Background: To compare the surgical effects of lateral transperitoneal approach (LTA) and posterior retroperitoneal approach (PRA) for pheochromocytoma of different sizes. Methods: Data on patients with pheochromocytoma from 2014 to 2023 were collected from our hospital. According to different surgical approaches and tumor size, all patients were divided into four groups: tumor size < 6 cm for LTA and PRA and tumor size ≥ 6 cm for LTA and PRA. We compared these two surgical methods for pheochromocytoma of different sizes. Results: A total of 118 patients with pheochromocytoma underwent successful laparoscopic surgery, including PRA group (n = 80) and LTA group (n = 38). In tumor size < 6 cm, the outcomes were no significant difference in LTA and PRA. In tumor size ≥ 6 cm, there was a significant difference in operation time (214.7 ± 18.9 vs. 154.3 ± 8.2, P = 0.007) and intraoperative blood loss (616.4 ± 181.3 vs. 201.4 ± 45.8, P = 0.037) between LTA and PRA. Conclusion: LTA and PRA were performed safely with similar operative outcomes in patients with pheochromocytoma size < 6 cm. While both LTA and PRA were executed with a commendable safety profile and comparable operative results in patients afflicted by pheochromocytomas < 6 cm, the PRA technique distinctly showcased advantages when addressing large-scale pheochromocytomas (≥ 6 cm). Notably, this manifested in reduced operative time, diminished intraoperative blood loss, decreased hospitalization expenses, and a paucity of procedural complications.

This study explored the relationship between the alternative Mediterranean Diet (aMED) score and the prevalence of kidney stones (KSD) among adults in US. This cross-sectional analysis utilized data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey spanning 2007 to 2018. The study population comprised adults aged 20 years and older who provided comprehensive dietary recall information and detailed histories of KSD. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet was quantified using the aMED score, which was divided into 4 quartiles for comparison. To evaluate the association between aMED scores and KSD prevalence, we employed weighted multivariable logistic regression, conducted restricted cubic spline analyses, and performed subgroup investigations. Of the 28,059 participants, 10.08% reported a history of KSD. The weighted mean age (95% CI) was 47.97 years (47.49, 48.45). Males comprised 52.49% (50.08%, 54.90%) of the sample, while females made up 47.51% (45.32%, 49.70%). The restricted cubic spline analysis revealed a negative linear association between the aMED score and the likelihood of KSD development. In a fully adjusted model, individuals in the highest quartile of aMED scores (Q4) were found to have a significantly lower risk of KSD compared to those in the lowest quartile (Q1), with an odds ratio of 0.771 (95% CI: 0.616–0.966, P = .024). An increased aMED score was associated with a lower prevalence of KSD in U.S. adults. This cross-sectional study provides observational evidence suggesting a potential link between dietary patterns and KSD prevalence, which may inform future dietary intervention research.

Nephrolithiasis is a major public health concern associated with high morbidity and recurrence. Despite decades of research, the pathogenesis of nephrolithiasis remains incompletely understood, and effective prevention is lacking. An increasing body of evidence suggests that non-coding RNAs, especially microRNAs (miRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), play a role in stone formation and stone-related kidney injury. MiRNAs have been studied quite extensively in nephrolithiasis, and a plethora of specific miRNAs have been implicated in the pathogenesis of nephrolithiasis, involving remarkable changes in calcium metabolism, oxalate metabolism, oxidative stress, cell–crystal adhesion, cellular autophagy, apoptosis, and macrophage (Mp) polarization and metabolism. Emerging evidence suggests a potential for miRNAs as novel diagnostic biomarkers of nephrolithiasis. LncRNAs act as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) to bind miRNAs, thereby modulating mRNA expression to participate in the regulation of physiological mechanisms in kidney stones. Small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) may provide a novel approach to kidney stone prevention and treatment by treating related metabolic conditions that cause kidney stones. Further investigation into these non-coding RNAs will generate novel insights into the mechanisms of renal stone formation and stone-related renal injury and might lead to new strategies for diagnosing and treating this disease.

Background: The present study aimed to conduct a pooled analysis to compare the perioperative and oncologic outcomes of minimally-invasive radical nephrectomy with tumor thrombus (MI-RNTT) with open radical nephrectomy with tumor thrombus (O-RNTT). Methods: This study followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. Four electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library database) were systematically searched to identify relevant studies published in English up to December 2022. The primary outcomes were perioperative results, complications, and oncologic outcomes. Review Manager 5.4 was used for this analysis. Results: In total, eight retrospective trials with a total of 563 patients were included. Compared to O-RNTT, MI-RNTT had shorter hospitalization time [weighted mean difference (WMD) -3.58 days, 95% CI: −4.56 to −2.59; P<0.00001), lower volumes of blood loss (WMD -663.32 ml, 95% CI: −822.22 to −504.42; P<0.00001), fewer transfusion rates (OR 0.18, 95% CI: 0.09–0.35; P<0.00001), fewer overall complications (OR 0.33, 95% CI: 0.22–0.49; P<0.00001), and fewer major complications s (OR 0.49, 95% CI: 0.24–1.00; P=0.05). However, operative time, intraoperative complications, mortality rate (intraoperative, within 30 days, and total mortality), overall survival, recurrence-free survival, and cancer-specific survival did not significantly differ between the two groups. Conclusions: MI-RNTT possesses more benefits than O-RNTT in terms of length of hospital stay, blood loss, and complications and provides comparable mortality rates and oncologic outcomes. However, more comprehensive and rigorous research is warranted to further validate the outcomes, which should include a larger sample size and comprehensive data from high-volume medical centers.