Self-supervised learning artificial intelligence noise reduction technology based on the nearest adjacent layer in ultra-low dose CT of urinary calculi

Objective To observe the value of self-supervised deep learning artificial intelligence(AI)noise reduction technology based on the nearest adjacent layer applicated in ultra-low dose CT(ULDCT)for urinary calculi.Methods Eighty-eight urinary calculi patients were prospectively enrolled.Low dose CT(LDCT)and ULDCT scanning were performed,and the effective dose(ED)of each scanning protocol were calculated.The patients were then randomly divided into training set(n=75)and test set(n=13),and a self-supervised deep learning AI noise reduction system based on the nearest adjacent layer constructed with ULDCT images in training set was used for reducing noise of ULDCT images in test set.In test set,the quality of ULDCT images before and after AI noise reduction were compared with LDCT images,i.e.Blind/Referenceless Image Spatial Quality Evaluator(BRISQUE)scores,image noise(SD ROI)and signal-to-noise ratio(SNR).Results The tube current,the volume CT dose index and the dose length product of abdominal ULDCT scanning protocol were all lower compared with those of LDCT scanning protocol(all P<0.05),with a decrease of ED for approximately 82.66%.For 13 patients with urinary calculi in test set,BRISQUE score showed that the quality level of ULDCT images before AI noise reduction reached 54.42%level but raised to 95.76%level of LDCT images after AI noise reduction.Both ULDCT images after AI noise reduction and LDCT images had lower SD ROI and higher SNR than ULDCT images before AI noise reduction(all adjusted P<0.05),whereas no significant difference was found between the former two(both adjusted P>0.05).Conclusion Self-supervised learning AI noise reduction technology based on the nearest adjacent layer could effectively reduce noise and improve image quality of urinary calculi ULDCT images,being conducive for clinical application of ULDCT.

Wrist-ankle acupuncture combined with pain nursing for the treatment of urinary calculi with acute pain

BACKGROUND Urological calculi often cause renal colic,which is characterized by paroxysmal or persistent severe pain in the upper abdomen or lumbar region.Development of methods to quickly relieve these pain symptoms has garnered clinical attention.Wrist-ankle acupuncture is a type of floating acupuncture therapy administered at selected points in the carpal and ankle areas,and it has good pain-relieving effects.We used wrist-ankle acupuncture combined with pain nursing for pain intervention in patients with renal calculi to confirm its application and safety.AIM To study the effect of wrist-ankle acupuncture combined with pain nursing in the treatment of urinary calculi with acute pain.METHODS Eighty-two patients with urinary calculi with acute pain as the first symptom followed at our hospital from November 2019 to June 2021 were enrolled in the study and classified into two groups according to the odd and even numbers of the visit sequences,each with 41 cases.The control group received a routine nursing intervention and intramuscular injection of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs,whereas the observation group received pain management nursing and wrist-ankle acupuncture.Subsequently,the pain-relieving effect was compared between the two groups.RESULTS The score on the visual analog scale(VAS)at 24,48,and 72 h postintervention was decreased in both groups compared with the baseline data;moreover,the observation group scored significantly lower than the control group on the VAS at each time point after the intervention(P<0.05).The clinical efficacy at 24 h postintervention was not significantly different between the two groups(P>0.05).In turn,the pain recurrence rate at 72 h postintervention was lower in the observation group compared with the control group(P<0.05).Finally,the nursing satisfaction rate in the observation group was significantly higher than that observed in the control group(P<0.05).No serious adverse reactions occurred during the treatment and the safety of treatment was high in both groups.CONCLUSION Wrist-ankle acupuncture combined with pain nursing for treating urolithiasis with acute pain effectively alleviated the degree of pain and reduced the recurrence rate,which was worthy of clinical application.

Clinical study on the minimally invasive percutaneous nephrolithotomy treatment of upper urinary calculi

BACKGROUND Upper urinary tract stones are very common in my country,with an incidence of 1%to 5%in the North and an even higher incidence of 5%to 10%in the south.The incidence rate in the south is higher than that in the north,mainly due to the water quality,climate and eating habits of the region.From the perspective of sex,incidence is more likely in males than females.In the high-incidence population,young adults are most prone to stones.Men in the age range of 25 to 40 years are more likely to have stones.AIM To observe the therapeutic effect of minimally invasive percutaneous nephrolithotomy(mPCNL)on upper urinary tract stones and its influence on the renal function of patients.METHODS Patients with upper urinary tract stones who were treated in our hospital from February 2017 to March 2018 were selected as research subjects and were divided into the PCNL group and the mPCNL group according to the random number table method.The general conditions of the two groups of patients were observed during the perioperative period,and the differences in stone clearance,pain,renal function indicators and complication rates were compared between the two groups to determine which were statistically significant(P<0.05).RESULTS The operation time of the mPCNL group was longer than that of the PCNL group(t=-34.392,P<0.001),and the intraoperative blood loss of the mPCNL group was more than that of the PCNL group(t=34.090,P<0.001).There was no difference in renal function indices between the two groups of patients before treatment,and there was no difference in the levels of serum creatinine,β2 microglobulin or retinol binding protein in the mPCNL group after treatment.The visual analog scale score of patients in the mPCNL group was lower than that of the PCNL group(t=12.191,P<0.001),and there was no significant difference in the stone clearance rate between the two groups(χ2 value=1.013,P=0.314).There was no significant difference in the incidence of urine extravasation,dyspnea and peripheral organ damage between the two groups(χ2 value=1.053,P=0.305).At 1 mo after treatment and 3 mo after treatment,the quality of life of the mPCNL group was lower than that of the PCNL group,and the Qmax level of the mPCNL group was higher than that of the PCNL group.CONCLUSION mPCNL has a good therapeutic effect on upper urinary tract stones,with a high stone clearance rate without causing kidney damage or increasing the incidence of complications,and thus has good application value.

Inverted Y ureteral duplication with an ectopic ureter and multiple urinary calculi:A case report

BACKGROUND In the clinical treatment of diseases related to ureteral duplication,it is very important to make a clear diagnosis before surgery because different types of ureteral duplication correspond to different treatment options.Inverted Y ureteral duplication with ectopic ureters and multiple urinary calculi is clinically rare.This case can help clinicians increase their understanding of this disease and gain some experience in its diagnosis and treatment.CASE SUMMARY A 36-year-old male who was previously healthy presented to the hospital with lumbar pain.Percussion of the right kidney area showed the patient had pain.Computed tomography scans revealed multiple urinary calculi in the right urinary system.Computed tomography urography revealed a duplicated ureteral malformation with an ectopic ureter.A transurethral ureteroscopic holmium laser lithotripsy was performed successfully.Intraoperative retrograde ureterography was performed,and the ectopic ureter was visible.We informed the family of the intraoperative findings and suggested laparoscopic ectopic ureterectomy for the ectopic ureteral stones.Unfortunately,the family temporarily refused laparoscopic surgery.The patient did not feel any discomfort after one year of followup.CONCLUSION Inverted Y ureteral duplication with an ectopic ureter and multiple urinary calculi is rare.Clinicians must be highly vigilant,make a correct diagnosis before surgery,determine the type of ureteral duplication and the distribution of urinary calculi,and then draw up a reasonable treatment plan to avoid unnecessary complications.

EXTRACORPOREAL SHOCK WAVE LITHOTRIPSY FOR URINARY CALCULI: 18 YEARS EXPERIENCE

Objective To report our experience of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy （ESWL） for patients with urinary calculi. Methods From Jun. 1987 to Dec. 2005, a total of 10100 patients with urinary calculi in the kidney or ureter accepted ESWL. The kidney stones were sorted by FDA standard. The ureteric stone was sorted by its site and retrograde pyelography. At the same time, we summarized the recurrence of kidney stone and its relationship between extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy （ ESWL ） and hypertension. Results The efficacy for class I kidney stone was 91.2% that for class II 86. 5% and class III 72.3% , the healing rate for ureteric stone was 84. 5%. Combined retrograde pyelography and ESWL couM improve the efficacy. If ESWL failed, the ureteric stone could still be removed by operation or ureterscopy （ 1.1% ）. The rate of recurrence of kidney stone was 6. 1% and the incidence of hypertension post-treatment reached 7. 9%. Conclusion ESWL is a preferred approach to treat urinary calculi.

Percutaneous nephrolithotomy for treating upper urinary calculi under local anesthesia(report of 1363 cases)

Objective To discuss the feasibility of pereutaneous nephrolithotomy ( PCNL) for treating upper urinary calculi under local anesthesia. Methods One thousand three hundred and sixty - three patients who suffered

Etiology and management of urethral calculi:A systematic review of contemporary series

Objective:To conduct a systematic literature review on urethral calculi in a contemporary cohort describing etiology,investigation,and management patterns.Methods:A systematic search of MEDLINE and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials(CENTRAL)databases was performed.Articles,including case reports and case series on urethral calculi published between January 2000 and December 2019,were included.Full-text manuscripts were reviewed for clinical parameters including symptomatology,etiology,medical history,investigations,treatment,and outcomes.Data were collated and analyzed with univariate methods.Results:Seventy-four publications met inclusion criteria,reporting on 95 cases.Voiding symptoms(41.1%),pain(40.0%),and acute urinary retention(32.6%)were common presenting features.Urethral calculi were most often initially investigated using plain X-ray(63.2%),with almost all radio-opaque(98.3%).Urethral calculi were frequently associated with coexistent bladder or upper urinary tract calculi(16.8%)and underlying urethral pathology(53.7%)including diverticulum(33.7%)or stricture(13.7%).Urethral calculi were most commonly managed with external urethrolithotomy(31.6%),retrograde manipulation(22.1%),and endoscopic in situ lithotripsy(17.9%).Conclusion:This unique systematic review of urethral calculi provided a summary of clinical features and treatment trends with a suggested treatment algorithm.Management in contemporary urological practice should be according to calculus size,shape,anatomical location,and presence of urethral pathology.

Risk factors of concurrent urinary sepsis in patients with diabetes mellitus comorbid with upper urinary tract calculi

BACKGROUND Urinary sepsis is frequently seen in patients with diabetes mellitus(DM)complicated with upper urinary tract calculi(UUTCs).Currently,the known risk factors of urinary sepsis are not uniform.AIM To analyze the risk factors of concurrent urinary sepsis in patients with DM complicated with UUTCs by logistic regression.METHODS We retrospectively analyzed 384 patients with DM complicated with UUTCs treated in People’s Hospital of Jincheng between February 2018 and May 2022.The patients were screened according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria,and 204 patients were enrolled.The patients were assigned to an occurrence group(n=78)and a nonoccurrence group(n=126).Logistic regression was adopted to analyze the risk factors for urinary sepsis,and a risk prediction model was established.RESULTS Gender,age,history of lumbago and abdominal pain,operation time,urine leukocytes(U-LEU)and urine glucose(U-GLU)were independent risk factors for patients with concurrent urinary sepsis(P<0.05).Risk score=0.794×gender+0.941×age+0.901×history of lumbago and abdominal pain-1.071×operation time+1.972×U-LEU+1.541×U-GLU.The occurrence group had notably higher risk scores than the nonoccurrence group(P<0.0001).The area under the curve of risk score for forecasting concurrent urinary sepsis in patients was 0.801,with specificity of 73.07%,sensitivity of 79.36%and Youden index of 52.44%.CONCLUSION Sex,age,history of lumbar and abdominal pain,operation time,ULEU and UGLU are independent risk factors for urogenic sepsis in diabetic patients with UUTC.

Therapeutic effects of potassium sodium hydrogen citrate on melamine-induced urinary calculi in China

Background In 2008, a sharp increase of the number of children diagnosed with urinary calculi was observed in China, 9433 children were diagnosed as having melamine-induced urinary calculi at outpatient clinic in Beijing Children＇s Hospital. This study examined the therapeutic efficacy of potassium sodium hydrogen citrate （PSHC） used to treat melamine-induced urinary stones in Chinese children who consumed melamine-containing infant formula. Methods Seventy-two infants and children （average age （18.2±7.7） months） who were diagnosed with urinary calculi were icuidomly divided into three treatment groups using the SAS Plan program. Group 1 was given a low dose （1 g/d） of PSHC, group 2 was given high dose of PSHC （2 g/d） and group 3 was given no PSHC （control group）. The dose of drug was adjusted according to the baseline urinary pH. This study analyzed the influence of the dose of PSHC, the age of patients, stone size and position, and urinary pH on the level of efficacy of PSHC （cured, effectively treated or not cured）.Results After 1-6 months of therapy, 19 patients from group 1, five patients from group 2 and six patients from group 3 were cured. Five patients from group 1, five patients from group 2 and four patients from group 3 were effectively treated. There were significant differences in therapeutic efficacy between the two treatment doses after 3 and 6 months as measured by the increase in the successful expulsion rate and time of melamine-induced urinary calculi. After 6 months the mean time of expulsion of urinary calculi in groups 1 and 2 was significantly shorter than in the control group. Conclusions PSHC can significantly increase the successful expulsion rate and time of melamine-induced urinary calculi. The therapeutic efficacy is affected by PSHC dose, treatment duration, calculi position, and urinary pH. There is no relationship between the therapeutic efficacy and the stone size or patient age.

Medical expulsion therapy for urinary calculi

C urrently, the predominant therapy for urinary calculi is minimally invasive treatment, which could reduce injury to patients while enhancing the success rate, compared to traditional open surgery. Minimally invasive treatments in urinary system include extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy （ESWL）, percutaneous nephro- stolithotomy （PCNL）, ureteroscopic lithotripsy （URSL）, laparoscopy, and so on. Despite the relative small injury,

Selection of staged or synchronous percutaneous nephrolithotomy for treatment of bilateral upper urinary tract calculi

Objective To evaluate the decision process to perform staged or synchronous bilateral percutaneous nephrolithotripsy ( PCNL) in the treatment of bilateral upper urinary tract calculi. Methods Patients with an indication for bilateral PCNL were enrolled in the study

Contemporary minimal invasive surgical management of stones in children

Objective:Pediatric urolithiasis has been more common over the past 20 years,and urologists have unique challenges in managing it surgically because this particular demographic is recognized as one of the high-risk categories for stone recurrence.Given this reality,care focuses on maintaining renal function,achieving total stone-free status,and most importantly avoiding stone recurrences.In this presented article,we aimed to make a comprehensive review of the current minimally invasive treatment of pediatric kidney stone disease.Methods:We evaluated the results of 74 studies following a comprehensive PubMed search till February 2023.This article was written by making use of current urology guidelines.Results:Considering the reported occurrence of metabolic issues in up to 50%of cases in addition to the anatomic anomalies(about 30%of cases),the treatment of pediatric urolithiasis necessitates a full metabolic and urological examination on an individual basis.Timely management of metabolic imbalances and obstructive diseases is necessary.In addition to encouraging proper fluid consumption,it is advisable to improve urine volume and consider using medical therapeutics to raise urinary citrate levels.The location,content,and size of the stone(s),the morphology of the collecting system,the presence of urinary tract infection,as well as the presence of any obstruction,should all be taken into consideration while deciding on the best surgical procedure.Conclusion:All modern endourological methods are now used in the safe and efficient care of pediatric urolithiasis as a consequence of the obvious advancements in instrument technology and expanding expertise derived from adult patients.Other minimally invasive procedures,such as ureterorenoscopy and percutaneous nephrolithotomy,require more expertise and can be successfully applied with careful management for an excellent stone-free rate with minimal morbidity.Of these procedures,shock wave lithotripsy is still the first choice in the majority of cases with upper tract calculi.Open surgery will still be the therapy of choice for pediatric patients with complicated and big stones as well as anatomical anomalies.

Genetic Mutation of Vitamin K-dependent Gamma-glutamyl Carboxylase Domain in Patients with Calcium Oxalate Urolithiasis

To investigate the exon mutation of vitamin K-dependent gamma-glutamyl carboxylase （GGCX or VKDC） in patients with calcium oxalate urolithasis, renal cortex and peripheral blood samples were obtained from severe hydronephrosis patients （with or without calculi）, and renal tumor patients undergoing nephrectomy. GGCX mutations in all 15 exons were examined in 44 patients with calcium oxalate urolithiasis （COU） by polymerase chain reaction （PCR） and denatured high pressure liquid chromatography （DHPLC）, and confirmed by sequencing. Mutation was not found in all COU samples compared to the controls. These data demonstrated that functional GGCX mutations in all 15 exons do not occur in most COU patients. It was suggested that there may be no significant association between the low activity and mutation of GGCX in COU.

Survey on Acupuncture Treatment of Urinary Calculus and Renal Colic

Analyzed 74 articles relevant to urinary calculus and renal colic. The statistics found that the commonly used therapies were needling, acupuncture and moxibustion, electro-acupuncture, acupoint-injection, ear-point application, ear acupuncture, wrist-ankle acupuncture, scalp acupuncture, acupressure and combined acupuncture methods. The common acupoints that were used over 1,400 times in more than 12 articles were Shenshu (BL 23), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Zusanli (ST 36), Zhongji (CV 3), and Jingmen (GB 25). Key Words Urinary Calculi - Kidney Calculi - Acupuncture-Moxibustion - Review Literature Author: HUANG Qin-feng (1952-), female, associate professorTranslator: XIAO Yuan-chun

Effects of temperature and sodium carboxylate additives on mineralization of calcium oxalate in silica gel systems

The effects of temperature and multifunctional sodium carboxylate additives on the phase composition and morphology of calcium oxalate (CaOxa) crystals grown in silica gel system were systematically investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier-transform infrared spectra (FT-IR). The sodium carboxylates investigated include: monocarboxylate sodium acetate (NaAc), disodium tartrate (Na2tart), trisodium citrate (Na3cit), and the disodium salt of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (Na2edta). The temperature range was from 7°C to 67°C. The crystallization temperature affects the phase compositions, the growth rate, and the morphology of CaOxa. First, the logarithm of the percentage of calcium oxalate dihydrate (COD) formed at a certain temperature (T) is proportional to the reciprocal of temperature (1/T). Second, the weight of CaOxa crystals decreases as decreasing the temperature. At a given temperature, the ability of the sodium carboxylates to induce COD follows the order: Na2edta Na3cit Na2tart NaAc. Third, the multicarboxylates can decrease the surface area of calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM). It makes the edges and tips of COM crystals blunt and oval. All the three changes, an increase of the content of COD, a decrease of the weight of CaOxa crystals, and a decrease of the surface area of COM crystals, can inhibit the formation of CaOxa stones. These results support the clinical use of citrates and may be helpful in elucidating the mechanisms of the formation of CaOxa calculus. Keywords calcium oxalate - sodium carboxylate - gel - urinary calculi - crystallization - biomineralization

COMPARISON OF TWO-STEP DILATION VERSUS STEP BY STEP DILATION IN MINIMAL PERCUTANEOUS NEPHROLITHOTOMY

Objective To investigate minimizing dilation times of percutaneous nephrolithotomy （PCNL） in treating large renal stones. Methods A total of 105 consecutive patients undergoing minimal PCNL by using the two-step dilation protocol （ Group I ） and step by step dilation protocol （ Group 1I ） were reviewed. Two groups were compared in terms of stone size, dilating time, operation time, and blood loss. Results In all patients, the dilating of channel was finished and the success rate was 100%. The stone-free rate was 88. 7% （47/53） in Group [ and84.6% （44/52） in Group O . There were significant differences in the time of dilating and the blood loss in dilating channel （P = O. 000）. But there was no significant difference in the operation time of PCNL. Conclusion PCNL of the urinary calculi is safe in Chinese patients. Two-step dilation in PCNL has advantages of shorter dilating time and lower blood loss in different types of calculi during dilating.