The impact of tumor size on outcomes in patients with upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma.

Purpose: To investigate the association between tumor size and clinicopathologic factors and outcomes of upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) in patients treated surgically for UTUC.

Methods: A single-center series of 235 consecutive patients who were treated surgically for UTUC between January 1999 and December 2011 was evaluated. Patients with a history of muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma of the urinary bladder, those who received neoadjuvant therapies, and those with previous contralateral UTUC were excluded.

Prognostic significance of non-muscle-invasive bladder tumor history in patients with upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma.

Objective: To evaluate the prognostic factors for survival and disease recurrence in patients treated surgically for upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC), focusing especially on the impact of history of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

Patients And Methods: A single-center series of 221 consecutive patients who were treated surgically for UTUC between January 1999 and December 2010 was evaluated. Patients who had a history of bladder tumor at a higher stage than the upper tract disease, preoperative chemotherapy, or previous contralateral UTUC were excluded.

Upper urinary tract transitional cell carcinoma: location is not correlated with prognosis.

Objective: To identify the impact of tumour location on the disease recurrence and survival of patients who were treated surgically for upper urinary tract transitional cell carcinoma (UUT-TCC).

Patients And Methods: A single-centre series of 189 consecutive patients who were treated surgically for UUT-TCC between January 1999 and December 2009 was evaluated. Patients who had previously undergone radical cystectomy, preoperative chemotherapy or contralateral UUT-TCC were excluded.

[Incidence of surgical site infections in a urology department].

Objectives: To determine the incidence of surgical site infections (SSI) in the urology wards as well as the SSI incidence in relation to the ASA score and surgical site contamination class.

Materials And Methods: One-year prospective cohort study was conducted in the Urologic department, General hospital, Sabac. The patients were daily examined and their diagnoses were made according to the definition of hospital infections using concurrently the ASA score and surgical site contamination class.

Bladder cancer after managing upper urinary tract transitional cell carcinoma: risk factors and survival.

Objective: To identify independent risk factors for the development of bladder cancer after surgical management of upper urinary tract transitional cell carcinoma (UUT-TCC).

Patients And Methods: Between January 1999 and December 2008, 154 patients were treated surgically for UUT-TCC at the Clinic of Urology, Clinical Center of Serbia. Patients with a previous history of bladder cancer and patients with concomitant bladder cancer were excluded from the study.

[Pax-2 antigen expression in kidney tumours].

Unlabelled: Pax-2 transcriptional factor is expressed during kidney development and could re-express in renal tumors. The aim of this study was to examine Pax-2 expression in different types of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in order to see whether it is good immunohistochemical marker.

Method: We analyzed 48 different renal tumours stained with Pax-2 antibody.

Comparison of open nephroureterectomy and open conservative management of upper urinary tract transitional cell carcinoma.

Introduction: The treatment preserving the kidney for upper urinary tract (UUT) transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) is still controversial. We aimed to elucidate the results of open conservative surgery and compare them with the results of radical nephroureterectomy (RNU).

Patients And Methods: The study included 107 patients with UUT TCC treated by open conservative surgery (21 patients) or nephroureterectomy (86 patients).

Clinical challenge: heparin-induced thrombocytopenia type II (HIT II) or pseudo-HIT in a patient with antiphospholipid syndrome.

Treatment of patients with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia type II (HIT II) and thrombosis in some cases that represents a clinical challenge, which, if unrecognized, may lead to treatment delay or disease progression with potentially lethal outcome. We present a case of a 19-year-old patient with antiphospholipid syndrome, factor V (FV) Leiden mutation in heterozygous state, and venous thromboembolism. The patient was subjected to intravenous infusions of unfractionated heparin (UFH), and 16 days after the beginning of the treatment, his condition worsened, with thrombocytopenia and extension of thrombosis.

Survival of patients with transitional cell carcinoma of the ureter and renal pelvis in Balkan endemic nephropathy and non-endemic areas of Serbia.

Objective: To evaluate the characteristics and survival of patients with upper urinary tract (UUT) transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) in Serbia, followed for >/=5 years or until death.

Patients And Methods: From 1998 to 2005 we analysed 114 cases of pathologically confirmed UUT TCC, divided into two groups according to topographical characteristics, and compared their demographic, clinical and pathological characteristics. The influence of various factors on overall 5-year survival of patients with UUT TCC was also tested.

[Bilateral tumors of the upper urothelium].

Introduction: The incidence of tumors of the upper urothelium is high in our country, apart from their relation to specific regions (BEN and PBEN) and their frequent bilateralism. Bilateral forms are present in significant percentage and are followed, in most cases, by renal failure, which speaks in favor of conservative surgery, if possible.

Objective: The aim of the study was to present epidemiological, pathoanatomical and clinical characteristics of bilateral tumors of the upper urothelium and evaluate the results of their treatment.

Glutathione S-transferase-P1 expression correlates with increased antioxidant capacity in transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder.

Objectives: Our aim was to perform a comprehensive analysis of the antioxidant capacity of transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of urinary bladder and discern the role of enzymes associated with glutathione (GSH) in maintaining high GSH levels in these tumours. Because the redox-sensitive protein glutathione S-transferase P1 (GSTP1) might provide an important link between high antioxidant capacity and inhibition of apoptotic pathways, we also explored how the redox state in tumour cells interacts with the expression of GSTP1.

Methods: We examined spectrophotometrically the specific activities of GSH-replenishing enzymes involved in GSH synthesis (gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase, gamma-GCS), GSH regeneration (glutathione reductase, GR), and antioxidant protection (glutathione peroxidase, GPX; superoxide dismutase, SOD) in the cytosolic fraction of tumours and the surrounding normal tissue of 30 TCC patients.

Upper urothelial tumors in emigrants from Balkan endemic nephropathy areas in Serbia.

Aim: The aim of the study was to investigate upper urothelial tumors (UUT) in emigrants from Balkan endemic nephropathy (BEN) areas in Serbia and compare them with UUT from both endemic and nonendemic areas.

Materials And Methods: A total of 1,121 patients from the state cancer database, between 1960 and 1998, were investigated. Sixty of them were emigrants from BEN areas.

Possibilities and limitations of fibrin glue usage in nephron-sparing surgery: experimental study.

Introduction: The possibilities and limitations of fibrin glue (FG) usage in nephron-sparing surgery were studied.

Materials And Methods: A prospective experimental study was carried out in 50 pigs: 30 with polar resection, and 20 with mediorenal wedge resection of the kidney. Hemostatic sutures, FG, and FG with a muscle 'cup' in animals with polar resection of the kidney were compared.

[Thrombocytopenia induced by type II heparin and myocardial infarct: 2 case reports].

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) type II is an acquired thrombophylic state and life-threatening immune complication of a heparin treatment mainly clinically manifested by marked thrombocytopenia, frequently by arterial and venous thrombosis, and sometimes by skin changes. Functional assay as heparin aggregation test and 14C-serotonin release assays are used in diagnostics as well as antigen assays of which detection tests for heparin-platelet factor 4 antibodies are most frequently used. Considering the fact that there is no single reliable assays for HIT II detection available, sometimes it is necessary to combine both of the above-mentioned types of assays.

[Vascular complications after kidney transplantation].

Introduction: Despite high graft and recipient survival figures worldwide today, a variety of technical complications can threaten the transplant in the postoperative period. Vascular complications are commonly related to technical problems in establishing vascular continuity or to damage that occurs during donor nephrectomy or preservation [13].

Aim: The aim of the presenting study is to evaluate counts and rates of vascular complications after renal transplantation and to compare the outcome by donor type.