Journal Reviews
Understanding gender differences in nephrolithiasis
Rates of nephrolithiasis are higher in males than females. The cause for this remains unclear, however animal models have demonstrated an association between sex steroid hormone levels and lithogenesis. This relationship in humans is less well established. This study from...
Factors associated with post ureteroscopy urosepsis
The authors investigate which factors were most likely to increase the risk of postoperative urosepsis within 28 days of ureteroscopy (URS) and laser stone fragmentation by analysing the 34 of 562 patients who developed this complication. Stone size, same session...
Should maximal urethral closure pressure be performed before mid-urethral sling surgery for stress incontinence?
Maximum urethral closure pressure (MUCP) is a means of trying to provide an objective assessment of urethral integrity. In some centres it is used as a tool to help predict outcomes after mid-urethral sling (MUS) placement. The authors propose that...
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...
Male genital mysteries
Every now and then urologists are asked to give an opinion on genital lesions and rashes. This article from University College Hospital London is certainly worth a read. Most conditions are benign but some are precancerous leading to penile cancer...
Radiological investigation of haematuria in 2016
This paper summarises the current evidence for and use of various imaging modalities for investigating haematuria. The following investigations are reviewed: Intravenous urogram (IVU) – the number of centres still using IVU is decreasing. IVU is cheaper and has less...
Effect of collimation on radiation dose during ureteroscopy
Over 60,000 ureteroscopies are performed annually in the UK. During these procedures radiation is used and there are concerns regarding the cumulative dose during a surgeon’s career. Common ways to minimise the dose to the theatre team are wearing lead...
Characteristics of APC and the usefulness of MP-MRI for diagnosis
The authors evaluated the pathological and oncological characteristics of anteriorly located prostate cancer (APC) in 728 RP specimens, and the accuracy of multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MP-MRI) for APC evaluation. Patients were characterised as APC (70% or more of tumour...
ESWL and URS for treatment of paediatric urolithiasis
Tejwani et al. have undertaken a comparative effectiveness study to characterise differences in procedure frequency, postoperative re-admissions and emergency room (ER) visits, and repeat treatment rates for children (≤18 years) with urolithiasis who underwent initial intervention with extracorporeal shock wave...
Radiation in paediatric urology – PURSE study
Urological operative procedures often use fluoroscopy for diagnosis and treatment of stone disease and structural anomalies. Paediatric tissues are sensitive to the effects of ionising radiation. Paediatric radiation safety has gained concerns due to the possible long-term effects such as...
Kidney stone basketing forces unmasked
Ureteral avulsion is the most dreaded situation for any urologist to be faced with. Although uncommon, with rates of ureteroscopy on the increase, the potential for this serious complication should also be recognised. To avoid such serious complications, smart devices...
Impact of MetS on prostate cancer (PCa)
Metabolic syndrome is associated with an increased risk of finding prostate cancer (PCa) overall and high-grade disease on biopsy. The first objective was to determine if MetS is associated with higher final PCa stage and grade on radical prostatectomy (RP)...