Normothermic Machine Perfusion and Normothermic Regional Perfusion of DCD Kidneys Before Transplantation: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: To overcome organ shortages, donation after circulatory death (DCD) kidneys are being increasingly used for transplantation. Prior research suggests that DCD kidneys have inferior outcomes compared with kidneys donated after brain death. Normothermic machine perfusion (NMP) and normothermic regional perfusion (NRP) may enhance the preservation of DCD kidneys and improve transplant outcomes. This study aimed to review the evidence surrounding NMP and NRP in DCD kidney transplantation. METHODS: Two independent reviewers conducted searches for all publications reporting outcomes for NMP and NRP-controlled DCD kidneys, focusing on delayed graft function, primary nonfunction, graft function, graft survival, and graft utilization. Weighted means were calculated for all relevant outcomes and controls. Formal meta-analyses could not be conducted because of significant heterogeneity. RESULTS: Twenty studies were included for review (6 NMP studies and 14 NRP studies). Delayed graft function rates seemed to be lower for NRP kidneys (24.6%) compared with NMP kidneys (54.3%). Both modalities yielded similar outcomes with respect to primary nonfunction (NMP 3.3% and NRP 5.6%), graft function (12-mo creatinine 149.3 µmol/L for NMP and 129.9 µmol/L for NRP), and graft utilization (NMP 83.3% and NRP 89%). Although no direct comparisons exist, our evidence suggests that both modalities have good short- and medium-term graft outcomes and high graft survival rates. CONCLUSIONS: Current literature demonstrates that both NMP and NRP are feasible strategies that may increase donor organ utilization while maintaining acceptable transplant outcomes and likely improved outcomes compared with cold-stored DCD kidneys. Further research is needed to directly compare NRP and NMP outcomes.

A diagnostic and management conundrum in a rare case of a small renal mass UTUC with IVC and bilateral renal vein tumour thrombus.

Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinomas (UTUC) are generally uncommon, accounting for approximately 5% of all urinary tract tumours. This report describes a unique Case of a 52-year-old-male with no known risk factors or symptoms of UTUC, who presented with bilateral sub-massive pulmonary embolus (PE). Subsequent computed tomography (CT) demonstrated a small (<2cm) right cortical based mass a discordant venous tumour thrombus (VTT) extending in the IVC, up to the level of the hepatic vein and bilateral renal veins. The patient had surgical excision in the form of right radical nephroureterectomy, IVC resection with bovine pericardial graft reconstruction and left renal autotransplant.

RET gene rearrangements occur in a subset of pancreatic acinar cell carcinomas.

Pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma is relatively rare (1 to 2% of pancreatic malignancies) but may be under-recognized. In contrast to pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, most acinar cell carcinomas lack mutations in KRAS, DPC, CDKN2A or TP53, but appear to have a high incidence of gene rearrangements, with up to 20% reported to be driven by BRAF fusions. With the development of a new class of RET-specific tyrosine kinase inhibitors, which appear to have particularly strong activity against RET gene rearranged tumours, there is now considerable interest in identifying RET gene rearrangements across a wide range of cancers. RET rearrangements have been reported to occur at a very low incidence (<1%) in all pancreatic carcinomas. We postulated that given its unique molecular profile, RET gene rearrangements may be common in acinar cell carcinomas. We performed fluorescent in-situ hybridization (FISH) studies on a cohort of 40 acinar cell spectrum tumours comprising 36 pure acinar cell carcinomas, three pancreatoblastomas and one mixed acinar-pancreatic neuroendocrine tumour. RET gene rearrangements were identified in 3 (7.5%) cases and BRAF gene rearrangements in 5 (12.5%). All gene rearranged tumours were pure acinar cell carcinomas. Our findings indicate that amongst all pancreatic carcinomas, acinar carcinomas are highly enriched for potentially actionable gene rearrangements in RET or BRAF. FISH testing is inexpensive and readily available in the routine clinical setting and may have a role in the assessment of all acinar cell carcinomas-at this stage to recruit patients for clinical trials of new targeted therapies, but perhaps in the near future as part of routine care.

Pancreatoduodenectomy in a public versus private teaching hospital is comparable with some minor variations.

BACKGROUND: The impact of the public and private hospital systems on major abdominal operations that are demanding on clinical resources, such as pancreatic surgery, has not been explored in an Australian setting. This study examines the perioperative outcome of patients undergoing pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) at a major public and private hospital. METHODS: Patients undergoing PD between January 2004 and October 2015 were classified based on their health insurance status and location of where the surgery was performed. Clinical variables relating to perioperative outcome were retrieved and compared using univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: Four hundred and twenty patients underwent PD of whom 232 patients (55%) were operated on in the private hospital. Overall, there was no difference in morbidity and mortality in the public versus the private hospital. However, there were variations in public versus private hospital, this included longer duration of surgery (443 min versus 372 min; P < 0.001), increased estimated blood loss (683 mL versus 506 mL; P < 0.001) and more patients requiring perioperative blood transfusion (25% versus 13%; P = 0.001). Of the 10 complications compared, post-operative bleeding was higher in the private hospital (11% versus 5%; P = 0.051) and intra-abdominal collections were more common in the public hospital (11% versus 5%; P = 0.028). Independent predictive factors for major complications were American Society of Anesthesiologists score (odds ratio (OR) = 1.91; P = 0.050), patients requiring additional visceral resection (OR = 3.36; P = 0.014) and post-operative transfusion (OR = 3.37; P < 0.001). The hospital type (public/private) was not associated with perioperative outcome. CONCLUSION: Comparable perioperative outcomes were observed between patients undergoing PD in a high-volume specialized unit in both the public and private hospital systems.