İsa Özbey

Management of Fournier's Gangrene: Review of 45 Cases

PurposeFourniers gangrene is a fatal synergistic infectious disease with necrotizing fasciitis of the perineum and abdominal wall along with the scrotum and penis in men and the vulva in women.MethodsThe clinical and operative records of 45 patients with Fourniers gangrene during a 14-year period were analyzed.ResultsThe etiology of the infection was identified in 39 patients. The most common causes were colorectal diseases and urogenital diseases. Four patients died with an overall mortality of 8.8%. The mortality rate was higher in patients with diabetes mellitus, but it was not statistically different. The age, duration of the symptoms, and the presence of rectal abscess were not found to be significant factors regarding mortality rate.ConclusionsSurgery with extensive debridement of all necrotic tissue is the main stay of treatment.

ORIGINAL RESEARCH—SURGERY: Seventeen Years' Experience of Penile Fracture: Conservative vs. Surgical Treatment

INTRODUCTION Penile fracture is the rupture of the tunica of one or both corpora cavernosa due to direct blunt trauma to the erected penis. Partial or complete rupture of the urethra or injury to the deep dorsal vein may accompany penile fracture. AIM To compare conservative and surgical treatment modalities in terms of duration of hospitalization, early and late complications such as penile nodule and curvature, erectile dysfunction, and painful erection. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Treatment results and complications in two groups were evaluated with history and physical examination, and International Index of Erectile Function-5 Questionnaire was used for erectile function assessment. Methods. The charts of 42 men diagnosed with penile fracture were retrospectively reviewed, and two treatment modalities were compared: conservative (Group I) and surgical (Group II). Results. Between 1991 and 2008, a total of 42 patients with penile fracture were followed in our clinic for a mean of 18 months (range: 6-30 months). Five men who refused surgical treatment were treated conservatively, and the other 37 patients underwent surgical treatment. In Group II, the most common complication was painful erection (in 4 of 37 patients, 10.8 %), whereas in Group I, 80 % (4/5 patients) suffered complications such as wound infection, painful erection, penile nodule and curvature, and erectile dysfunction. Conclusion. Diagnosis of penile fracture can be based on history and physical examination; diagnostic tests such as ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging are generally not required. Fractures must be repaired either immediately or delayed. Because management with emergency surgical repair is the most effective approach, with the lowest complication rate, surgical treatment should be preferred compared to a conservative approach.

The relationship between varicocele and semen nitric oxide concentrations

Abstract We investigated the relationship between seminal plasma nitric oxide (NO) concentrations and conventional semen parameters in patients with varicocele. Semen samples were obtained from infertile patients with varicocele (n=55) and from normal controls (n=48). The mean NO concentration in the seminal plasma of patients with varicocele was significantly higher than that of the controls (P < 0.01). A significant negative correlation was noted between NO and sperm motility (r=−0.29, P=0.003), NO and sperm concentration (r=−0.26, P=0.008) and NO and normal morphology (normal %) (r=−0.25, P=0.01). It was concluded that increased NO production may influence sperm production, motility and morphology in patients with varicocele.

Urinary tuberculosis: ten years' experience.

In this study of 26 patients, clinical features diagnosed as urinary tuberculosis in our nephrology and urology clinics between 1993 and 2002 were investigated retrospectively. Fifteen patients (52%) were male, and mean age was 43.5 (18–71). Twenty percent of the patients were asymptomatic. Frequency-dysuria (46%), flank pain (33%), and macroscopic hematuria (12%) were presenting symptoms. Physical examination was not diagnostically helpful in most patients. Hematuria and/or pyuria were detected in 80% of the patients. Eleven patients had positive urine cultures of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (42%), and 7 patients had positive smears (25%). Definitive diagnosis of urinary tuberculosis was established microbiologically in 15 patients (58%) and histopathologically in 11 patients (42%). Tuberculin skin test was positive in 60% of the patients. Eight patients had an abnormal chest roentgenogram. Hydronephrosis (majority bilateral) in 11 patients (42%), contracted bladder in 9 patients (34.6%), and renal calcification in 6 patients (23%) were detected. Two patients also had genital tuberculosis (epididymoorchitis). Although only medical treatment was applied in 13 patients for 9 months, in the rest of the patients medical therapy plus surgical intervention was carried out. End-stage renal failure developed in one patient who died on hemodialysis. Renal functions had decreased moderately in two other patients. In conclusion, the diagnosis of urinary tuberculosis was able to be established after the obstructive complications and functional losses were developed in a fair number of cases. Surgical treatment was carried out in half the patients. Urinary tuberculosis should be taken into consideration because early diagnosis and treatment is very important for the presenting of irreversible sequelae.

ORIGINAL RESEARCHORIGINAL RESEARCH—SURGERY: Seventeen Years' Experience of Penile Fracture: Conservative vs. Surgical Treatment

INTRODUCTION Penile fracture is the rupture of the tunica of one or both corpora cavernosa due to direct blunt trauma to the erected penis. Partial or complete rupture of the urethra or injury to the deep dorsal vein may accompany penile fracture. AIM To compare conservative and surgical treatment modalities in terms of duration of hospitalization, early and late complications such as penile nodule and curvature, erectile dysfunction, and painful erection. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Treatment results and complications in two groups were evaluated with history and physical examination, and International Index of Erectile Function-5 Questionnaire was used for erectile function assessment. Methods. The charts of 42 men diagnosed with penile fracture were retrospectively reviewed, and two treatment modalities were compared: conservative (Group I) and surgical (Group II). Results. Between 1991 and 2008, a total of 42 patients with penile fracture were followed in our clinic for a mean of 18 months (range: 6-30 months). Five men who refused surgical treatment were treated conservatively, and the other 37 patients underwent surgical treatment. In Group II, the most common complication was painful erection (in 4 of 37 patients, 10.8 %), whereas in Group I, 80 % (4/5 patients) suffered complications such as wound infection, painful erection, penile nodule and curvature, and erectile dysfunction. Conclusion. Diagnosis of penile fracture can be based on history and physical examination; diagnostic tests such as ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging are generally not required. Fractures must be repaired either immediately or delayed. Because management with emergency surgical repair is the most effective approach, with the lowest complication rate, surgical treatment should be preferred compared to a conservative approach.

Iatrogenic injuries to ureter, bladder and urethra during abdominal and pelvic operations

Abdominal and pelvic operations at Departments of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and General Surgery play an important role in ureteral, bladder and rarely urethral injuries.Fifty-nine patients with iatrogenic ureteral, bladder and urethral injuries were treated at the Department of Urology, Atatürk University Research Hospital, between 1985 and 1995. These injuries were urinary vaginal fistulas in 43 patients (vesicovaginal 33, ureterovaginal 7, urethrovaginal 2 and vesicovaginal plus urethrovaginal 1), ureteric ligation in 9, bladder laceration in 7. These injuries were treated by different methods. All patients were followed up by intravenous urography (IVU) and urine culture three months later.It must be borne in mind that iatrogenic urinary tract injuries are not rare. Bladder and ureteral catheterization must be performed to prevent these complications.

Transitional Cell Carcinoma of the Bladder in Patients under 40 Years of Age

A review of our records between 1993 and 1998 identified 25 patients with transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder who were less than 40 years old, 22 males and 3 females. The youngest patient was 19 years old. At the time of diagnosis 16 patients had superficial (Ta/T1) and 9 had invasive disease. Twenty-four patients were followed up for a period of 3–71 months (mean: 19.2 months). The recurrence rate for patients with superficial disease was 12.5%, and the progression rate for patients with invasive disease was 77.7%.We concluded that the patients under 30 years of age presented with lower grade and lower stage disease than those over 30. Transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder in young adults has a natural history similar to that seen in older patients. Accordingly, all patients, regardless of age, should be treated as aggressively as necessary on the basis of the stage and the grade of the tumour.

A genetic survey of 1935 Turkish men with severe male factor infertility

Male factor infertility is the sole reason in approximately 25% of couples who suffer from infertility. Genetic factors such as numerical and structural chromosomal abnormalities and microdeletions of the Y chromosome might be the cause of poor semen parameters. The results of karyotype analyses and Y-chromosome microdeletions of 1935 patients with severe male factor infertility, which is the largest series from Turkey, were assessed retrospectively. The frequency of cytogenetic abnormalities among 1214 patients with non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) and 721 patients with severe oligoasthenoteratozoospermia (OAT) were 16.40 and 5.83% respectively. The overall incidence of Y-chromosome microdeletion was 7.70%. The incidence of Y chromosome microdeletion in patients with NOA and OAT was 9.51 and 1.86% respectively. The abnormality rate increased with the severity of infertility. Some patients (n = 22) were carriers of both chromosomal abnormalities and Y-chromosome microdeletions. Results suggest the need for genetic screening and proper genetic counselling before initiation of assisted reproduction treatment.

Spontaneous Rupture of a Renal Angiosarcoma

Here we describe the clinical, radiologic, histopathological and immunohistochemical features of a rare spontaneous rupture of renal angiosarcoma detected in the left kidney of a 55-year-old male. Due to the rarity of this neoplasm (less than 15 cases have been reported), there is no unanimous concensus for therapy following radical nephrectomy. In our case there was no flank trauma and retroperitoneal haematoma around the left kidney was seen on computed tomography. The patient underwent left radical nephrectomy and died about 3 months after operation due to multiple bone and liver metastases. To our knowledge, this is the first report of spontaneous rupture of renal angiosarcoma and we suggest that it should be borne in mind that renal angiosarcoma may be a cause of retroperitoneal haematomas.

PEYRONIE'S DISEASE : INTRALESIONAL TREATMENT WITH INTERFERON ALPHA-2A*AND EVALUATION OF THE RESULTS BY MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING

In this clinical study, to determine the therapeutic efficacy of interferon (IFN) treatment for Peyronies disease, we applied interferon alpha-2A (IFN alpha-2A) intralesionally in the treatment of Peyronie plaques in 15 patients and results were evaluated by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).Patients whose plaque sizes were 0.5 and 1 cm responded better to the treatment. There was about a 90% lessening in the sizes of the plaques of 1.5 cm, 83.3% of 2 cm, as the ones which were 0.5 cm and 1 cm disappeared completely after treatment.As a conclusion, the treatment of Peyronies disease with IFN alpha-2A is effective and side effects are minimum.