Transrectal ultrasound biopsy of the prostate: does it still have a role in prostate cancer diagnosis?

Transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) guided biopsy of the prostate has been a standard diagnostic approach for prostate cancer over the past thirty years. Today, the role of TRUS biopsy is being challenged by transperineal (TP) prostate biopsy due to concerns over the safety and diagnostic yield of TRUS biopsy. TRUS biopsy still offers a convenient, reliable and accessible tool for diagnosing prostate cancer in the majority of patients. It continues to play a role in prostate cancer diagnosis, especially where hospital resource allocation is limited, including the public sector. TRUS biopsy has low rates of severe complications, although there remains room for improvement in current practice to improve the tolerability and reduce the incidence of post-biopsy infection.     

Prognosis of lupus membranous nephropathy in children

The occurrence of membranous nephropathy in pediatric series of systemic lupus erythematosus has been reported only rarely, probably due to a very low frequency. One hundred fifty-four children who were seen in 100 French pediatric centers between January 2002 and April 2005 were included. Fifteen (12 girls and three boys) out of the 81 (18.5 %) children with renal involvement presented histological features of membranous nephropathy. Their ages ranged from six to 15 years old (mean=11.3) at the age of SLE diagnosis and 8/15 children were of African origin. Isolated membranous nephropathy was observed in nine patients, of whom five patients displayed a complete recovery following immunosuppressive treatment. Associated proliferative lesions were observed on the first kidney specimen in two patients and in a further renal biopsy in four other patients, leading to a less favorable course of lupus nephropathy.     

Epidemiology of renal disease in Romania: a 10 year review of two regional renal biopsy databases.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiological data of renal disease are available from large national renal biopsy registries from Central and Western European countries; in contrast, detailed epidemiological data from Eastern European countries are missing. This report is the first review of histological data, over a period of 10 years (1995-2004), covering a population of over 6 million inhabitants and two distinct regions from an East European country - Romania. METHODS: 635 eco-guided kidney biopsies from the Moldova (North-Eastern Romania, 8 counties, 4 754 048 inhabitants) and Banat (Western Romania, 3 counties, 1 454 747 inhabitants) regions were analysed. Data on serum creatinine concentration (sCr), 24 h proteinuria, haematuria, clinical diagnosis, histological diagnosis and complications after renal biopsy were collected. RESULTS: The number of biopsies performed varied between 10.9 p.m.p./year in 1995 and 11.3 p.m.p./year in 2004. The most common clinical syndromes - as indication for performing the renal biopsy - were: nephrotic syndrome (52.3%), followed by nephritic syndrome (21.9%), acute renal failure (ARF) (12.4%), chronic kidney disease (CKD) (10.2%) and asymptomatic urinary abnormalities (AUA) (3.3% of the cases). The major histological groups identified were: primary glomerulonephritis (GN) (66.2%), secondary GN (26.4%), vascular nephropathies (2.3%), and tubulointerstitial nephropathies (TIN) (1.5%) of the cases. Among primary GN's, the most frequent diagnoses were: membranoproliferative GN (MPGN) (29.4%, incidence in 2004 - 9.3 p.m.p./year), mesangioproliferative GN (MesGN) (28.9%, incidence - 10 p.m.p./year), membranous GN (MGN) (11.2%, incidence - 5.3 p.m.p./year), minimal change disease (MCD) (8.5%, incidence - 7.3 p.m.p./year), focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) (11.5%, incidence - 3.3 p.m.p./year) and crescentic GN (CGN) (7.9%, incidence - 3.3 p.m.p./year). The prevalence of membranoproliferative GN significantly decreased from 1995 to 2004. The prevalence of different types of secondary GN was similar to Western and Central European countries, with the particular difference of higher infectious diseases associated GN. CONCLUSION: The present data are an important contribution to the epidemiology of renal diseases in Europe, highlighting not only numerous similarities but also significant epidemiological differences in Western and Central European countries, particularly a higher, albeit declining, incidence and prevalence of membranoproliferative GN. This report represents the basis for the future of Romanian Registry of Renal Biopsies and is intended to serve as a source of information for nephrologists concerned with East European renal pathology.     

Diagnostic value of thoracoscopic pleural biopsy for pleurisy under local anaesthesia

BACKGROUND: We find pleural effusion in clinical practice frequently. However, it is difficult to make a diagnosis definitively by thoracocentesis or closed pleural biopsy. We directly examine the thoracic cavity by thoracoscopy under local anaesthesia, carry out pleural biopsy and make a definitive pathological diagnosis in pleurisy. METHOD: A retrospective study of 138 patients who had been diagnosed by thoracoscopy in our hospital was carried out between January 1995 and January 2005. RESULTS: The patients were 114 men and 24 women, ranging in age from 21 to 85 years, with a mean of 59 years. The right side was involved in 83 patients and the left side in 55. The operations took 11-145 min, with a mean of 46 min. Thoracoscopy directly without thoracocenteses was carried out in 28 of 138 patients. Lung cancer with pleural dissemination was diagnosed in 27, malignant pleural mesothelioma in 10, tuberculous pleurisy in 32, non-specific pleurisy in 58, other tumour in 2 and pyothorax in 9 patients. The overall diagnostic efficacy was 97.1% (134/138). The diagnostic efficacy in the cases of carcinoma was 92.6% (25/27), in malignant pleural mesothelioma it was 100% (10/10) and in tuberculosis it was 93.8% (30/32). No major complications occurred during the examination. CONCLUSION: Pleural biopsy by thoracoscopy under local anaesthesia should be actively carried out in patients with pleurisy, because the technique has a high diagnostic rate and can be easily and safely carried out.     

乳腺癌内乳区前哨淋巴结活检术研究进展

内乳区淋巴结的转移状况是乳腺癌的独立预后指标,也：是乳腺癌淋巴分期的重要依据之一。内乳区淋巴结转移的患者预后较差。随着前哨淋巴结活检技术的不断发展和新型注射技术的出现,内乳区前哨淋巴结活检的显像率显著提高,经肋间行内乳区前哨淋巴结活检术可以最小的风险评估内乳区淋巴结状况,并进一步完善乳腺癌的淋巴结分期．有助于为患者制定更为准确的个体化治疗方案。     

胸膜厚度联合外周血结核感染T细胞斑点试验鉴别诊断结核性与恶性胸腔积液

目的 评价胸膜厚度联合外周血结核感染T细胞斑点试验（T-SPOT.TB）鉴别结核性与恶性胸腔积液的价值。方法 纳入284例结核性胸膜炎患者（结核组）及213例恶性胸腔积液患者（恶性组）。采用超声测量胸膜厚度,并进行外周血T-SPOT.TB,比较组间结果差异;利用多因素logistic回归分析观察二者是否为恶性胸腔积液的独立危险因素。绘制受试者工作特征（ROC）曲线,计算曲线下面积（AUC）,评价胸膜厚度、外周血T-SPOT.TB及二者联合鉴别结核性与恶性胸腔积液的效能,并以DeLong检验比较其效能差异。结果 2组间胸膜厚度及外周血T-SPOT.TB结果差异均存在统计学意义（P均<0.05）,且此二项均为判断胸腔积液性质的独立危险因素,其OR分别为0.67[95%CI（0.60,0.75）,P<0.05]及6.79[95%CI（4.44,10.39）,P<0.05]。以胸膜厚度鉴别结核性与恶性胸腔积液的AUC为0.71,截断值取0.55 mm时,其诊断的敏感度为90.84%,特异度为45.08%;以外周血T-SPOT.TB鉴别诊断的AUC为0.72,敏感度为72.89%,特异度为70.89%;二者联合鉴别诊断的AUC为0.81,高于单一指标（P均<0.01）,敏感度为65.49%,特异度为83.10%。结论 胸膜厚度和外周血T-SPOT.TB可用于鉴别结核性与恶性胸腔积液,且二者联合可提高鉴别特异度。     

A Novel Nomogram to Identify Candidates for Extended Pelvic Lymph Node Dissection Among Patients with Clinically Localized Prostate Cancer Diagnosed with Magnetic Resonance Imaging-targeted and Systematic Biopsies

Background

Available models for predicting lymph node invasion (LNI) in prostate cancer (PCa) patients undergoing radical prostatectomy (RP) might not be applicable to men diagnosed via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-targeted biopsies.