Thoracic and diaphragmatic endometriosis: an overview of diagnosis and surgical treatment.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Thoracic endometriosis is a rare disease that can lead to a variety of clinical manifestations. There are currently no guidelines for optimal diagnosis and management of the disease. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the diagnosis and surgical treatment of thoracic endometriosis. RECENT FINDINGS: Various imaging modalities, including computed tomography (CT), MRI and ultrasound, have been reported in the detection of thoracic endometriosis. MRI is the most sensitive imaging study and may aid in preoperative planning. Histopathology of a biopsied lesion remains the gold standard for diagnosis. Surgical management of thoracic endometriosis may involve laparoscopy and/or thoracoscopy, and surgical planning should include preparation for single ventilation capability. A multidisciplinary approach involving a gynaecologic surgeon and thoracic surgeon may be considered. Repairing diaphragm defects and pleurodesis are shown to decrease recurrent symptoms. SUMMARY: Although optimal diagnostic testing remains uncertain, a high clinical suspicion for thoracic endometriosis is critical to ensure prompt diagnosis and treatment in order to prevent recurrent symptoms and progression to more serious sequalae. Minimally invasive surgical techniques are becoming increasingly utilized and allow for thorough evaluation and treatment of thoracic endometriosis.

Randomized Controlled Trial to Assess the Impact of High Concentration Intraurethral Lidocaine on Urodynamic Voiding Parameters.

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether intraurethral anesthesia decreased voiding efficiency (VE), reduced catheterization pain, and impacted urodynamic parameters in healthy adult females. METHODS: In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, participants received two 5 mL doses of either intraurethral aqueous gel or 4% lidocaine gel. The primary outcome was VE during randomized condition uroflow, defined as voided volume/(voided volume + residual volume). The secondary outcomes were pain during catheterization and to confirm previously reported pressure-flow changes. A sample size of 10 per group was planned to detect a clinically significant decrease in VE with a power (1-ß) of 0.99. RESULTS: From October to December 2018, 23 women were screened and 18 were randomized to receive placebo (n = 10) or lidocaine (n = 8). Baseline uroflow VE was similar between the placebo and lidocaine groups (88 ± 6.6% vs 91 ± 5.8%, P = .33). After study drug administration, the changes in VE (post-pre) were similar between placebo and lidocaine groups (-5.4 ± 14% vs 1.7 ± 6.4%, P = .21). Visual analog scores were similar following catheterizations (26.7 ± 12.8 mm vs 36.9 ± 26.8 mm, P = .34). The lidocaine group exhibited lower average flow rates per voided volume (0.04 ± 0.02 s-1 vs 0.02 ± 0.01 s-1, P = .04). CONCLUSION: Intraurethral administration of 4% lidocaine did not decrease VE compared to placebo and did not change pain scores following catheterization. In the lidocaine group, the average flow rate per voided volume was lower. The decrease in flow rate after local anesthesia to the urethra may indicate that urethral sensory feedback contributes to voiding in human micturition.