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BACKGROUND: The patients who require transfusion are prevalent in the Jazan Province, Saudi Arabia. Therefore, it is essential to know the frequency of blood group antigens in such a population. The Kidd blood group system (JK) has two antithetical antigens, Jka and Jkb. Antibodies to these antigens may result in delayed hemolytic transfusion reactions. The present study investigated the frequencies of Jka and Jkb and the phenotypes among Saudi blood donors living in the Jazan Province. METHODS: One hundred and forty-three samples from anonymous Saudi volunteer blood donors in the Jazan Province were serotype to detect Jka and Jkb using gel card technology and determine the phenotypes of the JK blood group system. RESULTS: The prevalence of Jka and Jkb antigens were 90.64% (n = 126) and 69.40% (n = 93), respectively. The JK phenotypes were 34.96% Jk(a + b - ) (n = 51), 12.59% Jk(a - b + ) (n = 18), 52.45% Jk(a + b + ) (n = 75), and 0% Jk(a - b - ). The frequencies of the JK phenotypes in the Jazan population were significantly different from those in the Asian population (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: We reported the frequencies of the Jka and Jkb antigens and the distribution of the JK phenotypes in a group of Saudi blood donors in the Jazan Province, Saudi Arabia. The phenotype Jk(a + b + ) was the most common among the study population. Furthermore, this study emphasizes the significance of identifying the frequency of JK antigens and phenotypes in the provinces of Saudi Arabia.
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Background: Cross-fused renal ectopia (CFRE) is a rare congenital anomaly in which an ectopic kidney crosses the midline and merges with the orthotopic kidney on the other side. Patients with CFRE could present with urolithiasis. The abnormal anatomy and the lack of consensus to treat urolithiasis in these cases present challenges to treatment. In this study, we present a case of renal stone in a CFRE managed through percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). Case Presentation: We present a case of a 59-year-old man with right flank pain. Radiologic studies showed a 2 cm renal pelvis stone in a CFRE. The patient was effectively managed with PCNL. Conclusion: With proper radiologic study and thorough understanding of the aberrant anatomy, PCNL represents a safe and effective treatment for patients with renal stones in CFRE with high stone-free rate and low mortality.
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OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to present the current practice patterns on percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) in Saudi Arabia and to compare it with the international patterns and to observe the adherence to the guidelines. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A survey consisting of 28 questions was sent to urologists working in Saudi Arabia using a Google Forms questionnaire. The questioner covered most aspects of performing PCNL starting from preparing the patient till discharging him. RESULTS: One hundred and thirty-two replied to the survey. Almost 70.2% performed PCNL and 59.1% of them learned PCNL during residency. The access was obtained by the urologists in 80.3% from the participants, 68.2% of them uses fluoroscopic guidance for the puncture. The majority (80.3%) perform PCNL in the prone position. Nearly 69.7% use the balloon dilators and 16.7% use the Amplatz dilators. For kidney drainage, 60.6% place a nephrostomy tube and a double-J stent (DJ stent) together and 4.5% perform tubeless PCNL (DJ stent only). About 45.5% stated that the introduction of flexible ureteroscopy decreased the rate of doing PCNL for >20%. CONCLUSIONS: Data obtained from a group of urologists in Saudi Arabia showed that the majority of urologists practicing in Saudi Arabia perform PCNL. They usually learn PCNL during residency. We observe that the majority of urologists attach to the original patterns in PCNL, i.e., they predominantly prefer the prone position and use fluoroscopy to gain the PCNL access. Furthermore, the data showed that new trends in PCNL did not gain a lot of momentum as few practices miniaturized PCNL and tubeless PCNL. The majority use balloon dilators and combined ultrasonic/pneumatic lithotripters. The complication rate encountered by the participants is concomitance with the published international figures. The introduction of flexible ureteroscopy highly decreased the rate of doing PCNL for most urologists.
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INTRODUCTION: Emphysematous pyelonephritis (EPN) is associated with high mortality rate, up to 25%. There is still conflicting reports regarding the most appropriate management, conservative versus nephrectomy. OBJECTIVE: To describe the outcome of patients with EPN. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients diagnosed with EPN by computed tomography from three tertiary institutes in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Type of management was classified as conservative and surgical. The conservative includes medical and minimally invasive procedures, such as percutaneous drainage and nephrostomy. The surgical which is nephrectomy. The outcome observed was preservation of the kidney function or patient's life. RESULTS: A total of 10 patients were included (9 females and 1 male), median age was 55 years and 63% were diabetic. The most common presentation was flank pain (100%), fever (75%), and vomiting (63%). The most common organism isolated was Escherichia coli. Nephrectomy was not associated with increased survival rate, while conservative management was associated with a good outcome, less morbidity (not dialysis-dependent). CONCLUSION: Nephrectomy was not associated with high survival rate. Patients managed conservatively had a better overall performance and better survival. This study will add to other studies, which are encouraging conservative management.
