Crohn disease is a chronic, transmural, inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract with unknown etiology. It can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract and may cause fistula, stricture, or abscess formation with disease progression. The preoperative diagnosis and definite management of this rare complication are challenges for physicians, urologists, and surgeons.
Ventral hernia repair with mesh products is of increasing popularity. The long-term results of mesh repair of ventral hernia are superior to primary suture repair. However, occasional complications may still present. We report on a 77-year-old man who underwent ventral hernia repair with a mesh 5 years ago with complication of mesh migration into the urinary bladder and enterovesical fistula. The patient presented with lower urinary tract symptoms initially. By urinalysis, persistent hematuria and pyuria were found after antibiotic treatment. For further investigation of hematuria, intravenous urography was performed, which revealed a faint radio-opaque patch at the right pelvis. To obtain a more precise relationship between the lesion and the adjacent organs, computed tomography and cystoscopy were arranged. They confirmed a mesh with stone formation in the urinary bladder. To remove the mesh, segmental resection of the ileum and cystorrhaphy were performed.
Botulinum toxin A (BTX-A) is a powerful neurotoxin with long-lasting activity that blocks muscle contractions. In addition to effects on neuromuscular junctions, BTX-A also plays a role in sensory feedback loops, suggesting the potentiality for pain relief. Although the only approved indications for BTX-A in the bladder are neurogenic detrusor overactivity and refractory overactive bladder, BTX-A injections to treat bladder pain refractory to conventional therapies are also recommended. The mechanism of BTX-A activity in bladder pain is complex, with several hypotheses proposed in recent studies. Here we comprehensively reviewed properties of BTX-A in peripheral afferent and efferent nerves, the inhibition of nociceptive neurotransmitter release, the reduction of stretch-related visceral pain, and its anti-inflammatory effects on the bladder urothelium. Studies have also revealed possible effects of BTX-A in the human brain. However, further basic and clinical studies are warranted to provide solid evidence-based support in using BTX-A to treat bladder pain.
In a case of upper ureteral stricture refractory to laser ureterotomy, laparoscopic ureteroureterostomy was performed for resection of the stricture and reanastomosis of the ureter. Precise localization of the stricture segment was achieved by retrograde ureteroscopy performed concurrently with laparoscopy, with minimal change in the patient's position.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.