Sanitary Waters: Is It Worth Looking for Mycobacteria?

The freshwater environment is suitable for nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTMs) growth. Their high adaptability represents a considerable risk for sanitary water systems, which are a potential vector for NTMs transmission. This study investigated the occurrence of NTMs, such as , in hospital water systems to support the surveillance and control of potentially pathogenic NTMs.

Tegumentary Leishmaniasis in Northeastern Italy from 2017 to 2020: A Neglected Public Health Issue.

Tegumentary leishmaniasis (TL) includes cutaneous (CL) and mucosal (ML) leishmaniasis; despite being endemic in southern Europe, it is often underdiagnosed and underreported. This study aimed to retrospectively examine data collected from patients with TL in a selected area of northeastern Italy (Emilia-Romagna region, RER). A network of 10 diagnostic units within RER was established, and TL cases diagnosed in RER from 2017 to 2020 were evaluated.

Endoscopic and minimal open surgical incision of ureteroceles.

Ureterocele decompression by endoscopic or open incision was the primary treatment in 59 children with 63 ureteroceles. Of these, 18 were intravesical and 45 were ectopic. The endoscopic or open incision adequately decompressed all intravesical ureteroceles and 37 of 45 ectopic ureteroceles (82%).

Juxta-adrenal malignant schwannoma.

A case of malignant schwannoma occurring in an 11-year-old boy is described. To our knowledge, this is the third case of malignant juxta-adrenal schwannoma reported in the literature. It was misdiagnosed at the onset of the disease as a post-traumatic renal hematoma.

Labial skin-flap vaginoplasty using tissue expanders.

In severe vaginal malformations, when the distance between the upper vaginal pouch and perineum is too long (6 cm or more), reconstruction of the vagina can be performed by colonic interposition or by long cutaneous flaps obtained by the tissue expansion technique. Two female adolescents were treated using expanded labial skin flaps. Dissection and anastomosis between the vaginal remnant and cutaneous tube was performed by the transtrigonal approach.

Labial skin-flap vaginoplasty using tissue expanders.

In severe vaginal malformations, when the distance between the upper vaginal pouch and perineum is too long (6 cm or more), reconstruction of the vagina can be performed by colonic interposition or by long cutaneous flaps obtained by the tissue expansion technique. Two female adolescents were treated using expanded labial skin flaps. Dissection and anastomosis between the vaginal remnant and cutaneous tube was performed by the transtrigonal approach.

Management of giant omphalocele by progressive external compression: case report.

The management of giant omphalocele remains a major surgical challenge. A staged approach is mandatory to achieve an uncomplicated reduction. The case of a child conservatively and successfully treated by progressive external compression of the herniated organs and viscera using an elastic bandaging is described here.

Laparoscopic surgery for adolescent varicocele: preliminary report on 80 patients.

Laparoscopic clipping and division of the internal spermatic vessels was performed without complications in 80 adolescents to treat varicocele. In four cases the procedure had to be converted to open surgery. Two of the cases were converted because of technical errors during CO2 insufflation and in two cases because dissection of the vessels was impossible owing to abnormal adhesion of sigmoid colon.

[Progress in the surgical treatment of congenital and acquired broncho-pulmonary pathology].

Surgery is the cornerstone in the management of congenital bronchopulmonary diseases. This term include a wide spectrum of malformative anomalies subdivided clinically into cystic and solid lesions. Bronchogenic cyst (BC), cystic adenomatoid malformation (CAM) and congenital lobar overinflation (CLO) are congenital cystic lesions.

[Non-palpable testis: modern diagnostic and therapeutic trends].

Management of the nonpalpable testis is controversial and can be difficult as shown by the multiple modalities for evaluation and proposed treatment. In our opinion, laparoscopy is the ideal first step in the management of patients with a nonpalpable testis, having a great reliability in locating or confirming absence of an occult testis. Accurate preoperative assessment and localization will assist in selecting the appropriate surgical approach either laparoscopic, laparoscopic-assisted, or open procedure.

[Cryptorchidism: anomalies of the secretory ducts and azoospermia].

A range of epididymal and vasal anomalies (EVA), varying from ductal patency aberrations to abnormal attachments of the epidydimis to the testis or even complete absence, exists in boys with cryptorchidism, but there are few studies of normal controls for comparison. In the present study anatomy of testicular-epididymal relationships were recorded in 517 cryptorchid patients (423 unilateral and 94 bilateral) and in 192 boys who underwent inguinal exploration for inguinal hernia or hydrocele. The postmortem anatomic relationship of the testis and epididymis in 50 adults was also examined.

[Cryptorchidism and fertility: evaluation in adult age].

Impairment of fertility rate has been found to be associated with cryptorchidism. In this study we assessed the fertility of 172 adult subjects with unilateral and bilateral cryptorchidism who underwent surgical correction in pediatric age. Fertility has been evaluated by sperm analysis.

[Modern trends in the treatment of varicocele].

A varicocele first develops in early adolescence and it can negatively affect testicular growth, histology and function. The use of early varicocelectomy to prevent severe testicular damage and sub-infertility in adulthood seems to be incontrovertible. However there is a difference of opinion as to the proper surgical procedure of varicocele ablation.

[Varicocele: epidemiologic study and indications for its treatment].

The varicocele is still the most common correctable cause of male infertility. The epidemiologic studies revealed a gradually increasing incidence of varicocele in patients 10 to 18 years old, as height at the end of puberty as that of the adult male population. The pediatric varicocele is often associated with smaller and hypotrophic testis which presents also histological and progressive changes.

[Primary varicocele: a substimated pathology in pediatrico-adolescent age].

Idiopathic varicocele is a neglected entity in classic pediatric textbooks. Yet vast epidemiologic studies revealed that the incidence of varicocele gradually increases in patients between 10 and 15 years old and is comparable to that of the adult male population. Clinically, the pediatric varicocele is often associated with smaller and hypotrophic testis; histologically it also is associated with pathological and progressive changes of the testis.

[Acute scrotum in pediatric age: analysis of 265 consecutive cases].

"Acute scrotum" in infants and children is generally due to testicular torsion, torsion of the appendix of testis or acute orchiepididymitis. However they are other less frequent causes of "acute scrotum". The differential diagnosis is often very difficult.

[The non-palpable testis: modern diagnostic and therapeutic approaches].

Management of the nonpalpable testis is controversial and can be difficult as shown by the multiple modalities for evaluation and proposed treatment. In our opinion, laparoscopy is the ideal first step in the management of patients with a nonpalpable testis, having a great reliability in locating or confirming absence of an occult testis. Accurate preoperative assessment and localization will assist in selecting the appropriate surgical approach either laparoscopic, laparoscopic-assisted, or open procedure.

Management of urethral strictures in children.

We report the results of a long-term follow-up study in 78 children with urethral strictures. The ages ranged from 1 month to 20 years and the follow-up from 8 months to 15 years (average 5.9 years).

Evolution of upper urinary tract and renal function in patients with posterior urethral valves.

From January 1972 to June 1993, 166 patients with posterior urethral valves (PUV) were treated in our surgical department, 59 with a milder form of PUV (upper urinary tract [UUT] complication rate 29%) and 107 with a severer form (UUT complication rate 96.3%). Only the latter group was studied for long-term (mean 9.

Postoperative medium-term follow-up of patients with bilateral, massive primary vesicorenal reflux and reduced renal function at presentation.

We report the results of a medium-term follow-up study of 52 patients with bilateral, massive primary vesicorenal reflux (PVRR) with renal damage at presentation. Ten infants between 2 and 5 months of age, with a total of 19 renal units, had a temporary vesicostomy followed by ureteral reimplantation after 12-15 months; 42 patients with 81 renal units had primary ureteral reimplantation. The postoperative observation period covered 9.

Evolution of urodynamic patterns in posterior urethral valves.

A retrospective, long-term urodynamic study was performed in order to follow the evolution of the urodynamic patterns in 55 unselected patients previously affected by posterior urethral valves (PUV). The mean maximum cystometric capacity (MCC) values progressively increased over time and, on long-term follow-up, were just above 2 standard deviations (SD). The mean compliance values were clearly reduced in the first urodynamic studies after valve ablation, and only after a mean of 5 years follow-up did they approach the lower limits of normal.

Adolescent varicocele: operative anatomy and tricks for successful correction.

Conventional varicocelectomy is often complicated by high recurrence rate, ranging from 6 to 25% and the persistence usually is due to residual venous communications. We report our experience of 21 years in varicocele correction using 3 different operative techniques on 389 adolescents. In the first 12 years (120 patients) a typical ivanissevich operation was carried out with a recurrence rate of 18%.

Fertility rates after successful correction of varicocele in adolescence and adulthood.

Vast epidemiologic studies have shown that varicocele becomes manifest at the beginning of sexual maturation and its incidence gradually increases in patients between 10-16 years. This percentage is 16-18% in adolescents and is comparable to that of the adult male population. Since varicocele first appears in early adolescence and its gonadotoxic effect increases with age, the possibility of improved fertility rate with early varicocelectomy has been suggested.

Long-term (over 22 years) follow-up of four familial cases of Caroli's disease.

The authors report a long-term (over 22 years) follow-up of four familial cases, 1 brother and 3 sisters, affected by classic Caroli's disease. The male patient experienced acute cholangitis at the age of 6 and 1 of the 3 sisters at 12 years. The other two sisters were asymptomatic at the time of diagnosis.