Influence of secondary diagnoses in the development of urinary incontinence after radical prostatectomy.

OBJECTIVE: To study whether there are factors related to secondary diagnoses (SDg) present in patients with prostate cancer that influence the development of urinary incontinence after radical prostatectomy (RP). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective multicenter observational study was performed reviewing the medical records of 430 men who underwent RP due to organ-confined prostate cancer in 9 different hospitals. Two study groups were distinguished: Group A (GA): Patients without urinary incontinence after RP; Group B (GB): patients with any degree of post-surgical urinary incontinence. RESULTS: Average age at surgery was 63.42 years (range 45-73). 258 patients were continent after surgery and 172 patients complaint of any degree of incontinence after RP. A higher percentage of healthy patients was found in group A (continent after surgery) than in group B (p = 0.001). The most common SDg prior to surgery were hypertension, lower urinary tract symptoms, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus and erectile dysfunction, but none did show a greater trend towards post-surgical incontinence. CONCLUSIONS: A better health status prior to surgery is associated to a lower incidence of new-onset urinary incontinence after radical prostatectomy. However, no correlation was found between the most common medical disorders and the development of post-surgical urinary incontinence.

A type primary amyloidosis of the urinary bladder: Clinical case and bibliographic review.

OBJECTIVE: Amyloidosis is a disease characterised by deposition of eosinophilic hyaline material in different tissues. Urinary bladder involvement is uncommon with less than 200 cases of the primary form published in the literature. We present a new case of primary AA type amyloidosis of the urinary bladder (typical of secondary forms). METHODS: A 66-year-old male was seen in the outpatient urology consultation with several-weeks history intermittent haematuria with decreased voiding urinary calibre. In addition, he had intense nocturia, 10-12 times per night, and occasional urgency. Physical examination of the abdomen and genitals was unremarkable. Urine sediment and blood tests were normal. Urine cytology studies were requested and revealed urothelial cells with no atypical cells and a moderate quantity of neutrophils and erythrocytes. Cystoscopy was performed and revealed yellowish erythematous lesions at the level of the vesicoureteric junction and the fundus. The lesions were biopsied. Pathology studies revealed urothelial mucosa with marked chronic inflammation and accumulations of amyloid-appearing hyaline material in the area of the vessels with green birefringence on polarised light. TUR of the bladder was later performed with the goal of completely resecting the lesion. The result of the pathology studies confirmed the biopsy findings and immunohistochemistry studies revealed AA type amyloid (typical of secondary forms). RESULTS: Two years after the intervention, the patient remains asymptomatic with normal endoscopic follow-up studies. CONCLUSIONS: Primary AA type amyloidosis of the bladder is a very uncommon pathology with few cases reported in the international urology literature. Nevertheless, we must keep it in mind in the differential diagnosis when faced with a patient with haematuria and/or persistent urinary symptoms.

Pharmacological venous thromboembolism prophylaxis in radical prostatectomy. / Profilaxis farmacológica de la tromboembolia venosa en la prostatectomía radical.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Pulmonary thromboembolism is one of the most common causes of non-surgical death in patients following urological abdominopelvic surgery. Since the beginning of prophylaxis for venous thromboembolic disease, episodes of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary thromboembolism have decreased. Our objective is to analyse the prognosis factors of thromboembolic disease, the clinical variability in the use of pharmacological prophylaxis and the results of its application. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective multicentric study of 610 patients undergoing radical prostatectomy between December 2013 and November 2014, in 7general hospitals in Spain, Italy and Portugal. Patients were classified according to their baseline characteristics into thrombotic risk groups and haemorrhagic risk groups. The venous thromboembolic events that occurred in the different groups were analysed. RESULTS: The average age was 65.22years (48-78). The average body mass index was 26.7 and the average ASA risk 2.1. In all patients, early mobilization began in the first 24hours. In 4.1% intermittent pneumatic compression was used and 84.6% received pharmacological prophylaxis with low molecular weight heparins. Only 3.4% used the combination of mechanical prophylaxis with pharmacological prophylaxis. We observed a decrease in the incidence of thromboembolic events in the patients who received pharmacological prophylaxis, with an absolute risk reduction of 6.8%. There was no increase in the risk of haemorrhage in the patients who received pharmacological prophylaxis. CONCLUSIONS: In this study on patients undergoing radical prostatectomy, there was no difference in haemorrhagic complications derived from the use of pharmacological prophylaxis for venous thromboembolic disease. Pharmacological prophylaxis reduces the risk of presenting a thromboembolic event in patients undergoing radical prostatectomy, although this risk is not associated with the approach technique.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of the surgical treatment of female urinary incontinence using slings and meshes.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the cost-utility and cost-effectiveness of the surgical treatment of female urinary incontinence using suburethral slings and prolapse meshes compared with therapeutic abstention. STUDY DESIGN: An economic analysis was performed on 69 women receiving surgical treatment for urinary incontinence using suburethral slings and prolapse meshes. To calculate the procedure's cost-effectiveness, an incremental analysis up to one year was performed using the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER). The costs were calculated using a cost-by-process model. Answers to the health-related quality of life questionnaires EQ-5D (generic) and International Consultation Incontinence Questionnaire Short-form (specific) were collected before the operation and as well as one month and one year post-operation to calculate the utility, using quality-adjusted life years (QALY), and the effectiveness, respectively. To complete the economic evaluation, we derived confidence ellipses and acceptability curves. The analysis was conducted for the entire sample and also for each type of urinary incontinence. RESULTS: In total, 45 women presented with stress incontinence, 15 with mixed incontinence and 9 with incontinence associated with prolapse. The average cost per patient at one year post-operation was 1220 €. The QALY achieved at one year was 0.046. The results reveal an ICER at one year of 26,288 €/QALY, which is below the cost-effectiveness threshold considered acceptable, and this value was lower for stress incontinence (21,191 €/QALY). The cost-effectiveness was 106.5 €/International Consultation Incontinence Questionnaire Short-form unit. CONCLUSION: Surgery for female urinary incontinence using slings is cost-effective compared with abstention in our public health environment.

[Correlation between Gleason score on prostate biopsies diagnostic of adenocarcinoma and radical prostatectomy specimens]. / Estudio de correlación entre las sumas de Gleason de las biopsias de próstatas con adenocarcinoma y de las piezas de prostatectomía radical.

OBJECTIVES: We analyse the concordance between Gleason scores on prostate biopsies diagnostic of adenocarcinoma and radical prostatectomy specimens. METHODS: We reviewed the charts of 214 patients who underwent radical prostatectomy between January 1992 and November 2002. We calculated the percentage of correct diagnosis, understaging and overstaging for individual Gleason and for groups with scores between 2-4, 5-6, 7 and 8-10. We performed the statistical analyses of concordance for the groups using the kappa weighted index (< 0.4 low reliability, 0.4-0.75 good reliability; > 0.75 excellent reliability). RESULTS: 41 patients were excluded. The percentages of right diagnosis, understaging and overstaging for the remainder 173 were 32.3%, 44% and 23.7% respectively for individual Gleason scores, and 52.6%, 32.4% and 15% respectively for grouped Gleason scores. Statistical analysis resulted in a kappa weighted index of 0.52, a result which did not vary after excluding patients treated with neoadjuvant hormonal therapy CONCLUSIONS: In our series, the statistical correlation obtained for grouped Gleason scores is good. However, understaging is the biggest problem for prostate biopsies diagnostic of adenocarcinoma when compared with definitive pathologic results on the specimen. Besides, and in opposition, more than 50% of our patients deemed as less differentiated (Gleason score 7 and 8-10) presented lower grades in the specimen. Both limitations should be taken into consideration when therapeutic options are exposed to our patients.

[Renal artery embolism]. / Embolia de la arteria renal.

OBJECTIVES: To report a case of renal artery embolism. To review the clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic features of this disease interesting for the urologist. METHODS/RESULTS: Case of a 47 year old male with history of cardiovascular disease who presents in the emergency room with left flank pain. Radiological studies (Intravenous pyelogram (IVP) and ultrasound) ruled out urinary tract obstruction and oriented to renal vascular disease. Arteriography was performed showing left renal artery embolism. Fibrinolytic therapy was successful. CONCLUSIONS: Renal artery embolism is an unusual non traumatic vascular urologic emergency. Generally, it appears in patients with emboligenous heart diseases, mainly auricular fibrillation associated with mitral stenosis. More than half the cases are asymptomatic; if they have symptoms, the most common presentation is sudden onset of intense flank pain, resistive to analgesia. Laboratory tests show hematuria, pyuria, proteinuria, leucocytosis, increased LDH, GOT and alkaline phosphatase, and variable renal function impairment. An ultrasound showing no signs of obstructive uropathy and absent function in the IVP lead to diagnosis. In the case of early diagnosis, intra-arterial fibinolysis is the treatment of choice, leaving surgery for cases where renal function is in danger. Main complications are vasculorenal hypertension and renal failure.