Penile Strangulation: Analysis of Postextrication Follow-Up, Sequelae, and a Review of Literature.

Numerous case reports exist on penile strangulation injuries and extrication methods; however, the care and long-term consequences of penile strangulation injuries have been under-reported. Our aim is to investigate the long-term outcomes and sequalae following penile strangulation injuries. The PubMed Medline database was searched using the keyword string "penile strangulation," "penis strangulation," and "constriction" for all studies reporting outcomes of published penile strangulation injuries. Articles were evaluated for follow-up after strangulation injury, strangulating agent, extricating agent, and sequelae of injury. Fifty-six studies resulted with reports of 100 cases of penile strangulation and extrication from January 2000 to December 2019. The mean patient age was 41 (range: 3-86) years. Twenty-four (24/100) cases reported sequalae following extrication. Follow-up ranged from 2 weeks to 7 years with median follow-up time in the 7- to 12-month grouping. Metal rings comprised 36% (36/100) of strangulation agents and 50% of reported incidents were attributed to sexual activity. To our knowledge, this is the only study focusing on long-term outcomes after penile strangulation. This review provides a summary of 56 studies that document penile strangulation injuries over the last 20 years. Although a wide array of penile strangulation injuries have been documented in the literature, reports lack secondary management and long-term outcomes after removal of the strangulation device. We recommend that providers report long-term penile strangulation outcomes for future urologic evaluations after extrication.

Adjustable continence therapy (ProACT) for the treatment of male stress urinary incontinence: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIMS: First, to evaluate the efficacy of adjustable balloon devices or adjustable continence therapy (ProACT) in the treatment for male stress urinary incontinence (SUI). Second, to investigate the safety profile and rates of adverse events associated with the implantation of adjustable balloon devices. METHOD: A review of the literature was performed by searching the PubMed database with the most applicable search terms. We narrowed included studies with adult male patients with SUI; outcomes included pads or pad weight per day and quality of life (QOL) questionnaires, as well as safety outcomes. RESULTS: In total, 19 studies were included with a total of 1264 patients and 4517 patient-years of follow-up data (mean follow-up time 3.6 years). ProACT implantation resulted in an incontinence QOL improvement of 30.8 points from baseline. At baseline, patients on average were using 4.0 pads per day (PPD) (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.6-5.4), which was reduced to an average of 1.1 PPD (95% CI: 0.5-1.7) after ProACT implantation. The number of patients that were considered "dry" was 60.2% (95% CI: 54.2%-65.9%) and the number of patients who were found to be either "dry" or improved greater than 50% was 81.9% (95% CI: 74%-87.8%). CONCLUSIONS: Implantation of adjustable balloon devices is efficacious and safe for the treatment of male SUI. Given the minimal invasiveness of the therapy, adjustable balloon devices may be a serious option as a first-line treatment in nonirradiated patients with SUI who are not ideal candidates for the artificial urinary sphincter.

Treatment-refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma of the prostate: A case report and review of the literature.

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma of the prostate is uncommon. Prostate specific antigen and transrectal ultrasound do not aid in diagnosis. Survival and treatment options are ultimately based on immune-histologic subtype and stage. Lower urinary tract symptoms attributed to lymphoma of the prostate can be refractory to systemic treatments as well as transurethral resection. This case provides the first description of the longitudinal clinical course of treatment-refractory localized Non-Hodgkin lymphoma of the prostate.

Management of blunt force bladder injuries: A practice management guideline from the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma.

BACKGROUND: The diagnostic evaluation and clinical management of bladder injuries caused by blunt force trauma are variable. We aim to formulate a practice management guideline using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology. METHODS: The working group, patient, intervention, comparator, outcome (PICO), formulated four questions regarding the following topics: (1) diagnostic evaluation based on patient baseline risk of bladder injury (computed tomography cystography vs. no imaging); (2) management of intraperitoneal bladder injuries (operative versus nonoperative); (3) management of extraperitoneal bladder injuries based on complexity of injury (operative vs. nonoperative); and (4) diagnostic follow-up of bladder injuries based on complexity of repair (cystography vs. no cystography). A systematic review of the MEDLINE database for English language articles with adult patients was undertaken. RevMan 5 (Review Manager (RevMan) [Computer program]. Version 5.3. Copenhagen: The Nordic Cochrane Centre, The Cochrane Collaboration, 2014) and GRADEpro (GRADEpro GDT: GRADEpro Guideline Development Tool [Software]. McMaster University, 2015) software were used. Recommendations were voted on by working group members. Consensus was obtained for each recommendation. RESULTS: Three hundred ninety-three articles were screened, resulting in a full-text review of 64 articles. Seventeen articles were used to formulate the recommendations of this guideline. Several recommendations are made. The need for initial computed tomography cystography after trauma depends on characteristics of the trauma itself, but it is not recommended in patients without gross hematuria. In general, patients with intraperitoneal bladder ruptures should undergo operative repair. This is not routinely necessary in those with extraperitoneal ruptures unless the injury is complex. The need for follow-up cystography after bladder repair depends on the risk of urine leak. Those with low risk of urine leak do not require a follow-up study. CONCLUSION: Using the GRADE process, the panel made nine recommendations based on four PICO questions concerning the evaluation and management of blunt force bladder injuries.

Development of Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Buccal Mucosa Graft Used for Urethroplasty: A Case Report.

Urethroplasty may involve the use of tissue substitution including buccal mucosa graft (BMG), penile fasciocutaneous flaps, or skin grafts. Stricture recurrence and fistula formation are some uncommon complications that can result from surgery. The development of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) after BMG substitution urethroplasty is a new complication that we encountered that has not been described in the literature. We present the first reported case of a patient who developed SCC of the buccal mucosa graft used to reconstruct the urethra.

Outcomes of Direct Vision Internal Urethrotomy for Bulbar Urethral Strictures: Technique Modification with High Dose Triamcinolone Injection.

Objective. To evaluate the recurrence rate of bulbar urethral strictures managed with cold knife direct vision internal urethrotomy and high dose corticosteroid injection. Methods. 28 patients with bulbar urethral strictures underwent direct vision internal urethrotomy with high dose triamcinolone injection into the periurethral tissue and were followed up for recurrence. Results. Our cohort had a mean age of 60 years and average stricture length of 1.85 cm, and 71% underwent multiple previous urethral stricture procedures with an average of 5.7 procedures each. Our technique modification of high dose corticosteroid injection had a recurrence rate of 29% at a mean follow-up of 20 months with a low rate of urinary tract infections. In patients who failed treatment, mean time to stricture recurrence was 7 months. Patients who were successfully treated had significantly better International Prostate Symptom Scores at 6, 9, and 12 months. There was no significant difference in maximum flow velocity on Uroflowmetry at last follow-up but there was significant difference in length of follow-up (p = 0.02). Conclusions. High dose corticosteroid injection at the time of direct vision internal urethrotomy is a safe and effective procedure to delay anatomical and symptomatic recurrence of bulbar urethral strictures, particularly in those who are poor candidates for urethroplasty.

Urethroplasty practice and surveillance patterns: a survey of reconstructive urologists.

OBJECTIVE: To survey urologic reconstruction experts to determine practice and surveillance patterns used after urethroplasty. METHODS: We conducted an international survey of the members of the Society of Genitourinary Reconstructive Surgeons between July 23 and October 13, 2010 through email. Participants were surveyed regarding the nomenclature used to define strictures, urethroplasty practice patterns, follow-up practice patterns, and methods used to screen for stricture recurrence. RESULTS: The response rate was 48.9% (n = 90). Urethroplasty failure was commonly defined as the need for a secondary urethral procedure (60.0%), significant narrowing on imaging (14.4%), urethral narrowing preventing passage of 16F cystoscope (12.2%) or poor uroflow, or American Urological Association Symptom Score (7.8%). Only one-third of responders followed up their patients >3 years after surgery. To screen for stricture recurrence, 85% used uroflowmetry, 56% used postvoid residual, 19% used flexible cystoscopy, and 17% used retrograde urethrography. Nearly half (48%) of the surgeons did not use validated instruments to evaluate the quality of life after urethroplasty. For those who used validated questionnaires, the ones most often used were the American Urological Association Symptom Score (41%) and Sexual Health Inventory for Men (19%). CONCLUSION: There is no consensus regarding follow-up practices after urethroplasty. Most experts define urethroplasty failure as "need for a secondary procedure," do not follow-up patients for a long-term, and do not use validated questionnaires. A standardized definition for stricture recurrence and a standardized follow-up protocol are desperately needed to allow for effective comparison of results between studies.

A rare metastasis to the bladder.

Primary bladder cancer is the fifth most common malignancy but secondary malignancies of the bladder are rare. Distinguishing primary adenocarcinomas of the bladder from secondary adenocarcinomas is difficult and relies on immunohistochemical staining. Prostate, colorectal, breast, and lung all can produce metastatic adenocarcinomas to the bladder. Further management of the malignancy varies depending on the source, thus making proper diagnosis critical. We present only the fifth documented case of metastatic adenocarcinoma of the lung to bladder and performed a review of the literature.

A comparison of chlorhexidine-alcohol versus povidone-iodine for eliminating skin flora before genitourinary prosthetic surgery: a randomized controlled trial.

PURPOSE: We defined the relevant skin flora during genitourinary prosthetic surgery, evaluated the safety of chlorhexidine-alcohol for use on the male genitalia and compared chlorhexidine-alcohol to povidone-iodine in decreasing the rate of positive bacterial skin cultures at the surgical skin site before prosthetic device implantation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this single institution, prospective, randomized, controlled study we evaluated 100 consecutive patients undergoing initial genitourinary prosthetic implantation. Patients were randomized to a standard skin preparation with povidone-iodine or chlorhexidine-alcohol. Skin cultures were obtained from the surgical site before and after skin preparation. RESULTS: A total of 100 patients were randomized, with 50 in each arm. Pre-preparation cultures were positive in 79% of the patients. Post-preparation cultures were positive in 8% in the chlorhexidine-alcohol group compared to 32% in the povidone-iodine group (p = 0.0091). Coagulase-negative staphylococci were the most commonly isolated organisms in post-preparation cultures in the povidone-iodine group (13 of 16 patients) as opposed to propionibacterium in the chlorhexidine-alcohol group (3 of 4 patients). Clinical complications requiring additional operations or device removal occurred in 6 patients (6%) with no significant difference between the 2 groups. No urethral or genital skin complications occurred in either group. CONCLUSIONS: Chlorhexidine-alcohol was superior to povidone-iodine in eradicating skin flora at the surgical skin site before genitourinary prosthetic implantation. There does not appear to be any increased risk of urethral or genital skin irritation with the use of chlorhexidine compared to povidone-iodine. Chlorhexidine-alcohol appears to be the optimal agent for skin preparation before genitourinary prosthetic procedures.

Dynamic sentinel lymph node biopsy as the new paradigm for the management of penile cancer.

OBJECTIVES: The management of patients with penile cancer who have high-risk features for micrometastasis with clinically negative inguinal lymph nodes is controversial. We describe the history of the sentinel lymph node biopsy and how it has evolved to become a useful adjunct in the management of penile cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using a PubMed search, we identified the evidence relating to the management of the inguinal lymph nodes in penile cancer between 1977 and 2010. RESULTS: The concept of the sentinel lymph node (SLN) was first described in 1977 for penile carcinoma where lymphangiograms were performed via the dorsal lymphatics of the penis to locate the primary lymphatic drainage zone of the penis situated near the saphenofemoral junction. Then, in 1992, the lymphatic mapping concept was further advanced by performing intradermal injections of blue dye to directly visualize the lymphatic channels and SLN in the treatment of melanoma. In 1994, investigators from The Netherlands pioneered the use of dynamic sentinel lymph node biopsies (DSLNB) for penile cancer by combining the use of peri-lesional blue dye injection, lymphoscintigraphy, and other future modifications of the technique to achieve low false negative biopsy rates (4.8%) as well as much lower morbidity (5.7%), compared with the 30%-50% morbidity associated with a full inguinal node dissection. CONCLUSION: DSLNB significantly decreases the morbidity associated with performing a standard or even modified inguinal lymph node dissection in patients with clinically negative inguinal lymph nodes. Performing DSLNB requires a multidisciplinary team of urologists, nuclear medicine radiologists, and pathologists working in cohesion to attain the best SLN detection rates with the lowest possible false-negative rates.

Contemporary management of renal trauma: differences between urologists and trauma surgeons.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the contemporary practice patterns of urologists (UR) and trauma surgeons (TS) regarding controversial topics in the management of renal trauma (RT). METHODS: We conducted a national survey of all Society of Genitourinary Reconstructive Surgeons members and a random sampling of American Association for the Surgery of Trauma members between October and November 2010 via email, regarding management routines for various stages of blunt and penetrating RT. RESULTS: Response rate was 33%. In all, 21% of TS and 3% of UR (p = 0.005) do not use any tests to confirm the presence of another kidney before exploring an expanding retroperitoneal hematoma, despite lack of preoperative imaging. To confirm the presence of another kidney, UR prefer the "one-shot" intravenous pyelogram (82%), whereas TS prefer palpation (61%; p < 0.001). TS do not obtain primary renal vascular control before opening the retroperitoneal, whereas UR do (21% vs. 71%; p < 0.001). TS utilize early angiography for the control of intravascular contrast extravasation more commonly than UR (88% vs. 55%; p < 0.001). TS overutilize ureteral stenting (50% vs. 24%; p < 0.001) for isolated collecting system injuries compared with UR. Differences in practice patterns between TS and UR tend to follow differences in published guidelines. CONCLUSION: There is an apparent lack of communication and differing treatment methods for RT. That there are two camps with differing "community standards of practice" indicates that there is a desperate need for reeducation and for large-scale, multi-institutional prospective studies on RT to "standardize" management.

Duplicate presentations on prostate cancer at American Urological Association and European Association of Urology annual meetings.

PURPOSE: We determined the rate of duplicate research presentations at recent American Urological Association and European Urological Association annual meetings. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We cross-referenced all clinical research presentations related to prostate cancer presented at the 2006 American Urological Association and European Urological Association annual meetings with those presented at the corresponding annual meetings in 2005, 2006 and 2007 using a defined search strategy based on author names, abstract titles, study design and objectives. All data abstraction was performed in duplicate by 2 independent reviewers to ensure accuracy. RESULTS: We identified 282 and 312 abstracts on prostate cancer clinical research at the 2006 European Urological Association and American Urological Association annual meetings, respectively. The overall duplication rate of American Urological Association abstracts was 19.2% (60 of 312). Of duplicated abstracts 80.0% (48 of 60) were presented at the European Urological Association annual meeting the same year. Duplication of European Urological Association abstracts was identified in 20.9% (59 of 282). Authors who presented the same research (71 duplicate abstracts) at the 2 meetings altered the presentations in various ways, including a different study title in 40.8%, a different first and senior author in 14.1% and 18.3%, and increased or decreased sample size in 8.5% and 14.1%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Approximately a fifth of clinical research abstracts on prostate cancer presented at the American Urological Association annual meeting were also presented at the European Urological Association meeting and vice versa. Inconsistencies between duplicate abstracts raise concerns about the integrity of the underlying studies. Stricter submission guidelines and improved dissemination of research findings from the 2 meetings may help limit this practice.

Intraoperative tissue characterization and imaging.

As surgical operative technology improves, surgeons today have the ability to visualize fine structures and detailed anatomy. There are a number of advances that have been made to optimize patient outcomes with better tissue characterization in urologic procedures. This article focuses on advances in intraoperative imaging and tissue characterization for various urologic procedures. Each modality is presented with its corresponding applications in urology. The following techniques are covered: optical coherence tomography, confocal fluorescent microscopy, near infrared fluorescence imaging, elastography, intraoperative ultrasonography, and a neurovascular bundle surgical mapping aid.

Evidence-based medicine training in residency: a survey of urology programme directors.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether and in what format urology residents receive formal training in evidence-based clinical practice. METHODS: In 2007 we conducted a survey of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-accredited urology residency programmes in the USA. The survey instrument was sent to all programmes, using postal mailing, e-mail and a web-based interface. Programme director and coordinator names and basic demographic information such as programme size and length were retrieved from the institutions' websites and the ACGME database. RESULTS: Of 117 ACGME-accredited urology programmes, 108 responded (92.3%). Most respondents either agreed or strongly agreed with statements that formal evidence-based medicine (EBM) training was valuable to urology residents (97, 89.8%) and should be part of all residency programme curricula (91, 84.3%). Eighty-four programmes (77.8%) indicated that their curricula included formal educational activities related to EBM. These programmes provided a median (interquartile range) of 10 (4.8-25.0) h of EBM teaching per academic year. Most programmes (65.9%) provided fewer hours of EBM training than programme directors perceived as ideal. Asked what would make it easier to integrate EBM into the programme, respondents identified urology-specific educational materials (33.3%), a formal curriculum (24.4%) and faculty development (16.3%) as central needs. CONCLUSION: In this survey we found that most programme directors recognize formal EBM teaching as an important aspect of urology residency training. However, most programmes devote less time to EBM training than they would like, and urology-specific resources have been lacking. These findings support increased efforts to provide urology residents with opportunities to learn EBM-related knowledge and skills in a variety of educational formats.

How to use a clinical practice guideline.

PURPOSE: Leading organizations increasingly recognize clinical practice guidelines as an important approach in promoting an evidence-based clinical practice of urology. In light of their considerable clinical, economic and medicolegal impact, guideline users should be confident that the guidelines were rigorously developed and address relevant patient questions. In this article we outline a practical approach for critically appraising a clinical practice guideline. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We outline a 3-step approach to the assessment of a clinical practice guideline that answers the questions of whether the recommendations are valid, what the recommendations are and whether they will help in the treatment of an individual patient. RESULTS: To determine the adequacy of a clinical practice guideline, urologists should carefully review the rigor of the development process and its content. Important questions that relate to the validity of a guideline are whether, for specific questions, all important management options and outcomes were considered, and whether there was an explicit and sensible process to identify, select and combine all relevant evidence. Clinical practice guidelines should formally grade the quality of the available evidence for a given clinical question and outline a formal process of how the recommendations were derived. Value judgments made in the guideline development process about the relative importance of the potential benefits and harms of a given health care intervention should be made transparent to the reader. The recommendations made should be practical and should address important clinical issues. Furthermore, their strength should be graded to reflect the underlying uncertainty about the evidence and the values applied in the guideline development process. CONCLUSIONS: The systematic approach presented in this article will allow urologists to critically appraise clinical practice guidelines. Determining the validity of the recommendations, understanding the recommendations and assessing their applicability to patients are 3 fundamental steps toward an evidence-based approach to using clinical practice guidelines.

A critical review of clinical practice guidelines for the management of clinically localized prostate cancer.

PURPOSE: Increasingly there is a recognized need for the development of high quality, evidenced-based clinical guidelines to assist clinicians and patients in critically important treatment related decision making. We review the different approaches used by leading urological organizations to develop guidelines for the management of clinically localized prostate cancer and their specific recommendations for case management. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Guidelines for the management of localized prostate cancer developed by leading professional organizations were identified through the National Guidelines Clearinghouse, PubMed, cited references and personal communication with prostate cancer experts. A structured data abstraction was applied to assess how the guideline was developed, what type of professionals and stakeholders were involved in the development process, how the primary evidence was identified and graded, and what specific final recommendations were reported. RESULTS: Clinical practice guidelines on the management of clinically localized prostate cancer demonstrate major differences in their specific recommendations. Few recommendations are based on high level evidence, and there are considerable discrepancies among the systems used to grade the quality of the evidence and the strength of the recommendations. CONCLUSIONS: There appears to be a need to standardize the process used by leading urological organizations to develop clinical guidelines for the management of prostate cancer. A unified approach may offer considerable rewards in terms of efficiency, guideline credibility and optimal clinical decision making. Furthermore, increased efforts are indicated to promote studies that yield high quality evidence to guide the management of prostate cancer.

A tribute to the life and accomplishments of Birdwell Finlayson.

PURPOSE: Birdwell Finlayson was a talented researcher and clinician whose pioneering work in the field of urolithiasis led him to worldwide prominence in urology. We researched his life and accomplishments to provide a historical account of his career. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The archives of the Department of Urology and the University of Florida Health Science Center Library were searched for publications, photographs and other records relating to Doctor Finlayson. Additionally, we interviewed many of his friends and colleagues for more information. RESULTS: Birdwell Finlayson was born in Pocatello Bannock, Idaho. He completed a urology residency and obtained a Ph.D. in biophysics at the University of Chicago. In 1967 he joined the faculty at the University of Florida. His interest in understanding the fundamentals of stone formation led to the discovery that crystal retention at a site of nephron injury was essential for stone formation. This fixed particle hypothesis continues to serve to as the foundation for urolithiasis research today. His computer model EQUIL is the gold standard for calculating urinary supersaturation with respect to kidney stone formation. Finlayson was 1 of the 6 original coinvestigators for shock wave lithotripsy in the United States. He is also remembered for his wit and his love of aeronautics, as he was a flight instructor and stunt pilot. Finlayson died unexpectedly of idiopathic hypertrophic cardiomyopathy on July 22, 1988. CONCLUSIONS: Birdwell Finlayson was an internationally renowned surgeon and stone disease expert whose research continues to serve as the basis of urolithiasis research at the University of Florida and worldwide.