Reflective Practice About Retroperitoneal Laparoscopy in Comparison to Open Surgery for Ureteropelvic Junction Obstruction Repair in Children Less Than 1 Year of Age

Introduction: The interest in laparoscopy in the treatment of ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJO) in children under 12 months of age remains controversial. The aim of this study is to evaluate feasibility and benefits of retroperitoneal laparoscopy (RL) compared to open surgery in this age group.Materials and Methods: Between January 2012 and May 2017, we performed 222 pyeloplasties: 144 by laparoscopy and 78 by open surgery. From 2012, the choice of operative technique was decided according to the laparoscopic experience of the surgeon; two surgeons operated laparoscopically on all children <12 months of age, while others operated using posterior lumbotomy (PL). The RL is standardized and performed by 3 trocars (5, 3, 3). Pre, per and postoperative parameters were analyzed retrospectively. Statistical tests: Pearson, Fisher, Student and Mann-Whitney.Results: During this 5-year period, 24 RL and 53 PL were included with a median follow-up of 27 months (5–63). In the LR group, postoperative drainage was performed by JJ (13 cases) and external stent (11 cases). No conversion has been listed in this group. In each group there was one failure that needed redo pyeloplasty. Duration of hospitalization and intravenous acetaminophen use were significantly lower in the RL group (2.8 vs. 2.3 days, p = 0.02, respectively) while operating time was significantly longer (163 vs. 85.8 min, p = 0.001). The postoperative complication rate was statistically identical in each group (urinary tract infection, wall hematoma, hematuria…).Conclusion: RL is feasible in children under 1 year of age in the hands of well-experienced surgeons with longer operative time but without added morbidity. Subject to the retrospective nature of our study, the RL seems to offer a benefit regarding duration of hospitalization and analgesics consumption

High Cyclin E Staining Index in Blastemal, Stromal or Epithelial Cells Is Correlated with Tumor Aggressiveness in Patients with Nephroblastoma

PURPOSE: Identifying among nephroblastoma those with a high propensity for distant metastases using cell cycle markers: cyclin E as a regulator of progression through the cell cycle and Ki-67 as a tumor proliferation marker, since both are often deregulated in many human malignancies. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A staining index (SI) was obtained by immunohistochemistry using anti-cyclin E and anti-Ki-67 antibodies in paraffin sections of 54 postchemotherapy nephroblastoma including 42 nephroblastoma without metastasis and 12 with metastases. Median cyclin E and Ki-67 SI were 46% and 33% in blastemal cells, 30% and 10% in stromal cells, 37% and 29.5% in epithelial cells. The highest values were found for anaplastic nephroblastoma. A correlation between cyclin E and Ki-67 SI was found for the blastemal component and for the epithelial component. Univariate analysis showed prognostic significance for metastases with cyclin E SI in stromal cells, epithelial cells and blastemal cells (p = 0.03, p = 0.01 and p = 0.002, respectively) as well as with Ki-67 SI in blastema (p<10(-4)). The most striking data were that both cyclin E SI and blastemal Ki-67 SI discriminated between patients with metastases and patients without metastasis among intermediate-risk nephroblastoma. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings show that a high cyclin E SI in all components of nephroblastoma is correlated with tumor aggressiveness and metastases, and that assessment of its expression may have prognostic value in the categorization of nephroblastoma

Tunneled tubularized bladder mucosal graft for long urethral reconstruction: is it a reliable option in selected complex cases in children and adolescents?

Aim: We analyzed the use of tubularized tunneled bladder mucosa graft (TBMG) and its application as a salvage procedure or as primary surgery for long urethroplasty in children and adolescents. Specific attention was given to a new method to harvest a long bladder mucosa graft through a minimal detrusotomy.Methods: We analyzed the files of 10 patients who underwent TBMG urethroplasty at median age of 105 months (range 20-195 months). The indications were perineal hypospadias cripple in two, masculinizing genitoplasty for ovotesticular Ovotesticular Disorder of Sex Development (DSD) in two, perineal hypospadias in four, duplicated urethra in one, and complications of circumcision in one. Staged reconstruction was performed in all patients. The first stage was removal of all fibrous tissues and efficient treatment of curvature and skin coverage. After a minimal delay of one year, a free bladder mucosa graft was harvested through a minimal detrusotomy and tubularized. Tunneling of the graft was proceeded from the perineal urethrostomy to the glans.Results: The graft was successfully harvested through the minimal detrusotomy approach for variable lengths of urethroplasty; the median length was 10.5 cm (range 8-16 cm). The median follow up was 61.7 months (range 18-160 months). TBMG was the last surgery with no redo in five cases (50%). Long stricture occurred in one case of primary perineal hypospadias and needed a redo staged surgery. Two patients performed self-dilatation for distal stenosis.Conclusion: The tunneled bladder mucosa tube graft technique represents a good alternative for a long urethroplasty in patients with a paucity of healthy skin. The minimal detrusotomy technique for graft retrieval may reduce graft harvesting morbidity

How the ESPU grades clinical abstracts

The ability to consistently review abstracts in an unbiased and objective fashion is a skill that most academics hope to master. However, robust standardized rating systems are sparse, with most scientific boards leaving the task of rating abstracts poorly defined and at the whim of the reviewer. In an effort to bring consistency to this process, in 2013, the ESPU board adopted an abstract rating system that has been previously used in the field of plastic surgery and orthopedics. (van der Steen et al., 2004; Poolman et al., 2007). The aim of this manuscript is to outline this practice

Utilisation des nouvelles technologies de l'information et de la communication par les étudiants en médecine. Enquête de pratique et mise en situation

Contexte : Des moyens financiers ont été engagés pour promouvoir les nouvelles technologies de l'information et de la communication notamment dans le domaine la médecine. Un consortium a été créé sous le nom d'université médicale virtuelle francophone (UMVF). Il n'existe pas de données sur l'utilisation réelle de l'UMVF par les étudiants en médecine. But de l'étude : Connaître les moyens d'accès à Internet et son utilisation par des étudiants en deuxième cycle (DCEM). Sujets et méthodes : Un questionnaire a été soumis à 50 étudiants de DCEM3 et DCEM4 afin d'inventorier les sites utilisés, de renseigner sur leur connaissance de l'existence de l'UMVF. Dix de ces 50 étudiants ont été soumis à une épreuve pratique (recherche de sites et de document pédagogique) afin d'apprécier leur capacité à utiliser Internet. Résultats : 74 % des étudiants disposaient d'un accès personnel à Internet mais son utilisation pour les études médicales était pour plus de 45 % d'entre eux inférieure à une fois par mois, en raison d'un manque de connaissance des sites existants. 8 % des étudiants ne connaissaient pas l'UMVF. Les étudiants soumis aux épreuves pratiques ont montré une efficacité comparable dans leur recherche de sites, ce qui n'était pas le cas pour rechercher un document dont le temps était significativement plus long. Conclusion : Les étudiants interrogés disposent très majoritairement d'un accès à Internet mais son utilisation dans le but spécifique de leurs études est faible en raison de l'absence d'information sur les sites qui leurs sont dédiés (notamment UMVF et campus numériques)

Mast Cells and MCPT4 Chymase Promote Renal Impairment after Partial Ureteral Obstruction

Obstructive nephropathy constitutes a major cause of pediatric renal progressive disease. The mechanisms leading to disease progression are still poorly understood. Kidney fibrotic lesions are reproduced using a model of partial unilateral ureteral obstruction (pUUO) in newborn mice. Based on data showing significant mast cell (MC) infiltration in patients, we investigated the role of MC and murine MCPT4, a MC-released chymase, in pUUO using MC- (Wsh/sh), MCPT4-deficient (Mcpt4−/−), and wild-type (WT) mice. Measurement of kidney length and volume by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as well as postmortem kidney weight revealed hypotrophy of operated right kidneys (RKs) and compensatory hypertrophy of left kidneys. Differences between kidneys were major for WT, minimal for Wsh/sh, and intermediate for Mcpt4−/− mice. Fibrosis development was focal and increased only in WT-obstructed kidneys. No differences were noticed for local inflammatory responses, but serum CCL2 was significantly higher in WT versus Mcpt4−/− and Wsh/sh mice. Alpha-smooth muscle actin (αSMA) expression, a marker of epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), was high in WT, minimal for Wsh/sh, and intermediate for Mcpt4−/− RK. Supernatants of activated MC induced αSMA in co-culture experiments with proximal tubular epithelial cells. Our results support a role of MC in EMT and parenchyma lesions after pUUO involving, at least partly, MCPT4 chymase. They confirm the importance of morphologic impairment evaluation by MRI in pUUO