Comparison of intrarectal heated lidocaine gel and periprostatic nerve block for pain control in transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy: A randomized controlled non-inferiority trial.

Background: To investigate whether intrarectal local anesthesia with heated lidocaine gel (IRLAH) is non-inferior to periprostatic nerve block (PNB) for reducing pain in patients undergoing transrectal ultrasound (TRUS)-guided prostate biopsy. Methods: We performed a randomized controlled non-inferiority trial with 100 participants who underwent systematic TRUS-guided, 12-core prostate biopsy from August 2019 to July 2020. These participants were randomly assigned to a group receiving intrarectal local anesthesia with 20 mL of heated (40°C) 2% lidocaine gel (n = 50) or PNB (n = 50). The primary outcome was a pain score on a 0-10 visual analogue scale (VAS) at four time points with the non-inferiority margin of 1; VAS-1: during local anesthesia application; VAS-2: during probe insertion; VAS-3: during biopsy; VAS-4: 30 minutes after the procedure. The secondary outcome included complications during and after the procedure. Results: The IRLAH group (0.1) met non-inferiority as well as superiority criteria for mean VAS-1 score vs. the PNB group (2.33) (P < 0.001), as the difference (95% confidence interval [CI]) between the two groups was -2.23 (-2.66 to -1.79) and the upper bound of the 95% CI were both below the prespecified non-inferiority margin and below zero. For mean VAS-3 score, the difference (95% CI) was 0.3 (-0.38 to 0.98) and the upper bound of the 95% CI did not exceed the predefined non-inferiority margin indicating that IRLAH was non-inferior (IRLAH group, 3.44; PNB group, 3.14). Also, non-inferiority was shown for pain scores at VAS-2 and VAS-4. There were no significant differences in complications. Conclusion: IRLAH is a noninvasive and non-inferior alternative to PNB for pain control in TRUS-guided prostate biopsy without increased risk of complications.

The effect of heated lidocaine gel on pain reduction during transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy: a randomized-controlled study.

PURPOSE: To determine whether intrarectal local anesthesia (IRLA) with heated lidocaine gel provides pain reduction during transrectal ultrasound (TRUS)-guided prostate biopsy. METHODS: We conducted a randomized-controlled study with 153 participants who underwent TRUS-guided, systematic 12-core prostate biopsy from May 2018 to June 2019. These participants were divided into three test groups. Before prostate biopsy, group A (51 patients) received no local anesthesia, group B (51 patients) received IRLA with 20 mL 2% lidocaine gel stored at room temperature, and group C (51 patients) received IRLA with heated (40 ℃) 20 mL 2% lidocaine gel. Pain was assessed using the 0-10 visual analogue scale (VAS) at three time points: VAS-1: during probe insertion, VAS-2: during biopsy, VAS-3: 30 min after the procedure. Complications during and after the procedure were evaluated. RESULTS: The mean VAS-2 score was significantly lower in group C compared to groups A and B (A, 4.6; B, 4.2; and C, 3.2; p < 0.05). There was no significant difference among the three groups in mean VAS-1 and VAS-3 scores. No significant difference was detected in incidence of complications between the three groups. No allergic reactions to lidocaine gel were observed. CONCLUSION: IRLA with heated lidocaine gel provides more effective pain control during TRUS-guided prostate biopsy than does conventional IRLA and no local anesthesia, without an increase of complications.

A randomized, controlled study of treatment with ojayeonjonghwan for patients with late onset hypogonadism.

Objectives: We investigate the effects of Ojayeonjonghwan (KH-204) in men with late-onset hypogonadism (LOH) symptoms.Material and methods: Initial PSA, testosterone, lipid profile and questionnaires about LOH-related symptoms were checked. After 8 weeks of the treatment (control or KH-204), questionnaires and serological tests were repeated to evaluate the efficacy of the agent. The changes of variables in each group and the difference between two groups were compared.Results: A total of 78 men were enrolled, and randomly assigned to the control group (n = 39) or KH-204 group (n = 39). Baseline characteristics of both group are comparable. AMS total score of control and KH-204 group were both improved at 8 weeks (p = .010, <.001), and there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups (favorable in KH-204 group, p = .006). At 8 weeks, total IIEF score of control and KH-204 group were both improved, and there was no statistically significant difference in the degree of improvement between the two groups (p = .303). There was no statistically significant difference of laboratory findings, in intra-group changes and inter-group comparisons.Conclusions: KH-204 was found to be effective in all LOH symptoms without changing of laboratory results. KH-204 may be safely used for treatment of male with LOH-related symptoms.

Hemostatic effect and psychological impact of an oxidized regenerated cellulose patch after transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy: A prospective and retrospective study.

To investigate the usefulness of the oxidized regenerated cellulose patch (ORCP) for postbiopsy hemostasis, anxiety, and depression in patients undergoing transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy.This was a prospective-retrospective study of 300 patients who underwent systematic 12-core prostate biopsy from August 2016 through March 2018. The ORCP was inserted into the rectum immediately after prostate biopsy in the prospective group (n = 150), while the retrospective group (n = 150) underwent prostate biopsy alone. The frequency rate and duration of hematuria, rectal bleeding, and hematospermia were compared between the 2 groups. Anxiety and depression were assessed with the hospital anxiety and depression scale before and after prostate biopsy in the prospective group.The frequency rates of hematuria and hematospermia showed no significant differences between the prospective versus retrospective groups (64.7% vs 66.7%, P = .881; 18 vs 20%, P = .718; respectively). Frequency of rectal bleeding was significantly lower in the prospective group than in the retrospective group (26.7% vs 42.7%, P = .018). However, there were no significant differences in median duration of rectal bleeding, hematuria, or hematospermia between the 2 groups (2, 5, and 2 days vs 2, 7, and 1 day, P > .05, respectively, for the prospective vs retrospective group). Multivariate analysis found that ORCP insertion was a significant protective factor against postbiopsy rectal bleeding (P = .038, odds ratio 0.52). Only anxiety level in the prospective group before versus after prostate biopsy was significantly reduced (5 vs 4, P = .011).ORCP insertion after prostate biopsy is an effective and simple method for decreasing rectal bleeding. ORCP insertion may also alleviate anxiety in patients undergoing prostate biopsy.

Effect of Korean Herbal Formula (Modified Ojayeonjonghwan) on Androgen Receptor Expression in an Aging Rat Model of Late Onset Hypogonadism.

PURPOSE: Testosterone replacement therapy is an effective treatment for late-onset hypogonadism (LOH) despite a few contraindications and side-effects. The aim of this study was to determine whether modified Ojayeonjonghwan (KH-204, Korean herbal formula) improved LOH. KH-204 is a strong antioxidant herbal formula. We evaluated the effect of Korean herbal prescription on androgen receptor (AR) expression in an aged rat model of LOH. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighteen-month-old rats were used as aged LOH rat models. Eighteen Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three equal groups of six animals each and treated with one of the following: 1) normal control group (oral administration with distilled water, n=6), 2) KH-204 200 group (oral administration with 200 mg/kg of KH-204, n=6), and 3) KH-204 400 group (oral administration with 400 mg/kg of KH-204, n=6). After four weeks of treatment (once daily, distilled water or KH-204), serum testosterone levels, changes in testicular and epididymal weight, Western blotting analysis of AR expression and measurement of oxidative stress were examined. RESULTS: Treatment with the herbal formulation KH-204 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg (1) increased the weights of testis and epididymis; (2) increased the level of serum testosterone; (3) increased the level of superoxide dismutase and reduced the level of 8-hydroxy-20-deoxyguanosine; and (4) upregulated AR expression in testicular tissue. CONCLUSIONS: KH-204 might be an effective alternative for LOH. It improves antioxidant mechanisms and increases testicular AR expression without side-effects.

A useful method for assessing differences of compensatory hypertrophy in the contralateral kidney before and after radical nephrectomy in patients with renal cell carcinoma: ellipsoid formula on computed tomography.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the usefulness of the ellipsoid formula for assessing compensatory hypertrophy of the contralateral kidney on pre-operative and post-operative CT in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) patients. METHODS: We retrospectively identified 389 patients who had radical nephrectomy for RCC between 2011  and 2015. Contrast-enhanced CT was performed within 3 months pre-operative and at 1 year post-operative. The kidney volumes were calculated from CT using the ellipsoid formula. We subdivided patients into three groups based on tumour size (I: ≤4 cm, II: 4-7 cm, III: >7 cm). Volumetric renal parameters were compared and multivariate analyses were performed to determine predictors associated with pre-operative  and post-operative compensatory hypertrophy. RESULTS: Kidney volume calculation using the ellipsoid  method took a median of 51 s. Group III had a significantly larger median pre-operative contralateral renal volume than Groups I and II (I:  140.4, II: 141.6, III: 166.7 ml, p < 0.05). However, the median ratio of post-operative contralateral renal volume change was significantly higher in Groups I and II than Group III (I: 0.36, II: 0.23, III: 0.12, p < 0.001). On multivariate analysis, tumour size revealed the strongest positive association with pre-operative contralateral kidney volume (partial regression coefficient: ß = 30.8, >7 cm) and ratio of post-operative contralateral kidney volume change (ß  = 0.214, I vs III; ß = 0.168, II vs III). CONCLUSION: Kidney volume calculation for assessing pre- and post-operative compensatory hypertrophy of the contralateral kidney in RCC patients can be easily and rapidly performed from CT images using the ellipsoid formula. Advances in knowledge: The ellipsoid formula allows reliable method for assessing pre-operative and post-operative compensatory hypertrophy of the contralateral kidney in RCC.

The effect of ultrasound-guided compression immediately after transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy on postbiopsy bleeding: a randomized controlled pilot study.

PURPOSE: To evaluate whether ultrasound-guided compression performed immediately after transrectal ultrasound (TRUS)-guided prostate biopsy decreases bleeding complications. METHODS: We prospectively evaluated a total of 148 consecutive patients who underwent TRUS-guided prostate biopsy between March 2015 and July 2016. Systematic 12-core prostate biopsy was performed in all patients. Of these, 100 patients were randomly assigned to one of two groups: the compression group (n = 50) underwent TRUS-guided compression on bleeding biopsy tracts immediately after prostate biopsy, while the non-compression group (n = 50) underwent TRUS-guided prostate biopsy alone. The incidence rate and duration of hematuria, hematospermia, and rectal bleeding were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The incidence rates of hematuria and hematospermia were not significantly different between the two groups (60 vs. 64%, p = 0.68; 22 vs. 30%, p = 0.362, respectively, for compression vs. non-compression group). The rectal bleeding incidence was significantly lower in the compression group as compared to the non-compression group (20 vs. 44%, p = 0.01). However, there were no significant differences in the median duration of hematuria, hematospermia, or rectal bleeding between the two groups (2, 8, and 2 days vs. 2, 10, and 1 days, p > 0.05, respectively, for compression vs. non-compression group). TRUS-guided compression [p = 0.004, odds ratio (OR) 0.25] and patient age (p = 0.013, OR 0.93) were significantly protective against the occurrence of rectal bleeding after prostate biopsy in multivariable analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Although it has no impact on other complications, ultrasound-guided compression on bleeding biopsy tracts performed immediately after TRUS-guided prostate biopsy is an effective and practical method to treat or decrease rectal bleeding.

Initial Use of High-Dose Anticholinergics Combined with Alpha-Blockers for Male Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms with Overactive Bladder: A Prospective, Randomized Preliminary Study.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of initial combined treatment of alpha-blocker plus dose-dependent anticholinergic agent compared to the alpha-blocker monotherapy in benign prostatic hyperplasia patients with overactive bladder. METHODS: Male lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) patients with International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) of 8 or higher, total overactive bladder Symptom Score (OABSS) of 3 or higher, and 2 points or higher in the OABSS questionnaire number 2 were enrolled. Eligible subjects (total n = 146) were randomly assigned to receive tamsulosin 0.2 mg (Group I, n = 44), tamsulosin 0.2 mg plus solifenacin 5 mg (Group II, n = 55), or tamsulosin 0.2 mg plus solifenacin 10 mg (Group III, n = 47) for 12 weeks. Efficacy and safety assessments for each group were done using detailed questionnaires, and evaluating urinary parameters such as maximal urinary flow rate (Qmax) and postvoid residual volume (PVR) at 4 and 12 weeks. RESULTS: Groups II and III (combined use of tamsulosin and solifenacin) showed significant improvement in storage symptoms compared to group I (tamsulosin monotherapy), as reflected by IPSS storage subscore and OABSS (P < 0.05). Dry mouth developed in four (7%) and eight (17%) cases in group II and III, respectively, so that one (2%) and three (6%) cases dropped out in group II and III, respectively. Two cases (4%) of AUR developed in group III, and one of them was withdrawn (2%) from the study. CONCLUSIONS: Initial combined treatment of tamsulosin plus solifenacin for men with LUTS improves storage symptoms significantly, but dose modification is necessary to prevent adverse events.

Role of age and sex in determining antibiotic resistance in febrile urinary tract infections.

OBJECTIVES: To identify the age- and sex-specific antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of Gram-negative bacteria (GNB) in outpatient febrile urinary tract infections (UTIs) in Korea. METHODS: A total 2262 consecutive samples collected from patients aged 1-101 years with febrile UTIs, during the period January 2012 to December 2014, were analyzed in this multicentre, retrospective cohort study. RESULTS: The sensitivities to cefotaxime and cefoxitin were over 85% for females but under 75% for males. Sex played an important role in the susceptibility of GNB to cefotaxime (p<0.001) and cefoxitin (p<0.001). The sensitivity to ciprofloxacin (age >20 years) was under 75% in both sexes, and was not influenced by sex (p=0.204). Age distributions of the incidences of resistance to cefotaxime, cefoxitin, and ciprofloxacin (age >20 years) were similar to the age distribution of the incidence of GNB, which indicates that the resistance patterns to these drugs were not affected by age (Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, female/male: p=0.927/p=0.509, p=0.193/p=0.911, and p=0.077/p=0.999, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Age is not a considerable factor in determining the antibiotic resistance in febrile UTIs. Ciprofloxacin should be withheld from both sexes until culture results indicate its use. Second- or third-generation cephalosporins such as cefoxitin and cefotaxime can be used empirically only in females.

Acute bacterial prostatitis and abscess formation.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to identify risk factors for abscess formation in acute bacterial prostatitis, and to compare treatment outcomes between abscess group and non-abscess group. METHODS: This is a multicenter, retrospective cohort study. All patients suspected of having an acute prostatic infection underwent computed tomography or transrectal ultrasonography to discriminate acute prostatic abscesses from acute prostatitis without abscess formation. RESULTS: A total of 31 prostate abscesses were reviewed among 142 patients with acute prostatitis. Univariate analysis revealed that symptom duration, diabetes mellitus and voiding disturbance were predisposing factors for abscess formation in acute prostatitis. However, diabetes mellitus was not related to prostate abscess in multivariate analysis. Patients with abscesses <20 mm in size did not undergo surgery and were cured without any complications. In contrast, patients with abscesses >20 mm who underwent transurethral resection had a shorter duration of antibiotic treatment than did those who did not have surgery. Regardless of surgical treatment, both the length of hospital stay and antibiotic treatment were longer in patients with prostatic abscesses than they were in those without abscesses. However, the incidence of septic shock was not different between the two groups. A wide spectrum of microorganisms was responsible for prostate abscesses. In contrast, Escherichia coli was the predominant organism responsible for acute prostatitis without abscess. CONCLUSION: Imaging studies should be considered when patients with acute prostatitis have delayed treatment and signs of voiding disturbance. Early diagnosis is beneficial because prostatic abscesses require prolonged treatment protocols, or even require surgical drainage. Surgical drainage procedures such as transurethral resection of the prostate were not necessary in all patients with prostate abscesses. However, surgical intervention may have potential merits that reduce the antibiotic exposure period and enhance voiding function in patients with prostatic abscess.

Laparoscopic hand-assisted adrenal sparing surgery for a giant adrenal myelolipoma: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Adrenal myelolipoma is a rare, benign tumor. Surgical resection is advocated in case of symptomatic, large size (> 4cm), increase of size on follow-up and atypical appearance on imaging. Laparoscopic adrenalectomy is currently the gold standard operation for managing benign adrenal mass. However, to date, laparoscopic entire resection of ipsilateral adrenal gland with the tumor have been mainly reported in the literature. Under clinical circumstances, adrenal sparing surgery underused as first-line therapy for adrenal tumors. CASE PRESENTATION: We present a case of adrenal myelolipoma involving the right adrenal gland of a 45-year-old woman who presented with right-sided flank pain. On radiologic and endocrine evaluation, she was diagnosed with a giant adrenal myelolipoma (> 8cm). Right hand-assisted laparoscopic partial adrenalectomy was performed, and postoperative recovery was uneventful. Finally, histological examination confirmed adrenal myelolipoma. On follow-up computed tomography, there was no residual tumor and the remaining right adrenal gland. CONCLUSION: Our report suggests that hand-assisted laparoscopic partial adrenalectomy could be considered for appropriate removal of adrenal myelolipoma, even in giant adrenal myelolipoma.

The effect of climate variability on urinary stone attacks: increased incidence associated with temperature over 18 °C: a population-based study.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of seasonal variation and climate parameters on urinary tract stone attack and investigate whether stone attack is increased sharply at a specific point. Nationwide data of total urinary tract stone attack numbers per month between January 2006 and December 2010 were obtained from the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. The effects of climatic factors on monthly urinary stone attack were assessed using auto-regressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) regression method. A total of 1,702,913 stone attack cases were identified. Mean monthly and monthly average daily urinary stone attack cases were 28,382 ± 2,760 and 933 ± 85, respectively. The stone attack showed seasonal trends of sharp incline in June, a peak plateau from July to September, and a sharp decline after September. The correlation analysis showed that ambient temperature (r = 0.557, p < 0.001) and relative humidity (r = 0.513, p < 0.001) were significantly associated with urinary stone attack cases. However, after adjustment for trends and seasonality, ambient temperature was the only climate factor associated with the stone attack cases in ARIMA regression test (p = 0.04). Threshold temperature was estimated as 18.4 °C. Risk of urinary stone attack significantly increases 1.71% (1.02-2.41 %, 95% confidence intervals) with a 1 °C increase of ambient temperature above the threshold point. In conclusion, monthly urinary stone attack cases were changed according to seasonal variation. Among the climates variables, only temperature had consistent association with stone attack and when the temperature is over 18.4 °C, urinary stone attack would be increased sharply.

The real practice of antibiotic prophylaxis for prostate biopsy in Korea where the prevalence of quinolone-resistant Escherichia coli is high.

PURPOSE: Transrectal ultrasonography-guided prostate biopsy (TRUS-Bx) is an essential procedure for diagnosing prostate cancer. The American Urological Association (AUA) Guideline recommends fluoroquinolone alone for 1 day during TRUS-Bx. However, this recommendation may not be appropriate in regions where the prevalence of quinolone-resistant Escherichia coli is high. We investigated the real practice of antibiotic prophylaxis for TRUS-Bx in Korea. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 77 hospitals performing TRUS-Bx were identified and an e-mail was sent to the Urology Department of those hospitals. The questions in the e-mail included the choice of antibiotics before and after the procedure and the duration of antibiotic therapy after TRUS-Bx. RESULTS: A total of 54 hospitals (70.0%) responded to the e-mail. Before TRUS-Bx, all hospitals administered intravenous antibiotic prophylaxis. The percentage of hospitals that used quinolone, cephalosporin, and aminoglycoside alone was 48.1%, 20.4%, and 9.3%, respectively. The percentage of hospitals that used two or more antibiotics was 22.2%. After biopsy, all 54 hospitals prescribed oral antibiotics. The percentage of hospitals that prescribed quinolone alone, cephalosporin alone, or a combination of two or more antibiotics was 77.8%, 20.4%, and 1.8%, respectively. The duration of antibiotic use was more than 3 days in most hospitals (79.6%). Only four hospitals (7.4%) followed the AUA recommendation of a 1-day regimen. CONCLUSIONS: The AUA recommendation was not followed by most hospitals in Korea. This clinical behavior might reflect the high quinolone resistance rate in Korea, and further studies on the most efficient prophylactic antibiotics after TRUS-Bx in Korea are warranted.

Induction of contraception by intraepididymal sclerotherapy.

PURPOSE: The objective of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of a sclerosing solution for inducing epididymal occlusion in male rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into two groups: an injection group (n=20) and control group (n=20). Before injecting the sclerosing agent, seminal vesiculectomy and sperm identification using electrostimulation were performed in all of the rats. In the injection group, 0.2 mL of 0.1% sodium tetradecyl sulfate solution was injected into the epididymis. In the sham group, only the identification of the epididymis was performed. At 4 and 12 weeks after the injection, semen was collected by electrostimulation and evaluated to assess the contraceptive effect. Epididymis was evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. RESULTS: After 4 and 12 weeks, semen collection was performed in the two groups. Sperms were not observed in the injection group, while there was no change in the sperms in the sham group. H&E staining showed the obstruction of epididymal tubules and an accumulation of inflammatory cells in the injection group. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that the sclerosing agent induced sterilization in male rats. This result suggests that the injection method can replace vasectomy as a contraceptive method. However, a further study of large animals and a clinical study are needed. Further, the long-term effectiveness of this method needs to be studied.

The epidemiology of reno-ureteral stone disease in Koreans: a nationwide population-based study.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the annual incidence of upper tract urolithiasis based on a large population-based study in Korea. This study used a subset of the 2009 Health Insurance and Review and Assessment service-National Patient Sample (HIRA-NPS). The 2009 HIRA-NPS contains data for 1,115,721 patients (711,285 inpatients and 404,436 outpatients) from January 2009 to December 2009. Based on these data, we selected patients who had been diagnosed with urolithiasis using the ICD code and calculated the incidence of urolithiasis. The total number of estimated urolithiasis patients was 219,328. The annual incidence of upper tract urolithiasis was estimated to be 457.02 per 100,000 in the overall population, with 589.09 per 100,000 men and 326.64 per 100,000 women. The male-to-female ratio was about 1.8:1. The annual incidence of urolithiasis in Korea was 457 per 100,000. It is higher than that previously reported in Japan, but lower than that in Western countries.

Effect of urgency symptoms on the risk of depression in community-dwelling elderly men.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the association of a specific type of lower urinary tract symptom (LUTS) and the depression in community-dwelling elderly Korean men. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 392 men aged 65 years or older, who completed urological and psychiatric evaluations as a participant of the Korean Longitudinal Study on Health and Aging, were included. From each subject, an interview on the demographic characteristics and medical history, IPSS, and psychiatric questionnaire were taken. Subjects were divided into two groups; depression and euthymic. Subjects with IPSS subscore more than 3 points was considered 'high' subscore. IPSS subscores were compared between the two groups, and the relationship between depression and LUTS severity was assessed. RESULTS: The mean age of the subjects was 75, and 6.4% of the subjects were diagnosed to have major depressive disorders. The depression group showed higher IPSS scores than the euthymic group (16.1±9.9 vs. 11.6±8.6, p=0.01). IPSS subscores of question 1 (incomplete empty), question 3 (intermittency), question 4 (urgency) and question 6 (straining to void) were higher in the depression group compared with the euthymic group. Chi-square test revealed subjects with high IPSS 1, 3, 4, and 6 score were associated with depression, but multivariate analysis identified only high IPSS question 4 as a significant prognostic factor for depression. CONCLUSIONS: Elderly population with depression is more likely to have more severe LUTS than population without depression. Among the urinary symptoms, urgency was strongly associated with depression. Patients with moderate to severe LUTS and especially urgency may need their mental health status evaluation.

Clinical value of acute pyelonephritis grade based on computed tomography in predicting severity and course of acute pyelonephritis.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of computed tomography (CT)-based acute pyelonephritis (APN) grades for predicting clinical severity and disease course. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study involved the analysis of the data of 204 consecutive patients with APN who underwent a CT examination at admission. Patients who had undergone prior treatment and those with ureteral calculi or an abscess by CT were excluded. Computed tomographic findings were divided into 4 grades according to renal parenchymal involvement, as follows: no renal parenchyma involvement (grade 1), less than 25% involvement (grade 2), 25% to 50% involvement (grade 3), and greater than 50% (grade 4). Patients with these grades were compared with respect to APN severity index (highest body temperature, initial C-reactive protein, and leukocytosis) and recovery index (hospital stay, fever duration, and leukocytosis duration). RESULTS: A total of 204 patients of mean age 39.3 years were included. Acute pyelonephritis severity indices and recovery indices increased with APN grade. Mean highest body temperature values were 38.3°C and 38.9°C in grades 1 and 4, respectively (P = 0.002). Mean hospital stay increased from 5.7 days for grade 1 to 7.6 days for grade 4 (P < 0.001). Initial C-reactive protein, initial leukocytosis, fever duration, and leukocytosis duration also increased with APN grade. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that APN grades, as determined by CT examination, valuably predict the clinical course of APN.

Acute cyst rupture, hemorrhage and septic shock after a shockwave lithotripsy in a patient with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease.

The incidence of urinary calculi in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) ranges from 10 to 36 %. Shockwave lithotripsy (SWL) for urinary calculi in ADPKD was reported to be a safe and effective treatment option. However, there is a potential risk of cyst rupture and traumatic hemorrhage because of shockwaves. A 39-year-old female with polycystic kidneys and upper ureter stone was treated with SWL and developed life-threatening complications of cyst rupture, traumatic hemorrhage and septic shock. She was initially treated with supportive care in the intensive care unit, but in the end nephrectomy was performed.