Canadian Journal of Urology最新文献

Introduction:   Partial gland ablation (PGA) using high intensity focal ultrasound (HIFU) is an alternative to active surveillance for low to intermediate risk localized prostate cancer.  This pilot study assessed quality of life (QoL) outcomes during the implementation of PGA-HIFU at our institution.

Materials and methods:   We prospectively enrolled 25 men with a diagnosis of localized low/intermediate risk prostate cancer who elected to undergo PGA-HIFU in a pilot study at our institution between 2013 and 2016.  Patients underwent pre-treatment mpMRI and transrectal ultrasound-guided biopsies.  The primary endpoints were impact on patient-reported functional outcomes (erectile, urinary function, QoL) assessed at 1, 3, 6- and 12-months.

Results:   The median age was 64 years old (IQR 59.5-67).  Baseline median International Index of Erectile Function-15 score was 50, which decreased to 18 at 1 month (p < 0.0005), returned to baseline by 3 months and thereafter. International Prostate Symptom Score median at baseline was 8, which worsened to 12 at 1 month (p = 0.0088), and subsequently improved to baseline thereafter.  On the UCLA-Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite urinary function, there was a decrease in median score from 92.7 at baseline to 76.0 at 1 month (p < 0.0001), which improved to or above baseline afterwards.  QoL remained similar to baseline at each follow up period as assessed by EQ-5D and the Functional Cancer Therapy-Prostate score.

Conclusions:   In this initial cohort of PGA-HIFU men at our institution, patients demonstrated a slight, but transient, deterioration in urinary and erectile function at 1 month prior to normalization.  All QoL metrics showed no impact upon 1 year of follow up post-treatment.

Introduction: We evaluate the rate of developing ciprofloxacin resistance in patients undergoing repeat prostate biopsies (PBx), associated risk factors, and impact on complications.

Materials and methods: We retrospectively evaluated pre-procedural rectal culture (RCx) data in men undergoing PBx from 1/1/2016 to 1/15/2021. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were utilized to identify risk factors associated with development of antibiotic resistance. Complication rates were compared between ciprofloxacin-sensitive and ciprofloxacin-resistant patients.

Results: A total of 743 men underwent initial RCx. Initial RCx detected ciprofloxacin resistance in 22% of patients. A history of diabetes (p = 0.01), > 2 prior prostate biopsies (p = 0.01), and ciprofloxacin use (p = 0.002) were significant risk factors for ciprofloxacin resistance on initial RCx. The rate of new ciprofloxacin resistance following biopsy with standard ciprofloxacin prophylaxis on 1st and 2nd exposure was 17.2% and 9.1% respectively. The number of biopsy cores, interval antibiotic exposure and interval procedures performed between first and second RCx were not significant predictors of developing ciprofloxacin resistance. Patients who received a non-ciprofloxacin antibiotic between first and second RCx did not develop ciprofloxacin resistance. Antibiotic resistance profile did not significantly affect the rate or type of complications after various prostate procedures.

Conclusions: Serial exposure to standard antibiotic prophylaxis for PBx and associated procedures can lead to development of ciprofloxacin resistance after each subsequent exposure. This carries important implications for serial biopsy and highlights the role for RCx prior to repeat biopsy.

Mullerianosis is a rare, complex, benign tumor most commonly found in the bladder and often mistaken for a neoplastic lesion.  Herein, we report a case of mullerianosis in a 65-year-old woman who presented with an incidental 2 cm bladder mass found on cross-sectional imaging.  A mixed cystic and solid tumor was identified on cystoscopy and a transurethral resection of the suspected tumor was performed with histopathology confirming a final diagnosis of mullerianosis.  While an unusual diagnosis, mullerianosis of the urinary bladder needs to be correctly identified to provide appropriate treatment and avoid misdiagnosis.

Introduction: Robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP) and transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) are two common surgeries for prostate and bladder cancer. We aim to assess the trends in the site of care for RALP and TURBT before and after the COVID outbreak.

Materials and methods: We identified adults who underwent RALP and TURBT within the California Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Inpatient Database and the State Ambulatory Surgery Database between 2018 and 2020. Multivariable analysis and spline analysis with a knot at COVID outbreak were performed to investigate the time trend and factors associated with ambulatory RALP and TURBT.

Results: Among 17,386 RALPs, 6,774 (39.0%) were ambulatory. Among 25,070 TURBTs, 21,573 (86.0%) were ambulatory. Pre-COVID, 33.5% of RALP and 85.3% and TURBT were ambulatory, which increased to 53.8% and 88.0% post-COVID (both p < 0.001). In multivariable model, RALP and TURBT performed after outbreak in March 2020 were more likely ambulatory (OR 2.31, p < 0.0001; OR 1.25, p < 0.0001). There was an overall increasing trend in use of ambulatory RALP both pre- and post-COVID, with no significant change of trend at the time of outbreak (p = 0.642). TURBT exhibited an increased shift towards ambulatory sites post-COVID (p < 0.0001).

Conclusions: We found a shift towards ambulatory RALP and TURBT following COVID outbreak. There was a large increase in ambulatory RALP post-COVID, but the trend of change was not significantly different pre- and post-COVID - possibly due to a pre-existing trend towards ambulatory RALP which predated the pandemic.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to determine which characteristics of urology residency programs are most highly valued by medical students and residents, and how these change during training.

Materials and methods: We distributed a survey to urology residents and medical students interested in urology via program director email and social media. The survey collected demographic data, future career plans, and asked respondents to rank the relative importance of six categories of residency program characteristics and specific characteristics within each category.

Results: Among the six categories of residency characteristics, resident experience was ranked most important by both medical students and residents, followed by geography and clinical experience which were tied. Medical students ranked clinic experience and formal mentorship with greater importance while residents placed higher value on the active role of clinical faculty and help from advanced practice providers. Trainees planning for an academic career ranked research experiences and resident diversity as more important than those entering private practice.

Conclusions: Residents and medical students mostly agreed on the relative importance of residency program characteristics. The differences observed suggest that as trainees gain experience they place greater importance on informal relationships with faculty and value characteristics that enhance surgical training such as support from advanced practice providers and less time in clinic. These findings may guide programs on what information to include on their websites and presentations.

How should a conscientious physician advise patients with Interstitial Cystitis /Bladder Pain Syndrome (IC/BPS) when they want to know if taking Pentosan Polysulfate Sodium (PPS) will lead to loss of vision? Ever since the initial report from Pearce et al in 2018 suggesting that PPS usage can lead to the development of pigmented maculopathy (PM), my patients have been inundated with solicitations from attorneys looking to sign up clients for class action lawsuits.1 While there have been additional reports suggesting a relationship between PPS exposure and the development of PM, Ludwig et al found that there was no difference in the rate of macular disease between patients with documented IC/BPS who had taken PPS and those with IC/BPS with no history of PPS use.2 The large size of Ludwig's study certainly suggests that PPS may not cause PM to develop, and if the rate of PM in the IC population is higher than in controls, it may be due to the disease itself and not from the medication. In this manuscript, Proctor clearly describes the immune inflammatory response that is responsible for the development of the bladder damage seen with IC/BPS. Also, he describes how inflammatory mediators can enter the blood stream and might be a potential cause for the development of PM.3 This is a thought-provoking hypothesis that demands further evaluation. I have prescribed PPS since its approval and have many patients who feel it is an essential part of their IC treatment regimen. There is no other prescription medication that functions in the same fashion. I require them to follow the FDA recommendations for annual eye exams to look for PM development. I also advise patients that as they improve, we will discuss dose reduction and even discontinuation if their IC symptoms have abated. By following these suggestions, one should be able to continue to prescribe PPS for appropriate patients while carefully monitoring them for PM. I found this article extremely informative and will refer to it when counseling patients about IC/BPS and PPS.

Introduction: Interstitial cystitis (IC) is a chronic disease with urinary tract symptoms and pain. Pentosan polysulfate (PPS) is the only U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved oral medication for the treatment of IC pain and symptoms. Recently, articles described a pigmentary maculopathy in IC patients on long term PPS therapy. Currently, there is no definitive study directly linking PPS as the cause of the pigmentary maculopathy. The aim of this review is to evaluate if PPS is the causative factor of the pigmentary maculopathy or if PPS use is only associated with the pigmentary maculopathy.

Materials and methods: A comprehensive review of peer reviewed journals using the search terms IC, maculopathy, mast cells, immune inflammatory components, Tamm-Horsfall protein, cations and tight junctions was performed to examine the pathophysiology and role of chronic inflammation in IC and known retinal maculopathies.

Results: Chronic inflammatory cells have been reported in age-related macular degeneration choroid blood vessels and in bladder submucosal and detrusor layers in IC patients. Studies in IC and maculopathies demonstrate a significant milieu of activated chronic inflammatory and immunologic responses that cause a more "leaky" epithelium and a subsequent cascade of inflammatory events that results in the pathological changes seen in these two conditions.

Conclusions: After an analysis of the literature describing a pigmentary maculopathy in IC patients on long term PPS, a causal relationship does not appear to be present. An alternate model is proposed postulating that the causative factor for the pigmentary maculopathy is the underlying inflammatory state associated with IC and not PPS use.

Transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) is a common modality used during urological procedures that require real-time visualization of the prostate, such as prostate biopsy and peri-prostatic nerve blocks (PNB) for surgical procedures. Current practice for TRUS-guided PNB requires use of costly, fixed, and non-portable ultrasound machinery that can often limit workflow. The Clarius endocavity EC7 probe, a digital, handheld and pocket-sized endocavity ultrasound (US) device, is an alternative, portable technology which was recently shown to accurately visualize and measure prostate dimensions and volume. Moreover, in recent years, there has been a renaissance of office-based treatments for minimally invasive surgical therapies (MIST) for the treatment of benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH). More specifically, the Rezūm procedure has been demonstrated to offer men a short, outpatient therapy with excellent 5-year outcomes in durability and preservation of antegrade ejaculation. While other anesthetic techniques have been described for Rezūm, including inhaled methoxyflurane (Penthrox), nitrous oxide, IV sedation and general anesthesia (which often mandate the presence of an anesthesiology team), US-guided local blocks offer the urologist an independent method for pain management. While most urologists may not have direct access to expensive, cart-based ultrasound systems, point of care ultrasound (POCUS) technology, such as Clarius (Vancouver, BC, Canada) and Butterfly (Butterfly Network, Inc, Guilford, CT, USA), can provide high-resolution imaging in combination with smart phone technology. Herein, we sought to describe the technique for using Clarius EC7 for TRUS-guided PNB and its use in urological application with the Rezūm BPH procedure.

We report a rare case of cystitis cystica and glandularis mimicking low-grade urothelial carcinoma that was found incidentally and treated with resection and fulguration via transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT). When early recurrence was found on surveillance cystoscopy 3 months later, the patient was treated with repeat TURBT and intravesical gemcitabine. Surveillance cystoscopy 4 months later revealed cystitis cystica and cystitis glandularis yet again. We highlight the diagnosis and management of multiple early recurrences of cystitis cystica in this patient, particularly our treatment with gemcitabine and close surveillance.