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A technique is described for creation of a cosmetically normal, vertical slit-like urethral meatus in conjunction with common hypospadias reconstructions that preserve the urethral plate. The distal portion of the urethral plate is incised longitudinally in the midline. This incision allows the flat and rigid urethral plate to be folded or hinged during glans plasty, molding it into an anatomically correct vertical slit configuration. This modification has been applied successfully to a variety of meatal-based flap and onlay island flap urethroplasties with no increased morbidity and a significant improvement in meatal cosmetic results.

Tumor specimens from 33 patients with neuroblastoma were assayed for amplification of the N-myc oncogene and RNA expression to determine whether N-myc RNA expression levels correlated with N-myc gene amplification and clinical outcome. N-myc gene amplification was detected in one stage II tumor, one stage IV-S tumor, and seven stage III or IV tumors. In each case, N-myc RNA expression roughly paralleled N-myc gene amplification. However, enhanced N-myc RNA expression was not confined to tumors with N-myc gene amplification: all of the early (stage I and II) tumors, five stage IV-S tumors, and 12 advanced (stage III and IV) tumors had levels of N-myc RNA that were elevated up to 50-fold. While N-myc gene amplification correlated with prognosis, there was no such correlation with levels of N-myc RNA expression. The precise role of the N-myc gene in the pathogenesis of neuroblastoma remains unclear.