CONVENTIO N ISSUE
MAY 2012
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VOLUME 11, ISSUE NUMBER 5
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www.renalandurologynews.com
Embolization Relieves BPH Symptoms
IMAGE COURTESY OF FRANCISCO CESAR CANNEVALE, MD, PhD
Novel approach is associated with a 30% reduction in prostate size, according to researchers
FIGURE 1. Microcatheterization in the left interior vesical artery prior to embolization
RFA Treats Small Renal Tumors BY JODY A. CHARNOW RADIOFREQUENCY ABLATION (RFA) can effectively treat small benign renal tumors in a single session, and long-term outcomes of RFA for renal tumors depend on tumor size, according to the findings of two studies. Researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas
CME FEATURES
led by Jeffrey A. Cadeddu, MD, conducted both studies, which were retrospective in design. One study looked at 47 benign small (less than 3.5 cm) renal masses (SRMs) discovered incidentally in 41 patients. The tumors were determined to be benign by concurrent biopsy. The other study focused on 159 continued on page 10
Earn 2 CME credits in this issue
• Bone disease in kidney transplant patients p.17 • Part I of our series on neurogenic bladder p.40 PAGE 40
BY JOHN SCHIESZER SAN FRANCISCO—Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) may be safely treated with prostatic artery embolization (PAE), according to a new study presented at the 37th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR). PAE is associated with few serious adverse side effects and may reduce prostate volume by more than 30%, researchers reported. “These new findings provide hope for those who might not be candidates for transurethral resection of the prostate and may allow them to avoid serious complications that sometime result from surgery, such as impotence, retrograde ejaculation and urinary incontinence,”
Translumbar HD Catheters Safe, Effective BY JOHN SCHIESZER SAN FRANCISCO—Translumbar hemodialysis catheters (THCs) are safe and may offer an effective vascular access route for hemodialysis (HD) patients with limited venous access options, even in overweight patients, according to data presented at the 37th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Society of Interventional Radiology. The new findings may be of particular interest to nephrologists because they pertain to a very challenging group of dialysis patients, said study investigator Cormac Farrelly, MD, Assistant Professor of Interventional Radiology at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Intervention radiologists at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania previously published their experience with transhepatic dialysis catheters in 2003. The latest study suggests that a translumbar approach may have significant advantages over a transhepatic approach. continued on page 10
said study investigator Francisco Cesar Carnevale, MD, PhD, Professor and Chief of the Interventional Radiology Section at the Hospital das Clínicas of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of São Paulo, Brazil. “This could mean that more men have a chance at getting their lives back.” Dr. Carnevale and his colleagues conducted a prospective, single site phase 2 study to investigate whether PAE could improve both quality of life and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in men with BPH. The study included 11 men with acute urinary retention due to BPH who had been managed with medical treatment and indwelling urethral catheters. continued on page 10
IN THIS ISSUE 4
Summer heat raises risk of acute renal failure
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Blood pressure, uric acid linked in adolescents
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Caution urged in use of older kidneys
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Partial nephrectomy increasing, but disparities exist
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U.S. kidney stone prevalence is on the rise
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MRI scans may improve PCa detection
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Q&A: When is brachytherapy the best choice? A wedge-shaped hypoperfused area of the right renal parenchyma PAGE 28