No abstract

The purpose of this study was to analyze the various risk factors for urosepsis following percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PNL) and to study the role of 1-week nitrofurantoin before PNL in reducing the risk of urosepsis. All patients undergoing PNL from April 2007 to November 2008 were prospectively included and grouped into four cohorts according to the following inclusion criteria: group A: stones ≤ 2.5 cm, no hydronephrosis, sterile urine; group B: diabetes mellitus, serum creatinine > 2 mg/dl, positive urine culture, stag horn stones, presence of nephrostomy or simultaneous bilateral PNL; group C: stones ≥ 2.5 cm and/or hydronephrosis, sterile urine; group D: similar to group C, but received nitrofurantoin 100 mg bid for 7 days before operation. Preoperative urine culture, intraoperative renal pelvic urine culture and stone cultures were obtained. Fever > 380°C and leukocyte counts > 12,000 were considered as systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). Endotoxemia was assessed in serum samples. A total of 205 patients were included in the study and grouped into four cohorts as group A (n = 50), group B (n = 54), group C (n = 53) and group D (n = 48). Overall 23% patients had positive renal pelvic urine and/or stone culture, 25% had endotoxemia and 34% developed SIRS. Female gender, chronic renal failure, anemia, hydronephrosis, stones larger than 2.5 cm and prolonged surgery were found to be risk factors associated with urosepsis. Nitrofurantoin prophylaxis resulted in decreased culture positivity (30.2 vs. 8.3%, odds ratio 0.36, p = 0.087), endotoxemia (41.9 vs. 17.5%, odds ratio 0.22, p = 0.001) and SIRS (49 vs. 19%, odds ratio 0.31, p = 0.01). In conclusion, female gender, chronic renal failure, anemia, hydronephrosis, stones larger than 2.5 cm and prolonged surgery were risk factors for urosepsis. Nitrofurantoin is beneficial in the prevention of endotoxemia and urosepsis especially in patients with larger stones and hydronephrosis.

Repair of vascular defects in the presence of infection remains a challenging task in immunocompromised patients. We report two patients with postrenal transplant Aspergillus mycotic aneurysms of the allograft renal artery involving the external iliac artery which were excised along with the allograft. The defect in the external iliac artery was repaired successfully with interposition of autogenous internal iliac artery graft. Use of an internal iliac artery graft in such settings has been rarely reported in English literature. Autogenous internal iliac artery grafts provide a useful method to bridge the vascular defects created by radical debridement in the presence of fungal infections.

Spontaneous renal hemorrhage (SRH) is a difficult diagnostic problem with various causes. We report a case of SRH and episodic gross hematuria in a patient with metastatic choriocarcinoma involving both kidneys for which successful angioembolization was carried out for control of hemorrhage. There was no evidence of primary uterine tumor and pulmonary or liver involvement. The patient developed gastrointestinal bleeding due to jejunal metastasis while on chemotherapy and surgical resection of the involved segment was carried. However, the patient acquired nosocomial pneumonia and succumbed to sepsis in the postoperative period.

Fournier gangrene (FG) is polymicrobial necrotizing infection of subcutaneous tissues and deep fascia, commonly involving the perineum, external genitalia, anterior abdominal wall and medial aspect of thighs. Urethral pathology, although often the inciting factor for FG, extensive involvement with urethral necrosis is very rare. This is the first report in English literature, describing complete sloughing of the bulbar urethra with ischemic necrosis of the bladder mucosa from FG. Such extensive disease is associated with high mortality, despite higher antibiotics, through debridement and intensive care. Urethral involvement needs extensive debridement and temporary or permanent urinary diversion.