Hassami Sawadogo, Clotaire Alexis Marie Kiemdiba Donega Yaméogo, Abdoul-Karim Paré
et al.
We report the case of a 7-year-old, uncircumcised boy with no significant medical history, who inserted a metal nut onto the base of his penis during play. He presented to the emergency department after 5 hours of being unable to urinate, with significant penile oedema. Under local anaesthesia via a penile block, gentle reduction of the oedema allowed for the removal of the nut. A circumcision was subsequently performed, followed by antibiotic and analgesic therapy. The patient's recovery was favourable. This case illustrates the rarity and potential severity of penile strangulation in children and underscores the importance of prompt and appropriate management.
Dursun Baba, Necati Ekici, Arda Taşkın Taşkıran
et al.
Abstract Background Urinary stone disease is a common urological disorder, particularly among middle-aged individuals. Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy (ESWL) is often the first-line treatment for kidney and ureteral stones. Traditionally, fluoroscopy is used for stone targeting in ESWL, but it exposes patients and clinicians to radiation and cannot visualize non-opaque stones. Ultrasonographic targeting eliminates these issues. This study compares the advantages and disadvantages of fluoroscopy and ultrasound-targeted ESWL. Methods At Düzce University Hospital, 100 patients with radio-opaque stones indicated for ESWL between February 2023 and February 2024 were divided into two groups. Group A underwent ESWL with fluoroscopic targeting, while Group B used ultrasonographic targeting. Patient demographics, stone size (measured by CT), and stone locations were recorded. The number of shocks per session, energy intensity (kV), and fluoroscopy time were noted for Group A. One week after each ESWL session, patients were evaluated by ultrasound or direct radiography. Success was defined as being stone-free or having ≤ 4 mm asymptomatic residual stones after up to four sessions. Failure was defined as no results after two sessions or the need for additional treatment. Results The procedure success rate was 66% for men and 78% for women, with no statistically significant gender difference (p > 0.05). Stone locations were similar in both groups. Success rates were 66% in Group A and 74% in Group B, with no significant difference (p > 0.05). Successful procedures were associated with an average patient weight of 76.6 kg, stone size of 8.9 mm, and total energy of 12.2 kV, with significant differences compared to unsuccessful procedures (p < 0.04, p < 0.04, p < 0.001, respectively). No significant differences were found between Group A and Group B in terms of age, height, BMI, stone density (HU), and number of sessions (p > 0.05). Conclusion Ultrasonography is as effective as fluoroscopy for imaging and focusing during ESWL treatment. It enhances the success of ESWL for non-opaque stones and reduces radiation exposure disadvantages.
This narrative review discusses the relationship between anticholinergic medications and cognitive change specifically in patients with neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction (NLUTD). NLUTD is prevalent in various conditions, including spinal cord injury (SCI), spina bifida (SB), multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson’s, stroke, and dementia and often requires anticholinergic overactive bladder (OAB) medications. In the general population, and among those with OAB, several studies have found a significant association between this class of medications and cognitive side effects, mostly when used for > 90 days. These cognitive side effects may be particularly relevant to people with NLUTD due to their higher baseline risk of cognitive impairment. Two studies (one in people with SCI and another in MS) found evidence of cognitive impairment with the use of OAB anticholinergics (specifically oxybutynin and tolterodine). People with dementia commonly use OAB anticholinergics, and there is evidence that oxybutynin and tolterodine may impair cognition in this population. Two recent studies in children with SB studied 12 months of solifenacin and 6 months of fesoterodine/oxybutynin and found there was no significant change in neuropsychological testing. Clinical studies in people with Parkinson’s disease and prior stroke have not shown that trospium, darifenacin, or fesoterodine have a significant impact on cognitive measures. In summary, oxybutynin and tolterodine may pose a higher risk of cognitive impairment than newer OAB anticholinergics in people with NLUTD; there is no evidence that children with SB experience cognitive impairment with OAB anticholinergics. Further study is necessary to confirm cognitive safety, particularly as the NLUTD population may have a high exposure to OAB anticholinergics. Advocating for potentially safer OAB medications is necessary if there is concern about cognitive risks.
Makishi Nakamura, Kazuaki Yamanaka, Taigo Kato
et al.
A 52-year-old male had pain in the right back and right hypochondrium, and an abdominal CT scan revealed a 49-mm tumor in the right upper perirenal space. Additional MRI and PET-CT suggested that the tumor may be a primary adrenal carcinoma and could invade the liver and diaphragmatic leg. The tumor was completely removed by laparotomy and histopathologically diagnosed as retroperitoneal primary undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma. The patient has remained recurrence-free for 1.5 years after the surgery.
Pedro Ventura-Aguiar, Mercedes Cabello, Isabel Beneyto
et al.
Introduction and objectives: Graft outcomes in pancreas transplantation have improved in recent decades, but data are mainly derived from registries or prospective single-centre studies. This large epidemiological study was undertaken to investigate the impact of clinical and demographic factors on graft and patient survival in pancreas transplant recipients in Spain, and to provide robust, country-wide, practice-based data to complement registry findings. Patients and methods: We conducted a retrospective, longitudinal, epidemiological study to assess risk factors impacting patient and graft survival in pancreas transplant recipients in eight centres in Spain. All patients transplanted between 1 January 2008 and 31 December 2012 were included; data were collected until 31 December 2015. The Kaplan–Meier method was used for all time-to-event analyses, including patient survival, graft survival, acute rejection, and BPAR. For graft survival analysis, in cases of death with functioning graft, patients were censored without any event on the date of death. For acute rejection and BPAR, patients were censored without any event on the date of death or graft loss. Univariable and multivariable analyses (Cox proportional hazards model) were conducted to assess the association between baseline clinical and demographic characteristics and patient/graft survival. Results: Data were included for 241 (80.1%) simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplants, 56 (18.6%) pancreas-after-kidney transplants and 4 (1.3%) pancreas transplants alone. Mean ± standard deviation time from diagnosis until transplantation was 26.1 ± 7.5 years. Nineteen patients died, mainly due to infections (n = 10); the remaining 282 patients (93.7%) survived from transplantation until the end of the study. Among 55 patients (18.3%) with pancreas graft loss, the main reasons were vascular thrombosis (n = 19), chronic rejection (n = 10), acute rejection (n = 6) and death with a functioning graft (n = 5). The overall rate of vascular-related death was 1.3% at 5 years post transplant. Univariable analysis showed that patient age and weight, donor age, previous kidney transplantation, previous cardiovascular events and need for insulin more than 48 h post transplantation were significantly associated with pancreas graft survival. Of these, in multivariable analyses pancreas graft survival was inferior in patients who had received a previous kidney transplant prior to pancreas transplantation (log-rank test, p = 0.0002). Glucose metabolism, renal function and cardiovascular risk factors were generally stable following transplantation. Conclusions: The results of this multicentre study highlight the excellent patient and graft outcomes following pancreas transplantation, with a notably low incidence of cardiovascular events. Resumen: Introducción y objetivos: Los resultados del injerto en el trasplante de páncreas han mejorado en las últimas décadas, pero los datos provienen principalmente de registros o estudios prospectivos unicéntricos. Este estudio epidemiológico se llevó a cabo para investigar el impacto de los factores clínicos y demográficos en la supervivencia del injerto y del paciente en receptores de trasplante de páncreas en España, y proporcionar datos sólidos, basados en la práctica a nivel nacional, para complementar los hallazgos de los registros. Pacientes y métodos: Realizamos un estudio epidemiológico longitudinal, retrospectivo, para evaluar los factores de riesgo que influyen en la supervivencia del paciente y del injerto en receptores de trasplante de páncreas en 8 centros de España. Se incluyeron todos los pacientes trasplantados entre el 1 de enero de 2008 y el 31 de diciembre de 2012; los datos se recogieron hasta el 31 de diciembre de 2015. Se utilizó el método de Kaplan-Meier para todos los análisis del tiempo transcurrido hasta el evento, incluida la supervivencia del paciente, la supervivencia del injerto, el rechazo agudo y el BPAR. Para el análisis de la supervivencia del injerto, en los casos de muerte con injerto funcionante, los pacientes fueron censurados sin ningún evento en la fecha de la muerte. Para el rechazo agudo y BPAR, los pacientes fueron censurados sin ningún evento en la fecha de la muerte o pérdida del injerto. Se realizaron análisis univariables y multivariables (modelo de riesgos proporcionales de Cox) para evaluar la asociación entre las características clínicas y demográficas basales y la supervivencia del paciente/injerto. Resultados: Se incluyeron datos de 241 (80,1%) trasplantes de páncreas-riñón simultáneos, 56 (18,6%) trasplantes de páncreas después de riñón y 4 (1,3%) trasplantes de páncreas aislados. El tiempo medio ± desviación estándar desde el diagnóstico hasta el trasplante fue de 26,1 ± 7,5 años. Diecinueve pacientes fallecieron, principalmente por infecciones (n = 10); los 282 pacientes restantes (93,7%) sobrevivieron desde el trasplante hasta el final del estudio. De los 55 pacientes (18,3%) con pérdida del injerto de páncreas, las principales razones fueron trombosis vascular (n = 19), rechazo crónico (n = 10), rechazo agudo (n = 6) y muerte con un injerto funcionante (n = 5). La tasa global de muerte relacionada con eventos vasculares fue del 1,3% a los 5 años del trasplante. El análisis univariable mostró que la edad y el peso del paciente, la edad del donante, el trasplante renal previo, los eventos cardiovasculares previos y la necesidad de insulina durante más de 48 h después del trasplante se asociaron significativamente con la supervivencia del injerto de páncreas. De estos, en los análisis multivariables, la supervivencia del injerto de páncreas fue inferior en los pacientes que habían recibido un trasplante de riñón previo al trasplante de páncreas (prueba de rango logarítmico, p = 0,0002). El metabolismo de la glucosa, la función renal y los factores de riesgo cardiovasculares se mantuvieron en general estables después del trasplante. Conclusiones: Los datos obtenidos de este estudio multicéntrico destacan los excelentes resultados del paciente y del injerto después del trasplante de páncreas, con una incidencia notablemente baja de eventos cardiovasculares.
Abstract. Bladder cancer is a complex disease of the urinary system with high morbidity and mortality. Recently, the introduction of immunotherapies such as immune checkpoint inhibitors (eg, programmed cell death protein 1/programmed death-ligand 1) has proven to be a reliable means of improving survival outcomes, including patients with limited response to conventional treatment. Nevertheless, difficult questions remain in clinical practice, such as how to select appropriate patients for personalized treatment, how to predict and assess therapeutic efficacy in advance, and how to enhance the therapeutic benefits of immunotherapy treatment. These issues require urgent attention. Herein, we describe recent clinical applications of immune checkpoint inhibitors in bladder cancer therapy, examine underlying mechanisms for treatment failure in a subset of patients, and discuss potential approaches to improve their therapeutic effects.
With the widespread dissemination of robotic surgical platforms, pathology previously deemed insurmountable or challenging has been treated with reliable and replicable outcomes. The advantages of precise articulation for dissection and suturing, tremor reduction, three-dimensional magnified visualization, and minimally invasive trocar sites have allowed for the management of such diverse disease as recurrent or refractory bladder neck stenoses, and radiation-induced ureteral strictures, with excellent perioperative and functional outcomes. Intraoperative adjuncts such as near-infrared imaging aid in identification and preservation of healthy tissue. More recent developments include robotics via the single port platform, gender-affirming surgery, and multidisciplinary approaches to complex pelvic reconstruction. Here, we review the recent literature comprising developments in robotic-assisted genitourinary reconstruction, with a view towards emerging technologies and future trends in techniques.
Lucy C Wilson, Kate H Rademacher, Julia Rosenbaum
et al.
Global efforts to improve menstrual health and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) are fundamentally intertwined and share similar goals for improving health and well-being and increasing gender equality. Historically, however, the two fields have operated independently and missed opportunities to build upon their biological and sociocultural linkages. Biological touchpoints connecting the two fields include genital tract infections, menstrual disorders, contraception, and menopause. From a sociocultural perspective, intersections occur in relation to the experience of puberty and menarche, gender norms and equity, education, gender-based violence, and transactional sex. We describe evidence linking menstrual health and SRHR and offer recommendations for integration that could strengthen the impact of both fields.
Diseases of the genitourinary system. Urology, The family. Marriage. Woman
Ana María Gómez González, Daniel Mantilla Rey, Ana María Ortiz Zableh
et al.
Introduction: The neuroendocrine differentiation in prostate cancer is a rare entity that may occur as de novo, or as a result of treatment with androgen deprivation. It is characterized by its rapid progression and poor prognosis, without elevation of the prostate specific antigen (PSA), which is why it is often diagnosed by biopsy of a site of metastasis; there are no established treatment regimens. In this case, metastasis was presented as implantation to a laparoscopic port. These implantations subsequent to laparoscopic procedures in prostate cancer are very rare, with an incidence between 0.09 and 0.7%. The exact pathogenesis of the tumor implantation at the insertion site is not clear, there are several theories. Materials and methods: We describe the case of a 53-year-old patient with a diagnosis of prostate adenocarcinoma who underwent laparoscopic radical prostatectomy plus lymphadenectomy, staged as PT3BN0 (0/6) M0R1 Gleason 4 + 5. The patient never had negative PSA levels after the treatment, and presented elevation of the same, so radiotherapy was performed at a dose of 66 Gy plus antiandrogen deprivation therapy with leuprolide acetate for 30 months, with a decrease in PSA to 0.011 ng/ml, which remained stable. After 3 months of hormonal therapy, he presented with an umbilical mass on the scar of the laparoscopic port; ultrasound and computed tomography were performed, showing a solid mass dependent of the umbilical upper edge with a defect in the abdominal wall of 3 cm, as well as hepatic nodules suggestive of metastatic lesions and peritoneal implantations. Results: A biopsy of the abdominal wall lesion was performed, documenting poorly differentiated carcinoma with an immune-profile consistent with neuroendocrine carcinoma; immunohistochemistry showed strong and diffuse positivity with cytokeratin cocktail and chromogranin. In conjunction with oncology, treatment with chemotherapy was decided. He received six cycles of cisplatin and etoposide, with progression of his disease and death seven months after diagnosis. Conclusions: Prostate cancer with neuroendocrine differentiation is a rare entity, usually occurring in the castration resistance stage, with poor prognosis and survival of less than 1 year. It presents as clinical and radiological progression without elevation of the PSA. Although it is very rare, the possible causes include tumor implantation in laparoscopic ports and/or open surgery scars, so caution and certain precautions must be taken when performing radical prostatectomy. In case of suspecting a tumor with neuroendocrine differentiation, biopsy and immunohistochemistry studies should be performed in order to clarify the diagnosis and provide a multimodal treatment based on surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Keywords: Prostate cancer, Neuroendocrine tumors, Prostatectomy, Laparoscopy, Metastasis
Arshed Hussain Parry, Abdul Haseeb Wani, Imza Feroz
Intra-renal-pelvic hydatid cyst is a rare manifestation of renal hydatid disease, as most of the renal hydatid cysts are based in the renal cortex. We present and discuss the clinical and radiological findings of a 55-year-old woman who presented with left flank pain, frequency, dysuria, and hydatiduria. She was thoroughly investigated radiologically, and the diagnosis of intra-renal-pelvic hydatid cyst was confirmed surgically.
T. Sakari Jokiranta, Ondrej Viklicky, Saleh Al Shorafa
et al.
Abstract Background The differential diagnosis of thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) is complex however the rapid diagnosis of the underlying condition is vital to inform urgent treatment decisions. A survey was devised with the objective of understanding current practices across Europe and the Middle East, and of challenges when diagnosing the cause of TMA. Methods Over 450 clinicians, from 16 countries were invited to complete an online survey. Results Of 254 respondents, the majority were nephrologists, had >10 years’ experience in their specialty, and had diagnosed a patient with TMA. The triad of thrombocytopenia, haemolytic anaemia and acute kidney injury are the main diagnostic criteria used. Responses indicate that a differential diagnosis of TMA is usually made within 1–2 (53%) or 3–4 days (26%) of presentation. Similarly, therapy is usually initiated within the first 4 days (74%), however 13% report treatment initiation >1-week post-presentation. Extrarenal symptoms and a panoply of other conditions are considered when assessing the differential diagnosis of TMA. While 70 and 78% of respondents stated they always request complement protein levels and ADAMTS13 activity, respectively. Diagnostic considerations of paediatric and adult nephrologists varied. A greater proportion of paediatric than adult nephrologists consider extrarenal manifestations clinically related to a diagnosis of TMA; pulmonary (45% vs. 18%), gastrointestinal (67% vs. 50%), CNS (96% vs. 84%) and cardiovascular (54% vs. 42%), respectively. Variability in the availability of guidelines and extent of family history taken was also evident. Conclusions This survey reveals the variability of current practices and the need for increased urgency among physicians in the differential diagnosis of TMA, despite their experience. Above all, the survey highlights the need for international clinical guidelines to provide systematically developed recommendations for understanding the relevance of complement protein levels, complement abnormalities and ADAMTS13 testing, in making a differential diagnosis of TMA. Such clinical guidelines would enable physicians to make a more rapid and informed diagnosis of TMA, therefore initiate effective treatment earlier, with a consequent improvement in patient outcomes.
Spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs), also known as male germline stem cells, are a small subpopulation of type A spermatogonia with the potential of self-renewal to maintain stem cell pool and differentiation into spermatids in mammalian testis. SSCs are previously regarded as the unipotent stem cells since they can only give rise to sperm within the seminiferous tubules. However, this concept has recently been challenged because numerous studies have demonstrated that SSCs cultured with growth factors can acquire pluripotency to become embryonic stem-like cells. The in vivo and in vitro studies from peers and us have clearly revealed that SSCs can directly transdifferentiate into morphologic, phenotypic, and functional cells of other lineages. Direct conversion to the cells of other tissues has important significance for regenerative medicine. SSCs from azoospermia patients could be induced to differentiate into spermatids with fertilization and developmental potentials. As such, SSCs could have significant applications in both reproductive and regenerative medicine due to their unique and great potentials. In this review, we address the important plasticity of SSCs, with focuses on their self-renewal, differentiation, dedifferentiation, transdifferentiation, and translational medicine studies.
Bone metastases in patients with genitourinary cancers are associated with increased risk for skeletal-related events including pathologic fractures, spinal cord compression, and the requirement for surgery or palliative radiotherapy to bone. The nitrogen-containing bisphosphonate zoledronic acid and the monoclonal antibody against RANK, denosumab, are approved for the prevention of skeletal-related events in genitourinary cancers. These agents have different mechanisms of action and pharmacokinetic profiles, and while both are effective in reducing the risk of skeletal-related events, other clinical effects differ. There is evidence for direct and indirect anticancer activity with zoledronic acid from preclinical studies and emerging data from clinical studies suggesting an effect on patient survival. Potential anticancer mechanisms include inhibition of angiogenesis, enhanced immune surveillance via stimulation of γδ T cells, and reduction of circulating tumor cells. A synergistic effect of chemotherapy plus zoledronic acid has also been suggested. Further research is ongoing regarding the roles of these antiresorptive therapies in patients with bone metastases or at high risk for malignant spread to skeletal sites.