calf claudication and catheter angiography showed the typical scallop appearances of CAD. Surgery involved resection of the diseased segment with a femoral popliteal venous bypass graft. A literature review revealed the different theories for pathogenesis, the investigation of choice being catheter angiography and the treatment excision with bypass grafting.