Baylor College of Medicine, College of Medicine details research in obesity

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February 23rd, 2009

   2009 FEB 23 -- "Given that the prevalence of childhood obesity is increasing in the United States, we tested the timely hypothesis that obesity hinders physical examination based localization of the cryptorchid testis. Body mass index and percentiles of weight for height and body mass index for age were calculated for boys undergoing surgery for cryptorchidism at the University of California San Francisco Children's Hospital and Children's Hospital of Oakland," scientists in the United States report.

   "Two definitions of obesity were examined, ie greater than 85% or greater than 95% for either percentile. Patients were examined in the office and under general anesthesia before the skin incision. Intraoperative testicular location was recorded for each patient. The numbers of correct and incorrect preoperative determinations of testicular location were stratified by weight classification. Results were analyzed using contingency tables and Fisher's exact test. A total of 161 boys were recruited, accounting for 171 testes. The predictive value of palpating a suspected testis preoperatively with patients under anesthesia was greater than 95% for all weight, classifications (p <0.0001). The predictive value of not palpating a testis preoperatively under anesthesia was greater than 56% for obese boys and greater than 42% for nonobese boys (p <0.0001). The concordance rates between examinations in the office and those per-formed under anesthesia were 90.9% and 82.7% for obese and nonobese boys, respectively (p = 0.51). The predictive value of not palpating a suspected cryptorchid testis in the office was higher in nonobese boys than in obese boys (81% vs 22%, p<0.0001). In our series childhood obesity did not make preoperative testicular examinations under anesthesia less accurate," wrote B.N. Breyer and colleagues, Baylor College of Medicine, College of Medicine.

   The researchers concluded: "However, office examinations may be more accurate in nonobese boys."

   Breyer and colleagues published their study in the Journal of Urology (Obesity Does Not Decrease the Accuracy of Testicular Examination in Anesthetized Boys With Cryptorchidism. Journal of Urology, 2009;181(2):830-834).

   For additional information, contact M.H. Hsieh, Texas Children's Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, 6621 Fannin St., Suite 660, Houston, TX 77030, USA.

   The publisher's contact information for the Journal of Urology is: Elsevier Science Inc., 360 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10010-1710, USA.

   Keywords: United States, Houston, Anesthesia, Bariatrics, Cryptorchidism, Obesity, Pain Medicine, Surgery, Urology, Baylor College of Medicine, College of Medicine.

   This article was prepared by Pain & Central Nervous System Week editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2009, Pain & Central Nervous System Week via NewsRx.com.

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