Evaluation and understanding of automated urinary stone recognition methods.

Objective: To assess the potential of automated machine-learning methods for recognizing urinary stones in endoscopy.

Materials And Methods: Surface and section images of 123 urinary calculi (109 ex vivo and 14 in vivo stones) were acquired using ureteroscopes. The stones were more than 85% 'pure'.

Distribution of HIV self-tests by men who have sex with men attending a French sexual health centre: results of the OTO study.

Objectives: HIV self-tests (HSTs) have been deployed to reduce the burden of undiagnosed HIV infections in subpopulations undertested. We assumed that patients attending sexual health centres could themselves distribute HSTs in their close network. This study aimed to assess the proportion and the characteristics of the participants who distributed HSTs, as well as the characteristics of people who received HSTs.

Application of C5 inhibitors in glomerular diseases in 2021.

The complement pathway is an essential mechanism in innate immunity, but it is also involved in multiple pathologies. For kidney diseases, strong evidence of a dysregulation in the alternative pathway in atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) led to the use of eculizumab, the first anti-C5 inhibitor available in clinical practice. Intensive fundamental research resulted in the development of subsequent new drugs, such as long-acting C5 inhibitors, oral medications, or antagonists of C5aR, the receptor for C5a.

Incidence and risk factors for recurrent sexually transmitted infections among MSM on HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis.

Objective: High rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) have been reported among pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) users. We wished to assess the incidence and risk factors for recurrent STIs.

Design: The ANRS IPERGAY trial was a prospective study investigating PrEP among MSM and transgender women in outpatient clinics in France and Canada.

Low-Cost and Simple Frontal Sinus Surgical Cutting Guide Modeling for Anterior Cranioplasty in Facial Feminization Surgery: How To Do It.

Background: This study demonstrates a novel and simple design to create a low cost frontal sinus surgical cutting guide, using patient's frontal sinus cavities as references, to perform an anterior cranioplasty in facial feminization surgery. A clinical series demonstrates its clinical use and safety.

Material And Methods: Authors used a 4 open-source software protocol for the virtual surgical modeling (VSP).

Unmet needs for CKD care: from the general population to the CKD clinics-how many patients are we missing?

Introduction: Prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) varies around the world. Little is known about the discrepancy between the general population's needs and nephrology care offered. We aimed to contribute to filling this gap and propose a means to infer the number of patients needing follow-up.

Renal Replacement Therapy for Acute Kidney Injury in French Intensive Care Units: A Nationwide Survey of Practices.

Background: The frequency of acute kidney injury (AKI) can be as high as 50% in the intensive care unit (ICU). Despite the publication of national guidelines in France in 2015 for the use of RRT, there are no data describing the implementation of these recommendations in real-life.

Methods: We performed a nationwide survey of practices from November 15, 2019, to January 24, 2020, in France.

Toward an individualized determination of dialysis adequacy: a narrative review with special emphasis on incremental hemodialysis.

Introduction: The search for the 'perfect' renal replacement therapy has been paralleled by the search for the perfect biomarkers for assessing dialysis adequacy. Three main families of markers have been assessed: small molecules (prototype: urea); middle molecules (prototype β2-microglobulin); comprehensive and nutritional markers (prototype of the simplified assessment, albumin levels; composite indexes as malnutrition-inflammation score). After an era of standardization of dialysis treatment, personalized dialysis schedules are increasingly proposed, challenging the dogma of thrice-weekly hemodialysis.

COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy in Patients on Dialysis in Italy and France.

Introduction: Patients on dialysis (HDPs) are a category at high risk from COVID-19 and thus a high-priority group for vaccination. COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy has been a concern since the availability of the first vaccine. The objective of this study was to determine hesitancy rates and factors associated with hesitancy toward COVID-19 vaccination in HDP.

How blue lining the recurrent laryngeal nerve can aid in re-operative surgery?

The recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN), is one of the main structures at risk of injury causing vocal cord paralysis during head and neck surgery, especially during thyroid or parathyroid surgery, central neck dissection and upper oesophageal sphincter surgery. We describe the systematic use of marking of the RLN using non-resorbable blue polypropylene suture after its localisation, just inside its penetration below the cricopharyngeal muscle, to help identify the nerve for cases of re-operative surgery in this area. This specific marking technique could facilitate subsequent preservation of the nerve and reduce nerve injury risk in cases of planned or unexpected future operations, as well as emergency surgery due to postoperative complications.

Gestational trophoblastic neoplasia after human chorionic gonadotropin normalization in a retrospective cohort of 7761 patients in France.

Background: The risk of malignant transformation of molar pregnancies after human chorionic gonadotropin levels return to normal is low, roughly 0.4%, but may justify an adaptation of monitoring strategies for certain patients.

Objective: This study aimed to determine the risk of gestational trophoblastic neoplasia after human chorionic gonadotropin normalization in women with molar pregnancy and identify risk factors for this type of malignant transformation to optimize follow-up protocols after human chorionic gonadotropin normalization.

The EANM practice guidelines for parathyroid imaging.

Introduction: Nuclear medicine parathyroid imaging is important in the identification of hyperfunctioning parathyroid glands in primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT), but it may be also valuable before surgical treatment in secondary hyperparathyroidism (sHPT). Parathyroid radionuclide imaging with scintigraphy or positron emission tomography (PET) is a highly sensitive procedure for the assessment of the presence and number of hyperfunctioning parathyroid glands, located either at typical sites or ectopically. The treatment of pHPT is mostly directed toward minimally invasive parathyroidectomy, especially in cases with a single adenoma.

Elderly Patients in a Large Nephrology Unit: Who Are Our Old, Old-Old and Oldest-Old Patients?

The world population is aging, and the prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is increasing. Whether this increase is also due to the methods currently being used to assess kidney function in the elderly is still a matter of discussion. We aimed to describe the actual referral pattern of CKD patients in a large nephrology unit and test whether the use of different formulae to estimate kidney function could affect the staging and the need for specialist care in the older subset of our population.

Donor site sequelae and patient satisfaction after head and neck reconstruction with a radial forearm free flap.

Purpose: Radial forearm free flap (RFFF) being a workhorse flap in head and neck reconstruction, we investigated its donor site delayed consequences.

Methods: Multicentric case series evaluating 189 patients who underwent RFFF for carcinologic reasons at least 6 months before. Patients and surgeon's appreciation regarding the aesthetic and functional consequences of the flap harvest on their daily life were evaluated by questionnaires using likert scales.

Neonatal Morbidities in Infants Born Late Preterm at 35-36 Weeks of Gestation: A Swedish Nationwide Population-based Study.

Objective: To assess risk for neonatal morbidities among infants born late preterm at 35-36 gestational weeks, early term (37-38 weeks), and late-term (41 weeks) infants, compared with full-term (39-40 weeks) infants.

Study Design: This nationwide population-based cohort study included 1 650 450 non-malformed liveborn singleton infants born at 35-41 weeks between 1998 and 2016 in Sweden. The relative risks for low Apgar score (0-3) at 5 minutes; respiratory, metabolic, infectious, and neurologic morbidities; and severe neonatal morbidity (composite outcome) were adjusted for maternal, pregnancy, delivery, and infant characteristics.

Thin submental artery perforator flap for upper lip reconstruction: A case report.

Reconstruction of upper lip defects can be challenging even for experienced surgeons. In order to restore both function and morphology, the use of quality soft tissue is essential. To this effect, the most common solution is the use of local flaps, or, in extreme situations, a free flap.

Haematopoietic stem cell transplantation in adult soft-tissue sarcoma: an analysis from the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation.

Background: The role of high-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in the treatment of soft-tissue sarcoma (STS) remains an unsettled issue. Prospective clinical trials failed to prove a benefit of the procedure but were limited by small and heterogeneous patient cohorts. Thus, it is unknown if ASCT may be a valuable treatment option in specific patient subgroups.

Prone versus supine percutaneous nephrolithotomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis of current literature.

Introduction: Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PNL) can be performed either in prone or supine position. This study aimed at gathering together randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing efficacy and safety between prone and supine PNL.

Evidence Acquisition: Systematic review of literature was conducted using the Scopus, Medline and Web of Science databases.

Cardiovascular Toxicity Related to Cancer Treatment: A Pragmatic Approach to the American and European Cardio-Oncology Guidelines.

The considerable progress made in the field of cancer treatment has led to a dramatic improvement in the prognosis of patients with cancer. However, toxicities resulting from these treatments represent a cost that can be harmful to short- and long-term outcomes. Adverse events affecting the cardiovascular system are one of the greatest challenges in the overall management of patients with cancer, as they can compromise the success of the optimal treatment against the tumor.