Soledad Celis

Balanitis xerotica obliterans in children and adolescents: A literature review and clinical series

OBJECTIVE Balanitis xerotica obliterans (BXO) is a chronic inflammatory disease that is considered as male genital variant lichen sclerosis. The incidence varies greatly in different series; diagnosis is mostly clinical but histopathological confirmation is mandatory. Various treatments are described, but there is no consensus that one is the best. MATERIALS AND METHODS A literature review was made of BXO and lichen sclerosis in boys under 18 years of age, between 1995 and 2013, analyzing demographic dates, treatments and outcomes. In addition to that, we reviewed BXO cases treated in our centers in the last 10 years. RESULTS After literature review, only 13 articles matched the inclusion criteria. Analyzing those selected, the global incidence of BXO is nearly 35% among circumcised children. Described symptoms are diverse and the low index of clinical suspicion is highlighted. The main treatment is circumcision, with use of topical and intralesional steroids and immunosuppressive agents. CONCLUSION BXO is a condition more common than we believe and we must be vigilant to find greater number of diagnoses to avoid future complications. The main treatment for BXO is circumcision, but as topical or intralesional treatments are now available with potentially good outcomes, they may be considered as coadjuvants.

Vesicoureteral Reflux: Current Management in Children

Vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) is a disorder that has been studied since the early days of pediatric urology. From 1893, when it was first documented in humans by Pozzi, the research and clinical management of VUR has been marked by pendulum swings through the decades. Initially, the vesicoureteral junction was the main subject of study, whereas current practice takes into account the bladder and bowel dynamics. The primary objective, however, is unchanged: preservation of the kidney and its function. Management of the condition has included open surgery, minimally invasive surgery, endoscopic treatment, antibiotic prophylaxis, and watchful waiting. In this article, we will attempt to cover every angle of this complex pathology and its current management in children.

Outcome of tunnelled central venous catheters used for haemodialysis in children weighing less than 15 kg

PURPOSE Central venous catheters (CVC) are frequently used for haemodialysis (HD) in children. However, there is paucity of information on the outcomes of CVCs when used for HD in very young patients. Our objective is to report the success, safety and complication rates of CVCs used for HD in children weighing less than 15 kg. MATERIALS AND METHODS This is a single-center retrospective study of all patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) weighing <15kg, who underwent a tunneled CVC placement for HD, between July 2006 and June 2012 at our institution. Analysed data included clinical background, age and weight at initiation of HD, outcome of HD, CVC vein insertion site, reason for removal, and catheter survival (in days). RESULTS Thirty-one CVC were placed in 11 patients weighing <15 kg, 8 males and 3 females. The main causes of ESRD were renal dysplasia and congenital nephrotic syndrome. At the beginning of HD, mean age was 27.5 (range 5-60) months and mean weight was 10.4 kg (4.5-13 kg). The preferred insertion site was the right internal jugular vein (90%). Mean duration of HD was 312 days. Mechanical factors were the main reason for catheter removal (39%). Mean catheter survival was 110 days/catheter. CONCLUSIONS We believe our study provides relevant information and encouraging data to support the use of CVC for HD in this cohort of infants; however, further improvement in prevention of catheter thrombosis and management of infections needs to be achieved.

Intraoperative cystography pre- and post-endoscopic treatment for vesicoureteral reflux: Guaranteed success?

OBJECTIVE This study was designed to investigate whether post-endoscopic treatment (ET) intraoperative cystography is predictive of treatment outcome. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients diagnosed with vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) and treated endoscopically with polyacrylate/polyalcohol copolymer or dextranomer hyaluronic acid were studied prospectively between August 2009 and April 2011. Slow infusion pre-ET cystography was performed under anesthesia. Post-ET cystography was performed only if the intraoperative pre-ET results demonstrated VUR. RESULTS Over a period of 20 months, 23 patients were studied (18 girls, five boys), with an average age of 41.9 months (range 13 months-11 years). Thirty-two renal units with reflux were treated: nine bilateral cases, seven right, and seven left. The distribution of reflux grades was as follows: two grade I, 10 grade II, 11 grade III, nine grade IV. All injected ureters demonstrated grade 0 hydrodistention after the procedure. Twelve of 23 of the pre-ET cystography results were negative for VUR, indicating that the sensitivity of this test is 47% compared with the preoperative voiding cystourethrography (VCUG) or nuclear cystogram. There were no procedure complications. CONCLUSION Of all patients (n = 23), nearly 60% did not demonstrate pre-ET VUR on intraoperative cystography. If a postoperative VCUG had been performed on all patients, more than half would have received unnecessary radiation. Therefore, this study demonstrates that post-ET cystography does not predict the success of ET of VUR intraoperative. Pre-ET cystography under general anesthesia before ureteral injection, has very low sensitivity, creating false-negatives that may complicate the interpretation of post-ET cystography. We suggest that intraoperative cystography before and after ET fails to show clinical utility and should not be used to predict the outcome of endoscopic VUR treatment.