Lower bleeding volume contributes to decreasing surgical site infection in radical cystectomy: A propensity score-matched comparison of open versus robot-assisted radical cystectomy.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the incidence of surgical site infections (SSI) between robot-assisted and open radical cystectomies and investigate the risk factors for SSI after radical cystectomies. METHODS: Consecutive patients who underwent radical cystectomy between July 2008 and December 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. The prevalence and characteristics of SSI after open and robot-assisted radical cystectomies were compared, and the risk factors for SSI were investigated using propensity score matching. RESULTS: This study enrolled 231 patients (open: 145, robot-assisted: 86). In the robot-assisted group, urinary diversion was performed using an intracorporeal approach. SSI occurred in 34 (open: 28, robot-assisted: 6) patients, and the incidence was significantly lower in the robot-assisted group (19.3% vs. 7.0%, p = 0.007). After propensity score matching cohort (open: 34, robot-assisted: 34), increased bleeding volume, blood transfusion, and delayed postoperative oral feeding were significantly associated with SSI. Only increased bleeding volume remained a significant risk factor in the multivariate regression analysis (odds ratio, 1.13 [per 100 mL increase]; 95% confidence interval: 1.02-1.25; p = 0.001). The cutoff bleeding volume for predicting SSI was 1630 mL with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, sensitivity, and specificity of 0.773, 0.73, and 0.75, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of SSI after robot-assisted radical cystectomy was significantly lower than that after the open procedure. However, decreased bleeding volume, which was significantly associated with robot-assisted procedures, was an independent and more significant factor for reducing SSI after radical cystectomy than the differences of the surgical procedure even after propensity score matching.

Antifibrosis treatment by inhibition of VEGF, FGF, and PDGF receptors improves bladder wall remodeling and detrusor overactivity in association with modulation of C-fiber afferent activity in mice with spinal cord injury.

AIMS: Spinal cord injury (SCI) above the sacral level causes bladder dysfunction and remodeling with fibrosis. This study examined the antifibrotic effects using nintedanib, an inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor, fibroblast growth factor, and platelet-derived growth factor receptors, on detrusor overactivity (DO) and bladder fibrosis, as well as the modulation mechanisms of C-fiber afferent pathways. METHODS: Thirty female C57BL/6 mice were divided into group A (spinal intact), group B (SCI with vehicle), and group C (SCI with nintedanib). At 2 weeks after SCI, vehicle or 50 mg/kg nintedanib was administered subcutaneously for 2 weeks. Then, cystometry was conducted, followed by RT-PCR measurements of fibrosis-related molecules, muscarinic, ß-adrenergic, TRP and purinergic receptors in the bladder or L6-S1 dorsal root ganglia (DRG). Trichrome stain and Western blot analysis of transforming growth factor-beta and fibronectin were performed in the bladder. TRPV1 expression in L6 DRG was measured by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: In cystometry, intercontraction intervals, nonvoiding contractions, voided volume, and voiding efficiency were significantly improved in group C versus group B. RT-PCR, Western blotting, and trichrome staining revealed the fibrotic changes in the bladder of group B, which was improved in group C. Increased messenger RNA levels of TRPV1, TRPA1, P2X2 , and P2X3 in DRG of group B were significantly decreased in group C. TRPV1 immunoreactivity in DRG was increased in group B, but decreased in group C. CONCLUSIONS: Nintedanib improves storage and voiding dysfunctions and bladder fibrosis in SCI mice. Also, nintedanib-induced improvement of DO is associated with reduced expression of C-fiber afferent markers, suggesting the modulation of bladder C-fiber afferent activity.

A Clinical Trial Evaluating the Usefulness of Tailored Antimicrobial Prophylaxis Using Rectal-culture Screening Media Prior to Transrectal Prostate Biopsy: A Multicenter, Randomized Controlled Trial.

The aim of this report is to introduce an on-going, multicenter, randomized controlled trial to evaluate whether tailored antimicrobial prophylaxis guided by rectal culture screening prevents acute bacterial prostatitis following transrectal prostate biopsy (TRPB). Patients will be randomized into an intervention or non-intervention group; tazobactam-piperacillin or levofloxacin will be prophylactically administered according to the results of rectal culture prior to TRPB in the intervention group whereas levofloxacin will be routinely given in the non-intervention group. The primary endpoint is the occurrence rate of acute bacterial prostatitis after TRPB. Recruitment begins in April, 2021 and the target total sample size is 5,100 participants.

Urethral dysfunction and therapeutic effects of a PDE 5 inhibitor (tadalafil) in a rat model of detrusor underactivity induced by pelvic nerve crush injury.

AIMS: The urethral dysfunction produced by a rat model of peripheral neurogenic detrusor underactivity (DU) using pelvic nerve crush (PNC) injury was characterized and then tested with the administration of tadalafil, a phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE 5) inhibitor. METHODS: Ten days after producing PNC rats, awake cystometrograms (CMGs) and isovolumetric cystometrograms with urethral perfusion pressure (IC-UPP) measurements were performed. Also, in control rats, IC-UPP was recorded before and after intravenous atropine administration to determine if the reduction of bladder contraction pressure affects urethral relaxation during voiding. Then, CMG and IC-UPP measurements in PNC rats were recorded after intravenous administration of tadalafil. Lastly, real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to measure transcript levels of neuronal nitric oxide synthases (nNOS), endothelial nitric oxide synthases, and PDE 5 in urethral specimens from PNC and control rats. RESULTS: PNC rats demonstrated the characteristics of DU in CMG. Also, PNC rats exhibited significant decreases in isovolumetric bladder contraction amplitudes and urethral relaxation. Atropine attenuated the amplitude of isovolumetric bladder contractions; however, atropine did not affect urethral relaxation in control rats. Tadalafil decreased postvoid residual and increased voiding efficiency without changing bladder contraction amplitude in PNC rats. Also, tadalafil improved the amplitude of urethral relaxation during bladder contraction in PNC rats. Urethral nNOS transcript levels were upregulated in PNC rats compared to control rats. CONCLUSIONS: PNC rats revealed both DU and impaired urethral relaxation. PDE 5 inhibition in PNC rats enhanced urethral relaxation during voiding, resulting in improved voiding efficiency. Thus, urethral dysfunction could be a potential target for the treatment of inefficient voiding associated with neurogenic DU.

A single-institute experience of trimodal bladder-preserving therapy for histologic variants of urothelial carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: We retrospectively evaluated the clinical outcomes of patients with histologic variants of muscle invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) treated with trimodal bladder-preserving therapy (TMT). METHODS: Among 148 patients with clinical T2-3N0M0 MIBC treated with TMT at Tsukuba University Hospital from 1990 to 2015, 11 patients (7.4%) had pathological components of variant urothelial carcinoma (UC). The complete response (CR), overall survival (OS), cause-specific survival (CSS) and progression-free survival (PFS) rates were analyzed in these 11 patients. RESULTS: Among the 11 patients with variant UC, 7 (64%) had UC with squamous and/or glandular differentiation and 4 (36%) had sarcomatoid (n = 1), plasmacytoid (n = 1), signet ring cell (n = 1), or clear cell variant (n = 1). Median follow-up was 49.0 months. Nine (82%) out of 11 patients achieved CR and 2 (22%) out of the 9 developed recurrence. Among seven patients who had UC with squamous and/or glandular differentiation, two developed recurrence and one died of disease. In contrast, 2 (50%) out of four patients with other variants, which were sarcomatoid variant or signet ring cell, developed recurrence and died of disease. Overall, the 5-year OS, CSS, and PFS rates of variant UC were 75%, 75%, and 58%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: TMT might provide acceptable clinical outcomes for well-selected MIBC patients with histologic variants, especially for those with squamous and/or glandular differentiation. However, we need to pay special attention to other variants such as sarcomatoid variant or signet ring cell. TMT might be an alternative treatment option for patients with histologic variants, although further experiments will be needed to confirm this.

Analysis of continence reflexes by dynamic urethral pressure recordings in a rat stress urinary incontinence model induced by multiple simulated birth traumas.

The present study evaluated real-time changes in urethral pressure during the storage phase using a rat model with stress urinary incontinence (SUI) induced by simulated multiple birth traumas and investigated the relationship between urethral continence function and dynamic parameters associated with the changes in urethral pressure. Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into the following two groups: the sham group, which underwent three catheterizations of the vagina without distension at 2-wk intervals, and the vaginal distension (VD) group, which underwent three VDs at 2-wk intervals. After transection of the T8-T9 spinal cord, simultaneous bladder and urethral pressure recordings were performed during intravesical pressure elevation. Urodynamic parameters such as leak point pressure (LPP), urethral baseline pressure (UBP), maximum urethral pressure (MUP), the MUP-UBP differential (dUP) during intravesical pressure elevation, the bladder pressure when urethral contraction begins (Puc), and the bladder pressure at bladder neck opening (Pno) were then measured and compared. Compared with the sham group, LPP, UBP, dUP, MUP, Puc, and Pno were significantly decreased in the VD group. Pressure differences between LPP and Pno and between LPP and UBP (LPP-UBP) were also significantly different in the two groups. However, difference values of LPP and MUP or Pno and UBP were not altered after VD. Our new methods of simultaneous recordings of dynamic changes in bladder and urethral pressures are useful to fully evaluate the functional alterations in urethral continence function in the SUI model induced by multiple VDs. Moreover, LPP-UBP values, which correspond to the difference between Valsalva LPP and maximum urethral closure pressure in clinical urodynamics, would be useful to evaluate the impaired urethral continence function after simulated birth traumas in animal models.

Effect of TRPV4 activation in a rat model of detrusor underactivity induced by bilateral pelvic nerve crush injury.

AIMS: To produce an animal model of peripheral neurogenic detrusor underactivity (DU) and to evaluate the effect of TRPV4 receptor activation in this DU model. METHODS: In female Sprague-Dawley rats, bilateral pelvic nerve crush (PNC) was performed by using sharp forceps. After 10 days, awake cystometrograms (CMG) were recorded in sham and PNC rats. A TRPV4 agonist (GSK 1016790A) with or without a TRPV4 antagonist (RN1734) were administered intravesically and CMG parameters were compared before and after drug administration in each group. The TRPV4 transcript level in the bladder mucosa and histological changes were also evaluated. RESULTS: In CMG, PNC rats showed significant increases in intercontraction intervals (ICI), number of non-voiding contractions (NVCs), baseline pressure, threshold pressure, bladder capacity, voided volumes, and post-void residual (PVR) compared to sham rats. Contraction amplitude and voiding efficiency were significantly decreased in PNC rats. In PNC rats, intravesical application of GSK1016790A (1.5 µM) significantly decreased ICI, bladder capacity, voided volume, and PVR without increasing NVCs, and these effects were blocked by RN1734 (5.0 µM). In contrast, 1.5 µM GSK1016790A had no significant effects on CMG parameters in normal rats. TRPV4 expression within the bladder mucosa of PNC rats was increased in association with urothelial thickening. CONCLUSIONS: Rats with bilateral PNC showed characteristics of DU, and this model seems appropriate for further evaluation of peripheral neurogenic mechanisms of DU. Also, TRPV4 receptors, the activation of which reduced bladder capacity and PVR, could be a target for DU treatment.

Long-term single-institute experience with trimodal bladder-preserving therapy with proton beam therapy for muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

OBJECTIVE: We retrospectively elucidated the oncological outcomes, prognostic factors and toxicities of proton beam therapy in trimodal bladder-preserving therapy for muscle-invasive bladder cancer at our institution. METHODS: From 1990 to 2015, 70 patients with cT2-3N0M0 muscle-invasive bladder cancer underwent trimodal bladder-preserving therapy consisting of maximal transurethral resection of the bladder tumor, small pelvis photon irradiation, intra-arterial chemotherapy and proton beam therapy. The overall survival rate, progression-free survival rate, time to progression, predictive factors for progression and toxicities were analyzed. Progression was defined as when muscle-invasive recurrence, distant metastasis or upper urinary tract recurrence was observed. RESULTS: The patients' median age was 65 (range 36-85) years. The median follow-up period was 3.4 (range 0.6-19.5) years. The 5-year cumulative overall survival rate, progression-free survival rate and time to progression rate were 82%, 77%, and 82%, respectively. In univariate and multivariate analyses, tumor multiplicity and tumor size (≥5 cm) were significant and independent factors associated with progression (hazard ratio 3.5, 95% confidence interval 1.1-12; hazard ratio 5.0, 95% confidence interval 1.3-17; P < 0.05 for all). As for toxicity, 26 (18%) patients had grade 3-4 acute hematologic toxicities and 2 (3%) patients had grade 3 late genitourinary toxicity. No patient had to discontinue the treatment due to acute toxicity. CONCLUSIONS: Our bladder-preserving therapy with proton beam therapy was well tolerated and achieved a favorable mortality rate. Tumor multiplicity and tumor size were important risk factors for progression. Our findings indicate that this therapy can be an effective treatment option for selected muscle-invasive bladder cancer patients.

Concurrent urothelial carcinoma in the renal pelvis of an allograft kidney and native recipient bladder: evidence of donor origin.

A 44-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital for asymptomatic gross hematuria. At the age of 28, she underwent transplantation of a kidney from her father for end-stage renal disease secondary to rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis. She resumed peritoneal dialysis when the allograft kidney stopped functioning at the age of 42. Dialysis was continued for the next 2 years, when the hematuria occurred and she was readmitted. Radiologic evaluation and transurethral resection of the bladder tumor revealed a tumor of the renal pelvis of the allograft kidney (cT3N0M0) and multiple bladder tumors (cT1N0M0). Total cystectomy and allograft nephroureterectomy were performed. Histopathological examinations revealed high grade urothelial carcinoma in the renal pelvis of the allograft kidney (pT3) and native bladder (pT1). Fluorescence in situ hybridization of both specimens demonstrated that the renal pelvic tumors and bladder cancer possessed XY karyotypes. These results indicated that the urothelial carcinoma developed de novo in the renal pelvis of the allograft kidney and was implanted into the recipient's native bladder.

Salvage chemotherapy with gemcitabine plus oxaliplatin for patients with testicular germ cell cancer.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to assess the feasibility of salvage chemotherapy with gemcitabine and oxaliplatin (GEMOX) for Japanese patients with refractory testicular germ cell cancer. METHODS: Eleven patients were treated with GEMOX. All had experienced disease progression or recurrence and had been treated with the standard induction chemotherapy and at least one cycle of cisplatin-based salvage chemotherapy (median 6 cycles) before the start of GEMOX. GEMOX consisted of gemcitabine 1,000 mg/m(2) intravenously on days 1 and 8 and oxaliplatin 130 mg/m(2) on day 1. RESULTS: Two patients (18 %) achieved a complete response (CR) after GEMOX and surgical resection of residual tumor. One additional patient responded to GEMOX, but was forced to discontinue treatment due to sensory neuropathy. This patient achieved CR after further treatment with irinotecan-based chemotherapy and surgery. All three patients have remained continuously free from disease progression at a median follow-up duration of 24 months. Sixty-four per cent of patients developed grade 3 leukocytopenia and 82 % developed grade 3 or higher thrombocytopenia but they were all managed with routine supportive care. Sensory neuropathy was frequently seen but no patient experienced neurotoxicity higher than grade 3. CONCLUSIONS: GEMOX as salvage chemotherapy is tolerable for intensively pretreated Japanese patients. GEMOX may offer a chance of long-term disease-free status even after failure of multiple cycles of chemotherapy.

Risk factors for intravesical recurrence in patients with high-grade T1 bladder cancer in the second TUR era.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to elucidate risk factors for intravesical recurrence of high-grade T1 bladder cancer in the second transurethral resection era. METHODS: The analysis included 73 patients with high-grade T1 bladder cancer on initial transurethral resection. The median follow-up period was 49.2 months. Recurrence-free survival, progression-free survival and risk factors related to the presence of residual tumors or recurrence-free survival were statistically analyzed. RESULTS: The pathological findings for second transurethral resection were pT0 36 (49%), pTis/a 21 (29%), pT1 13 (18%) and pT2 3 (4%), respectively. The risk factor for residual tumors at second transurethral resection was the presence of concomitant carcinoma in situ at the initial transurethral resection (P < 0.01). The bladder was preserved in all 57 patients with pT0/is/a tumors on second transurethral resection, and 43 patients (75%) received intravesical BCG therapy. Of these patients, 3-year recurrence-free survival and 3-year progression-free survival rates were 81 and 96%, respectively. In addition, the presence of pTis/a residual tumors on second transurethral resection had a significant impact on the recurrence. Five of the 13 patients with pT1 on second transurethral resection were immediately treated by radical cystectomy or radiation therapy combined with chemotherapy, and two (25%) of the eight who were treated by intravesical BCG therapy had progression including distant metastasis. CONCLUSIONS: High recurrence-free survival and progression-free survival were achieved by a second transurethral resection and intravesical BCG therapy in the patients with pT0/is/a on the second transurethral resection. In this group, the residual tumors at second transurethral resection are risk factors for intravesical recurrence.

A case of acute adrenal insufficiency unmasked during sunitinib treatment for metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

Sunitinib has recently become a standard treatment for metastatic renal cell carcinoma. However, various adverse events have been reported. We present the first case of clinically evident adrenal insufficiency during sunitinib therapy. A 72-year-old man began sunitinib therapy for bilateral lung and adrenal metastases of renal cell carcinoma. His adrenocorticotrophic hormone level was 93.6 pg/ml (7.2-63.3 pg/ml) before sunitinib treatment, indicating that subclinical adrenal insufficiency already existed. Fatigue, which is a frequently seen adverse effect of sunitinib treatment, emerged acutely on Day 24 of the second cycle. Adrenocorticotrophic hormone and free T4 were high and thyroid-stimulating hormone was suppressed. Under the clinical diagnosis of acute adrenal insufficiency with thyrotoxicosis, a low dose of steroid was administered. Fatigue was completely ameliorated by the following morning, although free T4 was still high and thyroid-stimulating hormone was still low. Therefore, hypermetabolism due to thyrotoxicosis unmasked adrenal insufficiency in our case. Physicians should be aware of this rare but potentially fatal complication when severe acute fatigue develops in patients with subclinical adrenal insufficiency.

Management of ureteral obstruction in advanced testicular tumor with lymph node metastasis.

OBJECTIVE: Ureteral obstruction is one of the complications of testicular tumor with retroperitoneal lymph node metastasis that requires ureteral stenting for management. We elucidated the clinical courses of ureteral obstructions and changes in renal functions in patients with indwelling ureteral stenting. METHODS: The medical records of 56 patients who were treated for metastatic testicular tumors by chemotherapy at a single institute between 2002 and 2010 were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: Among 56 patients, 12 patients needed ureteral stenting before chemotherapy. The proportion of patients requiring ureteral stenting was significantly higher in seminoma than non-seminoma (47 and 12%, respectively, P < 0.05). The ureteral stent was removed after chemotherapy or retroperitoneal lymph node dissection in all patients, except for one patient who died of cancer during chemotherapy. At retroperitoneal lymph node dissection, ureters were spared in three patients, a partial ureterectomy was needed in one patient, and no case underwent adjunctive nephrectomy. These 11 patients presented no local and distant recurrence at median follow-up of 44 months. Ureteral stenting increased the estimated glomerular filtration rate to more than 60 ml/min before chemotherapy in all patients, but it decreased to <60 ml/min in 6 of 11 patients after chemotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: Ureteral obstruction due to testicular tumor was relieved after chemotherapy or retroperitoneal lymph node dissection. Ureteral stenting was effective to improve renal function before chemotherapy, although we should pay special attention to deterioration of renal function during or after chemotherapy.

Analysis of Intravesical Recurrence After Bladder-preserving Therapy for Muscle-invasive Bladder Cancer.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to analyze the pattern of recurrences after bladder-preserving therapy for muscle-invasive bladder cancer. METHODS: The subjects were 77 patients with T2-3N0M0 bladder cancer whose bladder was preserved by intra-arterial chemotherapy and radiation. The patterns of the first recurrences were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: With a median follow-up of 38.5 months, 17 patients (22.1%) experienced intravesical recurrence without metastasis, 14 (82.4%) of which were cases of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer recurrence and 3 (17.6%) of which were muscle-invasive bladder cancer recurrences. Muscle-invasive bladder cancer recurred at the same site as the initial tumor site in all three cases, whereas non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer recurred at different sites in 64% of the patients in that group. The peak hazard of the non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer recurrence was observed at around a year after treatment. Recurrent non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer was of a significantly lower histological grade with lower Ki-67-labeling indices than the initial muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Twelve (85.7%) of 14 patients with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer recurrence achieved disease-free status. The multivariate analysis revealed that multiplicity, grade and tumor size were significantly correlated with the recurrence (P= 0.0001, 0.0442 and 0.0412, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Most of the recurrences after bladder-preserving therapy were cases of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer. The recurrence pattern and characteristics of the tumors did not differ from those of primary non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Patients with high-risk factors would be candidates for prophylactic intravesical therapy for non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer recurrence.

A constrained mixture-micturition-growth (CMMG) model of the urinary bladder: Application to partial bladder outlet obstruction (BOO).

We present a constrained mixture-micturition-growth (CMMG) model for the bladder. It simulates bladder mechanics, voiding function (micturition) and tissue adaptations in response to altered biomechanical conditions. The CMMG model is calibrated with both in vivo and in vitro data from healthy male rat urinary bladders (cystometry, bioimaging of wall structure, mechanical testing) and applied to simulate the growth and remodeling (G&R) response to partial bladder outlet obstruction (BOO). The bladder wall is represented as a multi-layered, anisotropic, nonlinear constrained mixture. A short time scale micturition component of the CMMG model accounts for the active and passive mechanics of voiding. Over a second, longer time scale, G&R algorithms for the evolution of both cellular and extracellular constituents act to maintain/restore bladder (homeostatic) functionality. The CMMG model is applied to a spherical membrane model of the BOO bladder utilizing temporal data from an experimental male rodent model to parameterize and then verify the model. Consistent with the experimental studies of BOO, the model predicts: an initial loss of voiding capacity followed by hypertrophy of SMC to restore voiding function; bladder enlargement; collagen remodeling to maintain its role as a protective sheath; and increased voiding duration with lower average flow rate. This CMMG model enables a mechanistic approach for investigating the bladder's structure-function relationship and its adaption in pathological conditions. While the approach is illustrated with a conceptual spherical bladder model, it provides the basis for application of the CMMG model to anatomical geometries. Such a mechanistic approach has promise as an in silico tool for the rational development of new surgical and pharmacological treatments for bladder diseases such as BOO.

Impact of clean intermittent catheterization on quality of life of patients with neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction due to radical hysterectomy: A cross-sectional study.

AIMS: We investigated the quality of life (QOL) of a homogenous group of ambulant patients with neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction without significant comorbidities to elucidate the impact of clean intermittent catheterization (CIC) on QOL. METHODS: The subjects were 71 female patients who underwent radical hysterectomy (RH) without recurrent disease. QOL was cross-sectionally measured with the Short-Form 36-Item Health Survey (SF-36) and King's Health Questionnaire (KHQ). We divided urinary management into spontaneous voiding (SV) and CIC as well as postoperative elapsed time into the entire period, less than 24 months (<24 months) and 24 months or more (≥24 months). RESULTS: Patients with CIC showed significantly poorer QOL than patients with SV in some subscale/domain scores on SF-36 and KHQ for the entire period as well as <24 months after RH. In contrast, significant differences were not revealed between scores on both measures of patients with CIC and SV ≥24 months after RH. Moreover, in patients with CIC ≥24 months, some subscale/domain scores on both measures were significantly better than in those with <24 months. Norm-based scoring of SF-36 revealed that all subscales of patients with CIC <24 months were below the average score of healthy Japanese people, while only four subscales of those ≥24 months remained below the average. CONCLUSIONS: QOL in patients with CIC was worse than in patients with SV in the short term, but similar in the long term, which suggests that QOL probably might improve with time in patients with CIC.

Successful management by provocative angiography and endovascular stent of Ureteroarterial fistula in a patient with a long-term indwelling ureteral stent.

We present the clinical course of a ureteroiliac arterial fistula in a patient who had been managed by ureteral stenting for 8 years for severe ureteral stricture after abdominoperineal resection with pelvic irradiation for advanced rectal cancer. A multidisciplinary team approach including provocative angiography and an endovascular stent saved the life of the patient. Ureteroarterial fistula is a rare complication of a long-term indwelling ureteral stent that is potentially fatal unless a prompt diagnosis and adequate therapy are provided. Heightened awareness and a high index of suspicion for this condition are required to make an early diagnosis.

Pattern of intravesical recurrence after surgical treatment for urothelial cancer of the upper urinary tract: a single institutional retrospective long-term follow-up study.

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the risk of intravesical recurrence in patients with primary urothelial cancer of the upper urinary tract. METHODS: Ninety patients who underwent radical nephroureterectomy for clinically localized urothelial cancer of the upper urinary tract were initially considered. Those with a previous and/or concomitant history of bladder cancer, and those who had previously received systemic chemotherapy were excluded. Overall, data from 60 patients with no evidence of bladder cancer and distant or lymph node metastasis were retrospectively reviewed. The clinical course and the risk pattern of intravesical recurrence were estimated by using a smoothing technique on estimated hazard function plots. Multivariate analysis was carried out using a Cox proportional hazards regression model. RESULTS: Mean patient age was 64.7 years. Median follow up was 51.3 months. Thirty patients (50%) had intravesical recurrence during the follow-up period. The peak of intravesical recurrence was detected in the early period (less than 2.5 years) after surgery. The intravesical recurrence hazard became lower afterwards. Nevertheless, it persisted over a long period of time. On univariate and multivariate analyses, none of the clinical or pathological parameters had a statistically significant impact on intravesical recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: Even if an intravesical recurrence in patients with upper urinary tract urothelial cancer is more likely in the early period, it persists over a long period of time. This might reflect different mechanisms of recurrence, having a significant impact on the definition of the optimal treatment and follow-up schedules.

Effects of nerve growth factor neutralization on TRP channel expression in laser-captured bladder afferent neurons in mice with spinal cord injury.

Nerve growth factor (NGF) is reportedly involved in the changes in C-fiber bladder afferent pathways that induce detrusor overactivity (DO) following spinal cord injury (SCI). This study examined the roles of NGF in TRP channel expression in bladder afferent neurons in mice with SCI using laser-capture microdissection (LCM) methods. Spinal intact (SI) and SCI mice were divided into 3 groups: (1) SI with vehicle treatment; (2) SCI with vehicle treatment; and (3) SCI with anti-NGF antibody. Two weeks after SCI, an osmotic pump was placed subcutaneously into the back of the mice and vehicle or anti-NGF antibody was administered at a rate of 10 µg/kg per hour for two weeks. Four weeks after SCI, the L6 dorsal root ganglia (DRG) were removed. Expression of the TRPV1, TRPC1, TRPC3, and TRPC6 genes was analyzed using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) following LCM of the bladder afferent neurons, which were labeled by Fast Blue injected into the bladder wall 1 week prior to tissue removal. The mRNA expression of TRPV1 was found to be higher in vehicle-treated SCI mice than in SI mice. The expression level of TRPC3 and TRPC6 in vehicle-treated SCI mice was lower than in SI mice. However, in SCI mice treated with anti-NGF antibody, the mRNA expression of TRPV1 was lower, and the mRNA levels of TRPC3 and TRPC6 were higher than in vehicle-SCI mice. These results suggest that the NGF-dependent changes in specific TRP channel genes, such as TRPV1, TRPC3, and TRPC6, could be involved in SCI-induced afferent hyperexcitability and DO.

Cavernous hemangioma of the testis: a case report and review of the literature.

A 73-year-old man consulted our hospital with a painless intra-scrotal mass in the left testis. Serum levels of human beta-chorionic gonadotropin and alpha-fetoprotein were normal. Scrotal ultrasonography demonstrated left testis with a heterogeneous texture. A diagnosis of probable testicular malignancy was made, and a left radical orchiectomy was performed. The histopathological diagnosis was testicular cavernous hemangioma. To our knowledge, only 19 cases of cavernous hemangioma of the testis have been reported in the literature so far. Although this is a rare tumor, it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of testicular tumor.