The least invasive microperc with an optical puncture system appears to be a safe and effective treatment modality in patients with different kinds of stone disease with respect to various features. Although the initial cases were patients with single stones of less than 20 mm, the combined use of this system with other minimally invasive treatment modalities for the management of larger stones is promising.

The erdosteine and α-tocoferol significantly reversed the effect of protein oxidation and lipid peroxidation induced by I/R shown by the decreased levels of MDA and XO activities. Both MDA and XO levels were found to be lower in group 6 compared to single agent treatment groups, and this was significantly different. All treatment groups showed increased SOD activity, which accounts for their oxidative properties. The mean Paller score of the combination treatment group (group 6) was lower than all groups except the sham group (3.67 ± 1.2), and this finding was statistically significant (0.05). Our results showed that the antioxidant pretreatment with α-tocopherol and erdosteine combination reduced lipid peroxidation of renal cellular membranes in a model of normothermic renal ischemia-reperfusion in rats. Combination of erdosteine and α-tocopherol has a synergistic effect of protection against oxidative processes. Long-term use of α-tocopherol seems to have a greater effect on the prevention of IR injury. However, further investigations are needed for the clinical applications of our findings.

In this study of 26 patients, clinical features diagnosed as urinary tuberculosis in our nephrology and urology clinics between 1993 and 2002 were investigated retrospectively. Fifteen patients (52%) were male, and mean age was 43.5 (18-71). Twenty percent of the patients were asymptomatic. Frequency-dysuria (46%), flank pain (33%), and macroscopic hematuria (12%) were presenting symptoms. Physical examination was not diagnostically helpful in most patients. Hematuria and/or pyuria were detected in 80% of the patients. Eleven patients had positive urine cultures of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (42%), and 7 patients had positive smears (25%). Definitive diagnosis of urinary tuberculosis was established microbiologically in 15 patients (58%) and histopathologically in 11 patients (42%). Tuberculin skin test was positive in 60% of the patients. Eight patients had an abnormal chest roentgenogram. Hydronephrosis (majority bilateral) in 11 patients (42%), contracted bladder in 9 patients (34.6%), and renal calcification in 6 patients (23%) were detected. Two patients also had genital tuberculosis (epididymoorchitis). Although only medical treatment was applied in 13 patients for 9 months, in the rest of the patients medical therapy plus surgical intervention was carried out. End-stage renal failure developed in one patient who died on hemodialysis. Renal functions had decreased moderately in two other patients. In conclusion, the diagnosis of urinary tuberculosis was able to be established after the obstructive complications and functional losses were developed in a fair number of cases. Surgical treatment was carried out in half the patients. Urinary tuberculosis should be taken into consideration because early diagnosis and treatment is very important for the presenting of irreversible sequelae.

No abstract

No abstract