Practical aspects of MRI of the prostate

The article presents the main aspects of sectional anatomy, lymph nodes and adjacent structures as well as MRI examination standard protocol for prostate cancer diagnosis. Using MRI multiparametric examination we succeed in classifying efficiently the malignant prostatic tumors using PI- RADS system. Also, using MRI multiparametric examination we can evaluate the effectiveness of prostate cancer treatmen

Clinical Predictors of Preeclampsia in Pregnant Women with Chronic Kidney Disease

Background and Objectives: Pregnant women with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are at high risk of adverse maternal and fetal outcomes. Preeclampsia (PE) superimposed on CKD is estimated to occur in 21%–79% of pregnancies. Both conditions share common features such as proteinuria and hypertension, making differential diagnosis difficult. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence and the clinical-biological predictors of preeclampsia in pregnant women with CKD. Material and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 34 pregnant women with pre-existing CKD admitted to our department between 2008 and 2017. Results: Among the 34 patients, 19 (55.8%) developed PE and the mean time of occurrence was 31.26 ± 2.68 weeks of gestation. The median value of 24-h proteinuria at referral was 0.87 g/day (interquartile range 0.42–1.50) and 47.1% of patients had proteinuria of ≥1 g/day. Patients with PE tended to be more hypertensive, with a more decreased renal function at referral and had significantly higher proteinuria (1.30 vs. 0.63 g/day, p = 0.02). Cox multivariate analysis revealed that proteinuria ≥1 g/day at referral and pre-existing hypertension were independently associated with PE (adjusted hazard ratio = 4.10, 95% confidence interval: 1.52–11.02, p = 0.005, adjusted hazard ratio = 2.62, 95% confidence interval: 1.01–6.77, p = 0.04, respectively). The cumulative risk of PE was significantly higher in pregnant women with proteinuria ≥1 g/day at referral (log-rank, p = 0.003). Proteinuria ≥ 1 g/day at referral and pre-exiting hypertension predicted PE development with accuracies of 73.5% and 64.7%, respectively. Conclusions: Pregnant patients with pre-existing CKD are at high risk of developing preeclampsia, while proteinuria ≥ 1 g/day at referral and pre-existing hypertension were independent predictors of superimposed preeclampsia

Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Infection after Kidney Transplantation: A Comprehensive Review

Tuberculosis (TB) in kidney transplant (KT) recipients is an important opportunistic infection with higher incidence and prevalence than in the general population and is associated with important morbidity and mortality. We performed an extensive literature review of articles published between 1 January 2000 and 15 June 2022 to provide an evidence-based review of epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment and outcomes of TB in KT recipients. We included all studies which reported epidemiological and/or outcome data regarding active TB in KT, and we approached the diagnostic and treatment challenges according to the current guidelines. Prevalence of active TB in KT recipients ranges between 0.3–15.2%. KT recipients with active TB could have a rejection rate up to 55.6%, a rate of graft loss that varies from 2.2% to 66.6% and a mortality rate up to 60%. Understanding the epidemiological risk, risk factors, transmission modalities, diagnosis and treatment challenges is critical for clinicians in providing an appropriate management for KT with TB. Among diagnostic challenges, which are at the same time associated with delay in management, the following should be considered: atypical clinical presentation, association with co-infections, decreased predictive values of screening tests, diverse radiological aspects and particular diagnostic methods. Regarding treatment challenges in KT recipients with TB, drug interactions, drug toxicities and therapeutical adherence must be considered