Complications of Single-Use Flexible Ureteroscopy vs. Reusable Flexible Ureteroscopy: A Narrative Review.

Urolithiasis, or kidney stones, is a painful condition that is becoming increasingly common worldwide. For many, the solution lies in a minimally invasive procedure called flexible ureteroscopy (fURS). This technique involves inserting a tiny, flexible scope into the urinary tract to break up and remove stones.

Impact of COVID-19 on Pneumococcal Acute Otitis Media, Antibiotic Resistance, and Vaccination in Children.

Streptococcus pneumoniae is the main pathogen that plays a dual role, on the one hand as an asymptomatic carrier in the nasopharyngeal mucosa and on the other hand directly responsible for triggering invasive pneumococcal infections with various important localizations, especially in the pediatric population. Thus, invasive pneumococcal infections represent one of the main causes of mortality and morbidity in children under 5 years of age. Immunization is a key preventive measure against these infections.

Exploring the Intersection of Blood Transfusion and Same-Day Computed Tomography Imaging: An Overview of Clinical Risks and Practices.

The use of transfusions, whether involving whole blood or specific blood components, is essential for managing various clinical conditions. Many cases are acute, often requiring post-transfusion imaging evaluation. While there is no absolute contraindication for chest imaging following blood transfusion, it should be approached cautiously.

Long-Term Survival in Metastatic Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma of Intestinal Type.

Pancreatic cancer is often diagnosed in an advanced/metastatic stage, as it is a very aggressive type of cancer. The prognosis of pancreatic cancer is extremely unfavorable. The mean survival rate for patients with metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma is 3-6 months.

Long-Term Interplay Between SARS-CoV-2 and Renal Impairment.

Introduction The SARS-CoV-2 virus causes the highly contagious coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which most commonly manifests as severe acute respiratory syndrome. The virus is part of the Coronaroviridae family, a group of viruses that can cause various diseases, such as the common cold, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak of COVID-19 as a pandemic on March 11, 2020.

Efficient Method for Rapid Diagnosis of Streptococcal Pneumoniae in the Context of Co-Infection in Children-Case Report.

Background: Bacterial pneumonia caused by continues to be one of the most common medical conditions in the pediatric population under 5 years of age, sometimes requiring prolonged hospitalizations and high costs. The time period (3 to 7 days) from the collection of biological samples (ie nasal exudate, pharyngeal exudate, sputum, blood culture and various secretions) to the arrival of the results has been a much discussed issue. Thus, the use of a rapid diagnostic test for urinary antigen, which is easy to use, may lead after the result is known to a targeted therapeutic management and thus to a favorable prognosis of the disease for the patient.

Emergency and Elective Colorectal Cancer-Relationship between Clinical Factors, Tumor Topography and Surgical Strategies: A Cohort Study.

: The purpose of the study was to analyze the relationships among several clinical factors and also the tumor topography and surgical strategies used in patients with colorectal cancer. We designed an analytical, observational, retrospective study that included patients admitted to our emergency surgical department and diagnosed with colorectal cancer. The study group inclusion criteria were: patients admitted during 2020-2022; patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer (including the ileocecal valve); patients who benefited from a surgical procedure, either emergency or elective.

The Impact of SARS-CoV-2 on Patients With Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (LUTS).

Introduction: During the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, the management of patients with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) underwent dynamic adjustments in response to an evolving understanding of the virus's impact on different patient populations. Healthcare practitioners reevaluated therapeutic approaches for conditions like benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), considering the potential implications of this condition on the severity and progression of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study aims to investigate potential correlations between SARS-CoV-2 infection severity, exacerbation of LUTS, and BPH progression.

Large Symptomatic Inguinoscrotal Seroma Occurred Early after Laparoscopic Total Extraperitoneal Hernia Repair (TEP): a Case Report and Literature Review.

Inguinoscrotal hernia (ISH) is an entity for which treatment is under debate. Open surgery is the standard approach, but the laparoscopic technique has a great outcome when used by experienced surgeons. Seroma is one of the complications following laparoscopic hernia repair for these scrotal hernias, which is due to the large hernia sac, usually transected, leaving in place a remnant of the sac.

Laparoscopic approach of inguinal hernia associated with adult cryptorchidism: case series and literature review.

Cryptorchidism is defined as the extra-scrotal position of the testes. It is a common disorder in male children, but rarely in adult patients. The association of cryptorchidism with hernia is a common finding in childhood, but is not frequent in adults or the elderly.

Ruptured Recurrent Interstitial Ectopic Pregnancy Successfully Managed by Laparoscopy.

Ectopic pregnancies are a frequently encountered cause of first-trimester metrorrhagia. They occur when an embryo is implanted and grows outside the normal uterine space. Uncommonly, the embryo can be implanted in the intramural portion of the uterine tube, a condition referred to as interstitial localization.

Surgical Outcome in Bilateral Inguinal Hernia Repair: Laparoscopic Total Extraperitoneal Approach (TEP) as Best Approach?

Bilateral inguinal hernia is a distinct entity in the inguinal hernia category. Open and minimally invasive techniques for the treatment of bilateral inguinal hernia have been previously described. If resources and surgeon expertise are available, guidelines recommend laparoscopic repair for this entity.

The Association of Telangiectasias with Other Peripheral Vascular Lesions of Systemic Sclerosis.

Purpose: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a relatively rare collagenosis manifested as microvasculopathy, excessive cutaneous and visceral fibrosis in a background of autoimmune alteration. Autoimmune vasculopathy in SSc occurs early and begins with endothelial cell activation followed by blood vessel intimal proliferation in a context of defective angiogenesis. The alteration of peripheral micro and macrocirculation in SSc is evident through vascular lesions, such as Raynaud's phenomenon, telangiectasias, acrocyanosis, digital ulcers, gangrene, peripheral pulse deficiency.

Why Is Surgery Still Done after Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy in Locally Advanced Cervical Cancer in Romania?

The incidence and mortality of cervical cancer are high in Romania compared to other European countries, particularly for locally advanced cervical cancer cases, which are predominant at the time of diagnosis. Widely accepted therapeutic guidelines indicate that the treatment for locally advanced cervical cancer consists of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (total dose 85-90 Gy at point A), with surgery not being necessary as it does not lead to improved survival and results in significant additional morbidity. In Romania, the treatment for locally advanced cervical cancer differs, involving lower-dose chemoradiotherapy (total dose 60-65 Gy at point A), followed by surgery, which, under these circumstances, ensures better local control.

Exceptional Liver Transplant Indications: Unveiling the Uncommon Landscape.

Liver transplantation represents the definitive intervention for various etiologies of liver failure and encompasses a spectrum of rare indications crucial to understanding the diverse landscape of end-stage liver disease, with significantly improved survival rates over the past three decades. Apart from commonly encountered liver transplant indications such as decompensated cirrhosis and liver cancer, several rare diseases can lead to transplantation. Recognition of these rare indications is essential, providing a lifeline to individuals facing complex liver disorders where conventional treatments fail.

Spindle Cell Rhabdomyosarcoma of the Inguinal Region Mimicking a Complicated Hernia in the Adult-An Unexpected Finding.

Rhabdomyosarcoma is a rare tumor that is diagnosed mostly in children and adolescents, rarely in adults, representing 2-5% of all soft tissue sarcomas. It has four subtypes that are recognized: embryonal (50%), alveolar (20%), pleomorphic (20%), and spindle cell/sclerosing (10%). The diagnosis of rhabdomyosarcoma is based on the histological detection of rhabdomyoblasts and the expression of muscle-related biomarkers.

Right Transcephalic Ventriculo-Subclavian Shunt in the Surgical Treatment of Hydrocephalus-An Original Procedure for Drainage of Cerebrospinal Fluid into the Venous System.

Unlabelled: The objectives of this article are to present an original surgical procedure for the temporary or definitive resolution of hydrocephalus, in the case of repeated failure of standard treatment techniques, and to present a case that was resolved using this surgical technique.

Materials And Methods: We present the case of a 20-year-old male patient with congenital hydrocephalus who underwent a number of 39 shunt revisions, given the repetitive dysfunctions of various techniques (ventriculo-peritoneal shunt, ventriculo-cardiac shunt). The patient was evaluated with the ventricular catheter externalized at the distal end and it was necessary to find an emergency surgical solution, considering the imminent risk of meningitis.

Colorectal Cancer-The "Parent" of Low Bowel Obstruction.

: Despite the improvement of early diagnosis methods for multiple pathological entities belonging to the digestive tract, bowel obstruction determined by multiple etiologies represents an important percentage of surgical emergencies. : Although sometimes obstructive episodes are possible in the early stages of colorectal cancer, the most commonly installed intestinal obstruction has the significance of an advanced evolutionary stage of neoplastic disease. : The spontaneous evolution of colorectal cancer is always burdened by complications.

Giant Benign Struma Ovarii with High-Grade Fever, Elevated CA 125, and Hormonal Function in an Adolescent Patient.

Struma ovarii (SO) is a monodermal teratoma containing at least 50% thyroid tissue. Classically, SO is a hormonally inactive benign neoplasm that occurs in premenopausal women, and has unspecific clinical and imaging features. Its treatment is surgical and its diagnosis is established histopathologically.

Surgery for Inflammatory Bowel Disease in the Era of Biologic Therapy: A Multicenter Experience from Romania.

Biologic therapy has fundamentally changed the opportunity of medical treatment to induce and maintain remission in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Nevertheless, the rate of surgery is still at a very high rate, profoundly affecting the quality of life. We aimed to analyze surgical cases at three major IBD units in order to identify the main risk factors and the impact of biologic therapy on pre- and postsurgical outcomes.

CREST Syndrome in Systemic Sclerosis Patients - Is Dystrophic Calcinosis a Key Element to a Positive Diagnosis?

Introduction: CREST syndrome is a clinical entity associated with systemic sclerosis, which meets at least three of the five clinical features: calcinosis, Raynaud's phenomenon, esophageal dysmotility, sclerodactyly, and telangiectasia. Three of these clinical features (Raynaud's phenomenon, sclerodactyly and esophageal dysmotility) are often present in classical subsets of SSc: limited and diffuse, and their presence in association does not define CREST syndrome. Calcinosis seems to be less common in SSc and its association with other clinical features is characteristic of CREST syndrome.

Hearing Loss Secondary to Systemic Sclerosis Vasculopathy: Case Study with a Short Review.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a collagenosis with a substrate of chronic inflammation, which is determined by autoimmunity. The pathogenesis of this disease involves microvasculopathy (small vessel pathology) followed by excessive cutaneous and visceral fibrosis. Although acoustic and vestibular impairment is not classified as being a secondary pathology of SSc, several studies have identified cases of SSc that associate hearing loss and especially vertigo and tinnitus.

The Influence of Living in Rural Areas on the Evolution and Management of Pediatric Ovarian Cystic Lesions: A Retrospective Study on a Cohort from South Eastern Romania.

Background: The incidence of ovarian cystic lesions (OCLs) in pediatric patients has been increasing in recent years. An early diagnosis is mandatory for a favourable prognosis but it depends on the primary medical care services and on the socioeconomic status of the patient. The present study aims at assessing the prevalence and the age-specific frequencies of pediatric OCLs, as well as identifying disparities between subjects in the urban and the rural areas, in order to explore the extent to which OCLs occurrence, diagnosis, evolution and treatment differ in the case of patients living in rural areas.