Journal Reviews
How successful is the transition to adult urology care in spina bifida?
These authors from Indianapolis, USA, aimed to assess rates and predictors of successful transition into adult care of spina bifida patients. They did this by a retrospective review of 77 patients discharged from a multidisciplinary paediatric clinic at a mean...
Bedside teaching
All of us are involved in the teaching and training of under or postgraduate medical students and nurses. This article gives a patient’s perspective and thoughts on being an ‘interesting’ patient within a ward or clinic setting. Important points to...
BAPU consensus statement on the management of the neuropathic bladder
The summary of this paper states that a “consensus statement is not a guideline nor a method with which to establish what is best practice. It is a way of surveying practice and providing a benchmark for others to compare...
Who should be taking care of the adolescent with testicular torsion?
From time to time (as paediatric surgeons), we receive referrals from regional hospitals to explore the testis in older boys. Given the time-critical nature of the condition, patients should benefit from assessment and surgery performed locally (when possible). Inter-hospital transfer...
Comparison of the microbiological milieu of CIC patients
Children performing clean intermittent catheterisation (CIC) have a higher risk of bacteriuria. This occasionally can lead to full urinary tract infection (UTI) which can influence long-term renal function. Hydrophilic catheters are said to be less traumatic to the urothelium and...
Predictive factors for conservative treatment failure in paediatric blunt renal trauma
Blunt renal trauma is managed conservatively in children in the vast majority of cases. Grade IV renal injury is also generally managed non-operatively although occasionally intervention is needed for a urinoma that fails to settle. These authors retrospectively looked at...
Surgery in disorders of sexual development with gender issues
After the initial consensus meeting of 10 years ago on disorders of sex development (DSD) with the introduction of the new terminology and classification there are still abundant controversial issues associated with the management of children with these conditions. This...
Sacral agenesis and neurogenic bladder: long-term outcomes of bladder and kidney function
These authors looked at single institution outcomes for sacral agenesis (without spina bifida) with reference to renal function and bladder function. All had urodynamics either at diagnosis (56%) or soon after. Of 43 patients (23 female, 20 male), 37 had...
Renal fossa recurrence after nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma
This paper is an analysis of 36 years of radical nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma in the Mayo Clinic (1970-2006). In particular, it contains an analysis of the risk of renal fossa recurrence after nephrectomy (partial nephrectomies are not included)...
Optimisation of childhood spina bifida management – a prospective trial
Routh et al. describe a prospective trial which aims to determine the optimal urological management for children with spina bifida. The primary aim of neuropathic bladder management is to provide the patient with the best long-term quality of life with...
Urology patient assessment – importance of holistic approach – new paradigm
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) seems to affect 30% of the general population above 65 and its presence has a wide range of significance. This is a prospective single centre study to look at MCI in adult urological patients above 18...
Outcome analysis of paediatric pyeloplasty
This prospective study from India included 744 patients of whom 112 had renal function less than or equal to 20% at the time of diagnosis. Thirty percent underwent a nephrostomy initially. Ten with no function had a nephrectomy. Of the...
