Low serum testosterone, arterial stiffness and mortality in male haemodialysis patients.

Background: In the general population, accumulating data support a link between low testosterone levels and mortality by all causes, but especially by cardiovascular disease (CVD). Also, accelerated arterial stiffness has been recognized as an important cardiovascular risk factor. Here, we explored the association between testosterone levels and risk of death in male haemodialysis (HD) patients, whose arterial system is characterized by generalized stiffening.

A clinical dilemma; single prostatic cancer focus in biopsy. Interpretation and management.

Adoption of screening programmes for early diagnosis of prostate cancer has led to an increased number of sonographically guided prostate biopsies. Core needle biopsies are now among the most common specimens received from pathology laboratories. As a result, urologists and pathologists may encounter small volume prostate tumors with obvious clinical and diagnostic implications.

Hemangioma of penile urethra-treatment with simple transurethral excision: a case report.

Urethral hemangiomas are rare benign vascular tumors with varying size and usually present as urethral bleeding and/ or hematuria. Treatment depends on the size and site of the lesion. We present a 27 year old male with a two year history of intermittent episodes of urethral bleeding.

Cinacalcet-induced leukocytoclastic vasculitis.

An 80-year-old woman on maintenance hemodialysis therapy developed severe hypercalcemia under vitamin D treatment for secondary hyperparathyroidism. To avoid the toxic calcemic effects, cinacalcet was introduced and the dose of vitamin D was substantially decreased. Cinacalcet targets the calcium-sensing receptor and decreases parathyroid hormone levels without increasing calcium and phosphorus levels.

Arterial stiffness alterations during hemodialysis: the role of dialysate calcium.

Background/aims: We investigated the way dialysate calcium (dCa) level can influence arterial stiffness (AS), measured by stiffness index (SI), a surrogate of pulse wave velocity, and reflection index (RI), a measure of the amount of pulse wave reflection, derived by digital volume pulse (DVP).

Methods: Fourteen hemodialysis (HD) patients underwent two consecutive midweek 4-hour HD treatments in randomized order with a low dCa concentration of 1.25 mmol/l (LdCa) and a high dCa concentration of 1.

Carcinoid: modern aspects on its therapy.

In the past two years two patients with carcinoid tumours have been operated in Chios General Hospital. These two cases gave rise to our review of the literature concerning the therapy and follow-up of colorectal carcinoid tumours. We demonstrate the differences among surgeons concerning the acceptable and relevant indications for a hemicolectomy in appendiceal carcinoids and the prevailing aspects in the therapy of carcinoid of the colon and rectum.

Dialysate magnesium level and blood pressure.

Background: We investigated the way dialysate magnesium (dMg) concentrations could affect blood pressure (BP) during hemodialysis (HD).

Methods: Eight HD patients underwent four midweek HD treatments consecutively, using, during each four-hour HD session, one of the following four dialysate formulations, in randomized order, which differed only with regard to dMg and dialysate calcium (dCa) concentrations (in mmol/L): 0.75 dMg, 1.

Dialysate calcium profiling during hemodialysis: use and clinical implications.

Background: Low dialysate calcium (LdCa) concentration is used to prevent or treat hemodialysis (HD)-induced hypercalcemia, but its use has been complicated by intradialytic hypotension in some patients. Our goal was to explore the possibility that dialysis calcium profiling (dCaP) can ameliorate intradialytic hypotension in HD patients who need to have dialysis performed with LdCa.

Methods: In a randomized crossover design, eighteen HD patients underwent one four-hour HD session with LdCa of 1.

Intradialytic and interdialytic effects of treatment with 1.25 and 1. 75 Mmol/L of calcium dialysate on arterial compliance in patients on hemodialysis.

Arterial compliance (AC) is an important determinant of vascular structure, and abnormalities of AC can greatly affect the cardiovascular system. Given the vasoconstrictive properties of increased levels of serum ionized calcium (iCa), we investigated the way that dialysate calcium level can influence AC in the hemodialysis (HD) population. In a crossover randomized design, 19 dialysis patients undergoing regular bicarbonate HD (three times weekly) underwent two cycles of four successive HD sessions each with a low (LdCa; 1.