Isthmic ectopic gestation: A rare case report

Single-dose methotrexate therapy has gained widespread acceptance for treatment of ectopic pregnancies. Studies have demonstrated that it is safe and efficacious in selected patients. We present a rare case of isthmic ectopic gestation treated successfully with methotrexate. © Copyright 2009, CIC Edizioni Internazionali

SURGICAL TREATMENT OF STRESS URINARY INCONTINENCE: A 3-YEAR FOLLOW-UP

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the objective and subjective midterm outcomes of transobturator tape (TOT) in the treatment of female stress urinary incontinence (SUI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 114 consecutive patients affected by stress urinary incontinence (mean age 59±10 years), who underwent the TOT procedure between July 2004 and May 2008 (46 patients received the Safyre, 30 patients the PelviLace, 20 patients the Monarc, 10 patients the DynaMesh and 8 the Align sling), were assessed in June 2008. An evaluation of the patients, based on history, physical examination, stress test, urodynamic tests, and the compilation of two specific quality of life questionnaires, was performed before and after surgery. RESULTS: The therapeutic midterm failure rate for the TOT procedure was 4.4% (5 of 114 patients). The midterm cure rate was 95.6% (109 of 114 patients), 7 (6.1%) of those patients only improved, still with minimal residual urinary leakage. Clinical signs for bowel, urethral, or bladder injuries were undetectable. Intraoperative bleeding, postoperative field infections, or postoperative pelvic floor relaxations were not noted. Three patients (2.6%) presented a little small area of mesh erosion within 6 months from surgery. We also noticed a few obstructive symptoms and irritative symptoms: 4 of 114 (3.,5%) patients showed urge de novo urge symptoms. A high grade degree of satisfaction was assessed reported by QoL questionnaires ( p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS : The midterm results of this study show that the TOT procedure is a simple, safe, and effective technique in thefor treatingment of female stress urinary incontinence

Altitude profiles of total chlorinated paraffins in humus and spruce needles from the Alps (MONARPOP).

Chlorinated paraffins (CPs) are toxic, bioaccumulative, persistent, and ubiquitously present in the environment. CPs were analyzed in humus and needle samples, which were taken within the Monitoring Network in the Alpine Region for Persistent and other Organic Pollutants (MONARPOP) at sampling sites of 7 different altitude profiles in the Alps. Gas chromatography combined with electron ionization tandem mass spectrometry (EI-MS/MS) was used for the determination of total CPs (sum of short, medium and long chain CPs). CPs were found in all samples; the concentrations varied between 7 and 199 ng g(-1) dry weight (dw) and within 26 and 460 ng g(-1) dw in humus and needle samples, respectively. A clear vertical tendency within the individual altitude profiles could not be ascertained. Within all altitude profiles, elevated concentrations were observed in humus samples taken between 700 and 900 m and between 1300 and 1500 m. In the needle samples no similar correlation could be observed due to higher variation of the data