A case report of transverse testicular ectopia with testicular microlithiasis.

Transverse testicular ectopia is a rare congenital anomaly in which both testes migrate along the same inguinal canal toward the scrotum. This report describes the case of the rarest form of transverse testicular ectopia in a 23-year-old man with coexisting testicular microlithiasis in one of the two testes as diagnosed on sonography and confirmed on MRI. We are unaware of any previous published reports of this association. Although the etiology of both conditions is debatable, each is believed to be associated with an increased risk of testicular malignancy, and this poses a dilemma for the future management of this patient.

Ergonomic use of the fourth arm to oversew the dorsal vascular complex (DVC) during robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP).

OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate an ergonomic fourth arm technique to oversew the dorsal vascular complex (DVC) during robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Balloon of a Foley catheter inflated in the bulbar urethra. Fourth arm cranial traction via suture in the tip of the catheter. DVC oversewn under direct vision. RESULTS: Oversew of DVC with minimal patient-side surgical assistance. About a 50% reduction in apical positive margin rate. CONCLUSION: A useful, ergonomic method of oversewing the DVC during RALP.

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.

Non-surgical management of methamphetamine induced testicular ischemia.

A rare case of methamphetamine induced testicular ischemia, a 35-year-old man with clinical and sonographic features of left epididymitis. However, Ultrasound incidentally showed a lack of vascularity of the right testicle despite being asymptomatic on the right hemi-scrotum. He was a known intravenous methamphetamine user, admitting his last injection was 4 h prior to his presentation. The left epididymitis was treated with antibiotics, analgesia and scrotal support, while right testicle was treated conservatively with serial ultrasounds. Repeat ultrasound in 20 h confirmed the return of normal vascularity of the right testicle confirming methamphetamine induced testicular ischemia, no surgical intervention needed.

Burns in children: the importance of assessing for non-accidental injuries.

Children represent 30% of all burn cases seen by accident and emergency physicians in the UK every year, with toddlers being most at risk within this age group. With the emergence of walking autonomy, the need for constant supervision is sometimes not enough to prevent this type of injury from happening. However, in remembering the importance of children's health and safety, non-accidental injury is always to remain a differential diagnosis. The authors review a paediatric burns case underlying the importance of keeping an open mind to allow a proper clinical diagnosis to be formed.

Audiovisual distraction reduces pain perception during shockwave lithotripsy.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Lithotripsy is an established method to fragment kidney stones that can be performed without general anesthesia in the outpatient setting. Discomfort and/or noise, however, may deter some patients. It has been demonstrated that audiovisual distraction (AV) can reduce sedoanalgesic requirements and improve patient satisfaction in nonurologic settings, but to our knowledge, this has not been investigated with lithotripsy. This randomized controlled trial was designed to test the hypothesis that AV distraction can reduce perceived pain during lithotripsy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All patients in the study received identical analgesia before a complete session of lithotripsy on a fixed-site Storz Modulith SLX F2 lithotripter. Patients were randomized to two groups: One group (n=61) received AV distraction via a wall-mounted 32″ (82 cm) television with wireless headphones; the other group (n=57) received no AV distraction. The mean intensity of treatment was comparable in both groups. Patients used a visual analogue scale (0-10) to record independent pain and distress scores and a nonverbal pain score was documented by the radiographer during the procedure (0-4). RESULTS: In the group that received AV distraction, all measures of pain perception were statistically lower. The patient-reported pain score was reduced from a mean of 6.1 to 2.4 (P<0.0001), and the distress score was reduced from a mean of 4.4 to 1.0 (P=0.0001). The mean nonverbal score recorded by the radiographer was reduced from 1.5 to 0.5 (<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: AV distraction significantly lowered patients' reported pain and distress scores. This correlated with the nonverbal scores reported by the radiographer. We conclude that AV distraction is a simple method of improving acceptance of lithotripsy and optimizing treatment.

Primary torsion of vermiform appendix mimicking acute appendicitis.

Acute appendicitis is a common condition, 8% of the developed world have an appendicectomy in their lifetime. However, torsion of the appendix is a rare disorder first described in 1918 presenting in a manner undistinguishable from acute appendicitis. The authors describe a case of a 48-year-old man who presented with a short history consistent with acute appendicitis. At open appendicectomy, was found to have an acute clockwise torsion of the vermiform appendix at a point 0.5 cm from its base. Histological examination of the specimen was consistent with torsion of the appendix but no underlying cause for the torsion was identified. The postoperative recovery was uneventful; the patient received intravenous antibiotics for a further 48 h and was discharged home without any complications.

Choledochal-duodenal fistula presenting as an upper GI bleed.

Gallstones are common and largely asymptomatic, but can result in significant morbidity in a small proportion of patients. Choledochal-enteric fistulation is one such complication with an associated mortality of 15-18%. The authors present a case of an 88-year-old man admitted to the general medical ward with an acute upper gastrointestinal bleed. Oesophagogastroduodenoscopy found a large gallstone impacted in the pylorus and CT scan revealed a choledochal-duodenal fistula. At laparotomy it was found that a 6.2 cm gallstone had fistulated into D1 and the pylorus and impacted there, causing outflow obstruction - Bouveret's syndrome. A subtotal cholecystectomy was performed and the stone was removed by a separate gastrostomy. A radiological follow through study on day 14 showed contrast passing freely through the duodenum with no leak and the patient went on to make a slow, but uneventful recovery.