Use-patterns of personal care and household cleaning products in Switzerland.

Reliable consumer use data are needed to determine health risks posed by chemicals contained in household cleaning and personal care products. Essential information includes the amount of product applied, the frequency of use, and the site of application. To obtain such data, a survey was conducted in Switzerland to assess consumer usage patterns. The use-patterns of 12 household care products, 5 laundry products, and 22 personal care products were collected among the Swiss population (N = 759; ages 0-91) by postal questionnaire, providing for the first time in Europe comprehensive information regarding use of household cleaning and personal care products for the same study population. Apart from the investigation of use frequency, quantity, duration, and habits, also co-use analysis was performed separately for household and personal care products. Use-patterns are presented for both genders and all age groups, including children below the age of 12, who may be more vulnerable to adverse effects attributed to certain chemicals. Also, the currently missing use factors for cosmetic/baby wet wipes were assessed. Stratification of the data by gender, age and other socio-demographic factors, such as region affiliation, allowed us to identify differences between population sub-groups, emphasizing the need for region-specific exposure factors.

Hilar biliary cysts in hepatic transplantation. Report of three symptomatic cases and occurrence in resected liver grafts.

Hilar cysts are infrequent post-transplant biliary tract complications. Thirteen cases were discovered among 493 consecutive liver transplants (2.6%). Three (0.60%) were symptomatic (obstructive jaundice) while the other ten were found by systematically searching in the hilum in a series of 129 consecutive, resected grafts at retransplantation or autopsy (n = 54). Two types of cysts were detected: in eight grafts (1.6%), these were blind unilocular cavities with viscid mucous content, located adjacent to the biliary tract anastomoses. These had been inadvertently created as a result of the sequestered remnant cystic duct after cholecystectomies and biliary tract reconstructions, where a double-barreled common duct and long cystic duct had been present in the donor liver. These mucoceles ranged from 0.5 to 5.5 cm in diameter (median 1.7 cm). The three symptomatic cases were diagnosed by imaging techniques 3.5 years after transplantation; however, this type of cyst was found as early as the 2nd month post-transplantation when detected in lost liver grafts. Five livers (1%), lost between 5 months and 2.8 years post-transplantation, showed cystically dilated peribiliary glands, sometimes with multilocular, and occasionally multiple, cavities ranging from 0.5 to 2 cm in diameter (median 0.8 cm). This type of cyst was asymptomatic and located adjacent to the left, right, or common hepatic ducts. Threads were found near four cysts, suggesting that surgical injury may have been responsible for obstructing the neck of the glands. With the increasing number of long-term survivors of liver transplantation, unless preventive surgical methods are implemented, the number of symptomatic cysts of these origins can be expected to grow. Transplantation teams should, therefore, be aware of these potential causes of biliary tract complications.

High-output external duodenal fistula: treatment with percutaneous transhepatic biliary/duodenal drainage.

Percutaneous transhepatic drainage was successfully performed on a patient with a high-output duodenal fistula as a complication of Billroth II surgery, resulting in closure of the fistula.

High flow priapism after blunt perineal trauma: resolution with bucrylate embolization.

We report on 2 patients (ages 21 and 33 years) with high flow priapism secondary to arteriocavernous fistula produced by perineal injury. Both cases were satisfactorily resolved by super-selective embolization of the fistula with bucrylate. Diagnosis was based on the results of gasometry in cavernous blood, color Doppler ultrasound and arteriography. Erectile function after 24 and 30 months of treatment, respectively, was normal in both patients. Review of the literature revealed that only 13 patients have been managed with arterial embolization. To our knowledge our report represents the first in which intracavernous bucrylate embolization produced detumescence with preservation of erectile function.

[Percutaneous treatment of renal transplant complications]. / Tratamiento percutáneo de las complicaciones en el trasplante renal.

The use of percutaneous endourological techniques in urological complications of renal transplantation has dropped the morbidity/mortality index. These techniques, especially percutaneous nephrostomy, allow us a renal drainage route, thereby improving the recipient's clinical situation and that of the transplant as well. Also, it will allow us access to other therapeutic means such as: introducing catheters, probes for dilating stenosis, and a means of approach to percutaneous nephrolithectomy. Perirenal collections (hematoma, lymphocele, abscess) can be resolved percutaneously to a large extent, without having to resort to surgery. It was observed from the 38 percutaneous endourological procedures performed that in many cases this was the definitive treatment, and in most cases allowed us to place the patient in an acceptable surgical condition. Therefore, we may conclude by stating that percutaneous endourological techniques have proven to be effective alternatives to immediate surgical reintervention, and that they should be used when faced with any urological complication of renal transplantation.

[Treatment of esophageal stenosis using pneumatic dilatation]. / Tratamiento de las estenosis del esófago mediante dilatación neumática.

Esophageal stenosis secondary to lye ingestion and surgical repair of esophageal atresia have been treated traditionally with bougienage. More recently, it has been described a new technique to treat them, based in the works of GRUNTZIG which employs balloon catheters for vascular stenosis. We present a series of 11 patients treated by these method, with a total of 17 stenosis. Ten patients had ingested lye and one had an esophageal atresia. We describe the method employed. 91% of the cases had a satisfactory evolution.