A randomised controlled trial comparing two protocols of preoperative antibiotics in patients with positive urine culture undergoing percutaneous nephrolithotomy.

AIM: To compare the outcomes of two different protocols of antibiotic prophylaxis in patients with positive urine culture undergoing percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients were prospectively enrolled for the randomised study to either group A which included patients where an attempt to sterilise the urine was made with a 1 week course of sensitive antibiotics or group B that included patients who received a shorter duration of prophylaxis using sensitive antibiotics for 48 h prior to procedure which was continued for 48 h postoperatively. Enrolled patients had stones requiring percutaneous nephrolithotomy and had a positive preoperative urine culture. Primary outcome was difference in sepsis rates between the groups. RESULTS: A total of 80 patients randomised into two groups of 40 each based on the antibiotic protocol used were analysed in the study. There was no difference in infectious complication rates between groups on univariate analysis. The rate of SIRS in Group A and Group B was found to be 20% (N = 8) and 22.5% (N = 9) respectively. The rate of septic shock in Group A and Group B was 7.5% and 5% respectively. On multivariate analysis, longer duration of antibiotics did not decrease the risk of sepsis compared to shorter antibiotic course (p = 0.79). CONCLUSION: Attempts to sterilise urine before PCNL may not decrease the risk of sepsis in patients with positive urine culture undergoing PCNL and may only result in unnecessary prolonging of antibiotic usage thereby increasing the chances of antibiotic resistance.

Long-term renal function in patients undergoing surgical reconstruction for tubercular cicatrized bladder.

PURPOSE: We evaluated the long-term renal function in patients after surgical reconstruction for tuberculous contracted bladder (TBC) and determined factors associated with decreased renal function (RF) during follow up. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed the records of 61 patients who underwent augmentation cystoplasty (AC) or orthotopic neobladder (ONB) for TBC between June 1994 and August 2019 in our institute. The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated preoperatively at initial presentation, before augmentation and at various intervals during follow up. Renal function decrease was defined as a defined as new-onset stage-3A Chronic kidney disease(CKD) or upstaging of pre-operative CKD stage 3A in follow-up. Multivariable analysis was done to evaluate the association of clinicopathological features and postoperative complications with decreased renal function. RESULTS: We analyzed 39 patients who had a minimum follow-up of 1-year post reconstruction. At a median follow-up of 52 months (IQR 31-103 months), 16/39 patients developed RF decrease. In univariate analyses, initial eGFR, and associated ureteric stricture in contralateral renal unit were significantly associated with new-onset renal insufficiency (p < 0.001 each). On multivariable analysis, only initial presenting eGFR (p < 0.001) was an independent predictor of new-onset renal insufficiency. ROC cut-off levels for eGFR at presentation predicting the primary end point of RF decrease was 45 ml/min. CONCLUSIONS: Decreased renal function is noted in most patients during long term follow-up after surgical reconstruction for TBC. After controlling for preoperative and postoperative risk factors, patients with initial presenting GFR < 45 ml/min are at greater risk of a decline in renal function following reconstruction.

Inferior Vesical Fissure-A Rare Variant of Exstrophy Bladder: Case Report With Literature Review.

Exstrophy variants are uncommon developmental anomalies of the bladder; the variants involving only the bladder neck are extremely rare. There are only three case reports of inferior vesical fissure (IVF) to date, and usually it's uncommonly associated with other malformations. A combination of inferior vesical fistula (IVF) as an exstrophy variant with urethral atresia and anorectal malformation has not been described previously. We report a case of IVF in a 4-year-old male previously operated for anorectal malformation who was managed with fistula closure with bladder neck reconstruction of lay open of stenosed urethra. Recognition of the exstrophy variant is important because the treatment and prognosis are very different.

Posterior urethral mini-valves causing urinary tract infection: A report of 3 cases.

Posterior urethral valves have myriad presentations based on the severity of obstruction with the milder end of spectrum often termed as mini-valves. The simultaneous occurrence of ureteropelvic junction obstruction and urethral valves has not been described before and is most likely coincidental. Herein, we discuss the management of three boys who had febrile urinary tract infection following pyeloplasty and on evaluation were found to have valves. This article highlights the need for considering these mini-valves as a possibility in boys presenting with symptoms following pyeloplasty so as to avoid delay in diagnosis and unnecessary morbidity in these children.

Presentation, management and outcomes of pediatric urogenital tuberculosis: 20 years' experience from a tertiary center.

BACKGROUND: Urogenital tuberculosis (UGTB) has traditionally being a diagnosis of adulthood and is supposed to be rare in children, as it is believed that the symptoms of renal tuberculosis do not appear for 10 or more years after the primary infection. While this may be true in developed countries, where childhood pulmonary tuberculosis is a rarity nowadays. In developing countries, childhood pulmonary tuberculosis is still a major issue and hence, UGTB is not an uncommon diagnosis in younger children and adolescents in these countries. Considering this dearth of data on childhood UGTB, we retrospectively evaluated our series of children with this disease, with special emphasis on the role of surgery. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the clinical presentation, management strategies and outcomes of pediatric UGTB managed in a tertiary care center. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Case records of children and adolescents ≤18 years diagnosed with UGTB during the period July 1998 to June 2018 at our center were reviewed. Clinical features, organ involvement, investigations, treatment and outcome of therapy were studied. RESULTS: There were 41 children and adolescents (M: F = 22:19) identified, with a mean age of 14.8 ± 3.9 years who fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The most common presentation was flank pain and irritative storage symptoms. Mycobacterium tuberculosis was identified on urinary examination in only 17 (41.5%) cases. Six patients were lost to follow up after initial diagnosis. A total of 45 procedures (35 primary and 10 secondary) were performed in 35 children. Initial diversion in the form of PCN and DJS were done in 11 and 12 patients respectively, of which 8 were managed with stenting alone. Surgical management was done mostly in the form of nephrectomy (15), nephrectomy along with reconstruction (5) and reconstruction only (6). On univariate analysis, factors associated with nephrectomy were poor initial function and nephrostomy as initial diversion. Overall median follow-up was 25 (IQR 15.5-74.25) months. During follow up, chronic renal failure developed in nearly 53.8% of patients who underwent major reconstruction. CONCLUSIONS: Urogenital tuberculosis presents with a wide spectrum of clinical features and pathological lesions. Diagnosis is often delayed because of late presentation and many children present with cicatrization sequelae. Antitubercular drug therapy and judicious application of minimally invasive diversions and surgery (both ablative and reconstructive) achieve satisfactory results in the majority of cases. Children undergoing major surgical reconstruction in particular need to be followed up rigorously and counselled about possibility of development of renal failure.

An Unusual Cause of Female Urinary Incontinence Following Obstetric Trauma.

Urethral coitus is a rarely reported cause of female urinary incontinence and has been most commonly described in women with vaginal and hymenal anomalies. Herein, we report a 41-year-old woman with a complex obstetric history, who presented with continuous urinary incontinence. On evaluation, she was found to have an abnormally dilated urethral orifice and vaginal stenosis suggestive of chronic urethral coitus. She underwent a reduction urethroplasty with autologous sling insertion and a vaginoplasty using vaginal flaps. This case highlights the fact that urethral coitus, though rare, should be considered as a cause of urinary incontinence in women with history of obstetric vaginal trauma.

"When ablation goes wrong"- urethral strictures after ablation of posterior urethral valves-characteristics, management and outcomes".

BACKGROUND: Post-ablation urethral strictures are a rare but devastating complication following transurethral ablation of posterior urethral valve which can be more difficult to treat than the valve itself. Though with the miniaturization of scopes the incidence of these strictures has decreased, sadly they still continue to occur. Hence, literature on these strictures is also limited due to the rarity of occurrence. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the management strategies and outcomes of post-valve-ablation urethral strictures managed in a tertiary care center. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review of all boys with the diagnosis of urethral strictures who had undergone management in our center from January 2000 to July 2017, with a minimum follow-up data for 12 months following interventions was done and among them the subset who developed strictures following valve ablation were identified. We also included those patients who had been referred for management of strictures following ablation elsewhere and had all their preoperative and operative details recorded. Out of a total of 199 boys who had undergone management of stricture during this time period, 13 boys with stricture of urethra following valve ablation were identified and studied. The history, presentation, timeline of events leading to stricture formation, possible predisposing factors, characteristics of strictures, mode of management and outcomes were recorded. RESULTS: Among the 13 boys, 5 had developed strictures following in-house fulguration while 8 developed strictures following ablation elsewhere. The median age at diagnosis in these patients was 8 years (range, 3-18). The length of stricture varied from very short in the proximal bulbar to long penobulbar stricture. Median length of strictures was 10 mm (range: 3-35). Of the 9 patients who underwent primary endoscopic intervention, 8 had successful outcomes (88.7%) while one patient ultimately required open urethroplasty. Of the 4 patients who had open intervention, except the patient who underwent meatoplasty, the rest needed multiple surgical and endoscopic interventions. Median follow up period was 20 months (range: 12-68). CONCLUSION: Urethral Stricture disease continues to be a rare but significant complication of valve ablation. Post ablation stricture can happen in any part of the urethra. Our data suggests that if a DVIU or dilatation is to be implemented for the treatment of a stricture after ablation, it may be most suitable for short, proximal strictures. Proper technique of valve ablation by a dedicated pediatric urologist using a proper sized resectoscope with proper isolation of electrode from the rest of urethral wall is crucial to prevent these strictures.

"Functional outcome in pediatric grade IV renal injuries following blunt abdominal trauma salvaged with minimally invasive interventions".

BACKGROUND: Non-operative management of higher-grade renal injuries has gradually become accepted in pediatric circles following multiple studies over the past decade which showed good renal salvage rates. However, some children do fail this conservative approach and need interventions which are mostly minimally invasive. There is still paucity of studies on the functional outcomes in this unique subgroup of patients. In this study, we review our management and functional outcome of children with grade IV renal injury due to blunt trauma of abdomen managed with minimally invasive interventions (MII) in a tertiary referral center. AIM: The present study seeks to summarize contemporary management of pediatric grade IV renal injury due to blunt trauma at our tertiary care center and to assess the functional outcomes in the subgroup who needed MII. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review was performed on children≤18 years with abdominal blunt trauma managed at our tertiary care facility over the past 10 years (January 2008-January 2018) to identify those with grade IV renal injuries. Data collected included demographic data like age, sex, mechanism of injury, incidence of hematuria, incidence of pre-existing urologic conditions, associated non-renal injuries, transfusion requirements, imaging findings, type of interventions, length of hospital stay, complications and outcomes on follow up. RESULTS: Review of our institutional database identified 10 children with grade IV renal injury. Mean age was 11.7 ± 3.6 years (range, 6-18) and majority (6/10) were male. Motor vehicle collision and fall from heights were the commonest mechanisms of injury. While one patient responded to non-operative management, one girl needed emergency renal exploration and later nephrectomy. Eight needed minimally invasive interventions following initial non-operative management. One patient needed nephrectomy due to delayed hemorrhage while three patients needed delayed open reconstruction. The salvage rate in the group which needed interventions was 87.5% (7 of 8) however, the functional outcome was good only in 50% (4 of 8) of patients. The outcomes were better in those who were managed with MII earlier (3/4) compared to those who underwent delayed intervention (1/4). The median hospital stay was 11.5 days (range 7-34 days). CONCLUSION: Pediatric patients with non-exsanguinating grade IV renal injuries due to blunt trauma who fail non-operative management and need minimal invasive interventions have good renal salvage rates however, the functional outcomes are poorer. Judicious and early use of these minimally invasive interventions, instead of persisting with non-operative management can possibly improve these functional outcomes.

Remember the "Putty Kidney"-A Reminder of Days Gone by.

The term ''putty kidney'' was first used in 1906 by Dr. F. Tilden Brown, a genitourinary surgeon, to describe a well-defined density seen in kidney region on standard radiograph which is caused by a ''putty-like'' substance that had formed a cast inside a tuberculous kidney. The putty kidney is a classic imaging sign, rarely seen nowadays which represents a nonfunctioning autonephrectomized kidney seen in end stage renal tuberculosis.1-5 Here, we describe a 45-year-old female with left flank pain who on imaging had a classic putty kidney which led to an evaluation and later confirmation of a diagnosis of renal tuberculosis.

When the Good Old X Ray Saved the Day.

Internal ureteral stents have become an integral part of urologic practice to relieve intrinsic as well as extrinsic upper urinary tract obstruction. Missed internal ureteral stents is a serious potential complication that is associated with increased patient morbidity and is especially a problem in developing countries due to poor patient compliance, lack of understanding, and poor administration of stent registry. Diagnosis of forgotten ureteral stents is usually straight forward on usual imaging. Here, we report a case where the forgotten stent was missed on ultrasound and computed tomography and was picked up on plain radiograph thereby, emphasizing the still relevant role of plain radiograph in evaluation of stone disease.

Nutcracker Syndrome-A Rare but Important Cause of Varicocele in Adolescent Boys.

Nutcracker syndrome is a complex of clinical symptoms due to compression of the left renal vein between abdominal aorta and superior mesenteric artery. Hematuria and pelvic or back pain are the most common presenting symptoms with varicocele being an uncommon clinical finding in these patients especially in children. Doppler ultrasound, computed tomography and selective left renal vein phlebography are useful to confirm the diagnosis. Treatment can be conservative or surgical depending on the severity of symptoms. Here, we report a 13-year-old boy with left flank pain and varicocele on examination who on evaluation was found to have nutcracker syndrome as the etiology.

Renal Replacement Lipomatosis-A Rare but Often Underdiagnosed Cause of Progressive Renal Damage in Calculus Disease.

Renal replacement lipomatosis is a rare condition characterized by extensive fat deposition in hilum with parenchymal thinning and progressive detoriation of function.1-4 Though uncommon, it should be considered as a possibility in patients with history of intervention for stone disease.5,6 Correct diagnosis can be easily established by cross sectional imaging and is helpful to counsel patients about the possibility of progressive functional detoriation and poor salvageability of the affected kidneys.7-10 Here, we present 2 patients with previous history of intervention for calculus disease who had developed progressive renal damage due to RRL with one patient ultimately needing nephrectomy.

Anterior Urethral Valve - A Commonly Misdiagnosed Entity in Adolescent Boys.

Anterior urethral valves are a rare cause of obstructed voiding in adolescent children and are often unheard by adult urologists. In this case report, we discuss the management of two adolescent patients who were referred to us with obstructive voiding symptoms with a diagnosis of neurogenic bladder and posterior urethral valves respectively but on evaluation were found to have anterior urethral valves. This article highlights the need for considering anterior urethral valve as an important differential diagnosis in children and adolescents presenting with obstructive voiding symptoms so as to avoid delay in diagnosis and management in young boys.

Efficacy and Safety of Supracostal Access for Mini Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy in Pediatric Patients.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of supracostal percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) through the 11th intercostal space and compare it with subcostal PCNL in children with renal calculi. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Children with renal calculi who underwent PCNL between January 2010 and December 2017 were divided into 2 groups: supracostal PCNL (group 1) and subcostal PCNL (group 2). Stone location, stone burden, location of the access points, operative time, postoperative visual pain score, success rate, hospital stay, and complications according to the modified Clavien classification were compared. Comparison of medians was done using Mann Whitney U test and the means were compared using t test. RESULTS: Group 1 had 50 patients while group 2 had 60 patients. The stone-free rate was 84.0% and 85.0% in groups 1 and 2, respectively after 1 session of PCNL (P = .885). After auxiliary procedures, it increased to 96.0% and 96.6%, respectively (P = .852). The mean fall in hematocrit was 0.9% in group 1 and 1.5% in group 2 (P = .11) whereas the median pain score was 4 in group 1 and 3 in group 2 (P = .37). In all, 54 complications were recorded the commonest among which were grade I (81.5%). Twenty-nine complications were observed in group 1 while 25 complications were observed in group 2 (P = .088). One patient developed nephropleural fistula while another patient developed hydropneumothorax. Both belonged to group 1. CONCLUSION: Supracostal access for PCNL is an effective and safe alternative to subcostal access for children with renal calculi in terms of stone-free rate and complications.

Herniation of the Right Renal Pelvis through a Posterolateral Diaphragmatic Defect (Bochdalek Hernia).

Diaphragmatic herniations are the rarest form of ureteral herniations with only around 9 cases reported since 1958.1-10 Though uncommon, it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a posterior diaphragmatic or paraspinal opacity with associated hydronephrosis. Correct diagnosis is of paramount importance and can be easily established by noninvasive imaging technique. In symptomatic individuals, laparoscopic intervention can be offered with good results in fit patients with ureteral stenting reserved for poor surgical candidates. Here we present a successful laparoscopic management of an elderly female who presented with right flank pain and was diagnosed with a right sided diaphragmatic ureteral herniation.