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Background: Acquired cryptorchidism or acquired undescended testis (UDT) is defined as the displacement of a testicle outside the scrotal sac after normal descent has been verified. There are still no clear guidelines on its management., Objectives: To analyze patients who underwent surgery for UDT in our setting to determine the prevalence of acquired cryptorchidism and to analyze the demographic and clinical characteristics of the population of children diagnosed with both acquired and congenital cryptorchidism, the age of presentation of both entities and the percentage of bilateral involvement., Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective descriptive study using data from the clinical history of patients who underwent surgery for cryptorchidism between 2011 and 2022. The type of cryptorchidism, acquired or congenital, was recorded. Demographic and clinical data were collected., Results: A total of 367 patients and 442 testicular units were included in the study (75 patients had bilateral involvement). In 54.75% (95% CI: 50.09%-59.40%) of the cases analyzed, cryptorchidism was acquired, and the mean age at the time of surgery was 7.39 years (SD 2.95). Twenty percent (95% CI: 16.29%-24.58%) of the patients presented with bilateral cryptorchidism and 64% (95% CI: 52.88%-75.11%) out of them were acquired on both sides. The diagnosis was metachronous in 42.6% (95% CI: 31.21%-54.12%) of bilateral cryptorchidism cases., Discussion and Conclusion: Acquired cryptorchidism accounts for more than half of cryptorchidism cases requiring surgery in our setting, with a clearly different age of presentation than that for congenital cryptorchidism. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor the presence of the testes in the scrotal sac until adolescence. It is also important to monitor patients with a history of cryptorchidism, not only for the management of the operated testicle but also for the early identification of patients who will develop metachronous contralateral cryptorchidism., (© 2023 American Society of Andrology and European Academy of Andrology.)

Pilonidal sinus disease is typically located in the sacrococcygeal area, although it has been described in other locations. We present a rare case of pilonidal sinus on the scalp and its management., (© 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Introduction: Gas embolism can occur during minimally invasive surgical procedures. Its incidence and implications in infants and children are not clear. The objective of this study is to identify gas embolism with transthoracic echocardiography and its consequences in pediatric laparoscopic appendectomy. Materials and Methods: This is a descriptive observational study including children undergoing laparoscopic appendectomy. We performed transthoracic echocardiography during surgery and collected data on intraoperative hemodynamic and respiratory parameters. Results: To date, we have included 10 patients in whom intraoperative transthoracic echocardiography revealed a 50% incidence of gas embolism. All episodes of embolism were grade I or II, and the patients remained asymptomatic. The hemodynamic and respiratory parameters varied slightly during the pneumoperitoneum. Conclusions: Episodes of gas embolism in pediatric laparoscopic appendectomy appeared in up to 50% of patients. Although they were subclinical, we should be aware of the risk of serious events and take measures to maximize safety in pediatric minimally invasive surgery.

Objective: To study whether irrigating the parotid gland with saline solution through the parotid duct reduces the number of inflammatory episodes in patients with juvenile recurrent parotitis (JRP) over a 1-year period., Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study using the electronic clinical history data of patients with JRP that were treated with parotid irrigation under general anaesthesia at the Paediatric Surgery units of Consorci Sanitari Alt Penedès-Garraf and Hospital Universitari Mútua de Terrassa. The number of inflammation episodes in the year before and the year after treatment was analysed., Results: A total of 15 patients with JRP were evaluated, of whom 10 met the criteria for irrigation. Data from 9 patients were available. The procedure was performed without incident in all of the patients. There was no difficulty with probing the duct and no need for orifice dilation. No post-lavage complications were observed. Four patients had complete resolution of inflammation events (44.4%), and the remaining 5 patients had a decrease in the number of events. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test showed a statistically significant difference between the number of inflammation events before and after the intervention (p = 0.009)., Conclusions: Parotid irrigation with saline solution could be a safe and effective first-line technique for the treatment of JRP., Level-Of-Evidence: IV., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Economic evaluation in health care is becoming increasingly important. Laparoscopic appendectomy (LAp) is one of the most frequent minimally invasive procedures in the pediatric population. The increased costs of this approach in any indication could be justified by proving its cost-utility in terms of health-related quality of life (HRQoL). We aim to perform a cost-utility analysis between open and LAp (open appendectomy [OAp] and LAp). Materials and Methods: We included the data of children operated for acute noncomplicated appendicitis, who agreed to answer a validated quality of life (QoL) questionnaire. Costs were calculated for each patient. We established a threshold for cost-effectiveness (λ) of 20,000 to 30,000€ per quality adjusted life year (QALY) according to previous research. Results: A total of 53 patients were included. Overall mean costs in the OAp were 758.98€ and in the LAp 1525.50€. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was 18,000€/QALY, under the threshold of cost-effectiveness, therefore favoring the laparoscopic approach as it improves HRQoL despite the costs. Conclusions: Economic evaluation studies in Pediatric Surgery are scarce and rarely measure outcomes in terms of QoL. This information is important in the decision-making process for institutions and health-care professionals. Our results encourage the use of laparoscopy in pediatric appendectomy to improve HRQoL in our patients.

Objectives: To review intestinal duplications isolated from the digestive tract., Material and Methods: Description of the 27 isolated intestinal duplication cases published; presentation of a new case., Results: Intestinal duplication isolated from the digestive tract represents an extremely rare malformation. This type of duplication is not in close contact with any segment of the intestinal tract, and it has its own vascular pedicle. Preoperative diagnosis rates are lower than those found in classic duplications. In addition to the potential complications, malformation torsion is also to be considered., Conclusions: This infrequent variant is to be considered at differential diagnosis. Potential torsion should also be taken into account in order to decide when an asymptomatic patient should undergo surgery.

Objective: As the radiation received in conventional cystography is about 20 times higher than radionuclide cystography and the sensitivity of the last is higher in order to diagnose vesicoureteral reflux, we consider the use of radionuclide cystography in early detection of reflux in patients with prenatally detected hydronephrosis., Materials and Methods: Between 2003 and 2009, a study of neonates with prenatal history of hydronephrosis was performed in order to rule out reflux. Our protocol was as follows: The diagnosis was confirmed by postnatal ultrasound at 1 week (in this case patient initiate antibiotic prophylaxis). A new ultrasound was repeated at 6 weeks, if the dilatation was larger than 8 mm at this time, direct radionuclide scintigraphy was performed. The patients were placed on prophylactic antibiotics until the screenining results were known. Conventional cystography was performed if a male infant showed severe dilatation, or in general in cases with parenchymatous atrophy or if a duplex system was suspected., Results: In 13 (20%) of the 65 cases (18 kidneys) reflux was detected (3 minor, 8 moderate and 7 severe). In most cases, follow up was performed with radionuclide cystography. None of the patients with reflux placed on prophylactic antibiotics developed a febrile urinary tract infection during the first year of life., Conclusions: Direct radionuclide cystography is a useful diagnostic method in early detection of vesicoureteral reflux in patients with prenatal hydronephrosis with higher sensitivity than conventional cystography, and with an important advantage concerning radiation of the patient. Patients screened and placed on prophylactic antibiotics are probably going to present less episodes of pielonephrytis.

An 11 year-old girl had an urinary diversion because of a complex uropathy with vesical sphincter dyssinergism. Her inexpressive face with lost eyes and forced gestures, especially when smiling--her smile looking rather like weeping--was the clue to the diagnosis of Ochoa's syndrome. She underwent psoic bladder fixation, right ureteral reimplantation, bladder neck loosening and cystostomy undiversion. At follow-up, renal function deteriorated. She has recently received a kidney transplantation in another institution, and is now symptom-free.

Urethral stenosis is, after the fistula, the most frequent complication in patients undergoing hypospadias repair. Incidence ranges between 6% and 10% depending on the surgical technique. Treatment of this complication with simple dilation of the narrowed segment is enough in most cases. However, dilation of the stricture may be difficult in patients with severe hypospadias that required wide dissection and excision of fibrotic tissue to repair a large deviation and also in patients who had previously multiple operations. We report 3 patients with severe hypospadias (scrotal and perineal) with history of multiple operations for that condition and postoperative urethral stenosis at different sites. All patients had periodical dilations for several months without any improvement. Surgical treatment was indicated to enlarge the stenotic segment. Enlargement was performed using oral mucosa graft in two cases and a local flap in the third one. Urethral stricture recurred in all cases very soon after the plasty and repeated dilations did not improve the symptoms. In the presence of hard scar tissue it was decided to inject triamcinolone DCI acetoide (Trigon depot), a long acting steroid, into the segment where the fibrotic narrowing was more severe, in an effort to obtain the same results reported in the treatment of hypertrophic scars and keloids. All the patients had repeated triamcinolone injections of hypertrophic scars and keloids. All the patients had repeated triamcinolone injections every 2-3 months. Follow-up ranges between 5 and 20 months and all of them are free of symptoms.

Continuous urine dripping together with normal micturition is the classical picture of ectopic ureter in girls. During the years 1982 to 1996, eleven girls with such abnormality have been treated at our department. The diagnostic work-up included: intravenous pyelogram (IP), ultrasonography (US), renal scintiscan, cystogram, cystoscopy and/or vaginoscopy, as well as a thorough exam of the external genitalia under general anesthesia. Ten girls had a double renal system, one of them being bilateral; one girl had simple kidneys with renal ectopia. Treatment was heminephrectomy with ureterectomy in 9 cases, ureteroureterostomy with preservation of the hemikidney in one case, and nephrectomy with ureterectomy in the case with a simple system. Urinary incontinence in girls due to ectopic ureter is an uncommon disease. Eigthty-five% of the cases are associated to renal duplication. IP is highly sensible to defect renal duplication; direct vision of the ectopic ureter meatus, canalization and roentgenologic confirmation of the suspected diagnosis are required prior to surgery. Heminephrectomy has been the most common treatment; however, early diagnosis by means of US will promote more conservative surgical approaches.