Residents of Catania province with its volcanic region appear to have a higher incidence of papillary thyroid cancer than elsewhere in Sicily.

Aim : To highlight the ultrasonographic features of prenatal torsion of the testis in utero (IUTT) at presentation, the neonatal management and the histological findings postorchiectomy or biopsy. Methods : Seven newborns underwent emergency exploration for IUTT. All patients underwent a sonography and real-time color Doppler ultrasound study of the scrotum before any surgical procedure. A histological examination was performed in the removed specimens. Results : Sonography of the scrotum revealed enlarged, heterogeneous testes. In all cases the color and power Doppler did not reveal any flow signal on the affected side. Four newborn with unilateral testicular torsion underwent orchiectomy and contralateral orchidopexy. In one neonate after detorsion and with the absence of gangrenous changes and a reassuring biopsy, a twisted testis could be treated conservatively with orchidopexy. In another case, the parents, acknowledging the inviability of the affected testis, gave consent only for a biopsy of the testis. In the neonate with bilateral IUTT, bilateral testicular biopsies were performed. Histology of the removed testes variably showed interstitial red cell extravasion and coagulation or hemorrhagic necrosis. Light microscopy of the preserved testis highlighted surviving seminiferous tubules, with gonocytes, spermatogonia and fetal Sertoli cells. Conclusions : An early diagnosis and treatment in IUTT is essential. Surgical exploration should be always performed through the inguinal route. In bilateral IUTT testes should be left to try to assure, as long as possible, a residual Leydig cell function.

Urethral duplication is a rare congenital anomaly, affecting mainly boys. Clinical presentation varies because of the different anatomical patterns of this abnormality. We report our experience in ten males affected by urethral duplication. We retrospectively reviewed the records of ten males affected by urethral duplication. Mild cases of distal type I duplications as well as "Y-type" duplication associated to anorectal malformation were excluded. Evaluation included voiding cystourethrography, retrograde urethrography, intravenous urography and urethrocystoscopy. Mean age at diagnosis was 46.7 +/- 32.3 months A blind ending duplicated urethra (type I) was present in three patients, two urethras originating from a common bladder neck (type II A2) in three, an "Y-type" duplication in three and a complete bladder with incomplete urethral duplication in one. Surgical management included excision of the duplicated urethra in four patients while a displacement of the ventral urethra (in "Y-type" duplication) in perineal-scrotal or scrotal position was performed in two patients as first stage of urethral reconstruction. Good cosmetical and functional results were achieved in all six treated boys while surgical management was not required in four. Urethral duplication is often associated with genito-urinary and gastro-intestinal abnormalities. Embryology is unclear and a lot of hypotheses have been proposed. We believe that the same embryological explanation cannot be applied to all subtypes of urethral duplication. Management must be evaluated for each case. The overall prognosis is good, in spite of the presence of other severe associate congenital anomalies.

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Aim:To evaluate if a complete urological screening is justified by potential urological anomalies in newborns or infants with asymptomatic renal ectopia (RE). Methods: The database records of 60 consecutive neonatal cases of RE diagnosed at the authors' hospital from 1990 to 2004 were retrospectively reviewed. Results: At diagnosis, mean patient age was 1.6 months. In 58 of 60 patients, the suspected diagnosis of RE was made during prenatal or postnatal screening ultrasonography, including two newborns with anorectal malformation. There were 24 patients with crossed RE (C-RE) and 36 patients with simple RE (S-RE). A solitary RE was present in two patients. The most frequent associated urological abnormality was vesicoureteral reflux (37.5% of C-RE and 16.6% of S-RE). Hydronephrosis was detected in seven RE and five contralateral kidneys. An obstructive megaureter was present in one patient with C-RE. In 40% of S-RE and 92.9% of C-RE, the 99m Tc DMSA documented reduction of function of RE. The longitudinal diameter of the ectopic kidney was significantly smaller than the contralateral one. Other non-renal diseases were present in 15% of patients, of which the most frequent was cryptorchidism (6.6%). Conclusions: A complete urological evaluation is necessary in newborns with C-RE for the high incidence of associated urological anomalies, of which VUR is the most frequent. A complete urological evaluation is also reasonable in patients with S-RE who have a pelvic dilatation. No diagnosis or treatment of the associated urological diseases, in consideration of congenital decreased function of the ectopic kidney, might predispose these children to improvement of renal function impairment.