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AbstractPurpose:Single-umbilical incision laparoscopic nephrectomy has been recently advocated as an alternative to pure natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery. We present a novel, hybrid technique for laparoscopic nephrectomy that combines single-incision laparoscopy with natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery principles consisting of using the ureteral stump as a natural orifice.Materials and Methods:Six renal units were operated in a nonsurvival pig study by combining a single umbilical incision with a novel natural orifice, the divided ureter. A transurethral 16F Amplatz sleeve inserted in the ureter under cystoscopic guidance became a natural orifice port after transection of the ureter. Regular laparoscopic instruments and scopes were used through two adjacent single-incision umbilical ports. The camera was placed in one of the umbilical ports and two operating instruments were introduced through the additional umbilical port and the “natural orifice port,” respectively.Results:Right and left laparoscopic nephrectomy were successfully performed. No complications occurred except one case of a periureteral hematoma due to the dilation of the ureter. The hylar blood vessels were thoroughly dissected and controlled by either clips or vascular staplers. The operative time decreased from 140 minutes in the first procedure to 70 minutes in the last (median time: 85 minutes). The learning curve was short because the basic principles of laparoscopy such as correct instrument angulation and geometry could be achieved through the inferior, natural orifice port.Conclusions:Laparoscopic nephrectomy combining a single umbilical incision with a natural orifice provided by the ipsilateral ureter is technically feasible in a large animal model. Further studies in human patients together with assessment of advantages over classic laparoscopic nephrectomy are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractPurpose:To report our experience with en blocstapling of the renal hilum during laparoscopic nephrectomy (LN) and nephroureterectomy and to compare it with separate stapling performed during the same period at the same institution.Patients and Methods:We conducted a retrospective review of 125 laparoscopic nephrectomies and nephroureterectomies performed between November 2003 and September 2006 for benign and malignant conditions. The main outcome was assessment of complications, with special emphasis on postoperative arteriovenous fistula. Secondary outcomes included operative blood loss and operative time. Statistical analysis was performed using two-sided parametric, nonparametric, or categorical tests as appropriate. Statistical significance was set at P≤ 0.05.Results:The transperitoneal approach and 2.5 mM vascular titanium clips were used in all cases. En blocstapling (group 1) was performed in 65 patients and individual stapling (group 2) in 60. There was a significantly higher proportion of right-side surgeries in group 1 than in group 2 (51 vs25%, P= 0.05). Overall complications were 31% vs32%, P= 0.91; mean operative time (confidence interval [CI]) 130 (95% 119, 141) vs125 min (95% 115, 136), P= 0.3; and mean operative blood loss (CI) 100 (95% 39, 160) vs135 mL (95% 76, 193), P= 0.33 did not differ for groups 1 and 2, respectively. After a median follow-up (interquartile range) of 25 (24.7) vs30 (30.0) months, P= 0.14, no cases of arteriovenous fistula were detected.Conclusions:En blocstapling of the renal hilum is as safe and effective as individual stapling. Arteriovenous fistula after LN does not seem to be a concern with the use of modern inorganic titanium staplers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small cell carcinoma of the prostate (SCCP), although relatively rare, is the most aggressive variant of prostate cancer, currently with no successful treatment. It was therefore tempting to evaluate the response of this violent malignancy and its bone lesions to Pd-Bacteriopheophorbide (TOOKAD)-based photodynamic therapy (PDT), already proven by us to efficiently eradicate other aggressive non-epithelial solid tumors. TOOKAD is a novel bacteriochlorophyll-derived, second-generation photosensitizer recently, developed by us for the treatment of bulky tumors. This photosensitizer is endowed with strong light absorbance (∊0 ~ 105 mol−1 cm−1) in the near infrared region (λ=763nm), allowing deep tissue penetration. The TOOKAD-PDT protocol targets the tumor vasculature leading to inflammation, hypoxia, necrosis and tumor eradication. The sensitizer clears rapidly from the circulation within a few hours and does not accumulate in tissues, which is compatible with the treatment of localized tumor and isolated metastases. Briefly, male CD1-nude mice were grafted with the human SCCP (WISH-PC2) in 3 relevant anatomic locations: subcutaneous (representing tumor mass), intraosseous (representing bone metastases) and orthotopically within the murine prostate microenvironment. The PDT protocol consisted of i.v. administration of TOOKAD (4 mg/kg), followed by immediate illumination (650–800 nm) from a xenon light source or a diode laser emitting at 770 nm. Controls included untreated animals or animals treated with light or TOOKAD alone. Tumor volume, human plasma chromogranin A levels, animal well being and survival were used as end points. In addition, histopathology and immunohistochemistry were used to define the tumor response. Subcutaneous tumors exhibited complete healing within 28–40 days, reaching an overall long-term cure rate of 69%, followed for 90 days after PDT. Intratibial WISH-PC2 lesions responded with complete tumor elimination in 50% of the treated mice at 70–90 days after PDT as documented histologically. The response of the orthotopic model was also analyzed histologically with similar results. The study with this model suggests that TOOKAD-based PDT can reach large tumors and is a feasible, efficient and well-tolerated approach for minimally invasive treatment of local and disseminated SCCP. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A response by Ramon Sanchez Jacob to a letter to the editor about his article "Optimising the Use of Computed Radiography in Pediatric Chest Imaging" is presented.

Artificial intelligence (AI) methods for the automatic detection and quantification of COVID-19 lesions in chest computed tomography (CT) might play an important role in the monitoring and management of the disease. We organized an international challenge and competition for the development and comparison of AI algorithms for this task, which we supported with public data and state-of-the-art benchmark methods. Board Certified Radiologists annotated 295 public images from two sources (A and B) for algorithms training (n=199, source A), validation (n=50, source A) and testing (n=23, source A; n=23, source B). There were 1,096 registered teams of which 225 and 98 completed the validation and testing phases, respectively. The challenge showed that AI models could be rapidly designed by diverse teams with the potential to measure disease or facilitate timely and patient-specific interventions. This paper provides an overview and the major outcomes of the COVID-19 Lung CT Lesion Segmentation Challenge - 2020.