Driving abstinence is necessary after lumbar spinal fusion: a prospective cohort study.

PURPOSE: Studies on driving safety after lumbar spinal procedures are rare. Previous studies solely reported on a) driving reaction time (DRT) after lumbar nerve root blocks, b) DRT after discectomy and c) preliminary DRT findings after lumbar fusion. METHODS: DRT was assessed with a driving simulator as described before. Measurements were done one day before surgery (preop DRT), one week after surgery (postop1 DRT), three months (postop2 DRT) and one year postoperatively (postop3 DRT). Back pain was determined with visual analogue scales (VAS) on all four occasions. Additionally, we monitored each patient's pre-operative driving frequency and intake of analgesics. For statistical analysis we used an ANOVA for repeated measurements. RESULTS: Thirt eight of 51 patients completed all measurements (17 monosegmental fusion, 14 polysegmental fusion, seven other lumbar fusion procedures). The longitudinal changes in DRT showed overall significance (p = 0.013). Post-hoc tests determined p = 0.035 for the DRT-increase from pre- to postoperative. We did not determine a significant statistical effect for the type of surgery (p = 0.581) or patient age (p = 0.134). A tendency towards statistical significance was ascertained for the influence of patients' driving frequency on DRT (p = 0.051). CONCLUSIONS: We found increased DRT at the time of discharge after lumbar spinal fusion and therefore recommend driving abstinence for the time thereafter. Based on our findings it appears safe to return to driving at 3 months postoperative.

Comparing auditory perception and speech production outcomes: non-language specific assessment of auditory perception and speech production in children with cochlear implants.

Language-independent assessment tools evaluate the progress of children who receive a cochlear implant, allowing large pooling of data for better access to insurers and other health care professionals. One hundred and seventeen children from centres in the United Kingdom, Iran and Turkey were assessed on two measures over a five-year test interval. There is a significant improvement over time for the Categories of Auditory Performance (CAP) and Speech Intelligibility Rating (SIR) measures. There was a significant difference between scores for different language groups: accounted for by the differences in age at implantation. There was a significant effect of age at implantation up to three years of device use. There were high correlations between the CAP and SIR scores. A longer duration of deafness resulted in a higher score for both scales; however, there was no relationship when correlated for age. Finally, the CAP pre-operative score allows us to predict the post-operative SIR scores. The scales are validated; reliable measures which can be used across countries and languages. This allows greater ability to pool data allowing data to be generalised across population groups, providing more power to prove that cochlear implantation is a viable treatment for children with bilateral severe-to-profound hearing loss.

Pilot study: volatile organic compounds as a diagnostic marker for head and neck tumors.

BACKGROUND: In the last decade, the analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOC) has undergone a rapid development. In this pilot study, patients with HNSCC were tested with a proton transfer reaction-mass spectrometry in order to establish a minimal invasive screening method. METHODS: Overall in a period of 2 years, 22 carcinoma patients were recruited for the study. All patients had a newly diagnosed histologically secured squamous cell carcinoma of the upper aerodigestive tract. These results were statistically compared with 3 control groups: healthy controls, high-risk, and posttherapy patients. RESULTS: Two hundred nine different masses were measured; 188 of these were evaluated. The statistical workup of the 4 study groups produced 42 different masses, which showed a statistically significant difference from the carcinoma group compared with the control groups. CONCLUSION: A screening method for HNSCC using VOC seems to be possible, but further investigation is necessary.

Erythropoetin beta twice weekly versus standard therapy in patients with gynaecological malignancies--a randomised Austrian AGO trial.

BACKGROUND: The influence of two regimens of erythropoetin beta on haemoglobin level, quality of life (QoL) and side-effects in patients with gynaecological malignancies was assessed. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 119 patients during chemotherapy were randomised to either standard therapy with 10,000 IU erythropoetin beta three times a week (group A) or 20,000 IU twice a week (group B). Haemoglobin level and QoL were measured. Characteristics of the study population were analysed with descriptive statistical methods. Analysis of variance for repeated measurements was performed with haemoglobin level as dependent variable, and time and study arms as factors. RESULTS: The rise in haemoglobin levels and QoL improvement were significant, without any difference between study arms. Adverse events were similar, except significantly more thromboembolic events in group B (0 vs. 8 events; p = 0.003). CONCLUSION: Our results show similar improvements in haemoglobin level and QoL, but raise the question whether less frequent dosing regimes may result in increased rates of thromboembolic events.

Impact of tonsillectomy on quality of life in adults with chronic tonsillitis.

OBJECTIVES: Tonsillectomy is one of the most frequently performed surgical procedures. Nevertheless there is less known about the impact of this procedure on Health-Related Quality of life (HRQOL). The two different most common used surgical techniques are "cold" (CT) and "hot" (HT) tonsillectomy. The aim of this study was to measure patients' HRQOL-benefit after adult tonsillectomy with the indication of chronic tonsillitis and to compare HT and CT. METHODS: The Glasgow Benefit Inventory (GBI) was used to quantify the health benefit of CT and HT retrospectively in 600 patients aged 16 years and older. RESULTS: 227 of the patients returned the completed surveys. Mean total GBI score was 15.8 (18 SD, 13.2-18.4 CI) for CT and 11.6 (15 SD, 7-16.3 CI) for HT (p = 0.214). Patients reported an improvement in HRQOL in all GBI subscales. We could not find a significant difference in reported HRQOL benefit between HT and CT. CONCLUSION: Adult tonsillectomy, HT as well as CT, for the indication of chronic tonsillitis provides an improvement in HRQOL. This positive impact of tonsillectomy in patients with chronic tonsillitis should be considered in the clinical decision-making process for tonsillectomy.

Shock wave therapy reduces necrotic flap zones and induces VEGF expression in animal epigastric skin flap model.

The effect of extracorporeal shock wave (ESW) therapy on skin flap survival and growth factor expression was investigated in a rat model using epigastric skin flap. Treatment and control groups each contained 20 animals. ESW effectively enhanced epigastric skin flap survival by significant reduction of areas of necrotic zones. At day 7 after the operation, necrotic zones of 4.2% were found in the ESW-treated group compared with 18.3% in the control group ( P < 0.01). Concomitantly, in tissue samples adjacent to the necrosis areas, increased vascular endothelial growth factor expression was observed in the ESW-treated animals (median 84.5%, range 57.4 to 94.5%) compared with the control group (median 46.7%, range 29.1 to 93.1%; P < 0.1). However, for expression of basic fibroblast growth factor, no difference was found between the two groups. The authors conclude that the success of the shock wave treatment may partly be due to modulation of growth factor expression.

Large-scale study of clinical impact of PSA velocity: long-term PSA kinetics as method of differentiating men with from those without prostate cancer.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the longitudinal prostate-specific antigen (PSA) changes in a screening population with or without prostate cancer during a 10-year period. METHODS: Serial PSA measurements performed during a 10-year period were evaluated in 4272 participants of a screening program who had no evidence of prostate malignancy and 528 men who eventually developed prostate cancer. RESULTS: Of the 4272 men with no evidence of prostate cancer, the mean total PSA level increased from 1.16 to 1.49 ng/mL during the 10 years, corresponding to a PSA velocity (PSAV) of 0.03 ng/mL/yr. Younger men had lower total PSA values throughout the 10-year period. Of the 528 patients with prostate cancer, the total PSA level increased from 2.19 at 10 years before diagnosis to 6.09 ng/mL at the time of positive biopsy findings, corresponding to a PSAV of 0.39 ng/mL/yr. The PSAV increased in the years before diagnosis (0.225 ng/mL/yr in the 8 to 10 years before diagnosis compared with 0.98 ng/mL/yr in the 2 years before diagnosis). The PSAV was greater in patients with Stage pT3-T4 cancer than in men with organ-confined tumors (median 0.53 versus 0.32 ng/mL/yr; P <0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In men with prostate cancer, the PSAV was significantly greater than in those without prostate cancer and correlated with pathologic stage and Gleason score but not with prostate volume. In the patients with prostate cancer, the PSAV increased in the years before the diagnosis. In contrast, men without prostate cancer had only slight PSA changes over time. Hence, PSA kinetics may help identify men with potentially curable prostate cancer.

Relapse after radical prostatectomy correlates with preoperative PSA velocity and tumor volume: results from a screening population.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate, in a screening population, the impact of tumor volume and prostate volume on prostate-specific antigen (PSA) velocity (PSAV) and to find predictors of biochemical failure after radical prostatectomy. Longitudinal PSA changes in men with prostate cancer have been reported to be significantly different from those without prostate cancer. METHODS: PSAV was assessed in 102 men undergoing radical retropubic prostatectomy. The pathologic findings of specimens obtained at radical retropubic prostatectomy and pelvic lymph node dissection were analyzed separately for all patients. RESULTS: The median preoperative PSA in the 102 patients was 6.4 ng/mL, the median prostate volume was 32.8 cm3, and the median tumor volume was 1.27 cm3. The PSAV correlated significantly with tumor volume (P <0.05) but not with prostate volume (P = 0.142). The median tumor volume in men with biochemical progression after radical retropubic prostatectomy was 2.55 cm3 versus 0.94 cm3 in men who were free of disease 5 years after surgery. The median PSAV in the year before diagnosis in men with relapse after radical prostatectomy was 1.98 ng/mL/yr versus 1.05 ng/mL/yr in men who had no evidence of disease. CONCLUSIONS: The results of our study have shown that the main factor contributing to the PSAV in patients with prostate cancer is cancer load and that prostate volume is not significantly associated with the PSAV. Men with a PSAV of more than 2 ng/mL/yr in the year before cancer diagnosis are at a high risk of relapse. The PSAV may be helpful in identifying patients with small tumors and thus increase the detection rate of potentially curable prostate cancers.

Atherosclerosis as a risk factor for benign prostatic hyperplasia.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the relationship between clinical benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and atherosclerosis, using colour Doppler ultrasonography (CDUS) and symptom scores. PATIENTS, SUBJECTS AND METHODS: CDUS was used to evaluate prostatic vascularity in four groups of men, comprising young healthy subjects, patients presenting with coronary artery disease (CAD), diabetes mellitus, or peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD). Resistive index (RI) measurements and computer-assisted quantification of colour pixel density (CPD) were used to objectively evaluate perfusion. The International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and the International Index of Erectile Function were used to quantify symptoms. RESULTS: In diabetic patients and men with PAOD, perfusion of the transition zone (TZ) of the prostate was significantly lower (P < 0.001) and the RI of the TZ was significantly higher (P < 0.001) than in healthy controls and men with CAD. In diabetics and men with PAOD, the mean prostate volume was greater than in healthy controls and men with CAD. The IPSS in patients with vascular damage (diabetes, PAOD) was significantly worse than in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: The significantly lower CPD and higher RI values of the TZ in patients with vascular disease than in healthy subjects support the hypothesis that an age-related impairment of blood supply to the prostate has a key role in the development of BPH.

Health-related quality of life outcome of adult patients after otoplasty.

Prominent ears are relatively frequent. Decreased self-esteem, increased anxiety, behavioral problems and social avoidance may result from disfigurement. In modern medicine it is becoming increasingly important to measure the benefit of surgical intervention by its impact on the patient's Quality of Life (QOL). Our study was performed in a retrospective manner at our institution including 40 adult patients with prominent ears. The Glasgow Benefit Inventory (GBI), a reproducible, valid and responsive questionnaire, was the basis of the used inquiry for detecting the changes in HRQOL after otoplasty. We showed an improvement in GBI subscores after intervention. There was no difference in GBI subscores between men and women. The follow-up time as well as critical life event and chronic concomitant disease have no influence on the GBI results. Otoplasty has a positive impact on the HRQOL of adult patients with prominent ears. The importance of this benefit is not only of individual nature. In times of healthcare economization, an amelioration of QOL followed by increased productivity at work of the individual is an important argument to justify health care expenditures. We believe that otoplasty is an appropriate therapy for selected adult patients burdened by prominent ears.

Does nasal septal surgery improve quality of life?

CONCLUSION: In addition to functional ameliorations we have shown that septoplasty creates a long-lasting improvement in quality of life in patients with nasal septal deviation. OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to evaluate whether nasal septal surgery alters patients' quality of life. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This 7-year retrospective study was undertaken in an otolaryngology center. A total of 600 patients who underwent septoplasty with or without turbinectomy in the past 7 years for the indication of septal deviation, were mailed a questionnaire to assess their quality of life after surgical intervention. The questionnaire with 24 items was summarized into 7 subscales (overall medical state, nasal symptoms, accompanying symptoms, sleep, practical problems, emotions and social life). A visual analog scale was provided to measure the patients' general feelings related to their nasal disease. RESULTS: In all, 285 patients (47.5%) responded. Analysis of the questionnaire showed an improvement in all disease-specific subgroups.

The neurotoxic effects of amitriptyline are mediated by apoptosis and are effectively blocked by inhibition of caspase activity.

Oral tricyclic antidepressants, widely used as adjuncts in the treatment of chronic pain, block sodium channels in vitro and nerve conduction in vivo. However, toxicity of amitriptyline has been observed after neural application. We therefore investigated the mechanism and possible prevention of amitriptyline neurotoxicity. To assess dose-dependent neurotoxicity of amitriptyline, we incubated neuron cultures from adult rat dorsal root ganglia with amitriptyline and quantified neuronal survival. Additionally, we investigated accepted markers of apoptosis (mitochondrial membrane potential, cytosolic cytochrome c, and activated caspase-3) and co-incubated amitriptyline with an inhibitor of caspase activity, z-vad-fmk, to assess the effect on cell survival. We found a dose-dependent neurotoxic effect of amitriptyline. Neurons incubated with amitriptyline exhibited loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, release of cytochrome c into the cytoplasm, and activation of caspase-3. Co-incubation with z-vad-fmk substantially improved neuronal survival in culture. In conclusion, amitriptyline-induced neurotoxicity is mediated by apoptosis and is attenuated by inhibition of caspase activity, suggesting that inhibition of apoptotic pathways may be efficient at alleviating local anesthetic-induced neurotoxicity. In vivo studies will have to corroborate whether the co-injection of anti-apoptotic drugs with local anesthetics decreases neurotoxic side effects.

Tumor recurrence in the remnant urothelium of females undergoing radical cystectomy for transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder: long-term results from a single center.

PURPOSE: We analyzed the risk factors and incidence of secondary TCC of the remnant urothelium in women following radical cystectomy for TCC of the bladder. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 85 women with a mean age of 64.5 years with clinically localized TCC of the bladder underwent radical cystectomy between 1992 and 2004. Orthotopic bladder substitution was performed in 46 females, while 39 underwent nonorthotopic urinary diversion. Of the entire cohort 22 (26%) patients underwent cystectomy for multifocal or recurrent TCC. Followup examinations were performed at 6-month intervals. RESULTS: Mean followup in the entire cohort was 49.8 months (median 42). Intraoperative frozen sections obtained from the urethra and distal ureters were negative for TCC and CIS in all patients. Four women (4.7%) had TCC in the remnant urothelium at a mean of 56 months postoperatively. These patients had undergone cystectomy for multifocal or recurrent TCC (4 of 22 or 18%). No secondary TCC was seen in the 63 patients with solitary invasive or nonrecurrent bladder cancer (p <0.05). Urethral recurrence was found in 2 patients (4.3%) 65 and 36 months after orthotopic neobladder surgery, respectively. In the orthotopic group 1 patient (2.1%) had an upper urinary tract tumor 76 months after surgery, while in the nonorthotopic group 1 (2.5%) was found to have an upper urinary tract tumor 48 months postoperatively. CONCLUSIONS: Recurrent or multifocal TCC may represent a risk factor for secondary TCC of the remnant urothelium after cystectomy. In our series all recurrent tumors were late recurrences (more than 36 months postoperatively). Because the rate of urethral recurrence in the current series corresponds to that reported in men (2% to 6%), urethra sparing cystectomy with orthotopic bladder replacement does not appear to compromise the oncological outcome in women.

Optimizing the outcome of microsurgical subinguinal varicocelectomy using isosulfan blue: a prospective randomized trial.

PURPOSE: Varicoceles are the main cause of correctible male factor infertility. Loss of testicular volume and abnormal seminal parameters are indications for varicocelectomy. We assessed a prospective randomized trial comparing standard microsurgical varicocele repair with the microsurgical approach using isosulfan blue. We determined if the use of isosulfan blue reduces the incidence of postoperative hydroceles following microsurgical varicocele repair. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two groups of 25 consecutive patients each were randomized. Indications for surgery included fertility problems as well as scrotal pain and difference in testicular size. All patients underwent microsurgical repair using the subinguinal approach. Patients in group 1 underwent standard microsurgery. Those in group 2 had additional isosulfan blue administration. All were investigated 3 and 6 months postoperatively regarding varicocele recurrence, hydrocele, atrophy, pain or other complications. RESULTS: There were no intraoperative complications. At 3 months postoperatively the incidence of hydrocele in group 1 was 20% decreasing to 16% at 6 months, whereas in group 2 no hydrocele was detectable. There were 2 patients in each group who reported ongoing pain, and 1 in each presented with recurrent varicocele. No atrophy was seen. In 1 patient blue pigmentation of the left hemiscrotum was seen at 3 months but vanished at 6 months. CONCLUSIONS: Microsurgical repair of varicoceles using isosulfan blue helps in identifying and preserving the lymphatic drainage. It prevents postoperative hydrocele, the most common postoperative complication, without any supplementary risk to the patient. Additionally, testicular edema causing impaired spermatogenesis can be avoided.

Intrarater reliability in the ultrasound diagnosis of medial and lateral orbital wall fractures with a curved array transducer.

PURPOSE: The aims of the study were to document the effectiveness of ultrasound (US) in diagnosing orbital wall fractures when compared with computed tomography (CT) and to measure the intraobserver reliability of US using a curved array transducer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From December 2003 to March 2004, 13 patients with the clinical diagnosis of an orbital trauma were investigated prospectively by CT (reference) and 2 US investigators. Both orbits were investigated. Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and positive and negative predictive value were calculated. The statistical difference between the 2 US investigators was calculated by a chi-square test. The interrater reliability was calculated using the lambda coefficient. Values below 0.4 represent poor reliability, between 0.4 and 0.75 represent fair to good reliability, and a score > 0.75 is graded as excellent reliability. RESULTS: The comparison of the results of the 2 US investigators by the chi-square test showed P values of .385 for the medial orbital wall and .638 for the lateral orbital wall, which shows no significant difference. The lambda-value for the investigation of the medial orbital wall reached 0.429, 0.714, and 0.750. The lambda-value for the investigation of the lateral orbital wall yielded 0.647, 0.750, and 0.882. These values show a good and excellent inter-rater reliability. CONCLUSION: The US investigation does not yet reach the diagnostic quality of CT. US could be a helpful diagnostic imaging tool in cases with clear clinical symptoms. The results of the current study and the previously published results imply that US has the potential to reach the same diagnostic quality as CT in the future, but further studies must be performed to improve the diagnostic quality of the method.

The expression of the regulatory T cell-specific forkhead box transcription factor FoxP3 is associated with poor prognosis in ovarian cancer.

PURPOSE: The forkhead box transcription factor FoxP3 is specifically expressed in T cells with regulatory properties (Treg). Recently, high numbers of Treg were described to be associated with poor survival in different malignancies. The aim of the presented study was determine the prognostic effect of FoxP3 mRNA expression (reflecting the tissue content of Treg) in ovarian carcinoma and its relation with cytokines, such as IFN-gamma. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Total RNA was isolated from 99 ovarian carcinoma and from 14 healthy ovarian biopsies. Real-time PCR for FoxP3 was done and correlated with IFN-gamma-, CD3-, IRF-1-, SOCS-1-, HER-2-, and iNOS expression as well as patients' outcome. The mRNA data was corroborated by FoxP3 immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Quantitation of FoxP3 expression identified a patient subgroup (>81th percentile), which is characterized by a significantly worse prognosis in terms of overall survival (27.8 versus 77.3 months, P = 0.0034) and progression-free survival (18 versus 57.5 months; P = 0.0041). FoxP3 expression correlated with IFN-gamma, IRF-1, and CD3 expression. High FoxP3 expression represents an independent prognostic factor for overall survival (P = 0.004) and progression-free survival (P = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: High expression levels of FoxP3 might represent a surrogate marker for an immunosuppressive milieu contributing to tumor immune escape. Strategies selectively depleting Treg might improve the antitumor activity of endogenously arising tumor-reactive T cells and immunotherapies using vaccines or antibodies.

Vascular damage as a risk factor for benign prostatic hyperplasia and erectile dysfunction.

OBJECTIVE: To assess benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and erectile dysfunction (ED), both considered to be associated with urogenital ageing, in ageing men in a cross-sectional population study, comparing them with healthy controls by using symptom scores and contrast-enhanced colour Doppler ultrasonography (CDUS). PATIENTS, SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Transrectal CDUS and quantitative measurement of colour pixel intensity (CPI) are excellent minimally invasive techniques for assessing normal and pathological blood flow. CDUS was performed using the microbubble-based ultrasound enhancer for evaluating prostate, bladder neck and corpus cavernosum vascularity in young healthy men, men with BPH, and men with severe vascular damage (diabetes mellitus type 2). Resistive index measurements and computer-assisted quantification of CPI were used to objectively evaluate perfusion. The International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) were applied to quantify the symptoms. RESULTS: In patients with BPH, perfusion of the transition zone (TZ) of the prostate was significantly lower and the resistive index of the TZ significantly higher (both P < 0.001) than in healthy controls. The perfusion patterns of men with BPH and those who also had severe vascular damage (diabetes mellitus type 2) showed that vascularity in the latter group was lower in the prostatic TZ and the corpora cavernosa. In patients with BPH the IPSS, quality-of-life and IIEF scores were significantly worse than in the control group. Men with concomitant atherosclerosis had even worse symptom scores. CONCLUSION: These results strongly support the hypothesis that age-related impairment of blood supply to the lower urinary tract is important in the development of BPH and ED. Vascular damage may cause chronic ischaemia and thus be a contributing factor in the pathogenesis of BPH and ED.

Loss of interstitial cells of Cajal and gap junction protein connexin 43 at the vesicoureteral junction in children with vesicoureteral reflux.

PURPOSE: Symmetrical muscular contractions and unidirectional peristalsis are prerequisites for competent valve function at the ureterovesical junction. Interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs) are pacemaker cells that create and coordinate peristaltic motility. We investigated ureteral endings immunohistochemically to elucidate the presence of c-kit positive ICCs as well as the occurrence of gap junction protein connexin 43 in children with vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) to identify a possible pathogenic factor of an insufficient antireflux mechanism. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Distal ureteral specimens were obtained from 27 children undergoing antireflux surgery. Routine histological paraffin embedded sections were immunostained detecting the c-kit proto-oncogene to study the presence of ICCs as well as connexin 43 positive cells to determine the gap junction density within the ureteral wall. Age matched nonrefluxing ureteral endings served as controls. All investigations were done using high power field magnification for semiquantitative analysis and statistically analyzed. RESULTS: ICCs were present in refluxing and nonrefluxing ureteral endings. Healthy individuals displayed significantly more ICCs than children with VUR. Connexin 43 immunoreactivity was significantly decreased in all refluxing ureteral specimens, whereas it was homogeneously distributed in normal controls. CONCLUSIONS: C-kit positive ICCs are found at the ureterovesical junction. Refluxing ureteral endings significantly lack these pacemaker cells, implying a malfunctioning valve mechanism permitting VUR. A substantial decrease in gap junctions in this region adversely affects intercellular signaling, aggravating coordinated peristalsis, which is essential for a competent anti-reflux mechanism.

A comparison of one-stage procedures for post-traumatic urethral stricture repair.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the results and complication rates of various one-stage treatments for repairing a post-traumatic urethral stricture. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The medical records of 153 patients who had a post-traumatic urethral stricture repaired between 1977 and 2003 were evaluated retrospectively, and analysed for the different types of urethral reconstruction. RESULTS: The procedures included direct end-to-end anastomosis in 86 (56%) patients, free dorsal onlay graft urethroplasty using preputial or inguinal skin in 40 (26%), ventral onlay urethroplasty using buccal mucosa in seven (5%) and ventral fasciocutaneous flaps on a vascular pedicle in 20 (13%). At a mean (median, range) follow-up of 75.2 (38, 12-322) months, 121 (79%) patients had no evidence of recurrent stricture, while in 32 men (21%) they were detected at a mean follow-up of 30.47 (1-96) months. Patients having a dorsal onlay urethroplasty had the longest strictures. The re-stricture rate was lowest after a dorsal onlay urethroplasty (5% vs 27% when treated with end-to-end anastomosis, 15% after fasciocutaneous flaps and 57% after a ventral buccal mucosal graft). The surgical technique used had no effect on postoperative incontinence or erectile dysfunction rates. CONCLUSION: In patients with strictures which are too long to be excised and re-anastomosed, tension-free dorsal onlay urethroplasty is better than ventral graft or flap techniques. In patients with short urethral strictures direct end-to-end anastomosis remains an option for the one-stage repair of urethral stricture.

Interrater reliability of sonographic examinations of orbital fractures.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to determine whether there are statistically significant variations among different observers when examining fractures of the orbital walls. MATERIAL AND METHODS: From December 2003 to April 2004, 28 patients with clinically suspected orbital fractures were examined by ultrasound prospectively. The US images of the infra-orbital margins, the orbital floors, the medial and lateral orbital walls of each patient were reexamined by two independent investigators. RESULTS: Computed tomography revealed fractures of the orbital floor in 28 out of 31 patients (90.3%). The infra-orbital margins showed fractures of 14 of 31 patients (45.2%). The ultrasound examinations of the orbits by the three examiners presented satisfactory correlation regarding sensitivity and specificity. There were no significant differences between investigators. There was good agreement among the ultrasound examiners regarding the infra-orbital margins. This was not the case for the orbital floors. CONCLUSIONS: If there are clear cut clinical findings ultrasound examination could represent an alternative to computed tomography. If the clinical findings were indeterminate, computed tomography was essential as implicated by this study. Accordingly, further evaluation of ultrasound examinations of fractures of the orbital margins and floors are necessary.