EDITOR'S COMMENT
New Video Section
Dr. Francisco J. B. Sampaio
It is my great pleasure to announce that with this issue we are launching a Video Section. Doctor Philippe E. Spiess, from H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL, USA, will be the Video Section Editor. I am confident that this new section, that will publish peer-reviewed videos, will be a big success.
The July August 2009 issue of the International Braz J Urol presents important contributions from different countries, and as usual, the editor's comment highlights some papers.
Doctor Miyaoka and Monga, from University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA, assessed on page 396 the evidence-based literature supporting the use of traditional Chinese medicine Kampo herbal and Acupuncture in stone disease management. Herbal medicine has been proven to be free from side effects and therefore suitable for long term use therapy. Its antilithic beneficial effects include increased urinary volume, increased magnesium excretion (Takusya), inhibitory activity on calcium oxalate aggregation (Takusya, Wulingsan and Desmodyum styracyfolium), inhibition of calcium oxalate nucleation and hydroxyapatite internalization (Wulingsan). In contrast, acupuncture, has shown to be effective as a pre-treatment anxiolytic and analgesic during colic pain and extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy treatment, reducing the need for complementary sedative drugs. Doctor Dr. Margaret S. Pearle, from University of Texas, Dallas, TX, USA, provided an important Editorial Comment on this review.
Doctor Park and Jang, from Pochon CHA University, Sungnam, Korea, presented on page 416 their experience using expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (Gore-Tex®) and Hem-O-Lok® (Weck® Clip) as hemostatic agents during open partial nephrectomy (OPN) to perform nephron-sparing surgery for large renal masses. After studying 26 patients with tumors ≥ 2.5 cm in size who underwent OPN with the use of those hemostatic agents, they found no major complications, such as urine leakage or delayed bleeding. They conclude that nephron-sparing surgery using Gore-Tex® alone or a Gore-Tex® and Hem-O-Lok® combination was safe without high-priced hemostatic agents because the tensile strength was sufficient to maintain firmness in the repaired parenchyma. In addition, the procedure is easy to perform and takes less time to complete. Dr. Jose M. Cabello & Dr. Sam B. Bhayani, from Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA and Dr. Reinhold Zimmermann, from Elisabethinen Hospital, University affiliated Hospital, Linz, Austria, provided important balanced comments on this manuscript.
Doctor Srougi and collaborators from University of Sao Paulo Medical School, SP, Brazil, evaluated on page 427 the incidence of benign lesions in solid renal masses according to tumor size. The authors retrospectively reviewed the records of 305 patients with 328 renal solid masses treated by surgery. The frequency of renal cell carcinoma and benign renal lesions was evaluated and a correlation between tumor size and pathological features of the masses was observed. They found that the frequency of malignant lesions in the 328 renal masses was 83.2%. When lesions were stratified into groups with diameters = 3 cm or > 3 cm, the incidence of benign histology was 22.9% and 13.3%, respectively (p = 0.026). The authors concluded that the incidence of benign lesions is significantly higher in renal masses smaller than 3 cm in diameter, which should be taken in account when the treatment of renal solid masses is planned.
Doctor Elgammal, from, Assiut University Hospital, Egypt, described on page 450 his experience with blunt injuries to the bulbar urethra and late sequelae to identify factors that may affect patient outcome. After analyzing retrospectively 53 male patients, they found stricture formation in 19 of 22 patients (86%) with complete urethral rupture and in 10 of 31 patients (32%) with partial rupture (p < 0.001). Strictures occurred in 11 of 31 (35%) patients treated initially with suprapubic cystostomy and in 18 of 22 (82%) treated with primary urethral realignment (p < 0.001). The success rate after visual internal urethrotomy was 15% (4 of 26 patients) and after urethroplasty was 96% (24 of 25 patients) (p < 0.001). The author concluded that suprapubic cystostomy is better than urethral realignment and catheterization as primary management after straddle injury to the bulbar urethra. Dr. Christiaan F. Heyns, from University of Stellenbosch & Tygerberg Hospital, South Africa, Dr. Bahaa Malaeb & Dr. Sean P. Elliott, from University of Minnesota, USA and Dr. Bradley A. Erickson & Dr. Christopher M. Gonzalez, from Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA, well-recognized international experts in urethral stricture disease, provided important editorial comments on this paper.
Doctor Valentini and colleagues, from Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France, searched on page 475 for an association of rhythmic rectal contractions (RRCs) with a specific lower urinary tract symptom or/and an urodynamic diagnosis. They analyzed 534 consecutive women with lower urinary tract symptoms and without specific gastro-intestinal disease referred for urodynamics, being 382 with no history of neurological disease and 152 with history of neurological disease. RRCs were observed in 69 patients, with no difference in neurological status or age. Patients with RRCs were significantly older than the negative population (p = 0.0002). RRCs were associated with urgency (35 patients) whatever the neurological status and with detrusor overactivity only in the neurological patients. The authors concluded that RRCs cannot be considered as artefactual events during cystometry in women, occur in the older population, are frequently associated with urgency but not with detrusor overactivity or neurological disease. Occurrence of RRCs should prompt the physician to look at the possible causes of urgency (colonic or bladder). Dr. Michael B. Chancellor, from William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, Michigan, USA, and Dr. Hann-Chorng Kuo, from Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan, worldwide recognized experts in the field, provided editorial comments on this research.
Dr. Francisco J. B. Sampaio
Editor-in-Chief
Publication Dates
-
Publication in this collection
28 Sept 2009 -
Date of issue
Aug 2009
