The incidence and causes of erectile dysfunction after pelvic fractures associated with posterior urethral disruption.

PURPOSE: Erectile dysfunction is a common sequel of pelvic fractures, particularly those associated with posterior urethral injury when it can be neurogenic or arteriogenic due to damage to the cavernous nerves or branches of the pudendal arteries. We studied erectile function of patients with posterior urethral injuries due to pelvic fractures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients referred for posterior urethral reconstruction and strictures due to pelvic fractures were evaluated before reconstruction. All patients underwent nocturnal penile tumescence testing, and if those results were abnormal, penile duplex ultrasound with intracavernous injection was performed. Patients with normal vascular function on duplex ultrasound were diagnosed with neurogenic erectile dysfunction. Those patients with abnormal arterial function on duplex ultrasound underwent arteriography to further define the extent and location of arterial damage. RESULTS: The study included 25 consecutive patients with posterior urethral strictures and a mean age of 28.6 years. Of the patients 18 (72%) had erectile dysfunction as demonstrated by nocturnal penile tumescence and all underwent penile duplex ultrasound. Ultrasound confirmed normal vascular response in 13 of the 18 patients and they were diagnosed with probable neurogenic erectile dysfunction. The remaining 5 patients (28%) with erectile dysfunction had an abnormal arterial response, and significant arterial pathology was confirmed by arteriography. CONCLUSIONS: Erectile dysfunction is common in patients with pelvic fractures associated with urethral injury. We believe that erectile function should be assessed and documented in such patients before attempting urethroplasty. In the majority of these patients erectile dysfunction is caused by disruption of the cavernous nerves with sparing of arterial inflow.

Bilateral obstructing ureteral uric acid stones in an infant with hereditary renal hypouricemia.

We report on a 15-month-old boy with renal hypouricemia who presented with acute renal failure, anuria and sepsis due to bilateral obstructing ureteral uric acid stones. He was treated successfully with extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy. Metabolic survey of 10 relatives revealed a rare hereditary disorder in 4 siblings: isolated renal hypouricemia and hyperuricosuria. To our knowledge this is the youngest reported case of hereditary renal hypouricemia and 1 of the youngest patients to be treated with extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy.

Combined transhepatic and endoscopic procedures in the biliary system.

Endoscopic biliary procedures are 89-97% successful in skilled hands. The commonest causes of failure are inability to cannulate the papilla of Vater due to difficult anatomy or tortuosity of the distal common bile duct and failure to cross a rigid biliary stricture. In nearly all of these cases, successful endoscopic procedures can be completed after percutaneous antegrade placement of a small catheter or guidewire to the duodenum. In 44 such combined procedures on 42 patients, the success rate was 43 (98%). There were two severe and eight mild complications. Combined procedures overcome the difficulties caused by tortuous biliary ducts and rigid strictures while obviating the need for more extensive percutaneous procedures and transhepatic tract dilatation.

Thymoma--report of 71 cases and a review.

Of the 71 cases of thymoma reviewed, 31 were benign and 40 were malignant. Associated syndromes were common--myasthenia gravis 51% (36/71), red cell aplasia 3%, hypogammaglobulinemia 4%, mucocutaneous candidiasis 1%, and a number of other autoimmune diseases and neoplasms. These were almost equally distributed among benign and malignant tumors. A plain radiograph showing diffuse involvement of the mediastinum always indicates invasive (malignant) thymoma, while a localized pattern usually suggests a benign lesion (25 of 39 cases). Computerized tomography or MRI often gives additional information. An optimistic approach and aggressive radiotherapy are indicated in patients whose only metastatic disease is to one pleural space; prolonged survival is frequent in this group.

Cerebral angiography with gaseous carbon dioxide CO2.

Large quantities of gaseous carbon dioxide CO2 were rapidly injected into the ascending aorta or common carotid artery of 14 dogs. Good filling of the arteries and intracranial veins was documented by cineangiography or digital subtraction angiography. No adverse effects occurred as a result of this procedure: the electroencephalogram showed no changes throughout the experiments and the dogs were neurologically normal for up to 6 months of follow-up. Further investigation of carbon dioxide as an arterial and cerebrovascular contrast agent is justified based on these results.

Small bowel phytobezoars: detection with radiography.

The authors reviewed the radiographic findings in 19 patients with phytobezoars of the small bowel. The most common predisposing causes were previous gastric outlet surgery and persimmon ingestion. Twelve patients underwent contrast material-enhanced studies of the upper gastrointestinal tract, and one patient underwent a barium enema study. These examinations revealed four gastric, two duodenal, and eight small bowel phytobezoars in 10 patients. The obstruction caused by small bowel phytobezoars frequently occurred in the jejunum or proximal ileum, more proximally than has been reported in previous series. Barium studies are useful in differentiating obstruction due to postoperative adhesions from obstruction caused by bezoars. In addition, barium studies enable the detection of residual gastric bezoars. This information has important implications in patient treatment because bezoar obstruction is unlikely to respond to conservative treatment, and concurrent gastric bezoars must be removed to prevent recurrent bowel obstruction.

Upper urinary tract calculi: extrusion into perinephric and periureteric tissues during percutaneous management.

While the goal of percutaneous management of renal and ureteral calculi is stone extraction or disintegration, perforation of the renal pelvis or ureter may allow stones or stone fragments to become extruded during endourologic manipulations. The authors have encountered six such patients: two with renal and four with ureteral calculi. Three stones were extruded into the perinephric or periureteric tissues during nephroscopy, two during attempted dislodgement with a balloon catheter, and one during antegrade passage of a ureteral catheter. All patients were managed conservatively by means of nephrostomy drainage and, in the four cases of ureteral laceration, ureteral stenting. Follow-up study, ranging from 12 to 24 months, has documented a benign clinical and radiological course. No ureteral strictures have ensued. In the absence of infected urine, urothelial laceration with calculus extrusion appears to be a benign occurrence and may be managed conservatively.

Percutaneous transhepatic therapy of bile duct stones and strictures.

Two patients, one with bile duct stones above a strictured biliary-enteric anastomosis, and the second with posttraumatic intra- and extrahepatic bile duct strictures, were treated via the percutaneous transhepatic route. The stones were removed and the strictures dilated. Surgery was unnecessary in the first patient, and in the second, exploratory laparotomy confirmed the efficacy of percutaneous transhepatic dilatation.

Repeated subselective renal embolization following pyelolithotomy: angiographic salvage of a kidney.

A bleeding intrarenal aneurysm secondary to pyelolithotomy was treated successfully by super-selective catheterization of the feeding arteries and embolization using stainless steel Gianturco coils. Three therapeutic procedures were performed because of recurrent hemorrhage. The advantages of this mode of treatment are that it is well tolerated, relatively safe and allows maximal preservation of functioning renal tissue.

Salvage of an obstructed single kidney by combined percutaneous nephrostomy, percutaneous stone extraction and alkalinisation.

A 72-year-old woman with a single kidney and renal calculi was admitted as an emergency with sepsis and anuria. Renal drainage was established by percutaneous nephrostomy (PTN) as an emergency procedure. A nephrostogram showed multiple lucent stones and a single opaque calculus in the renal pelvis. The definitive treatment of the mixed calculi was carried out through the PTN. The lucent stones were dissolved by alkaline irrigation and the opaque stone removed by a biliary basket via the dilated tract. The safety and simplicity of PTN as an emergency procedure and its use for definitive treatment with the avoidance of surgery are stressed.

Renal pseudotumour following treatment of Wilms' tumour.

A 9 1/2-year-old boy was found to have a mass occupying the lower pole of his left kidney, six years after his right kidney had been removed because of a Wilms' tumour. Investigation of the mass included angiography which demonstrated a mass with pathological arteries. Open biopsy of the mass revealed histological changes of nonspecific nephritis. It is probable that this nephritis was a result of radiation damage potentiated by concurrent treatment with actinomycin D, which he had received six years ago.