Patient: Female, 29Final Diagnosis: Missed ureteral injurySymptoms: Abdominal pain • anemia • fever • loose stoolsMedication: —Clinical Procedure: UreteroureterostomySpecialty: UrologyObjective:Mistake in diagnosisBackground:Ureteral injuries are considered to be uncommon in cases of trauma. The possibility of damage to the ureters may not be considered in the setting of acute trauma when life-threatening injuries take clinical management priority. A case of acute ureteral injury is described in a patient with acute penetrating gunshot abdominal injury that had a delay in diagnosis, with a review of the literature.Case Report:A29-year-old woman presented to our hospital with a missed ureteral injury following a self-inflicted gunshot injury to the abdomen. She underwent abdominal computed tomography (CT) imaging and a retrograde pyelogram, which showed complete transection of the left upper ureter with contrast extravasation and the formation of a large urinoma. She underwent a percutaneous nephrostomy and drainage of the urinoma. An end-to-end ureteric anastomosis with excision of the intervening injured ureter, or ureteroureterostomy, was performed three weeks following the diagnosis.Conclusions:Ureteral injuries following trauma are rare, but a delay in diagnosis can be associated with clinical morbidity. A high index of clinical suspicion is important for early identification of ureteral injury in cases of acute abdominal trauma.

abstract:Objectives: Trauma is the greatest cause of morbidity and mortality in paediatric/adolescent populations worldwide. This study aimed to describe trauma mechanisms, patterns and outcomes among children with blunt torso trauma admitted to the Sultan Qaboos University Hospital (SQUH) in Muscat, Oman. Methods: This retrospective single-centre study involved all children ≤12 years old with blunt torso trauma admitted for paediatric surgical care at SQUH between January 2009 and December 2013. Medical records were analysed to collect demographic and clinical data. Results: A total of 70 children were admitted with blunt torso trauma during the study period, including 39 (55.7%) male patients. The mean age was 5.19 ± 2.66 years. Of the cohort, 35 children (50.0%) received their injuries after having been hit by cars as pedestrians, while 19 (27.1%) were injured by falls, 12 (17.1%) during car accidents as passengers and four (5.7%) by falling heavy objects. According to computed tomography scans, thoracic injuries were most common (65.7%), followed by abdominal injuries (42.9%). The most commonly involved solid organs were the liver (15.7%) and spleen (11.4%). The majority of the patients were managed conservatively (92.9%) with a good outcome (74.3%). The mortality rate was 7.1%. Most deaths were due to multisystem involvement. Conclusion: Among children with blunt torso trauma admitted to SQUH, the main mechanism of injury was motor vehicle accidents. As a result, parental education and enforcement of infant car seat/child seat belt laws are recommended. Conservative management was the most successful approach. Keywords

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Background: Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) for melanoma plays a central role in determining prognosis and guiding treatment and surveillance strategies. Despite widely published guidelines for SLNB, variation exists in its use. We aimed to determine the frequency of and predictive factors for SLNB in patients with clinically node-negative melanoma in British Columbia. Methods: A retrospective review was performed of patients with clinically node-negative melanoma diagnosed between January 2015 and December 2017. Patients included had a Breslow depth greater than 0.75 mm or a Breslow depth less than or equal to 0.75 mm with ulceration, or a mitotic rate greater than or equal to 1/mm 2 . SLNB was considered to be indicated for clinical stages IB to IIC (American Joint Committee on Cancer’s AJCC Cancer Staging Manual , seventh edition). Results: A total of 759 patients were included. SLNB was performed in 54.8% (363/662) of patients when indicated. SLNB was more likely to be performed for tumours with a Breslow depth greater than 1.0 mm or a mitotic rate greater than or equal to 1/mm 2 . SLNB was less likely to be performed in patients older than 75 years and with a nonextremity tumour location. Compliance with SLNB guidelines decreased distant recurrence but did not significantly affect regional recurrence, nor did it have a significant impact on overall survival among patients aged 75 years and younger. Conclusion: SLNB is being underutilized in British Columbia. These results are concerning and highly relevant given the rapidly evolving field of adjuvant systemic therapy for high-risk patients and the increased proportion of patients who should be considered for SLNB on the basis of the eighth edition of the AJCC Cancer Staging Manual and current guidelines. Efforts should be made to increase the use of SLNB in appropriate patients.