A community-based long-term follow up of women undergoing obstetric fistula repair in rural Ethiopia.

OBJECTIVES: To assess urinary and reproductive health and quality of life following surgical repair of obstetric fistula. DESIGN: Follow-up study. SETTING: A newly established fistula clinic (2004) at Gimbie Adventist Hospital, a 71-bedded district general hospital in West Wollega Zone, in rural Western Ethiopia. POPULATION: Thirty-eight women (86%) of 44 who had undergone fistula repair were identified in their community. METHODS: Community-based structured interviews 14-28 months following fistula repair, using a customised questionnaire addressing urinary health, reproductive health and quality of life. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Urinary health at follow up was assessed as completely dry, stress or urge incontinence, or fistula. King's Health Questionnaire was modified and used for the quality-of-life assessment. RESULTS: At follow up, 21 women (57%) were completely dry, 13 (35%) suffered from stress or urge incontinence and three (8%) had a persistent fistula. Surgery improved quality of life and facilitated social reintegration to a level comparable to that experienced before fistula development for both women who were dry and those with residual incontinence (P = 0.001). For women still suffering from fistula no change was seen (P = 0.1). Four women became pregnant following their surgery, among which there was one maternal death, three stillbirths and one re-occurrence of fistula. CONCLUSION: Community-based, long-term follow up after fistula repair succeeded in Western rural Ethiopia. Despite one-third still suffering stress or urge incontinence, the women reported improved quality of life and social reintegration after fistula closure.

Retrovesical leiomyoma.

Primary tumors arising in the retrovesical area are rare. We recently treated by primary excision a large retrovesical leiomyoma in a forty-five-year-old man. The smooth muscle nature of the tumor was confirmed by electron microscopy. Recognizing this entity is important, since treatment consists only of surgical removal, and the prognosis should be excellent.

Vesical adenocarcinoma occurring in patient with pelvic lipomatosis.

This is the first case reported of adenocarcinoma of the urinary bladder in a patient with pelvic lipomatosis and cystitis glandularis. The abnormal pelvic fat hampered endoscopic evaluation and transurethral biopsy, confused clinical staging, and complicated preoperative irradiation and cystectomy. The development of adenocarcinoma in this patient indicates the potential for malignant transformation of cystitis glandularis and underscores the necessity for endoscopic follow-up of persons with pelvic lipomatosis.