[Management of urachal remnants in children: Is surgical excision mandatory?]. / Prise en charge des résidus de l'ouraque au cours de l'enfance : l'exérèse chirurgicale est-elle obligatoire ?

INTRODUCTION: The classical management of urachal remants consists in surgical resection, in order to prevent infections and long term malignancies. However, some reports have recently spread a wait and see management. The aim of our study was to report the results of the surgical management in our center. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective, monocentric review of all patients managed for urachal remnants from January 2005 to December 2014. RESULTS: Thirty-five patients have been operated during the study period (18 girls and 17 boys). Mean age at surgery was 4,9±4,4 years old. Twenty-seven patients were referred due to symptoms whereas 8 were discovered incidentally (4 by ultrasound scan and 4 during laparoscopy). Among them, 10 were urachal cysts, 15 were urachus sinusa and 10 were patent urachus. Thirty were operated using an open approach and 5 using a laparoscopic approach. Mean length of stay was 3,8±1,7days (1-10) with a mean duration of bladder drainage of 2,5±1 days. No major complications occurred. No abnormal tissue was discovered at the histological analysis. CONCLUSION: Presentation of urachal remnants is variable but surgical outcomes remain excellent in our experience. When symptoms occur, the surgical decision is easy, but when the diagnosis is incidental, the decision is much more complicated. Official guidelines could ease the decision process and the management of urachal anomalies.

Safety and feasability of ureteroscopy for pediatric stone, in children under 5 Years (SFUPA 5): A French multicentric study.

INTRODUCTION: Ureteroscopy (URS) can be proposed as first-line therapy for the management of pelvic stones from 10 to 20 mm and for lower ureteric stones in children. However, little is known about the success and the morbidity of URS in young children. Ureteroscopic treatment may present matters in young children because of the small size of the pediatric kidney and the small size of the collecting system. OBJECTIVE: To assess safety and efficacy of URS for the treatment of urinary stones in children aged of 5 years or less. STUDY DESIGN: After the institutional ethical board approval was obtained, we conducted a retrospective, analytic, multicentric study that included all URS performed between January 2016 and April 2022 in children aged of 5 years or less. In this non-comparative case series, anonymized pooled data were collected from 7 tertiary care centers of pediatric patients. Endpoints were the one-session SFR at 3 months and per and postoperatives complications. Descriptive statistics were applied to describe the cohort. RESULTS: Eighty-three patients were included. For them, 96 procedures were performed at the median age of 3.5 years (IQR: 0.8-5) and median weight of 14 Kg (6.3-23). Median stone size was 13 mm (4-45). There were 65 (67 %) renal stones treated with flexible URS, most of which were in the renal pelvis (30 %) and in the lower calix (33 %). A ureteral access sheath was used in 91 % procedures. Preoperative ureteral stent was placed in 52 (54 %) of patients. None of patients had ureteral dilatation. The single-session SFR was 67.4 % (56.3 and 89.2 % for flexible URS and semi-rigid URS respectively) and children require 1.4 procedures to achieve complete stone clearance. The overall complication rate was 18.7 %, most of them were minor (Clavien I-II). Intraoperative perirenal extravasation (Clavien IIIb) due to forniceal rupture was documented in 6.2 % of cases, related to an increased intrapelvic pressure (IPP) performed in a closed pelvicalyceal system. DISCUSSION: Pediatric urologists should be aware of forniceal rupture based on the presence of extravasation of contrast during endourological procedures especially when they have difficulties to reach lower caliceal stone in small patient. CONCLUSION: URS in patients aged of 5 years or less, is a complex minimally invasive procedure with reasonable efficacy and low morbidity. Intrarenal stones treated by RIRS in young children carries the risk of additional procedures to complete stone clearance.

Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome patients' interest, expectations and demands concerning uterus transplantation.

OBJECTIVE: To better understand patients' conditions and expectations before starting a uterus transplantation (UTx) program for women suffering from Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome (MRKH syndrome). METHOD: A web-based survey was conducted among MRKH patients via the French national association network from March to August 2020. The questionnaire comprised twenty-eight questions about their desire for parenthood, their condition's characteristics and previous reconstructive procedures, opinions and knowledge about UTx. RESULTS: Among the 148 participants, 88 % reported a desire for parenthood, and 61 % opted for UTx as their first choice to reach this aim. The possibility of bearing a child and having the same genetic heritage were the main motivations. Once informed about the usual course of an UTx protocol, only 13 % of the participants changed their mind and 3 out of 4 of them opted for UT. CONCLUSION: Uterus transplantation seems to be the first option to reach motherhood in patients suffering from MRKH syndrome. The development of UTx programs could meet the demands of this already well-informed population.

[Focusing of inguinal hernia in children]. / Hernie inguinale chez l'enfant: mise au point pratique.

Abnormal persistence of the processus vaginalis in children predisposes to a complication that is strangulated inguinal hernia. The inguinal hernia is a frequent pathology because global incidence varies from 0,8 to 4,4% for children of any age and reaches about 30% in premature children. Strangulated inguinal hernia is rare (from 1,5 to 8%) and constitutes a surgical emergency. More frequently, reduction following sedation is possible (from 25 to 33%), and normally leads to delayed surgery. Current practice is to operate early in these children, including preterm infants, before any complication arises. This early surgery requires use of regional anaesthetic techniques such as spinal anaesthesia, ileo-inguinal ileohypogastric nerve blocks and caudal anaesthesia. However, although this pathology may appear to be routine commonplace it requires a specialized surgical and anaesthetic approach and specialized environment.

[Thymoma in children: a rare and difficult diagnosis]. / Thymome de l'enfant : un diagnostic parfois difficile.

Thymoma is extremely rare within the pediatric age range, which could lead to delayed diagnosis. Based on the clinical case of a mediastinal tumor in an 8-year-old patient, we detail the key points in the management of this disease highlighted by our recent experience.

Abdominal cystic lymphangioma in children: benign lesions that can have a proliferative course.

Twenty-one pediatric cases of abdominal cystic lymphangioma (CL) treated in the past 20 years are reviewed. To date, this is the largest reported series. CL is a rare congenital malformation that presents either with chronic abdominal distension (and is detected by palpation of a cystic mass) or acutely with bowel obstruction or signs of peritonitis. It is more common among boys and most often occurs in children under 5 years of age. Abdominal ultrasonography is the procedure of choice for establishing the diagnosis. Acute cases with intracystic hemorrhage are more difficult to diagnose. Computed tomography and celioscopy may be useful. With these techniques, a correct diagnosis should be achieved in nearly every case. Enucleation (when feasible) or segmental intestinal resection (when the cyst is intimate to the bowel) is effective treatment. In a few cases the malformation is diffuse, and extensive bowel resection is necessary, with the risk of short bowel syndrome.

Laparoscopic appendicectomy: case reports of vascular injury in 2 children.

The authors report 2 similar cases of serious vascular injury occurring during laparoscopic appendicectomy. These cases stress the potential risk of major accidents with laparoscopic surgery. There should be great care in the choice of indications and during the procedures.

Post-traumatic arterial priapism in the child: a study of four cases.

The authors report four cases of arterial priapism in the child, a rare condition since only 13 cases are described in the literature. High-flow priapism follows perineal or penile injury with damage to a cavernosal artery and formation of an arteriosinusoidal fistula. The onset may be immediate but more often occurs after a few days. Arterial priapism is painless, as the corpora cavernosa are less tumescent in the anterior third of the penis. The clinical appearance and circumstances of onset suggest the diagnosis. Doppler ultrasound is the complementary investigation of choice, confirming and localising the fistula. Various methods of treatment have been proposed. Injections of alphastimulant seem ineffective in most cases and are not without danger. Surgery, which is potentially damaging, has been used only in the adult. Most authors propose embolising with resorbable material the artery which feeds the fistula. However, priapism may resolve spontaneously in less than three weeks, as occurred in our cases, without recurrence or subsequent erectile dysfunction. We thus consider the condition may initially be managed by observation alone, with recourse to embolisation if priapism does not resolve after a period of time which however remains to be defined.

Retroperitoneoscopic approach to the adrenal glands and retroperitoneal tumours in children: where do we stand?

Choosing the best way to approach adrenal gland and retroperitoneal tumours is still difficult. We reviewed our first 10 cases operated on by retroperitoneoscopy and compared this approach with other possible ways described in the literature. There were 2 intraoperative complications: 1 opening of the diaphragm and 1 bleeding. Tumour resection was always complete. There was no conversion. There were no postoperative complications. The retroperitoneoscopic approach for adrenalectomy and retroperitoneal tumour resection is increasingly being used. In children, operation is quite fast, without much blood loss and with spectacular postoperative recovery results. Even for the right side we advocate this approach, due to the particular anatomy (small tumour size, less fat, thinner muscle layers) in this age group. Trained surgeons are, of course, mandatory.

[Intermittent ureteropelvic junction obstruction and aberrant vessel to the lower pole of the kidney in children]. / Obstruction intermittente de la jonction pyélo-urétérale et vaisseaux polaires inférieurs chez l'enfant.

Intermittent ureteropelvic junction obstruction in children is a distinct clinical syndrome, it is often associated with an anteriorly crossing aberrant vessel to the lower pole of the kidney. The presence of these vessels increases the risk of complication and requires surgical management. CT scan is already the best exam to find these vessels in adults before treatment. It seems to be also efficient in children. This case report illustrates this indication.

[Clinical course and treatment of pleural empyema in children]. / Evolution clinique et traitement de l'empyème pleural chez l'enfant.

BACKGROUND: Purulent pleurisy has become rare. It is often masked by previous antibiotic treatment so that functional prognosis may be poor. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty children with purulent pleurisy of the large cavity admitted from 1987 to 1993 were included in the study: there were nine infants (age 5 to 18 months) with pleuro-pulmonary staphylococcal infection (group I) and 11 children (4-13 years) (group II). Clinical, biological, bacteriological and radiologic findings were analysed retrospectively as was the outcome. RESULTS: Patients of group I were admitted in poor general condition. X-ray showed moderate effusion and characteristic signs of staphylococcal infection. The bacteria identified in seven patients (77%) was S aureus. Recovery was rapid with antibiotics and simple local treatment. X-rays were normal two months after hospital discharge in seven patients (77%). One infant presented cicatricial bullous emphysema which required segmental resection. Patients of group II were admitted for moderate respiratory signs after a relatively long delay (14 days) since the onset of symptoms. X-rays showed considerable effusion in all and mediastinal shift in five patients (45%). Streptococcus pneumoniae was identified in one patient only. Local treatment of empyema was difficult; the effusion, already fibrinous, required repeated use of chest tubes in eight cases and surgical decortication in three. X-rays, performed 2 months after hospital discharge, were normal in only three patients. Long-term course was nevertheless favorable since chest X-rays at 5 months were normal in all children of both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Early recognition of purulent pleurisy is important in children aged over 3 years to ensure effective drainage before the effusion becomes fibrinous. All patients in whom the first tube was inserted after more than 10 days had a difficult follow-up requiring repeated chest drainages or surgery. Ultrasonography was a useful aid for diagnosis and local treatment. Computed tomography was useful for adapting treatment after several days of course.

[Management of ureteroceles with pyelo-ureteral duplication in children. Report of 64 cases]. / La prise en charge des urétérocèles sur duplicité pyélo-urétérale chez l'enfant. A propos de 64 cas.

Sixty four cases of ureteroceles in a context of pyeloureteric duplication were reviewed. They were detected antenatally in 69% of cases. Upper pole nephroureterectomy was performed as first-line procedure in 32 cases. In 37.5% of cases, this procedure was followed by lower tract reconstruction, essentially because of symptomatic reflux in the inferior renal pelvis. Complete renal and vesical reconstruction was performed as the first-line procedure in 6 cases. An ureteropelvic anastomosis allowed preservation of the superior renal pelvis in 4 cases, including one case with secondary lower tract reconstruction. Intravesical reimplantation of the two ureters was performed in 8 cases. Primary endoscopic opening of the ureterocele was performed in 10 cases and complementary surgery was required in 7 cases. Other procedures were used more rarely: temporary ureterostomy, nephrostomy, resection of the protruding dome of a cecoureterocele. Current management is usually neonatal. The first step consists of prevention of infection. The therapeutic approach depends on the quality of the superior renal pelvis assessed by DMSA renal scintigraphy. Immediate complete reconstruction of the kidney and bladder is now rarely indicated. When the superior renal pelvis is not functional, resection should be considered with aspiration of the ureterocele. A complementary bladder procedure is required in some cases (40% in our series) to treat symptomatic reflux in the inferior renal pelvis. When the superior renal pelvis is functional, ureteropelvic anastomosis is a good solution, especially when the superior ureter is very large and poorly functional, but endoscopic opening of the ureterocele can also be proposed, which may need to be followed be intravesical reconstruction.

[Tissue carcinoembryonic antigen: a screening test for increased cell proliferation?]. / Tkivni karcinoembrionalni antigen (CEA): test probiranja pojacane stanicne proliferacije?

A relationship between the tissue and serum concentrations of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) as determined by the enzymoimmunoassay (EIA) was studied in 46 patients with colorectal carcinoma and 47 patients with gastric carcinoma. The values were then compared to those obtained in the control group of 64 healthy subjects. Serum CEA concentrations were measured in all of them, whereas tissue CEA concentration was determined in the rectal and gastric mucosa homogenates in 30 and 34 subjects, respectively. As expected, no differences were observed in the levels of serum CEA concentrations in either of the healthy subject subgroups. The serum CEA concentrations were found to be at the normal level of 2.5 ng/ml. In both subgroups of healthy subjects, the tissue CEA concentration was found to significantly differ, but the same was in colorectal and gastric carcinomas as compared to the normal rectal and gastric mucosa. When the process extent according to Dukes' classification in 22 patients with colorectal carcinoma operated on was compared to the relationship between the tissue and serum CEA concentrations, the serum CEA concentration of CEA was shown to depend on the tumor mass, regardless of the level of the specific tissue CEA concentration. Unusually high values of tissue CEA concentration, along with normal serum CEA concentration, were observed in 3 healthy subjects. A relationship between the tissue and serum CEA concentrations according to the degree of differentiation, studied in colorectal carcinomas, revealed significantly lower values of tissue CEA concentration in poorly differentiated carcinomas (P less than 0.01), whereas serum CEA concentrations did not show any such difference.

Anatomic basis for use of a gracilis muscle flap.

The aim of this study was to specify certain anatomic features of the gracilis m. with a view to the use of muscular or myocutaneous flaps. It was based on dissection of 84 gracilis muscles in 42 subjects as well as selective injection of the main pedicle of 20 muscles. This established the following points: 1) The arterial supply is abundant, consisting of several pedicles reaching the muscle on its deep aspect. The main neurovascular pedicle arises from the deep vessels of the thigh, via either the a. of the adductors (73%), the medial circumflex a. (19.2%) or as a double supply from both arteries (7.7%); 2) The cutaneous vascularisation over the gracilis m., derived from the solitary main pedicle, is inconstant. In 20 injections, it was satisfactory in 11 cases, poor in 5 and absent in 4; 3) The distal tendon of the gracilis m. is closely related to the posterior branch of the saphenous n. to the leg, which it crosses in an elongated X; 4) A simple method of calculation based on the distance between the upper border of the pubis and the medial femoral epicondyle allows quite precise determination of the point of entry of the main pedicle into the gracilis m. 5) Complete dissection of the main pedicle adds to the available length of the muscle flap.

[Hemoperitoneum and splenic rupture in a newborn infant]. / Hémopéritoine et rupture de la rate chez un nouveau-né.

Splenic rupture is a rare cause of hemoperitoneum in the neonate. We report on a case of splenic rupture in a full-term neonate with normal spleen following a non-traumatic delivery. The spleen was found to be completely transected and a splenectomy was required. Several etiologies have been proposed: traumatic delivery, in utero fetal trauma prior to delivery, high birth weight, clotting defect, erythroblastosis fetalis. Partial splenectomy or repair of splenic laceration should be performed rather than total splenectomy which can cause severe bacterial sepsis.