Lithogenic factors in postmenopausal women with osteoporotic fracture.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to show the presence of phosphorus and calcium metabolism disorders and the presence of urine lithogenic factors in women with osteoporotic fracture without previous urinary lithiasis. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study including 55 women with osteoporotic fracture surgically treated in the Trauma Department. We included women with osteoporotic fracture demonstrated by the fracture area, fracture mechanism and the presence of osteoporosis by bone densitometry. We analyzed phospho-calcium metabolism as well as the calciuria, oxaluria, citraturia and uricosuria levels with fasting and 24-hour urine study. The presence of abnormal calcium and phosphorus metabolism was compared between women with hypercalciuria and normocalciuria. RESULTS: The 55 women had a mean age of 70.1±13.8 years and a mean body mass index of 27.9±3.8 kg/m2. Forty-percent of the patients showed hypercalciuria, 36.4% hyperoxaluria, 36.4% hypocitraturia, and 5.3% hyperuricosuria. When comparing patients with hypercalciuria and normocalciuria, the only statistically significant difference was fasting urinary calcium/creatinine levels (0.16 versus 0.08, respectively; P<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Women with osteoporotic fracture showed several lithogenic factors in the urine studies, mainly fasting hypercalciuria. Although in this study hypercalciuria did not involve the presence of lithiasis, it can favor the appearance of lithiasis with other predisposing conditions. Therefore, an accurate assessment of urine calcium levels with other lithogenic factors, such as citrate and oxalate levels, may facilitate individualized management and treatment of osteoporosis without increasing the risk of nephrolithiasis.

Outpatient holmium laser treatment for recurrent low-grade superficial bladder cancer under local anesthesia.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this paper is to analyze the results of a prospective study conducted on a cohort of patients undergoing outpatient holmium laser fulguration. The "gold standard" treatment of superficial bladder cancer is transurethral resection, although in recent years improvements in laser technology and endoscopy equipment have allowed further therapeutic alternatives. METHODS: This is a descriptive study of a cohort of 37 patients with low-risk recurrent superficial bladder cancer undergoing holmium laser fulguration after bladder instillation of local anesthesia. The study included patients with a history of low-risk primary superficial bladder cancer with papillary tumor recurrence, tumor size ≤10 mm, fewer than 5 tumors, absence of carcinoma in situ, negative cytology, no coagulation disorders and no local anesthesia allergies. Demographic variables, previous history of transurethral resection, safety and oncological results after fulguration were analyzed using the SPSS software. Statistical analyses include calculating mean and frequency, and Kaplan-Meier curve for recurrence. RESULTS: Mean age of the patients was 69.2 years with 86.5% being male. The number of tumors was 1.5±0.8 and the overall average size of 5.5±2.7 mm. The mean duration of the endoscopic procedure was 12±4.3 minutes. Hundred percent of patients had scores on the Visual Analogue Scale ≤3. There was only one case of hematuria, who required hospitalization. After a median follow-up period of 13 months, there was a 35.1% recurrence rate with one case of tumor progression. CONCLUSIONS: Holmium laser treatment of recurrent low-risk superficial bladder tumor is a safe and effective alternative, but long-term clinical trials are necessary to increase the current scientific evidence base.