Nephrometry scoring systems: their importance for the planning of nephron-sparing surgery and the relationships among them.

In recent years, the development of new imaging techniques and scoring systems have improved the diagnosis and management of small renal masses. Imaging-based nephrometry scoring systems play an interesting role in the planning of nephron-sparing surgery, providing surgeons with the information necessary to determine the complexity of the renal mass, to deliver the appropriate postoperative care, and to predict adverse outcomes. The aim of this study was to review nephrometry scoring systems, evaluating their characteristics and the relationships among them.

Differential diagnoses of overgrowth syndromes: the most important clinical and radiological disease manifestations.

Overgrowth syndromes comprise a heterogeneous group of diseases that are characterized by excessive tissue development. Some of these syndromes may be associated with dysfunction in the receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK)/PI3K/AKT pathway, which results in an increased expression of the insulin receptor. In the current review, four overgrowth syndromes were characterized (Proteus syndrome, Klippel-Trenaunay-Weber syndrome, Madelung's disease, and neurofibromatosis type I) and illustrated using cases from our institution.

Results and complications of CT-guided transthoracic fine-needle aspiration biopsy of pulmonary lesions.

Objective: To analyze the cytological findings of CT-guided percutaneous fine-needle aspiration biopsies of the lung, to demonstrate the diagnostic feasibility of the method in the investigation of pulmonary lesions, and to determine the complications of the procedure, evaluating its safety.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of 89 patients with various types of pulmonary lesions who underwent 97 procedures over a period of five years. The patients were divided into groups regarding the indication for the procedure: suspicion of primary lung cancer (stages IIIB or IV); suspicion of lung cancer (stages I, II, or IIIA) and clinical contraindications for surgery; suspicion of pulmonary metastasis from other organs; and pulmonary lesions with benign radiological aspect.

Bone healing in rats submitted to weight-bearing and non-weight-bearing exercises.

Background: To investigate the effects of low-intensity exercise on bone healing during a short time.

Material/methods: We made a surgical 1-mm perforation in the upper third medial cortical of the right tibia of 45 male Wistar rats (3 months old; mean weight, 282+/-34 g). Animals were randomly assigned to a swimming exercise group (SWIM, n=15), a running exercise group (RUN, n=15), or a no exercise control group (CON, n=15).