Diagnosis and Management of Ureteropelvic Obstruction in Kidney Transplant Recipients and Outcomes of Foley Y-V Pyeloplasty.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the etiology and diagnostic tools for ureteropelvic obstruction in kidney transplant recipients, we investigated the short-term and long-term outcomes of Foley Y-V pyeloplasty. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 10 patients who underwent kidney transplant followed by additional interventions to treat obstructive ureteral pathologies between 2016 and 2020. We enrolled 4 patients who had received intervention to treat ureteropelvic obstruction. For these 4 patients, serum creatinine and estimated glomerular filtration rate levels were recorded at baseline, during the symptomatic period, and long-term. In this single center study, we investigated diagnostic tools and management strategies for ureteropelvic obstruction and assessed performance of Foley Y-V nondismembered pyeloplasty in kidney transplant recipients. RESULTS: Among 4 patients, graft function (assessed by serum creatinine and estimated glomerular filtration rate) worsened significantly (P = .03) in the symptomatic period of ureteropelvic obstruction in all patients; however, graft function levels improved rapidly to levels similar to baseline (P = .07) after Y-V pyeloplasty. In addition, no statistically significant difference was detected between baseline and longterm graft functions afterY-V pyeloplasty in follow-up (P = .28). CONCLUSIONS: Diagnosis and management of ureteropelvic obstruction in kidney transplant recipients are challenging due to rarity and lack of an ideal management algorithm.There is no specific diagnostic tool to discriminate this pathology from other ureteral pathologies; therefore, a regimen of conventional imaging modalities and diuretic renogram combined with endoscopic evaluation is more reliable. Moreover, nondismembered Foley Y-V pyeloplasty is effective and safe for graft function in the short-term and long-term.

Correlation between Prostate Cancer Positive Cores and 68Ga-PSMA Distribution in Prostate Gland.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of our study was to evaluate reliability of 68Ga-labeled prostate-specific membrane antigen positron emission tomography (68Ga-PSMA PET/CT) and identify appropriate SUVmax cutoff values in order to use for diagnosis, especially in patients remained clinically suspicious for prostate cancer (PCa). METHODS: Eighty-four patients applied 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT subsequent to transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy (TRUS-bx) involved in this study retrospectively. 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT imagings were analyzed by a nuclear medicine physician, and region of interests were drawn manually in prostate diagrams including 6 segments for each patient. These marked diagrams were analyzed with histopathology reports TRUS-bx. 504 segments were grouped with Gleason scoring system, and all groups were compared with mean SUVmax values. RESULTS: Mean SUVmax value of Gleason grade group 1 (GG1, n: 352 segments) was 6.6 (±4.6) and significantly lower than the other groups (p < 0.001). No significant difference was detected within GG2-5 groups (p > 0.05). According to receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, SUVmax cutoff values were 1.0 (AUC: 0.961) for tumor detection, yielding a sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value of 99.4%, 92.1%, 96.5%, 98%, respectively, and 4.2 (AUC: 0.853) for detection of clinically significant PCa with 88.8%, 62.4%, 84.5%, and 71%, respectively. Although tumor percentage of biopsy core and Gleason group were correlated with SUVmax uptake, but patient age was not. CONCLUSION: 68Ga-PSMA PET appears to be a reliable option for diagnosis and disease management in PCa and can be considered especially in discrimination of csPCa, and patients remained suspicious for disease.

Does STING failure affect short-term graft functions in renal transplant patients: a single-center study.

PURPOSE: The aim of the present study was to evaluate outcomes of symptomatic VUR treatment in transplant patients, compare open and endoscopic approaches in terms of graft functions, success rates, complications and recurrent UTIs. METHODS: 67 patients who undergone only STING and STING followed redo UNC due to symptomatic VUR after kidney transplantation were included into the investigation. Patients who had lower urinary tract dysfunctions were excluded from the trial. For 67 patients, baseline and before final surgery and 3rd month creatinine and GFR levels were recorded. Twenty-six of those 67 patients had redo UNC due to failed STING. The data of those patients were compared with the remaining 41 patients who had only STING. RESULTS: In both groups no statistically significant variations in serum creatinine and GFR levels were detected during follow-up (p > 0.05). Serum levels after STING and in the 3rd month of redo UNC were compared. Although variation was observed in serum creatinine levels and in GFR levels, was not statistically significant (p: 0.59 and p: 0.23). The success rate of STING was %61.1 in 67 patients, and was not significantly different when three VUR grade groups (Grade 3 n:17, Grade 4 n:24, Grade 5 n:36) were compared (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The present study revealed that subureteral endoscopic injection is cost effective and safe for the first-line treatment due to its minimally invasive nature, does not cause delay which leads to deterioration of graft functions. Redo-UNC has acceptable morbidity and complication rates, should be considered when STING is failed.

Treatment of Vesicoureteral Reflux Detected After Renal Transplant in Pediatric Patients: A Single-Center Experience.

OBJECTIVE: In children who undergo renal transplant, vesicoureteral reflux on the transplanted kidney is a serious complication that may result in organ loss. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the results of endoscopic and open surgical techniques in the treatment of patients with recurrent urinary tract infections and vesicoureteral reflux after renal transplant. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The files of pediatric patients who underwent renal transplant in our hospital between January 2016 and January 2019 were evaluated retrospectively. In this single-center analysis, we investigated the incidence of vesicoureteral reflux in the kidney transplant recipients and the results of various approaches to treat it. RESULTS: Eighty pediatric patients underwent renal transplant between January 2016 and January 2019. Fourteen of those patients (17.5%, 7 female and 7 male) were diagnosed with vesicoureteral reflux in the postoperative period. Twelve of 14 patients received endoscopic injections as the first treatment. Clinical or radiological success was achieved in 5 patients (5 of 15 injection treatments, 33%); in 4 patients (4/12, 33.3%) success was after the first endoscopic injection treatment, and in 1 patient (1/3, 33.3%) success was after the second injection. Meanwhile, clinical or radiological success was achieved in 6 of 7 patients who underwent redo ureteroneocystostomy (6/7, 85.7%). CONCLUSION: Although symptomatic vesicoureteral reflux after renal transplant is rare in pediatric patients, it is an important cause of morbidity as it requires recurrent surgical procedures. Although endoscopic treatment is safe and minimally invasive, the success rate is lower than expected, and redo of ureteral reimplant may be required in most cases.