[Outcome of oncocytomas diagnosed by percutaneous renal biopsy]. / Devenir des adénomes oncocytaires diagnostiqués par biopsie rénale percutanée.

OBJECTIVE: Renal oncocytoma is a benign tumour that is usually diagnosed postoperatively. Its natural history is poorly defined. We studied the outcome of patients with renal oncocytoma diagnosed by percutaneous biopsy and not operated. MATERIAL: From January 1998 to April 2004, on a series of 148 renal tumour biopsies performed in our centre, 15 showed oncocytoma. The initial treatment was non-surgical. We report the follow-up of these patients and the course of these oncocytomas. The mean follow-up was 404 +/- 20.9 months. RESULTS: The mean age of these patients at diagnosis was 57.6 +/- 14.4 years and the mean tumour diameter was 3.49 +/- 2.43 cm with a mean volume of 62.3 +/- 135.4 cm3. Six of these 15 patients were operated: 4 total nephrectomies and 2 partial nephrectomies. The indications for surgery were the initial tumour volume (n = 1), tumour growth > 0.5 cm/year (n = 4) and the patient's preference (n = 1). Operated patients were younger (45.5 +/- 11.1 years vs 65.6 +/- 10.3 years) and had larger tumours at diagnosis (50 +/- 30.1 mm vs 27.3 +/- 10.5 mm). All 9 patients treated by watchful waiting were asymptomatic. CONCLUSION: The natural history of oncocytomas appears to be a more or less rapid increase in size. Treatment can be conservative. The initial tumour volume or rapid tumour growth are indications for resection. Partial nephrectomy, when allowed by the size and site of the tumour is currently the technique of choice.

[Endoscopic management of urothelial tumours of the upper urinary tract]. / Prise en charge endoscopique des tumeurs urothéliales du haut appareil urinaire.

OBJECTIVE: The reference treatment for filling defects of the upper urinary tract is nephroureterectomy with excision of a perimeatal bladder segment. The authors evaluated the role of endoscopy and laser in the management of filling defects of the upper urinary tract. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Filling defects of the upper urinary tract were evaluated by biopsies performed during ureteroscopy followed by 10 Watt Holmium-YAG laser vaporisation. High-grade or incompletely vaporised tumours or multifocal tumours or tumours more than 2 cm in diameter received complementary treatment. Low-grade and completely vaporised tumours were followed by ureteroscopy at 3 months and then every 6 months. The authors conducted a prospective study from March 2002 to September 2004. Fifteen consecutive patients were managed according to this protocol. The mean age was 70 years (range: 53 to 85 years). Thirty nine tumours were treated. The mean tumour diameter was 1.05 cm (range: 0.3 to 2.5 cm). RESULTS: In this series of 15 patients treated according to this protocol, 39 tumours were diagnosed and treated. The grade was determined by biopsy in 66% of cases. Seven patients have a median recurrence-free survival of 18 months (range: 12 to 34 months). Overall, conservative management was able to be performed in twelve patients, corresponding to a 22-month kidney preservation rate of 80%. Two patients died during follow-up, one from prostatic cancer and the other from invasive urothelial bladder tumour. One patient who had had recurrence ans had been re-treated was lost for report. CONCLUSION: Filling defects of the upper urinary tract can be investigated by ureteroscopy to obtain a histological diagnosis and to perform treatment by laser vaporisation. Complementary treatment is then performed depending on the histological results, either by complementary vaporisation or by nephroureterectomy. Laser treatment ensures a high kidney preservation rate but with a recurrence risk. Conservative endoscopic treatment, which is considered to be acceptable in cases of necessity, may also be useful in the context of small, unifocal, minimally invasive tumours with a normal contralateral kidney.

Follow-up of renal oncocytoma diagnosed by percutaneous tumor biopsy.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the outcome of patients with oncocytoma of the kidney diagnosed in our center by percutaneous biopsy and treated with watchful waiting. METHODS: From January 1998 to April 2004, of 148 solid renal tumors biopsied in our center, 15 were renal oncocytomas. The mean (+/- standard deviation) follow-up was 30 +/- 19.8 months. We report on the outcome of these patients. RESULTS: The mean age at diagnosis was 57.6 +/- 14.4 years, and mean tumor size was 3.49 +/- 2.43 cm, corresponding to a mean tumor volume of 62.3 +/- 135.4 cm3. During follow-up, 6 of 15 patients needed surgery: two partial and four total nephrectomies. Indications for surgery were initial tumor burden, greater than 0.5 cm/yr tumor growth, and patient's preference in 1 case, 4 cases, and 1 case, respectively. The patients who received surgical treatment were significantly younger (45.5 +/- 11.1 years versus 65.6 +/- 10.3 years) and had more bulky tumors at diagnosis (50 +/- 30.1 mm versus 27.3 +/- 10.5 mm). In 1 patient, a chromophobic renal cell carcinoma was associated with the oncocytoma. All 9 patients who did not receive surgical treatment remained asymptomatic. CONCLUSIONS: The evolution of renal oncocytoma seems to be increase of tumor size with variable velocity. Treatment must be conservative. Initial management might be nonsurgical with close follow-up. Monitoring should not miss the time of conservative surgery. Initial tumor volume or fast tumor growth are indications for surgery. Partial nephrectomy, if the tumor size and localization are reasonable, is currently the technique of choice.

[Reduction of the renal transplantation cold ischaemia time by the use of a timesheet]. / Reduction des durées d'ischémie froide des transplants rénaux par la mise en place d'une fiche de traçabilité horaire.

OBJECTIVE: Reduction of the cold ischaemia time is one of the major objectives designed to improve the quality and cost of renal transplantation. Based on the experience of other centres, we report the impact of using a renal transplantation timesheet on the cold ischaemia time in our centre. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Since March 2004, we have used a renal transplantation timesheet with the collaboration of all personnel involved in transplantation (coordination, nephrologists, clinical pathologists). For each kidney harvested, the name of the personnel and the start and end times of their interventions were recorded. The authors report the results for the first 7 months. Cold ischaemia times and the incidence of delayed graft function were studied. RESULTS: 47 kidneys were harvested between 01/03/2004 and 30/9/2004 in our centre and 46 transplantations were performed. The mean cold ischaemia time was 14 h 51 min, i.e. a reduction of 8 hours 58 minutes compared to that observed in 2003 (23 h 50 min) (p < 0.01). Delayed graft function (DGF) was observed in 10/46 (21.74%) recipients. This DGF rate was significantly lower than that observed in 2003 (DGF 2003 = 30%), while the mean donor serum creatinine was higher (155 +/- 177 micromol/l vs 98 +/- 71 micromol/l in 2003, p < 0.05). The longest delays were those related to availability of an operating room (n=2: 10 h and 14 h). CONCLUSION: The use of a renal transplantation timesheet allowed a significant reduction of the cold ischaemia time and DGF rate. It requires the collaboration of all renal transplantation personnel and is an indicator of motivation. This timesheet allowed the correction of certain habits that can still be improved. These results should lead to an improvement of the results and cost of renal transplantation.

[Renal oncocytoma associated with renal cell carcinoma]. / Adénome oncocytaire rénal associé à un carcinome à cellules rénales chromophobes.

Renal oncocytoma is a benign tumour that can be associated with renal cell carcinoma in rare genetic syndromes. The authors report the case of a 62-year-old patient with no medical history, in whom assessment of low back pain in 1999 demonstrated a 40 mm tumour of the lower pole of the left kidney. Percutaneous needle biopsy of the tumour demonstrated oncocytoma confirmed by Hale's stain. Follow-up ultrasound demonstrated an increase in size (88 mm) and a nine-fold increase in volume over four years (210 cm3 in April 2003). Surgery was indicated in view of the rapid increase of the tumour volume. Histological examination of the operative specimen demonstrated a combination of oncocytoma and Fuhrman grade III renal cell carcinoma.

[Treatment of inferior caliceal stones by flexible ureteroscopy]. / Traitement des calculs caliciels inférieurs par urétéroscopie souple.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluation of the treatment of inferior caliceal stones by flexible ureterorenoscopy and Holinium-YAG laser on a series of 69 operations. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Between April 1998 and December 2003, 69 flexible ureteroscopies were performed for 55 stones in 49 patients. The mean age of the patients was 51.6 years (range: 18-78). The mean stone diameter was 12.8 mm (range: 5-3 1). 46% of stones had been pretreated by ESWL, PCNL or surgery. Endocorporeal lithotripsy was performed by Holmium-YAG laser in 45 cases, Lithoclast in 5 cases and en bloc extraction in 3 cases. Technical features, efficacy and morbidity were studied. The results were classified into fragment-free (FS), residual fragments (RF) < or = 4 mm, RF > 4 mm and failures. The results were evaluated on D0-D1 and at 3 months on a plain abdominal x-ray and ultrasound. RESULTS: The mean operating time was 61 minutes (range: 25-120). Nine stones required several procedures. 20% of stones were cystine stones. A ureteric stent was placed in 67 cases. The mean length of stay was 2.5 days (D0-D8). At 3 months, after one or several ureteroscopies, the results were: 22% FS, 40% RF < or = 4 mm, 13% RF > 4 mm and 25% failures. One half of failures occurred during the first 14 ureteroscopy procedures. There were 13 minor complications and no major complications. CONCLUSIONS: The results of flexible ureteroscopy in the treatment of inferior caliceal stones are encouraging, especially with standardization of the technique. It appears to be a good compromise between ESWL and PCNL, particularly for stones between 10 and 20 mm, cystine stones and after failure of reference techniques.

[Prostate-sparing cystectomy: long-term functional and oncological results in a series of 25 cases]. / Cystectomie et conservation prostatique: résultats fonctionnels et carcinologiques a long-terme. A propos de 25 cas.

OBJECTIVE: To decrease the risk of erectile dysfunction and incontinence by performing prostate-sparing cystectomy for bladder cancer; and to evaluate the oncological results by comparing them to those of radical cystectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Since 1994, 141 men have undergone cystectomy for bladder cancer. Twenty five patients with a mean age of 57 years (range: 47-75 years) underwent prostate-sparing cystectomy. The exclusion criteria were: contraindication to bladder replacement, invasion of the prostatic urethra, and associated prostatic adenocarcinoma. TURP was performed preoperatively to evaluate the prostatic urethra. All patients had a PSA < 4 ng/ml or negative prostatic needle biopsies. The Ditrovie and IIEF scores were used to evaluate the quality of voiding and erectile function. RESULTS: The mean follow-up was 53.4 months (median: 46 months). The overall 5-year survival regardless of stage was 66%. Seven patients (28%) died, all from their cancer. Six patients (24%) developed a pelvic recurrence, 2 patients (8%) developed an urethral recurrence (1 had a multifocal lesion, and 1 had CIS) treated by TURP and 6 patients (24%) developed distant metastases. Among the patients with pelvic recurrence, 4 (66%) presented a multifocal tumour. One patient developed prostatic adenocarcinoma after 36 months, which was treated by external beam radiotherapy. At 1 year, 100% of patients reported normal daytime continence and 19 out of 22 patients (86.4%) were continent at night and had to get up 1 to 3 times per night. At 1 year, 10 out of 22 patients (45.4%) had normal erections, 9 (40.9%) reported impaired erectile function but allowing sexual intercourse, and 3 had major erectile dysfunction (13.6%). At 3 years, 93.7% of patients had normal daytime continence; 75% of patients were continent at night, 37.5% of patients reported normal erections, 37.5% of patients reported partial erections and 25% of patients reported major erectile dysfunction. CONCLUSION: Prostate-sparing cystectomy for the treatment of invasive bladder cancer improves continence, sexual function and quality of life of patients, with poorer oncological results to those of radical cystectomy in terms of pelvic recurrence. Rigorous patient selection should improve these results.

[Limited prognostic value of surgical biopsy before transplantation of good quality renal transplants]. / Faible intérêt pronostique de la biopsie chirurgicale avant transplantation des bons transplants rénaux.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess the correlations between histological examination of surgical biopsies before transplantation of good quality donor kidneys and delayed return of renal function and renal function at 1 year in order to determine whether histology could explain the various, sometimes surprising outcomes observed with these good quality transplants. MATERIAL AND METHOD: From November 1999 to March 2002, 110 consecutive renal transplantations were performed in our centre from 79 different donors, not including any "borderline" donors. During preparation of each transplant, a surgical wedge biopsy of the mid-renal cortex was performed. Biopsies were paraffin-embedded then stained with P.A.S. (Periodic Acid Shiff). Histological examination was performed by a single pathologist and focused on the glomeruli (number, morphology), and the morphology of the interstitial space and vessels. Delayed return of transplant renal function was defined by the need for dialysis during the first week after renal transplantation. Immunosuppression and surveillance protocols were standardized and uniform. Transplant function at 1 year was evaluated by serum creatinine and creatinine clearance calculated according to Cockcroft's formula. RESULTS: The mean number of glomeruli per biopsy was 15.0 +/- 10.8. 42 renal biopsies (39.2%). Histological examination did not reveal any vascular, interstitial or glomerular lesions. Among these 42 transplants with normal biopsies, 30 (71.4%) did not develop delayed return of renal function (vs 69% of the transplants with abnormal biopsies, p > 0.05). Mean serum creatinine at 1 year (168.5 +/- 63 micromol/l vs 166.9 +/- 40.5 micromol/l, p > 0.05) and mean creatinine clearance at 1 year (53.4 +/- 17.4 ml/min. vs 48.3 +/- 14.3 ml/min, p > 0.05) were not significantly different between the normal biopsy group and the abnormal biopsy group. CONCLUSION: Histological abnormalities are frequently observed in renal transplants derived from good quality donors. The biopsy result before renal transplantation from "non-borderline" donors was not significantly correlated with the risk of delayed return of transplant function or the renal function at 1 year Biopsy alone cannot constitute a reliable criterion for the selection of renal transplants from "non-borderline" donors.

[De novo cancer in a kidney transplant]. / Cancer de novo sur un rein transplanté.

Development of cancer on a kidney transplant is a rare complication of renal transplantation. In the light of a case of cancer on a kidney transplant, in a series of 729 consecutive renal transplantations performed between January 1987 and December 2000, the authors discuss the epidemiology, pathophysiology, prognosis, treatment and prevention of this disease and emphasize the importance of regular and prolonged periodic ultrasound surveillance of kidney transplants. The reference treatment is transplantectomy with discontinuation of immunosuppression and resumption of haemodialysis. Under certain conditions, partial transplantectomy could appear be an alternative to the reference treatment.

[Flexible ureteroscopy in upper urinary tract diseases]. / L'urétéroscopie souple dans la pathologie du haut appareil urinaire.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Evaluation of active deflection flexible miniureterorenoscopes for diagnostic or therapeutic applications in the management of upper urinary tract diseases. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The authors report a series of 111 consecutive patients undergoing a total of 137 flexible ureteroscopies for upper urinary tract disease between November 1997 and April 2001. The procedures were performed for diagnostic purposes (54 cases: 39%) or therapeutic purposes (83 cases; 61%). A successful procedure was defined as achievement of the objective defined when establishing the indication for ureteroscopy. The mean age of the patients was 51 +/- 15 years. The main diseases investigated or treated were stones (66%) and urothelial tumours (25%). RESULTS: The mean operating time was 42 +/- 22 min. The median length of postoperative hospital stay was 2 days (range: 0-27 days). 8% of patients did not require any postoperative ureteric drainage. 78% of the flexible ureteroscopies performed were successful. Complications were observed in 8% of cases, mainly macroscopic haematuria, including 3 major complications in the form of ureteric perforation. Serious intraoperative equipment damage was observed in 4% of cases. CONCLUSION: Ureteroscopy with a flexible mini-ureteroscope is an effective, reproducible and minimally traumatic diagnostic and therapeutic technique for lesions situated above the iliac vessels. The use of various instruments, including the Holmium:Yag laser, should increase the range of possibilities of endoscopic techniques. The major limitation of active deflection flexible mini-ureterorenoscopes remains their fragility.

[Contribution of laparoscopy to vesico-ureteral reimplantation on vesico-psoas]. / Apport de la laparoscopie pour une réimplantation vésico-urétérale sur vessie psoïque.

Laparoscopy is now a recognized and widely performed treatment modality for certain ureteric diseases (stones, ureteropelvic junction syndrome, etc.). Vesicopsoas hitch is a reference technique for the treatment of defects of the pelvic ureter larger than 5 cm. The authors report 2 cases of fibrous stenosis of the pelvic ureter effectively treated by laparoscopic vesicopsoas hitch after failure of endourological treatment. The details of the technique and its advantages are described and discussed. The authors believe that laparoscopic vesicopsoas hitch is feasible and reproducible. Larger series of patients treated by laparoscopy are required to allow comparison with conventional open surgery.

Transurethral ureterorenolithotripsy using new automated irrigation/suction system controlling pressure and flow compared with standard irrigation: a randomized pilot study.

PURPOSE: To compare in a random fashion an automated irrigation/suction pump system with the standard pressurized technique during transurethral ureterorenolithotripsy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between July 2001 and December 2001, 47 patients were prospectively included. Prior to randomization, rigid instruments were allocated to 25 patients (group R) and flexible instruments to 22 patients (group F) according to stone location. The groups R and F were then randomized separately, and the pressurized technique was employed in groups R1 and F1, while the automated system was employed in groups R2 and F2. Operative time, amount of liquid consumed, and stone-free rate at the end of the procedure were analyzed. RESULTS: For the entire series, ureteroscopy time using the automated system (mean 42 +/- 17[SD] minutes; range 15-90 minutes) was 35% less than with the pressurized technique (mean 65 +/- 25 minutes; range 20-135 minutes) (P = 0.04 Wilcoxon score). The stone-free rate was significantly higher in groups R2 + F2 (92%) than in groups R1 + F1 (69%) (P = 0.048). CONCLUSION: With the ENDO FMS UROLOGY system, there was a significant reduction in the mean ureteroscopy time: 32% less with the rigid instrument and 53% less with the flexible instrument. This seems to be attributable to a wider working space and highly improved visibility. The integrated suction at constant flow allows efficient evacuation of stone fragments while limiting cavity pressure. These results, obtained on 47 patients, should be confirmed by larger randomized studies.