Investigation of confocal microscopy for differentiation of renal cell carcinoma versus benign tissue. Can an optical biopsy be performed?

Objective: Novel optical imaging modalities are under development with the goal of obtaining an "optical biopsy" to efficiently provide pathologic details. One such modality is confocal microscopy which allows visualization of cells within a layer of tissue and imaging of cellular-level structures. The goal of this study is to validate the ability of confocal microscopy to quickly and accurately differentiate between normal renal tissue and cancer.

Total Autologous Fascia Lata Anterior and Apical Pelvic Organ Prolapse Repair: A New Technique and Initial Experience.

Objective: To address renewed interest in nonmesh transvaginal Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP) repair since the FDA reclassification of transvaginal mesh, our goal was to develop a transvaginal sacrospinous fixation for anterior and apical POP using only autologous fascia lata. We report our experience in 33 patients.

Methods: Autologous Anterior and Apical Pelvic Organ Prolapse (AAA-POP) repair utilizes a 4 × 14 cm piece of fascia lata harvested through a 3-4-inch upper thigh incision.

Whole-transcriptome sequencing identified gene expression signatures associated with aggressive clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the most prevalent subtype of kidney cancer, yet molecular biomarkers have not been used for the prognosis of ccRCC to aide clinical decision making. This study aimed to identify genes associated with ccRCC aggressiveness and overall survival (OS). Samples of ccRCC tumor tissue were obtained from 33 patients who underwent nephrectomy.

The Case of an Obstructed Stone at the Distal Urethra.

This report highlights a presentation of urinary calculus impacted at the urethral meatus and bedside extraction after evaluation with point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS). Visualization of a stone at the urethral meatus prompted a point-of-care ultrasound of the penile shaft and glans. The ultrasound ruled out anatomic variations such as urethral diverticula and as a result bedside removal was expedited.

The Timed Up and Go Test as a Measure of Frailty in Urologic Practice.

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of frailty, a known predictor of poor outcomes, among patients presenting to an academic nononcologic urology practice and to examine whether frailty differs among patients who did and did not undergo urologic surgery.

Methods: The Timed Up and Go Test (TUGT), a parsimonious measure of frailty, was administered to patients ages ≥65. The TUGT, demographic data, urologic diagnoses, and procedural history were abstracted from the medical record into a prospective database.