The Use of Neutrophil Gelatinase-Associated Lipocalin (NGAL) as a Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarker in Urinary Tract Obstruction: a Systematic Review.

Purpose Of Review: The early recognition of urinary tract obstruction (UTO) is vital in order to prevent mortality and morbidity associated with an acute kidney injury (AKI) and progression to irreversible kidney damage. Urinary biomarkers such as neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) have been recognised as an accurate tool in the timely diagnosis of AKI, but its role in the detection, prognosis and subsequent monitoring of a variety of obstructive uropathies has not yet been explored. We performed a systematic review of literature in accordance with Cochrane methodology from inception to August 2021.

Role of urinary biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis of kidney stone disease.

Purpose Of Review: Urinary biomarkers such as neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) and N-acetyl-B-D-glucosamindase (NAG) are recognised as being useful for the detection of kidney tubular damage but their role in the diagnosis and prognosis of kidney stone disease (KSD) is still unknown. To clarify this, we performed a systematic review of literature in accordance with Cochrane methodology from inception to September 2020.

Recent Findings: Twelve studies were included and a variety of urinary biomarkers (KIM-1, NGAL, NAG, proteins/peptides, cytokines, CA19-9) were measured in a total of 998 patients with KSD.

The unexpected finding of a synchronous metastatic seminoma in para-aortic nodes excised in a case of clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

Testicular cancer is the most common form of cancer in young men aged 15-35 years and renal cell carcinoma accounts for 3% of all adult malignancy but a synchronous presentation is rare, especially a metastatic classical pattern seminoma with no testicular involvement. We report a case of metastatic seminoma in para-aortic lymph nodes after open radical nephrectomy and retroperitoneal lymph node dissection for a large left clear cell RCC. This case highlights the atypical presentation of testicular cancer, the consideration of a non-RCC associated lymphadenopathy and the importance of lymph node dissection as a treatment option for RCC-associated nodal disease.