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Purpose: Management of scrotal hernias presents as a common challenge, with operative interventions to address these hernias associated with higher rates of morbidity compared to those of less-complex pathology. Surgeons have advocated for the use of techniques such as primary abandonment of the distal sac as a potential means to reduce complications for operative intervention, with preliminary findings demonstrating feasibility. We sought to assess outcomes related to primary sac abandonment among patients undergoing minimally invasive (MIS) repair of scrotal hernias., Methods: A review of prospectively maintained databases among two academic hernia centers was conducted to identify patients who underwent MIS inguinal hernia repairs with primary sac abandonment. Patient demographics, hernia risk factors, intraoperative factors, and postoperative outcomes were evaluated. Short-term outcomes related to patient-reported experiences and surgical-site occurrences requiring procedural intervention were queried., Results: Sixty-seven male patients [median age: 51.6 years; interquartile range (IQR): 45-65 years] underwent inguinal hernia repair with primary sac abandonment. Anatomic polypropylene mesh was used in 98.5% cases. Rates of postoperative complications were low and included postoperative urinary retention (6%), clinically identified or patient-reported seromas/hematomas within a 30-day follow-up period (23.9%), deep venous thrombosis (1.5%), and pelvic hematoma (1.5%). No seromas or hematomas necessitated procedural interventions, with resolution of symptoms within three months of their operation date., Conclusion: We report a multi-center experience of patients managed with primary abandonment of the sac technique during repair of inguinoscrotal hernias. Utilization of this technique appears to be safe and reproducible with a low burden of short-term complications., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag France SAS, part of Springer Nature.)

Purpose: Technical aspects of inguinoscrotal herniorrhaphy performed in low to middle income countries (LMICs) are described here to help surgeons who will operate on these challenging hernias in austere settings., Methods: Technical considerations related to operative repair were delineated with the consensus of 7 surgeons with extensive experience in inguinoscrotal hernia repair in LMICs. Important steps and illustrations were prepared accordingly. The anatomical and pathologic differences and technical implications of operating in limited resource settings are emphasized with suggestions to approach anticipated challenges. Pre-operative evaluation, anesthetic considerations, and technical guidelines are offered in context., Results: The authors have cumulatively performed over 1775 inguinoscrotal Lichtenstein operations in LMICs. While dedicated, reliable, long-term follow-up is unavailable from LMICs, one author reports outcomes with 5 year follow-up from the HerniaMed registry using the identical technique in similarly classed hernias. In 90 inguinoscrotal Lichtenstein repair patients (78.3% follow-up), there was one recurrence, low rates of chronic pain (2.2% at rest, 4.4% with activity), and low rates of reintervention (1.1%)., Conclusion: There is a difference between inguinal hernias found in LMICs and those seen in high-income countries with larger, chronic, and more technically challenging pathology. The consequences of intra-operative complications can be catastrophic in a LMIC. Technical measures are offered to improve outcomes, avoid and manage complications, and provide optimal care to this important population., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag France SAS, part of Springer Nature.)

Acute scrotum from testicular and epididymal cyst is relatively uncommon, whereas torsion of a cystic paradidymis is exceedingly rare. In this paper, we present the case of a healthy 12-year-old male patient admitted in our emergency room for acute scrotum, in whom diagnosis of torsion of a cystic paradidymis was suggested at color-Doppler US. Surgical exploration after ultrasound examination revealed a cystic paradidymis (Giraldes' organ) (PC) torsion. Immunohistochemical investigations were also performed after cyst excision to confirm the diagnosis. In our experience this is a very rare condition and appears to be only the third case reported in literature and the only one with pre-operative ultrasound (US) images demonstrating the presence of the cyst and its twisted pedicle., (© 2021. Società Italiana di Ultrasonologia in Medicina e Biologia (SIUMB).)

We hereby describe the case of a giant scrotal elephantiasis due to infection by Wuchereria bancrofti, imported in Belgium. We briefly discuss diagnostic methods, their subtlety, and therapeutic possibilities., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: The purpose of this study is to report clinical characteristics and to investigate the feasibility and safety of totally laparoscopic hydrocelectomy (TLH) compared to scrotal incision hydrocelectomy with laparoscopic high ligation (SIH) for pediatric cord hydrocele (CH)., Methods: From September 2011 to February 2016, 148 patients underwent SIH, and 342 patients underwent TLH for CH. In the TLH group, a large hydrocele that could not pass through the internal ring was removed after percutaneous syringe aspiration. Age, laterality of hydrocele, inguinal comorbidities, operation time, surgical complications, and recurrences were evaluated., Results: All the patients had spermatic cord cysts and patent processus vaginalis in proximity to hydrocele (mixed type). The mean age of CH patients was 34.1 ± 22.1 months. CHs are more common on the right side (61.0%) than on the left (35.7%). Bilaterality occurred in 3.3%. Comorbidities such as hernia (8.6%) and cryptorchidism (1.2%) were observed. There were no complications except for two cases of wound hematoma in SIH group. There was one (0.7%) case of recurrence appeared in communicating hydrocele in SIH group. There were no significant differences in the age, laterality of hydrocele, inguinal comorbidities, operation time, complications, and recurrences between TLH and SIH groups. However, TLH for unilateral cord hydrocele had significantly shorter operation time compared to SIH. The mean operation time in TLH group was 15.6 ± 5.96 min and there was no conversion to open surgery., Conclusions: TLH for pediatric CH is a feasible and safe procedure without additional incisions. Therefore, TLH can be one of the surgical options for pediatric CH especially in mixed type.

Background: Extramammary Paget's disease (EMPD) is a rare cutaneous malignancy; however, the standard treatment of EMPD has not been established. In this study, we applied mapping biopsy to penoscrotal EMPD and evaluated its effects., Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed to determine the outcomes of patients with primary penoscrotal EMPD who underwent surgery at our institution between 2007 and 2014. Patients were divided into two groups (one group underwent mapping biopsy, while the other group did not), and the difference between the two groups was analyzed. The 5-year tumor-free rate was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and the risk factors for local recurrence were also estimated., Results: A total of 44 patients were analyzed, and the mean follow-up of patients was 50.27 months. Patients who underwent mapping biopsy showed significantly lower tumor involvement at permanent and frozen biopsies and a lower local recurrence rate than those who did not undergo mapping biopsy. The 5-year tumor-free rate was significantly higher in the mapping biopsy group than in the non-mapping biopsy group. Multivariable analysis demonstrated that age at operation, mapping biopsy, and false-negative results at frozen biopsy were associated with local recurrence., Conclusions: Mapping biopsy is beneficial to reduce local recurrence in penoscrotal EMPD.

Objective: In the present study, we aimed to present our experience of an effective two-stage surgical approach using scrotal skin flap for patients with penile skin defects following severe burn injury., Materials and Methods: A total of 17 patients with penile skin defects underwent scheduled two-stage reconstruction using scrotal skin flap from January 2004 to October 2016. Patients, who were selected as eligible candidates for scrotal flap, exhibited a wide range of indications, including iatrogenic injuries (e.g., diathermy treatment after circumcision), scalding, flame injuries and electrical burns. During the first stage, the denuded penis secondary to debridement was temporally embedded in scrotal skin flap through an intrascrotal tunnel created between the skin and darto's fascia. During the second stage, the skin around the penis was separated and divided from the scrotum after incising the scrotal skin at the ventral penile base. After a mean follow-up of 30 months, the reconstructed penises yielded satisfactory aesthetic outcomes and maintained erectile function., Results: The mean age of patients was 35 years (19-55 years), and the median follow-up was 30 months (12-60 months). No major perioperative complication occurred except for dehiscence of scrotal skin after 2nd stage in three patients, and split-thickness skin grafts were applied for recovery of scrotum. Of 17 cases, 15 patients (88.2%) were in satisfactory cosmetic appearance. All patients regained penile sensation and normal voiding function in standing position. The International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) was used to assess sexual function, with 13 patients (76.5%) reported normal erectile function, while the rest 4 reported mild erectile dysfunction. With regards to intercourse satisfaction domain, encouraging results indicated a total of 17 patients resumed sexual intercourse after surgery. In overall satisfaction domain, 11/17 (64.7%) reported a satisfaction from "very" to "moderately" with their overall sex life and sexual relationship with their partners, while only one patient reported "moderately dissatisfied" with his overall sex life., Conclusions: We report a series of particular cases, including rare iatrogenic injury (diathermy treatment after circumcision) and severe compound electrical injury. Meanwhile, we show our successful experience that scrotal skin flap could be used as an effective surgical alternative to cover severe burn injury wound in male genitalia. The scrotal flap, with higher anti-infection ability and flexible contexture, is available for recovering penile skin defects following severe burn injury resulting in good aesthetic and sexual outcomes.

Paratesticular sarcoma is rare, but liposarcoma is its most common type. Paratesticular liposarcoma sometimes presents as dedifferentiated liposarcoma. Both high-grade and low-grade dedifferentiation have been reported. Herein, we presented a unique case of a 64-year-old man with low-grade dedifferentiated liposarcoma with prominent myxoid stroma. Well-differentiated liposarcoma components extended along the spermatic cord. The constituent cells of the dedifferentiated component were peculiar in that, they were relatively uniform cells with atypia and did not have pleomorphism to such an extent that it mimicked myxofibrosarcoma. This myxoid component was confidently differentiated from myxoid liposarcoma with the help of immunohistochemical analysis using CDK4 and MDM2. These two markers were also expressed in the well-differentiated component. It could therefore be confirmed that this sarcoma is dedifferentiated liposarcoma but is not mixed-type liposarcoma comprising well-differentiated liposarcoma and myxoid liposarcoma.

Background: Inguino-scrotal herniation of the ureter is a rare and difficult situation for a surgeon, especially if only recognized during inguinal hernia repair., Methods: An 83-year-old gentleman, with a previous history of radiation treatment for squamous anal cancer, presented with a large left inguinoscrotal hernia causing occasional pain at the base of the scrotum. Follow-up, post-radiation therapy CT scan showed a hernia sac containing the bladder and large bowel. Calcifications in the sac were interpreted as bladder stones, in keeping with the history of left renal calculi., Results: During hernia repair careful dissection revealed a herniated portion of the left ureter located alongside a large hernia sac, complicated by ureteral calculi. Following stones extraction and ureteral repair, hernia repair with mesh was successfully accomplished. Pathogenesis of ureteric herniation is reviewed., Conclusion: A herniated ureter is potentially a source of serious renal or ureteral complications. When discovered, ureteric hernias should be surgically repaired. If preoperative detection of a ureter herniation alongside an inguinal hernia is missed, awareness of the existence of this condition may help avoid iatrogenic ureteral damage injury during a complex hernioplasty. Documentation of unexplained, sizeable and distinct calcifications in an inguino-scrotal hernia sac, particularly in a patient with a history of urolithiasis, may suggest the presence of a herniated, calculus-filled ureter. In such cases, retrograde pyelograms may be considered for a definitive diagnosis prior to surgery.

Complete urethral duplication is a rare congenital genitourinary anomaly with various symptoms. Since anatomical place of urethra greatly varies between cases, surgical management of the patients is personalized according to the type of the duplication and requires a careful workup before planning for any intervention. In this case report, a 4-year-old boy with finding of complete proximal hypospadiac urethral duplication is presented with double-stream voiding. He was passing a normal stream of urine through the hypospadiac tract, while a thin stream came out from the normal meatal site. Examination revealed a hypoplastic orthotopic urethra with an accessory penoscrotal hypospadiac urethra. The patient was successfully managed with hydrodistension technique which was used to resolve the stricture of hypoplastic dorsal urethra followed by end-to-end anastomosis to penoscrotal hypospadias. This approach gives an insight that the technique could be possibly considered as a simple alternative to avoid proximal hypospadias repair which is comparatively a challenging surgical task.

Background: The best approaches to repairing large inguinoscrotal hernias and handling of the distal sac are still debated. Complete dissection of a distal sac which extends deep into the scrotum carries a risk of orchitis and damage to the cord structures. However, failure to deal with the distal sac often results in the formation of a large and bothersome seroma or pseudohydrocele. We describe a technique for managing large distal sacs to avoid clinically important seromas when repairing large inguinoscrotal hernias, using the enhanced view totally extraperitoneal (e-TEP) endoscopic technique., Methods: From October 2010 to November 2011, 94 consecutive elective hernia repairs were performed using the e-TEP technique. Six of these patients had large inguinoscrotal hernias, defined as hernias extending deep into the scrotum with a distal sac not amenable to dissection. In these six patients, we managed the distal sac by pulling it out of the scrotum and fixing it high and laterally to the posterior inguinal wall. We prospectively followed these patients and examined them at 8 days and 1 and 3 months postoperatively, looking specifically for signs or symptoms of seroma. Ultrasonography was performed at each follow-up visit., Results: Only one of the patients had developed a seroma by the eighth postoperative day. The seroma was drained and did not recur or produce symptoms during the following 3 months. There were no major complications or early recurrences in the series., Conclusions: Patients with large inguinoscrotal hernias and sacs extending deep into the scrotum can benefit from reduction and fixation of the distal sac high and laterally to the posterior inguinal wall. This technique lowers the risk of developing clinically significant seroma.

Purpose: Giant inguinoscrotal hernias represent a real public health problem in the Ivory Coast that can dramatically impair patients' quality of life. Limited resources require a simplified surgical strategy including, in our experience, not using a mesh and leaving the distal hernia sac. The aim of this study was to evaluate the benefits of this technique in terms of complications (seroma, haematoma, trophic troubles) and the ability to recover from surgery and return to work at 1 month postsurgery., Methods: Between January and May 2012, all patients who presented with a giant primary inguinoscrotal hernia that was spontaneously reducible in the decubitus position and who did not have any trophic changes in the scrotal skin were prospectively studied. The surgical procedure was a herniorrhaphy as described by Bassini. All patients received follow-up examinations on postoperative days 5, 12 and 30., Results: Twenty-five males with a median age of 42 years (range 18-60) underwent surgery. Three patients (12 %) presented with a superficial skin infection and four (16 %) with early scrotal swelling without seroma, spontaneously resolved by postoperative day 30. Three patients (12 %) presented with scrotal swelling and seroma; two required aspiration. No early recurrence was observed at the end of follow-up, and all patients were able to return to work., Conclusion: Leaving the distal hernial sac in the scrotum does not interfere with the type of hernia repair and can limit the occurrence of complications. This technique is reliable, reproducible and does not incur additional morbidity when used in selected patients.

Background: The recommended approach to hydrocele repair in children is inguinal. Recently, a transscrotal approach has been recommended for hydroceles in children. This report describes our experience with hydrocele with omentum incarceration., Methods: This retrospective study reviewed the records of ten children who underwent inguinal hydrocele repair with omentum incarceration in our clinic., Results: The mean age of the patients was 4.5 years (range 1.5-16). Hydroceles were located on the right side in all patients. Scrotal erythema, inguinal pain, signs of intestinal obstruction and hernia sac were not determined. Hydrocele repairs were made by inguinal approach in all patients. The procesus vaginalis was rougher than normal and noted as the hernia sac. Thus, the hernia sacs were opened and omental incarceration was defined in all cases. Omentum protruded into the abdomen in all cases. A high ligation was performed and the distal parts of the sacs were fenestrated., Conclusions: In the light of our experience, a scrotal approach to hydrocele repair in children would be difficult in cases of incarceration with hernia. Omental incarceration may cause hydrocele, and this hydrocele can be confused with normal hydrocele. Therefore, we would continue to recommend an inguinal approach for childhood hydroceles.

Objectives: The laparoscopic trans-abdominal preperitoneal (TAPP) approach to inguinal hernia repair is well documented as an excellent choice in numerous studies, especially when conducted by an experienced surgeon. Its full list of specific indications is still under debate. Generally, the repair of scrotal hernias demands a higher level of experience on the part of the surgeon, irrespective of the applied surgical technique. In this report, we evaluate our preliminary experience of TAPP laparoscopic repair for inguinoscrotal hernias in young patients in a Community Hospital setting, focusing on the feasibility of the technique and the incidence of complications., Materials and Methods: Between January 2008 and January 2009 a total of ten consecutive young patients at the "Civil Hospital" in Vittorio Veneto (TV), underwent TAPP laparoscopic repair of bilateral inguinoscrotal hernias., Results: The overall mean operative time was 65 (+/-15) min. All procedures were performed on a day surgery basis. There were no conversions to open repair, no mortality/morbidity or relapsing hernias. The mean follow-up was 14 (+/-2) months. No patients reported severe pain at 10 days, There were no reports of night pain at 30 days. All patients had a return to physical-work capacity within 14 days. All patients were completely satisfied at the 3-month follow up., Conclusions: Analysis of the short-term post-operative outcomes of our experience enabled us to conclude that, in the proper setting, TAPP can be performed for inguinoscrotal hernia repair with an efficiency comparable to that of normal inguinal hernia repair.

Giant inguinoscrotal herniae are infrequent in developed countries nowadays, nonetheless they may still typically present after years of neglect. The morbidity associated with them can be significant. Surgical management, although challenging even for the experienced surgeon, enables the patient to return to a reasonable level of function and quality of life. We present a case of a giant right inguinoscrotal hernia, which was treated with a multi-stage extensive operation, following adequate pre-operative respiratory preparation. The operation included reduction of the hernial contents in the abdominal cavity following omentectomy, right hemicolectomy and splenectomy, hernioplasty and reconstruction of the abdominal wall with the preperitoneal use of a Composix mesh and finally reductive reconstruction of the scrotum. The technique described represents a successful combination of various techniques described for the management of these patients.

Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) mostly develop from the neural crest cells but a few arise from neuroectoderm. They are common in the lungs and gastrointestinal tract but rare in the genitourinary tract. A 78-year-old man with no family history of malignant or hereditary diseases presented with a 3-month history of a rapidly growing asymptomatic scrotal nodule and swelling in the groin. He had a negative history of sexually transmitted disease and of trauma, fungal infection or chronic irritation in the scrotal area; there was no history of radiotherapy or exposure to chemicals or arsenic. Both the scrotal and groin lesions were excised with a minimum of 1.2 cm of normal skin. Examination of the specimen revealed a confined poorly differentiated large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma with a metastasis to the inguinal lymph nodes. Three months after the excision we found a local recurrence. The recurrent tumor revealed tumor tissue concurrent with the primary lesion. To the best of our knowledge, there have been no previously published case reports on neuroendocrine tumor of the scrotum.

We report two men of ages 62 and 80 years, respectively, with giant inguinoscrotal hernias. They were operated with a single-stage repair by two approaches, extended preperitoneal of Nyhus and an inguinal method. After hernia content reduction, a policaproamide antimicrobial mesh Ampoxen (MEDICA SA, Sandanski, Bulgaria) with dimensions 20 x 30 cm was inserted by using Stoppa's technique. An additional inguinal reinforcement with other mesh patch was done on the external aponeurosis hernial defect. Synchronous orchiectomy and transscrotal drainage of both patients was performed. The first patient suffering from umbilical hernia was also operated at the same stage. He was prepared by preoperative pneumoperitoneum. The second patient, due to scrotal skin cellulitis with ulceration, was operated without pneumoperitoneum preparation. The latter created easier mobilization and reduction of the hernial content. The sizable mesh dimensions allowed, to some degree, an acceptable level of intra-abdominal pressure after the repair. These hernias demand interdisciplinary teamwork and their treatment has to be adapted to the individual condition of the patient using all therapeutic options.

We report a case of neglected, strangulated, inguinal hernia in a middle-aged male, which presented as a scrotal fecal fistula. This is the first such case reported in an adult. The patient was treated by resection and anastamosis of the ileum, local debridement of the scrotum and Shouldice repair for the inguinal defect.

We present an extremely huge and longstanding, giant inguinoscrotal hernia extending to below the knee with an ulcer at its base. Though hernias of this magnitude are rare, their management can be demanding and challenging. Nevertheless, in an emergency situation, the repair of the hernial defect is not essential, especially in a compromised patient. In fact, the most important step is excision of the devitalised tissue, and the final surgery can be delayed. In nonemergency management, definitive surgery can be planned either by a period of preoperative staged pneumoperitoneum, repairing after a resection of bowel and omentum, or replacing the content and ventilation of the patient to avoid the pressure on the cardiorespiratory system by forcing the tissue. This case highlights the problems encountered in management of huge hernias.

A 30-year-old male with 1 1/2-year history of an asymptomatic, large, reducible right indirect scrotal hernia presented to the emergency department complaining of a 2-week history of increasing abdominal distension and daily emesis. He had recently undergone an emergent exploratory laparotomy in which his asymptomatic hernia was repaired with a mesh plug from an intra-abdominal approach. The mesh plug subsequently migrated into the patient's scrotum resulting in a strangulating bowel obstruction. This paper discusses a serious complication that may result from inappropriate use and placement of a mesh plug and our approach to correct the situation utilizing a bioabsorbable mesh prosthesis.

The popular incision for surgical approach to pediatric inguinal pathologies has been the suprapubic transverse inguinal incision. Yet alternative incisions may be considered. A prospectively randomized study of a consecutive series of 256 male infants and children with various inguinal pathologies (mainly indirect inguinal hernias) were treated surgically using the "high trans-scrotal skin-crease incision," over a period of 84 months (7 years) and were compared and found to be clinically better than age- and sex-matched 278 controls with suprapubic transverse inguinal incisions for wound healing/infection, edema, seroma, hematoma, malpositioning or atrophy of testes and recurrence of the primary pathology. The results in the study group were cosmetically and clinically more favorable, and better than the control group. Nosocomial infections, complications of incarceration, and emergency surgery have resulted in an acceptable morbidity rate of approximately 5%. Popularized use of the high trans-scrotal incision and further clinical experience is recommended to facilitate even better results.

Intrascrotal hernia of the ureter is a rare event. We describe here one such case. There are two anatomic types of such ureteral hernias. The paraperitoneal type has a peritoneal indirect sac, which pulls the ureter with it. The extraperitoneal ureteral hernia is without a peritoneal sac. In such cases, which are almost always indirect hernias, there is usually a large amount of fat. It is, in fact, retroperitoneal fat, which slides, and pulls the ureter with it by gravity. Such a case is a genuine prolapse of the retroperitoneal structures. This anomaly, which has been rarely studied, is worth knowing about, because the ureter may be damaged during hernia dissection. The surgeon should be cautious when discovering huge fatty hernias, and should avoid the excision of fat and simply return the fatty mass to its normal place after its separation from the cord.

Traumatic lesions of the penis and scrotum are often encountered in urological emergency departments. We describe a case of complete unraveling of the penile skin and partial avulsion of the scrotal skin, which was treated without the need for a skin graft, which is usually the selected mode of treatment. Instead, we believe that a less aggressive surgical approach is more beneficial for the patient since it allows faster healing and prevents the development of complications.

To solve the problem of limited abdominal cavity in cases of giant inguino-scrotal hernias, a new technique is described, aiming, while repairing the hernia, to provide a larger abdominal cavity into which the hernial contents can be replaced without compromising respiratory and cardiac functions. The idea of this technique is to create a midline abdominal wall defect to increase the intra-abdominal capacity to accommodate the hernial contents. The hernial sac is then pulled up to the abdomen and fashioned as a rotation flap to augment and close the peritoneum over the replaced contents. Lastly, a giant Polypropylene mesh is inserted in the preperitoneal space to cover the created midline defect and to buttress both inguinal regions. Eight patients with giant inguinoscrotal hernias were operated upon using this technique. The results showed that the procedure is safe and all postoperative complications (three seromas, two wound infections, and two cases of severe scrotal edema) were treated conservatively. All patients were discharged home within 7-15 days and no recurrences have been reported in a follow-up period of between 2 and 4 years. In addition to repairing hernial defects, this new technique allows reduction of massive hernias without compromising respiratory and cardiac functions by enlarging the shrunken peritoneal cavity before returning the hernia's contents. Moreover, in covering the abdominal defect which has been created by the hernial sac, direct contact between the intestine and the mesh is prevented, thus minimizing the risk of adhesions and fistulas.

We report on our experience with a new surgical procedure of forming a pseudoneotesticle from indigenous tissues obtained from the existing scrotal contents. This procedure has been performed in 32 patients with a diagnosis of hormone dependent cancer of the prostate as a therapeutic manoeuvre, and in 3 children who had diminution of their testicle down to a peanut size secondary to neglected testicular torsion on the ipsilateral side. The follow-up examination revealed a small decrease in the size of the pseudotesticles that remained stable in further evaluation. This new surgical technique is proposed as a viable alternative to the placement of various artificial scrotal prostheses.

Five patients with necrotizing soft tissue infections of the perineum and scrotum are presented. There were one female and four male patients, aged from 35 to 70 years. Portals of entry were perirectal abscesses in four cases and a scrotal abscess in one case. All patients required extensive surgical debridement and intravenous broad-spectrum antibiotics. Operative debridement involved the scrotum, the perineal and inguinal area, the upper thighs and the anterior abdominal wall. One patient required transverse loop colostomy and one loop sigmoidostomy. One patient was reoperated on after inadequate drainage of a perirectal abscess. Three patients were referred to our unit after some delay, while one patient did not seek medical care until after being febrile for 2 weeks. Despite aggressive debridement, this last patient died of fulminant sepsis. Fournier's gangrene, which is not so rare as in generally considered, is still associated with a high mortality, which can be reduced only by improving medical awareness and early treatment both of the primary cause and of necrotizing fasciitis.

Fournier's gangrene is a relatively rare, mixed aerobic and anaerobic soft tissue infection in the perineoscrotal area. Although it is convenient to give it a separate name, it is really either necrotizing fasciitis or nonclostridial myonecrosis of the scrotal and perineal areas. The condition frequently develops from perineal diseases, including perianal abscess, and fistulas, inflamed haemorrhoids and indwelling urethral catheter. In patients with Fournier's gangrene morbidity is extreme and mortality high. This article is based on a retrospective study of 15 cases of Fournier's gangrene, 13 in male and 2 in female patients. A combination of surgery and antibiotics was used to treat 9 patients. The last 6 cases were treated with a combination of surgery, antibiotics and hyperbaric oxygen. In 13 cases, the diagnosis was made on the basis of the fulminating progression of the infection to a scrotal gangrene, identification of multiple underlying pathogenic organisms and toxaemia. In the 2 female patients, a similar infection developed in the labia majora and perineum and extended to the buttocks and the anterior abdominal wall.

Fourteen patients with a variety of scrotal lesions have been investigated. In 12 cases surgical exploration was performed, and 2 patients with scrotal wall haematoma received drug treatment. In the early detection of scrotal traumas ultrasonography is of utmost importance for the definitive diagnosis to be set up.

In this study orchiopexy was performed in 30 Sprague-Dawley rats in order to compare traumatic effects of surgical and autologous fascial suture materials on testicular histology. Abscess formation was observed in 72.7% of the chromic, in 36.3% of the nylon, and in 18.1% of the vicryl fixed groups. There were no abscess formations in the dartos and autologous fascial fixed group. Examination of the testes revealed complete absence of spermatogenesis in the chromic fixed group. Spermatogenesis was normal, 72% in the vicryl, 18.1% in the nylon, 90.9% in the dartos and autologous fascial suture fixed groups. Antisperm antibody was not observed in any rat sera. We consider that it is preferred to use dartos pouch fixation. If necessary, it is advisable to use autologous fascial suture materials.

In cases of retentio abdominalis or inguinalis and of ectopic testis, surgery is performed about the 2nd year of life. Essentials of the operating technique are: incision of the skin must not be parallel to the spermatic cord; testes and spermatic cord must be mobilized without trauma; ideally a biopsy of the testis should be taken; any pulling of the spermatic cord and torsion of it during fixation of the testis should be avoided. If initial tensionfree placement of the testis in the scrotum is impossible, the operation should be carried out in 2 sessions with an interval of 6-12 months. In 241 cases of children operated on from 1972-1975 with 308 total operations, the author observed 2 recurrences and 1 deep infection (scrotal abscess).

A technique of two-stage repair of severe proximal hypospadias associated with bifid scrotum is described. The first repair consists of concurrent chordectomy and scrotoplasty with urethral mobilization. The second and final repair is urethroplasty from the anteriorly mobilized meatus to the tip of the glans with glansplasty and meatoplasty. The advantage of this modification is discussed by comparing it with techniques described before.

Atrophy of the testicles after herniorrhaphy is the most frequent (1.8%) urologic complication in general surgical procedures. In two-thirds of the cases the damage is bilateral. Tips are pointed out to avoid the loss of penile erection after amputation of the rectum or evisceration of the pelvis, as well as to avoid complications after Bernardi-Ivanissevich or Palomo procedures and sterilizing vasectomy.

For skin replacement on the penis and scrotum, only a free split-skin graft (about 0.45 mm in thickness) can be considered in cases where local flaps are not available. The transplant is fixed on the denuded penis with a special thermoplast splint, which ensures healing in. Additional sedation is necessary. Pedicle flaps taken from some distance away are too voluminous for the penis and not adequate. Cases with eschars and granulation tissue must be carefully cleaned to avoid hypertrophic scars. Covering can also be achieved with mesh-grafts in these cases.

Further experience with one-stage repair of severe hypospadias and scrotal transposition performed in eight patients is reported. Primary success was obtained in six, while one patient was cured by secondary repair. While describing the operative technique with some modifications it was reassured that our parameatal preputial flap is a well vascularized one which can safely and easily be constructed into a neourethra. Advantages of improved "glanulomeatoplasty" and scrotoplasty are also discussed. The method is recommended as highly successful to attain excellent functional and cosmetic results in one stage for severe hypospadias.

A new method of one-stage surgical correction of distal to penoscrotal hypospadias is described. The chordee is released by skin lysis alone and urethroplasty is done by the flip-flap technique while the globular glans is rerolled over the new urethra, all in one stage. The complication rate was minimal (15 per cent), and acceptable in the 40 patients who underwent this modified one-stage King-Hoffman urethroplasty.