Evaluation of systemic oxidative status and mononuclear leukocytes DNA damage in children with caustic esophageal stricture.

Esophageal stricture (ES) due to accidentally caustic digestions is a common problem in children. Mucosal damage and repeated dilatations lead to chronic inflammation and finally ES. We investigated the oxidative status and DNA damage of children with ES. Five children with ES were compared with the same age- and sex-matched healthy subjects. Oxidative status of plasma was evaluated by measuring myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, and total peroxide (TP) level. Anti-oxidative status of the plasma was evaluated by measuring catalase (CAT) activity, and total antioxidant response (TAR). We used the Single Cell Gel Electrophoresis (also called Comet Assay) to measure DNA strand break in peripheral blood mononuclear leukocytes. Mean MPO activity and TP levels in the ES group were significantly higher than the control group (0.83 +/- 0.35, 0.09 +/- 0.03 and 0.98 +/- 0.38, 0.34 +/- 0.20, P = 0.009 and P = 0.047 respectively). There was no significant difference in CAT activity and TAR levels between the two groups (P = 0.347). DNA damage in patients with ES was increased compared to control subjects (108.8 +/- 51.2 and 57.6 +/- 31.2 arbitrary units, respectively), but this difference was not significant statistically (P= 0.09). This study shows that systemic oxidative stress and alteration at the nuclear level occur in patients with ES, as a result of multiple dilatations and tissue injury. On the other hand, these results support that patients with ES may benefit from antioxidant treatment.

Total antioxidant capacity in children with acute appendicitis.

AIM: This study aimed to investigate antioxidant capacity by using a novel automated method in children with acute appendicitis. METHODS: Blood samples were obtained from consecutive patients with acute appendicitis (appendicitis group, n = 12) and acute abdominal pain due to non surgical disease (non-appendicitis group, n = 11), and from patients with inguinal hernia (healthy group, n = 12) as the control group. At admission, total antioxidant capacity (TAC) levels of plasma were evaluated in all patients by a method recently developed by Erel. Four other major individual plasma antioxidant components, the levels of total protein, albumin, uric acid and bilirubin, were also evaluated. Total antioxidant capacity in patients with acute appendicitis was statistically compared with the two other groups. RESULTS: While the TAC level in the appendicitis group was significantly greater than in the non-appendicitis group, no significant difference was found in healthy groups (p < 0.05, p > 0.05, 1.94 +/- 0.38, 1.40 +/- 0.36, and 1.99 +/- 0.35 respectively). Individual components of total antioxidant capacity, i.e. total protein, albumin, uric acid and bilirubin concentrations, were also higher in the patients with acute appendicitis than those of the other two control groups. CONCLUSIONS: Our data show that children with acute appendicitis do not have deficient blood plasma antioxidant capacity. These results provide evidence that acute appendicitis results in more induction of antioxidative response than non-surgical diseases.

Management of anorectal injuries in children: an eighteen-year experience.

Anorectal injuries (ARI) are rare in childhood and yet occur due to sexual abuse and firearm injuries in developed countries. The labeling of ARI remains controversial in spite of a number of divergent reports over the past decade. We evaluated the surgical indications for primary repair of ARI without stoma, and also the potential risk factors affecting morbidity and mortality in children with ARI. Between 1983 and 2001, 41 children were diagnosed as ARI in our institution due to blunt or penetrating trauma. There were 17 male and 24 female patients. Causes of anorectal injury were blunt injuries in the majority of cases (56 %). Vagina and extremity fractures were the organs most frequently associated with ARI. There was isolated ARI in 49 % of cases. Intraperitoneal organ injury was found in 3 patients (7 %). The distribution of injury location according to the classification of ARI in our children was as follows: 10 % in G I, 32 % in G II, 51 % in G III, and 10 % in G V. Primary repair without colostomy was performed in 51 % of cases. Primary repair and diversion of faecal stream by loop colostomy was required in 20 (49 %) patients. Postoperative septic complications occurred in 29 % of cases. Some potential risk factors such as trauma mechanism and associated organ injury were not significantly correlated to postoperative septic complications, while other risk factors such as mode of treatment, time of operative intervention and contamination were significantly related to postoperative septic complications (p < 0.05). The sensitivity of trauma scoring systems for the estimation of postoperative complication occurrence was significant for ISS (p < 0.05) and ARI score (p < 0.05). The relative risk of developing a postoperative septic complication was higher than 2 for patients with ARI grade III, ISS > 15, primary repair + colostomy group, and time of operative intervention > 8 hours. A child in the colostomy + primary repair group died on the first postoperative day from rapidly progressing septicaemia and multiple organ failure (2.4 %). The management of ARI can be carried out by primary repair procedure without colostomy in the majority of cases if the needed selectivity is established.

Esophageal, tracheal and pulmonary parenchymal alterations in experimental esophageal atresia and tracheoesophageal fistula. A histological and morphometric study.

Pulmonary complications are among the most important causes of morbidity and mortality in neonates with esophageal atresia and tracheofistula. We aimed to investigate the possible causes of respiratory complications encountered in esophageal atresia (EA) and tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) in an experimental model. Sprague-Dawley fetal rats treated with adriamycin were used for the experiment. Time mated pregnant rats were given 1.75 mg/kg of adriamicyn intraperitoneally on days 6-9 of gestation. The fetuses were sacrificed on day 21, weighed, and dissected under the surgical microscope. The animals were divided into four groups: (1) control group; (2) saline-injected group; (3) adriamycin-induced EA group, and (4) adriamycin administered but without development of EA. The lungs, esophagus, and trachea were excised and underwent histological examination. The mucosa of distal esophagus was thickened (p < 0.05); the submucosa was thinner (p < 0.05); and the muscular layer was thickened (p < 0.05) in fetuses with EA and TEF. In adriamycin-treated rats, in which EA and TEF developed, tracheal cartilage was loosened and formed into a D or C shape. The cartilage was fragmented into several segments on transverse sections in most fetuses. Alveolar septa were thin in lungs of fetus with EA and TEF (p < 0.05), without any fibrosis or evidence of parenchymal abnormality microscopically. Our findings suggest that respiratory complications may contribute to structural lesions in the trachea and particularly in the distal esophagus but not in the pulmonary parenchyma itself.

Pentoxifylline attenuates reperfusion injury in testicular torsion.

OBJECTIVES: An experimental study was designed to evaluate the effects of pentoxifylline (Ptx) on lipid peroxidation, and histopathology in both testes after unilateral testicular torsion and detorsion. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty adult male albino Wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 groups of sham operation, sham operation with Ptx, torsion and detorsion, torsion and detorsion with Ptx. After intraperitoneal administration of Ptx at a dose of 50 mg/kg 15 min before torsion; right testes of the rats underwent 30 min of torsion and 30 min of detorsion. Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were assayed and histopathological changes were evaluated in both testes of all groups. RESULTS: Unilateral testicular torsion and detorsion caused an increase in the MDA levels of both testes. Histopathological evaluation showed interstitial hemorrhage on the ipsilateral side. Pentoxifylline decreased MDA levels on both side, and attenuated interstitial injury on the ipsilateral side. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that pentoxifylline treatment attenuates reperfusion damage on both side, possibly with its effects on blood flow and neutrophils. However, further studies are necessary to evaluate the effects of pentoxifylline on testicular torsion.

Polyunsaturated phosphatidylcholine lowers collagen deposition in a rat model of corrosive esophageal burn.

Esophageal strictures are characterized by excess deposition of collagen in the esophageal wall. Polyunsaturated phosphatidyl-choline (PPC) stimulates collagen breakdown in experimental models of liver cirrhosis and colitis. This study was done in order to investigate the therapeutical effect of PPC in preventing esophageal strictures due to alkali-induced esophageal burns in rats. Fifty-five albino rats were divided into four groups as follows: control group (Group A, 10 rats), rats with sham operation and treated with saline (Group B, 15 rats), rats with esophageal burns only (Group C, 15 rats), and PPC-fed rats with esophageal burns (Group D, 15 rats). A standard esophageal burn was produced as described by Gehanno. PPC was administered orally to Group D rats in doses of 100 mg/day for four weeks. All animals were sacrificed on the 28th day of the experiment. Hydroxyproline levels in esophageal tissue was determined in each rat, and histopathologic evaluation was performed for each group. Hydroxyproline levels were significantly lower in the PPC-fed rats than in the rats with pure esophageal burns (p < 0.001). Histopathologically, collagen deposition in the submucosa and tunica muscularis was lower in Group D rats (PPC-fed rats with esophageal burn) than Group C rats (pure esophageal burn) (p < 0.05). As a result of our study, we concluded that PPC has an ameliorating effect on stricture formation after alkali-induced corrosive esophageal burns in rats.

Comparison of electromagnetic field stimulation on the healing of small and large intestinal anastomoses.

PURPOSE: Magnetic fields have been shown to affect biologic processes. Accordingly, an experimental study was designed to investigate the effect of electromagnetic field stimulation on intestinal healing and to compare small and large intestinal anastomoses. METHODS: An ileal or a colonic anastomosis was constructed in rats. Beginning the day after surgery, randomly assigned groups were exposed to sinusoidal electromagnetic field stimulation of 10.76-mT intensity and 50-Hz frequency, with 2-hour-on/10-hour-off cycles. After seven days, intestinal anastomoses were assessed for hydroxyproline content and breaking strength. Statistical comparison between each experimental and control group yielded significance (P < 0.05) in all cases. RESULTS: Hydroxyproline content increased significantly in ileum from 1.650 +/- 0.11 (mean +/- standard error of the mean) to 2.036 +/- 0.11 microg/mg (P = 0.0249) and in colon from 1.526 +/- 0.11 to 1.922 +/- 0.11 microg/mg (P = 0.0135). Breaking strength also increased significantly in ileum from 0.213 +/- 0.01 to 0.255 +/- 0.01 MPa (P = 0.001) and in colon from 0.227 +/- 0.01 to 0.270 +/- 0.01 MPa (P = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: Electromagnetic field stimulation provided a significant gain in anastomotic healing in both small and large intestine. There were no apparent differences detected between the healing of small and large intestinal anastomoses except for slight differences in the time sequences of events and magnitude. The study demonstrated a significant increase in both biochemical and mechanical parameters. Additional investigations are needed to determine optimal conditions and promote selective biologic responses.

Outcomes of one-stage techniques for proximal hypospadias repair.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the success of three preputial flap techniques in the one-stage correction of proximal hypospadias. METHODS: From 1993 to 1999, 43 children underwent one-stage proximal hypospadias repair using preputial flaps, which were performed by a single surgeon. Of the 43 patients, 21 (48.8%), 10 (23.2%), and 12 (27.9%) underwent tubularized island flap urethroplasty, double-faced tubularized island flap urethroplasty, and onlay island flap urethroplasty, respectively. The age range of the patients at surgery was 18 months to 14 years (mean 3.4). Dorsal plication was required for chordee repair in 12 patients (3 in tubularized island flaps, 3 in double-faced tubularized island flaps, and 6 in onlay island flaps). In addition to the dorsal plication, posterior dissection of the urethral plate without division was performed on 3 of the 6 patients with mild to severe chordee in the onlay island flap group. The incidence of complications requiring repeated surgery was evaluated for each group. RESULTS: The follow-up was 8 months to 7 years (mean 4.1 years). The overall complication rate was 90% for the double-faced tubularized island flap repair, 38% for the tubularized island flap repair, and 33% for the onlay island flap repair. Recurrent chordee was observed in 2 (66.6%) of the 3 patients who underwent onlay island flap repair with urethral plate dissection. CONCLUSIONS: The use of a tubularized island flap is suggested for one-stage repair of proximal hypospadias, especially in the patients with severe chordee. Because of the high complication rates, the double-faced tubularized island flap technique is not advocated. The onlay island flap may also be used for proximal hypospadias repair if mild chordee is present. Because of the high recurrent chordee rate, dissection of the urethral plate without division is not suggested in the onlay island flap technique.

The protective effects of captopril and nitric oxide on solitary kidney after chronic partial ureteric obstruction.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether vasodilator agents (captopril and nitric oxide) change the morphological and functional effects of chronic partial ureteric obstruction in solitary kidney tissue in unilaterally nephrectomized rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Each of 50 prepubertal Wistar albino rats underwent right nephrectomy and were then assigned to one of five groups. Rats in group 1 underwent a sham operation (control) and in the other groups the ureter of the remaining kidney was partially obstructed by surgery. In group 2, no drug treatments were given; in groups 3, 4 and 5 captopril, L-arginine methyl ester (L-Arg) or NG- nitro-L-arginine-methyl ester, respectively, were given for 3 weeks. In all rats, diuretic scintigraphy was used to measure kidney perfusion, glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and concentration. Blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine levels, kidney parenchymal weight and pelvic volume were measured and the kidneys evaluated histopathologically. RESULTS: Renal perfusion was significantly greater in both group 3 and 4 than in group 2. The GFR was 18% greater in group 3 and 22.3% greater in group 4 than in group 2. The GFR was decreased by 67% in group 5 compared with the control group. The mean parenchymal weight, mean pelvic volume, BUN and serum creatinine in the four groups with a partially obstructed ureter were significantly different from the control group. There also were significant differences between group 2 and groups 3--5, and between group 2 and group 3. Histological damage was severe in all four groups with partial ureteric obstruction, but in the drug-treated groups, medullary fibrosis was less frequent. CONCLUSION: After 3 weeks of treatment, captopril and L-Arg both improved kidney perfusion, GFR, BUN and serum creatinine levels, but were less effective in preventing parenchymal atrophy and changes in pelvic volume.

Colon injuries in children.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Colonic injuries are rare in childhood, but when they do occur, they are mostly associated with penetrating abdominal injuries. The primary repair of colon injuries without stoma is still controversial within surgical experience, and the potential risk factors affecting morbidity and mortality is not sufficiently known. METHODS: Between 1985 and 1997, 34 children presenting with traumatic colonic perforations were reevaluated by analyzing the relationship between the overall morbidity and mortality and the potential risk factors. RESULTS: Of the 34 children in the case study, 27 boys and 7 girls, there were 7 (21%) isolated colonic injuries. The remaining 27 (79%) patients showed colonic injuries most frequently associated with the small bowel, the liver, and the bladder. Localization of injury was distributed thus: 21% in the right colon, 29% in the transverse colon, and 50% in the left colon. Primary repair, with or without intestinal resection, was performed in 27 (79%) of the patients. In total, postoperative complications occurred in 10 (29%) of the patients. Risk factors such as age, abdominal contamination, and associated abdominal organ injuries were found significant in these complications, however, the mechanism of injury, shock, blood transfusion, and localization of injury were not correlated significantly to postoperative complications. "'Flint's Colon Grading System" was used to ascertain the sensitivity of trauma scoring systems for postoperative complications. CONCLUSION: Colonic wounds can be repaired primarily without the need of colostomy in the majority of cases in children when the required selections are established.

Urogenital injuries in childhood: a strong association of bladder trauma to bowel injuries.

We analysed the inter-relationships of the cause and the type of trauma, the presence of pelvic fracture, the associated intraabdominal organ injuries, and the morbidity and mortality rates in 154 patients presenting and being treated for UGT between 1983 and 1997. The cause of injury was blunt in 77% of cases and penetrating in 13%. The most frequently injured organs were kidney followed by urethra and bladder. Bowels, liver and spleen were the most frequently associated injured organs. Moreover, bladder injuries were strongly associated with bowel injuries (p < 0.0001). Hemodynamically normal 49 children with minor or major kidney injuries were managed conservatively. Hemodynamically non-stable 11 patients were explored. The majority of urogenital injuries can be managed conservatively even when associated with intraabdominal organ injuries. Solid genitourinary organ injuries may accompany more frequently to intraperitoneal solid organ injury. Whereas, non-solid genitourinary organ injuries may more frequently associated with injuries of intraperitoneal hollow viscus.

Internal inguinal hernia in a 20-month-old boy.

The authors report on a 20-month-old boy with internal inguinal hernia. The patient was reoperated for clinical signs of intestinal obstruction after an incarcerated inguinal hernia repair. The diagnosis of internal inguinal hernia was proven by surgical exploration. This is the first internal inguinal hernia case reported in the literature and completely different from the atypical parainguinal hernias reported before.

The protective effects of nitric oxide on the contralateral testis in prepubertal rats with unilateral testicular torsion.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate histological changes in the contralateral testis of rats with unilateral testicular torsion and the protective effects of nitric oxide (NO) on possible damage. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty-eight prepubertal male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four equal groups. Group 1 underwent a sham operation of the right testis under general anaesthesia. Group 2 underwent a similar operation but the right testis was rotated 720 degrees clockwise for 6 h, maintained by fixing the testis to the scrotum, and saline infused during the procedure. Group 3 underwent similar torsion but L-arginine methyl ester (a precursor of NO) was infused during the procedure. In Group 4, NG-nitro-L-arginine-methyl ester, a NO synthase inhibitor, was infused separately during the administration of L-arginine methyl ester and torsion. All the left (untwisted) testes were removed from rats 21 days after surgery and evaluated histologically, assessing seminiferous tubule diameter, loss of sperm and spermatids, loss of germ cell layers, disarray of germ cell layers, rupture of tubules, Leydig cell proliferation and reaction in the ruptured tubules, and oedema. RESULTS: There was a significant difference in the indicators of histological damage between groups 2 and 4 and groups 1 and 3, except for the Leydig cell reaction in the ruptured tubules and oedema. The damage was significantly less in group 3 than in groups 2 and 4. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that long-term histopathological changes in the contralateral testes are important after unilateral testicular torsion and that NO has a protective effect on the contralateral testis.

The split notochord syndrome with dorsal enteric fistula, meningomyelocele and imperforate anus.

A male infant was referred to our department because of lumbosacral meningomyelocele, dorsal enteric fistula and imperforate anus. The mother had received a parenteral drug containing estradiol benzoate and progesterone for inducing abortion in the first trimester. She also used an anal pomade containing triamcinolone and lidocaine-HCl during the pregnancy for hemorrhoids. Sigmoid end colostomy was performed after meningomyelocele repair. On abdominal exploration a wandering spleen was detected but no other anomalies. Two months later, an abdominoperineal pullthrough was performed, and the patient was discharged well after three weeks. Our case is the sixth that had split notochord syndrome associated with dorsal enteric fistula and imperforate anus. Additionally, penoscrotal transposition and wandering spleen were present in this case. To our knowledge, these associated anomalies have been extremely rare.

Ultrastructural and hormonal changes in the contralateral adrenal gland in unilateral adrenal gland ischemia: an experimental study in rats.

While it is well known that unilateral tissue ischemia may result in contralateral damage in some paired organs, there is no universally accepted mechanism to explain why these contralateral changes occur. The aim of the present study was to investigate the ultrastructural and hormonal changes that occur in the contralateral nonischemic adrenal gland after unilateral ischemia of an adrenal gland in a rat model. The animals were divided into four groups of four rats each; namely, a control group which received a sham operation without any ischemic insult, a 2-h ischemic group, a 4-h ischemic group, and an 8-h ischemic group. The left adrenal blood vessels were ligated in all ischemia groups and blood samples were taken for hormonal study 2, 4, and 8 h later, after which bilateral adrenalectomy was performed to determine the ultrastructural changes. The plasma concentrations of aldosterone and cortisol were determined by radioimmunoassays. There was an increase in both aldosterone and cortisol levels related to the duration of the ischemia, but the differences among the groups were not statistically significant. Contralateral ultrastructural damage such as heterochromatin in nuclei, mitochondrial degeneration, endoplasmic reticulum cisternal widening, increased lipid droplets, and lysosomes, were demonstrated electron-microscopically after unilateral adrenal ischemia.

The effect of corticosteroids and pentoxifylline in caustic esophageal burns. A prospective trial in rats.

BACKGROUND: Caustic Esophageal Burns (CEB) usually results in scatritial tissue and stricture formation. Management requires preventing the massive inflammatory process that ensues in its early phase and decreasing bacterial complications. METHODS: An animal model was created to investigate the effect of corticosteroids and pentoxifylline in CEB using 52 male Wistar rats. The injury was produced using an indwelling esophageal catheter through which 3N of 12% sodium hydroxide was infused. The rats were grouped as control, CEB, CEB and ceftazidime (CEB-C, 100 mg/kg/day im. bid. 10 days), CEB and ceftazidime plus dexamethasone (CEB-CD, 0.1 mg/kg/day im. bid. 4 weeks) and CEB and ceftazidime plus pentoxifylline (CEB-CP, 50 mg/kg/day im. tid. 4 weeks). The groups were evaluated making use of esophagograms, hydroxyproline (OH-P) contents and histologic examination of the specimens 28 days after injury. RESULTS: No significant statistical differences were observed among the dexamethasone (CEB-CD), pentoxifylline (CEB-CP), antibiotics (CEB-C) and the untreated CEB groups.

Pentoxifylline inhibits overflow and reduces intestinal reperfusion injury.

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of pentoxifylline (Ptx) in reperfusion injury of the small bowel as a leukocyte stabilizer, free radical scavenger, and microcirculatory regulator. Ninety-six male Sprague-Dawley rats were used to determine the biochemical, histopathologic and blood flow changes of the reperfused small intestines after 30 minutes of a warm ischemic insult. Animals were divided into six groups: Sham (S), sham plus Ptx (SP), ischemia (I), ischemia plus Ptx (IP), reperfusion (R), and reperfusion plus Ptx (RP). Pentoxifylline was administered intraperitoneally at a dose of 50 mg/kg 15 minutes before ischemia. The superior mesenteric artery (SMA) was occluded distal to the right colic artery and collateral arcades were ligated as described by Megison. Sixty of the 96 rats (n = 10) were used to determine histopathologic changes, malondialdehyde (MDA), and myeloperoxidase (MPO) levels in tissue. Mucosal lesions were graded on a scale from 0 to 5 as described by Chiu. MDA and MPO levels of the intestinal mucosa were assayed to reflect the free radical formation and neutrophil sequestration, respectively. Thirty-six rats (n = 6) were used to measure blood flow changes of the intestine using 133Xe clearance technique. All data were presented as the mean values plus or minus the standard error of the means (means +/- sem). Although in the R group, mucosal injury score, blood flow, MPO, and MDA levels were higher significantly from the other groups (P < .05), in the RP group blood flow, MPO, and MDA levels were significantly decreased to the basal values (P < .05). Mucosal injury score of the RP group were lower than the reperfusion group but higher than the normal (P < .05). The authors conclude that pentoxifylline pretreatment before reperfusion stabilizes blood flow, decreases MPO and MDA levels to the normal, and attenuates but not completely prevents mucosal damage.

Neonatal hypertrophic pyloric stenosis: congenital or infantile?

Hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (HPS) is very rare during the newborn period. Here we present a fullterm male neonate with abundant hematemesis 12 hours after birth which interrupted oral feeding. Bleeding subsided within three days after conservative measures, and oral feeding was restarted but not tolerated. The vomiting was effortless and nonbilious. An upper gastrointestinal series revealed gastric dilatation and partial obstruction of the gastric outlet. HPS was found by laparotomy on the fourth day and Fredet-Ramstedt pyloromyotomy relieved the gastric emptying. This is one of the few cases of HPS present at birth, which was diagnosed and surgically treated early, and we suggest a congenital etiology in previously reported cases of HPS. Hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (HPS) is a common cause of pediatric surgery. Usually young infants are involved; HPS is extremely rare in neonates and infants older than 6 months. Vomiting typically begins between the 3rd and 6th week of life, although some infants may have mild symptoms like regurgitation from birth.

Distal penile hypospadias repair in children, with complete mobilization of pendulous urethra and triangular glandular flap.

OBJECTIVE: To present a technique for repair of distal hypospadias. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Sixteen children (average age 6.6 years) were treated between January 1985 and January 1991. The procedure is described. RESULTS: One child developed a mild meatal stenosis and another had a small urethral fistula; both responded to treatment. Results were excellent in the remaining 14 patients. CONCLUSION: This simple operative procedure was successful in the majority of patients and there were only two minor complications.

Blood flow determination in contralateral ovary with 133 Xe in unilateral ovarian torsion (experimental study in rabbits).

Clinical and experimental studies have shown that, in unilateral testicular torsion, some structural and hormonal changes may occur in the contralateral testis. The present study was designed to determine the effect of unilateral ovarian torsion on the blood flow in the contralateral ovary using #133Xe. Basal blood flow of the bilateral ovaries was determined in 40 prepubertal, female New Zealand rabbits. Right ovaries were then torsioned 720 degrees in all groups with the exception of the control group, where only laparotomy was performed. Bilateral ovarian blood flows were measured in the first group one hour after torsion, in the second group 8 hours after torsion, in the third group 24 hours after torsion and at the same times after laparotomy in the control group. Basal and post torsional blood flow measurements were analyzed. Contralateral ovarian blood flow was reduced after unilateral torsion in all of the groups. In the control group, there were no changes in these criteria.