International urology and nephrology
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To determine the accuracy of ultrasound (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the diagnosis of penile fracture and preoperative mapping for modified surgical repair. ⋯ Both modalities are extremely helpful for the diagnosis of penile fracture. Considering the cost-efficiency and accessibility of ultrasonography, US is recommended as the first-line tool for both diagnosis and preoperative mapping. MRI may be used as a complementary study in the patients for whom US fails to visualize or precisely define the tunica defect.
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To evaluate the potential role of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) with therapeutic response in patients who were treated with docetaxel for mCRPC. ⋯ NLR combined with PSA level at the diagnosis of cancer remains an important prognostic marker in predicting therapeutic outcome in Chinese men who receive chemotherapy for mCRPC.
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Acute kidney injury is a heterogeneous clinical syndrome encompassing a spectrum of risk factors and acute insults, occurring in multiple settings and affecting both short-term and long-term outcomes. Obesity has become an epidemic. The available literature suggests that AKI is common in critically ill surgical or medical obese patients and that obesity is a novel risk factor for this acute renal syndrome. ⋯ Obesity-related factors combined with the burden of other comorbidities in elderly obese patients may interact with known precipitating factors such as hypotension, nephrotoxins or sepsis and increase the susceptibility of this population to AKI. Whether or not obesity may counterintuitively be protective and associated with better survival of critically ill patients with AKI ("reverse epidemiology") is a subject for debate. Further investigations exploring the role of novel biomarkers and optimal management are needed urgently.
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Hemodialysis (HD) patients are known to have high cardiovascular mortality rate. Sudden cardiac death (SCD) due to arrhythmias causes most of the cardiac deaths. HD per se may lead to ECG abnormalities and ventricular arrhythmias. Monitoring ECG parameters such as corrected QT interval, QT dispersion (QTd), Tpe interval may be useful to stratify the patients with high risk of arrhythmia and SCD. Herein we aimed to investigate the effects of changes in serum electrolyte levels and pH on ECG parameters before and after the HD. ⋯ QRS and Tpe intervals were increased after HD. Tpe interval was longer in hypocalcemic patients. Change in Tpe was negatively associated with the change in calcium. Ultrafiltration was associated with ∆QTc and ∆JT. Calcium and ultrafiltration seem to be the most important determinants of ECG parameters of HD-induced repolarization abnormalities.
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To prospectively compare biopsy outcomes between free-hand transperineal mpMRI/TRUS fusion targeted biopsy (TB) and transperineal systematic biopsy (SB) in patients with first prostate biopsy. ⋯ Free-hand transperineal mpMRI/TRUS fusion biopsy was associated with a higher detection rate of clinically significant PCa while taking fewer cores. Moreover, this technique can reliably predict the location, and relatively reliably predict cancer volume and Gleason score of ITs.