Une syringocèle révélée par un abcès périntéal

Purpose

The authors present a clinical report of a perforate syringocele diagnosed in a male patient and they review the clinical, radiological and therapeutic aspects of this disease.

Case report

A 50-year-old man attended the emergency room with perineal abscess. Computerized Tomography (CT) scan was used to establish the diagnosis. This patient also underwent urethrocystoscopy, sonography and retrograde urethrography.

Results

Treatment consisted of open surgical evacuation of the perineal abscess with bladder catheter. Urethrocystoscopy showed a large perforate syringocele in the urethra with no need for endoscopy marsupialization. No recurrence was observed at follow-up at 3 months.

Conclusion

Syringocele is a rare malformation which usually is asymptomatic. It can be congenital or acquired and can be classified into four morphological types. The most frequent treatment is endoscopic marsupialization of the syringocèle. Open surgical excision is recommended for complicated syringocèle with abscess or perineal pain.     

Spermatogénèse et Paraplégie

In this article, the paraplegics’ possibilities for procreation will be examined. A first chapter will deal with the testicle functioning along with the study of hormonal measuring and testicle histology (study involving 100 patients). As a result, it appears that, after a testicle biopsy, there is a testicle lesion of neurological origin that is sometimes irreversible. On the contrary, the endocrinal testicle lesions have proved reversible under stimulation or spontaneously. A second chapter will deal with the different techniques to obtain an ejaculation and the semen analysis. The techniques that were used being: massage by vibrator, electroejaculation, ejaculation through pharmacological stimulation. The study focuses on 124 ejaculatory tests among which 64 forward ejaculations (52%) and 4 bachward ejaculations (3%) were obtained. The resulting semen analysis revealed a spermatozoon count greater than 20 millions per millilitre (that is 51,5%) and smaller than 5 millions in 11 cases (16%).     

L'histogenèse régénératrice chez les phoronidiens

Summary The regeneration (organogenesis was studied by Emig, 1972 a, b) of Phoronida can be divided into three phases: the first one, cicatrisation, is characterized by a provisional mesodermal scar-tissue, later the old epidermis cover this scar-tissue. The regenerating blastema, second phase, takes place by cellular dedifferentiation processes; each germ layer (ectoderm, mesoderm, endoderm) regenerates itself from its own elements. One exception only seems to be oesophagel regeneration by metaplasia of the prestomacal cells during the asexual reproduction. The differentiation of the amputated structures (third phase) appears submitted to the inductive influence of the mesoderm and to the trophic action of the nervous system (especially the epithelial plexus). The polarity in regeneration sets a problem in Phoronida.

---

---

Ce travail a été effectué dans le cadre du contrat L. A. n 41 au C. N. R. S.     

L'évolution des gastéropodes lacustres et la paléoéologie des diatomées dans le Néogène de Kos (Dodécanèse,Grèce)

Evolutionary lineages of several limnic gastropod genera (Viviparus, Melanopsis, Theodoxus) from the Neogene of Kos island (Dodecanese, Greece) are described and interpreted. The attempt is made to analyse the paleoecological development of a limnic sedimentary basin in the eastern portion of Kos by means of Diatoms. Obviously, there is no relation between the chemical parameters of the water of the former lake and the morphological development of the gastropods. The lineages of Viviparus brevis, Theodoxus doricus and Melanopsis gorceixi are suggested to be caused by phyletic transformations and not by changing environmental conditions. It is, thus, possible to establish a local biostratigraphy based on subspecies, and moreover, a more regional one based on longer ranging species.     

Découverte de Foraminifères planctoniques paléocènes dans les brèches,précédemment tenues pour aptiennes et d'origine diapirique,des Pyrénées basco-béarnaises

After the dating, by means of planktonic Foraminifera, of post-metamorphic marine breccias, Upper Danian–Lower Selandian in age, associated to hemipelagites and unconformably overlying the Cretaceous tectogenic axis of the Pyrenees from Roussillon to Bigorre, was it possible to extend westwards the breccia-filled Palaeocene ‘trough’ as far as the ‘Zone des Chaı̂nons béarnais’? This later unit, which belonged to the North-Iberian palaeomargin during Lower Cretaceous, was previously considered by several authors as characterized by an important halokinesis generating, during Aptian/?Albian, collapses of the Jurassic–Lower Cretaceous carbonate cover above dissolved salt domes and spectacular accumulations of breccias. In fact, we have everywhere identified Palaeocene planktonic microfauna within the matrix of these breccias (and within the associated hemipelagites), particularly of the reference ‘diapiric’ breccias of Etchebar, Lauriolle, Layens and Bosmendiette/Beloscare. Deposited into intra- ‘trough’ sub-marine canyons, after karstification and erosion of intermediate mountains with a steep topography previously induced by Uppermost Cretaceous compressions, the herein studied Palaeocene marine breccias should not be hereafter regarded as linked to any Lower Cretaceous diapirism on the North-Iberian palaeomargin. To cite this article: B. Peybernès et al., C. R. Palevol 1 (2002) 3–10.     

Stress et Spermatogénèse

Stress, which originates in the brain, can influence spermatogenesis hormonally or via the nervous system. The hormonal route commences with the central secretion of Corticotrophin-Releasing Factor, leading to a fall in LHRH production, a decrease in Leydig cell LH receptors and a decrease in 17 a hydroxylase activity. Thus, in the case of major, prolonged stress, testosterone secretion falls, which in turn affects spermatogenesis. However, given that the testosterone threshold required for normal seminiferous epithelium function is significantly less than the mean circulating level of this hormone, the importance of low intensity stress remains unknown. The nervous route involves catecholaminergic fibres which, in the testis, innervate the Highmore corpus, the vessels, the area adjacent to the Leydig cells, and the basement membrane of seminiferous tubules. The experimental destruction of these fibres leads a regression of the seminiferous epithelium. Moreover, the experimental ablation of the rat anterior neocortex leads to changes in spermatogenesis. Therefore, given that the endocrine system does not seem to be involved in these changes, these results indicate that the highest level of the nervous system may participate in the controlling the germinal epithelium which, all things considered, would tend to support psychosomatic influences. However, given that the number of spermatozoa varies significantly between ejaculate and independantly of the level of testosterone secretion necessary for normal spermatogenesis, it may be hypothesized that it is only when sperm production is low that temporary stress, in aggravating the situation, becomes deleterious to spermatogenesis. Since, under normal conditions, such periods are short, the role of the influence of stress on spermatogenesis can only be relative. Nevertheless, if variations occur during permanently low sperm production, the likelihood of negative effects is increased. Consequently, the impact of stress or psychological factors on spermatogenesis might well depend upon particular circumstances.     

Températures et varicocèles

Varicocele is considered to be responsible for male infertility by several authors, while varicocele may also exist in fertile men. Hyperthermia or “raised” testicular temperature is one of the pathophysiological mechanisms proposed to explain impaired spermatogenesis when a varicocele is present in infertile men. The reported clinical data in humans and experimental results of surgically-induced varicocele in animals indicate the following findings. In most studies, mean testicular and scrotal temperatures are bilaterally increased in populations of men with unilateral left varicocele compared to control populations. Similar results are observed following surgical induction of experimental left varicocele in animals. In the case of bilateral varicocele, the increase in mean temperature is similar to that observed in unilateral varicocele. Data concerning the effects of varicocelectomy on testicular or scrotal temperatures are still inconclusive in humans because of the discordant results in the small number of studies dealing with this topic. However, experimental data indicate that varicocelectomy results in recovery of normal mean temperature in animals submitted to surgically-induced varicocele, but experimental animal models of varicocele have failed to provide any explanation for the increase in temperature. In conclusion, although there is a relationship between varicocele and testicular temperature, testicular temperature is not increased in every case of varicocele.     

Techniques de préparation des microhyménoptères

Summary The author proposes to standardize the preparation technique for microhymenoptera. The insects have to be presented for identification in a dry state, mounted on a minute pin or glued on a heavy paper point (double-mounting). Preference is given to the mounting on minute pin, as this method has the advantage that a specimen pinned with a minuten may be removed from its support and each morphological detail easily observed. The minuten is fixed to a short strip of soft material such as polyporus (bracket fungus); if this is not available, stiff paper may be used. The support with the pinned specimen is then attached to a pin no. 3 (fig. 1–3). The absence of glue is advantageous, especially in subtropical countries, where the glue is generally destroyed by bacteria and fungi. When the pins are unavailable for this double-mounting technique, the author proposes to glue the thoracic pleurae of the insect to the previously folded tip of a heavy paper point (fig. 6). The material for identification may be preserved in a liquid medium (as alcohol with some drops of glycerine) after a series of individuals have been prepared according to the double-mounting technique. Also, specimens in excess may be sent dry in a plastic or glass tube between two cellucotton masses.