Self-reported quality of life measures of patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia on indwelling urethral catheters

Objective To evaluate the self-reported quality of life (QoL) measures of patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) who are managed temporarily with indwelling urethral catheters. Patients and Methods Between February and April 2005; 40 consecutive patients with BPH (mean age: 69.5 years) on temporary indwelling catheters were asked to complete an eleven-item questionnaire in order to measure their self-reported physical and mental health status. Result Eighty percent of the study population (n=32) did not feel more irritable than usual; 75(n=30) had no feeling of worthlessness; 72.5(n=29) had urethral pain which had little or no interference with their daily activities; 62.5(n=25) still derived leisure from the things they used to enjoy; 60(n=24) were much less interested in sex or had lost interest in sex completely; while 80(n=32) felt that their quality of life was not impaired as a result of long-term catheterization. Conclusion Generally; one would expect that people who are subjected to long-term indwelling catheterization would report a poor QoL However; the majority of our patients did not have the feeling that their QoL was significantly hampered by their obvious disease burden which was probably due to the fact that urinary catheter drainage relieved their lower urinary tract symptoms

Apport de l'echographie de contraste dans la caracterisation de l'hyperplasie nodulaire focale; tumeur benigne du foie

"Notre etude porte sur 3 observations en echographie de contraste avec un produit de contraste ultra sonore de 2eme generation. Il s'agit de microbulles d'hexafluorure de soufre; gaz non toxique; non inflammable et a elimination pulmonaire. Ces cas cliniques nous ont permis d'expliciter la cinetique de prise de contraste de l'hyperplasie nodulaire focale (HNF) typique. Cependant; tout comme les methodes de reference (TDM; IRM); l'echographie de contraste n'arrive pas a caracteriser les HNF atypiques. Pour I'HNF typique; on visualise a la phase arterielle precoce la vascularisation en ""rayon de roue"" du nodule; suivie du passage apres 3 a 4 secondes en hypersignal de ce nodule. A la phase portale; le nodule est en iso ou hypersignal. Au temps tardifs; la lesion est en hypersignal. La cicatrice centrale n'est visualisee que dans 60pour cent de cas. L'echographie de contraste grace aux nouvelles sequences complexes de 1 'imagerie non lineaire ameliore fortement 1 'ensemble des explorations echographiques. Cette nouvelle methode est actuellement la plus performante dans la detection des lesions focales hepatiques. Son avenir est donc assez prometteur."

Aspects morphologiques de l'effet de l'hydroxyanisol butyle sur l'hyperplasie thyroidienne chez la souris ICR

Ce travail avait pour objet d'etudier; en utilisant une approche morphologique l'effet du BHA sur l'hyperplasie thyroidienne induite chez la souris ICR par un regime carence en iode et l'administration de PTU ou de perchlorate. Nous avons observe; que le BHA a un effet antigoitrigene chez les souris traitees au LID et PTU; il induit une reduction du volume relatif de l'epithelium; une reaccumulation du colloide; une reduction de la proliferation cellulaire et une reduction de la vasodilatation Par ailleurs; le BHA induirait une augmentation de l'interstitium non vasculaire pour une raison qu'il reste a elucider. La confrontation de nos observations avec certains aspects de la physiologie thyroidienne nous fait evoquer deux hypotheses pour expliquer l'action vasodilatation du BHA sur la cellule thyroidienne; une inhibition de la secretion de TSH par l'hypophyse ou une resistance de la glande a la TSH. D'autres etudes fonctionnelles devront elucider ce point

Endometrial sampling at an academic hospital in South Africa: Histological findings, lessons learnt and interesting surprises

Background: Outpatient sampling is used to investigate endometrial pathology. Little is known about practice habits and local failure rates at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa.Objective: This study assessed the frequency of samples that showed no or limited histological representation of endometrium, and described demographic and pathological features.Methods: All endometrial sample histology reports from the National Health Laboratory Services at the hospital from 01 July 2013 to 31 May 2017 were retrieved by searching the laboratory's information system. Clinical variables (age, menopausal state, indication for biopsy, endometrial thickness on ultrasound) and pathological findings (macroscopic amount of tissue, histological diagnosis, microscopic presence of endometrial tissue) were extracted and statistically analysed.Results: A total of 1926 samples were included, 91% of which were submitted for abnormal or postmenopausal bleeding. No endometrium was observed in 25% of samples and 13% showed limited endometrium. Benign diagnoses (86%) were most common, with proliferative or secretory changes, endometrial polyps and endometritis accounting for most of these. Associations between the amount of sample received and the presence of endometrial tissue (p ≤ 0.001) and benign versus malignant diagnoses (p ≤ 0.001) were noted. The greater the endometrial thickness, the greater the likelihood of obtaining more sample (bulky vs scant p < 0.001) and making a malignant versus benign diagnosis (p = 0.005).Conclusion: These findings are in keeping with literature outside Africa. Histology reports should be explicit when terms such as 'inadequate' or 'insufficient' are used, in order to facilitate clinical decision-making