Laparoscopic Partial Nephrectomy for Duplex Kidneys in Infants and Children: How We Do It

Applications of Indocyanine Green-Guided Near-Infrared Fluorescence Imaging in Pediatric Minimally Invasive Surgery Urology: A Narrative Review

Background: Indocyanine green (ICG) is a fluorescent dye used for several indications in adult surgery, and, more recently, adopted also in the pediatric patients. This study aimed to review the literature published on the use of ICG near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) in pediatric urology, to address its shortcomings and disadvantages and to detect the future perspectives. Materials and Methods: An electronic literature search of PubMed on all studies reporting use of ICG-NIRF in pediatrics was performed. We included only studies reporting ICG-NIRF application in minimally invasive surgery (MIS) for pediatric urology indications. Results: Forty-two articles reporting MIS procedures performed using ICG-NIRF in children were obtained, but only 15 studies that focused on urological applications of ICG-NIRF in children were included in this review. The included studies described use of ICG-NIRF for kidney malformations such as duplex system, kidney tumors, renal cysts, ureteral pathology, bladder malformations, varicocele, and lymph node sampling in tumors. The pediatric urological applications in which ICG-NIRF provided significant advantages included partial nephrectomy, lymphatics sparing varicocele repair, and oncological procedures. The ICG-NIRF use was clinically safe, without reported adverse systemic reactions in all pediatric series. The main drawback of this technology is the need of specific laparoscopic equipment such as camera system, light sources, and telescopes or the da Vinci Xi Robot, with the software for ICG-NIRF, Firefly^®, already integrated within. Conclusions: ICG-enhanced fluorescence-guided surgery is gaining growing popularity among pediatric surgeons due to the excellent results that have been published until now. ICG-NIRF technology has proven to be safe, easy to use, not time-consuming, cheap, and very effective to improve intraoperative view and surgical ability. Nonetheless, further evidence, including larger series, longer follow-up, and more specific assessments, is necessary to confirm the preliminary results and enlarge the applications.

Complete Duplex of the Left Ureter with Lower Moiety Hydronephrosis Secondary to Ureteral Stone in Adult

Ureteral duplication is a common embryologic abnormality of the kidney with an incidence rate of 0.8% in adults. However, complete duplex ureters opening independently into the urinary bladder are rarely present. We report a 35-year-old female who presented with left flank pain in the last three years. Abdominal CT scan showed left complete duplicated system with lower moiety hydroureteronephrosis and obstructed midureteral stone. The patient underwent left retroperitoneal exploration with complete excision of the hydronephrotic sac. The postoperative course was uneventful without complications. In conclusion, a complete duplex kidney with lower moiety hydronephrosis caused by mid ureteric stone is rare. The renal duplication system should be diagnosed and followed with image guidance periodically as the late diagnosis may have poor outcomes with loss of the kidney or part of it.