A sonographic technique was devised to examine the anterior urethra in 22 men suspected of having stricture disease. All patients underwent sonographic and roentgenographic urethrograms. Cystoscopic examination was done in 17 patients. The sonographic urethrogram findings were as diagnostic as the roentgen findings in 19 patients. In 1 patient the sonographic urethrogram identified a bulbar urethral stricture not seen on a retrograde urethrogram. In 2 patients a bulbar urethral sinus tract was found by the retrograde urethrogram but not by the sonographic urethrogram, although the remaining 2 sonographic urethrograms correctly identified the urethral pathological condition. Structures outside the lumen of the urethra including the urethral wall, corpus spongiosum, corpus cavernosum, bulb and external urinary sphincter were seen clearly by the sonographic urethrogram. The fossa navicularis can be visualized as well. Foreign bodies in the urethra, straddle injury and stricture disease were correctly diagnosed by the sonographic urethrogram. No patient reported discomfort during the examination. The sonographic urethrogram provided valuable information about the luminal and extraluminal anatomy of the anterior urethra. Further long-term studies will be necessary to assess its ultimate diagnostic potential.
Treatment of women with myomas with GnRH agonists (GnRH-a) for 3-6 months will result in profound hypoestrogenism, a significant but temporary reduction in uterine volume, and menstrual suppression. Long-term (i.e. > 6 months) treatment with a GnRH-a is not recommended because of accelerated bone resorption and the presence of hypoestrogenic symptoms. In this 2-yr study, women with myomas were treated with GnRH-a plus one of two steroid "add-back" regimens to minimize adverse sequelae of chronic hypoestrogenism. Fifty-one premenopausal women with large, symptomatic uterine myomas all received the GnRH-a, leuprolide acetate depot (LAD), every 4 weeks for 12 weeks at which time the women were randomized to receive LAD plus either an estrogen-progestin or progestin-only add-back regimen for an additional 92 weeks. Efficacy parameters assessed included serial uterine volumes, hemoglobin concentrations, and hematocrits; safety parameters evaluated included serial bone mineral density measurements, lipid profiles, and medication-related symptoms. This report analyzes the first 52 weeks of study data. Mean uterine volume decreased to 64% of pretreatment size at 12 weeks of LAD treatment in both groups. The estrogen-progestin add-back group had no significant regrowth of uterine volume, which was 75% of pretreatment size at treatment week 52; in contrast, the progestin add-back group had a mean uterine volume of 92% of pretreatment size by treatment week 52. Both groups demonstrated significant improvements in mean hemoglobin concentrations and hematocrits. The progestin add-back group had a significant decline in mean high density lipoprotein-cholesterol concentration, which was not seen in the estrogen-progestin add-back group. Finally, after a significant 3% bone loss during the first 12 weeks of treatment, bone mineral density stabilized in both add-back regimen groups. GnRH-a/steroid add-back regimens provide a useful long-term treatment strategy in women with large, symptomatic uterine myomas and may obviate the need for surgical intervention in selected cases. The estrogen-progestin add-back regimen was superior or equal to the progestin add-back regimen in all efficacy and safety parameters assessed.
The clinical and sonographic findings of trisomy 18 are varied. Fifteen cases of trisomy 18 were retrospectively reviewed with attention to demonstrable antenatal sonographic features. Certain combinations of findings, particularly in the third trimester, seem highly suggestive of this diagnosis. A late antepartum diagnosis is warranted because of the poor prognosis.
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