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Background: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an autosomal recessive blood disorder characterized by multiple-organ involvement including the gallbladder. Subjects with SCD are prone to developing pigment gallstones due to chronic red blood cell hemolysis, increased bilirubin levels, cholecystitis, and biliary sludge.Ultrasonography is a noninvasive, readily available, and permits a fast evaluation of the gallbladder. It is useful in establishing the various patterns of gallbladder disease and volume abnormalities. Objectives: The objectives of this study were to sonographically evaluate cholelithiasis and gallbladder volume in patients with SCD and correlate the findings with age and gender. A comparison of the above parameters in sickle cell patients was also made with apparently healthy controls. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective study of 150 patients with SCD and an equal number of apparently healthy control subjects in Benin City. Each subject was sonographically evaluated for possible gallbladder stones and its volume using a 3–5 MHz curvilinear array transducer with a SonoaceX4 ultrasound machine (Medison, Seoul, South Korea). Result: The prevalence of cholelithiasis among subjects with SCD in this study was 10%. Patients with SCD had a significantly higher mean gallbladder volume (34.50 ± 20.43 cm3) compared with apparently healthy control subjects (20.39 ± 10.71 cm3; P = 0.000). Conclusion: The prevalence of cholelithiasis in SCD was shown to increase with age. There was a positive linear correlation between the incidence of cholelithiasis and gallbladder volume with age of the patient.

Background Penile fracture is a relatively rare acquired urologic condition which may occur following blunt trauma to an erect penis. The aim of the study is to review the presentation, management and outcome of penile fractures in a tertiary hospital in Nigeria over a 7 year period. Patient and Methods Medical records of 6 patients with diagnosis of penile fracture seen over a 7 year period were retrieved and information regarding the aaetiology, mode of presentation, treatment, outcome and follow up were recorded. Results The mean age of the patients was 32.3 years. Blunt trauma during sexual intercourse was the mechanism of trauma in 5 patients. In one patient it was due to abrupt bending of an erect penis against tight underwear during foreplay. The mean time interval before presentation was 22 hours. All patients presented with the classical symptoms of penile pain, swelling and detumescence. All patients had immediate penile exploration and repair of tunica albuginea via a circumferential sub- coronal incision. The mean period of follow up after repair was 9.3 weeks. Penile erection and sexual function were satisfactory in all patients following repair. Complications noted included mild pain at the site of repair during sexual intercourse in 1 patient and mild lateral deviation in another. Conclusion Penile fracture was a rare condition in this centre during the period. The immediate outcome of the repair of penile fracture is satisfactory. Long term follow up is needed to further evaluate patients with this condition.

We report genome sequences of two new isolates of the budding yeast Candida zeylanoides . Strain UCD849 from soil in Ireland was assembled into eight complete chromosomes. Strain AWD from an African Wild Dog in a US zoo was sequenced to draft level. The assemblies are 10.6 Mb and 99.57% identical., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Aims and Objectives: To determine the difference in outcome between a 1- day and 5- day antibiotic regimen in the prevention of infective complications following transrectal prostate biopsy., Patients and Methods: This prospective comparative study was done in the urology unit of University of Benin Teaching Hospital over a period of 14 months. Eighty seven patients were randomly assigned to 2 groups prior to the procedure. The patients in group I (N=42) received oral ciprofloxacin (500mg, 12 hourly) and oral metronidazole (400mg, 8 hourly) for 1 day while those in group II (N=45) received same antibiotic combination for 5 days. Urine samples for culture were taken an hour before the procedure and then 5 days after in all patients. Temperature monitoring with an easy-to-use thermometer was done thrice daily by the patients. Post biopsy fever and positive urine cultures were indicative of infection., Results: The mean age of the patients was 68.5 ± 8.1 years. Infective complications occurred in 8(19%) in group I and 7(15.6%) in group II. Fever was noted in 5 patients in group I and 4 patients in group II (p=0.73) while positive urine culture was noted in 4 patients in each group (p=1.00). Complications were minor and transient except in a case of septicaemia in group II that required hospitalisation. Escherischia coli was the most common organism isolated from positive urine cultures., Conclusion: A 1-day antibiotic regimen of oral ciprofloxacin and metronidazole is as effective as a 5-day regimenin the prevention of infective complications following transrectalprostate biopsy.

Objective: To determine the prevalence and spontaneous resolution of congenital hydrocele diagnosed in male neonates who underwent circumcision at our centre., Patients and Methods: All male neonates presented for circumcision at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria between January 2002 and December 2006 were examined for the presence of hydrocele. Those diagnosed with this condition were recruited and followed up in a surgical outpatient clinic for 2 years. The number of cases of spontaneous resolution and age at which this occurred were documented on a structured pro forma., Results: A total of 2715 neonates were circumcised and 128 (4.7%) were diagnosed with 163 cases of hydrocele, while 27 cases in 25 (0.9%) children failed to resolve at the age of 2 years. Neonatal hydrocele was bilateral in 112 (68.7%), and there were 20 (12.3%) right and 31 (19.0%) left. Among those with hydrocele, 28.1% were delivered preterm and resolution was spontaneous in many of them, with no observed significant statistical difference to those delivered full term (P=0.4740). Of the 163 hydrocele cases, 136 (83.4%) resolved spontaneously by age 18 months with peak resolution at 4-6 months. No spontaneous resolution occurred after 18 months and no hydrocele-related complication occurred during follow up., Conclusion: Neonates with congenital hydrocele should be observed for spontaneous resolution for at least 18 months before being subjected to surgery.

Objectives: To identify and quantitate anaesthesia related complications in the intraoperative period and in the post anaesthesia recovery room., Design: A prospective study., Setting: University of Benin Teaching Hospital; a University-affiliated tertiary centre., Subjects: Patients scheduled for elective and emergency surgery under anaesthesia. Obstetric patients were excluded., Results: Out of the 700 patients studied, intraoperative and postoperative complications were recorded in 221 (31.6%) patients. Data showed a higher incidence of postoperative complications. P = 0.0001, X2 = 19.343, Odds Ratio (OR) = 0.5116, 95% CI: 0.3800-0.6886. The differences were statistically significant. The incidence of cardiovascular, central nervous system and respiratory complications were also higher in the postoperative period than intraoperative period. There were two cases of cardiac arrest both in the intraoperative period and in the recovery room. A higher incidence of both intraoperative and recovery room complications was observed in females than in males. P = <0.0001; X2 = 16.951 (with Yate's correction); OR = 2.066; 95% CI: 1.468-2.908. The difference was considered extremely significant. There was one case of mortality intraoperatively and one postoperatively. P = 1.000; OR = 1.772; 95% CI: 0.1093-28.743., Conclusion: Our study showed a high incidence of complications both in the intraoperative period and in the recovery room. Complication rate was higher in females than males. The incidence of complications was also higher in the elderly patients.