Flexible ureteroscopy in extreme elderly patients (80 years of age and older) is feasible and safe.

PURPOSE: To compare the safety and efficacy of RIRS in patients ≥ 80 years to a younger population. METHODS: We retrospectively compared the data from patients ≥ 80 years of age undergoing RIRS with the data of a group of patients from 18 and < 80 years. Perioperative outcomes, complications and emergency department visits were compared between two groups. RESULTS: A total of 173 patients were included in the study. Mean age was 44 (27-79) and 81 years-old (80-94), for younger and elderly group, respectively. Elderly patients had higher ASA scores (≥ 3) (28.6% vs 75.8%; p = 0.0001) and Charlson comorbidity index (1.99 vs 7.86; p = 0.0001), more diabetes (p = 0.006) and respiratory comorbidities (p = 0.002). No statistical difference was found between two groups in stone size (p = 0.614) and number (p = 0.152). Operative time (74.48 vs 102.96 min; p = 0.0001) and duration of hospitalisation (1.7 vs 2.9 days; p = 0.001) were longer for the elderly. Intraoperative complication rate did not show differences between the two groups (p = 0.166). Postoperative complications rates were similar between the cohorts (7.7% vs 9.5%; p = 0.682). The success rates were 67.5% in the younger group and 71.4% in the elderly group (p = 0.584). No difference was seen in stone recurrence (p = 0.73). A higher rate of visits to the emergency department was found in younger cohort (23.6% vs 11.6%; p = 0.046), mostly duo to stent-related symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the higher rate of comorbidity in the elderly group, RIRS was a safe procedure with similar complication rate and outcomes at an expense of higher operative time and hospital stay.

Efficacy of Direct-acting Antivirals to Improve Clinical Condition, Fibrosis, and Liver Function in Liver Transplant Recipients Infected by Hepatitis C.

BACKGROUND: Direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) have revolutionized the treatment of hepatitis C, including transplant recipients with an advanced fibrosis stage. Our aim in this study was to assess the clinical and functional benefits and improvement in liver fibrosis after treatment with DAAs in liver transplant recipients with chronic hepatitis C virus who achieved sustained virologic response (SVR). METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 42 patients who underwent liver transplantation (LT) at our institution and were treated with DAAs from June 2014 to December 2015. Two patients died, so we ultimately included 40 transplant patients with chronic hepatitis C who received DAAs and achieved SVR. We assessed liver function, fibrosis stage, and clinical features at the start of the treatment, and then at 6 and 12 months after SVR. The indication for LT was hepatocellular carcinoma in 8 patients (20%) and Child-Pugh score B/C in 32 patients (80%). RESULTS: The DAAs regimens were sofosbuvir plus daclatasvir (45.0%), simeprevir plus sofosbuvir (42.5%), sofosbuvir plus ledipasvir (7.5%), and ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir (5%). The mean Modified End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) score pretreatment was 10.78, and was 8.46 at 1 year after treatment (P < .05). In addition, fibrosis stage decreased significantly from 14.81 kPa to 9.07 kPa (FibroScan) at 12 months after SVR. Clinically, there was a significant improvement, including control of ascites and chronic hepatic encephalopathy. CONCLUSION: DAAs were used successfully in the treatment of hepatitis C after orthotopic liver transplantation and resulted in significant improvement in liver function as measured by MELD score, fibrosis level, and cirrhotic clinical condition, even in patients with very advanced disease.

[The cystic component in the renal cancer: conceptual overiew]. / Componente quístico del cáncer renal: Revisión conceptual.

The renal cancer (RC) cystic component is on the radiological tests and could be consolidate with pathological analysis. The concepts "cystic renal cancer" or "cystic renal tumor" contain a group of entities range from cystic grown pattern RCs to pseudocystic tumors as well as cystic renal diseases coinciding with the RC. The CR and the cystic renal diseases have a great variety to sorts of presentations, giving different ways of radiological images, blending solid and cystic areas. Some papers use indiscriminately expression "cystic" without pathologic proof. Just cystic grown pattern RCs and multilocular cystic carcinoma could be named "cystic renal tumors". For de rest, especially over image study, is more suitable to use expressions as "renal tumor of cystic configuration", while pathologic report are available.

Fragmentation targeted at preferred discontinuities: A new concept in endolithotripsy with Holmium laser:YAG. / Fragmentación dirigida a discontinuidades preferentes: un nuevo concepto en endolitotricia con láser Holmium:YAG.

INTRODUCTION: There are currently 3holmium laser, YAG (Ho:YAG) endolithotripsy procedures that are considered basic (fragmentation, pulverisation, "pop-corn" technique). We present the technique of fragmentation targeted at preferred discontinuities (FTPD), a new concept of endolithotripsy by Ho:YAG laser. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The FTPD technique is based on the selective application of energy (targeting a specific preselected point) to an area that is visually prone to the formation of a fracture line or preferred discontinuity (conditioned by the anisotropy of the urolithiasis). The ideal energy regimen (setting) is a high range of working energy (2-3J) with a very low frequency range (5-8Hz) and short pulse width. Between January 2015 to February 2017, the FTPD technique was used in 37 procedures (7 NLP, 16 RIRS, 12 URS, 2 cystolithotomies), with a Ho:YAG laser (Lumenis Pulse 120H®, Tel-Aviv, Israel). Maximum power used: 24W (3J/8Hz) with fibres of 365µ and 273µ (URS, RIRS), and 32W (4J/8Hz) with fibres of 550µ (NLP, cystolithotomy). RESULTS: Strategic improvement was achieved in all cases using the TFPD technique to continue the endolithotripsy or remove fragments. No complications were recorded after the use of this method. CONCLUSIONS: FTPD can be considered a complementary option in combination with the basic methods of fragmentation and pulverisation. In our experience, it constitutes significant progress in optimising the performance of Ho:YAG laser endolithotripsy.

[History of robotics: from archytas of tarentum until Da Vinci robot. (Part II)]. / Historia de la rob6tica: de arquitas de tarento al robot da Vinci. (Parte II).

Robotic surgery is a reality. In order to to understand how new robots work is interesting to know the history of ancient (see part i) and modern robotics. The desire to design automatic machines imitating humans continued for more than 4000 years. Archytas of Tarentum (at around 400 a.C.), Heron of Alexandria, Hsieh-Fec, Al-Jazari, Bacon, Turriano, Leonardo da Vinci, Vaucanson o von Kempelen were robot inventors. At 1942 Asimov published the three robotics laws. Mechanics, electronics and informatics advances at XXth century developed robots to be able to do very complex self governing works. At 1985 the robot PUMA 560 was employed to introduce a needle inside the brain. Later on, they were designed surgical robots like World First, Robodoc, Gaspar o Acrobot, Zeus, AESOP, Probot o PAKI-RCP. At 2000 the FDA approved the da Vinci Surgical System (Intuitive Surgical Inc, Sunnyvale, CA, USA), a very sophisticated robot to assist surgeons. Currently urological procedures like prostatectomy, cystectomy and nephrectomy are performed with the da Vinci, so urology has become a very suitable speciality to robotic surgery.

[Incidence and prevalence of published studies about urolithiasis in Spain. A review]. / Incidencia y prevalencia de la urolitiasis en España: Revisión de los datos originales disponibles hasta la actualidad.

INTRODUCTION: San Antonio, Somacarrera (1977) and Rousaud-Inmark (1984) studies established the first data of incidence and prevalence about urolithiasis in Spain. Other regional or national epidemiologic details were given for several authors from 1977 to 2002. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Sixteen papers with original data about incidence or prevalence have been selected, 5 of them are about incidence, 8 about prevalence and 3 include both. Ten papers are based on poblational research (San Antonio, Martin, Pedrajas, Rousaud-Inmark, Torres, Ripa, Romero, Grases, Alapont, Aíbar), 5 on subjective estimations (Solé-Balcells, Cifuentes, Puigvert, Serrallach, Conte) and one include both (Somacarrera). Seven papers are nationwide and 9 are about local areas. A map with different location studies is presented and a data register show incidence and prevalence medians. RESULTS: The Spanish median urolithiasis incidence is 0.73%, corresponding to 325,079 new cases per year; and the prevalence is 5.06%, corresponding to 2,233,214 cases. DISCUSSION: Methodologically the best epidemiologic studies about lithiasis are based on general population survey. The commonest slant is extract data from retrospective clinical registers. Most studies have significant methodological difficulties, but they reflected interest about epidemiology of stone disease in Spain. There is a concordance between Spanish results and international published data.

[History of robotics: from Archytas of Tarentum until da Vinci robot. (Part I)]. / Historia de la robótica: de Arquitas de Tarento al robot da Vinci (Parte I).

Robotic surgery is the newst technologic option in urology. To understand how new robots work is interesting to know their history. The desire to design machines imitating humans continued for more than 4000 years. There are references to King-su Tse (clasic China) making up automaton at 500 a. C. Archytas of Tarentum (at around 400 a.C.) is considered the father of mechanical engineering, and one of the occidental robotics classic referents. Heron of Alexandria, Hsieh-Fec, Al-Jazari, Roger Bacon, Juanelo Turriano, Leonardo da Vinci, Vaucanson o von Kempelen were robot inventors in the middle age, renaissance and classicism. At the XIXth century, automaton production underwent a peak and all engineering branches suffered a great development. At 1942 Asimov published the three robotics laws, based on mechanics, electronics and informatics advances. At XXth century robots able to do very complex self governing works were developed, like da Vinci Surgical System (Intuitive Surgical Inc, Sunnyvale, CA, USA), a very sophisticated robot to assist surgeons.

[Renal colic: revision of literature and scientific evidence]. / Cólico renal: revisión de la literatura y evidencia científica.

In recent years diagnosis and treatment of acute renal colic have changed thanks to the introduction of new radiological procedures that allow with high reliability to establish obstructive cause and a better treatment. In the other hand, there are multiple clinical studies that show the most effective treatments for acute crisis. The aim of this revision is to update the diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of renal colic which were modified recently, and allowed to break some classic concepts without scientific evidence.

Corinebacterium urealyticum: increased incidence of infection and encrusted uropathy.

INTRODUCTION: Corynebacterium urealyticum (CU) affects patients who are immunosuppressed, chronically ill or have undergone numerous operations. Obstructive uropathy (OU) is a complication of infection. STUDY OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate the growing increase in cases of infection by CU and OU in the past 5 years. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A descriptive study was conducted of urological patients with CU-positive urine cultures (January 2009-December 2014). We calculated the annual distribution and clinical characteristics of infection by CU and OU. Minimum follow-up: 6 months. We obtained the statistical means and ranges of clinical parameters pre/post-therapy. RESULTS: The total number of patients with CU was 115 (men, 87; women, 28). The mean age was 67.9 years (range, 6-95 years), and the annual distribution of cases for 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 was 9 (7.8%), 13 (11.3%), 9 (7.8%), 20 (17.4%), 31 (27%) and 33 (28.7%), respectively. The increase in cases for 2009-2014 was 300%. Multiple urological surgeries were performed in 89 cases (77.3%), with surgical complications in 77 cases (66.9%). Eighteen (15.6%) patients had OU (men, 13; women, 5), 12 had pyelitis (66.7%), 3 had cystopathy (16.6%), 2 had prostatic capsule disease (11.2%) and 1 had mesh calcification (5.5%). The analysis of the 18 cases with OU showed pre/postantibiotic therapy urine pHs of 8 (r, 6-9) vs. 6 (r, 5-7). All postantibiotic cultures were negative. Acidifying solution was applied in 5 cases, and surgery was performed in 13 cases (72.2%). The results from before/after the multimodal therapy showed renal impairment in 12 (66.6%) vs. 9 cases (50%) and glomerular filtration rates (GFR) of 45.8 (r, 6->90) vs. 52.7 (r, 13->90). The improvement in GFR was 6.94 points (T Wilcoxon; P=.102). The radiology results (incrustations) showed improvement in 13 patients (72.2%) and no change in 5 (27.8%). There was no specific mortality for CU. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of infection by CU and OU is increasing. Antibiotic treatment is highly effective. Acidifying solutions are an acceptable option for reducing calcifications.

[Lamivudine for the treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis with negative hepatitis B AgHbe]. / Lamivudina en el tratamiento de la hepatopatía crónica por virus hepatitis B AgHbe minus.

INTRODUCTION: It is estimated that chronic hepatitis B affects to than 350 million people around the world. Patients with AgHB- minus account, in some areas, for between 50-80% of the total of the population with chronic hepatitis B. Spontaneous clearance is rare within these patients, the response to interferon is low and the probability of developing cirrhosis and hepatocarcinoma is higher than in the wild type. AIM: To analyze the response to lamivudine treatment in patients with chronic hepatitis B which are AgHB negative. RESULTS: Seven of the 9 patients which were treated in our department for more than 3 months were AgHB negative. Six of them responded to the treatment in an average time of 3.5 months (range 1-6 months). There were two patients that relapsed at 18 and 24 months and they were treated with adefovir. Four patients remained DNA negative and had normal aminotransferases values after an average treatment time of 25 months. CONCLUSION: In our series, the majority of the patients (77.7%) were AgHB negative at the beginning of treatment. The efficacy of the treatment with lamivudine in these cases is high (85.7%) and with an early response (average 3.5 months). One third of patients treated relapsed after one and a half years of treatment.

Implications of vitamin D deficiency in lithiasic patient and in general population.

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Vitamin D deficiency causes problems in mineral metabolism but also overall health. In first place a review of the topic was carried out. Then, in order to contextualize it in lithiasic patient, a study on Vitamin D deficiency and its possible relationship with impaired PTH levels is performed. EVIDENCES ACQUISITION: A review of topics such as metabolism, epidemiology and the relationship of vitamin D deficiency with several pathologies was performed. Besides a multivariate analysis and a correlation study between vitamin D and PTH levels was conducted in 100 lithiasic patients. EVIDENCES SYNTHESIS: We present a review of Vitamin D metabolism, receptors and functions, as well as about its valuation methodology and the treatment of its deficiency. Lithiasic patients show a higher vitamin D deficiency than general population. Vitamin D deficiency has been significantly associated with increased PTH levels. In addition, there is enough literature showing a relationship between vitamin D deficiency not only with bone disease, but also with multiple diseases. CONCLUSION: vitamin D levels should be measured in all lithiasic patients, and those with vitamin D deficiency should be treated.

Septate uterus with cervical duplication and longitudinal vaginal septum: a report of three new cases.

The first case of a rare mullerian anomaly characterized by the presence of a complete uterine septum with duplication of the cervix and a longitudinal vaginal septum has been reported very recently. We present here three new cases of such an anomaly in an attempt to alert gynaecologists to the possible occurrence of such a malformation. The cases challenge the classical views of unidirectional (caudad to cranial) mullerian development and support the alternative embryologic hypothesis of Muller et al. according to which fusion and resorption begins at the isthmus and proceeds simultaneously in both the cranial and caudal directions.

[The urologist's language: a survey on symptoms]. / El lenguaje de los urólogos: una encuesta sobre síntomas.

The definition of urologic symptoms varies depending on the source. Some symptoms are particularly vague and their clinical usefulness is doubtful. A survey was sent to 500 spanish urologists, asking about terminology and normality limits. There were 17 items, most of them as multiple choice questions, and all of them with the possibility of an open answer. The response rate, two months after the mailing was 12% (60 physicians). The variability of the answers was high for most of the items. In most questions over half of the respondents (between 50 and 70%, depending on the question) agreed, whereas the rest gave different answers. The free answers given were also different. This discrepancy affected all of the questions. The low response rate can be attributed to the scare tradition of this kind of survey in our country. The disparity in the definitions urges a unification of them, or at least that authors explain what they understand when they mention any symptom or syndrome.

[Urologic complications in renal transplantation: our experience with 200 cases]. / Complicaciones urológicas en el trasplante renal: nuestra experiencia en 200 casos.

Urinary tract complications continue to be a major cause of morbidity in renal transplant patients. This paper is a review of the urological complications developed in in 200 renal transplants performed in our service over a 10-year period, from January 1980 to December 1989, with a follow-up of at least 1 year. We include a total of 29.5% urological complications, subdivided in two sections each corresponding to a distinct period during which different procedures were used in the renal transplantation unit. The report includes an analysis of the complications' etiopathogenic, diagnostic and therapeutic factors.

[Melanoma metastatic to the female urethra. Report of a case]. / Melanoma metastásico a uretra femenina. Aportación de un caso.

We report a case of a 77 years old woman with an previous malignant melanoma, who presented an urethral metastasis. The disease was treated with conservative therapy by local excision after pedicle ligation, and she is free of symptoms after one 1 year of control.

[Vegetable foreign body in the testis]. / Cuerpo extraño vegetal intratesticular.

A vegetable foreign body located inside the testicular parenchyma is presented. It's about an unexpected pathological finding in an orchidectomy sample, performed on account of testicular atrophy secondary to very advanced funicular twist. The finding of a vegetal material inside the testis is outstanding. In our knowledge we don't know about another similar case. Pathologic aspects, including granulomatous reaction, regarding arguments of testicular atrophy and the foreign body eruption mechanism are discussed. The handling of the scrotum by paramedical people could justify his presence.

[Urinary bladder xanthoma. A cystoscopic finding]. / Xantoma vesical. Hallazgo cistoscopico.

Urinary bladder xanthoma (UBX) is an infrequent lesion that has been very rarely referred to in medical literature. We describe a case of UBX that was associated with a low-grade transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder. The cystoscopic aspect of this lesion was so characteristic that diagnosis could be suggested at cystoscopy, while histological examination confirmed this.

Extraction of a bladder stone in a child as described by the renaissance physician Cristóbal Méndez.

INTRODUCTION: in his Libro del exercicio y de sus provechos (Book of exercise and profits), the Spanish Renaissance physician Christopher Mendez (1500-1553) describes extracting a bulk stone from the bladder of a child younger than 5 years in the land of colonial Mexico. This is the first description of a surgical procedure in America. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Biographical data were collected on Christopher Mendez. The electronic facsimile of the Book of exercise and profits was read. The historical aspects of perineal lithotomy and etiology of bladder stones were analyzed. RESULTS: In chapter seven of the third treatise (page 120), Mendez speaks about the removal of a bladder stone in a boy named «Villaseñor¼. It uses the word «open¼ to describe the procedure, corresponding to a lithotomy more than a necropsy. It attributes the etiology of excess movements after ingestion and suggests a possible hereditary etiology. DISCUSSION: Perineal lithotomy was a common practice in ancient times for children due to the high incidence of bladder stones. The technique was very invasive and was improved over the centuries. CONCLUSIONS: The surgery described by Mendez for the child called Villaseñor most likely corresponds to a perineal lithotomy. A congenital cause could play a role in its etiology.