Can tumor recurrence be reduced with plasma-kinetic vaporization of the area around the tumor in nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer?

Purpose: To investigate the effect on recurrence of vaporization of the tumor surroundings and suspicious areas with a plasma-kinetic (PK) system after transurethral resection (TUR) of nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer. Materials and Methods: The study included 121 patients with a primary superficial bladder tumor who were randomized as those who underwent TUR with the PK system (Group 1, n=62) and those who underwent TUR with the monopolar system (Group 2, n=59). The vaporization procedure was performed by suppressing the cutting option of the PK system for a period, which would accumulate energy sufficient to make swelling-waves on the mucosa very close to the area of the loop to be vaporized. Results: A total of 121 patients who met the study criteria were included for evaluation. Recurrence was determined in 21 patients in Group 1 (33.87%) and in 29 patients in Group 2 (49.15%) (p=0.088). Recurrence was close to the old resection site in 6 of 21 patients in Group 1, and in 13 patients in Group 2 (p=0.028); the difference was statistically significant. No statistically significant difference was determined between the two groups with respect to age, gender, number of tumor foci, rate or range of additional treatments applied, cigarette smoking rate, repeat TUR rate and rate of tumor en- countered in repeat TUR, T-stage, and tumor grade. Conclusions: The effect of vaporization on recurrence by the PK system may seem similar to the effect of standard TUR, the recurrence- lowering effect surrounding nonmuscle invasive bladder cancers is better.

Does washing the biopsy needle with povidone-iodine have an effect on infection rates after transrectal prostate needle biopsy?

PURPOSE: To determine the effect of washing the biopsy needle with povidone-iodine solution on infection rates after transrectal ultrasonography-guided prostate biopsy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 180 patients with transrectal prostate biopsy were included. Infection was excluded with midstream urine culture before biopsy, and patients were divided into two groups. In group 1 (n = 84), the needle was washed with povidone-iodine after each material reception during biopsy, and in group 2 (n = 96), it was not. At day 3 and 2 weeks after the biopsy, patients were checked. On day 3, midstream urine was cultured and patients were checked for fever, hematuria, rectal hemorrhagia, hematospermia and urinary retention. Also, the effect of rectal preparation on infection rate was evaluated. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the patients' ages, PSA levels and prostate volumes. In total, 11 patients (6.1%; 4 from group 1 and 7 from group 2) developed infectious complications. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups. Fever, asymptomatic bacteriuria and urinary system infection rates were also not statistically different between the groups. The most frequent complication was hematuria with 83 cases (46.1%), but they did not need hospitalization and no patient had acute urinary obstruction. CONCLUSIONS: Washing the biopsy needle with povidone-iodine did not have an effect on the infection rates. Antibiotic prophylaxis and cleaning the biopsy equipment is adequate for low infection rates.

Combined bladder, urethral and uterine rupture after a normal, spontaneous vaginal delivery at home: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Uterine rupture and associated injury to the maternal bladder and urethra have been rarely reported. All those cases were associated with a scarred uterus or augmentation of labor. We report a case of simultaneous bladder, urethral and uterine rupture in an unscarred uterus following delivery at home. CASE: A 22-year-old woman was referred from a peripheral hospital to the emergency unit of the Medical Faculty, Yüzüncü Yil University, after delivering at home. On vaginal examination, the bladder neck and proximal one third of the urethra were ruptured. Intraoperatively it appeared that the posterior wall of the bladder and bladder base had ruptured and separated from the level of the interureteric ridge. An extensive rupture of the lower uterine segment to the left sidewall of the uterus was seen. CONCLUSION: To prevent these complications, uneducated, traditional birth attendants should be replaced by at least midwives, and the rate of unsupervised home delivery should be reduced.

Thalamic involvement in a patient with kernicterus.

We report the MR imaging findings of a 16-month-old boy with dyskinetic cerebral palsy resulting from kernicterus. T2-weighted images showed symmetric bilateral hyperintensity in the thalamus in addition to the globus pallidus.