Risk factors of renal cell carcinoma in a cohort of Sri Lankan patients: A case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Associated risk factors for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) include smoking, obesity, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus (DM). Studies on their role in Sri Lankan patients are sparse. The aims were to determine the risk factors for RCC in a cohort of Sri Lankan patients. METHODS: A hospital-based case-control study was done in a teaching hospital from January 1, 2009, to December 31, 2015. The prospectively collected data included history of smoking, hypertension, DM, and body mass index (BMI). The controls were patients who were admitted after trauma and who required abdominal ultrasonography as part of routine assessment. The controls were accrued at a ratio of 1:2 and were age- and gender-matched. Chi-squared test was used, and P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: There were 178 patients with RCC. The mean age of patients with RCC was 56.9 years. Male to female ratio was 3.5:1. Forty-nine (27.5%) patients were < 50-year-old. 36.5% were asymptomatic and diagnosed incidentally by ultrasound scanning. Obesity (BMI > 30) (P < 0.01), DM (P < 0.05), and hypertension (P < 0.01) were significantly more common among the cases than in controls. There was no difference in the prevalence of smoking between the two groups (P > 0.5). CONCLUSIONS: Average age at the time of diagnosis of RCC in Sri Lankan patients is lower than the developed world, with a large proportion of patients being under 50 years. Obesity, hypertension, and DM are associated risk factors for RCC in Sri Lankan patients while smoking is not.

New developments in chyluria after global programs to eliminate lymphatic filariasis.

Chyluria, commonly seen in south Asian countries, is mainly a manifestation of lymphatic filariasis as a result of infestation with Wuchereria bancrofti, although many other causes can contribute. Many patients can be effectively treated with dietary modifications and drug therapy. The most widely used drug is diethyl carbamazine. The recurrences are common after such treatment. Such patients would benefit from sclerotherapy to obliterate the lympatico-renal fistulae located mainly in the renal pelvicalyceal system. The commonly used sclerosing agent is a combination of 5% povidone-iodine and 50% dextrose instilled through a ureteric catheter. A small percentage of patients who recur after sclerotherapy and those with systemic complications, such as hypoproteinemia and edema, might require surgery in the form of renal hilar lymphatic disconnection. Although it is a major operation, the success rates are >90%. Laparoscopic and robotic techniques have minimized the morbidity related to such surgery. With the advent of the global program for eradication of filariasis initiated by the World Health Organization, the incidence of the disease is decreasing. Mass chemotherapy with diethyl carbamazine is the mainstay of this global program. Many years after eliminating filariasis, chyluria continue to occur in such populations, though in dwindling numbers. Future research should aim at finding more efficacious sclerosing agents with minimal recurrences.