SUMMARYGallbladder agenesis is a rare congenital anomaly. Choledochal cysts are uncommon. The combination of both these entities in a 56-year-old woman is reported. A previously fit and well woman, presented to the emergency department with a 3-day history of abdominal pain. Preoperative imaging and intraoperative findings confirmed gallbladder agenesis and a type I choledochal cyst. There were no other anomalies. She underwent a resection of the choledochal cyst and reconstruction by hepaticojejunostomy. BACKGROUND
Testicular tuberculosis (TB) is rare, and, because of this, the lack of pathognomonic clinical features and its tendency to mimic other commoner conditions, the diagnosis is frequently delayed or may be missed. In this case, the initial clinical presentation was typical for bacterial epididymo-orchitis in a 38-year-old man. When the patient failed to improve with standard treatment including broadening of antibiotics, the diagnosis was re-considered because some unusual signs suggested testicular malignancy or lymphoma. Further, history-taking and subsequent cross-sectional imaging with CT/MRI identified co-existent pulmonary nodularity, thoracic and abdominal lymphadenopathy and bony changes that, together, raised the suspicion of TB. Mycobacterium tuberculosis was confirmed on DNA-based testing of the hydrocele fluid, although standard acid-fast bacilli culture was negative. This case prompted a review of the literature to explore the optimal steps in the investigation and diagnosis of this rare disease.
Organ preserving management is common place in renal cancer, breast cancer and many other solid organ tumours. Current strategies in managing intermediate risk prostate cancer include either whole gland treatment, in the form of radical radiotherapy or radical prostatectomy, or active surveillance. The former is associated with significant post-treatment functional morbidity, whilst the latter associated with the burden of surveillance activity and patient anxiety. Focal therapy would logically fit as a middle ground for suitable patients in whom treatment would be recommended, but where much better functional outcomes may be possible. Ideally this comes without restricting the successful prevention of harm from the cancer.Historically limitations in developing tissue preserving focal therapy strategies in prostate cancer, were due to inaccuracies in tumour characterisation prior to treatment and during follow up. Consequently for example many patients undergoing an active surveillance strategy were being upgraded and upstaged within a short period. Recently high level evidence supporting the use of MRI and targeted biopsies, in particular the PROMIS and PRECISION trials have strengthened clinician confidence in accurate disease characterisation, thus making focal therapy to become a more feasible management option. With improved diagnostic strategies and the publication of reassuring medium term oncological and functional outcomes after focal therapy for intermediate risk prostate cancer, has the time come to require consideration of focal therapy within our multi-disciplinary team (MDT) meetings and with patients? In this review we will consider patient selection and the evidence for the various focal ablation options as well as the surveillance of these patients after treatment. The forthcoming trials to determine comparative effectiveness will be discussed.
Modern cancer treatment aims to conserve as much healthy tissue as possible. This has been challenging in the treatment of prostate cancer due to the difficulty in imaging the gland and concerns over leaving multifocal cancer untreated. With improvements in imaging and understanding of multifocal prostate cancer evidence now shows accurate treatment of just the primary focus of cancer or the index lesion can control progression or recurrence of the disease. Many different energy sources are now available to target the cancer lesion within the prostate with less significant side-effects on urinary and sexual function compared to radical treatment. Evidence shows that men value these functions highly and would even trade years of life in exchange for preserved retention of continence or erectile function. Focal treatment of prostate cancer aims to provide both cancer control and preservation of sexual and urinary functions so that men do not have to make a choice between the two. This is a treatment option that men clearly want and deserve.
Objective: Rigid ureteroscopy, flexible uretero-renoscopy and ureteric stenting are commonly performed procedures. Operative clinical coding and remuneration varies depending on the procedure. We determined if loss of remuneration, through poor operative coding, could be improved with an operative coding sticker. Patients and methods: We performed a retrospective review of 133 random stone-related procedures (rigid ureteroscopy/flexible uretero-renoscopy and ureteric stenting). Using the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys codes, we compared actual operative coding and urological surgeon coding. We introduced an operative coding sticker and prospectively re-audited to determine if coding accuracy improved. Results: Flexible uretero-renoscopy was initially miscoded in 29 of 53 cases (55%), with a loss of remuneration of £1014 per case. Rigid ureteroscopies were correctly coded in 99% of cases, but ureteric stenting was only correctly coded in 82%. The introduction of the coding sticker resulted in improved coding accuracy rates of 100% for rigid ureteroscopy, 95% for flexible uretero-renoscopy and 100% for ureteric stenting. Overall, coding accuracy improved from 54% to 99%. We estimate this coding sticker will improve our departmental remuneration by £67,938 per year. Conclusion: Rigid ureteroscopy, flexible uretero-renoscopy and ureteric stenting were initially poorly coded. The introduction of a simple operative coding sticker improved coding compliance to 99% and increased operative remuneration.
IntroductionWe present our experience with patients who had suspected testicular masses, managed by a frozen section assessment and testicular sparing surgery.Material and methodsWe performed a retrospective review of all patients over the last 5 years, who underwent a frozen section assessment and testicular sparing surgery for small testicular lesions. The frozen section assessment was compared with the final histology.ResultsTwelve patients were identified. The mean age of patients was 40 years (22–58 years). The mean lesion size was 9.8 mm (3–18 mm). Presentations varied: a testicular lump was palpable in 7 patients and 3 patients were referred due to infertility with a subsequent ultrasound, which showed incidental testicular lesions. Two patients presented with testicular pain. Tumour marker levels were within the normal limits in all patients.The frozen section assessment correctly determined 10 out of 12 (83%) lesions, showing 1 (8%) lymphoma, 2 (17%) seminomas, 3 (25%) fibrosis, 3 (25%) low-grade Leydig cell tumours and 1 (8%) adenomatous tumour. The frozen section reported a benign epidermal cyst in 1 case, whilst the final histology showed a pre-pubertal type teratoma, a rare and low risk tumour. One patient (8%) had an indeterminate lesion, which proved to be a benign adenomatous tumour on final histology. All malignant cases were correctly identified.There was no malignancy in 9 out of 12 (75%) patients therefore they had testicular sparing surgery. Three patients had orchidectomy, two due to a seminoma and one due to an indeterminate lesion. One patient developed a postoperative haematoma requiring antibiotics but there were no other complications.ConclusionsOur findings demonstrate that partial orchidectomy with a frozen section assessment is useful in small testicular masses and testicular sparing surgery can be considered in order to prevent a radical orchidectomy in selected patients.
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