The Time of Diagnosis and Surgical Treatment of Congenital Cryptorchidism: A Single Center's Observational Study in Greece.

PURPOSE: Congenital cryptorchidism or undescended testes (UDT) is one of the most common congenital abnormalities in newborns. Current guidelines recommend that surgical management should be scheduled by the 12th month and no later than the 18th month of the child's life. This is the first study to evaluate the age of diagnosis and surgical treatment of children with UDT in Greece, as well as the compliance with current guidelines worldwide. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of patients with UDT who underwent orchidopexy from 2015 to 2019 was conducted. Patient age at diagnosis and orchidopexy and the meantime between were recorded. Patients were separated into groups, based on the diagnosis age: group A, diagnosis until the 11th month; group B, diagnosis between the 12th and 18th month; and group C, diagnosis at >18th month. RESULTS: We identified 217 children who were diagnosed with UDT and underwent orchidopexy in our department. The majority of the patients (47.4%) had right-sided UDT, while 25.3% of them had UDT on both sides. There were 89 (41%) children in group A, 20 (9.2%) in group B, and 108 (49.8%) males in group C. The median age at diagnosis was 18 months (range: 1-164 months), while for groups A, B, and C, the median age at diagnosis was five, 15, and 71.5 months, respectively. The median age at orchidopexy was 23 months (range: 6-166 months), and for each aforementioned group, it was 11, 16.5, and 74 months. The median waiting time for the orchidopexy was 84 days (range: 1-692 days), and for each group, it was 157, 42, and 56 days, respectively. The delay between diagnosis and surgery was significantly greater for group A compared to groups B and C (p A versus B = 0.01 and p A versus C< 0.0001), while there was no difference in the delay between groups B and C (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Patient age at diagnosis and applied orchidopexy was within the recommended range for almost half of the patients. The rest of them had delayed diagnosis and surgery due to delayed referral. In delayed cases, the time from diagnosis to treatment was significantly shorter. Early surgical referral leading to prompt treatment will increase compliance with the guidelines and improve the quality and the outcomes of the provided health-care services.

Are percutaneous epiphysiodesis and Phemister technique effective in the treatment of leg-length discrepancy? A systematic review.

Epiphysiodesis is considered the preferred treatment for children predicted to have leg length discrepancies (LLDs) 2-5 cm at maturity. The aim of this study was to systematically review the existing literature on the effectiveness of permanent epiphysiodesis for LLD treatment, and secondarily to address the reported complications of permanent epiphysiodesis techniques. This systematic review was performed according to PRISMA guidelines. We searched MEDLINE (PubMed), Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science and Scopus for studies on skeletally immature patients with LLD treated with permanent epiphysiodesis. The extracted outcome categories were effectiveness of epiphysiodesis (LLD measurements pre/post-operatively, successful/unsuccessful), physeal fusion/arrest, and complications that were graded on severity. Forty-nine studies (3051 patients) were included, 1550 underwent Phemister/modified Phemister epiphysiodesis and 1501 percutaneous epiphysiodesis (PE). Total successful permanent epiphysiodesis surgeries (16 studies) were 73.7% (516/700). Only 13 out of 23 studies had a mean final LLD of less than 1.5 cm. In total, 17.5% (513/2936) of complications were reported. 57 angular deformities were reported (1.9%). Phemister technique had higher percentage of complications (39%) than PE (19.1%) in total, but when failure to achieve adequate reduction in LLD was not included, complication rates for both were close to 14%. However, severe complications were 10.2% for Phemister group and 5.1% for PE. The high complication rates and the relative low success rate call for optimization of the timing and the applied techniques when treating LLD with permanent epiphysiodesis. Phemister technique was found to have higher percentage of severe complications than PE. Registration: PROSPERO (CRD42023435177).

Birthweight correlates to pubo-femoral distances and α angles in hip ultrasound of newborns at 6 weeks of age: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: There is inconsistency in the literature regarding the relationship between increased birthweight and risk of developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH). We aimed to investigate the correlation between birthweight and pubo-femoral distance (PFD), as well as Graf's α angle in newborns undergoing hip ultrasound examination at 6 weeks of age. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Basic newborn characteristics and ultrasound measurements were retrospectively collected during a 1-year study period. We excluded multiple births, newborns born at less than 37 gestational weeks, and incomplete information. Simple and multiple linear regression analyses were performed to evaluate the correlation of birthweight and PFD, and, second, birthweight and α angles including a stratified regression analysis investigating the potential effect modification of sex. RESULTS: 707 newborns (1,414 hips) were included. Mean birthweight was significantly higher for male newborns (P < 0.001). Increased birthweight was positively correlated to PFD values (crude coefficient 0.21, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.10-0.32) and the correlation was still present after adjusting for sex, family history, and breech presentation (adjusted coefficient 0.18, CI 0.07-0.29). The stratified α angle model for the males was significant for both the crude coefficient (-0.73, CI -1.28 to -0.19) and the adjusted (-0.59, CI -1.15 to -0.03), and also for the females (crude coefficient -1.14, CI -1.98 to -0.31 and adjusted coefficient -1.15, CI -1.99 to -0.31). CONCLUSION: We found that increased birthweight positively correlated to PFD, and negatively correlated to α angle, but this was not of clinical significance.

The Efficacy of Probiotics, Prebiotics, and Synbiotics in Patients Who Have Undergone Abdominal Operation, in Terms of Bowel Function Post-Operatively: A Network Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Abdominal operations may lead to post-operative bowel dysfunction, while administration of probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics may limit its manifestation. Τhe study aimed to assess the efficacy of probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics in patients who undergone abdominal operation, in terms of bowel function post-operatively. METHODS: PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (Central), Embase, US Registry of clinical trials, and sources of grey literature were searched. The relative effect sizes were estimated, and we obtained the relative ranking of the interventions using cumulative ranking curves. RESULTS: In total, 30 studies were included in the analysis. For the outcome of post-operative ileus, probiotics was superior to placebo/no intervention (relative risk, RR: 0.38; 95%CI: 0.14-0.98) with the highest SUCRA (surface under the cumulative ranking) value (92.1%). For time to first flatus, probiotics (MD: -0.47; 95%CI: -0.78 to -0.17) and synbiotics (MD: -0.53; 95%CI: -0.96 to -0.09) were superior to placebo/no intervention. For time to first defecation and for post-operative abdominal distension probiotics were superior to placebo/no intervention. For post-operative hospitalization days, synbiotics were superior to placebo/no intervention (MD: -3.07; 95%CI: -4.80 to -1.34). CONCLUSIONS: Administration of probiotics in patients who had undergone abdominal surgery reduced the prevalence of post-operative ileus, time to first flatus, time to first defecation, and prevalence of post-operative abdominal distension. Synbiotics reduce time to first flatus and post-operative hospitalization days.

Case Report of Femoral Neck Stress Fracture in X-linked Hypophosphatemic Rachitis Patient Treated with Mechanical Axis Correction and a Literature Review.

Introduction: X-linked hypophosphatemic rachitis (XLHR) is the most common cause of hereditary rickets that can lead to long bone deformities requiring multiple surgical correction procedures. In addition, high rates of fractures are reported in adult XLHR patients. This study aimed to report a case of femoral neck stress fracture in XLHR patient treated with mechanical axis correction. No previous studies demonstrating a combined valgus correction and cephalomedullary nail fixation were identified in the literature. Case Report: A 47-year-old male patient with XLHR attended the outpatient clinic with severe left hip pain. X-rays revealed a left proximal femoral varus deformity and a femoral neck stress fracture. After 1 month without improvement of pain, and no radiographic sign of healing, correction of the proximal femoral varus deformity and fixation of the cervical neck fracture was achieved by a cephalomedullary nail. At 8 months follow-up, hip pain relief was achieved with radiographic healing of the femoral neck stress fracture and the proximal femoral osteotomy. Conclusion: A review of the literature was performed to identify any case report of femoral neck fractures fixation due to coxa vara in an adult. Both coxa vara and XLHR can cause femoral neck stress fracture. This study presented the surgical technique for treating a rare case of femoral neck stress fracture in a XLHR patient with coxa vara. Pain relief and bone healing were achieved by combined deformity correction and fracture fixation with a femoral cephalomedullary nail. The technique for deformity correction and cephalomedullary nail insertion in the patient with coxa vara is shown.

Decreased flow-mediated dilation in gestational diabetes in pregnancy and post-partum. A systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIMS: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a common medical complication during pregnancy. Endothelial dysfunction is considered an early step in the progression of atherosclerosis that may contribute to subclinical target organ damage. This meta-analysis aimed to systemically review the existing data regarding endothelial dysfunction between women with and without GDM during pregnancy and post-partum using flow-mediated dilation (FMD). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eligible studies (cohort and observational) published until October 2021 were identified in the MEDLINE, Scopus, Cochrane Library database and grey literature sources were searched. RESULTS: The search yielded 2272 studies, of which 17 were fully reviewed and 12 studies (N = 740 pregnant women) were finally included. Pregnant women with GDM exhibited a significantly lower FMD compared to pregnant women without GDM (pooled mean difference -3.12; 95% CI -5.36 to -0.88). Moreover, in the immediate (1-6 months) post-partum period, women with previous GDM showed lower FMD compared to healthy women without GDM history (pooled mean difference -7.52; 95% CI -9.44 to -5.59), whereas FMD did not differ in the late post-partum period (more than 4 years). CONCLUSIONS: Flow-mediated dilation is decreased in women with GDM during pregnancy and in the immediate post-partum period, compared to women without GDM, indicating that the endothelial dysfunction noted during the pregnancy in those women persists in the immediate post-partum period too. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42021283113 (www. CLINICALTRIALS: gov).

Salmonella Septic Hip Arthritis in Immunocompetent Children: Three Case Reports and Literature Review.

Septic arthritis is an orthopaedic emergency, especially considering the pediatric population. Salmonella is a less common aetiologic factor for septic arthritis compared with other Gram-negative bacteria. Its isolation in immunocompetent children and infants is quite rare, with an estimated incidence of 0.1% to 0.2% of septic arthritis cases among children. We report three rare cases of hip septic arthritis with Salmonella as a confirmed pathogen in immunocompetent children, with two of them being infants. The main symptoms that occurred in all three cases were fever, hip pain/no bearing, and diarrhoea, as well as elevated levels of WBC, C-reactive protein and ESR. The duration of their hospitalization was 20, 26 and 52 days. One case was treated only with antibiotics, while the other two with surgical drainage with/without arthrotomy. All cases had a follow-up of at least one year, with only one of the infants having the femoral head in a subluxated position and early signs of osteonecrosis. Fluoroscopy-assisted closed reduction had to be performed and maintained by hip spica. A new femoral epiphysis was formed at the time of the last follow-up 2.5 years later. Our case series highlights the possibility of Salmonella typhi septic hip arthritis in immunocompetent individuals. Therefore, Salmonella species must always be kept in mind during the differential diagnosis of septic arthritis in a clinically relevant setting.

The Effect of Phosphodiesterase-type 5 Inhibitors on Erectile Function: An Overview of Systematic Reviews.

Background: Multiple systematic reviews explore the effect of phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors on erectile dysfunction (ED), with each study addressing specific outcomes. However, physicians and policymakers require a holistic approach of this topic. Objective: To summarize the current evidence regarding the efficacy and safety of PDE5 inhibitors for the management of ED through an overview of systematic reviews. Methods: Studies were identified by searching PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library and Scopus databases, as well as sources of grey literature until June 12, 2021 (PROSPERO: CRD42020216754). We considered systematic reviews, meta-analyses or network meta-analyses of randomized trials that provided outcomes about the efficacy and safety of any approved PDE5 inhibitor (avanafil, sildenafil, tadalafil and vardenafil). We constructed forest plots for meta-analytic effects regarding the change in erectile function, adverse events and dropouts after administration of PDE5 inhibitors in the general population and in specific patient groups. Results: We included 23 studies with 154,796 participants and a total of 258 meta-analytic effects. Sildenafil 25 mg [Weighted Mean Difference (WMD): 13.08, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 10.1-16.06] seemed to be statistically superior to all interventions in improving erectile function compared to placebo, but studies with low-dose sildenafil are lacking. Moreover, comparing among different PDE5 inhibitors, sildenafil 50 mg or sildenafil 100 mg were considered the most effective compounds in the general population. The latter derived, however, predominantly from indirect comparisons among different PDE5 inhibitors. Still, sildenafil 100 mg was associated with more treatment-related adverse events and dropouts. Interestingly, low-dose daily tadalafil may be more effective than high-dose on-demand tadalafil (WMD: 1.24, 95% CI: 0.03-2.44). Furthermore, testosterone and PDE5 inhibitors in patients with ED and hypogonadism seem to further improve symptoms, while the addition of a-blockers in patients with urinary symptoms treated with PDE5 inhibitors does not provide additional benefits (WMD: -0.8, 95% CI: -1.65-0.06). Conclusion: Although the efficacy and safety of PDE5 inhibitors, compared to placebo, is well-documented, the existing evidence comparing different PDE5 inhibitors is low. Therefore, high-quality, head-to-head, trials comparing different PDE5 inhibitors are necessary to determine their ideal dosage and formulation based on their safety and efficacy profile. Systematic Review Registration: PROSPERO, identifier [CRD42020216754].

Effect of phosphodiesterase-type 5 inhibitors on erectile function: an overview of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

INTRODUCTION: Phosphodiesterase-type 5 inhibitors (PDE5i) are the recommended first-line treatment for erectile dysfunction. Previous systematic reviews and meta-analyses suggest that they are a safe and effective option in many patient groups. Similarly, PDE5i may be effective as part of combination therapy in non-responders to PDE5i. We will generate an overview of systematic reviews, meta-analyses and network meta-analyses aiming to summarise the available knowledge regarding the efficacy and safety of PDE5i in the general population and in multiple subgroups of patients. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This overview was designed in accordance with the PRIO-harms and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols guidelines and its protocol was registered at PROSPERO. We will systematically search PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library and Scopus databases from inception to November 2020 without any language restrictions. We will include systematic reviews or meta-analyses: (1) comparing the efficacy and safety of any dose of PDE5i with each other, with placebo or with other effective treatments for the management of erectile function; (2) exploring the use of any PDE5i alone or in combination with other treatment modalities in the general male population or in specific subgroups and (3) conducted with systematic procedures. Our overview will employ the AMSTAR 2 tool to evaluate the quality of the included studies and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach to assess the strength of evidence for all outcomes. We will construct forest plots of risk estimates with the corresponding CI for all outcomes. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: In this overview, we will undertake an extensive literature search in an attempt to evaluate the potential benefits and risks of treatment with one PDE5i versus another or versus placebo and provide recommendations for clinicians and policy-makers. No ethical approval is required. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42020216754.

Surgical management of a delayed post-traumatic saccular aneurysm of the radial artery.

Post-traumatic aneurysm of the radial artery is a rare and often misdiagnosed vascular lesion of the wrist. Radial artery ligation can lead to excellent results if Allen test confirmed that ulnar artery is the dominant feeding artery to the hand.

Bilateral Sciatic Nerve Compression Due to Abnormal Termination of the Small Saphenous Vein Into the Popliteal Vein: A Rare Mechanism of Pseudoclaudication of the Lower Extremities.

Claudication in the young population is a rare condition derived from varied neurogenic and vascular conditions. We report a case of bilateral claudication of the lower extremities in a young athlete after intense training. Apart from tenderness to deep palpation of the popliteal fossa, physical and laboratory examinations did not reveal any abnormal findings. According to the patient's symptoms, sciatic nerve entrapment to the popliteal fossa was suspected and bilateral surgical exploration of the sciatic nerve was performed. The sciatic nerve was found to be entrapped before its division to the tibial and common peroneal nerves from the terminal branch of the small saphenous vein (SSV) into the popliteal vein (PV). The terminal section of SSV was subsequently ligated and resected to relieve the pressure on the sciatic nerve. One year after surgery, the patient was able to run long distances as well as sprint and train without any restriction. Rare conditions may lead to pseudoclaudication in young individuals and athletes during exercise. Normal physical and laboratory tests must raise the suspicion of sciatic nerve compression from fibrous bands or abnormal anastomotic veins that may also exist bilaterally. Surgical exploration along with sciatic nerve release remains the only treatment solution when conservative treatment fails to alleviate the symptoms.