Comparison of open nephroureterectomy and open conservative management of upper urinary tract transitional cell carcinoma.

INTRODUCTION: The treatment preserving the kidney for upper urinary tract (UUT) transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) is still controversial. We aimed to elucidate the results of open conservative surgery and compare them with the results of radical nephroureterectomy (RNU). PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study included 107 patients with UUT TCC treated by open conservative surgery (21 patients) or nephroureterectomy (86 patients). Epidemiological, clinical and pathological characteristics of patients as well as 5-year survival rates were compared between groups. RESULTS: Patients treated by conservative surgery had a significantly higher rate of bilateral tumors (38% vs. 3%, p = 0.0001) and smaller tumor size than those treated by radical operations (2.60 +/- 1.24 vs. 3.99 +/- 3.94 cm, p = 0.060). Five-year survival rates for patients treated by conservative and radical surgery were 59 and 55%, respectively. Within the group of patients treated by conservative surgery, 5-year overall survival rates of patients operated due to imperative and elective indications were 41 and 75%, respectively. In univariate analysis, RNU was a statistically significant predictor of poorer outcome of the disease in comparison with conservative surgery (HR = 2.2, 95% CI 1.1-4.6, p = 0.030). CONCLUSIONS: The mode of operation affects the outcome of UUT TCC patients, in addition to factors such as tumor grade, stage and size.

[The most important factor for active urinary stone formation in patients with urolithiasis].

INTRODUCTION: Urolithiasis, which affects 1-5% of western world population causing significant morbidity, is heterogeneous disorder with varying pathophysiologic milieu. Patients with recurrent stone formation are the particular problem because the understanding of the risk factors for active stone formation is deficient. The aim of the present study was to determine the most important metabolic and clinical parameters for active stone formation in order to recommend the best preventive therapies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study 134 consecutive outpatients (57 males, 46.9+/-14.4 years old) were referred and evaluated for urinary stone disease at our Institute. Clinical and metabolic parameters were determined by standardized procedures of questionnaire, serum biochemical profiles and urinalyses. An active stone former group was defined by an increase in the size or number of stones, or a recurrent stone event within 2 years. RESULTS: In the evaluated cohort, 51 patients (38.1%) created the active stone former group. These patients were younger in the moment of the first stone elimination, had higher serum creatinine concentration, lower urine citrate concentration, as well as citrate/calcium ratio, higher urine pH and more frequently had clinical important urine sediment with eritrocituria and lenkocituria compared to the non-active stone group. Significant positive correlations were found between the active stone former and serum creatine concentration (r=0.227), urine pH (r=0.223), urine sediment (r=0.255) but negative with urine citrate (r=-0.275) and citrate/calcium ratio (r=-0.227). However, multivariate analysis indicated that clinical important urine sediment with eritrocituria and leuokocituria (p=0.033) and low urine citrate (p=0.04) were the only determinants of active urinary stone formation. CONCLUSION: Further study is required to investigate efficacy of alkaline citrate substitution and rigorous diagnosis and treatment of infections in order to prevent urinary stone recurrence.

[The effect of urinary tract calculosis to levels of low molecular inhibitors of crystallization in the urine].

The incidence of urinary tract calculosis continuously progresses. The triggering event in the process of stone formation is decreased urinary level of crystallizing inhibitors. The aim of our study was to investigate whether the existing stone or applied therapeutic procedure - extracorporeal shock waves lithotripsy (ESWL) - has effect to urinary levels of Mg, citrate and pyrophosphate. Study included 128 patients with the upper urinary tract stones. ESWL using the Lithostar (Siemens) device was used as a mode of treatment. Out of all patients, 76 (59%) were free of stone particles before 1 month, while 52 (41%) had residual stone fragments even 3 months after ESWL. Mg, citrate and pyrophosphate were measured in 24h-urine specimens: before, between days 2 and 3, as well as 1 and 3 months after ESWL. The analysis of the results revealed that stone itself had no effect on urinary crystallizing inhibitors. Detected increased urinary levels of Mg, citrate and pyrophosphate after ESWL, compared with pre-treatment values, could be attributed to applied therapeutic procedure.