Prevalence of non-neurogenic male lower urinary tract symptoms after kidney transplantation.

OBJECTIVE: This review investigates the prevalence of male non-neurogenic lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) after renal transplant, as kidney transplantation is a transformative intervention for patients with end-stage renal disease significantly enhancing quality of life that might be diminished by LUTS. METHODS: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were followed. A systematic search in the PubMed and Scopus databases was performed using specific terms. Inclusion criteria considered male kidney transplant recipients, analysing outcomes in English-language studies. Discrepancies were resolved by consultation. RESULTS: Among 18 studies involving 29 086 recipients, the prevalence of non-neurogenic LUTS ranged from 5.8% to 33.0%. Studies predominantly used the International Prostate Symptom Score for evaluation. Surgical interventions, mostly for benign prostatic obstruction, ranged from 2.5% to 20.0%. Voiding and post-micturition symptoms were under-represented. CONCLUSION: This review found varied non-neurogenic LUTS prevalence and characteristics in male kidney transplant recipients, emphasising the need for standardised assessments, prospective studies, and improved understanding of LUTS mechanisms. Enhanced knowledge can guide interventions, additionally benefiting recipient quality of life.

Treatment of neurogenic lower urinary tract symptoms: main contributions from 2018 and 2019.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review aims to update the studies involving the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in neurogenic patients, published in the last two years. RECENT FINDINGS: Treatment of neurogenic LUTS (NLUTS) patients with ß3 adrenoreceptor agonists was investigated in real-life conditions. A randomized controlled trial compared the efficacy of antimuscarinics versus onabotulinum toxin A in neurogenic patients. The use of desmopressin to treat nocturia in multiple sclerosis patients is also reported. The long-term treatment with BontA efficacy, its discontinuation, and possible strategies to maintain patients on treatment were also evaluated. Sacral neuromodulation and tibial nerve stimulation are continuously being evaluated in neurogenic patients, especially in the last years. SUMMARY: The management of urinary tract infections and vesical lithiasis, two common complications in NLUTS patients, and the management of both these patients was assessed in clinical trials.A trial evaluating the use of the anti-Nogo-A antibody after a spinal cord injury to facilitate neuronal rewiring and prevent or improve NLUTS was reported for the first time.

Complications after surgical correction of penile fractures-Is there a clinical impact?

BACKGROUND: Surgical exploration and closure of the tunica albuginea is the recommended treatment for penile fractures. The recovery of sexual function is the main result that surgeons and patients pursue. OBJECTIVE: We sought to evaluate the sexual health effects of a surgically corrected penile fracture. Secondarily, we sought to identify risk factors that may influence long-term sexual function and their effects on genital body image satisfaction. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of patients who underwent surgical correction of penile fractures between 2007 and 2022 in a tertiary center was performed. Lesion characteristics, weeks until the resumption of sexual activity, and post-operative sexual function were recorded. The presence of glans hypoesthesia, penile deformation, penile nodule palpation, and self-satisfaction with body image were assessed. RESULTS: Sixty-nine patients with a mean age of 42.30 ± 12.98 years and a median follow-up of 70 (20-134) months were identified. Sexual intercourse was recorded as a percentage. Penile deformation was the most common complication, appearing in 14.5% of patients, erectile dysfunction in 5.8%, penile nodules in 4.3%, and glans hypoesthesia in 2.9%. The median post-operative International Index of Erectile Function-5 was 24 (21.5-24). Self-satisfaction with body image had a median of 9 and was negatively associated with bilateral lesions and penile deformation. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Distal fractures could be linked to erectile dysfunction and glans hypoesthesia. Surgical correction of penile fractures shows positive functional and self-reported outcomes, and the potential andrological complications rarely necessitate specific treatment.

The Role of the Urobiome in Kidney Transplantation: A Systematic Review.

Background: The urinary microbiome, also known as the urobiome, was traditionally considered sterile. However, emerging evidence suggests its presence in the urinary tract. Urobiome dysbiosis has been associated with various urologic conditions, making it a topic of interest also in kidney transplantation. This systematic review examines the evidence of urobiome changes in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs). Methods: Systematic literature searches in the PubMed and SCOPUS databases. Results: Of the 770 articles identified, 8 met the inclusion criteria. The urobiome showed reduced diversity in KTRs compared with healthy controls and patients on dialysis. Proteobacteria enrichment was associated with graft stability or spontaneous tolerance in KTRs without immunological events. Kidney interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy were associated with changes in resident urinary microbes and increased pathogenic bacteria. Additionally, KTRs with chronic allograft dysfunction had a higher prevalence of Corynebacterium. Conclusions: The review highlights the importance of studying the urobiome in KTRs and its potential impact on transplant outcomes. The field remains largely unexplored, and further research is needed to establish consistent study designs and objectives. Future studies could lead to biomarker discovery, personalized therapies, and improved outcomes and graft survival in KTRs.

A Peculiar Cause of Shock: Analysing Two Clinical Cases.

Introduction: Pheochromocytoma is a rare neoplasia arising from the adrenal medulla that secretes catecholamines. Those afflicted by this condition can present a wide range of symptoms. One of the most common is paroxysmic hypertension. Interestingly, although rare, some patients present with shock. We describe two cases of pheochromocytoma in which the initial presentation was shock. Case 1. 49 year-old woman, with a history of resistant hypertension, presented to the emergency department with thoracic pain and fever. EKG, echocardiogram (ECC), and myocardial necrosis markers were compatible with Takotsubo syndrome (TS). CT demonstrated a staghorn calculus, hydronephrosis, and signs compatible with xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis in the right kidney. Additionally, and incidentally, it revealed a 60 mm nodule on the right adrenal gland. Piperacillin/tazobactam was started immediately, and the patient was submitted to urgent upper urinary tract drainage. This procedure was complicated by a cardiorespiratory arrest that was treated with adrenaline administration. The patient was admitted to the ICU due to multifactorial shock and started alpha and, posteriorly, beta blockage. Biochemical adrenal incidentaloma endocrinologic study was negative (under hemodialysis). Multiorgan failure progressively improved. After 2 weeks, the patient was submitted to a laparoscopic transperitoneal right adrenalectomy. No complications were reported. Histological analysis revealed a pheochromocytoma. Case 2. 28-year-old woman presented to the emergency department with headaches and nausea. Vitals were compatible with shock. CT revealed an incidental 72 mm mass on the right adrenal. EKG, ECC, and myocardial necrosis markers were compatible with TS. The patient was started on alpha and, posteriorly, beta blockage. Adrenal incidentaloma endocrinological study demonstrated high urinary catecholamines. Right transperitoneal adrenalectomy was performed. No complications were noted. Histological analysis revealed a pheochromocytoma. Conclusion: Pheochromocytoma can present with complex, enigmatic, and rare clinical pictures. Clinicians should be wary of the possibility of this diagnosis when managing adrenal masses.

Analysis of benign prostatic obstruction surgery: A long-term evaluation in a real-life context.

OBJECTIVE: Surgery is the treatment for male lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) relat-ed to benign prostatic obstruction (BPO) refractory to pharma-cological treatment or with complications. This study aimed to assess factors associated with the need for surgical reinterven-tion and/or continuation of pharmacological treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis of patients who underwent prostatic surgery for male LUTS associated with BPO between 1 May 2015 and 1 May 2016, with a minimum follow-up of five years, in an academic tertiary hospital.  The type of surgery, preoperative, postoperative and follow-up analysis were collected in a database. RESULTS: A total of 212 patients were included with a mean age of 70 ± 8.66 years at five years follow-up. At 5 years, a total of 86.9% of patients do not need pharmacological treatment and 12% required surgical reintervention. Of the preoperative parameters, it was found a relationship between prior prostatitis and the need for second surgery with an odds ratio of 4.6. CONCLUSIONS: Patients should be informed of the potential need for pharmacological treatment following surgery, or even of the need for reintervention. History of prostatitis seems to be a risk factor for reintervention.

Myogenic Underactive Bladder and Heart Failure Resemblance: A Novel Role for SGLT2 Inhibition?

The heart and bladder share physiological biomechanical determinants of contraction. Heart failure (HF) and myogenic underactive bladder (mUAB) also share similarities in their pathophysiology. In both cases there is muscle injury that is directly linked to disease stage. In the final stage, both myocardium and detrusor show marked fibrosis and lower contractility. While HF has an established pharmacological treatment, there are still no effective drugs for mUAB. This mini-review explores the similarities between HF and mUAB and suggests that, as in HF, SGLT2 inhibitors may also have a beneficial role in mUAB. PATIENT SUMMARY: To date, there is no treatment for underactive bladder caused by problems with the bladder muscle (mUAB). We review similarities between this condition and heart failure and hypothesize that a recent drug class with striking results in heart failure might also have a beneficial role in mUAB.

Treatment of idiopathic overactive bladder with botulinum toxin: real-life results and patients' expectations.

Background: Overactive bladder (OAB) is a prevalent syndrome affecting 11% to 16% of the adult population. When first-line pharmacological therapy is not effective, intradetrusorial injections of onabotulinumtoxinA (BTX-A) might have an important role in controlling symptoms. The main aim of this study was to access both the efficacy and safety of intradetrusor injections of 100U BTX-A in real clinical practice, among women with idiopathic OAB (iOAB). Methods: Retrospective study, based on clinical diaries in 136 iOAB female patients, with or without urinary incontinence, submitted to BTX-A injections, between 2005 and 2018 in a tertiary university hospital. Positive response was considered only when the patient mentioned she had great improvement after the injection, otherwise, it was considered negative. Results: A positive response was obtained in 90 patients (66%) after the first injection. Women with a positive response after the first treatment had 7.5 times more chances to improve with the second (P = .01). Discontinuation of the therapy after the first injection was neither dependent on the presence of incontinence at baseline (P = .73) nor it was related to age (P = .6). On univariate analyses, none of the parameters evaluated was useful of predicting successful response, although there was a trend in women who had had a previous midurethral sling surgery for stress urinary incontinence, to have a lower chance of having a positive response after the first injection (P = .06).Thirty-nine women (29%) had at least 1 adverse event, urinary tract infection, and straining to void were the most frequent. Women above 65 years old had less risk of developing a urinary tract infection (P = .04). Conclusion: In real clinical practice, BTX-A injection is an effective (66%) and safe treatment, capable of improving quality of life. Moreover, responding to the first injection seems to predict good clinical outcomes in the second treatment. This procedure can be done with minimal restrictions.

Zinner's syndrome, a retrospective series of three cases: different strategies to the same problem.

A 106 years have passed since Zinner's syndrome was first described and current knowledge is still almost exclusively based on case reports. This article presents three patients with Zinner's syndrome with different clinical presentations and consequent different treatment options, showing the possible full spectrum of this condition. The first patient presented with storage lower urinary tract symptoms and benefited from laparoscopic removal of the seminal vesicle. The second patient has an incidental diagnosis on CT and remains asymptomatic on follow-up. The third patient presented with persistent lumbar pain and underwent open surgical removal of the seminal vesicle. The authors further present a literature review of the current knowledge on this topic, hopefully to clarify the state of art and improve the management of these patients.

Treatment of Non-neurogenic Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms-A Review of Key Publications from 2018 Onward.

CONTEXT: A considerable number of studies addressing the management of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) have been published since 2018. OBJECTIVE: To review the key studies involving pharmacological and neuromodulation treatment of LUTS published from 2018 onward. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) statement. We conducted an Embase/PubMed search of English literature with the words "OAB" or "LUTS" matched with several different treatment modalities. The search ranged between January 2018 and January 2020. All retrieved papers were first reviewed by title and abstract, yielding a total of 236 papers. Additional manuscripts, such as those presented at major meetings, were also included. After revision, 46 publications were included. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: Papers on ß3-adrenoreceptor agonists were most abundant. The efficacy and safety of mirabegron in monotherapy and combination therapy were further confirmed by large observational studies and randomized control trials, including one carried out in elderly patients. The use of vibegron for overactive bladder (OAB) was effective and safe in pivotal clinical trials. More database analyses confirm the risk of dementia associated with long-term use of anticholinergics. Onabotulinum toxinA (OnabotA) and sacral neuromodulation provided similar improvement for incontinence in OAB patients at a 2-yr follow-up. Retrospective studies show that OnabotA is effective in men with OAB. New subcutaneous or transcutaneous devices for tibial nerve stimulation were investigated. The potential role of gene therapy in LUTS was assessed in a pilot study. CONCLUSIONS: Important progresses occurred in the pharmacological and neuromodulation treatments of LUTS, which may change clinical practice. Inoculation of gene vectors was investigated for the first time. PATIENT SUMMARY: The investigation in the therapeutic field of lower urinary tract symptoms is active. The search for the best option for each patient continues. This systematic review summarizes the findings of the most recent and relevant studies in the field.

Undergraduate teaching of urology: Quo vadis?

BACKGROUND: The undergraduate teaching of urology is not uniform in the various European medical schools and even absent in some of them, despite the widespread adoption of the Bologna process, which advocates a standardization and harmonization of medical education. Our aim was to evaluate the perception of junior doctors about the undergraduate teaching of Urology and the exposure to the specialty of Urology in undergraduate education in Portuguese medical schools. METHODS: A questionnaire was emailed to all physicians who first enrolled in the Board of Portuguese Doctors in 2017 and 2018. The questionnaire consisted of several questions about specialty exposure, pathology, and basic urological procedures. A database for statistical analysis was created. RESULTS: One hundred and eighty-six answers were considered valid. Although almost all participant physicians attribute considerable importance to Urology specialty, most find their exposure to urological pathology and basic urological procedures to be inappropriate in medical school. Urinary lithiasis and lower urinary tract symptoms are the subjects on which doctors feel most prepared after graduating. Interestingly, 63.4% of doctors consider that the education they had in college was preponderant in choosing their specialty. CONCLUSIONS: The teaching of Urology in Portuguese Medical Schools is considered by junior doctors as inadequate, not reflecting the importance of this specialty in the clinical practice. These results are like those found in other countries. A reflection and consequent change of the teaching paradigm is necessary, namely at the practical teaching level.

Efficacy and Safety of OnabotulinumtoxinA in Patients with Urinary Incontinence Due to Neurogenic Detrusor Overactivity: Update of the Pivotal Randomised, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Trials.

Bladder injections of 200U onabotulinumtoxinA have similar efficacy in the treatment of urinary incontinence in patients with multiple sclerosis or spinal cord injury. The effect is maintained in the long term without significant adverse events.

Biomarkers in overactive bladder: a new objective and noninvasive tool?

Overactive bladder syndrome (OAB) is a highly prevalent urinary dysfunction, with considerable economic and human costs. Clinical diagnosis of OAB is still based on subjective symptoms. A new accurate, objective and noninvasive test to diagnose OAB and assess therapeutic outcome is lacking. Recent studies in lower urinary tract (LUT) dysfunctions, particularly in OAB patients, indicate that urinary proteins (neurotrophins, prostaglandins, and cytokines), serum C reactive protein, and detrusor wall thickness are altered, and such changes could be used as biomarkers of the disease. Nowadays, increasing emphasis has been given to the role of urinary neurotrophins, namely nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), as key players in some urinary dysfunctions. Although recently considered to be a bladder dysfunction biomarker, urinary NGF presents low sensitivity and specificity. Preliminary results suggest that BDNF may serve as a more efficient biomarker. Even though we have to wait for future studies to confirm the potential role of NGF and BDNF as OAB biomarkers, it is already clear that neurotrophins will contribute to elucidate the physiopathological basis of OAB. Herein are reviewed the latest advances in this new and exciting field, the detection and clinical application of emerging OAB biomarkers.