Iatrogenic duodenal diverticulum perforation: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Duodenal diverticulum occurs in approximately 20% of the population and can lead to life-threatening complications such as perforation. Most perforations are secondary to diverticulitis, with iatrogenic causes being exceptionally rare. This systematic review explores the aetiology, prevention and outcomes of iatrogenic perforation of duodenal diverticulum. METHODS: A systematic review was performed according to the PRISMA guidelines. Four databases were searched, including Pubmed, Medline, Scopus and Embase. The primary data extracted were clinical findings, type of procedure, prevention and management of perforation and outcomes. RESULTS: Forty-six studies were identified, of which 14 articles met inclusion criteria and comprised 19 cases of iatrogenic duodenal diverticulum perforation. Four cases identified duodenal diverticulum pre-intervention, nine were identified peri-intervention, and the remainder were identified post-intervention. Perforation secondary to endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (n = 8) was most common, followed by open and laparoscopic surgery (n = 5), gastroduodenoscopy (n = 4) and other (n = 2). Operative management with diverticulectomy was the most frequent treatment (63%). Iatrogenic perforation was associated with 50% morbidity and 10% mortality. CONCLUSION: Iatrogenic perforation of duodenal diverticulum is exceptionally rare and associated with high morbidity and mortality. There are limited guidelines surrounding standard perioperative steps to prevent iatrogenic perforations. A review of preoperative imaging helps identify potential aberrant anatomy, such as a duodenal diverticulum, to allow for recognition and prompt management initiation in the event of perforation. Intraoperative recognition and immediate surgical repair are safe options for this complication.

Management of urachal cancer in pregnancy: A systematic review.

Urachal cancer is a rare non-urothelial malignancy that involves the urachus, often occurring at the junction of the urachal ligament and the bladder dome. It accounts for less than 1% of all bladder tumours. Cancer during pregnancy is rare, with the incidence of all cancers in pregnancy estimated to be 25-27 per 100 000 pregnancies. Urachal cancer in pregnancy is an even rarer phenomenon, with only a handful of case reports published to date. After a systematic review, only five cases have been reported in the English literature. We aim to review the cases presented in the literature and to examine the outcomes of the management of urachal cancer in pregnancy to date.

Iatrogenic duodenal diverticular perforation during a right laparoscopic nephroureterectomy: a rare complication.

Duodenal diverticulum perforation is a rare and life-threatening pathology. Perforation secondary to iatrogenic causes is rare, with only 14 cases previously reported. This paper explores a world-first case report on iatrogenic duodenal diverticulum perforation during right laparoscopic nephroureterectomy and a systematic review of all reported cases of duodenal diverticulum perforation in the literature.

Patterns of infection following transrectal ultrasound-guided biopsy of the prostate in a regional New South Wales Centre.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the rates, severity and patterns of resistance in patients presenting with post-transrectal ultrasound infection in a regional centre in New South Wales, Australia. DESIGN: A single-centre retrospective review from August 2013 until August 2017. SETTING: Murrumbidgee Local Health District, New South Wales. PARTICIPANTS: All patients who underwent transrectal ultrasonography biopsy of the prostate in the public health system. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Rate of infection and sepsis following biopsy of the prostate requiring readmission to hospital within 30 days from the procedure. RESULTS: A total of 317 men underwent transrectal ultrasound-guided biopsy of the prostate over the study period. Nineteen (6%) patients presented with clinical signs of post-transrectal ultrasound infection, of which 18 (5.7%) required readmission for intravenous antibiotics. Median time to readmission was 2 days (0-7), and the average length of hospital stay was 5 days (1-15). Three (0.3%) patients required admission to intensive care for inotropic support. Thirteen patients (68%) had positive blood cultures, and all were positive for Escherichia coli. Four of these patients (21%) had extended spectrum beta-lactamase producing isolates resistant to their preoperative antibiotics. CONCLUSION: Prostate cancer is common in the elderly community with worse outcomes in regional settings. Infective complications from transrectal ultrasound biopsy were 6% in this regional setting with high rates of multi-resistant organisms. Awareness of this is important for rural health practitioners who are likely to be exposed to this patient population.

Accuracy of multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging to detect significant prostate cancer and index lesion location.

BACKGROUND: Multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) of the prostate appears to improve prostate cancer detection, but studies comparing mpMRI to histopathology at the time of radical prostatectomy (RP) are lacking. This retrospective study determined the accuracy of mpMRI predicting Gleason score and index lesion location at the time of RP, the current gold standard for diagnosis. METHODS: Between April 2013 and April 2016, a database of all men aged more than 40 years who underwent RP after positive transrectal ultrasound biopsy by an experienced urological surgeon was collated at a single regional centre. This was cross-referenced with a database of all men who had mpMRIs performed at a single centre and reported according to Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System (PI-RADS version 1) during this period to generate a sample size of 64 men. A Spearman's rho test was utilized to calculate correlation. RESULTS: Median age of patients was 64 years, the median prostate-specific antigen at RP was 6.22 ng/mL. mpMRI was positive (≥PI-RADS 3) in 85.9% of patients who underwent RP. More than 92% of participants had Gleason ≥7 disease. A positive relationship between mpMRI prostate PI-RADS score and RP cancer volume was demonstrated. An anatomical location correlation calculated in octants was found to be 89.1% accurate. CONCLUSION: mpMRI accurately detects prostate cancer location and severity when compared with gold standard histopathology at the time of RP. It thus has an important role in planning for future prostate biopsy and cancer treatment.

Urachal adenocarcinoma incidentally discovered in a young woman at elective caesarean section.

Urachal adenocarcinoma is a rare non-urothelial malignancy that represents only 0.5% of all vesical cancers. Urachal adenocarcinoma most commonly occurs in the 5th to 7th decade. We describe a case of a 35-year-old woman (G3P1) who presented at 20 weeks pregnancy with two episodes of post-coital bleeding. Ultrasound demonstrated a uterine mass measuring 59×43×56 mm, presumed to be a leiomyoma. The decision was made to proceed to caesarean section at 38 weeks, given the progression of the presumed leiomyoma. A 2 cm bladder dome mass was incidentally discovered at the time of the caesarean section and an urgent intraoperative urology consult was sought. Resultantly, the bladder mass was dissected to the dome, and pathology returned urachal adenocarcinoma. This case report considers the treatment decisions involved when faced with urachal adenocarcinoma and reviews the literature surrounding this rare malignancy.

Improving operating theatre efficiency: an intervention to significantly reduce changeover time.

BACKGROUND: Operating theatre inefficiency and changeover delays are not only a significant source of wasted resources, but also a familiar source of frustration to patients and health-care providers. This study aimed to prove that the surgical registrar through active involvement in patient changeover can significantly improve operating room efficiency and minimize delays. METHODS: A two-phase prospective cohort study was undertaken, conducted over the course of 4 weeks at a single institution. The only inclusion criteria comprised patients to undertake endoscopic urological day surgery cases and require general anaesthesia. There were no exclusions. In the first phase (observational, with no intervention), changeover times between cases were documented. The second phase followed a structured intervention, involving the surgical registrar being actively involved in the patient's operative journey. Outcome measures were qualitative measures of operative efficiency. Statistical analysis was undertaken. RESULTS: There were 42 patients included in this study, with 21 patients in each of its arms. A 48% (P-value < 0.01) reduction in overall case changeover times was demonstrated with the utilization of a structured intervention from 27.7 min (95% confidence interval (CI) 22.8-32.7%) to 15.7 min (95% CI 13.2-18.2%). The intervention results were statistically significant (P-value < 0.05) for all markers of efficiency except for the waiting time in the anaesthetic holding bay (P-value 0.13). CONCLUSION: The surgical registrar can improve operating room efficiency by using a structured intervention, ultimately reducing patient changeover times.

The effect of hypertension and diabetes on the degree of renal function deterioration after unilateral nephrectomy.

OBJECTIVE: • To quantify the effect of hypertension and diabetes - which have been identified as both initiating and progressing factors in chronic kidney disease (CKD), as well as predictors of long-term renal impairment in patients undergoing nephrectomy - on renal function after unilateral nephrectomy for malignancy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: • A retrospective analysis was carried out of 80 unilateral nephrectomies performed at the Wagga Wagga Base Hospital, Calvary Private Hospital and Austin Hospital from January 2007 to December 2009. • Prognostic variables were patient age, sex and the presence of hypertension or diabetes. • The percentage reduction in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) after nephrectomy was measured and compared between variables using a two-sample Student's t-test. RESULTS: • All patients who had diabetes also had hypertension. • Of the 80 patients, 22 (27.5%) fulfilled the criteria for CKD with a preoperative GFR < 60 mL/min. • Patients with hypertension and diabetes had a significantly greater percentage reduction in postoperative GFR (36 ± 2%) than those who had neither risk factor (23 ± 2%, P < 0.003). A similar finding was observed for patients with hypertension alone (32 ± 1%, P < 0.009). • The difference in postoperative GFR reduction between diabetics and those with hypertension alone was not statistically significant (P= 0.205). • The differential reduction in GFR in patients with CKD risk factors persisted at 3-12 months follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: • An increased percentage reduction in GFR is seen in patients with hypertension and diabetes undergoing unilateral nephrectomy for malignancy. • These data could be used to identify those patients who would benefit from early referral and subsequent intervention to delay the progression of CKD, as well as those for whom nephron-sparing surgery might be a more appropriate surgical option.

Endourologic management of patients with upper-tract transitional-cell carcinoma: long-term follow-up in a single center.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the outcome of endoscopic management of upper-tract transitional-cell carcinoma (TCC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: From March 1991 to March 2006, 40 patients with upper-tract TCC were treated by an endoscopic approach as the primary management: 37 (90.2%) by ureteroscopy and by percutaneous techniques or both approaches in 2 cases each (5%). Follow-up was between 5 and 115 months (mean 41.6 months). Most of the patients, 26 (65%), had a normal contralateral kidney, and the indication for conservative management was low tumor grade or tumor size (<2 cm) and patient commitment to a rigorous follow-up protocol. Absolute and relative indications for conservative management such as solitary kidney were met in 14 patients (35%). RESULTS: Treatment consisted of electrocautery only in 15 cases (36.6%), neodymium:YAG or holmium:YAG laser only in 11 (26.8%), and combinations in 15 (36.6%). Most of the patients (74.3%) had an upper-tract recurrence. The renal-preservation rate was 70.7%, and the survival rate was 80%. CONCLUSIONS: Conservative treatment is preferred in patients with bilateral disease, a solitary kidney, or co-morbidities that contraindicate major surgery. Patients with low-grade, low-stage disease and normal contralateral kidneys also benefit from this approach provided adequate endoscopic follow-up can be achieved and the surgeon has a low threshold for carrying out ablative surgery.

Outcomes using a fourth-generation lithotripter: a new benchmark for comparison?

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of a fourth-generation lithotripter, the Sonolith Vision (Technomed Medical Systems, Vaulx-en-Velin, France) for treating single previously untreated renal calculi, and to compare the results with the reference standard HM-3 (Dornier MedTech Europe GmbH, Wessling, Germany) in the same population originally studied by the USA Cooperative Study Group in 1986. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The Sonolith Vision uses an innovative electroconductive shock-wave generator with an elliptical reflector specially designed to give the maximum concentration of energy on the stone. We reviewed the treatment sessions from our prospectively maintained database of the first 1000 consecutive patients with urinary stone disease who were treated with the Sonolith Vision between September 2004 and March 2006. Patients with previously untreated solitary renal calculi in anatomically normal kidneys were included. The outcome was assessed by plain films for radio-opaque stones, and renal ultrasonography for radiolucent stones, at 1 and 3 months after lithotripsy; the results were analysed according to stone size and location. RESULTS: Data from 309 patients who had a complete follow-up and with 373 renal calculi that matched the above criteria were analysed. The initial fragmentation rate was 94%. The stone-free rate for stones of <10 mm was 77%, for 11-20 mm was 69% and for >20 mm was 50%. The overall stone-free rate 3 months after lithotripsy was 75%. Within a month of lithotripsy, 221 patients (59%) became stone-free. Additional procedures to render patients stone-free after lithotripsy were needed in only 22 cases (7%). The overall efficiency quotient was 62%. The stone-free rates for lower, upper, middle calyceal and renal pelvic calculi were 74%, 70%, 78.5% and 75%, respectively. There were no serious complications. CONCLUSIONS: When similar populations of stone formers were assessed the Sonolith Vision achieved a high success rate, comparable with that using the HM-3 machine but with lower analgesia requirements and very low re-treatment rates. This method of comparison belies the commonly held view that newer lithotripters are less effective than the original spark-gap machines.

The management of ureteric colic.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The management of ureteric colic has changed significantly over the past three decades,. Factors such as stone size, location, composition as well as patient and surgeon preference influence the management decision. RECENT FINDINGS: Recent work has looked at the expansion of the role of medical therapy beyond symptomatic control to attempt to target some of the reversible factors in stone retention and thereby improve the likelihood of spontaneous stone expulsion. Changes in shock wave lithotripsy and ureteroscopy offer patients highly effective, minimally invasive options for stone clearance that can often be performed on an outpatient basis. SUMMARY: This paper reviews the options available to the urologist in the treatment of ureteric colic as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each therapy.