Prostate cancer in transgender women: considerations for screening, diagnosis and management.

Transgender individuals represent 0.55% of the US population, equivalent to 1.4 million transgender adults. In transgender women, feminisation can include a number of medical and surgical interventions. The main goal is to deprive the phenotypically masculine body of androgens and simultaneously provide oestrogen therapy for feminisation. In gender-confirming surgery (GCS) for transgender females, the prostate is usually not removed. Due to limitations of existing cohort studies, the true incidence of prostate cancer in transgender females is unknown but is thought to be less than the incidence among cis-gender males. It is unclear how prostate cancer develops in androgen-deprived conditions in these patients. Six out of eleven case reports in the literature presented with metastatic disease. It is thought that androgen receptor-mediated mechanisms or tumour-promoting effects of oestrogen may be responsible. Due to the low incidence of prostate cancer identified in transgender women, there is little evidence to drive specific screening recommendations in this patient subpopulation. The treatment of early and locally advanced prostate cancer in these patients warrants an individualised thoughtful approach with input from patients' reconstructive surgeons. Both surgical and radiation treatment for prostate cancer in these patients can profoundly impact the patient's quality of life. In this review, we discuss the evidence surrounding screening and treatment of prostate cancer in transgender women and consider the current gaps in our knowledge in providing evidence-based guidance at the molecular, genomic and epidemiological level, for clinical decision-making in the management of these patients.

Penile Prosthesis in Transgender Men after Phalloplasty.

A penile prosthesis can be successfully implanted after phalloplasty in transgender men to permit sexual intercourse. A prosthesis can be categorized as malleable or inflatable. The most common penile prosthesis implanted after masculinizing genital surgery is the inflatable prosthesis but this can be a challenging operation with high complication rates. Penile prosthesis in transgender patients differs from cis-patients in many respects but one critical difference is the absence of the tough, protective tunica of the corporal body to contain the prosthesis. This causes greater mobility of the prosthesis under the skin and increases the risk of migration and erosion of the device through the skin. In addition, to overcome the absence of a corpora cavernosa, the proximal portion of the prosthesis must be anchored to bone. Complications include injury to the urethra, vascular injury, skin breakdown, infection, device migration, device failure, extrusion, and erosion. There is no robust data on the use of penile prosthesis in transgender men with only multiple reports of small numbers of patients. While successful implantation can improve patients' quality of life, surgeons should counsel patients about the relatively high risk of the need for revision surgery.

Surgical treatment of detrusor underactivity: a short term proof of concept study.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the surgical outcomes of men with bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) due to benign prostatic obstruction (BPO) to those with detrusor underactivity (DU) or acontractile detrusor (DA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective, IRB approved study included men who underwent BPO surgery for refractory LUTS or urinary retention. Patients were grouped based on videourodynamic (VUDS) findings: 1) men with BOO, 2) men with DU and 3) men with DA. The primary outcome measure was the Patient Global Impression of Improvement (PGII). Secondary outcome measures included uroflow (Qmax), post-void residual volume (PVR) and the need for clean intermittent catheterization (CIC). RESULTS: One hundred and nineteen patients were evaluated: 1) 34 with BOO, 2) 62 with DU and 3) 23 with DA. Subjective success rate (PGII) was highest in the BOO group (97%) and those with DU (98%), while DA patients had a PGII success of 26%, (p<0.0001). After surgery, patients with BOO had the lowest PVR (68.5mL). Fifty-six patients (47%) performed CIC pre-operatively (47% of BOO, 32% of DU and 87% of DA patients). None of the patients in the BOO and DU groups required CIC post operatively compared to16/23 (69%) of patients in the DA group (p<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: BPO surgery is a viable treatment option in men with presumed BOO and DU while DA is a poor prognostic sign in men who do not void spontaneously pre-operatively.

A review of lower urinary tract symptoms in patients with Parkinson's disease.

To critically review recent literature on lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in patients with Parkinson's Disease.A literature search was conducted using the keywords LUTS, urinary symptoms, non-motor, and Parkinson's disease (PD) via the PubMed/Medline search engine. In the literature, we critically examined lower urinary symptoms in Parkinson's patients by analyzing prevalence, pathogenesis, urinary manifestations, pharmacologic trials and interventions, and prior review articles. The data collected ranged from 1986 to the present with an emphasis placed on recent publications.The literature regards LUTS in PD as a major comorbidity, especially with respect to a patient's quality of life. Parkinson's patients experience both storage and voiding difficulties. Storage symptoms, specifically overactive bladder, are markedly worse in patients with PD than in the general population. Surgical management of prostatic obstruction in PD can improve urinary symptoms. Multiple management options exist to alleviate storage LUTS in patients with PD, ranging from behavioral modification to surgery, and vary in efficacy.Lower urinary tract dysfunction in PD may be debilitating. Quality of life can be improved with a multi-pronged diagnosis-specific approach to treatment that takes into consideration a patient's ability to comply with treatment. A stepwise algorithm is presented and may be utilized by clinicians in managing LUTS in Parkinson's patients.

Musculocutaneous Latissimus Dorsi Phalloplasty: Technique and Tips.

BACKGROUND: Musculocutaneous latissimus dorsi (MLD) phalloplasty is a gender-affirming surgical option for transmen which permits penile prosthesis, glansplasty, and urethral extension at later stages. This surgery allows for a neophallus of adequate length and girth, and minimal donor site morbidity, but is technically complex. OBJECTIVE: This video demonstrates a step-by-step technique and tips to optimize outcomes and simplify the operation for the MLD phalloplasty. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A 33-year-old transmale who previously underwent metoidioplasty presented for an MLD phalloplasty. With the patient in a supine position, the superficial femoral artery and saphenous vein are isolated at the recipient site. The patient is repositioned into a lateral flank position, the flap harvested and tubularized, and inferior aspects of the wound closed prior to harvesting the thoracodorsal artery (TDA) and thoracodorsal vein (TDV) to minimize cold ischemia time. The TDA and TDV are dissected to their root at the subscapular artery and vein. The artery is removed with a patch of the subscapular artery. The patient is initially in a supine position and then returned to a supine position to minimize ischemia time of the flap. The neophallus is attached to the previously created recipient site, and an end-to-side anastomosis is created between the superficial femoral artery and TDA and an end-to-end anastomosis between the saphenous vein and the TDV. If the patient has a thick latissimus dorsi muscle or subcutaneous fat, a split-thickness skin graft can be used to close the ventral phallus to minimize tension on the tubularized neophallus and provide a plate for a future urethral lengthening procedure. Positioning and close post-op monitoring of the neophallus are critical. RESULTS: A neophallus of adequate length and girth is created with the option for future urethral extension and penile prosthesis placement. CONCLUSION: Our video demonstrates the technique for a gender-affirming MLD phalloplasty in a transman and tips to optimize outcomes and simplify the operation.

Rectal Injury During Penile Inversion Vaginoplasty.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the incidence, management, and outcomes of rectal injury (RI) and subsequent rectovaginal fistula (RVF) during gender-affirming vaginoplasty (GAV) at a high-volume transgender surgery center. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of preoperative, intraoperative and post-operative findings of all patients with RI during GAV from January 2016 to September 2022. Descriptive statistics were calculated using Microsoft Excel. RESULTS: RI occurred in 9 of 1011 primary GAV and colorectal surgery (CRS) consulted in 5 cases, which included sigmoidoscopy with an air leak test in 4 and with temporary bowel diversion in 2. Of the 9, 6 proceeded with full-depth GAV, and 3 were converted to minimal-depth vaginoplasty. Two had bulbospongiosus muscle interposition and none had a concomitant urethral injury. 1/9 patients with RI developed a RVF which occurred in a patient with prior perineal surgery and no intraoperative sigmoidoscopy. Three (50%) with full-depth GAV developed vaginal stenosis postoperatively. CONCLUSIONS: RI during primary GAS in experienced hands is uncommon with an incidence of 0.89% in our series of 1011. Unusual tissue dissection planes were a risk factor. If injuries were identified intraoperatively, repaired with multilayer closure and evaluated by CRS, patients did well without the development of RVF despite completion of full-depth GAV. It is reasonable to complete the full-depth vagina, but patients should be advised of a significant risk of post-operative vaginal stenosis.

Vaginal Stenosis After Gender-affirming Vaginoplasty: A Systematic Review.

OBJECTIVE: To review the literature and report the incidence of vaginal stenosis (VS) after vaginoplasty and compare the incidence rates by surgical technique and follow-up duration. METHODS: We performed a systematic literature review according to PRISMA guidelines. Original research on primary vaginoplasty was included. Exclusion criteria included non-English studies, mixed cohorts without subgroup analysis, revision vaginoplasty, and papers without stenosis rates. The search was ran in Pubmed, Embase, Scopus, and Cochrane on September 9, 2022. Stenosis rates were compared with descriptive statistics using SPSS. RESULTS: Fifty-nine studies with a cumulative 7338 subjects were included. The overall incidence of VS was 5.83% (range 0%-34.2%). Combining VS with introital stenosis (IS) and contracture results in a cumulative incidence of 9.68%. The rate of VS in the penile inversion vaginoplasty subgroup (PIV) was 5.70%, compared to 0.20% in primary intestinal vaginoplasty. The rate of IS in the PIV group was 3.13% and 4.7% in the intestinal vaginoplasty subgroup. CONCLUSION: The overall rate of VS was 5.83%, which is lower than previously documented. This may be related to the inclusion of more recent studies and analysis limited to primary vaginoplasty. The similar rate of IS in PIV and intestinal vaginoplasty subgroups may be secondary to multiple suture lines and the need for dilation through this anastomosis. Our research demonstrates a need for a standardized definition of VS.

Short-term revision rate of Rigicon Testi10TM testicular prosthesis in adolescents and adults: a retrospective chart review.

Testicular prosthesis implantation is a valuable solution for the physical, cosmetic, and psychological challenges associated with testicular loss which may affect males of any age. We evaluated the safety and reliability of the new Rigicon Testi10TM testicular prosthesis in adults and adolescents by performing an IRB-approved retrospective study of data drawn from Patient Information Forms (PIFs). A total of 427 patients (382 adults and 45 adolescents) had at least one testicular prosthesis implanted. Only one adult patient required revision surgery due to rupture of the Rigicon Testi10 TM saline-filled prosthesis. A 40-year-old patient was found to have a leaking prosthesis approximately one week postoperatively, which was suspected to be due to inadvertently punctured by the surgeon during the sterile saline filling process. There were no post-implantation revisions required for adolescent patients. According to our results, Kaplan-Meier calculation of survival from removal or revision was 99.8% for all patients at 54 months (99.7% for adults and 100% for adolescents). The complication rates among patients in this study are lower than those reported in previous published studies. Our study underscores the generally safe nature of testicular prosthesis implantation, as well as the very rare incidence of revision surgery for this new device.

Pad count is a poor measure of the severity of urinary incontinence.

PURPOSE: We analyzed the correlation between pad use, as determined by objective pad count, and the severity of urinary incontinence, as measured by pad weight. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective study of consecutive incontinent patients who wore pads on a daily basis and were instructed to complete a 24-hour pad test. They were told to use the usual pads, change them as usual and place each in a separate plastic bag the day before the scheduled appointment. All pads were weighed and total urine loss was calculated by subtracting dry pad weight from wet pad weight, assuming that a 1 gm weight increase was equivalent to 1 ml of urine loss. The number of pads was correlated to pad weight using the Spearman rank correlation coefficient due to the nonparametric nature of the data. RESULTS: The 116 patients included 51 men 39 to 89 years old (mean age 66) and 65 women 27 to 95 years old (mean age 72). When comparing the number of pads used to the gm of urine lost, the Spearman ρ was 0.26 (p=0.005) in the total cohort, and 0.40 and 0.26 (each p<0.05) in males and females, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: There was little correlation between the number of pads used and the severity of urinary incontinence (r=0.26). These data suggest that pad count should not be used as an objective measure of incontinence severity. Instead, pad weight on a 24-hour pad test should be used.

Salvage surgery after failed treatment of synthetic mesh sling complications.

PURPOSE: We report our experience with the diagnosis and treatment of refractory synthetic sling complications in women. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective study of consecutive women with failed treatments for mesh sling complications. Before and after surgery the patients completed validated questionnaires and voiding diaries, and underwent uroflow with post-void residuals, pad test, cystourethroscopy and videourodynamic studies. Treatment was individualized, and results were subdivided into the 2 groups of conditions and symptoms. Outcomes were assessed with the Patient Global Impression of Improvement with success classified as a score of 1, improvement as 2 to 3 and failure as 4 to 7. RESULTS: A total of 47 women 35 to 83 years old (mean 60) had undergone at least 1 prior operation (range 1 to 4) to correct sling complications. Original sling composition was type 1 mesh in 36 patients and types 2 and 3 in 11. Surgical procedures included sling incision, sling excision, urethrolysis, urethral reconstruction, ureteroneocystotomy, cystectomy and urinary diversion, and enterocystoplasty. Median followup was 2 years (range 0.25 to 12, mean 3). Overall a successful outcome was achieved in 34 of 47 patients (72%) after the first salvage surgery. Reasons for failure were multiple for each patient. Of the 13 patients with treatment failure 9 subsequently underwent 14 operations. Success/improvement was achieved in 5 women (56%) after continent urinary diversion (1), continent urinary diversion and cystectomy (1), partial cystectomy and augmentation cystoplasty (1), biological sling and sinus tract excision (1), and vaginal mesh excision (1). CONCLUSIONS: Success after the initial failure of mesh sling complications repair is possible but multiple surgeries may be required. Each symptom should be addressed separately.

Management of urethral stricture in women.

PURPOSE: We describe the diagnosis and treatment of urethral strictures in women. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively identified female urethral strictures from 1998 to 2010. Study inclusion criteria were 1) clinical diagnosis of stricture, 2) stricture seen on cystoscopy, 3) urethral obstruction on videourodynamics according to the Blaivas-Groutz nomogram and/or 4) urethral caliber less than 17Fr. Postoperative recurrence was defined by the preoperative criteria. RESULTS: We identified 17 women with a mean age of 62 years (range 32 to 91) with stricture. Stricture was idiopathic in 8 patients, iatrogenic in 6, traumatic in 2 and associated with a urethral diverticulum in 1. Videourodynamics could not be done in 3 women due to complete obliteration of the urethra. Ten of 14 patients satisfied videourodynamic criteria for obstruction and 4 had impaired detrusor contractility. Nine women underwent vaginal flap urethroplasty, including 5 who also had a pubovaginal sling and 1 who had a Martius flap. One patient received a buccal mucosal graft as primary treatment after initial dilation. There was no recurrence at a minimum 1-year followup but 2 strictures recurred 5½ and 6 years postoperatively, respectively. These 2 women received a buccal mucosal graft and were stricture free 12 to 15 months postoperatively. Of 17 patients initially treated with urethral dilation recurrence developed in 16, requiring repeat dilations until urethroplasty was performed. CONCLUSIONS: In select women vaginal flap urethroplasty and buccal mucosal graft have high success rates, including 100% at 1 year and 78% at 5 years. Urethral dilation has a 6% success rate. Long-term followup is mandatory. Treatment should be individualized.

Embryologic and hormonal contributors to prostate cancer in transgender women.

Transgender women, who were assigned male at birth but identify as women, may take several steps to merge their physical and psychological identities, including gender-affirming surgeries and hormone therapy. With the presence of the mature prostate gland there persists a risk for malignant transformation in this population. The recognition by the medical community and society at large that transgender women are at risk of developing prostate cancer has recently been supported by investigative efforts. The slowly emerging clinical evidence suggests that the disease is likely to be more aggressive than in cisgender men, with 6 of 9 published cases discussing metastasis reporting metastatic disease on presentation. Currently the overall prevalence appears low, pointing to evolving awareness, educational status, socioeconomic status, and late presentation. This commentary focuses on exploring the factors contributing to the incidence of prostate cancer and the biochemical and endocrine mechanisms that lead to aggressive prostate tumor development in transgender women.

Urethral diverticula in women: discrepancies between magnetic resonance imaging and surgical findings.

PURPOSE: Some groups consider magnetic resonance imaging the gold standard to diagnose urethral diverticula with up to 100% reported sensitivity. We describe cases contradicting this paradigm and identify reasons for discrepancies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We searched a database for women who underwent urethral diverticulum surgery from 1998 to 2008 and also underwent preoperative magnetic resonance imaging. Images were reviewed by a blinded panel of urologists and a radiologist. They came to consensus on the presence or absence, site and anatomy of urethral diverticulum or cancer, and compared operative findings. Discrepancies were classified as errors in urethral diverticulum or cancer diagnosis and errors in urethral diverticulum anatomy or site. RESULTS: Of 76 patients who underwent diverticulectomy 41 also underwent magnetic resonance imaging, of whom 10 (24.4%) had a discrepancy between magnetic resonance imaging and surgical findings. In 6 of these cases there were diagnosis errors and diverticula were not seen on magnetic resonance imaging in 3. One urethral diverticulum each was misdiagnosed as Bartholin's cyst and as a typical post-collagen injection appearance. A sterile abscess was incorrectly diagnosed as a urethral diverticulum. In 2 patients magnetic resonance imaging did not detect cancer within the diverticulum. A major discrepancy in anatomy made intraoperative decision making difficult in 2 patients. CONCLUSIONS: In cases clinically suspicious for urethral diverticulum magnetic resonance imaging had a 24.4% error rate. Serious consequences are failure to detect cancer and suboptimal treatment for urethral diverticulum. The reason for the high magnetic resonance imaging accuracy rate in other series may be that in the absence of radiological confirmation some surgeons may choose not to perform surgery. Magnetic resonance imaging is useful to assess urethral diverticula but physicians should be aware of its limitations.

Retained Vaginal Remnant and Urethrocutaneous Fistula in Transgender Man After Phalloplasty.

As gender-affirming genital surgery for transgender men becomes more common, general urologists may be confronted with unfamiliar anatomy and complications. We describe the use of voiding cystourethrogram and retrograde urethrogram in a transgender man in demonstrating the anatomy of the urethra, urethrocutaneous fistula, and a vaginal remnant after phalloplasty.

The pathophysiology of large capacity bladder.

PURPOSE: We describe the pathophysiology, differential diagnosis and urodynamic findings in patients with a large capacity bladder. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective, observational study of 100 consecutive patients with voiding dysfunction and a cystometric bladder capacity of greater than 700 ml. Clinical data, cystometric bladder capacity and other urodynamic findings were evaluated. Bladder outlet obstruction and impaired detrusor contractility were defined by the Schaefer nomogram in men and the Blaivas-Groutz nomogram in women. RESULTS: A total of 56 men and 44 women 36 to 97 years old (median age 75, mean 71.2) with a bladder capacity of 700 to 5,013 ml (median 931, mean 1,091) were studied. The primary pathophysiological diagnoses were bladder outlet obstruction in 48% of cases, impaired detrusor contractility in 11%, absent detrusor contractility in 24% and normal detrusor pressure/uroflow study in 17%. Bladder outlet obstruction was attributable to anatomical obstruction in 34% of patients, acquired voiding dysfunction in 11% and detrusor-external sphincter dyssynergia in 3%. In patients with detrusor contractions the initial contraction occurred at a median of 1,000 ml (mean 1,154, range 86 to 5,000). Associated diagnoses in men included benign prostatic enlargement in 52% and neurological disease in 14%, and in women they were pelvic organ prolapse in 27%, stress incontinence in 18% and neurological disorders in 9%. CONCLUSIONS: The etiology of large capacity bladder is multifactorial and often a potentially remediable underlying condition exists. A large capacity bladder may be accompanied by bladder outlet obstruction, impaired or absent detrusor contractions, or normal detrusor pressure/uroflow studies. When detrusor contractions are present, they usually occur only at large bladder volumes. Therefore, it is important during cystometry to fill the bladder until capacity is achieved.

Post-traumatic female urethral reconstruction.

Post-traumatic urethral damage resulting in urethrovaginal fistulas or strictures, though rare, should be suspected in patients who have unexpected urinary incontinence or lower urinary tract symptoms after pelvic surgery, pelvic fracture, a long-term indwelling urethral catheter, or pelvic radiation. Careful physical examination and cystourethroscopy are critical to diagnose and assess the extent of the fistula. A concomitant vesicovaginal or ureterovaginal fistula should also be ruled out. The two main indications for reconstruction are sphincteric incontinence and urethral obstruction. Surgical correction intends to create a continent urethra that permits volitional, painless, and unobstructed passage of urine. An autologous pubovaginal sling, with or without a Martius flap at time of reconstruction, should be considered. The three approaches to urethral reconstruction are anterior bladder flaps, posterior bladder flaps, and vaginal wall flaps. We believe vaginal flaps are usually the best option. Options for vaginal repair of fistula include primary closure, peninsula flaps, bilateral labial pedicle flaps, and labial island flaps. Outcomes are optimized by using exacting surgical principles during repair and careful postoperative management by an experienced reconstructive surgeon.

Robotic-Assisted Abdomino-perineal Vesicourethral Anastomotic Reconstruction for 4.5 Centimeter Post-prostatectomy Stricture.

We report surgical management of a disrupted radical prostatectomy vesicourethral anastomosis after bleeding from undiagnosed hemophilia that required re-exploration, pudendal artery embolization, and urinary diversion with nephrostomy and surgical drains. After referral, the 4.5 cm vesicourethral anastomotic defect was reconstructed with a robotic-assisted abdomino-perineal approach. Intra-abdominal robotic-assisted mobilization of the bladder and perineal mobilization of the urethra permitted a tension-free vesicourethral anastomosis while avoiding a pubectomy. Side docking of the Da Vinci Xi robot allows for simultaneous access to the perineum during pelvic minimally invasive surgery, enabling a novel approach to complex bladder neck reconstruction.

Natural History of Low-stage Urethral Strictures.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the natural history and rate of progression of incidental wide-caliber, anterior urethral strictures (USs) in men using a validated stricture staging system. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Men with incidental findings of anterior US on cystoscopy performed for urologic conditions other than US were retrospectively reviewed from 2001 through 2016. Diagnosis of US on cystoscopy was made according to a validated staging system: stage 0 = no stricture; stage 1 = wide-caliber stricture; stage 2 = requires gentle dilation with a flexible cystoscope; stage 3 = impassable stricture with a visible lumen; and stage 4 = no visible lumen. Using this staging system, this study assessed the change over time of US in patients found to have a stage 1 stricture. The primary outcome was the US grade at time of follow-up. Secondary outcomes include the need for further intervention. RESULTS: Thirty-two patients with 42 separate strictures were evaluated. Median length of follow-up between first cystoscopy and ultimate cystoscopy was 23 months, with a median of 4 cystoscopies per patient. Of the 42 strictures, 15 regressed to a stage 0 (36%), 22 remained as stage 1 (52%), and 5 (12%) progressed to stage 2. None of the patients required additional intervention. CONCLUSION: The majority of low-stage USs does not progress. This supports the notion that strictures are a graded phenomenon, and not all require surgical intervention.