When to Avoid a Restaging Procedure for Non-muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer? Inferences from a Tertiary Care Center.

The increasing incidence of urinary bladder carcinoma is alarming. Approximately seventy percent of these patients are non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). Restage transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) is the current recommendation for any T1 and or high-grade non muscle invasive bladder cancers (NMIBC) to accurately stage the malignancy. The question whether a second surgery is always required as a restage procedure is still unanswered. The patient's concern about completeness, morbidity, and financial considerations of a major surgery cannot be overlooked. Moreover, it also puts a strain on the already overburdened healthcare system. To answer this question, whether it is oncologically sound to omit a second resection, the current study evaluated the outcomes of patients undergoing restage TURBT, and analyzed the preoperative factors predicting a change in the staging of this malignancy. The study design was a prospective observational including NMIBC patients from September 2018 to February 2020. A total of 72 patients underwent restage TURBT. Their demographic data, imaging and cystoscopic findings, and histopathological data were recorded. The objective was to study the clinico-pathological correlations and factors predicting recurrence and upstaging of tumor in NMIBC patients undergoing restage TURBT. A total of 101 patients were found eligible for restage TURBT. Eventually, 72 underwent restage TURBT. Twelve (16.7%) patient had recurrence at restage while 3(4.16%) were upstaged to T2. Presence of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) was independently associated with the risk of recurrence of same stage compared to no recurrence (p-0.025, OR-8.793, 95% CI-1.316-98.773). Chemical exposure (p-0.042) was also significantly associated with the same. Presence of lymphadenopathy on CT was independently associated with the risk of upstaging compared to no recurrence (p-0.032, OR-18.25, 95% CI-1.292-257.85). The study concluded that in the presence of a well-performed and adequate initial TURBT, restage TURBT could be skipped for further management. However, in small subgroup of patients with lymphadenopathy on preoperative imaging having a higher risk of tumor recurrence and upstaging, and patients with a history of chemical exposure and previous lower urinary tract symptoms having a high risk of recurrence alone, restage TURBT should still be performed to accurately stage the disease. Further studies with large patient cohort are needed to confirm and reinforce the facts proposed. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13193-022-01516-8.

Small contracted bladders posing bigger problems: Etiology, presentation, and management and a short review of literature.

The purpose of this study was to assess various etiologies, diagnosis and management. This rare entity is a neglected condition which should always be under clinical suspicion by broad speciality of practitioners for early treatment. Retrospective data collected from 2018 to 2021 in the All India Institute of Medical Sciences Rishikesh was used. All patients diagnosed with the small contracted bladder in the given period were included. The primary outcome of the study was to find out the common causes, early tests used for diagnosis and management done in the patients of small contracted bladder attending this tertiary care centre. Between 2018 and 2021, a total of 12 patients were diagnosed to have small capacity bladder (SCB). The most common symptom was frequency (75%). On cystoscopy, 33.33% (n = 4) had less than 50 ml and 66.66% (n = 8) had 50-100 ml bladder capacity respectively. 37.5% (n = 3) were diagnosed by urine AFB culture, 62.5% (n = 5) were diagnosed by urine for PCR, 62.5% (n = 5) were diagnosed by radiological investigations. Eight patients (66.66%) underwent surgical treatment in cases diagnosed as tuberculosis like augmentation cystoplasty and supra-trigonal cystectomy. Other rare causes found were eosinophilic cystitis, radiation induced contracture and BCG induced contracture. Small capacity bladder is an unusual condition, with still dilemma on the definition of small capacity and only few literature mentioning the causes, diagnosis and treatment. Even though tuberculosis is a common cause of SCB, still rare causes should always be kept in mind for relieving patient symptoms at the earliest.

Incidental encounter of intraperitoneal tuberculosis during renal surgeries: A surgeon's dilemma.

Tuberculosis is a major healthcare burden in India, which accounts for the maximum number of cases worldwide. Due to its non-specific features, peritoneal tuberculosis has been dubbed as the great mimicker of various other abdominal pathologies. This case series highlights the importance of incidental intra operative detection of peritoneal tuberculosis in cases being operated for renal pathologies. Diagnostic and therapeutic dilemma is bound to occur when surgeon is faced with such an unexpected finding. Incidental peritoneal tuberculosis was defined as peritoneal tubercular lesions (ascites or tubercles) detected intraoperatively in patients being operated for non-tuberculosis related indications and no prior preoperative suspicion of abdominal tuberculosis. We here review 3 cases with different renal pathologies and no prior history or exposure to tuberculosis in which intraperitoneal tuberculosis was encountered incidentally at the time of surgery. Case 1 was a suspected case of right renal cell carcinoma and underwent right robotic nephron sparing surgery. Case 2 underwent robotic assisted lap simple nephrectomy for a right nonfunctioning kidney due to obstructive ureteric calculus. Case 3 was a suspected case of left upper tract urothelial carcinoma who underwent robotic nephroureterectomy with bladder cuff excision. In all 3 cases, on encountering the peritoneal lesions, an intraoperative decision to continue with the proposed surgery was made after frozen section biopsies from the multiple peritoneal and omental deposits revealed no malignant cells. Histopathology of these lesions in all 3 cases revealed caseating granulomas consistent with a diagnosis of disseminated peritoneal tuberculosis. None of the resected specimen had features suggestive of tuberculosis. ATT was started and on follow up the patients are doing well. Peritoneal tuberculosis although uncommon is not a rare presentation of active tuberculosis. Surgeons on encountering such lesions during non-related surgeries should always have a high suspicion of tuberculosis. Despite the existing literature favoring abandoning the procedure in such situations, we successfully completed the proposed surgeries.

Beyond Prostate Specific Antigen: New Prostate Cancer Screening Options.

Prostate specific antigen (PSA) is one of the best-known biomarkers for screening, diagnosis and follow-up of patients for prostate cancer. Owing to several inherent limitations with PSA, various newer blood and urinary based biomarkers have been evaluated in pursuit of better detection and risk stratification of prostate cancer cases. A combination of these different markers, in adjunct with clinical risk factors, and recent advances in imaging promises to offer better diagnostic performance with clearer risk stratification guiding therapeutics. We carried out an extensive literature search for the different biomarkers available for screening and diagnosis of prostate cancer, compared their performance with serum PSA to allow clinicians to draw meaningful conclusions to offer their patients a more personalized medical care.

Feasibility and usefulness of online virtual training of urology residents in times of COVID-19: A single-center experience and an evidence-based strength, weakness, opportunity, and threat analysis.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 disease has resulted in an almost complete shutdown of all services worldwide. Hospitals continued to provide emergency services and treatment for COVID-19 disease. Teaching hospitals like ours had another responsibility at hand; training of our surgical residents. Not allowing this pandemic to take away months of training, we resorted to online virtual training programs, for continuing academic activities. After having conducted thirty such sessions, we took feedback from the participating students and faculty members to evaluate the usefulness of this new initiative and identify the lacunae that needed to be addressed. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The initial twenty classes were held on the GoTo Meeting ® online platform, whereas the last ten were conducted using the Google Meet application. A 20-item questionnaire covering four broad domains of general perception, feasibility, knowledge gained, and drawbacks was circulated, and 19 responses were registered anonymously. Strength, weakness, opportunity, and threat analysis was done based on the responses received. RESULTS: About 89.5% of the participants believed that online classes were the ideal platform for continuing education and 84.2% of the participants were overall satisfied with the whole exercise. The Achilles' heel was the availability of a good Internet connection, and the major lacunae were the poor quality of video and audio transmission. Seventy-four percent of the participants wanted to continue online training in the future too, whereas 26% wanted to revert to the traditional face-to-face teaching. CONCLUSION: Online virtual training classes are an effective and feasible alternative to traditional teaching in times such as these, which demanded strict social distancing. It naturally lacked the warmth and personal touch of the traditional teaching classes, but it allowed us to continue teaching our residents and also prepare them to face the biggest menace of all times.

Role of positron emission tomography/computed tomography in the evaluation of renal cell carcinoma.

INTRODUCTION: Positron emission tomography (PET) is not a standard recommendation in most of the major guidelines for the evaluation of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Earlier studies evaluating PET scan in patients with RCC have provided discordant results. However, with the advent of newer hybrid PET/computed tomography (CT) scanning systems, this modality has shown increased efficacy in the evaluation of primary renal masses along with the detection of extrarenal metastases, restaging recurrent RCC, and also in monitoring response to targeted therapy. We performed a systematic review of the existing literature on the role of PET scan in the evaluation of RCC. METHODOLOGY: We systematically searched the databases of PubMed/Medline, Embase, and Google Scholar to identify studies on the use of PET scan in RCC. Using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis guidelines, 94 full-text articles were selected, of which 54 relevant articles were then reviewed, after a consensus by the authors. RESULTS: Several studies have shown similar sensitivity and specificity of fluoro-2-deoxy-2-d-glucose-PET (FDG-PET) scan as compared to conventional CT scan for the initial diagnosis of RCC, and an improved sensitivity and specificity for the detection of metastases and recurrences following curative therapy. The PET scan may also play a role in predicting the initial tumor biology and pathology and predicting the prognosis as well as the response to therapy. CONCLUSION: The current guidelines do not recommend PET scan in the staging armamentarium of RCCs. However, FDG-PET scan is as efficacious, if not better than conventional imaging alone, in the evaluation of the primary and metastatic RCC, as well as in evaluating the response to therapy, due to its ability to pick up areas of increased metabolic activity early on. Newer tracers such as Ga68 prostate specific membrane antigen-labeled ligands may help in opening up newer avenues of theragnostics.

Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Approach in a Patient of Zinner Syndrome with Hematuria: A Rare Presentation.

Congenital malformations of the seminal vesicles (SVs) are rare and are often associated with abnormalities of the ipsilateral upper tracts as embryologically both the ureteral buds and SVs arise from the mesonephric ducts. The triad of SV cysts, ipsilateral renal agenesis, and ejaculatory duct obstruction is known as the Zinner syndrome. We herein present the case of Zinner syndrome with hematuria as the mode of presentation. A 52-year-old gentleman presented with complaints of gross and painless hematuria for 3 months. An initial ultrasound revealed absent right kidney with a cystic structure abutting the urinary bladder. Cystoscopic examination revealed a high bladder neck. Magnetic resonance imaging of the abdomen revealed an absent right kidney and a large tubular structure in the region of the right ureter extending up to right SV with blood content and stones within. It was distally seen communicating with one of the cysts of the right SV. The cystic structure was removed with a robot-assisted laparoscopic approach. The console time was 110 min with minimal blood loss. Postoperative course was uneventful. Histopathology of the cyst wall revealed chronic inflammation. The patient is doing well on 6 months follow-up. This case was unique in terms of it presenting with a large intra-abdominal cyst with sharp stones within, probably first of its kind to be ever reported. Surgery is mandated for such symptomatic cysts and the daVinci robot with its minimally invasive approach offers the perfect platform for treating such challenging cases.

Neoadjuvant Therapy for Cisplatin Ineligible Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer Patients: A Review of Available Evidence.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by radical cystectomy is the standard of care for muscle invasive non-metastatic bladder cancer patients. While cisplatin based neoadjuvant chemotherapy has been recommended, systemic therapy in a neoadjuvant setting for cisplatin ineligible patients still needs to be addressed. Various strategies like split dosing cisplatin chemotherapy, carboplatin based chemotherapy and taxanes based chemotherapy have been tried as neoadjuvant therapy for cisplatin ineligible patients. Immunotherapy is a promising tool in this regard with a need for the development of predictive and prognostic biomarkers which can bring out the true potential of these immunotherapeutic agents.

Female counterpart of the Zinner syndrome in men: decoding the 'OHVIRA' syndrome.

The obstructed hemivagina and ipsilateral renal agenesis (OHVIRA) syndrome, a rare Mullerian duct anomaly, is a triad of uterine anomalies with ipsilateral renal agenesis and obstructed hemivagina. The aetiopathogenesis of this developmental anomaly is debatable, with several theories being postulated to explain its occurrence. We report two cases of this rare syndrome which were detected on imaging done for unrelated reasons. Case 1 is a 24-year-old woman who presented with primary infertility. After an incidental detection of the syndrome and ruling out a male factor, she has been planned for excision of the vaginal septum. Case 2 is a 47-year-old woman with OHVIRA detected during the evaluation of urolithiasis and is asymptomatic for the syndrome. The OHVIRA syndrome can be asymptomatic or may present as haematocolpos, pelvic pain and infertility which requires surgical intervention, after which successful pregnancies have been reported.

A wide spectrum of rare clinical variants of Zinner syndrome.

Congenital malformations of the seminal vesicles (SVs) are rare and are associated with abnormalities of the ipsilateral urinary tracts as embryologically both the ureteral buds and SVs arise from the mesonephric ducts. The triad of SV cysts, ipsilateral renal agenesis and ejaculatory duct obstruction is known as the Zinner syndrome. We, herein, present three very rare presentations of Zinner syndrome. Case 1 presented with haematuria, and was found to have a large SV cyst with stones and underwent a robotic cyst excision. Case 2 presented with primary infertility, and was found to have a variant of Zinner syndrome. Case 3 was a known case of chronic kidney disease on maintenance haemodialysis who presented with fever and oliguria. He was found to have Zinner syndrome and underwent aspiration of SV abscess. To the best of our knowledge, such varying presentations of Zinner syndrome have been rarely reported thus far.

Meatal-sparing dorsal onlay vaginal graft urethroplasty: widening the surgical horizons of female urethral stricture.

AIM OF THE VIDEO: Female urethral stricture is an uncommon but challenging entity in the spectrum of female pelvic dysfunctions. There are various reconstructive techniques but none can be recommended over another. We present a case of meatal-sparing dorsal onlay vaginal graft urethroplasty as a surgical variation of the standard dorsal approach. This is a step to improve the results of the dorsal approach and overcome its limitations. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this video we present meatal-sparing dorsal onlay vaginal graft urethroplasty as a modification of the conventional dorsal approach. RESULTS: Sexual function can be preserved by dorsal plane dissection away from the clitoral neurovascular bundle. Excessive blood loss is avoided by limited mobilisation and dissection of the urethra. Meatal reconstruction is avoided by slitting the urethra directly over the strictured mid-urethral segment, thus averting a widened meatus and spraying of the urinary stream. CONCLUSION: Female urethroplasty provides excellent cure rates. Meatal-sparing dorsal onlay vaginal graft urethroplasty can be considered in mid- and proximal urethral strictures. This simple and effective approach can widen the surgical horizons in the treatment of female urethral stricture and reduce its complications.

A nationwide cross-sectional study to assess the impact of COVID-19 on surgical residency programs in India.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic with its plenitude of hardships has been a challenge for residents in training. Besides the fear of contracting the disease, the complete reconfiguration of hospital services has severely affected the surgical residency programs across India. The current study highlights the lacunae that have arisen in the residency programs and design appropriate solutions to reframe the remaining part of the surgical training. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present study is an observational study based on a questionnaire survey done in November 2020 aimed at gauging the mood and perspective of residents across India pursuing surgical residency programs on how the pandemic has impacted various domains of their residency namely surgical training, clinical skills, research, academic curriculum, and mental health. The analysis was performed using an Internet-based program. RESULTS: Seventy-eight percent of residents felt that they have lost crucial months of surgical training. Impact on clinical skills was reported by 73.9% of residents. Almost half of the residents (49.1%) believed that there has been a definite increase in research activities and 81.7% believed that the academic curriculum was affected during the past 6 months. Furthermore, 86% of respondents admitted to have had a profound impact on their mental health as a result of the pandemic. CONCLUSION: Formulating reform policies in the current residency programs is paramount to train the current and future generation of surgeons. Whereas personal safety and wellness of the residents is paramount during these times, residency training via digital medical education and various other innovative ways needs to continue.

Technical modifications in dorsal onlay female urethroplasty: Time to make way for amendments.

OBJECTIVE: Surgical treatment for female urethral stricture is varied and lacks consensus. Dorsal and ventral approaches of urethroplasty have comparable success rate with debatable limitations. We describe modifications in dorsal onlay graft urethroplasty to mitigate the surgical limitations and improve functional outcomes. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 8 patients with strictures treated with dorsal onlay urethroplasty at our center. The inclusion criteria were American Urology Association (AUA) score >20, calibration <14 Fr, positive voiding cystourethrogram, urodynamics with maximum urine flow rate (Qmax) <12 mL/s, detrusor pressure at maximum flow >24 cmH2O, and urethroscopic visualization of the stricture. Surgical modifications included dorsal plane dissection away from the clitoris; limited lateral urethral dissection; omitting graft quilting onto the clitoris, and urethral slitting directly at the stricture site (for mid and proximal strictures), sparing the meatus and using canoe-shaped grafts for distal strictures. Success was defined as improvement in the AUA scores and Qmax >12 mL/s, without requiring any further intervention. RESULTS: The mean age was 50.5±10.6 years. Statistically significant improvements in mean AUA score [14.5±2.20 (p=0.012)], Qmax [23.63±2.44 (p=0.012)], post-void residual urine [107.88±40.37 (p=0.012)], and sexual function scores [6.833±2.23 (p=0.027)] were noted at a mean follow-up of 3 months. Distal strictures were more common. Mean urethral caliber was 9.62 Fr. No cases of de novo incontinence or sexual dissatisfaction were reported. CONCLUSION: In our experience, the dorsal onlay technique works well, but without a comparative evidence for ventral onlay, it is difficult to conclude that one is preferred over the other.

Candida tropicalis in the tropics: A rare fungal cause of perinephric abscess.

Perinephric and renal abscess are very rare entities with insidious presentation and pose a great diagnostic challenge, common etiology being bacterial. Only less than 30 cases of fungal etiology have been reported in literature. Herein, we report first case of fungal perinephric abscess caused by Candida tropicalis in a young diabetic female who presented with right flank pain and vomiting. Diagnosis made by CT imaging and culture of USG guided aspiration of perinephric abscess revealed growth of Candida tropicalis. Candida tropicalis perinephric abscess requires a very high index of suspicion for diagnosis. Associated high morbidity and mortality rates are likely due to misdiagnosis, therefore fungal perinephric and renal abscess must be kept as differential diagnosis in cases of fever with abdominal pain. Prompt diagnosis and early treatment are important for better outcome. Imaging and microbiological investigations are required for diagnosis, and drainage is indicated for successful therapy.

Clinical spectrum, diagnosis, and sexual dysfunction after repair of fracture penis: Is no news good news?

INTRODUCTION: Penile fracture is a rare urological emergency, best managed by early surgical intervention, but the data on subsequent sexual function is sparse. This study was designed to analyze the clinical spectrum and sexual function after penile fracture repair at our tertiary care center. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ambispective observational study was undertaken from July 2002 to August 2019 which included patients admitted with a history of trauma to the penis in the erect state. The clinical presentation, etiology and the details of the surgical management were noted. Patients were contacted telephonically and were called for follow-up. They were evaluated for the presence of penile nodules or curvature, and the erectile function was objectively recorded using the Sexual Health Inventory for Men (SHIM) questionnaire and the Erection Hardness Score (EHS). RESULTS: Median age at injury was 37 years, and injury during the sexual intercourse (33/43) was the most common etiology. Five patients presented with blood at the meatus. Ultrasound was performed in 27 patients and could detect the injury with a 55% sensitivity. All but one case were repaired through a subcoronal degloving incision. At a median follow-up of 36 months, follow-up data of 20 patients were available. Of the 20 patients, 14 were sexually active. The mean SHIM score was 21.36 ± 1.33 and the mean EHS was 3.21 ± 0.43. Four of the 20 patients developed penile nodule while 2 of them had penile curvature which was not bothersome. CONCLUSION: Penile fracture remains primarily a clinical diagnosis. Although prompt diagnosis and an emergent surgical exploration provides good outcomes in terms of preservation of erectile function, patients should be apprised about the problems of penile nodule and curvature.

Synchronous Paraganglioma Masquerading as 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT-Avid Metastasis in Carcinoma Prostate-How Specific Is 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT?

We present a case of biopsy-proven prostatic adenocarcinoma with a tracer-avid left paravertebral location at D4 to D5 vertebrae, suggestive of metastasis. However, in view of uncommon location of single-site metastasis at paravertebral region with no tracer-avid regional lymphadenopathy, image-guided biopsy was done, which was suggestive of paraganglioma. Ga-PSMA is known to have variable tracer avidity in multiple nonprostatic benign as well as malignant lesions, and our case adds to the list of nonspecific uptake by this once considered "specific" to prostate PET radiotracer.