Clean intermittent catheterization in Saudi children. Suggestion for a common protocol.

In the last thirty years, clean intermittent catheterization of urinary bladder has proven to be one of the most important advances in Urology. Clean intermittent catheterizationis already utilized in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, but the materials and the methods in use are not always the most appropriate. The acceptance of the long-term treatment with clean intermittent catheterization among Saudi families does not seem to be adequate. Moreover, the knowledge and the agreement about clean intermittent catheterization by Saudi Medical Community, and even among Urologists, does not seem to be satisfactory everywhere. We analyzed many different catheters and their cost. We prepared a list of suggestions about clean intermittent catheterization materials and methods. Following this protocol, the majority of the parents of our patients, properly informed and trained, do now understand very well the aims and the advantages of the method. Consequently we realized the problems are not necessarily coming from the patients and their families, but eventually from the inadequacy of our educational and supportive system. In this review, we present our common protocol for clean intermittent catheterization in children, hoping to avoid some mistakes and improve the quality of life of these patients. As cultural background, on the base of our own experience, we reanalyze the principles, indications, results, contraindications, and complications of clean intermittent catheterization in children.

Leiomyoma of the esophagus and bronchus in a child.

Leiomyomas of the esophagus and/or the bronchus have rarely been reported in children. To our knowledge, the simultaneous presence of this tumor in both the esophagus and a bronchus in a child has not been previously reported. A 7-year old boy presented with respiratory and esophageal symptoms and was found to have a leiomyoma of the esophagus and right main bronchus. The esophageal leiomyoma was treated with limited myotomy, but bronchoscopic resection was possible for the bronchial lesion. The postoperative result was excellent, with normal swallowing and no residual respiratory problems at 1-year follow-up.

Multicystic kidney in siblings.

Two siblings (one girl and one boy), with a left multicystic kidney in whom a renal abnormality had been recognized prenatally, are reported. A large renal mass was present in both patients and the second sibling also had hypertension. Early surgical resection was carried out with satisfactory clinical progress and resolution of the hypertension. Multicystic kidney is considered a developmental abnormality with a sporadic incidence. These cases and other reports of familial incidence in the literature indicate that there may also be a genetic basis for the abnormality.

Continence after bladder-neck reconstruction in patients with bladder exstrophy and pubic diastasis.

OBJECTIVE: To review the results of bladder-neck reconstruction in patients with repaired bladder exstrophy and pubic diastasis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Nine girls (mean age 7 years, range 4-17) and four boys (mean age 9 years, range 5-15) underwent a modified Young-Dees-Leadbetter bladder-neck reconstruction with augmentation cystoplasty (YDL-C). The patients were reviewed retrospectively (follow-up, 1-6 years) to assess continence, particularly in relation to the degree of pubic diastasis measured on an appropriate abdominal radiograph. RESULTS: Ten patients were continent; seven girls and one boy are managed by clean intermittent catheterization (CIC) and one girl and one boy void normally. One girl who would not allow CIC and one boy in whom CIC was not possible are incontinent and are scheduled for construction of a continent diversion. One incontinent boy who also would not allow CIC was lost to follow-up. Public diastasis had no bearing on the surgical results, the 10 continent patients having diastasis ranging from 4 to 9 cm (mean 5.5 cm) and the incontinent patients a diastasis of 3.4 and 6.5 cm (mean 4.5 cm). CONCLUSION: Young-Dees-Leadbetter bladder-neck reconstruction with augmentation cystoplasty is a satisfactory operation in patients with bladder exstrophy. We believe that the rate of continence reflected a competent tubularization with an adequate bladder capacity and assured bladder emptying. A closed pelvis with approximated public bones is not necessary to achieve this objective.

Superior ectopic thoracic kidney.

A 9-month-old boy with a respiratory tract infection was found to have a mass in the left chest posteriorly. This proved to be a superior ectopic thoracic kidney, which was easily identifiable on ultrasonography. The case is reported to stress the importance of recognizing thoracic kidneys in order to avoid unnecessary invasive investigations and/or thoracotomy.