Management of non-functioning kidney due to pelvi-ureteric junction obstruction in pediatric age group: an observational study.

INTRODUCTION: A non-functional kidney (NFK) has been defined as one having paper-thin parenchyma, and split renal function (SRF) of < 10% on a nuclear scan. There are differences of opinion about nephrectomy or pyeloplasty in these patients. The present study was conducted to assess our management strategy of renal salvage for NFK. MATERIALS AND METHODS: It was a retrospective cohort study from January 2015 to July 2022, patients having SRF < 10% were included. These patients underwent ultrasound-guided percutaneous nephrostomy (PCN). A repeat nuclear scan was performed after 3 months. If SRF increased to > 10%, pyeloplasty was performed. RESULTS: Fifteen patients were managed. The mean age was 24.67 ± 23.61 months. Male to female ratio was 4:1. The initial mean SRF was 6.67 ± 2.85, which improved to 16.80 ± 4.69 after 3 months of placing the PCN (p < 0.001). The corresponding changes in the mean effective renal plasma flow (ERPF) were 60.13 ± 24.08 to 106.53 ± 24.61 (p < 0.001). There was no complaint after the placement of PCN. All patients underwent dismembered pyeloplasty. CONCLUSION: In NFK due to PUJO, expectant treatment in form of PCN followed by pyeloplasty appears to be the primary treatment modality, and nephrectomy may not be needed in any of them.

Comparison of modified hand-assisted retroperitoneoscopic laparoscopic nephrectomy and open nephrectomy in patients with benign inflammatory non-functioning kidney diseases.

BACKGROUND: To assess the validity and feasibility of the modified hand-assisted retroperitoneoscopic laparoscopic nephrectomy (MHARLN) in patients with benign inflammatory non-functioning kidney diseases. METHODS: We retrospectively compared the data of 223 patients who underwent an MHARLN (n=142) or an open nephrectomy (ON) (n=81) with benign inflammatory non-functioning diseases between January 2014 and October 2019 at our hospital. Patients' demographic data, perioperative outcomes, preoperative and postoperative inflammatory data, and postoperative complications were reviewed. RESULTS: The basic demographic data of patients were similar between the 2 groups. The mean operative times for the MHARLN and the ON were 135 and 143 minutes (P=0.181), respectively. The first time at which postoperative ambulation occurred, the visual analog pain scale (VAS) score before discharge and the postoperative complication rate were similar in both groups. However, compared to the MHARLN, the ON was associated with a more severe inflammatory response on the first day after surgery (P=0.045), higher estimated blood loss (309.8 vs. 139.6 mL; P=0.036), more peritoneal ruptures (19.8% vs. 9.2%; P=0.024), higher intraoperative transfusion (14.82% vs. 4.93%; P=0.011), higher VAS scores 24 hours after surgery (5.9 vs. 5.2; P=0.002), additional analgesic use (35.8% vs. 21.8%; P=0.024), and longer hospital stays (5.3 vs. 4.6 days; P=0.048). Before a liquid diet was commenced in the MHARLN and ON groups, the mean time was 1.2 and 1.5 days, respectively (P=0.004). CONCLUSIONS: When performed by a skilled laparoscopic surgeon, the use of the MHARLN in patients with benign inflammatory non-functioning kidney diseases is reliable and safe. The MHARLN may help to treat challenging cases and result in less trauma successfully.

Changes in double-strand DNA breaks predict delayed graft function (DGF) in Japanese renal allograft recipients.

BACKGROUND: Although delayed graft function (DGF) is a serious complication following kidney transplantation, a reliable and early diagnostic test is lacking to identify the grade of DGF. METHODS: We investigated changes in double-strand DNA breaks (DSBs), and factors related to DGF, such as ischemic times at transplantation and serum creatinine (sCr) levels. DSBs were detected by phospho-histone H2A.X (γ-H2AX) expression and cellular regeneration by Ki-67 before (0 h) and 1 h after allograft reperfusion (1 h) in each subject. RESULTS: The expression of γ-H2AX or Ki-67 at 0 h showed no difference between the living and deceased donors. γ-H2AX at 1 h decreased in the living donors, but increased in the deceased donors compared with that of 0 h(p = 0.017). Changes (Δ) in γ-H2AX between 0 and 1 h were different among subgroups, i.e., immediate function, slow graft function with dialysis < 7 days, DGF with dialysis < 4 weeks, severe DGF with dialysis > 4 weeks, or primary non-function (PNF) (p = 0.04). Severe DGF and PNF cases showed greater increase in Δγ-H2AX (p = 0.019), and were distinguished by > 12% of Δγ-H2AX at 100% sensitivity and 88.2% specificity (ROC analysis, AUC: 0.922, p = 0.023). In a multivariate regression analysis, donor sCr and Δγ-H2AX were two main predictors of the grade of DGF (p = 0.002). The expression of Ki-67 was very low at both 0 h and 1 h. CONCLUSION: The combination of donor sCr and Δγ-H2AX from 0 to 1 h after reperfusion may predict severe DGF and PNF in the early phase.

Transperitoneal laparoscopic nephrectomy for renal tumour disease versus non-tumour disease: What are the differences in outcomes?

@#Introduction: Laparoscopic nephrectomy is the standard of care for the removal of both non-functioning and tumourbearing kidneys. This study was conducted to compare the characteristics and outcomes follow-ing laparoscopic transperitoneal nephrectomy (TP) for tumour and nontumour disease. Methods: We retro-spectively reviewed all TP nephrectomies performed in the Hospital Sultanah Bahiyah Alor Setar, Kedah between January 2016 and July 2017. Results: A total of 36 eligible cases were identified, 10 of which were for renal tumours and the others for nonfunctioning kidneys. There were no statistically significant differ-ences between the two groups in terms of demographics and comorbidities. We also did not identify any sta-tistically significant differences between the two groups in terms of operating time, blood loss, need for transfusion, septic complications and postoperative recovery. The only significant difference between the groups was the postoperative rise in serum creatinine, which was higher in the tumour disease group (mean rise 23.4 vs 5.35µmol/l; p = 0.012). Conclusions: Our study showed that laparoscopic nephrectomy is both feasible and safe for the treatment of tumour and non-tumour renal disease with low complication rates in both groups.

Laparoscopic Transperitoneal Nephrectomy in Non-functioning Severe Hydronephrotic Kidneys With or Without Renal Stone.

Aim To investigate the effects of the additional presence of nephrolithiasis on the results of laparoscopic simple nephrectomy in patients with severe hydronephrotic non-functional kidneys. Patients and methods A total of 43 patients in whom severe hydronephrosis had been determined on spiral computerized tomography, who had a renal function of lower than 10% according to the dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) renal scintigraphy, and who had undergone a laparoscopic simple nephrectomy due to persistent renal pain and/or recurrent urinary tract infection and/or unresolved hypertension with multidrug treatment, were included in the study. The patients were divided into two groups based on the presence of renal stone as those with stone formation (Group 1) and those without stone formation (Group 2). The groups were compared with regard to the patients' demographic characteristics, operation durations, pre- and postoperative hemoglobulin and creatinine levels, percentage of change of postoperative hemoglobulin levels, complications, transfusion requirements, and durations of hospitalization. Results Overall, there were 43 patients including 19 patients in Group 1 and 24 patients in Group 2. Although the durations of operations, the durations of hospitalization, and the rates of change of hemoglobulin were higher in the patients in Group 1, these differences were not statistically significant. Postoperative complications were observed in 21 (48.8%) of the 43 patients. Postoperative complications were observed in 13 patients in Group 1 and in eight patients in Group 2. This difference was determined to be statistically significant (p<0.01). Conclusions We observed that except for the postoperative complication rates, the laparoscopic nephrectomy results in patients with severe hydronephrotic non-functional kidneys with or without stone were similar.

Individual strategy of retroperitoneoscopic nephrectomy for benign non-functioning kidneys (84 cases) / 中国内镜杂志

Objective To explore the technique and clinical efficacy of retroperitoneoscopic nephrectomy (RN) at different anatomical plane for benign non-functioning kidneys. Method We retrospectively reviewed the clinical data of 84 patients who underwent RN for benign non-functioning kidneys from February 2010 to November 2016. Various anatomical plane was performed for differing etiology, image and plane, included radical nephrectomy (A group, n = 35), simple nephrectomy (B group, n = 27) and subcapsular nephrectomy (C group, n = 22). Clinical data and preoperative information was collected and analyzed. Result Nephrectomy was performed successfully in 84 patients. There are significantly longer mean operative time and more estimated blood loss in the C group than that in A group and B group (P < 0.05), however, postoperative hospital stay, complications and recovery time were significantly less in the three groups. There was longer mean operative time and more estimated blood in specific and nonspecific infection group compared with the other two groups (P < 0.05). Conclusion Retroperitoneoscopic nephrectomy, although challenging, is safe, reliable, and successful for treatment of benign non-functioning kidneys.Anatomical plane of avascular zone should be offered as the choice of modality to all patients with benign non-functioning kidney.

[Comparison of results of open simple nephrectomy secondary to lithiasis in patients with and without nephrostomy]. / Comparación de los resultados de la nefrectomía simple abierta secundaria a litiasis en pacientes con y sin nefrostomía.

BACKGROUND: Simple nephrectomy is the procedure of choice in the treatment of excluded kidneys. The purpose of this study was to describe and compare surgical results in open simple retroperitoneal nephrectomies in patients with and without nephrostomy. METHODOLOGY: 58 patients were analyzed. The demographic parameters of patients with nephrostomy were compared to patients without nephrostomy (age, gender, weight, lithium localization, transoperative variables (surgical time, transoperative bleeding) and postoperative variables (need for intensive care, need for transfusion, surgical wound infection and hospital stay days) RESULTS: Statistically significant differences were found for the variables of operative bleeding (p=0.0442), surgical time (p=0.0093), hospital stay days (p=0.0040), and transfusion requirements (p=0.0170). There were no differences in the need for intensive care (p=0.6314), transoperative complications (p=0.7414) and surgical wound infection (p=0.2762). CONCLUSIONS: The presence of a nephrostomy catheter in patients undergoing open simple nephrectomy leads to an increased risk of morbidity, with increased bleeding, surgical time, need for transfusion, and hospital stay days.

Transitional cell carcinoma: A rare development in congenital ureteropelvic junction obstruction kidney.

A 54-year-old male chronic smoker presented with hematuria 13 years after being diagnosed with an asymptomatic left non-functioning kidney secondary to congenital ureteropelvic junction obstruction. On evaluation, he was diagnosed with renal collecting system mass occupying the lower pole region, for which radical nephroureterectomy with bladder cuff excision and nodal dissection was carried out. Histopathology revealed upper tract transitional cell carcinoma.

[Nephrectomies in poor or non-functioning kidneys. Is it the right thing to do?] / Nefrectomías en riñón no funcionante, ¿estamos haciendo lo correcto?

AIM OF THE STUDY: To review our management and outcomes of nephrectomies performed in patients with non-functioning kidneys. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of the patients who underwent nephrectomy surgery in our hospital between 2010 and 2014. Data was collected from the patient charts paying special attention to the clinical resolution of the symptoms that motivated surgery. MAIN RESULTS: A total of 18 nephrectomies were performed. Median age was of 6,5 years (range: 11 months to 15 years). Surgery was indicated by recurrent urinary tract infections (UTI) in 7 cases, renovascular hypertension (RHT) in 5, pain in 2, increasing size in 2 and parents' preference due to poor compliance with follow up in 2 patients. 16 nephrectomies were performed laparoscopically and 2 were open procedures. Median hospital length of stay was 48 hours. Complication rate was 5.55% both for the intraoperatively (1 case of bleeding) and post operatively (1 case of subcutaneous emphysema). Signs and symptoms were successfully resolved in all cases except for 3, 2 patients had an UTI and 1 persistent RHT. CONCLUSIONS: Nephrectomy is a safe surgical procedure in children with a low rate of complications. An appropriate selection of the cases and a thorough preoperative multidisciplinary assessment are essential aspects to obtain good clinical results and to avoid post-operative complications.

OBJETIVOS: Presentar nuestra experiencia en el manejo quirúrgico del riñón poco o no funcionante, revisando las indicaciones de nefrectomía y sus resultados a largo plazo. MATERIAL Y METODOS: Estudio retrospectivo de los pacientes intervenidos de nefrectomía en nuestro centro entre los años 2010 y 2014. Se revisaron sus historias clínicas y se recogieron una serie de variables sociodemográficas y clínicas, prestando especial atención a la resolución o no de la sintomatología que motivó la cirugía. RESULTADOS: Realizamos un total de 18 nefrectomías. La edad media fue de 6,5 años (11 meses - 15 años). La indicación de cirugía se realizó por infecciones del tracto urinario (ITUS) de repetición en 7 casos, hipertensión arterial renovascular (HTAR) en 5, dolor en 2, aumento de tamaño en 2 y dificultad para el seguimiento en otros 2 pacientes. La nefrectomía se realizó vía laparoscópica en 16 casos y abierta en 2. La mediana de la estancia hospitalaria fue de 48 horas. La tasa de complicaciones fue del 5,55% tanto intraoperatoriamente (1 caso de sangrado) como postoperatoriamente (1 caso de enfisema subcutáneo). En todos los casos se objetivó resolución de la sintomatología salvo en 3, 2 pacientes presentaron ITUS y 1 HTA persistente. CONCLUSIONES: La nefrectomía es un procedimiento seguro en niños con una tasa baja de complicaciones. La selección adecuada de los casos y un correcto estudio multidisciplinar previo son aspectos fundamentales para obtener buenos resultados clínicos y evitar complicaciones postoperatorias.

Incidence of renal carcinoma in non-functioning kidney due to renal pelvic stone disease.

The objective of This study was to report our pathological findings in nephrectomy specimens from patients treated for non-functioning hydronephrotic kidney due to renal pelvic stone disease. A total of 97 patients who underwent nephrectomy for non-functioning hydronephrotic kidneys between January, 2011 and June, 2014 were retrospectively reviewed. A non-functioning kidney was defined as one having paper-thin parenchyma on urinary ultrasound or computed tomography, exhibiting no contrast visualization in the collecting duct system on intravenous urography and having a split renal function of <10% on nuclear renal function studies. Following pathological evaluation, 9 patients were diagnosed with xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis, 9 with malignant tumors and 79 with chronic pyelonephritis. Of the patients with chronic pyelonephritis, 2 also had renal adenomas. The malignant tumors included 3 transitional cell carcinomas (TCC), 2 squamous cell carcinomas (SCC), 3 renal cell carcinomas (RCC) (1 sarcomatoid, 1 papillary and 1 clear cell RCC), whereas 1 patient had concurrent RCC and TCC. In conclusion, non-functioning kidneys, particularly those with kidney stones, should be managed as possible malignancies, due to the higher incidence of malignant tumors in such patients compared with the normal population.

Systemic lupus erythematosus accompanying with renal tuberculosis: a case report.

A 26-year-old woman, with a six-year history of well-controlled systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), complained of urinary frequency and urgency. After failure of commonly-used antibiotic therapy, mycobacterium tuberculosis was cultured from her urine and renal tuberculosis (TB) was diagnosed. However, she underwent right nephrectomy after the combination therapies of prednisone for SLE and anti-tuberculosis treatment for renal TB failed. To our knowledge, SLE accompanying renal TB is rare, and such a rapid deterioration in renal function has never been reported.

Laparoscopic nephrectomy in children for benign conditions: indications and outcome.

AIM: To analyze the indications and outcome of laparoscopic nephrectomy for benign non-functioning kidneys in children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The data of all patients operated over a 10 year period was retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: There were 56 children, aged 4 months to 12 years with a male: female ratio of 2.3:1. The most common presentation in boys and girls was urinary tract infection (UTI) (61.5% and 47.05% respectively). Incontinence due to ectopic ureter was a close second in girls (41.17%). The most common underlying conditions were vesico-ureteric reflux (42.85%) and multicystic dysplastic kidney (23.2%). There were 6 nephrectomies, 4 heminephroureterectomies and the remaining nephroureterectomies. All children tolerated the surgery well. One patient underwent a concomitant cholecystectomy. The post-operative problems encountered were UTI (1), urine retention (1), pyonephrosis in the opposite kidney and development of contra-lateral reflux (1). All others had resolution of pre-operative symptoms with good cosmesis. CONCLUSIONS: As per available literature, this appears to be the largest Indian series of pediatric laparoscopic nephrectomies for benign non-functioning kidneys. Laparoscopic approach gives excellent results provided pre-operative investigations rule out other causes for the symptoms with which the patient presents. Often it is not the kidney but the dilated dysplastic ureter which is the seat of stasis and infection or pain and therefore should be completely removed.

Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis: Rare presentation of a rare disease.

Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis is a rare chronic renal infection of unknown pathogenesis characterized by replacement of renal parenchyma by lipid filled macrophages frequently associated with an enlarged, non-functioning kidney and an obstructing calculus. We report a case of a 45 year old non diabetic female who presented with gradually enlarging renal mass with extensive retroperitoneal involvement and a non-functioning kidney with no evidence of obstructing stone or fat density and simulating malignancy. She was diagnosed as stage III Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis and managed with radical nephrectomy with favourable outcome.

Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis: A rare entity.

CONTEXT: Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis is an extremely rare but known entity resulting from prolonged suppuration of the kidney. The disease may be focal or diffuse and may pose considerable diagnostic dilemma at times. Surgery is curable and remains optimal treatment of choice. Owing to its rarity and clinical curiosity we report such a rare case encountered in our clinical practice. CASE REPORT: We report a case of non-functioning kidney suggestive of either Tuberculosis or xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis in the pre-operative period depending upon the clinical aqumen and investigations available and nephrectomy was done. It was confirmed as xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis histopathologically. CONCLUSION: Preoperative diagnosis of xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis may pose difficulty and nephrectomy remains the treatment of choice especially in diffuse cases of xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis.

Retroperitoneal laparoscopic simple nephrectomy: Reports of 6 cases / 中国微创外科杂志

Objective To discuss the clinical value of retroperitoneal laparoscopic simple nephrectomy. Methods Retroperitoneal laparoscopic simple nephrectomy was performed in 6 patients, including 5 cases of severe hydronephrosis with non-functioning kidney resulted from ureteral calculi and 1 case of renal tuberculosis. The operation was conducted via retroperitoneal approach. After the upper ureter and the renal pedicle were exposed, the renal artery and vein were clipped and severed. The renal pedicle was occluded only with titanium clips before the removal of the kidney. Results All the operations were performed successfully without complications. The operation time was 130~220 min (mean, 150 min) and the intraoperative blood loss, 80~150 ml (mean, 120 ml). The postoperative hospital stay ranged 5~7 days. Follow-ups for 3 months in the 5 patients with ureterolithiasis revealed normal renal functions. The patient with renal tuberculosis was given anti-tuberculosis therapy and followed for 6 months. No recurrence was seen and the patient’s serum creatinine level was 120 ?mol/L, which was slightly higher than the normal. Conclusions Retroperitoneal laparoscopic simple nephrectomy has advantages of minimal invasion, short hospital stay and rapid recovery. The procedure should be regarded as the “golden standard” for simple nephrectomy.

Clinical review of nephrectomy on tuberculous non-functioning kidneys / 대한비뇨기과학회지

A clinical observation was made on 23 patients with tuberculous non-functioning kidneys who underwent nephrectomy during the period from February 1986 to June 1992. We reviewed these cases according to primary nephrectomy on tuberculous non-functioning kidneys. The following results were obtained. In pathologic findings of the 27 cases in which tuberculous non-functioning kidneys were suspected, 4 cases were no evidence of tuberculosis. Those were xanthoeranulomatous pyelonephritis (2 cases) and chronic pyelonephritis with hydronephrosis (2 cases). Coexisting renal cell carcinoma was found in 1 case. 4 cases (17.1%) were hypertensive at the time of presentation and 3 cases or them had a decrease in blood pressure after nephrectomy. No perioperative mortality occurred and perioperative complications (sinus arrhydrmia, wound infection, wound dehisdence, ileus) were in 4 cases (17.4 %). There was no evidence of recurrence during follow-u periods. (Follow-up mean periods: 18.5 months) Thus, it is concluded that primary nephrectomy is an important adjunct in the comprehensive management of the unilateral, tuberculous non-functioning kidneys, for accurate diagnosis, removal of infection source, early control and prevention of presenting symptoms.