In the last decades, a digital revolution has transformed several aspects of people’s lives worldwide. Consequently, many substantial changes have concerned numerous professional environments, including medical ones. Among all the different new instruments available in this field, the metaverse is the most futuristic one and seems to be likewise promising. The metaverse is an emerging resource in healthcare, resulting from the integration of virtual and physical reality. It is particularly valuable in surgical operations, since it allows surgeons to perfectly visualize patients’ anatomy. Metaverse applications even include the pediatric field—in particular, the implementation of children and parents’ shared decision-making processes, as well as prenatal diagnosis and fetal surgery. This resource further represents a rising opportunity in pediatric urology: the development of 3D virtual models and robotic surgery will allow surgeons to explore surgical fields, perfectionating their own professional skills. The metaverse will empower pediatric urologists, patients and their families in many ways, and each one of them deserves to be explored to the fullest. In this work, we aim to discuss the current applications of the metaverse in pediatric urology and its future perspectives.

Introduction: The management of primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) in children still remains controversial. The current literature shows a lack of scientific evidence supporting a standardized management. Materials and Methods: A multicenter retrospective study was performed, patients admitted for PSP in five Pediatric Surgical Units over a 9-year period (from 2008 to 2017) were included. Patient data were reviewed for each case. Management and outcomes were statistically analyzed. Results: Overall 159 patients (135 males and 24 females) were included in this study. During the first hospital admission, 62/159 patients (39%) were conservatively managed with oxygen therapy; 95/159 patients (60%) required a chest drain insertion; 2/159 patients (1%) underwent surgery because of a bilateral pneumothorax. Thoracoscopy was performed in 75/159 (47%) patients after the second hospital admission or for persistent air leak during the first access. Postoperatively, 8/75 (11%) patients developed recurrent pneumothorax requiring chest drain insertion in 3/8 (37%) cases or aspiration in 1/8 (13%), whereas 4/8 (50%) patients were conservatively managed. All of the patients but one, were confirmed to be affected by emphysematous-like changes at histology. Conclusions: Despite the limitations of being a retrospective study, we suggest that the early surgical management in children with PSP is feasible and safe and it seems to significantly reduce the recurrence rate. To the best of our knowledge there are no pediatric guidelines for the management of PSP, therefore, we support the need for prospective studies to create the evidence-based pillars for correct and standardized management of this condition.

Background: Wilms tumor (WT) is the most frequent renal tumor in children. The SIOP-UMBRELLA Guidelines allow for nephron-sparing surgery (NSS) in syndromic patients, as well as in cases of small (<300 mL) non-syndromic unilateral WTs, without lymph node involvement, and with a substantial expected remnant renal function, following neoadjuvant chemotherapy. We present a case of prechemotherapy transperitoneal robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN) for a unilateral, non-syndromic Wilms tumor. Methods: A four-year-old child presented with a solid mass measuring 3.6 cm in diameter involving the upper right renal pole, incidentally detected during an abdominal echotomography. CT scan and abdominal MRI revealed no local infiltration or lymph node involvement, suggesting that the exophytic mass could be easily resected via an NSS robotic approach. Preoperative imaging did not strongly suggest WT. A virtual 3D reconstruction of the tumor was performed. Results: After the oncologic board approval, a robot-assisted partial nephrectomy with an intraperitoneal approach was performed. Histopathological analysis confirmed the diagnosis of WT. The patient subsequently received 10 doses of vincristine as adjuvant chemotherapy. A 28-month follow-up showed no tumor recurrence. Conclusions: Intraperitoneal RAPN may be an option for selected WT and warrants consideration as a challenging but advantageous approach.

Bladder blood clots represent an infrequent urinary condition in children. They usually result from hematuria with many underlying causes, such as urinary tract infections and urethral/bladder traumas. Treatment options for clot removal include trans-urethral or suprapubic bladder irrigation and, if unsuccessful, endoscopic management under general anesthesia with a resectoscope. In younger male children, however, the repeated passage of a trans-urethral resectoscope may be challenging and traumatic, due to the small lumen diameter. Eventually, an open surgical approach can be required in many patients. Few anecdotal non-surgical approaches have been proposed for the management of bladder blood clots in children. This review aims to summarize the conservative techniques described in the literature with the instillation of intravesical agents, analyzing the different strategies and their advantages.

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are the most common bacterial infections in children, occurring both in children with normal urinary tracts and in ones with urinary tract abnormalities. Children with UTIs can present relevant clinical symptoms and risk long-term consequences. Current recommended preventive measures include chemoprophylaxis and dietary supplements such as cranberry, probiotics and vitamins A and E. Although chemoprophylaxis still represents the gold standard, it raises concerns about antimicrobial resistance. N-acetylcysteine (NAC), a precursor of the antioxidant glutathione, has been proven both to inhibit biofilm formation and to destroy developed biofilms. In adults, NAC has been demonstrated to prevent UTIs and to improve the effect of antibiotics, but so far it has not been analyzed as an antimicrobial option for pediatric UTIs. In this work, we aim to discuss the current applications of NAC in adult urology and its future possible evolutions in pediatric urology.