Preoperative laparoscopy in the management of the nonpalpable testis.

The purpose of laparoscopy in the management of the nonpalpable testis is to provide information regarding testicular presence and location to facilitate overall surgical management. Laparoscopy was performed at operation in 20 patients between 14 months to 21 years old (average 63 months), who had 22 nonpalpable testes. Of the testes 13 (59 per cent) were in the inguinal region or just proximal to the inguinal ring, 8 (36 per cent) were in a high intra-abdominal position and 1 (5 per cent) were absent. Anatomical localization of nonpalpable testes facilitated accurate planning of operative repair and the laparoscopy rendered exploration unnecessary in patients with intraabdominal vanishing testes syndrome, and laparoscopic orchiectomy is the treatment for the unilateral intraabdominal testes in patients more than 10 years old.

Ureteric obstruction by shotgun pellet "pellet colic".

Acute renal colic from retained missiles is an unusual and interesting delayed complication of missile injuries to the abdomen. It must be considered in patients who present with symptoms of renal colic following gunshot and shotgun wounds with retained missiles. We report a case of acute ureteral obstruction secondary to a migrating intraluminal projectile 3 days after a shotgun wound to the back.

Lower pole caliceal stone clearance after ESWL: the effect of infundibulopelvic angle.

Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy (ESWL) represents the first choice therapy for renoureteral stone disease. Clinical controversy exists concerning the efficacy of ESWL for lower pole kidney stones. Nowadays, the factors that hinder the spontaneous passage of stone debris that results from ESWL of lower caliceal stone are the gravity-dependent position of the lower pole calices and particular features of the inferior-pole collecting system anatomy. We studied the influence of the lower infundibulo-pelvic in the success of ESWL of lower caliceal stones 10-20 millimeters in size in 50 patients with STORZ MODULITH SL-20 machine. At the mean follow-up of 6 months, only 44 per cent of the patients presenting with an infundibulo-pelvic angle of les than 90 degrees became stone free. On the other hand, 86 per cent of the patients presenting with an infundibulo-pelvic angle of greater than 90 degrees became stone free. Our data suggest that acute infundibulo-pelvic angle of the lower pole hinders the spontaneous passage of fragments after ESWL.