Incidental extraspinal findings on magnetic resonance imaging of intervertebral discs.

INTRODUCTION: We aimed to evaluate pathological extraspinal findings and congenital anomalies/anatomical variations that were incidentally detected on the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of intervertebral discs, to find the frequencies of these incidental findings, and to emphasise the clinical importance of them. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective study including 1031 consecutive patients (730 females and 301 males, with a median age of 46 years) was conducted by evaluating a total of 1106 MRI examinations of intervertebral discs. Examinations were performed with a 1.5 T MRI unit. Incidental findings were classified as pathological findings and congenital anomalies/anatomical variations. RESULTS: The percentages of incidental extraspinal pathological findings and congenital anomalies/anatomical variations were 16.6% (95% confidence interval (CI): 14.4-18.8) and 3.7% (95% CI: 2.6-4.3), respectively. The percentage of incidental extraspinal pathological findings on cervical spinal MRI was 25.7% (95% CI: 20.1-31.7), thyroid nodules being the most common incidental findings. On thoracic spinal MRI (n = 19), inferior pole thyroid nodules were demonstrated as incidental extraspinal pathological findings, with a percentage of 10.5% (95% CI: 9.6-11.5). On lumbar spinal MRI, incidental pathological findings were detected with a percentage of 14.2% (95% CI: 11.9-16.6), while the percentage of congenital anomalies/anatomical variations was 4.8% (95% CI: 3.4-6.3). Eventually, 6.5% (95% CI: 2.6-9.4) of all cases with incidental extraspinal pathological findings underwent surgery. CONCLUSIONS: On MRI examination of intervertebral discs, paying attention to incidentally detected pathological extraspinal findings and congenital anomalies/anatomical variations is very important due to the fact that they can alter the treatment of the patient or affect the patient's life.

Stone compositions in Turkey: an analysis according to gender and region.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the compositions of the kidney stones obtained from different regions of Turkey and to present the gender and regional differences. METHODS: The study included 6453 kidney stones obtained from patients from different parts of Turkey. All of the stones were obtained using ureterorenoscopy, percutaneous stone surgery, laparoscopic or open stone surgery, or extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy. X-ray diffraction crystallography method was used for analysis. RESULTS: At the end of the analysis, 11 different stone types including calcium oxalate (Ca-ox) monohydrate (whewellite, COM), Ca-ox dihydrate (weddellite, COD), uric acid, cystine, struvite, biurea, xanthine brushite, quartz, whitlockite, and dahlite were determined either in pure or mixed conditions. Of the stones, 80.4% were Ca-ox (55.7% COM, 5.9% COD, 18.8% COM + COD), 4.8% uric acid, 3.1% cystine, and 3.3% were phosphate stones (dahlite, brushite, struvite, whitlockite). The remaining 8.4% of the stones were in mixed form with different combinations. Of the patients, 4411 were men (68.3%) and 2042 were women (31.7%). CONCLUSION: Ca-ox was the most frequently encountered stone type in our country as it is worldwide. The distribution of the other stone types is different than the other countries. The information about the structure of the stone has significant contribution to the understanding of the stone formation etiology, programming of the treatment process, and prevention of the recurrences. The study is significant in presenting the stone profile of Turkey.

The presence and distribution of alpha adrenergic receptors in human renal pelvis and calyces.

In this study, we aimed to demonstrate the presence of Alpha (α) 1 receptors and subtypes in human pelvis and calyces, because an agent to facilitate kidney stone movement and help decrease pain may be an α 1 adrenergic blocker, as used in ureteral stones. Twenty patients who applied to our clinic for renal cell carcinoma were enrolled to the study. All patients underwent radical nephrectomy. After the specimens were removed, excisional biopsies were performed on healthy pelvises and calyces. Mean α-receptor stain rates in renal pelvis were 2.65 ± 0.74, 1.35 ± 0.81 and 2.9 ± 0.30 for α 1A, 1B and 1D, respectively. For calyces, the rates are 2.40 ± 0.82, 1.50 ± 0.76 and 2.75 ± 0.44 for α 1A, 1B and 1D, respectively (Fig. 1). When the staining patterns were compared, α 1A and 1D were expressed more in both pelvis and calyces than α 1B (p < 0.05). After the demonstration of α-adrenergic receptors in pelvis and calyces of human kidney, it may be helpful in coming up with new alternative treatments for patients suffering from kidney stones.

Evaluation of the left renal vein variations and inferior vena cava variations by means of helical computed tomography.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the percentages of the left renal vein (LRV) variations and inferior vena cava (IVC) variations as well as the effect of gender on their frequencies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Contrast-enhanced abdominal helical computed tomography (CT) examinations of 1204 patients were retrospectively evaluated. RESULTS: The correspondent percentages of the total LRV variations, retroaortic left renal vein (RLRV), and circumaortic LRV were 5.2%, 3.1%, and 2.1%, respectively. A statistically significant correlation was found between RLRV variation and gender (P=.036). CONCLUSIONS: Helical CT is an efficient, fast, easily applicable, and reliable imaging modality in demonstration of LRV variations and IVC variations.

The preventive role of transurethral antibiotic delivery in a rat model.

PURPOSE: There is currently an emerging need for developing improved approaches for preventing urinary tract infections (UTIs) occurring during diagnostic or interventional procedures of the lower urinary tract. We aimed to establish a rat model to assess the use of transurethral antibiotic administration and to provide evidence that this could be used as a preventive therapy. METHODS: Animals received fosfomycin trometamol (FOF) either urethrally or orally prior to the procedure. A third group was generated as treatment controls and did not receive any medication. Urethral dilation was conducted to recapitulate an interventional procedure prior to intravesical Escherichia coli administration in all three groups. Finally, sham-operated animals were introduced as a fourth group which did not receive antibiotics or E. coli. Colony counts of urine and tissue cultures for the identification of E. coli and histopathological examinations of the bladder and prostate were conducted. RESULTS: Evaluation of infection intensities in cultures as well as histopathological examination of the bladder and prostate demonstrated a preventative role of transurethral FOF administration. In terms of efficiency, local administration of FOF was similar to oral administration. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that transurethral antibiotic administration is a promising alternative for preventing UTIs occurring during diagnostic or interventional procedures of the lower urinary tract.

Metabolic evaluation in stone disease metabolic differences between the pediatric and adult patients with stone disease.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the metabolic risk factors in children and adults with stone disease and any differences between the metabolic risk factors of children and adult patients with stone disease. METHODS: Between 1999 and 2007, 285 adults with recurrent stone disease and 71 children with primary or recurrent urinary stone disease underwent metabolic evaluation in our clinic. The evaluation included blood chemistry studies and 24-hour urine collection in the pediatric and adult groups. RESULTS: The mean age of the children was 9.35 years (range: 1-14) and 42.1 years (range: 14-71) in the adult patients. Metabolic risk factors were demonstrated in 90.53% (n = 258) of the adult and 88.73% (n = 63) of the pediatric patients. Although hypercalciuria (50.5%, n = 144) was the most common metabolic risk factor in the adult group, hypocitraturia was the most common metabolic risk factor in the pediatric group (57.74%, n = 41). Furthermore, in the adult group, 136 patients had more than 1 risk factor, and in the pediatric group, 24 patients had more than 1 risk factor. CONCLUSION: Although hypocitraturia is the most common risk factor in pediatric urolithiasis patients and hypercalciuria is the most common risk factor in adult patients, all patients with stone formation should be given a limited metabolic evaluation because such patients may also have a metabolic abnormality.