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Simple Summary: Renal Cell Carcinoma is a common cancer in Western countries. To date, the gold standard treatment for localized non-metastatic disease is partial or radical nephrectomy. When surgical treatment is feasible, the prediction of postoperative renal function might influence the treatment algorithm. On the other hand, there is growing evidence indicating that immune response and nutritional status are crucial factors in human cancer development and progression. In this scenario, the Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score was initially developed as a malnutrition screening tool. Its formula includes serum albumin levels, total lymphocyte count, and total serum cholesterol. Serum albumin is used as an indicator of protein reserves. Cholesterol is used as a caloric depletion parameter. Total lymphocyte count represents an indicator of immune defense impairment due to malnutrition. In this study, we evaluated the impact of the CONUT score on clinically significant decline in estimated glomerular filtration rate in patients with non-metastatic Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma undergoing radical nephrectomy. Our findings confirmed that a preoperative high CONUT score is an independent predictor of a significant renal function decline after surgery. Being easy to use, cost effective, and ideally a completely automated tool, its preoperative assessment could be part of a personalized risk-stratification tailored to the clinical conditions and comorbidities of each patient. Background and Objectives: We aimed at evaluating the impact of Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score on clinically significant decline in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in patients with non-metastatic Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma (ccRCC) undergoing radical nephrectomy (RN). Materials and methods: We retrospectively analyzed a multi-institutional cohort of 140 patients with ccRCC who underwent RN between 2016 and 2018 at three Urological Centers. The CONUT score was calculated with an algorithm including serum albumin, total lymphocyte count, and cholesterol. Clinical and pathologic features were analyzed using Fisher's exact test for categorical variables and a Mann–Whitney U test for continuous variables. To define the independent predictors of clinically significant eGFR decline, univariable (UVA) and multivariable (MVA) binomial logistic regression analyses were performed in order to assess the Odds Ratio (OR) with 95% Confidence Intervals (CIs). Results: The optimal cut-off value to discriminate between a low and high CONUT score was assessed by calculating the ROC curve. The area under the curve (AUC) was 0.67 (95%CI 0.59–0.78) with the most appropriate cut-off value at 2 points. Overall, 46 patients (32.9%) had a high CONUT score (>2). Statistically significant variables associated with eGFR decline at 24 months were age ≥ 70 (OR 2.01; 95%CI 1.17–3.09; p = 0.05), stage II–III chronic kidney disease (CKD) (OR 6.05; 95%CI 1.79–28.3; p = 0.001), and a high CONUT score (OR 3.98; 95%CI 1.58–10.4; p = 0.004). Conclusions: The CONUT score is a low-time-consuming, cost-effective, and promising tool able to preoperatively screen patients at risk of developing CKD after a RN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Elexacaftor-tezacaftor-ivacaftor (ETI) is a transmembrane conductance regulator modulator that significantly improves lung function in patients affected by cystic fibrosis (CF). This triple drug is currently not indicated in liver transplant patients, as clinical trials including subjects with previous solid organ transplantation are lacking. Case presentation: We report on a liver transplant girl with CF-related advanced pulmonary disease meeting clinical criteria for lung transplant, who started the triple modulator because she could not get on the lung transplant waiting list due to psycho-social motivations. Since initiation of ETI therapy, she has experienced a significant improvement in respiratory function and quality of life, without adverse effects. Conclusions: This case shows that ETI therapy can represent a lifesaving drug for individuals without alternatives, even in liver transplant patients. The clinical benefits of the modulator overcome risks, which may be limited with a close drug monitoring of immunosuppressants serum levels and functional liver tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mitochondrial diseases (MDs) are systemic disorders that can affect multiple organs. Renal manifestations, including renal tubular acidosis, are common because kidneys are particularly vulnerable to energy deprivation. Treatment of MDs is often complex and electrolyte replacement can be difficult especially in pediatric patients, because large and repeated amounts of oral supplements are needed but are not well tolerated. Case presentation: We describe the case of a girl affected by Kearns-Sayre disease with severe renal tubular acidosis. The management of her metabolic acidosis was challenging because she showed persistent low levels of serum bicarbonates despite a progressive incrementation of oral bicarbonates. Furthermore, as a result to the ingestion of large amounts of alkali, the girl developed an aversion to oral supplementation. After positioning a percutaneous gastrostomy (PEG) and starting enteral administration of bicarbonates (with daily boluses and continuous nocturnal infusion), she finally obtained an adequate electrolyte control, with a significant increase in her quality of life. Conclusions: In MDs, the combination of nocturnal continuous enteral administration of alkali plus diurnal boluses may represent a valid solution to correct metabolic acidosis. It can also result in an improved patients' quality of life, particularly in pediatric settings, where compliance to oral therapy is often lacking due to the large and repeated amounts of unpalatable bicarbonates solutions required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fluorescence confocal microscopy (FCM) represents a novel diagnostic technique able to provide real-time histological images from non-fixed specimens. As a consequence of its recent developments, FCM is gaining growing popularity in urological practice. Nevertheless, evidence is still sparse, and, at the moment, its applications are heterogeneous. We performed a narrative review of the current literature on this topic. Papers were selected from the Pubmed, Embase, and Medline archives. We focused on FCM applications in prostate cancer (PCa), urothelial carcinoma (UC), and renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Articles investigating both office and intraoperative settings were included. The review of the literature showed that FCM displays promising accuracy as compared to conventional histopathology. These results represent significant steps along the path of FCM's formal validation as an innovative ready-to-use diagnostic support in urological practice. Instant access to a reliable histological evaluation may indeed significantly influence physicians' decision-making process. In this regard, FCM addresses this still unmet clinical need and introduces intriguing perspectives into future diagnostic pathways. Further studies are required to thoroughly assess the whole potential of this technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background This study aims to explore factors that affect venous sinus pressures and associated gradients while awake and under general anesthesia (GA) both before and after venous sinus stenting (VSS) in patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH). Methods A retrospective analysis was performed examining pressures and gradients in patients with IIH having undergone awake venography followed by VSS under GA. Results 174 patients were included. Compared with awake, GA superior sagittal sinus (SSS) pressures were 2.6 mmHg lower (p=0.01) resulting in a total cranial gradient reduction of 2.5 mmHg (p=0.002). The transverse- sigmoid gradient, the most commonly stented segment, did not differ under the two conditions (p=0.30). Regression analyses demonstrated that body mass index, gender, blood pressure, and end- tidal carbon dioxide content significantly affected venous pressures (all p<0.05). After stenting, mean total cranial gradients decreased by 13.2 mmHg while skull base gradients increased by 0.8 mmHg. Stenting resulted in an 84% mean reduction in the target gradient and a mean decrease in SSS pressures by 78% of the target gradient. When cardiopulmonary and anesthetic factors were optimized, GA had a limited effect on the target gradient in most patients (p=0.88). Conclusions This study is the largest series to date to report on cerebral venous pressure measurements and gradients recorded while awake and under GA both before and after VSS for IIH. In a well- controlled cardiorespiratory and anesthetic setting, GA venography may provide information that is not substantially inequivalent to that obtained while awake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recipients of HSCT have a high risk of infective and non-infective pulmonary diseases. Most patients with pulmonary involvement present multiple pathogenetic mechanisms simultaneously with complex interactions. Therefore, it can be difficult to distinguish the contributions of each one and to perform studies on this subject. In this opinion article, we discuss only chronic pulmonary manifestations, focusing on LONIPCs (late-onset non-infectious pulmonary complications). This term embraces drug-related toxicity, allergies, and chronic pulmonary graft versus host disease (GvHD) in all its recently identified clinical variants. Among LONIPCs, GvHD represents the most critical in terms of morbidity and mortality, despite the rapid development of new treatment options. A recently emerging perspective suggests that pulmonary lung rejection in transplant patients shares striking similarities with the pathogenesis of GvHD. In a pulmonary transplant, the donor organ is damaged by the host immune system, whereas in GvHD, the donor immune system damages the host organs. It constitutes the most significant breakthrough in recent years and is highly promising for both hematologists and thoracic transplant surgeons. The number of patients with LONIPCs is scarce, with heterogenous clinical characteristics often involving several pathogenetic mechanisms, making it challenging to conduct randomized controlled trials. Therefore, the body of evidence in this field is scarce and generally of low quality, leading to jeopardized choices in terms of immunosuppressive treatment. Moreover, it risks being outdated by common practice due to the quick evolution of knowledge about the diagnosis and treatment of LONIPCs. The literature is even more pitiful for children with pulmonary involvement related to HSCT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sentinel node biopsy (SNB) for prostate cancer (PCa) represents an innovative technique aimed at improving nodal staging accuracy. The routinary adoption of this procedure in patients undergoing radical prostatectomy (RP) might be crucial to identify candidates who could effectively benefit from extensive pelvic lymph nodal dissection (ePLND). Despite some promising results, SNB for PCa is still considered experimental due to the lack of solid evidence and procedural standardization. In this regard, our narrative review aimed to analyze the most recent literature in this field, providing an overview of both the diagnostic accuracy measures and the oncological outcomes of SNB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: To date, sparse evidence exists about the impact of inflammatory serum markers in predicting perioperative complications after radical cystectomy (RC) for bladder cancer (BC). Here, we evaluated the role of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), C-reactive protein (CRP), and plasma fibrinogen in predicting perioperative morbidity and unplanned 30-days readmission after RC for BC. Materials and methods: We relied on a collaborative database of 271 patients who underwent open RC for cT1-4a N0 M0 BC between January 2012 and December 2022. Univariable and multivariable binomial logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) testing the ability of each serum marker to predict postoperative complications (any-grade and major complications), and 30-days unplanned readmission. Results: The median age at RC was 73 yr (IQR 67–79). A total of 182 (67.2%) patients were male and the median BMI was 25.2 (IQR 23.2–28.4). Overall, 172 (63.5%) patients had a Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) greater than 2 points and 98 (36.2%) were current smokers at the time of RC. Overall, 233 (86.0%) patients experienced at least one complication after RC. Of these, 171 (63.1%) patients had minor complications (Clavien–Dindo grade 1–2) while 100 (36.9%) experienced major complications (Clavien–Dindo grade ≥ 3). According to multivariable analysis, current smoking status, high plasma fibrinogen, and preoperative anemia were independently associated with major complications (OR 2.10, 95%CI 1.15–4.90, p = 0.02), (OR 1.51, 95%CI 1.26–1.98, p = 0.09), and (OR 1.35, 95%CI 1.17–2.57, p = 0.03), respectively. Overall, 56 (20.7%) patients experienced a 30-days unplanned readmission. According to univariable analysis, high preoperative CRP and hyperfibrinogenemia were significantly associated with an increased risk of unplanned readmission (OR 2.15, 95%CI 1.15–4.16, p = 0.02; OR 2.18, 95%CI 1.13–4.44, p = 0.02, respectively). Conclusions: In our study, the preoperative immune-inflammation signature described by NLR, PLR, LMR, SII, and CRP showed a low reliability in predicting perioperative course after RC. Preoperative anemia and hyperfibrinogenemia were independent predictors of major complications. Further studies are pending in order to draw definitive conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Fournier's Gangrene (FG) has still a mortality rate up to 45%. Several studies identified prognostic factors but there is a knowledge gap concerning procalcitonin (PCT) levels and mortality risk in FG. This study is aimed to assess the role of PCT as prognostic factor in FG. Materials and methods: The medical records of 20 male FG patients admitted at the Department of Urology of "Cattinara" Hospital, University of Trieste between January 2019 and November 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. Clinical, demographic, microbiological data were collected. The Fournier's Gangrene Severity Index (FGSI) was calculated for each patient. Results: Thirteen (65%) of 20 patients survived. Median age was 58 years (IQR 51–88), 15 patients (75%) had a Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) score ⩾2, 1 (5%) equal to 0, 4 to 1 (20%). Median FGSI score was 6 (IQR 2–12) and median PCT 0.8 ng/ml (IQR 0.04–2.12). At multivariate analysis PCT levels >0.05 ng/ml were associated with an increased overall mortality risk (OR 2.14, CI 1.25–4.27, p = 0.002). CCI score ⩾2 (OR 1.51, CI 1.01–2.59, p = 0.04), Streptococcical etiology (OR 3.41, CI 2.49–4.61, p = 0.002) and FGSI score >9 (OR 1.41, CI 1.19–2.21, p = 0.004) were associated with unfavorable outcome. Conclusion: PCT might be a prognostic factor in FG. CCI and FGSI are useful tools in mortality risk stratification. Streptococcical etiology is associated with unfavorable outcome. Further larger clinical trials are pending. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: To assess efficacy and safety of Percutaneous Cryoablation (PCA) of small renal masses (SRMs) using Trifecta outcomes in a large cohort of patients who were not eligible for surgery. Materials and methods: All PCAs performed in four different centers between September 2009 and September 2019 were retrospectively evaluated. Patients were divided in two different groups depending on masses dimensional criteria: Group-A: diameter ≤ 25 mm and Group-B: diameter > 25 mm. Complications rates were reported and classified according to the Clavien–Dindo system. The estimate glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated before PCA and during follow-up schedule. Every patient received a Contrast Enhanced Ultrasound (CEUS) evaluation on the first postoperative day. Radiological follow-up was taken at 3, 6, and 12 months for the first year, then yearly. Radiological recurrence was defined as a contrast enhancement persistence and was reported in the study. Finally, Trifecta outcome, which included complications, RFS, and preservation of eGFR class, was calculated for every procedure at a median follow-up of 32 months. Results: The median age of the patients was 74 years. Group-A included 200 procedures while Group-B included 140. Seventy-eight patients were eligible for Trifecta evaluation. Trifecta was achieved in 69.6% of procedures in Group-A, 40.6% in Group-B (p = 0.02). We observed an increased rate of complication in Group-B (13.0% vs. 28.6; p < 0.001). However, 97.5% were

In the last years the incidence of renal neoplasms has been steadily increasing, along with the average age of patients at the time of diagnosis. Surgical management for localized disease is becoming more challenging because of patients' frailty. We conducted a multi-center prospective study to evaluate the role of the G8 as a screening tool in the assessment of intra and post-operative complications of elderly patients (≥70 y.o.) undergoing surgery for kidney cancer. A total of 162 patients were prospectively enrolled between January 2015 to January 2019 and divided into two study groups (frail vs. not-frail) according to their geriatric risk profile based on G8 score. Several factors (i.e., age, CCI, ASA score, preoperative anemia, RENAL score, surgical procedures, and techniques) were analyzed to identify whether any of them would configure as a statistically significant predictor of surgical complications. According to the G8 Score, 90 patients were included in the frail group. A total of 52 frail patients vs. 4 non-frail patients developed a postoperative complication of any kind (p < 0.001). Of these, 11 were major complications and all occurred in the frail group. Our results suggest that the G8 screening tool is an effective and useful instrument to predict the risk of overall complications in elderly patients prior to renal surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Little is known about how changes in physiologic parameters affect venous sinus pressure measurements, waveforms, or gradients associated with sinus stenosis. Objective To evaluate the effect of changes in cardiovascular and respiratory physiologic parameters on venous sinus pressure and caliber measurements in patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) undergoing venous sinus stenting. Methods In a prospective, randomized pilot study, eight patients with IIH undergoing venous sinus stenting were randomized to one of two groups. Under general anesthesia, patients underwent venous manometry and waveform recordings twice in succession based on assigned physiologic groups immediately before stenting. The mean arterial pressure (MAP) group maintained normocapnia but modified MAPs in two arms to control for temporal confounding: group A1 (MAP 60-80 mm Hg then 100-110 mm Hg) and group A2 (MAP 100-110 mm Hg then 60-80 mm Hg). The end-tidal carbon dioxide (EtCO2) group maintained a high-normal MAP similar to standard neuroanesthesia goals and modified EtCO2: group B1 (EtCO2 24-26 mm Hg then 38-40 mm Hg) and B2 (EtCO2 28-40 mm Hg then 24-26 mm Hg). Results In group A, superior sagittal sinus (SSS) pressures (ranging from 8 to 76 mm Hg) and trans-stenotic pressure gradients (TSPGs) (ranging from 2 to 67 mm Hg) were seen at MAP of 100-110 mm Hg compared with SSS pressures (4-38 mm Hg) and TSPGs (3-31 mm Hg) at 60-80 mm Hg. In group B, SSS pressures and TSPGs were considerably higher at EtCO2 levels of 38-40 mm Hg (15-57 mm Hg and 3-44 mm Hg, respectively) than at 24-26 mm Hg (8-26 mm Hg and 1-8 mm Hg, respectively). Conclusions Despite the small sample size, this pilot study demonstrates a dramatic effect of both MAP and EtCO2 on venous sinus pressures obtained during venography. These findings underscore the importance of maintaining normal physiologic cardiovascular and respiratory parameters during venous sinus manometry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Venous outflow obstruction is recognized as a contributing factor in a subset of patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH). little is known about venous sinus waveform morphology or how it changes after stenting. Methods Fifteen patients with iih underwent waveform recording during catheter venography and manometry. Ten patients (Group A) with venous sinus stenosis and pressure gradient ≥7 mm hg underwent waveform recording during awake venography and during stenting under general anesthesia. Five control iih patients (Group B) without a gradient underwent awake recording only. results group a patients underwent successful stenting with reduction of their gradient from 15.1±6.19 mm hg to 1.2±0.60 mm hg. This resulted in an amplitude reduction from 8.3 mm hg to 2.8 mm hg (P=0.02). Qualitative evaluation of the waveform yielded a number of novel findings. in Group A before stenting, the observed waveform progressed from an intracranial pressure (ICP)-dominated to central venous pressure (CVP)-dominated waveform. stenting abolished the high amplitude waveform and smoothed the transition from the intracranial to central venous measurement points. Group B displayed primarily CVP-influenced waveforms distal and proximal to the transverse-sigmoid junction along with respiratory variability of the waveform, absent in 8/10 group a patients. general anesthesia appeared to blunt the waveform in 5/10 group a patients. Conclusion The cerebral venous waveform appears to be influenced by both the ICP and CVP waveforms. as measurement moves proximally, the waveform progressively changes to mirror the CVP waveform. Venous sinus stenosis results in a high amplitude waveform which improves with treatment of the stenosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]