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Background : Chronic bacterial prostatitis (CBP) is the most common urological disease in adult men. Antibiotic therapy is the gold standard of treatment. However, long-term therapy resulted in many side-effects and bacterial resistance. Because of these reasons, we need new treatment modality that could replace traditional antibiotic therapy. Catechin, an extract of green tea, has antimicrobial effect against various bacteria and synergy effect to antibiotics. We evaluate the synergistic effects of catechin on the treatment of CBP in an animal model. Methods : An experimental CBP model was induced in 70 male Wistar rats by instillation of 0.2 mL bacterial suspension (E-coli Z17, O2:K1:H-) containing 1 ¥ 108 CFU/mL into the prostatic urethra. Microbiologically and histologically proven CBP model was demonstrated in 58.6% (41 of 70) of the rats after 4 weeks of bacterial instillation. The 41 rats demonstrating CBP were randomly divided into four groups; the control, catechin, ciprofloxacin and catechin with ciprofloxacin groups. All drug treatments were conducted over a period of 2 weeks. After treatment, the results were analyzed with microbiological cultures and histological findings of the prostate and urine samples to compare each group. Results : Microbiological cultures and histological findings of the prostate and urine samples demonstrated reduced bacterial growth and improved inflammatory responses in all three experimental groups compared with the control group. The catechin group showed coherent trends of decrease in bacterial growth and improvements in prostatic inflammation compared with the control group, but not to a statistically significant degree ( P > 0.05). However, the ciprofloxacin and catechin with ciprofloxacin groups showed statistically significant decreases in bacterial growth and improvements in prostatic inflammation compared with the control group ( P < 0.05). The catechin with ciprofloxacin group showed a statistically significant decrease in bacterial growth and improvements in prostatic inflammation compared with the ciprofloxacin group ( P < 0.05).Conclusions : These results suggest that catechin may be an effective material in CBP treatment. Particularly, combination treatment of catechin and ciprofloxacin has synergistic effect. Therefore, we suggest that the combination of catechin and ciprofloxacin may be effective in treating CBP with a higher success rate.

The epididymal anomalies and patent processus vaginalis are frequently seen in patients with cryptorchidism or hydrocele. We performed a prospective study on the relationship between the epididymal anomalies and the patency of the processus vaginalis in boys with hydrocele (190 cases) or cryptorchidism (89 cases) who were treated from August 1997 to February 2000 (mean age, 51 months; range, 12 to 152 months). The epididymal anomalies were observed with an overall frequency of 48%. Closed, partially closed, and open processus vaginalis were associated with an epididymal anomaly in 14, 38, and 65% of cases, respectively. The epididymal anomalies were more common in association with undescended (61%) than with descended (43%) testes without statistical significance (p=0.415). Incomplete attachment of the caput epididymis was the most common anomaly (35%), followed by detachment of caput and cauda epididymis (31%), cauda epididymis (24%), and long looping epididymis (10%). These data showed that the epididymal anomalies were strongly associated with the patency of the processus vaginalis irrespective of testicular descent (p<0.001), and they provide further evidence for the hypothesis that a common stimulus, possibly androgens, may be required for the epididymal development and obliteration of the processus vaginalis.

PurposeWith growing interest in early imaging, the aim of our study was to define the most practical modality for routine clinical use for the diagnosis of acute pyelonephritis (APN). We compared the sensitivity of enhanced computerized tomography (CT), dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) scintigraphy, and Doppler ultrasonography (DUS) by using clinical findings as the standard of reference.Materials and MethodsA total of 207 APN patients (191 women, 16 men; mean age, 49.4 years; range, 17-88 years) were enrolled in this study. All the patients underwent imaging modalities during hospitalization. SPECT images were obtained 4 hours after injection of 99mTc-DMSA. Transverse and coronary CT images were obtained before and after injection of the contrast agent. DUS was performed in the longitudinal, transverse, and coronal planes. All the images were read independently by a single radiologist and a nuclear medicine specialist. The sensitivity of each modality for detecting APN was compared.ResultsCT showed significantly superior sensitivity compared with that of DUS (81.0% vs. 33.3%, respectively, n=147). DMSA scintigraphy also showed significantly superior sensitivity compared with that of DUS (74.7% vs. 33.3%, respectively, n=150). Compared with DMSA scintigraphy, CT showed superior sensitivity, but the difference was not statistically significant (81.0% vs. 74.8%, respectively, n=147, p=0.163).ConclusionsFor cases of clinically suspected APN, CT and DMSA scintigraphy appear to be equally sensitive and reliable for detecting APN, although CT is more practical in various fields. DUS was significantly less sensitive.

BackgroundTo date, various types of acellular dermal matrix (ADM) have been developed for clinical use. AlloDerm is the most familiar type of ADM to most surgeons in breast reconstruction. It is prepared by freeze-drying. CG CryoDerm is the first form of ADM that requires no drying process. Therefore, theoretically, it has a higher degree of preservation of the dermal structures than AlloDerm. We conducted this study to compare the clinical course and postoperative outcomes of patients who underwent direct-to-implant breast reconstructions using AlloDerm and those who did using CG CryoDerm.MethodsWe performed a retrospective analysis of the medical records in a consecutive series of 50 patients who underwent direct-to-implant breast reconstruction using AlloDerm (n=31) or CryoDerm (n=19). We then compared the clinical course and postoperative outcomes of the two groups based on the overall incidence of complications and the duration of drainage.ResultsThe mean follow-up period was 16 months. There were no significant differences in the overall incidence of complications (seroma, infection, skin flap necrosis, capsular contracture, and implant loss) between the two groups. Nor was there any significant difference in the duration of drainage.ConclusionsCG CryoDerm has the merits of short preparation time and easy handling during surgery. Our results indicate that CG CryoDerm might be an alternative allograft material to AlloDerm in direct-to-implant breast reconstruction.

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OBJECTIVE To evaluate the protective effects of cranberry fruit, which have known antioxidant effects, on infection‐induced oxidative renal damage in a rabbit model of vesico‐ureteric reflux (VUR). MATERIALS AND METHODS In all, 36 New Zealand male rabbits were divided into five groups, with a sham operation in four rabbits serving as the control (group 1). To create unilateral VUR the roof of the left intravesical ureter was incised, and VUR confirmed 2 weeks after surgery. In all, 32 rabbits with VUR were divided into four groups; 2, VUR alone (with sterile urine); 3, a group infected with Escherichia coli; 4, with intravesical E. coli instillation but fed cranberries; and 5, intravesical E. coli instillation plus an intraperitoneal injection with melatonin group. At 3 weeks after surgery the rabbits were killed, the kidneys obtained and examined histopathologically to evaluate inflammation, fibrosis and tubular changes. Oxidative renal damage was evaluated by measuring malondialdehyde in the renal tissue. RESULTS Grossly, the refluxing kidney was larger than the contralateral normal kidney, and the refluxing ureter was dilated and tortuous. Microscopy of tissues from the kidneys in group 3 showed apparent periglomerular mononuclear cell infiltration, tubular dilatation and atrophy, and interstitial fibrosis. The kidneys from groups 2, 4 and 5 showed mild mononuclear cell infiltration with no interstitial fibrosis. The level of malondialdehyde in the kidneys of group 3 was significantly higher than that in group 2, 4 and 5 (P < 0.05); the level in groups 4 and 5 did not differ significantly from that in group 2. CONCLUSIONS This study shows that cranberries have an anti‐inflammatory effect through their antioxidant function and might prevent infection‐induced oxidative renal damage. Thus, clinically cranberries might be used as a beneficial adjuvant treatment to prevent damage due to pyelonephritis in children with VUR.

Departmental sources Background: Laparoscopic donor nephrectomy (LDN) has evolved and has been established as a surgical standard of care for kidney transplantation. Material/Methods: This study retrospectively reviews 1132 patients who underwent 4 different laparoscopic living-donor nephrectomies: hand-assisted laparoscopic nephrectomy (HALDN), pure laparoscopic donor nephrectomy (PLDN), laparoendoscopic single-site plus 1-port donor nephrectomy (LESSOP-DN), and mini laparoscopic donor nephrectomy (MLDN). Results: The mean estimated blood loss (EBL) for the HALDN group was meaningfully higher than those of LESSOP-DN and MLDN (57.5±52.2 mL versus 21.0±30.0 mL versus 18.2±28.7 mL) (P<0.001). The EBL for PLDN (53.3±35.3 mL) was also significantly higher than those of LESSOP-DN and MLDN (P<0.001). Length of stay (LOS) for HALDN was longer than that for LESSOP-DN (4.2±1.2 day versus 4.0±1.4 days, P=0.002). There was 1 intraoperative open conversion in the HALDN group and 2 HALDN surgeries that required postoperative exploratory laparotomy. LESSOP-DN had 3 (0.8%) postoperative incisional hernias. For recipients, the results revealed no significant differences between all 4 groups in terms of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and the 1-year graft failure rate. Conclusions: The LESSOP-DN group was associated with a shorter incision length than those of HALDN and PLDN and shorter LOS than that of HALDN. Recipient results showed no meaningful difference regarding laparoscopic donor nephrectomy technique.