Bladder Cancer during Pregnancy: A Review of the Literature.

Bladder malignancy represents the fourth most common cancer in men and the eighth in women in the western world. Women under 75 years of age have a risk of 0.5-1% of developing bladder cancer. The diagnosis usually occurs between 65 and 70 years of age, whereas the mortality rate for women varies from 0.5 to 4 per 100,000 every year. Nulliparous women present a greater risk than women who have given birth. The risk is further decreased when parity increases. Theoretically, hormonal changes occurring during pregnancy play a protective role. Smoking and occupational exposure to specific chemicals are the most common risk factors of bladder cancer. Other risk factors such as chronic urinary tract inflammation, cyclophosphamide, radiotherapy, and familial correlation have been reported. The aim of this review is to highlight a rare combination, which is the co-existence of bladder malignancy and pregnancy. We present thirteen different cases of women who were diagnosed with malignant bladder tumors during their pregnancy. A review of the literature was conducted, focusing on the unspecific symptoms, possible diagnostic tools, and suitable treatment modalities. The management of bladder cancer in pregnancy is a challenging process. The fragile balance between the possible complications of pregnancy and maternal health is yet to be discussed.

Effect of patient positioning on anesthesiologic risk in endourological procedures.

Objective: The objective is to compare supine and prone positions in terms of arterial blood gas during lithotripsy endourology procedures in different stages. Material and Methods: Cases of during lithotripsy endourology procedures in our department from March to September 2020 were included prospectively. The variables registered were body mass index, age, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score, diabetes mellitus, positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP), FiO2, stone size, stone location, procedural type, position, procedure duration, PaO2, SaO2, PaCO2, pH, and dynamic compliance. PaO2, SaO2, PaCO2, pH, and dynamic compliance were recorded at the beginning of the procedure, 5 min later, 15 min later, and at the end of the procedure. Results: Thirty patients in prone position and 30 in lithotomy position were included in this study. Patients in prone position underwent percutaneous nephrolithotomy, and patients in supine/lithotomy underwent retrograde intrarenal surgery or ureteroscopy. Statistically significant differences were found in PEEP, duration, PaO2 at the beginning, SaO2 at the beginning and at the end of the procedure, PaCO2 at the beginning and at minute 5 and pH at the beginning of the surgery. The saturation PaO2 increased significantly on prone position and was statistically significantly better at the end of the surgery. Conclusions: Both prone and supine positions were safe regarding anesthesiologic risk and had no clinically relevant differences in terms of individual comparisons in arterial blood gas parameters in static moments of the procedure. Prone position was related to an increase in PaO2 and a drop in PaCO2 gradually from the beginning to the end of the surgery.

Endoscopic management of encrusted ureteral stents: outcomes and tips and tricks.

PURPOSE: To report our experience in the management of encrusted ureteral stents (EUS) and provide technical insight of our endourological approaches for difficult scenarios posed by this entity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective evaluation of a longitudinally collected database of 58 patients with encrusted US between December 2012 and May 2022 was performed. The ureteral stents were initially inserted due to obstructive uropathy, pyelonephritis or after a successful endoscopic procedure for urolithiasis. A combination of antegrade/retrograde treatment in single or multiple sessions took place for the retrieval of the encrusted stents. Non-contrast enhanced computer tomography was used for the follow-up of the patients at 1-month after the removal of the encrusted stent. RESULTS: Overall 58 patients, 39 males and 19 females with a median age of 51 years old were included in the study. Indwelling time was < 6 months, 6-12 months and > 12 months in 22%, 57% and 21% of the cases, respectively. All US were successfully removed. Semi-rigid ureteroscopy (URS) and flexible ureteroscopy (fURS) were used in 90% of the cases. In 10% of the cases, a second-stage percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) or endoscopic combined intrarenal surgery (ECIRS) was performed. All US were successfully released. Stone-free rate was 84% at 1-month. Overall complication rate was 10.5% (mostly postoperative fevers, 5.4%). CONCLUSION: Removal of the encrusted US is a challenging procedure. Appropriate decision-making and knowledge of specific tricks may result in safe and successful management of significant EUS.

Prediction of Postradical Prostatectomy Urinary Incontinence Through the Combination of the Urethral Pressure Profile With Electromyography of the Urethral Sphincter.

PURPOSE: We tested the hypothesis that the urethral pressure profile, in combination with electromyography of the urethral sphincter, may be useful as a predictor of urinary incontinence after radical prostatectomy (RP). The aim of this study was to assess whether the combination of these tests resulted in an improved tool for the prediction of post-RP urinary incontinence. METHODS: Patients with indications for RP were included. The urethral pressure profile, including prostatic and sphincter components for maximum urethral closure pressure (MUCP) and functional urethral length, was recorded in combination with needle electromyography of the urethral sphincter. The mean and maximum amplitude of waves were measured twice: 1 month before RP and 6 months after the procedure. The 1-hour pad test was conducted in parallel with other tests. Patients completed the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire - Short Form (ICIQ-SF). The relationship of the results of the tests with post-RP urinary incontinence was studied. Age, urodynamic parameters, pathologic stage, and surgical technique were recorded for analysis as potential confounding factors. RESULTS: Nineteen patients were included within the 1-year study period. Their mean age was 63 years. According to the 1-hour pad test and ICIQ-SF, 42.1% of the sample had urinary incontinence after RP. Prostate MUCP with the mean and during-stress amplitude of waves predicted post-RP urinary incontinence with a sensitivity of 87.5% (P=0.002) in our model. Age, urodynamic parameters, pathological stage, and surgical technique were not related to incontinence after surgery. CONCLUSION: The combination of the urethral pressure profile (prostatic MUCP) and electromyography of the urethral sphincter might be a useful prognostic predictor of post-RP urinary incontinence.