Harish Chandran

What is the effect of circumcision on risk of urinary tract infection in boys with posterior urethral valves

PURPOSE Boys with posterior urethral valves (PUV) have increased risks of urinary tract infection (UTI) voiding dysfunction and ongoing renal damage. Circumcision has been shown epidemiologically to reduce UTIs, but no trial has yet confirmed this in PUV. Circumcision is not routinely performed in boys with PUV in our unit, but one quarter of our patients are circumcised for religious reasons. It may be hypothesized that circumcision reduces the risk of subsequent urinary tract infection in boys with PUV. This study aims to test this hypothesis by comparing the risk of UTI, and subsequent renal outcome, in PUV in uncircumcised boys with those who were circumcised. METHODS A retrospective cross-sectional case note review of boys with PUV was performed, and the following were documented: age at presentation, method of diagnosis, method of treatment, initial renal status, and timing of treatment; use and timing of urinary tract diversion; timing of circumcision; and UTIs-date, organism, and treatment. RESULTS Seventy-eight patients were identified, mean age 6.7 years (range, 1-18). These boys experienced 78 UTIs in the uncircumcised state. Subsequently, 27 were circumcised, experiencing 8 UTIs. Eighteen boys were diverted. The incidence of UTI was reduced from 0.50 +/- 0.14 (mean +/- SEM) UTIs annually uncircumcised to 0.09 +/- 0.02 (mean +/- SEM) circumcised (P < .01, Students t test). CONCLUSION In PUV, circumcision reduces the incidence of UTI by 83%, every circumcision prevents 1 UTI on average. Early circumcision in all PUV is beneficial, but a larger randomised control trial should be considered to confirm this.

Laparoscopic management and outcomes in non-functioning moieties of duplex kidneys in children

AIMS Retroperitoneal laparoscopic hemi-nephrectomy (RLHN) is a well tolerated, minimally invasive, although technically demanding, procedure for children with a non-functioning moiety in a duplex kidney. There is very little published data on the long-term follow up of such patients. We collected data to assess outcomes from our experience. METHODS Data were retrospectively gathered on all patients who underwent RLHN at our institution between February 2003 and July 2008. Follow-up ultrasounds were obtained in all patients. RESULTS RLHN was performed in 42 patients. All had a non-functioning moiety of a duplex kidney and in addition recurrent urinary tract infections (n=36), incontinence (n=5) or vesico-ureteric reflux (n=1). Median age at surgery was 3 years, 7 months (4 months-13 years, 10 months). One patient required conversion to open procedure due to low (pelvic) kidney. The median operating time was 90min (45-150min). Urine leak developed postoperatively in one patient and loss of function of the remaining moiety occurred in another patient. They were followed up for a median period of 11 months (1-51 months). CONCLUSION RLHN is a feasible and safe technique for the experienced paediatric laparoscopic urologist. Results compare very favourably with open heminephrectomy in terms of operating time and outcomes. Long-term follow up is mandatory.

Retroperitoneal Cystic Lymphangioma: A Rare Presentation in Childhood, Treated Laparoscopically

Retroperitoneal cystic lymphangioma is a rare benign lesion of childhood. A 15-year-old girl underwent laparoscopic excision of such a cyst. On histopathological examination, the resection was complete. She had an uneventful recovery and remains asymptomatic. We report this in view of the rarity of this condition and also the unusual presentation of this case. Complete surgical excision via laparoscopy is a feasible option.

Laparoscopic nephrectomy for xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis in childhood: The way forward

OBJECTIVE Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis (XGP) is a severe, chronic renal parenchymal infection. Nephrectomy is curative. Open nephrectomy is a well-known operative challenge. We describe successful laparoscopic nephrectomy in three patients with XGP. MATERIALS AND METHODS Case notes and radiology of three patients who underwent laparoscopic nephrectomy for XGP were reviewed. The preoperative presentation, operative details, postoperative recovery and complications were recorded. RESULTS The ages of the three children were 9, 5 and 1.3 years. Retroperitoneoscopy was performed via 3 x 5-mm ports. Creation of retroperitoneal space was easier than anticipated despite the perinephric inflammation. Excellent visualization of renal pedicle was obtained. The renal vessels were divided using the ultrasonic dissector (Sonosurg, Olympus). The kidney was then mobilized and dissected off adjacent structures. It was extracted via a small extension to one of the incisions on each occasion. None of them needed conversion. Average operating time was 3h and 30 min. Histology of XGP was confirmed in all. CONCLUSIONS Laparoscopic nephrectomy has replaced open nephrectomy for most conditions. Preoperatively, it was thought that laparoscopy might be unsuitable because of the involvement of perinephric tissues commonly seen in this condition; however, excellent visualization was achieved enhancing the ease of dissection. Dealing with the pedicle before handling the kidney also proved beneficial, allowing better visualization and safe dissection. Postoperative pain and morbidity were greatly reduced. The cosmetic result was excellent. We recommend the laparoscopic approach for nephrectomy in XGP when expertise is available.

Posterior urethral valves: Creatinine velocity, a new early predictor of renal insufficiency

AIM Antenatal screening has led to early detection of posterior urethral valves (PUV). However, despite early intervention, a proportion of children will develop chronic renal insufficiency. We studied the trend of serum creatinine following urinary tract decompression during the neonatal period in infants as a possible predictor of chronic renal insufficiency. METHODS Patients treated by endoscopic resection of posterior urethral valves between 1993 and 2004 were identified. From these, infants treated within the first 30 days of life were identified. Serum creatinine values taken within the first 5 days following initial drainage were recorded. A creatinine velocity for each patient was calculated by linear regression analysis. Creatinine was considered rising if velocity was >3 μmol/L/day, or falling if velocity was <-3 μmol/L/day. Chronic renal insufficiency was defined as CKD2 or higher. RESULTS Sixty-four neonates had decompression of the urinary tract. Of these, 16 had rising creatinine despite drainage, 10 had a plateau in creatinine level, and 36 had falling creatinine following drainage. Insufficient data were available in two to calculate creatinine velocity. Progression to renal insufficiency was significantly higher in patients with an initial rise in creatinine (62.5%) than in those with plateau creatinine (40%) or falling creatinine (8.6%) (P ≤ 0.0005 by Fisher exact test). Mean follow-up was 9.2 years. CONCLUSIONS Rising creatinine, even transiently, following urinary tract drainage in neonates with posterior urethral valves is significant and is a new and important indicator of long-term prognosis.

Use of Foley's catheter to gain access for retroperitoneoscopy

With the increasing popularity of laparoscopic urologic surgery, many different methods have been used to dissect the extraperitoneal space and gain access to the kidney and ureter. We present our initial experience using a Foley catheter to gain retroperitoneal access. This technique was successfully used in 30 children. We have not encountered any major complications and recommend its use in children.

Retroperitoneal approach for laparoscopic nephrectomy is feasible in a child with difficult access due to severe scoliosis

Retroperitoneal minimal access surgery has been widely described and practiced in many paediatric urology units. However, retroperitoneal laparoscopic nephrectomy performed in the presence of severe scoliosis has not been described in the literature before. We report a challenging case of a 13-year-old girl with severe scoliosis requiring a nephrectomy. The feasibility of performing a retroperitoneal laparoscopic nephrectomy in paediatric patients with severe scoliosis is discussed.

Nephrogenic Adenoma of the Urethra Presenting as Hematuria

Nephrogenic adenoma (NA) is a form of nephrogenic metaplasia with formation of benign epithelial tumours. NA arise from the urothelium as a result of reaction to urothelial injury like trauma, indwelling catheters, previous surgery, renal transplants or calculi. The exact aetiology of this lesion however still remains uncertain [1]. In view of its propensity to cause hematuria, NA needs to be considered and treated especially in the relevant background of previous surgical trauma in the urinary tract. We highlight the presentation and management of this lesion in the following case report.