Concerns about renal mass biopsy

Concerns about renal mass biopsy.

I read with great interest the case report by Abourbih and colleagues.1 In few last decades, the diagnosis of small renal masses (SRMs) has increased due to the routine use of imaging modalities.2 Small renal masses represent 48% to 66% of all renal cell carcinomas and only 1% of them will spread to distant metastasis.3 There is a need to biopsy SRMs to distinguish their behavior by radiologic ...

Concerns about renal safety of HES 130

hydroxyethyl starch (HES) 130/0.4 in 9,587 patients and a meta-analysis evaluating HES 130/0.42 in 804 patients, HES 130 was shown to increase mortality and the need for renal replacement therapy (RRT) [1]. In the largest included trial of the meta-analysis, the Crystalloid versus Hydroxyethyl Starch Trial (CHEST) with 7,000 ICU patients [2], HES 130/0.4 increased the need for RRT despite a low...

to biopsy a small renal mass, or not?

To Biopsy a Small Renal Mass, or Not?

Please cite this paper as: Chatzidarellis E, Skolarikos A, Papatsoris AG. To Biopsy a Small Renal Mass or Not? Nephro-Urol Mon. 2012;4(2): 423-4. DOI: 10.5812/numonthly.3991 Implication for health policy/practice/research/medical education: As abdominal imaging has increased the diagnosis of small renal masses (SRMs) the role of renal mass biopsy (RMB) is debatable. Current literature demonstra...

Concerns about peer review process.

I am concerned about the lack of proper scrutiny during the peer review process. Although I exemplify it in one paper in a field in which I have some expertise, I believe that this single case shows severe failure of peer review, and it should not have happened. I refer to the article by Nankivil et al. in the latest edition of IOVS Vol 55 No. 7. There seems to be no evidence of scientific rigo...