Management of urethrocutaneous fistulae complicating sacral and perineal pressure ulcer in neurourological patients: A national multicenter study from the French-speaking Neuro-urology Study Group and the Neuro-urology committee of the French Association of Urology.

PURPOSE: To describe the epidemiologic characteristics of urethrocutaneous fistulae (UCF) in sacro-perineal pressure ulcer (SPPU) in neurourological patients and to assess outcomes after surgical urinary diversion. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Through the French-speaking Neurourology Study Group and Association of Urology network, a retrospective multicenter study in nine major urology and physical medicine and rehabilitation (PMR) units was conducted. All patients with SPPU associated with UCF between 2000 and 2016 were included. Data concerning: sociodemography, clinical, medical and biological comorbidities, neurological and urological history, pressure ulcer characteristics, and finally urinary diversion surgery were collected. Complications and SPPU healing/relapse were assessed. RESULTS: In all, 74 patients were included. The median age on diagnosis: 45.9 years (interquartile range [IQR], 38.7-53.4) and median follow-up: 15.1 months (IQR, 5.7-48.8). A psychiatric disorder was the most frequent comorbidity (44.6%). Only 59.5% and 50% had regular PMR and urologic follow-up, respectively. Seventy-one patients (95.9%) underwent urinary diversion surgery. Among those, relapse occurred in 15 (21.1%) at the end of the follow-up. The diversion was noncontinent in 85.9%. The major complications rate was 26.8%. A total of 30 late complications in 21 patients were reported. The most frequent was obstructive pyelonephritis (n = 9). All of the patients who underwent surgical diversion without cystectomy (n = 5) developed a pyocyst. Finally, the pressure ulcer healing rate when patients underwent both urinary diversion and pressure ulcer surgery was 74.4%. CONCLUSIONS: Our retrospective data suggest that UCF complicating SPPU is a rare and severe pathology. The combination of radical urinary diversion with cystectomy and pressure ulcer surgery should be performed as often as possible.

Predictive factors of stress incontinence after posterior sacral rhizotomy.

AIMS: The Brindley procedure, used since the 1980s, consists of implantation of a stimulator for sacral anterior root stimulation combined with a posterior sacral rhizotomy to enable micturition. Patients suitable for the procedure are patients with detrusor overactivity and a complete spinal cord lesion with intact sacral reflexes. S2 to S4 posterior sacral rhizotomy abolishes sacral hyperreflexia and may lead to decreased urethral closure pressure and loss of reflex adaptation of continence, leading to stress incontinence. METHODS: In this retrospective study of 96 patients from Nantes or Le Mans, implanted with a Finetech-Brindley stimulator, we analyzed the incidence of stress incontinence one year after surgery and looked for predictive factors of stress incontinence one year after posterior sacral rhizotomy: age, gender, level of injury between T10 and L2 , previous urethral surgery, incompetent bladder neck, Maximum Urethral Closure Pressure before surgery less than 30 cmH2 O, compliance before surgery less than 30 ml/cmH2 0. Patients with persistent involuntary detrusor contractions with or without incontinence after surgery were excluded. RESULTS: One year after surgery, 10.4% of the patients experienced stress incontinence. Urethral closure pressure was significantly decreased by 18% after posterior sacral rhizotomy (P = 0.002). This study highlights the only significant predictive factor of stress incontinence after rhizotomy: incompetent bladder neck (P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: As screening of patients undergoing the Brindley procedure is essential to achieve optimal postoperative results, on the basis of this study, we propose preoperative assessment to select the population of patients most likely to benefit from the Brindley procedure.

[Comparative study of the acceptability of the SpeediCath Set and Actreen set catheterization sets in patients performing self-catheterization]. / Etude d'acceptabilité du set de sondage SpeediCath Set comparativement à Actreen Set chez des patients pratiquant l'autosondage.

OBJECTIVE: To compare SpeediCath Set to Actreen Set in terms of performance, acceptability and safety, in patients performing self-catheterization. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Four questionnaires were completed during this multicentre, randomized, crossover study: initial, after having tested each of the two products and patient preference at the end of the study. RESULTS: Analysis was based on 29 men performing self-catheterization. The SpeediCath Set was found to be superior to the Actreen Set in terms of ease of introduction (p=0.0055), ease of emptying (p=0.0157), quality of lubricant (p<0.0001), urethral tolerance and possibility of catheterization in bed (p= 0.0157). The patients 'global assessment was clearly in favour of SpeediCath Set (70 +/- 2.3 versus 5.7 +/- 2.5; p=0.0156) and 65.5% of patients preferred to use SpeediCath Set in the future. CONCLUSION: SpeediCath Set facilitates catheterization and improves the urethral tolerance compared to Actreen Set, with a marked patient preference in favour of SpeediCath Set.

Strategy for improving hand opening in the tetraplegic upper limb.

In the tetraplegic patient, restoring an adequate grip requires primary restoration of proper hand opening. This opening (or "extensor") surgical stage is performed 3 or 4 months before the closing (or "flexor") stage. Surgical strategy is based on group 5 of the IC, which represents a turning point. Above this group (i.e., in IC groups 2-4), opening is essentially based on passive procedures (such as tenodesis and arthrodesis). Starting at group 5, restoration of active digital extension is [table: see text] feasible, as well as active stabilization of the thumb ray in lower groups. In those lower groups, all efforts should aim at re-establishing an intrinsic balance, keeping in mind the difference between supple and rigid claw deformities, which require different corrective procedures (Table 1).

Efficacy and tolerability of botulinum toxin type A in patients with neurogenic detrusor overactivity and without concomitant anticholinergic therapy: comparison of two doses.

BACKGROUND: Botulinum toxin type A (BoNTA) has been reported to be effective for treatment of patients with neurogenic detrusor overactivity (NDO) refractory to anticholinergic agents. However, in most of the studies, the efficacy was associated with concomitant use of anticholinergics. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of BoNTA and compare two different doses in patients with NDO without concomitant anticholinergics. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Between 2004 and 2006, adults with NDO refractory to anticholinergics or discontinued anticholinergics due to adverse events or contraindications from four different French clinical centres were included in a prospective, randomised, double-blind, comparative trial. Inclusion criteria were urinary incontinence (UI) resulting from NDO that could not be managed with anticholinergics. Patients with bladder cancer, lithiasis, or urinary infection were excluded. INTERVENTION: Patients were randomised to receive an intradetrusor injection of 500 U or 750 U of BoNTA. MEASUREMENTS: The initial evaluation (ie, clinical and urodynamic variables and quality of life [QoL]) was repeated at days 30, 90, 180, and 360. Primary outcome was complete continence rate at day 30. Secondary outcomes were cumulative incontinence rate, reappearance of leakages, pad usage, urodynamics, and QoL. RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS: Seventy-seven patients received 500 U (n=39) or 750 U (n=38) of BoNTA and were included in the full analysis set for efficacy analysis. Complete continence at day 30 was observed in 22 patients (56.4%) and 28 patients (73.7%) receiving 500 U or 750 U of BoNTA, respectively (p=0.056; one-sided χ(2) test to compare to α=0.025). The median delay in the reappearance of leakages was 168 d. Monotherapy of BoNTA significantly improved UI in patients with NDO. Although there was a trend towards a greater improvement with 750 U of BoNTA, no statistically significant differences in terms of clinical and urodynamic variables and QoL were found between the treatment groups. Tolerability was excellent and equivalent for both doses. CONCLUSIONS: Monotherapy of BoNTA at Dysport (Ipsen, Brisbane, CA, USA) doses of 500 U or 750 U seems to be effective and well tolerated in patients with NDO.

Significant recovery of motor function in a patient with complete T7 paraplegia receiving etanercept.

OBJECTIVE: To report an unusual case of significant motor recovery in a patient with T7 complete paraplegia treated with etanercept for ankylosing spondylitis. DESIGN: Case report. RESULTS: During the first year sensory-motor recovery occurred, and the American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS) improved from A to D. CONCLUSION: Initial spinal cord injury is a direct consequence of the trauma. It triggers a series of molecular and cellular reactions leading to "secondary damage". Tumour necrosis factor alpha is a key inflammatory mediator that is increasingly expressed after spinal cord injury. Etanercept is a recombinant dimer of human tumour necrosis factor alpha receptor protein that inhibits tumour necrosis factor alpha activity. It has shown an immunomodulatory effect in mice after traumatic spinal cord injury. It significantly reduced the post-traumatic spinal cord inflammation and the perilesional area. In this case, a reduction in the secondary damage, due to etanercept treatment could explain the significant motor recovery, which is unusual since 80% of AIS A lesions remain complete.