Overlooked Factors Causing Renal Damage in Vesicoureteric Reflux!

Introduction: Vesicoureteric reflux (VUR), recurrent urinary tract infection (RUTI), febrile urinary tract infection (FUTI), renal scarring, and renal damage are intimately related. Key factors of renal damage in VUR are suspected to be RUTI and FUTI. Hence, conventional treatments are targeted toward the prevention of RUTI and FUTI. However, literatures have witnessed that control of infection is not sufficient enough. That means we are missing some hidden, enigmatic, or overlooked factors which are essentially responsible for renal damage. We know RUTI occurs from the stasis of urine in system and stasis might occur from obstruction somewhere in system. Moreover, obstruction builds up back pressure in the bladder and ureters, and ultimately in kidneys; that pressure is independently harmful to renal function. Pressure is further harmful if this joins together with infection. We know that RUTI and FUTI along with pressure in the urinary tract are harmful to renal parenchyma. Nevertheless, search for the nexus of obstruction, pressure, stasis, infection, and damage (OPSID) of renal function is not yet focused on in VUR research. In this retrospective study on secondary VUR, we would like to find the overlooked factors or nexus of OPSID associated with VUR causing renal damage. Patients and Methods: A total of 170 renal units of 135 patients with VUR resulted from the posterior urethral valve and from repaired bladder exstrophy, from March 2005 to April 2019, had adequate data regarding control/correction of obstruction and urodynamic studies. The mean patient's age was 2.8 years (range 1 day-14 years). The diagnosis of VURs was made with postnatal cystogram in patients of the posterior urethral valve and of repaired continent augmented bladder exstrophy. We do cystogram not micturating cystogram following ultrasonography if showing dilated ureter/s. If we find no residual in ureter/s after 30 min in cystogram, we label it as "rise and fall" VUR (raf_VUR), i.e., without obstruction. On the other hand, if there is post void residual in ureter/s for more than 30 min, we label it as "rise and stasis" VUR (ras_VUR) means combination of VUR with uretero vesical junction obstruction (UVJO). Along with this, all patients were followed up with albumin creatinine ratio, creatinine clearance, USG Renometry, DTPA renal scan, uroflowmetry, and urodynamic study (UDS). Repeat cystoscopy, if necessary, was done following UDS for secondary bladder neck incision (BNI) or for repeat BNI if necessary. Results: Mean duration of follow-up was 7.2 years (range 3-14 years). Out of 170 renal units, 132 renal units had VUR without VUJO, i.e., raf_VUR and 38 renal units had ras_VUR. All patients of UVJO were relieved either with anticholinergics or with DJ stenting or by re-implantations. Twenty-nine patients out of 135 had high pressure on UDS, and they needed BNI. We were able to prevent upstaging of chronic kidney disease (USCKD) in all 135 patients. Conclusions: Our tangible goal of treatment in VUR is the prevention of USCKD. We differentiated raf_VUR from ras_VUR with cystogram. Patients with ras_VUR and patients with raf_VUR with high bladder pressure were actively treated. This particular subset VUR was treated with prophylactic antibiotic and surgical corrections. We prevented renal damage by eliminating obstruction and stasis which helped to prevent RUTI and FUTI. Possibly, similar management might also help to manage "primary VUR." Possibly those overlooked factors which are essentially responsible for renal damage are veiled in nexus OPSID of the kidney.

Sex-Cord Tumor with Annular Tubules with Unusual Morphology in an Infant with Peutz-Jeghers Syndrome.

Background Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (PJS) is characterized by hamartomatous gastrointestinal polyposis, mucocutaneous pigmentation and cancer predisposition. The clinical features of PJS manifest in first two decades of life; however, neonatal presentation is uncommon. Case report: We present a five day old girl with PJS that presented with obstructive hamartomatous polyps in the sigmoid colon. At colostomy closure at six months, an incidental ovarian sex-cord tumor with annular tubules (SCTAT) was detected. It showed predominantly a solid pattern with limited tubule formation and was composed of lipid-rich cells. She had no hormonal symptoms. Conclusion: SCTAT can occur as young as six months of age in PJS, and may show histologic overlap with lipid-rich Sertoli cell tumors.

Extended Ulaanbaatar Procedure with Preputial Skin Graft for Proximal Hypospadias.

Background: Two stage urethroplasty for proximal penile hypospadias is time consuming, expensive and; traumatic both for parents and phallus. On the other hand, single stage procedure technically demanding. We would like to describe Extended Ulaanbaatar Procedure (EUP) which is not a two stage procedure. Rather, might be called as 'extended single stage' procedure. In EUP we have done orthoplasty along with urethroplasty with preputial skin graft at same sitting as primary procedure keeping urination diverted through proximal hypospadiac meatus as "controlled fistula" which was closed after six months as secondary procedure. Methods: We operated on 35 patients of proximal penile hypospadias with moderate to severe chordee. Chordee was excised till correction of curvature. Two distracted cut ends of native plate was bridged with preputial skin graft (PSG) in between. Following that, silastic tube was placed over glandular plate as scaffold, on both cut ends of native plate and PSG. All the urethral plates and PSG were buried with tunica vaginalis flap before glanuloplasty. After six months, proximal "controlled fistula" was closed with scrotal dartos fascia and skin to join distal to proximal urethra. Results: Vertical meatus in glans was found in 32 patients. One patient had glans dehiscence, two patients had medium sized fistula, another two patients had stenosis in neourethra and six had suture track fistula. Twenty-nine patients had satisfactory curve with good flow in uroflowmetry as per nomogram at sixth month of follow up. Conclusion: In classic Ulaanbaatar procedure authors do distal urethroplasty and glanuloplsaty in 1st stage following orthoplasty to avoid repeat trauma in glans in repeat procedures. Left over urethroplasty in classic Ulaanbaatar was done in 2nd stage. However, in EUP; we did urethroplasty for full length following orthoplasty as primary procedure. This procedure is less invasive than two staged as we avoided repeat degloving and repeat dissection on operated tissues. Urethroplasty done as primary procedure shunned the need of repeat degloving, decreased the period of morbidity, stay, and cost of surgery. We also avoided problems of urination through not matured, long, neo-urethra. Similarly complications i.e disruption, stenosis in neo-urethra can be managed utilizing the advantages of urinary diversion.