Isolated renal aspergilloma.

Aspergilloma localised solely to the kidneys is very rare and poses diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. We present the case of a 35-year-old male with a background of urolithiasis, type II diabetes and chronic kidney disease, who was found to have isolated renal aspergilloma associated with obstructing uric acid renal tract calculi. After poor progress to clear the fungal infection and remaining stones with ureteroscopy, he was successfully treated by percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) to surgically remove fungal balls and calculi. Additionally, he was treated with peri-operative oral and systemic antifungals and post-operative irrigation of the renal collecting system with amphotericin.

Migration of ventriculoperitoneal shunt to urethral and rectal orifices.

Ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt surgery remains the most widely used neurosurgical procedure for the management of hydrocephalus. However, shunt complications are common and may require multiple surgical procedures during a patient's lifetime. We report the case of a 29-year-old patient with a background of Dandy-Walker malformation, occipital encephalocele, recurrent hydrocephalus, spina bifida and epilepsy presented with VP shunt migration into urinary and gastrointestinal tracts. In absence of sepsis or peritonism from either bowel or bladder perforation, local control of stent extrusion was successful for several years, although surgery was eventually undertaken.

Can the R.e.N.a.L nephrometry score preoperatively predict postoperative clinical outcomes in patients undergoing open and laparoscopic partial nephrectomy?

AIM: We evaluate whether the preoperative R.E.N.A.L Nephrometry Score (RNS) can predict the postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing either an open or laparoscopic partial nephrectomy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively calculated the RNS of 128 patients who underwent either an open partial nephrectomy (OPN) (n = 38) or laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (LPN) (n = 90) between 2003 and 2011. Patients were categorized into low, moderate or high complexity groups based on RNSs. Intra-operative warm ischemic time (WIT), peri-operative surgical outcomes using the Clavien-Dindo classification, postoperative histology, positive surgical margin rates were correlated to the RNS. RESULTS: The RNS was associated with the length of the WIT in OPN (low vs. moderate vs. high: 11.4 vs. 13.1 vs. 23.4 minutes, p = 0.025) and blood loss in LPN (low vs. moderate 319 vs. 498 ml, p = 0.009). The positive surgical margins were greater in high versus moderate RNS lesions (40 vs. 7.4%, p = 0.045). No differences were seen in complications, hospital stay or transfusion rates. The RNS was significantly higher in OPN versus LPN (7.45 vs. 6.2, p = 0.0002). CONCLUSION: An Increasing RNS was associated with increased WIT in OPN and blood loss in LPN, supporting RNS relationship to tumor complexity. A higher RNS in OPN indicate it may corroborate procedure choice. RNS should allow comparisons between treatment modalities for similar complexity lesions and with further research could aid stratification of individual risk preoperatively.