Acute urinary retention in a 27-year-old male secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia treated with Holmium Enucleation of the Prostate (HOLEP).

INTRODUCTION: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is common in the ageing male. Clinical manifestations like retention impact on a patient's quality of life. Alterations in androgen activity at the androgen receptor complex level in the prostate contribute to prostatic hyperplasia with the highest incidence occurring in males in their 70's. There remains a paucity of cases in young males who develop acute urinary retention secondary to BPH. We present a case of a 27-year-old male who developed acute urinary retention secondary to BPH who required a Holmium Laser Enucleation of his Prostate (HOLEP). CASE DESCRIPTION: A 27 year old man was admitted in acute urinary retention. BPH was diagnosed via way of radiological imaging and histological assessment. After pre-operative sperm banking and suprapubic catheterisation, the patient underwent a HOLEP. He had biochemically confirmed hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism which was at odds with his muscular, physical appearance. Total testosterone levels had fluctuated following admission suggesting an exogenous substance was interfering with the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis but he denied exogenous steroid use. RESULT: The patient successfully passed his voiding trial on the second post-operative day and remained catheter free. Post-operative uroflowmetry and sexual function remain unknown as patient disengaged with follow up. CONCLUSION: HOLEP prostatectomy is a safe and effective way of managing BPH in younger patients following sperm banking and assessment by endocrinology.

Emergency Urology procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK: A 3-month prospective study.

OBJECTIVE: COVID-19 resulted in Regional tiered restrictions being introduced across the UK with subsequent implications for planned and emergency surgical care. Specific to Merseyside, Tier 4, Tier 2 and Tier 5 restrictions were introduced in late 2020 and early 2021. The purpose of this study was to examine the nature and workload of emergency urological procedures during three different national lockdown Tiers in the North West of England. METHOD: A 3-month prospective study examining all emergency urological activity was conducted from November 2020 when Tier 4 restrictions were introduced and included Tier 2 restrictions in December and then concluded at the end of January 2021 when Tier 5 restrictions were in place. Data was obtained by identifying patients using the electronic theatre listing system. RESULTS: A total of 71 emergency cases were performed (24 in November (Tier 4), 28 in December (Tier 2), 19 in January 2021 (Tier 5)) with 15 different types of procedures performed. The most frequently performed procedure was stent insertion (36), followed by scrotal exploration (10). The least commonly performed procedure was suprapubic catheter insertion under general anaesthesia (1). One patient required transfer to a different hospital. In total 6 calls were made by general surgery and 3 by gynaecology for urgent urological assistance in theatre. Three urology patients returned to the theatre as emergencies following elective procedures. CONCLUSION: Unlike the Spring lockdown, acute urological presentations requiring operative intervention still presented daily. Of the 71 cases performed, most occurred in Tier 2. Stent insertion was the most commonly performed procedure, with the majority of the cases performed by registrars.

Piperacillin/tazobactam induced thrombocytopaenia--a delayed response.

A 48-year-old lady who presented with sepsis secondary to a pelvi-ureteric junction obstruction was treated with an extended course of piperacillin/tazobactam. Four days after completing the course she developed thrombocytopaenia. Intravenous immunoglobulin was required to bring her platelet count back to normal. In the absence of other causes the authors believe that a delayed reaction to piperacillin/tazobactam was the cause of her thrombocytopaenia.

Multiple large infected scrotal sebaceous cysts masking Fournier's gangrene in a 32-year-old man.

Extensive large sebaceous cysts on the scotum are rare and present a problem only when infected or when cosmesis is deemed unacceptable by the patient. Fournier's gangrene is an infective condition with a high death rate. We describe a case of Fournier's gangrene in a patient masked by multiple large infected scrotal sebaceous cysts. A 32-year-old man with a history of alcohol dependency, cirrhosis and multiple scrotal sebaceous cysts presented with acute scrotal pain and erythema. Necrosis of the area became evident within 12 h of his admission and an emergency surgical debridement was performed. The wound was left open to heal via secondary intention over 4 weeks without complication. Fournier's gangrene is a rapidly progressive condition and early surgical debridement is crucial to achieve satisfactory outcomes. In this case, prompt intervention allowed a large scrotal defect to heal without the need for skin grafting.

Long-term changes in bone mineral density and predicted fracture risk in patients receiving androgen-deprivation therapy for prostate cancer, with stratification of treatment based on presenting values.

OBJECTIVE: To study the long-term effects of androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) using luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) agonists or antiandrogen therapy with bicalutamide on bone mineral density (BMD) of selected groups of patients with newly diagnosed advanced prostate cancer, stratified by BMD at presentation and to predict alterations in fracture risk. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In all, 618 men with a mean (sd, range) age of 73 (7.1, 49-94) years, initiating ADT for prostate cancer were prospectively recruited and followed from October 1999 to January 2007. BMD was measured by forearm dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) before ADT and repeated annually. Patients with osteoporosis (T-score < or =-2.5) were commenced on bicalutamide; patients with osteopenia (T-score between -1.0 and -2.5) and normal BMD (T-score > -1.0) were commenced on an LHRH agonist. Patients with osteopenia and osteoporosis received calcium and vitamin D supplements. RESULTS: Over 7 years, 1690 DEXA scans were performed. In all, 41% of patients with newly diagnosed prostate cancer were osteoporotic, 39% were osteopenic and 20% had normal BMD. In the normal group, treated with an LHRH agonist, there were significant decreases in BMD (1 year 1.2%; 2 year 3.7%; 3 year 6.5%; 4 year 8.9%; 5 year 9.9%; 6 year 12.7%), which also occurred in the patients with osteopenia with 60% developing osteoporosis after 2 years (1 year 1.8%; 2 year 5.1%; 3 year 8.0%; 4 year 8.2%; 5 year 11.5%; 6 year 14.1%). By contrast, the osteoporotic group maintained BMD (1 year 0.5%; 2 year 0%; 3 year +1.2%; 4 year 0.5%; 5 year 1.7%; 6 year 2.2%). CONCLUSION: Patients treated with an LHRH agonist have significant and sustained decreases in BMD, whereas bicalutamide maintains BMD. We advocate routine assessment of BMD before ADT, with surveillance thereafter.

Implications of computer tomography measurement in the management of renal tumours.

BACKGROUND: To compare radiographic measurement and pathological measurement of renal tumours to see if there was a significant difference between the two as this may have implications in the management. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed CT measurements of 106 consecutive patients who underwent either radical or nephron sparing surgery in our institution and compared this to the actual measurement of the surgical specimen. The largest axial measurement was compared as this is the primary consideration before offering either treatment modality. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 64 years (range 31-92). There were 76 males and 30 females. The median tumour size was 70 mm (range 16-175) on CT and 65 mm (range 15-90) on pathological measurement. 25 patients had a CT size < or = 40 mm. CT tended to overestimate the size of tumours in 41 patients, underestimate in 45 and agree with surgical size in 20 patients. Statistically there was no significant difference between the two measurements (p = 0.7, Wilcoxon sign ranked test). When subdivided into tumours less than 40 mm (p = 0.7) and more than 40 mm (p = 0.09) again there was no statistically significant difference between the two measurements. However in 5(5%) patients who were not offered nephron sparing surgery based on CT findings (size > 40 mm) the pathological size was < or = 40 mm (p = < 0.001, Fishers Exact test). Pathologically the tumours were classified as renal cell carcinoma (n = 98), angiomyolipoma (3), and oncocytoma (5). CONCLUSION: CT measurement of renal tumour size correlates well with the actual size of the tumour. However CT does tend to overestimate the size in a small number of patients which may have a bearing on the modality of treatment offered.

Routine use of magnetic resonance imaging in the management of T(1c) carcinoma of the prostate: is it necessary?

PURPOSE: To assess the role and implications of MRI in the management of patients with stage T(1c) prostate cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Data were collected from our oncology database, where all new prostate cancers are recorded, for a period of 3 years ending December 2005. A total of 915 patients were found to have prostate cancer. Of the 204 patients with stage T(1c) disease, 144 were considered eligible for radical treatment and underwent cross-sectional imaging in the form of an MRI scan. Gleason grade, clinical stage, cross-sectional imaging results, and subsequent treatment were recorded. The results were analyzed to see whether the MRI findings altered the modality of treatment offered to the patient. RESULTS: Of the 144 patients, 137 had scans that showed no extracapsular invasion, while five scans were equivocal. All five patients had further investigation, either by CT scanning or targeted biopsies, which confirmed the cancer to be localized. In the remaining two cases, the MRI findings upstaged T(1c) disease to T(3) disease, as there was evidence of extracapsular involvement. The imaging result therefore affected treatment choice in only two patients in that radical surgery was not offered because of the scan findings. CONCLUSIONS: The role of MRI in the management of clinical stage T(1c) prostate cancer is limited, as it altered the management of only 1.3% of our patients. The cost v the value of this study should be discussed with the patient before MRI is prescribed.

Appendiceal carcinoma masquerading as recurrent urinary tract infections: case report and review of literature.

We report on a female patient who presented with recurrent urinary tract infections. The investigations revealed an adenocarcinoma of the appendix fistulating into the bladder and causing irritative symptoms. After right hemicolectomy and partial cystectomy, she was well at 3 months without any need for adjuvant therapy. This unusual situation reminds us that the finding of bladder adenocarcinoma is rare, and it would be prudent to examine the lower gastrointestinal tract thoroughly to look for a bowel source, before recommending any ablative surgery.