Traumatic posterior urethral fistula to hip joint following gunshot injury: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Urinary system fistula to the hip joint is a rare complication. We report a case of delayed posterior urethral fistula to the hip joint following penetrating gunshot wound injury.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>A 37-year-old Iranian Balochi male was shot with a firearm in the superior part of his right pelvis. He underwent primary closure on the same day. Ten months later, he developed urinary retention. He underwent retrograde urethrography and antegrade cystography which showed a stricture measuring 5 cm in length. There was also a history of progressive pain in the right hip joint accompanied by low grade fever which started 2 months after the initial injury. Hip X-ray showed evidence of an acetabular cavity and femoral head destruction diagnostic of complicated septic arthritis. The patient subsequently underwent reconstructive surgery for the urethral stricture and urethral fistula via a transperineal approach followed by total hip arthroplasty.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Hip joint contamination with urine following a urethro-acetabular fistula can lead to severe and disabling complications such as septic arthritis. We recommend that every clinician should keep these fistulas in mind as a complication of penetrating urethral injury and every attempt should be made for their early diagnosis and prompt treatment.</p

Mechanistic insight into the pathology of polyalanine expansion disorders revealed by a mouse model for x linked hypopituitarism

Extent: 9 p.Polyalanine expansions in transcription factors have been associated with eight distinct congenital human diseases. It is thought that in each case the polyalanine expansion causes misfolding of the protein that abrogates protein function. Misfolded proteins form aggregates when expressed in vitro; however, it is less clear whether aggregation is of relevance to these diseases in vivo. To investigate this issue, we used targeted mutagenesis of embryonic stem (ES) cells to generate mice with a polyalanine expansion mutation in Sox3 (Sox3-26ala) that is associated with X-linked Hypopituitarism (XH) in humans. By investigating both ES cells and chimeric mice, we show that endogenous polyalanine expanded SOX3 does not form protein aggregates in vivo but rather is present at dramatically reduced levels within the nucleus of mutant cells. Importantly, the residual mutant protein of chimeric embryos is able to rescue a block in gastrulation but is not sufficient for normal development of the hypothalamus, a region that is functionally compromised in Sox3 null embryos and individuals with XH. Together, these data provide the first definitive example of a disease-relevant PA mutant protein that is both nuclear and functional, thereby manifesting as a partial loss-of-function allele.James Hughes Sandra Piltz, Nicholas Rogers, Dale McAninch, Lynn Rowley and Paul Thoma

Fungal bezoars of the upper urinary tract.

We report our experience with 6 cases of upper tract fungal bezoars involving 9 renal units-3 bilateral aspergillomas and 3 Candida bezoars. The Aspergillus bezoars were notably more morbid: 2 patients required nephrectomy after failure of medical therapy, whereas the 3 unilateral Candida bezoars all resolved with medical therapy and endourological access. In 1 patient whose aspergilloma was resistant to amphotericin B the investigational drug itraconazole proved effective. These opportunistic infections, seen increasingly in immunocompromised patients, can present a difficult management problem. A combined approach is necessary, including medical therapy with topical and systemic antifungal agents, and endourological access for extraction, lavage and debulking

Changes in uroflowmetry maximum flow rates after urethral reconstructive surgery as a means to predict for stricture recurrence

PURPOSE: A reliable, noninvasive screening method for urethral stricture recurrence after urethroplasty is needed. We hypothesized that changes in flow rates on uroflowmetry relative to preoperative values might help predict stricture recurrence. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All men who underwent urethral reconstructive surgery from 2000 to 2009 with adequate preoperative and postoperative uroflowmetry studies were included in the study. Preoperative and postoperative maximum flow rates were compared. The absolute change in maximum flow rate was compared between patients with and those without recurrence as determined by retrograde urethrogram. RESULTS: A total of 125 patients treated with urethroplasty were included in the study. Mean ± SD preoperative maximum flow rate was 11.8 ± 9.1 ml per second, which did not vary by stricture length (p = 0.11), patient age (p = 0.46) or stricture location (p = 0.58). The change in maximum flow rate in men without recurrence was 19.2 ± 11.7 vs 0.2 ± 6.4 ml per second (p <0.001) in failed repairs. Setting a change in maximum flow rate of less than 10 ml per second as a screen for stricture recurrence would have resulted in a test sensitivity and specificity of 92% and 78%, respectively. There were 85 men without stricture recurrence who underwent more than 1 postoperative uroflowmetry study. Repeated maximum flow rate values achieved reasonable test reproducibility (r = 0.52), further supporting the use of uroflowmetry. CONCLUSIONS: Change in flow rate after urethral reconstruction represents a promising metric to screen for stricture recurrence that is noninvasive and has a high sensitivity

Constrictive penile band injury: anatomical and reconstructive considerations.

Cases of constrictive penile band injury are seen often in the emergency room, and most require only removal of the constriction and conservative management. Occasionally, patients present with long-standing constriction, necrosis of the penile tissue and urethral injury. We report 2 such cases. We believe that a thorough understanding of the penile anatomy, aggressive debridement, skin grafting and temporary urinary diversion are essential for successful management of these severe cases