[Informed consent with special emphasis on Croatia].

Respecting the informed consent and its implementation is one of the fundamental components of high-quality health care. This article discusses the informed consent with an overview of Croatian and international legal documents and scientific studies dealing with this issue. Based on the review of the literature it can be concluded that this is an important issue that contains several key components that should be observed and investigated.

Differential diagnosis and clinical relevance of pneumobilia or portal vein gas on abdominal x-ray.

The purpose of the article is to present the differential diagnostic criteria between pneumobilia (air in the biliary system) and portal vein gas on abdominal x-ray. Differential diagnosis is essential because of its influence on patient management. Two patients are presented, one with pneumobilia and the other with portal vein gas on abdominal x-ray, with review of the relevant literature.

Urinary retention presenting as complete bowel obstruction.

A 59-year-old male was admitted to hospital for clinical and radiological signs of large bowel obstruction with clinical signs of generalized peritonitis. As such, he was scheduled to undergo emergency exploratory laparotomy. During preoperative preparation, over 2000 mL of urine was obtained after catheterization.

Melanoma of the glans penis and urethra.

Primary melanoma of the glans or male urethra is a rare malignant tumor with high mortality. We searched PubMed and found 129 articles reporting on 220 patients. All articles were case reports or case series.

D-mannose powder for prophylaxis of recurrent urinary tract infections in women: a randomized clinical trial.

Purpose: To test whether D-mannose powder is effective for recurrent urinary tract infection (UTI) prevention.

Materials And Methods: After initial antibiotic treatment of acute cystitis, 308 women with history of recurrent UTI and no other significant comorbidities were randomly allocated to three groups. The first group (n = 103) received prophylaxis with 2 g of D-mannose powder in 200 ml of water daily for 6 months, the second (n = 103) received 50 mg Nitrofurantoin daily, and the third (n = 102) did not receive prophylaxis.

Melanoma of the female urethra.

Primary melanoma of the female urethra is a very rare malignant tumor with high mortality. Due to its rarity, there are no guidelines and recommendations on the diagnosis and treatment of such patients, so we aimed to review the reported cases and case series, their treatment, and outcome. We searched through PubMed for all articles reporting on female urethral melanoma.

A new approach for transversalis fascia reinforcement in Lichtenstein's inguinal hernia repair.

Operations undertaken for inguinal hernia repair are the most common elective surgical procedures. According to the current guidelines, Lichtenstein's tension-free method is the gold standard for elective hernia operations. The most common types of implanted mesh are polypropylene and composite mesh.

Fournier's gangrene: etiology and outcome analysis of 41 patients.

Introduction: Fournier's gangrene (FG) is the necrotizing fasciitis of the perineum and genital area with high mortality.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective review included 41 patients diagnosed with FG in our hospitals from 1995 to 2010, divided into survivors and nonsurvivors. We analyzed anamnestic, clinical and laboratory data.

A randomized clinical trial comparing Ligasure versus stapled hemorrhoidectomy.

Stapled hemorrhoidectomy (SH) and Ligasure hemorrhoidectomy (LH) are standard for hemorrhoidal disease treatment, but the surgical principle is different. This randomized clinical trial compared the 2 methods. We included 98 patients with grade 3 hemorrhoidal disease: 46 patients treated by SH and 52 patients by LH.

[Histrelin acetate--the first once yearly LHRH agonist].

Long-acting synthetic luteinising hormone-releasing hormone agonists have become the mainstay for androgen-deprivation therapy, because they avoid the physical and psychological discomfort associated with orchidectomy and lack the potential cardiotoxicity associated with estrogens such as diethylstilbestrol. Currently available luteinising hormone-releasing hormone agonist analogues include leuprolide, goserelin, triptorelin, degarelix and buserelin were administered as either intramuscular or subcutaneous depot injections on a 1, 2, 3 or 6 months basis. Histrelin acetate is the first long-acting luteinising hormone-releasing hormone agonist available as a once-yearly subcutaneous implant.

[Feasibility of alpha-blockers in chronic category III prostatitis].

Studies were identified on internet by searching on address: http://www.ncbi.nlm.

An unusual cause of anuria and hydronephrosis in a 12-year-old girl.

A 12-year-old girl was admitted for abdominal pain and signs of acute kidney injury. Physical examination showed abdominal distension and a tumefaction in the lower abdomen. Laboratory and clinical findings were consistent with acute kidney injury.