The impact of dialysis modality on outcome, especially on infection early in the course of dialysis, in unplanned acute dialysis initiation has not been well evaluated. The aim of the study was to compare the rates and causes of mortality and morbidity in incident dialysis patients started unplanned acute peritoneal dialysis (PD) or haemodialysis (HD). In this observational cohort study, incident dialysis patients with initiation of unplanned and acute PD (n = 66) or HD (n = 57) at a single centre from March 2005 to June 2010 were included and followed up for 6 months (0-183 days, mean follow-up time 4.72 months). For PD, surgically placed Tenckhoff catheters were used. All HD patients were dialysed with a central venous catheter (non-tunnelled or tunnelled). There were no significant differences in terms of gender, age and prevalence of diabetes mellitus in either group. The prevalence of heart failure [New York Heart Association (NYHA) Stage III-IV] was significantly higher in the PD group (73 versus 46% in HD group, P < 0.01). The population was stratified to PD and HD comparing mortality, infection, bacteraemia and hospitalization. Of the 123 patients who commenced acute and unplanned dialysis, n = 44 (35.8%) died during the follow-up period of 0-183 days. There were no significant difference in half-year mortality in n = 20 PD patients (30.3%) versus n = 24 HD patients (42.1%) (P = 0.19). The cardiovascular mortality in PD and HD patients were 9.1 and 10.5%, respectively (P = 1.00). Overall mortality due to infection was higher in the HD (17.5%) versus in the PD group (9.1%), however, not significant (P = 0.19). HD patients had significantly higher probability of bacteraemia in the first 183 days compared to PD patients (21.1 versus 3.0%, P < 0.01). Group comparison by Poisson regression analyses showed that the relative risk of bacteraemia in the PD group versus HD group was 0.16 (95% confidence interval, 0.05-0.57, P = 0.005). The significant difference was not affected by the confounder's patient age at time of dialysis, male sex, heart failure (NYHA III-IV), diabetes, malignancy and peripheral arterial occlusive disease Stage IV. There were high proportions of hospitalization after the initiation of dialysis in both groups (PD 75.0% and HD 67.3%, P = 0.40). Univariate and multiple regression analyses revealed only age at initiation of dialysis to be significantly associated with overall mortality (P < 0.05). Dialysis modality (PD versus HD) in an acute unplanned dialysis setting showed, in our population, no significant influence on survival. HD patients had a significantly higher risk of bacteraemia, perhaps due to central venous dialysis catheter. PD seems to be a safe and efficient, at least comparable, alternative to HD in acute unplanned dialysis settings.

Treatment for sialolithiasis has undergone significant changes since the 1990s. Following the development of new minimally invasive and gland-preserving treatment modalities, a 40–50% rate of gland resection was reduced to less than 5%. Extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy (ESWL), refinement and extension of methods of transoral duct surgery (TDS), and in particular diagnostic and interventional sialendoscopy (intSE) are substantial parts of the new treatment regimen. It has also become evident that combining the different treatment modalities further increases the effectiveness of therapy, as has been especially evident with the combined endoscopic–transcutaneous approach. In the wake of these remarkable developments, a treatment algorithm was published in 2009 including all the known relevant therapeutic tools. However, new developments have also taken place during the last 10 years. Intraductal shock-wave lithotripsy (ISWL) has led to remarkable improvements thanks to the introduction of new devices, instruments, materials, and techniques, after earlier applications had not been sufficiently effective. Techniques involving combined approaches have been refined and modified. TDS methods have been modified through the introduction of sialendoscopy-assisted TDS in submandibular stones and a retropapillary approach for distal parotid sialolithiasis. Recent trends have revealed a potential for significant changes in therapeutic strategies for both major salivary glands. For the submandibular gland, ISWL has replaced ESWL and TDS to some extent. For parotid stones, ISWL and modifications of TDS have led to reduced use of ESWL and the combined transcutaneous–sialendoscopic approach. To illustrate these changes, we are here providing an updated treatment algorithm, including tried and tested techniques as well as promising new treatment modalities. Prognostic factors (e.g., the size or location of the stones), which are well recognized as having a strong impact on the prognosis, are taken into account and supplemented by additional factors associated with the new applications (e.g., the visibility or accessibility of the stones relative to the anatomy of the duct system).

La gestione delle stenosi delle ghiandole salivari maggiori ha subito un cambiamento significativo nel corso degli ultimi 15-20 anni. L’elemento fondamentale che sta alla base di una scelta terapeutica minimamente invasiva è rappresentato da un’accurata diagnosi. La scialografia convenzionale e la scialo-RM possono essere utili strumenti per la diagnosi delle stenosi salivare, senza dimenticare il ruolo basilare e centrale dell’ecografia qualora si sospetti che un processo stenotico a carico dei dotti salivari sia la causa dell’ostruzione. Tuttavia, ad oggi, la scialoendoscopia rappresenta la scelta diagnostica migliore, permettendo una corretta pianificazione terapeutica attraverso una quanto più precisa caratterizzazione della stenosi. Sia a livello sottomandibolare che parotideo è possibile distinguere le stenosi infiammatorie da quelle secondarie a processi fibrotici e, inoltre, a carico dei dotti salivari parotidei è stata descritta una stenosi associata a varie anomalie del sistema duttale. Nella maggior parte dei casi la sola terapia conservativa non è sufficiente per la risoluzione della sintomatologia ostruttiva, tuttavia lo sviluppo di trattamenti minimamente invasivi, prima fra tutte la scialoendoscopia, ha permesso di ottenere un tasso di conservazione della funzione ghiandolare di oltre il 90% dei casi. Se a livello sottomandibolare la principale misura terapeutica nella gestione delle stenosi del dotto ghiandolare rimane l’incisione duttale (eccezion fatta per il crescente ruolo della scialoendoscopia nelle stenosi centrali), viceversa a livello del dotto parotideo la stenosi viene preminentemente gestita mediante la scialoendoscopia. Va comunque sottolineato che nel 10-15% dei casi il successo terapeutico viene ottenuto attraverso un trattamento di tipo combinato. La seguente review si propone di fornire una panoramica circa l’epidemiologia, la diagnostica e l’attuale stato dell’arte del trattamento delle stenosi salivari.