Laser induced fluorescence spectroscopy analysis of kidney tissues: A pilot study for the identification of renal cell carcinoma.

The 325 nm-excited autofluorescence spectra from cancerous and normal renal tissues were collected ex vivo biopsy tissue samples, through an optical fiber probe-based system. Noticeable changes in intensity/wavelength were observed in the fluorescence emissions from endogenous fluorophores such as collagen, Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH), Vitamin A (retinol), and flavin adenine dinucleotide, in pathological conditions with respect to the normal state. The energy metabolism involved in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) and chromophobe renal cell carcinoma (chRCC) are reflected in the fluorescence emission band at 445 nm due to bound NADH attributed to enhanced oxidative phosphorylation in chRCC and emission at 465 nm contributed by free NADH showing higher glycolytic action in ccRCC. The principal component analysis and one-way ANOVA effectively discriminate ccRCC from chRCC. It is shown that laser induced fluorescence technique with 325 nm excitation can be a suitable technique for optical pathology and in vivo surgical boundary demarcation in renal cell carcinoma.

Uncovering the Uncommon: Institutional Insights Into the Clinical and Epidemiological Characteristics of Rarer Forms of Bladder Cancer Beyond Transitional Cell Carcinoma.

Introduction Non-transitional cell carcinomas of the bladder (NTCCB) represent a significant clinical challenge due to their rarity, heterogeneity, and poor prognosis. Despite their poor prognosis, the treatment of NTCCB has historically been based on the same principles used for transitional cell carcinomas (TCCs). Our study focuses on the management of non-transitional cell carcinomas and aims to identify areas where treatment outcomes can be improved based on our institutional experience. Materials and methods A retrospective analysis of patients with NTCCB who presented at Kasturba Hospital Manipal was conducted between 2012 to 2021. Patient data were collected, and demographic characteristics, presenting symptoms, history of other primary malignancies, comorbidities, location of the tumour, stage at presentation, histopathological subtype, site of systemic metastasis, and primary treatment given were analyzed descriptively. Median overall survival was determined by calculating the time from the initial diagnosis to the date of death. Results Among 31 patients with NTCCB, 15 (48%) presented with metastatic disease, five (16%) with locally advanced disease, and 11 (36%) with localized disease. The most common histopathological subtypes were squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma, as noted in 14 (45.2%) and 13 (41.9%) patients, respectively, followed by neuroendocrine tumours in two (6.5%), extra-adrenal phaeochromocytoma in one (3.3%), and sarcomatoid carcinoma in one (3.3%) patient, respectively. The lung was the most frequent site of systemic metastasis as noted in six (40%) patients, followed by the liver and skeletal system in three (20%) patients each, peritoneum in two (13.3%), cerebral cortex in one (6.7%), and non-regional lymph nodes in one (6.7%) patient. The primary treatment given included palliative chemotherapy in 14 (45.2%) patients, radical cystectomy with ileal conduit in 10 (32.3%), neoadjuvant chemotherapy only in four (12.9%), partial cystectomy in one (3.2%), pelvic exenteration with ileal conduit in one (3.2%), and peritoneal debulking with palliative chemotherapy in one (3.2%) patient. The overall median survival was 15 months, with a one-year survival rate of 67.4%. Conclusion NTCCB exhibits aggressive clinical behaviour and presents with nonspecific clinical features in the early stages, often leading to late diagnosis and an advanced tumour stage at presentation. Multi-institutional studies with larger patient cohorts are needed to recommend best clinical practices for early detection and optimal treatment strategies to improve patient survival.

Diagnostic and prognostic potential clustered miRNAs in bladder cancer.

At specific genomic loci, miRNAs are in clusters and their association with copy number variations (CNVs) may exhibit abnormal expression in several cancers. Hence, the current study aims to understand the expression of miRNA clusters residing within CNVs and the regulation of their target genes in bladder cancer. To achieve this, we used extensive bioinformatics resources and performed an integrated analysis of recurrent CNVs, clustered miRNA expression, gene expression, and drug-gene interaction datasets. The study identified nine upregulated miRNA clusters that are residing on CNV gain regions and three miRNA clusters (hsa-mir-200c/mir-141, hsa-mir-216a/mir-217, and hsa-mir-15b/mir-16-2) are correlated with patient survival. These clustered miRNAs targeted 89 genes that were downregulated in bladder cancer. Moreover, network and gene enrichment analysis displayed 10 hub genes (CCND2, ETS1, FGF2, FN1, JAK2, JUN, KDR, NOTCH1, PTEN, and ZEB1) which have significant potential for diagnosis and prognosis of bladder cancer patients. Interestingly, hsa-mir-200c/mir-141 and hsa-mir-15b/mir-16-2 cluster candidates showed significant differences in their expression in stage-specific manner during cancer progression. Downregulation of NOTCH1 by hsa-mir-200c/mir-141 may also sensitize tumors to methotrexate thus suggesting potential chemotherapeutic options for bladder cancer subjects. To overcome some computational challenges and reduce the complexity in multistep big data analysis, we developed an automated pipeline called CmiRClustFinder v1.0 (https://github.com/msls-bioinfo/CmiRClustFinder_v1.0), which can perform integrated data analysis of 35 TCGA cancer types. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-022-03225-z.

Super-mini percutaneous nephrolithotomy (SMP) vs retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) in the management of renal calculi ≤ 2 cm: a propensity matched study.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effectiveness and safety of Super-Mini PCNL (SMP) and Retrograde Intrarenal Surgery (RIRS) in the management of renal calculi ≤ 2 cm. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A prospective, inter-institutional, observational study of patients presenting with renal calculi ≤ 2 cm. Patients underwent either SMP (Group 1) or RIRS (Group 2) and were performed by 2 experienced high-volume surgeons. RESULTS: Between September 2018 and April 2019, 593 patients underwent PCNL and 239 patients had RIRS in two tertiary centers. Among them, 149 patients were included for the final analysis after propensity-score matching out of which 75 patients underwent SMP in one center and 74 patients underwent RIRS in the other. The stone-free rate (SFR) was statistically significantly higher in Group 1 on POD-1 (98.66% vs. 89.19%; p = 0.015), and was still higher in Group 1 on POD-30 (98.66% vs. 93.24%, p = 0.092) SFR on both POD-1 and POD-30 for lower pole calculi was higher in Group 1 (100 vs. 82.61%, p = 0.047 and 100 vs 92.61% p = 0.171). The mean (SD) operative time was significantly shorter in Group 1 at 36.43 min (14.07) vs 51.15 (17.95) mins (p < 0.0001). The mean hemoglobin drop was significantly less in Group 1 (0.31 vs 0.53 gm%; p = 0.020). There were more Clavien-Dindo complications in Group 2 (p = 0.021). The mean VAS pain score was significantly less in Group 2 at 6 and 12 h postoperatively (2.52 vs 3.67, 1.85 vs 2.40, respectively: p < 0.0001), whereas the mean VAS pain score was significantly less in Group 1 at 24 h postoperatively (0.31 vs 1.01, p < 0.0001). The mean hospital stay was significantly shorter in Group 1 (28.37 vs 45.70 h; p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: SMP has significantly lower operative times, complication rates, shorter hospital stay, with higher stone-free rates compared to RIRS. SMP is associated with more early post-operative pain though.

Primary Adrenal Epithelioid Sarcoma in a Child: A Case Report with Literature Review.

Introduction; Epithelioid sarcoma is a malignant mesenchymal neoplasm with evidence of epithelial differentiation. All the cases reported in the solid organs are of "proximal type" occurring in adults. We report a primary epithelioid sarcoma arising in the adrenal gland of a young male. Case report: An 11-year-old male patient presented with right loin pain. Imaging revealed a 10.8 × 10.8 × 13.5 cm complex cystic mass with obscured right adrenal gland. Clinical and radiological studies did not reveal metastases. Histologic features were those of proximal type epithelioid sarcoma with extensive central necrosis. Immunohistochemistry showed strong positivity for pancytokeratin, vimentin, and CD34. Nuclear expression of SMARCB1 (INI-1) protein was lost. Conclusion: Proximal type of epithelioid sarcoma can arise from solid organs such as the adrenal.

Surgical interventions in female urethral strictures: a comprehensive literature review.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: Female urethral stricture (FUS) is an uncommon entity. Although there is no clinical consensus on the best modality of treatment, several studies have been published describing different techniques of FUS management. We carried out a literature review of the different surgical techniques used in the management of FUS and their results. METHODS: We performed a systematic search of the PubMed and EMBASE databases and several cross-references. We grouped the data available from the studies into four general treatment categories. RESULTS: We reported 35 studies (488 patients) with outcome measures; 53.48% of cases were presumably idiopathic in origin. A history of prior intervention was described in 91.29% of cases. As a surgical intervention, urethral dilatation (UD) had the lowest success rate of only 41.25%. In contrast, local flaps performed better (92.54% success rate) than local or oral grafts (87.30% and 89.94%, respectively). Only 9.43% of patients experienced mild to moderate post-surgery de novo incontinence; most of them recovered with pelvic floor exercises. CONCLUSION: In practice, UD is tried first for FUS, at least once, before urethroplasty. In case of failure or short recurrence following UD, urethroplasty should not be delayed. In experienced hands, urethroplasty has a better outcome.

A randomized trial investigating clinical outcomes and stent-related symptoms after placement of a complete intra-ureteric stent on a string versus conventional stent placement.

OBJECTIVE: To compare stent-related symptoms (SRS) associated with conventional ureteric JJ stent (CUS) placement and SRS associated with placement of a modified complete intra-ureteric stent (CIUS) with extraction suture, designed to minimize SRS, using the validated Ureteral Stent Symptom Questionnaire (USSQ). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We randomized 124 patients who had undergone uncomplicated ureteroscopic lithotripsy into a CIUS and a CUS placement group. USSQ scores were evaluated on postoperative days 1 and 7 (just before stent removal) and 4 weeks after stent removal (control values). Pain scores on a visual analogue scale (VAS) after stent removal were also recorded. Subdomain analysis of all SRS and stent-related complications were also compared. RESULTS: No significant intergroup differences were found in the domain scores for urinary symptoms (P = 0.74), pain (P = 0.32), general health (P = 0.27), work (P = 0.24), or additional problems (P = 0.29). However, a statistically significant difference was noted in VAS scores (P = 0.015). Analysis of subdomains of USSQ item scores showed the CIUS group had significantly better scores for urge incontinence (1.21 vs 1.00; P ≤ 0.001), discomfort on voiding (2.07 vs 1.50; P ≤ 0.001), difficulties with respect to light physical activity (1.131 vs 1.00; P ≤ 0.001), fatigue (1.84 vs 1.57; P = 0.002), feeling comfortable (3.68 vs 3.16; P = 0.003), need for extra help (1.96 vs 1.00; P ≤ 0.001), and change in duration of work (4.27 vs 1.86; P ≤ 0.001). However, the patients in the CIUS group were sexually inactive for the time during which the stent was indwelling (mean: 7.34 days). There was no difference in complication rates between the two groups. CONCLUSION: The use of a CIUS with strings after Ureteroscopy decreases SRS.

Transverse testicular ectopia: two rare adult cases and a review of literature.

The first case is a 45-year-old man who presented with complaints of right-sided indirect hernia. On examination the left hemiscrotum was empty. Open hernioplasty and mesh fixation with orchiopexy of both testes were done in the same hemiscrotum, followed by MRI for further evaluation. The second case is a 26-year-old man who presented with penoscrotal hypospadias and empty left hemiscrotum, with the left testis not palpable in the scrotum or the inguinal region. MRI, karyotyping and laparoscopic orchidectomy were performed, followed by endocrinology work-up. From our experience, preoperative diagnosis with ultrasonography and/or MRI prior to diagnostic laproscopy is benifical when there is a strong suspicion of mullerian duct remnants. In other cases, diagnostic laparoscopy can be useful in diagnosis and management. Placement of both testes in the same hemiscrotum can be considered safe, although not ideal. Also, in cases with partial gonadal dysgenesis, laparoscopic orchidectomy along with excision of the mullerian remnantsis a better approach than orchiopexy.

Definition, treatment and outcome of residual fragments in staghorn stones.

Technological advances in minimally invasive treatment of stone disease and its integration with concomitant clinical practice are amongst the most important achievements in urology. Despite the wealth of information accumulated over the years and the richness of existing literature, the knowledge about the definition, treatment and outcomes of residual stone fragments after percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PNL) is still insufficient. Due to the high stone load a lot of patients with staghorn stones have residual fragments (RFs) after treatment with PNL, which depends on the size of tract, definition of stone free rate (SFR), timing of evaluation and the imaging used. No consensus exists on the imaging modality or their timing in the evaluation of possible RFs. The treatment of residual stones is apparently different depending on the facilities of the department and the preference of the surgeon, which includes active surveillance, shock wave lithotripsy (SWL), retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) or a second look PNL.

Cervical Cancer as a silent killer: A rare case report with review of literature.

Advanced-stage cervical cancer almost always presents either with abnormal vaginal bleeding or with foul-smelling vaginal discharge. We present here a rare case, where a postmenopausal lady presented almost silently with stage IVA cervical cancer. Fortunately, timely referral, correct diagnosis, and multispecialty team work could save her life.

Testicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma presenting in a young adult.

We report a case of a 27-year-old man who presented with a slowly growing left testicular swelling associated with mild pain over a period of 3 months. He was evaluated by his family physician with scrotal ultrasound and testicular tumour markers. He was diagnosed and treated as epididymo-orchitis and managed with antibiotics. When he later presented to us, he had an enlarged left testis with normal spermatic cord. Scrotal Doppler evaluation showed a globally enlarged left testis and epididymis with increased vascularity in the left testis, with the right testis being normal. Testicular tumour markers were normal. Fine-needle aspiration cytology of the left testis was suggestive of lymphoma. Exploration through an inguinal approach was carried out and a Chevassu manoeuvre with frozen section study was performed, which was reported as non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Left radical orchidectomy was performed. Histopathology reported diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, of a germinal centre type. Contrast CT of the abdomen, chest and brain were normal. Sperm cryopreservation was carried out. The patient was started on chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide, hydroxydaunorubicin, oncovin, prednisone (CHOP) regime.

Robotic assisted laparoscopic adrenalectomy: Initial experience from a tertiary care centre in India.

INTRODUCTION: Laparoscopic adrenalectomy (LA) is now considered the standard for treatment of surgically correctable adrenal disorders. Robotic adrenalectomy has been performed worldwide and has established itself as safe, feasible and effective approach. We hereby present the first study in robotic transperitoneal LA from Indian subcontinent. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective evaluation of 25 patients who had undergone robotic assisted LA at a tertiary health centre by a single surgeon. Demographic, clinical, histopathological and perioperative outcome data were collected and analysed. RESULTS: Mean age of the patients was 45 years (range: 27-65 years). Eleven male and 14 female patients were operated. Mean operative time was 139 min ± 30 min (range: 110-232 min) and mean blood loss was 85 ml ± 12 ml (range: 34-313 ml). Mean hospital stay was 2.5 ± 1.05 days (range: 2-6 days). Mean visual analogue scale score was 3.2 (range: 1-6) mean analgesic requirement was 50 mg diclofenac daily (range: 0-150 mg). Histopathological evaluation revealed 11 adenomas, eight phaeochromocytomas, two adrenocortical carcinomas, and four myelolipomas. According to Clavien-Dindo classification, three patients developed Grade I post-operative complications namely hypotension and pleural effusion. CONCLUSION: Robotic adrenalectomy is safe, technically feasible and comfortable to the surgeon. It is easier to perform with a short learning curve.

Refluxing supernumerary kidney: easy to overlook.

Supernumerary kidney is a rare anomaly and most of the times it is incidentally detected. On occasions it may present with symptoms due to stones, tumours and infections. Supernumerary unit if small and dysplastic may easily escape detection. In this case report, supernumerary kidney presented as vesicoureteric reflux in a 4-year-old male child.

Isolated renal mucormycosis in a healthy immunocompetent patient: atypical presentation and course.

Isolated renal mucormycosis is rarely identified and has been described in only a handful of cases. We hereby report a case of isolated renal mucormycosis with an atypical presentation in an immunocompetent patient with no identifiable risk factors. A 30-year-old nondiabetic male presented with a poorly functioning right kidney with minimal constitutional symptoms. The patient underwent a right simple nephrectomy. Histopathology revealed necrotizing xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis with mucormycosis. The postoperative period was uneventful and the patient was managed without any antifungal administration. We hereby emphasize that renal mucormycosis can affect immunocompetent healthy adults without any previously known risk factors and that asymptomatic patients with no evidence of fungemia or disseminated disease can be managed without administration of intravenous amphotericin.

Adrenal inflammatory myofibroblastic tumour.

A rare case of large adrenal mass which was non-functioning is presented. It is difficult to make preoperative diagnosis in these cases as the imaging findings are non-specific. Radical excision is mandatory as preoperative malignancy cannot be ruled out.

Rare sites of delayed metastasis in renal cell carcinoma.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a lethal malignancy with a propensity for metastatic spread to any part of the body. The common sites of metastases from RCC include lungs, adrenals, intestines and brain and most intra-abdominal organs which may present as synchronous or metachronous to the primary tumour. A long follow-up is advised to deal with the risk of delayed metastases even when the primary has been well controlled. There have been few case reports in regard to rare sites of RCC metastasis. In this series of three cases, we present three rarest sites of metastatic RCC reported after 5 years of the primary malignancy.

Changes in S-PSA after transurethral resection of prostate and its correlation to postoperative outcome.

PURPOSE: Although different factors may affect prostate-specific antigen (PSA) reduction after transurethral resection of prostate, an approximate 70 % decrease from baseline is expected. We hereby undertook a prospective study to analyze changes in serum PSA (S-PSA) after transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) and its correlation with the residual prostatic weight and clinical symptom score improvement. METHODS: Seventy patients who underwent TURP for bladder outlet obstruction were included in the study. Patient's evaluation included history, International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), S-PSA, Qmax, post-void residual urine and prostate size. On follow-up, trans-rectal ultrasonography, S-PSA and IPSS score were calculated. Patients were analyzed in three groups based on the amount of tissue resected: less than 40, 40-60 and more than 60 % tissue resected. RESULTS: Preoperative prostate size, IPSS, Qmax and S-PSA were 62.56 ml, 23.84, 11.68 ml/sec and 3.3 ng/ml. There was a significant decrease in the IPSS score, prostate size and S-PSA levels after TURP in all the three groups. There was a significant positive correlation of the amount of tissue resected with change in S-PSA levels, change in IPSS score and postoperative IPSS score. Reduction in IPSS score significantly correlated with patient's satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: The amount of tissue resected in TURP has a direct bearing on the S-PSA levels, change in symptom score and residual prostate volume. It is the percentage change in IPSS score and not the absolute value of IPSS, which has a direct bearing with the patient satisfaction and with the amount of tissue resected. Percentage fall in S-PSA by 70 % was found to be predictor of more than 60 % resection.

Genitourinary histoplasmosis in post-renal transplant patient: Diagnostic dilemma.

Genitourinary histoplasmosis is very rare and to our knowledge only four cases of epididymal histoplasmosis and nine cases of prostatic histoplasmosis have been reported in literature. We hereby report a case of a middle-aged male, who presented three years after renal transplant, with complaints of fever, pain, and swelling in the scrotum. Imaging disclosed an enlarged right epididymis with prostatic and retrotrigonal abscess, suggesting tuberculosis infection. However, histopathology of the epididymal biopsy revealed histoplasmosis, and the drained pus on culture confirmed infection with Histoplasma capsulatum.

Transfer of laparoscopic radical prostatectomy skills from bench model to animal model: a prospective, single-blind, randomized, controlled study.

PURPOSE: Learning laparoscopic urethrovesical anastomosis is a crucial step in laparoscopic radical prostatectomy. Previously we noted that practice on a low fidelity urethrovesical model was more effective for trainees than basic suturing drills on a foam pad when learning laparoscopic urethrovesical anastomosis skills. We evaluated learner transfer of skills, specifically whether skills learned on the urethrovesical model would transfer to a high fidelity, live animal model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 28 senior residents, fellows and staff surgeons in urology, general surgery and gynecology were randomized to 2 hours of laparoscopic urethrovesical anastomosis training on a urethrovesical model (group 1) or to basic laparoscopic suturing and knot tying on foam pads (group 2). All participants then performed timed laparoscopic urethrovesical anastomosis on anesthetized female pigs. A blinded urologist scored subject videotaped performance using checklist, global rating scale and end product rating scores. RESULTS: Group 1 was significantly more adept than group 2 at the laparoscopic urethrovesical anastomosis pig task when measured by the checklist, global rating scale and end product rating (each p <0.05). Time to completion was similar in the 2 groups. No statistically significant difference was noted in global rating scale and checklist scores for laparoscopic urethrovesical anastomosis performed on the urethrovesical model vs the pig. CONCLUSIONS: Training on a urethrovesical model is superior to training with basic laparoscopic suturing on a foam pad for performing laparoscopic urethrovesical anastomosis skills on an anesthetized female pig. Skills learned on a urethrovesical model transfer to a high fidelity, live animal model.