BACKGROUND: Almost half of the patients have had recurrent nephrolithiasis despite undergoing effective treatment. Our objective is to determine the recurrence rate of lithiasis after endourological management of nephrolithiasis and identify the risk factors for these recurrences.
METHODS: Data were gathered retrospectively from all patients who were treated for nephrolithiasis by endourological management from May 2014 to January 2017 in our university hospital. The patients were devised into two groups: with and without recurrence. Many variables were also compared between these two groups.
RESULTS: During this period 265 patients were treated for upper urinary tract stone. A total of 190 patients were included in the study. The median age and median BMI of the patients were 57.5 years and 25.2kg/m2, respectively. A biochemical analysis of the stones was performed in 117 (61.5%) patients. The most common types of stones were calcium oxalate monohydrate stones (n=44, 23.2%), mixed stones (n=39, 20.5%) including mixed calcium oxalate (n=10; 8.5%), calcium oxalate dihydrate stones (n=13, 6.8%) and uric acid stones (n=11, 5.8%). At the end of a median follow-up of 32 months (range, 13-61 monthes), 49 patients (25.8%) had a recurrent stone. In univariate analysis, the risk factors for recurrence were BMI greater than 25kg/m2 (HR: 2; P<0.05), diabetes (HR: 3.73; P<0.008) and smoking (HR: 3.1; P<0.039). However age (HR: 0.96: P<0.003) and high blood pressure (HR: 0.37; P<0.027) were protective factors. In multivariate analysis, diabetes, smoking, hypertension, and age are still risk factors for recurrence.
CONCLUSIONS: Stone recurrence is common after the management of urinary stones. In this study 25.8% of patients had recurred stone disease after endourological management with a median follow-up of 32 months. Our study findings showed that diabetes and smoking are risk factors for recurrence, while age and blood hypertension are protective factors that decreased the risk of recurrence.

BACKGROUND: The treatment of conjunctival melanoma is most often conservative, but exenteration is sometimes necessary in order to achieve local control of the disease. It can be performed as a primary procedure in cases of locally advanced disease or as a secondary procedure after one or more recurrences. No benefit to secondary exenteration on patient survival has been demonstrated to date for conjunctival melanoma, and it is generally considered a palliative procedure.
METHODS: Single-center retrospective study performed in the ocular oncology department of the Institut Curie (Paris, France). We included all patients who underwent secondary orbital exenteration for conjunctival melanoma between January 2008 and January 2016.
RESULTS: Twenty-five patients underwent secondary exenteration for conjunctival melanoma. The maximum number of local recurrences prior to exenteration was six. Metastases occurred in 11 patients after exenteration and were more common when there was a greater tumor thickness on histology, if the tumor had not been treated initially in an ocular oncology center, or if there had been a greater number of local recurrences before the secondary exenteration was performed. Seventy-five percent of patients developed metastases when the exenteration was performed after 5 or 6 local recurrences.
CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that early secondary exenteration (i.e. after a number of local recurrences less than or equal to 4) may reduce the occurrence of metastases (and therefore improve patient survival) in conjunctival melanoma. Thus, secondary exenteration might be a curative surgery in some patients with recurrent disease.

The aim of this study was to assess the value of using a Canaletto® implant in combination with a gel composed of carboxymethylcellulose and polyethylene oxide in the surgical treatment of recurrent carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). The case series included 31 patients with 32 hands operated for the second time for recurrent (22 cases) or recalcitrant (9 cases) CTS by neurolysis. The average patient age was 62 years. Dynavisc® gel alone was applied around the median nerve in the first 16 cases (Group I). The Canaletto® implant combined with Dynavisc® gel was used in the last 16 cases (group II). With an average follow up of 8 months (for group I) and 11 months (for group II), the pre/postoperative variation in pain assessed with a visual analog scale was 1.38/10 (group I) and 2.04/10 (group II), the QuickDASH score was 20.1/100 (Group I) and 20.48/100 (Group II), grip strength was 8% (Group I) and 20% (Group II), sensory nerve conduction speed was 23.20 m/s (group I) and 15.51 m/s (group II) and distal motor latency was 1.55 m/s (group I) and 1.21 m/s (group II). Ten patients recovered from hypoesthesia in both groups, 6 patients in group I and 2 patients in group II regained good trophicity of their superficial thenar muscles. Two patients from group II had not improved clinically although their electromyography had become normal. One patient from group II suffered a postoperative infection that required removal of the Canaletto® implant. He subsequently improved slightly. Our study found that for recurrent or recalcitrant CTS, the combination of Dynavisc® anti-adhesion gel around the median nerve and a Canaletto implant® after neurolysis results in outcomes that are as good as Dynavisc® alone, with a significant improvement of the QuickDASH score without the Canaletto®. In conclusion, the use of Dynavisc® gel alone around the median nerve after neurolysis seems to be as effective as other techniques described in literature but less invasive or time-consuming, and not associated with donor site morbidity such as the flexor tendon sheath.

OBJECTIVE: Flaps are increasingly used during reconstructive surgery of head and neck cancers to improve functional outcomes. There are no guidelines as to whether the whole flap or its anastomotic border should be included in the primary tumour target volume of postoperative radiotherapy to prevent local relapses. Relapse and toxicity rates can increase substantially if the whole flap received full dose. Our aim was to determine whether flaps were included in the primary tumour target volume and to report the patterns of relapse and toxicity.
METHODS: Consecutive patients in 2014 through 2016, with or without a flap, receiving postoperative radiotherapy were selected in a retrospective monocentric control study. Flaps were homogenously delineated blind to treating radiation oncologists using a flap-specific atlas. Tumour recurrence, acute and late toxicity were evaluated using univariate and propensity score analyses.
RESULTS: A hundred patients were included; 54 with a flap. Median flap volume included in the tumour volume was 80.9%. Twelve patients experienced local recurrences: six with a flap, among whom two within their flap (3.7%). Patients with flaps had larger median tumour volumes to be irradiated (25cm3 versus 58cm3, p<0.001) and higher acute/late toxicity rates (p<0.001) even after adjustment on biases (more advanced T stage, oral cavity, active smoking in patients with flaps). Locoregional recurrence and survival rates were similar between patients with/without a flap.
CONCLUSIONS: Recurrences within a flap were rare in this series when including the whole flap body in the 60Gy-clinical target volume but inclusion of the flap in the primary tumour target volume increased toxicity. Multicentric studies are warranted.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate our long-term experience on one-day breast intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) given as sole radiation treatment to selected patients with breast cancer.
METHODS: Inclusion criteria of INTRAOBS study (prospective observational study) were: ER+ T1N0 unifocal ductal carcinoma; absence of lymphovascular invasion or of extensive intraductal component (Scarff-Bloom-Richardson grade III and HER2+++ excluded). Two different linacs were used (20Gy/1 fraction): one dedicated electron linac (RESULTS: Of the present pre-planned analysis for the first 200 patients (median age: 68 years; range, 59-87 years) who received IORT between January 2010 and October 2014 (median follow-up of 53.4 months). A total of 193 patients were still alive. The local recurrence rate was 2.5% (n=5). The 1- and 5-year local RFS rates were 100% and 95.2%, respectively. At 12 months post-surgery, satisfaction about IORT was excellent for 86.9% of patients. Cosmetic results were considered by patients and physicians as good or very good in 89.4% and 97.3% of cases, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS: IORT for selected patients with breast cancer shows low recurrence rates, good cosmetic outcomes and excellent satisfaction.

The objectives of this prospective clinical study are to quantify the variation of pressure exerted by the upper lip on the upper teeth during the alignment phase and to evaluate its capacity to adapt to changes in dental position.
Thirty young subjects in skeletal Class I relationship requiring non-extraction orthodontic treatment were included in this study. The pressure exerted by the upper lip on the upper central incisors and right canine were measured during rest and swallowing positions using a pressure transducer before bracket placement (T0), after bracket placement (T1), three months (T2) and six months later (T3). Maxillary intercanine width (CC), upper arch length (U) and crowding (C) were measured on stone models at T1, T2 and T3 to determine the existence of a correlation between the variation of lip pressure and these variables.
The lip pressure significantly increased after bracket placement and remained relatively stable during the six-month period. The labial pressure on the incisors was the only variable to significantly decrease at T3, though remaining significantly higher than the starting pressure. A positive correlation was found between the variation of the inter-canine distance and the labial pressure on the canine at rest whereas a negative correlation exists between the crowding and the labial pressure on the incisors at rest.
This study showed that increasing inter-canine width disrupts the muscle equilibrium and therefore is prone to relapse, whereas the upper lip can better adapt to the protrusion of upper incisors.

The aim of the present study was to compare the tendency of mandibular incisor rotation relapse after conventional circumferential supracrestal fiberotomy (CSF) with Er,Cr:YSGG laser-aided CSF.
In this three-arm parallel study, the patients with one lower incisor rotation greater than 30 degrees before treatment were selected. The patients were randomly assigned to three groups in a 1:1:1 ratio. Rotational relapse tendency was measured on a digitized model one month after arch wire removal. Probing depth, clinical crown height and pain levels were also measured.
A total of 46 patients were recruited. Relapse tendency in conventional CSF and laser-aided CSF groups were 5.09±1.59° and 4.87±2.08°, respectively, and significantly lower than 11.28±2.93° in the control group (P<0.001). Relapse tendency was not different between the conventional CSF and laser CSF groups. Probing depth, clinical crown height, and experienced pain levels exhibited negligible differences.
Er,Cr:YSGG laser-aided CSF in one month was as effective in reducing rotational relapse tendency of mandibular incisor teeth as conventional CSF.

The aim of our study was to demonstrate the benefits of combining the Canaletto® implant with carboxymethylcellulose/polyethylene oxide gel in the surgical treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) recurrences. Our case series included 39 patients (40 hands, one bilateral case) who underwent revision surgery for recurrent CTS (28 cases) or resistant CTS (12 cases). The mean age of the patients was 56 years. The Canaletto® only was implanted in the first 21 cases (group I). In the following 19 cases (group II), Dynavisc® gel was added to the protocol and applied around the median nerve when the Canaletto® was implanted. At 12 months\' follow-up (group I) and 11 months\' follow-up (group II), the pre-versus post-operative difference between the average values of the DN4 neuropathic Pain Score was 0.55/10 in group I and 2.25/10 in group II; the Pain Score was 2.23/10 (in group I) and 2.52/10 (in group II); the Quick DASH Score was 18.98/100 (group I) and 19.06/100 (in group II); the hand grip strength was 19.55% (group I) and 28.53% (group II); the sensory nerve conduction velocity was 8.67 m/s (group I) and 10.27 m/s (group II); the distal motor latency was 1.05 m/s (group I) and 1.75 m/s (group II). Nine patients recovered from hypoesthesia in both groups, 5 patients regained satisfactory trophism of the thenar muscles in group I and 3 patients in group II. No improvement whatsoever was noted in 2 patients in group II, despite the electromyogram being normal. One patient from group II suffered an infection that required revision surgery to remove the Canaletto®; this led to a moderate improvement. Our results show that when resistant or recurrent CTS is diagnosed, the combined treatment of an anti-adhesion gel such as Dynavics® around the median nerve with the Canaletto® implant after performing secondary neurolysis leads to satisfactory post-operative outcomes. Compared to other techniques described in the current literature, our technique is less invasive, quicker and associated with minimal morbidity of the surgical site.

There are no published studies on the management of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) patients who have already been operated for recurrent CTS on the contralateral side. The aim of this study was to evaluate 13 patients with CTS who underwent primary release using a Canaletto® implant. The 13 patients had all been operated for recurrent CTS previously. On the contralateral side, they all had subjective signs, and two of them already had complications. All were operated with the Canaletto® implant according to Duché\'s technique, in a mean of 20minutes. After a mean 19.3-month follow-up, paresthesia, pain, and QuickDASH scores were significantly improved, even in one patient who underwent revision at another facility. This preliminary study suggests that use of a Canaletto® implant as first-line treatment for CTS in patients who already underwent revision surgery on the other side is a simple and safe technique, without worsening of symptoms. These findings should be assessed with a prospective randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: Intramedullary ependymomas (IE) are the most frequent intramedullary tumors in the adult population. The gold standard treatment is to obtain gross total removal without any new postoperative neurological deficit. The authors report the results of a multicenter series with a long-term follow-up and the analysis of clinical, radiological, surgical data as well as the complementary treatments.
METHODS: A retrospective analysis of adult patients with IE operated on between January 1984 and December 2011 at 7 French centers (Bordeaux, Kremlin-Bicêtre, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier, Nice, and Nîmes) was performed. The minimal follow-up was 12 months. The clinical evaluation was based on the McCormick classification in the pre and postoperative period at 3 months, 1 and 5 years.
RESULTS: Data of 221 adult patients with a pathologically confirmed diagnosis of IE were considered: 134 patients were treated at the Neurosurgical Department of Kremlin-Bicêtre Hospital, 26 were treated at Lille and 61 were treated in the southern region of France (Marseille, Bordeaux, Montpellier, and Lyon). The epidemiological analysis was performed on the entire cohort of patients, while follow-up considerations were made solely on the 134 patients managed at Kremlin-Bicêtre Hospital to obtain homogeneous data. A slight male prevalence was observed (59 % of cases), with an average age of 41.8 years at diagnosis. The mean age at first clinical manifestations was 39.6 years, thus the average duration of symptoms before the diagnosis was 29 months. Neuropathic pain and neurological deficit were the most revealing symptoms in 64 % and 32 % of cases respectively. The localization of the IE was basically cervical in 35.7 %, primarily thoracic in 25.8 % and cervico-thoracic in 22.2 %. The mean tumor length in the sagittal plan was 20.4mm (range 1 to 99mm). A cystic cavity was present in 76.5 % of cases while an intratumoral hemorrhage was detected in 30.3 % of cases. The rate of complete removal was performed in 79.2 % of cases when considering the whole cohort and in 91 % of cases treated at Bicêtre Hospital. In 95 % of cases a WHO grade I or II ependymoma was isolated and in 5 % of cases a WHO grade III. The McCormick scale (MCs) (Lou et al., 2012) [1] was used to rate the degree of preoperative functional impairment in 4 grades. In the immediate postoperative period a worsening of functional capacity was observed. Only 28.8 % of patients had MCs 1 in the immediate postoperative period; 34.8 % had MCs 2; 20.4 % had MCs 3 and 16 % had MCs 4. At 5 years of follow-up (101 patients) the frequencies of grades 1 and 2 were increased: 59 % of patients had MCs 1, 20.8 % had MCs 2, 10,9 % had MCs 3 and 9.3 % had MCs 4. The extension of the lesion on the sagittal plan calculated on the preoperative MRI, was the only predictive factor associated with the immediate postoperative outcome and the short-term follow-up (P=0.04), whereas the preoperative neurological status is the only predictive factor for long-term follow-up (P=0.005).
CONCLUSIONS: Gross total removal remains the mainstay treatment for IE. Early surgery is indicated if the patient is symptomatic or the tumor increases in size. A postoperative regular follow-up is mandatory for at least 10 years due to the risk of recurrence. If a growing residue is detected, a second intervention is recommended without any adjuvant treatment if a WHO grade I lesion is confirmed by the pathological analysis. Complementary treatment should be reserved for high-grade ependymomas or in case of unresectable and progressive residue.