Identification of genetic biomarkers in urine for early detection of prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer screening is a challenging and vital issue in the aspects of the current tests and risk assessments. Prostate cancer risk assessments are currently carried out by using blood, urine and tissue biomarkers with radiological imaging methods. Here, we introduce a novel noninvasive screening tool for a further in-depth selection of eligible cases for prostate biopsies which is based on sequencing somatic and hereditary HOXB13 mutations in urine samples. This approach provides diagnostic information to the physician about the presence of prostate cancer while aiming to screen for specific prostate biopsies and save biopsies potentially when there are no mutations related to prostate cancer. Findings suggest that this method is reliable, cost-effective, and has a promising potential in prostate cancer screening.

Does previous open nephrolithotomy affect the outcomes and complications of percutaneous nephrolithotomy in children?

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the success and complication rates of percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) performed in pediatric patients and to compare outcomes of the patients undergoing primary PCNL with those of patients who had undergone previous open nephrolithotomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between 2000 and 2011, PNL procedures were performed in 123 renal units (RU) of 111 children. We compared RU on which previous open surgery had been performed (group 1 RU = 26) on the same kidney with RU that had not been involved in previous surgery (group 2 RU = 97). Patient characteristics, pre- and postoperative hematocrit and creatinin levels, operative time, fluoroscopic screening time, stone free rate, complications and hospitalization time were documented and compared. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the groups in sex, stone burden, pre- and postoperative hematocrit levels. Mean age and pre- and postoperative creatinin levels were significantly higher in group 1 (p < 0.05). Mean operative time, fluoroscopic screening time and hospitalization times were similar in each group (p > 0.05). The stone free rates after PCNL were 65.4% in group 1 and 81.4% in group 2 (p > 0.05). Multiple access rate was higher in group 1; however, this was not statistically significant (27% vs. 15%, p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: PCNL can be performed in pediatric patients who have previously undergone open nephrolithotomy but the success rates may be lower and risk of bowel injury higher. NCCT should be considered preoperatively for patients who have previously undergone open renal surgeries to investigate the presence of retrorenal colons. Our study includes relatively few patients with a history of open surgery and we believe that additional clinical studies with larger numbers of patients are needed to confirm our initial findings.

Percutaneous nephrolithotomy in children with cystine stone: long-term outcomes from a single institution.

PURPOSE: We determined the effectiveness of percutaneous nephrolithotomy in children with cystine stones and present the long-term outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed the data of 65 renal units in 51 children who underwent percutaneous nephrolithotomy for cystine stones between 2000 and 2012. Of the patients 19 (37%) had undergone ipsilateral renal surgery and 11 (22%) had undergone extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy. Children were designated as being stone-free or having residual stone (any evidence of persistent stone fragments irrespective of size). Medical treatment with α-mercaptopropionylglycine, potassium citrate or potassium sodium hydrogen citrate was recommended for all patients after stone analysis. RESULTS: Median stone burden was 3.3 cm(2) (range 1 to 13) and median patient age was 6 years (1 to 17). Stone-free status was achieved in 41 renal units (63.1%). Stone-free status was increased to 73.8% with additional endoscopic procedures. The remaining patients with residual stones were followed. Complication rate was 15.4%. A total of 35 children (68.6%) receiving regular medical treatment were followed for a median of 95 months (range 6 to 136). The recurrence rate for children achieving stone-free status was 31.2%, and the regrowth rate for children with residual stones was 29.4%. CONCLUSIONS: Percutaneous nephrolithotomy is a safe and effective treatment for children with cystine stones. Our high recurrence and regrowth rates emphasize that our treatment schedule is inadequate to prevent recurrent cystine calculi. Additional investigation is needed to determine the optimal medical therapy for preventing recurrence and regrowth of cystine stones.

Case report: laparoscopically-treated giant renal hydatid cyst.

A 15 x 11 x 8-cm hydatid cyst in the right kidney of a 43-year-old man was treated using a laparoscopic approach. There was no preoperative or postoperative complications, and no recurrence was detected in 38 months of follow-up. This appears to be the first case of a renal hydatid cyst treated by a transperitoneal laparoscopic approach.

Assessment of the continence status and patients' satisfaction after retropubic radical prostatectomy: a questionnaire based study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the continence status and patients' satisfaction after retropubic radical prostatectomy by a self-administered questionnaire composed of 12 questions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In total, 143 patients who underwent RRP operation at our department from 1992 to 2000 with a minimum 6 months of follow-up were assessed. Seventy two patients participated in the study. The continence status was classified as follows; patients who did not leak were considered as "continent", those who had leakage that occurred less frequent than or equal to once a day were regarded as "socially continent", and those who had more than once a day leakage were regarded as "incontinent". The correlation between urinary leakage, patients' satisfaction and pre-operative, peri-operative and post-operative factors were investigated. Univariate and multivariate analyses were done using Fisher's exact, chi-square, Student's-t and logistic regression tests. RESULTS: The mean age of patients at surgery was 63.9 years (49-76) with a follow-up period of 37.1 months (6-97). Of these patients, 44% were continent, 48% were socially continent, 8% were incontinent. A total of 64 of 72 patients (89%) were satisfied with their final continence status, and 63 (87%) patients accepted to undergo the same surgery again if it is indicated. Pre-, peri- and post-operative factors did not influence the urinary leakage rates. Patients with nocturnal leakage, urgency, decreased urinary flow and patients who use pad (-s) were significantly less satisfied on univariate analysis, while only nocturnal leakage had a significant impact on patients' satisfaction on multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: Urinary leakage and patients' satisfaction rates after RRP were 56% and 89%, respectively. None of the factors could predict the post-operative continence status. When evaluating the patients' satisfaction, only nocturnal leakage was found to have an adverse affect on multivariate analyses.

Pneumatic lithotripter application for giant bladder stone in a patient with augmentation cystoplasty.

An 18-year-old patient with repaired bladder exstrophy developed a 550-g stone burden in his augmented bladder. The stones were removed percutaneously with the aid of a pneumatic lithotripter. This should be considered the method of choice in these difficult cases.

Outcome of nephron-sparing surgery: elective versus imperative indications.

INTRODUCTION: The increase in the detection of renal tumors incidentally in earlier stages has enhanced the enthusiasm for nephron-sparing surgery (NSS). PATIENTS AND METHODS: We performed NSS in 76 patients (53 male, 23 female) with a mean age 52.3 between December 1988 and September 2001. Patients were sub-classified into 2 groups as elective or imperative indication group. They were compared regarding surgical technique, time of surgery, pathological analysis, complications, and disease free status. RESULTS: Elective indication group (group I) with a normal contralateral kidney consisted of 50 patients, whereas there were 26 patients in the imperative indication group (group II). Tumors were incidentally detected in 63%; 74% in group I and 42% in group II. Although the mean diameter of the tumor was slightly higher in group II (39.1 vs. 36.3 mm), this difference did not reach statistical significance (p > 0.05). The partial nephrectomy was performed more frequently compared to enucleation in group I (90 vs. 69%, p = 0.050). However, the mean operation time as well as the mean clamping time did not differ significantly between the two groups (p > 0.05). In the histological evaluation tumors were benign in 16 (21%) and malignant in 60 patients. All of the patients but one with renal cell carcinoma had stage T1-T2 disease. Major complications were observed in 14 (18%) and 12 were from group II. Complication rate was significantly higher in group II (p = 0.000). Of 60 patients with renal cell carcinoma, 2 died of unrelated causes. One patient died with multiple visceral metastases. One patient was lost to follow-up. In the remaining 56 patients with a mean follow-up of 37.1 months (1-152), local recurrence or distant metastases were not detected. Serum creatinine levels have remained almost the same compared to preoperative levels (1.2 +/- 0.6 vs. 1.5 +/- 0.9). Overall and cancer-specific survivals were 100 and 100% in group I, 85 and 95% in group II, and 94 and 98% for the entire patient population, respectively. CONCLUSION: NSS is an effective and reliable treatment in low stage renal tumors. It prevents unnecessary nephrectomy in benign lesions that could not be diagnosed preoperatively. However, the patients who underwent NSS with elective indication outcome with better results, compared to those with imperative indication.

Transition zone biopsy and prediction of extraprostatic extension at radical prostatectomy.

BACKGROUND: There is limited data in the literature that suggests that transition zone (TZ) biopsy might be useful for the prediction of extraprostatic extension (EPE) in clinically localized prostate cancer. We studied the role of TZ biopsy in the prediction of EPE. METHODS: Transition zone biopsies were performed in addition to systematic peripheral zone (PZ) biopsies between November 1995 and December 1999. During this period, 59 patients underwent radical prostatectomy for clinically localized disease. Final pathological results were compared with preoperative clinical and biopsy findings. RESULTS: Of the 59 patients who underwent radical prostatectomy, 46 had cancer only in the PZ cores and 13 had cancer both in the PZ and the TZ cores at the biopsy. Final histopathological results revealed EPE in 19 (32%) patients and positive surgical margins in 22 (37%). In univariate analysis of age, prostate-specific antigen (PSA), mean percentage of positive PZ cores, mean biopsy Gleason score and positive TZ biopsy, there was a significant difference for serum PSA levels (P = 0.021), presence of positive TZ cores (P = 0.018) and percentage of positive PZ cores in patients with and without EPE (P < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, the single independent predictor of EPE was the percentage of positive PZ biopsy cores (P = 0.0227). There was agreement between the side of positive TZ biopsy and EPE in seven of eight patients. CONCLUSION: Taking two TZ cores in addition to peripheral sextant biopsy did not result in better prediction of EPE. The relationship between TZ involvement and the presence of EPE can be investigated further in radical prostatectomy specimens.