Identifying patients at risk for depression after radical cystectomy.

INTRODUCTION: We aimed to assess rates of depression in patients with bladder cancer undergoing radical cystectomy and identify its predictors. METHODS: Depressive symptoms in 42 consecutive patients were evaluated using the Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI) on the day prior to surgery, postoperative day (POD) 6, six weeks after surgery, and 12-18 months postoperatively. RESULTS: Fifteen patients (36%) presented with BDI scores ≥10 before the operation; this rate increased to 64% on POD 6 and 69% at six weeks post-surgery. Depression score rose from a preoperative median of 7 to 11 on POD 6 (p=0.003) and to 15 at six weeks after surgery (p=0.001). Patients who arrived with BDI score of <10 had a higher increase in the BDI at six weeks compared to patients with depressive symptoms prior to surgery (average increase 9.8 vs. 0.8, p<0.01). Age, gender, type of diversion, and complications were not associated with depression at presentation or progression of depression. Patients who did not receive neoadjuvant chemotherapy tended to be at increased risk for depression progression (57.1% vs. 14.3%, p=0.093). Twenty-four patients completed a fourth questionnaire 12-18 months postoperatively. Median BDI score was 8; three patients with disease recurrence had a higher increase in the BDI score (average 12.7 vs. -5.2, p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Depression among patients facing cystectomy is high and postoperative progression is substantial. Patients without depressive symptoms preoperatively are at increased risk of developing postoperative depression. After 12-18 months, the most influential risk factor for depression is recurrence. These findings highlight the need to consider interventions in selected patients.

The Value of Computed Tomography in Recurrent Laryngeal Cancer Following Organ Preservation Therapy.

AIM: This study aims to assess the accuracy of computed tomography (CT) in detecting recurrent laryngeal tumors after failed chemoradiation therapy (CRT). BACKGROUND: Local recurrence of laryngeal tumors following CRT has been reported in approximately 25%, yet it is often difficult to detect. METHODS: Ten patients with laryngeal cancer who failed CRT and subsequently underwent salvage total laryngectomy were included. The laryngeal subsites involved in the tumor were identified based on postoperative pathology. The corresponding preoperative CT scans were selected for review by seven experts (head-and-neck surgeons or radiologists) who scored the extent of tumor spread on each scan on a 5-point scale, from no tumor detected to clearly visible tumor. RESULTS: The rates of high tumor detectability (scores 4-5) varied according to laryngeal subsite, from 75% in the glottic region, to 45% in the subglottic region, and to 19% in the supraglottic region (P=0.01). The detectability rates were higher on scans performed 2 years or more after CRT. CONCLUSION: The CT evaluation of laryngeal cancer after CRT has limited value, particularly in the epiglottis and subglottis.

Complete Blood Count Markers and C-Reactive Protein as Predictors of Testicular Viability in the Event of Testicular Torsion in Adults.

INTRODUCTION: The association between blood markers and testicular viability after testicular torsion (TT) is not well known. We evaluated the role of complete blood count markers and C-reactive protein (CRP) in predicting testicular viability after TT. METHODS: Fifty men, ≥18 years of age, operated for TT between the years 2015-2020 were enrolled. Blood markers including neutrophil-, lymphocyte-, and platelet count, and CRP were obtained. Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) were calculated. The study outcome was testicular salvage. RESULTS: Median age was 23 years (interquartile range [IQR]: 21, 31). Median duration of torsion was 10 h (IQR: 6, 42). Sonographic texture of the testis was homogenous in 27 (56%) patients and heterogenous in 21 (44%). During scrotal exploration, 36 patients (72%) underwent orchiopexy and 14 (28%) underwent orchiectomy. Patients who underwent orchiopexy were younger (22 years vs. 31 years, p = 0.009), had a shorter duration of torsion (median 8 h vs. 48 h, p < 0.001), and a homogenous texture on scrotal ultrasound (76.5 vs. 7.1%, p < 0.001). Median NLR, PLR, and CRP were higher among patients who underwent orchiectomy; however, these differences did not reach statistical significance. Patients with heterogenous echotexture were significantly more likely to undergo orchiectomy (odds ratio = 42, 95% confidence interval: 7, 831, adjusted p value = 0.009). CONCLUSIONS: We found no association between blood-based biomarkers and testicular viability after TT; however, testicular echotexture significantly predicted outcome.

The transcriptional and regulatory identity of erythropoietin producing cells.

Erythropoietin (Epo) is the master regulator of erythropoiesis and oxygen homeostasis. Despite its physiological importance, the molecular and genomic contexts of the cells responsible for renal Epo production remain unclear, limiting more-effective therapies for anemia. Here, we performed single-cell RNA and transposase-accessible chromatin (ATAC) sequencing of an Epo reporter mouse to molecularly identify Epo-producing cells under hypoxic conditions. Our data indicate that a distinct population of kidney stroma, which we term Norn cells, is the major source of endocrine Epo production in mice. We use these datasets to identify the markers, signaling pathways and transcriptional circuits characteristic of Norn cells. Using single-cell RNA sequencing and RNA in situ hybridization in human kidney tissues, we further provide evidence that this cell population is conserved in humans. These preliminary findings open new avenues to functionally dissect EPO gene regulation in health and disease and may serve as groundwork to improve erythropoiesis-stimulating therapies.

Preoperative Bladder Capacity Predicts Social Continence following Bladder Neck Reconstruction in Children Born with Exstrophy-Epispadias Complex.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of the study is to review the continence and volitional voiding rate in a single center cohort of exstrophy-epispadias patients following Young-Dees-Leadbetter bladder neck reconstruction and to explore factors which predict continence. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Children who underwent Young-Dees-Leadbetter bladder neck reconstruction as a final stage of repair in a large single low-volume center in a small-population country between 1997 and 2019 were included. Demographic and clinical details were extracted from the patients' charts. The primary end point was continence and volitional voiding. Patients were categorized as incontinent, socially continent (daytime dry intervals > 3 hours, wet nights) and fully continent (daytime dry intervals > 3 hours, dry nights). RESULTS: The study cohort included 27 patients whose median age at reconstruction was 5 years, and median follow-up was 7.8 years (interquartile range [IQR] 6-11.2). The cohort included 24 classic exstrophy patients (89%, 17 males and 7 females) and 3 isolated complete epispadias patients (11%, 1 male and 2 females). Nine (33%) patients achieved full continence and social continence was achieved by nine (33%) patients, for an overall social continence rate of 67%. Preoperative bladder capacity of 110 mL or more was associated with achieving social continence (odds ratio = 6.4, p = 0.047). The overall volitional voiding rate was 67%. CONCLUSION: Young-Dees-Leadbetter bladder neck reconstruction yielded rates of 33% for full continence and 67% for social continence and volitional voiding. These rates are comparable to those of large high-volume centers. A preoperative capacity of 110 mL or more was the sole predictor of social continence.

Aesthetic and Functional Results after Single- and Two-Stage Resection and Reconstruction of Penile Paraffinomas - Experience from Two Tertiary Centers and a Surgical Management Algorithm.

The treatment of choice of penile paraffinoma (PP) is surgical resection. Penile soft tissue coverage in a combined Urology/Plastic Surgery procedure, is often needed. OBJECTIVE: To describe the surgical techniques, aesthetics and functional outcomes, and to provide a practical algorithm for the surgical management of symptomatic PP. METHODS: We retrospectively recruited PP patients treated with surgical resection, from 2004 to 2020, in the Reina Sofia Hospital of Murcia (Spain) and Sourasky Medical Center (Israel). Procedural and postoperative erectile function, according to the short version of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) data were collected. RESULTS: Eight patients underwent surgery. The mean age was 30 years. The mean time between substance injection and surgery was 6 years. The most frequently injected material was liquid paraffin (50%), followed by Vaseline. Extensive skin involvement was present in all patients with liquid paraffin, requiring 2-stage surgery or skin graft. PP surgical treatment was successfully achieved in an Urology/Plastic Surgery joined effort. Postoperative erectile function was preserved in all cases. CONCLUSION: PP can pose a surgical challenge. A combined surgical approach with urology and plastics allows for functional and aesthetic preservation. The extent of PP and the viability of shaft skin preservation should guide surgical approach.

5α-reductase inhibitors and the risk of bladder cancer in a large, population-based cohort.

PURPOSE: The ability of 5α-reductase inhibitors (5ARI) to reduce the risk of new onset bladder cancer (BC) has been studied with variable results. Our objective was to conduct a retrospective cohort population-based study to evaluate the association between 5ARI use, BC diagnosis, and BC mortality. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We used routinely collected health care data from Ontario, Canada. Men ≥66 years of age with a prescription for a 5ARI were matched to non-5ARI users. Matching was done using a propensity score of selected covariates to make 96 different covariates comparable. We measured 5 additional baseline variables which may have impacted the risk of future BC diagnosis: prior cystoscopy, urine cytology, urinalysis, gross hematuria episodes, and transurethral resection of a bladder lesion. Only the first period of continuous usage of 5ARIs was considered. The prespecified at-risk period for outcomes started 1 year after initiating therapy and ended at the last date of 5ARI exposure + 1 year. RESULTS: We identified 93,197 men who initiated 5ARI therapy (52% dutasteride, and 48% finasteride) between 2003 and 2013 and matched them 1:1 to men who did not start a 5ARI. The median at-risk period for the 5ARI group was 1.68 years (interquartile range 1.00, 4.27). With adjustment for the variables related to prior BC investigations there was no significant difference in BC diagnosis (hazard ratio [HR] 1.05, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.82-1.32) during the period of 0 to <2 years of 5ARI use; however, after ≥2 years of 5ARI use, the risk of BC diagnosis was significantly lower among the 5ARI group (HR 0.82, 95% CI 0.79-0.94). In a similarly adjusted model, BC mortality was lower among 5ARI users, but no longer statistically significant (HR 0.82, 95% CI 0.65, 1.02). When stratified by type of 5ARI, finasteride significantly reduced the risk of BC diagnosis after ≥2 years of continuous use (HR 0.86, 95% CI 0.76, 0.96); however, dutasteride did not (HR 0.92, 95% CI 0.83, 1.03). CONCLUSIONS: In a large cohort of men, the use of a 5ARI was associated with a significantly decreased the risk of BC diagnosis after more than 2 years of continuous therapy.

Improving Prostatic Preoperative Volume Estimation and Planning before Laser Enucleation.

We aimed to validate a formula for improving the estimation of prostatic volume by abdominal ultrasound (AUS) prior to transurethral laser enucleation. A total of 293 patients treated for benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) by laser enucleation from 2019−2022 were included. The preoperative AUS volume was adjusted by the formula 1.082 × Age + 0.523 × AUS − 53.845, which was based on specimens retrieved by suprapubic prostatectomy. The results were compared to the weight of the tissue removed by laser enucleation as determined by the intraclass correlation coefficient test (ICC). The potential impact of preoperative planning on operating time was calculated. The ICC between the adjusted volumes and the enucleated tissue weights was 0.86 (p < 0.001). The adjusted volume was more accurate than the AUS volume (weight-to-volume ratio of 0.84 vs. 0.7, p < 0.001) and even more precise for prostates weighing >80 g. The median operating time was 90 min. The adjusted volume estimation resulted in an overall shorter expected preoperative operating time by a median of 21 min (24%) and by a median of 40 min in prostates weighing >80 g. The adjustment formula accurately predicts prostate volume before laser enucleation procedures and may significantly improve preoperative planning, the matching of a surgeon's level of expertise, and the management of patients' expectations.

Priapism or Prolonged Erection: Is 4 - 6 Hours of Cavernous Ischemia the Time Point of Irreversible Tissue Injury?

INTRODUCTION: Ischemic priapism remains a significant cause of morbidity among men. To date, the precise time when penile ischemia results in permanent, non-reversible cavernosal smooth muscle injury, compromising subsequent erectile integrity, remains ill-defined. OBJECTIVES: To review the medical literature pertaining to ischemic priapism, focusing on factors that predict the exact timeline of irreversible cavernous tissue injury. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was performed. Our search included both publications on animal models and retrospective clinical series through January 2022. Articles were eligible for inclusion if they contained original data regarding nonreversible tissue injury on histology and/or provided a timeline of erectile function loss or preservation and had full text available in English. RESULTS: Innovative studies in the 1990s using invitro models with strips of rabbit, rat, canine and monkey corpus cavernosal tissue demonstrated that anoxia eliminated spontaneous contractile activity and reduced tissue responsiveness to electrical field stimulation or pharmacological agents. The same models demonstrated that the inhibitory effects of field stimulated relaxation, were mediated by nitric oxide. Subsequent studies using similar models demonstrated that exposure of corpus cavernosum smooth muscle to an acidotic environment impairs its ability to contract. A pH of 6.9 was chosen for these experiments based on a case series of men with priapism, in whom a mean pH of 6.9 was measured in corporal blood after 4-6 hours of priapism. Invivo animal studies demonstrated that after erection periods of 6-8 hours, microscopy shows sporadic endothelial defects but otherwise normal cavernous smooth muscle. In these studies, greater durations of ischemic priapism were shown to result in more pronounced ultrastructural changes and presumably irreversibility. In studies involving human corporal tissues, samples were obtained from men who had experienced priapism for at least 12 hours. Overall, erectile function outcome data is deficient in priapism reporting, especially within treatment windows less than 6 hours. Some reports on ischemic priapism have documented good erectile function outcomes with reversal by 12 hours. CONCLUSION: Based on our extensive review of animal models and clinical reports, we found that many clinical papers rely on the same small set of animal studies to suggest the time point of irreversible ischemic damage at 4-6 hours. Our review suggests an equal number of retrospective clinical studies demonstrate that ischemic priapism reversed within 6-12 hours may preserve erectile function in many patients. Dekalo S, Stern N, Broderick GA, et al. Priapism or Prolonged Erection: Is 4 - 6 Hours of Cavernous Ischemia the Time Point of Irreversible Tissue Injury? Sex Med Rev 2022;10:660-668.

Can We Predict a Higher Risk of Urothelial Bladder Cancer With a Simple Blood Test?

BACKGROUND/AIM: The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need to develop tools prioritizing high risk patients for urgent evaluation. Our objective was to determine whether Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS), an inflammation-based score, can predict higher grade and stage urothelial bladder cancer in patients with gross hematuria who need urgent evaluation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We analyzed a database of 129 consecutive patients presenting with gross hematuria. GPS was calculated using pretreatment C-reactive protein (CRP) and albumin levels. Patients with bacteriuria or other known malignancies were excluded. The relationship between GPS and final diagnosis was analyzed with multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: A total of 101 patients were included in the study and 24 patients were identified without any pathology and 77 with a bladder tumor. Pathology demonstrated 21 with muscle invasive, 18 with high grade non-muscle invasive, and 38 with low grade superficial bladder cancer. Twenty-six of 39 (67%) patients with high grade tumors had a GPS of 1 or 2 compared to only 8 out of 62 (13%) patients with either low grade or negative findings (p<0.0001). Ten of 21 (48%) patients with muscle invasive disease had a GPS of 2 compared to 1 out of 18 (6%) with high grade non muscle invasive tumors (p=0.04). On multivariate analysis, GPS was a strong independent predictor of high grade and stage bladder cancer. CONCLUSION: GPS may serve as a highly accessible predictor of high grade, high stage, and large urothelial bladder tumors at the time of initial evaluation and can help identify patients who need urgent evaluation.

Endoscopic management of intraurethral mesh extrusion with the holmium:YAG laser is an acceptable treatment option in selected patients.

INTRODUCTION: Extrusion of transvaginal mesh into the urethra is a rare but potentially serious complication. Our objective is to evaluate the efficacy and long-term outcomes of women who underwent an endoscopic laser procedure to treat intraurethral mesh. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective chart review identified women who underwent an endoscopic Holmium:YAG laser procedure to treat intraurethral mesh between September 2011-October 2021. Information about the procedure, symptoms, and level of incontinence was gathered from the medical records. Primary outcomes were the need for further procedures, and the Urinary Distress Index-6 score at last follow-up. RESULTS: We identified a total of 29 women; mesh sling procedure included tension-free vaginal sling (19), transobturator sling (6), or other transvaginal mesh sling (4). Presentation of intraurethral mesh was a median of 6 (interquartile range [IQR]: 1-7) years after placement. After the endoscopic procedure, 18/29 (62%) women had no visible urinary mesh and complete resolution of their presenting symptoms. Retreatment was necessary in 3/29 women, and 6/29 (21%) reported new or worsening stress incontinence. The UDI-6 was completed by all patients at a median of 3.7 (IQR: 2.0-5.8) years after their endoscopic procedure. The median score was 22 (IQR: 11-44), and 18/29 (62%) women had scores in the asymptomatic range. UDI-6 scores were similar for the six women who had further mesh procedures and the ones who did not. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic laser treatment of an eroded transvaginal mesh sling is an acceptable treatment with minimal morbidity and satisfactory UDI-6 scores after a median follow-up of 3.7 years.

Parental Regret Following Decision to Revise Circumcision.

Purpose: Revision surgery for the removal of excess foreskin after circumcision is a common procedure. The decision regret scale (DRS) is a validated questionnaire which assesses regret after medical decision making. The aim was to evaluate parental regret by means of the DRS and querying about factors associated with regret about deciding to revise their child's circumcision. Patients and Methods: Included were all pediatric patients who underwent revision of neonatal circumcision in a single center between 2010 and 2016. Excluded were children who underwent revision for reasons other than excess foreskin, those who underwent additional surgical procedures during the same anesthetic session, and those who had undergone previous penile surgery other than circumcision. Response to the DRS questionnaire was by a telephone call with the patient's parent. Regret was classified as none (a score of 0), mild (1-25), or moderate-to-strong (26-100). Surgical and baseline demographic data were obtained from the departmental database and compared between the no regret and regret groups. Results: Of the 115 revisions of circumcisions performed during the study period, 52 fulfilled the inclusion criteria, and the parents of 40 (77%) completed the DRS questionnaire. Regret was reported by 11/40 [28%: nine as mild (23%) and two as moderate-to-strong (5%)]. The average age of the child in the regret group was 17 months compared to 18 months in the no regret group (p = 0.27). The median weight percentile was 43% in both groups. Surgical variables, including anesthesia type (caudal vs. no block, p = 0.65), suture type (polyglactin vs. poliglecaprone, p = 0.29), operation time (28 vs. 25 min, p = 0.59), and anesthesia time (55 vs. 54 min, p = 0.57) were not significantly different between the groups. Conclusions: Regret for deciding upon revision surgery for removal of excess foreskin post-circumcision was reported by 27.5% of parents of children who underwent revision. No clinical, surgical, or demographic characteristics predicted parental decisional regret.

Emergency department non-contrast computed tomography for suspicion of obstructive urolithiasis: Yield and consequences.

INTRODUCTION: We aimed to analyze patterns of referral, yield, and clinical implications of non-contrast computed tomography (NCCT) in the acute evaluation of flank pain suspected as obstructive urolithiasis (OU) in a high-volume emergency department (ED). METHODS: The study comprised 506 consecutive NCCTs performed in the ED over four months. Detection rates of OU, incidental, and alternative findings were calculated. Imaging signs suspicious for recent passage of stones were considered positive for OU, while renal stones without signs of obstruction were considered unrelated to the acute presentation. OU, other findings requiring hospitalization, and incidental findings warranting further workup were considered situations in which NCCTs were warranted. RESULTS: NCCTs confirmed an OU diagnosis in 162 (32%) patients and non-clinically significant nephrolithiasis in 125 (25%). They revealed other findings in 108 (21%) patients, including 42 (8%) with clinically significant incidental findings and 26 (5%) with alternative diagnoses requiring hospitalization. NCCTs were entirely negative in 111 (22%) patients. Corroboration of these outcomes, together with overlapping of OU, incidental, and alternative significant findings in some patients resulted in an overall justified NCCT request rate of 44%. CONCLUSIONS: The yield of NCCT performed in acute presentations of flank pain suspected as OU is relatively low, and over one-half of the scans are unwarranted. The pattern of requesting NCCT in the ED needs refinement to avoid abuse that may lead to radiation overexposure, psychological burden, physical harm, and financial overload.

68Ga-prostate-specific membrane antigen positron emission tomography/computed tomography for patients with favorable intermediate-risk prostate cancer.

INTRODUCTION: Current guidelines do not support the use of pretreatment imaging in patients with favorable intermediate-risk prostate cancer. 68Ga-prostate-specific membrane antigen positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PSMA PET/CT) is more accurate than conventional imaging for preoperative staging. We aimed to evaluate whether pretreatment 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT is beneficial for identifying pathological lymph node involvement (LNI) and adverse pathology among patients with favorable intermediate-risk prostate cancer. METHODS: We reviewed 88 patients with favorable intermediate-risk prostate cancer who underwent 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT prior to radical prostatectomy and lymph node dissection from 2016-2020. The primary endpoint was the presence of pathological LNI. Association between pretreatment characteristics and outcomes were evaluated. RESULTS: Preoperative 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT showed suspicious uptake in lymph nodes in 4/88 patients (5%), hence, 20 patients would need to be scanned to identify a patient with a positive lymph node on imaging. Two patients had pathological LNI, only one of whom showed 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT uptake prior to surgery. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive values of 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT for identifying LNI were 50%, 97%, 25%, and 99%, respectively. After surgery, four patients had evidence of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) persistence. The rate of PSA persistence was higher among patients with LNI on preoperative 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT (2/4, 50% vs. 2/84, 2%, p=0.009). CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative imaging of favorable intermediate-risk prostate cancer patients using 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT showed a low yield for identifying patients at higher risk. Consistent with current guidelines, our findings do not support the routine use of PET/CT in this group of patients. Future prospective studies are needed to validate our findings.

Asymptomatic bacteriuria and antibiotic resistance profile in children with neurogenic bladder who require clean intermittent catheterization.

STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective cohort study. OBJECTIVES: To document the prevalence of asymptomatic bacteriuria and to characterize the resistance patterns to antibiotics among children with neurogenic bladder who require clean intermittent catheterization, with an emphasis on multidrug resistance. SETTING: A national referral pediatric and adolescent rehabilitation facility in Jerusalem, Israel. METHODS: Routine urine cultures were collected before urodynamic studies in suitable individuals during 2010-2018. None of them had symptoms of urinary tract infection at the time of specimen collection. Cultures were defined as being positive if a single bacterial species was isolated together with a growth of over 105 colony-forming units/ml. Resistance patterns were defined as extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) and resistant to 3 antimicrobial groups (multi-drug resistant, MDR). RESULTS: In total, 281 urine cultures were available for 186 participants (median age 7 years, range 0.5-18). Etiologies for CIC included myelomeningocele (n = 137, 74%), spinal cord injury (n = 16, 9%) and caudal regression syndrome (n = 9, 5%). Vesicoureteral reflux was diagnosed in 36 participants (19%), 14 of whom were treated with prophylactic antibiotics. Asymptomatic bacteriuria was present in 217 specimens (77%, 95%CI [0.72-0.82]). The bacteria species were E. coli (71%), Klebsiella (13%), and Proteus (10%). ESBL was found in 11% of the positive cultures and MDR in 9%, yielding a total of 34 (16% of positive cultures) positive for ESBL and/or MDR bacteria. CONCLUSIONS: Asymptomatic bacteriuria and resistance to antimicrobials are common in pediatric individuals who require CIC.

Testicular microlithiasis defines a subgroup of azoospermic men with low rates of sperm retrieval.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of testicular microlithiasis and its association with sperm retrieval rates and histopathology in men with non-obstructive azoospermia. METHODS: A total of 120 men underwent scrotal ultrasonography prior to microsurgical testicular sperm extraction. Sperm retrieval rate, testicular histopathology, testicular size, reproductive hormones, karyotyping, Y chromosome microdeletion analyses, and presence of varicoceles and hydroceles were compared between men with and without testicular microlithiasis. RESULTS: The total sperm retrieval rate was 40%. Ten men with normal spermatogenesis were excluded. The remaining 110 men with non-obstructive azoospermia were analyzed and testicular microlithiasis was detected in 16 of them (14.5%). The sperm retrieval rate in that subgroup was only 6.2% (1/16) as opposed to 39.4% (37/94) in men with non-obstructive azoospermia and no evidence of microlithiasis (P = 0.009). The mean right and left testicular diameters were significantly lower in the microlithiasis group (P = 0.04). On multivariate logistic regression analysis, the presence of mictolithiasis (odds ratio 7.4, 95% confidence interval 2.3, 12.2; P = 0.01) was the only independent predictor of unsuccessful sperm retrieval. The 15 patients with microlithiasis and without successful sperm extraction were diagnosed by histopathology as having Sertoli cells only. The 16th patient with successful sperm retrieval had a histopathology of mixed atrophy and was diagnosed with Klinefelter syndrome. CONCLUSION: The presence of testicular microlithiasis is associated with low sperm retrieval rates among our cohort of men with non-obstructive azoospermia undergoing scrotal ultrasonography prior to microsurgical testicular sperm extraction. Larger, prospective studies should be conducted to confirm these findings.

Anterior and apical samplings during transperineal image-guided prostate biopsy.

INTRODUCTION: Concurrent systematic biopsies during image-guided targeted biopsies of the prostate were found to improve the detection rate of clinically significant prostate cancer (CSPC). However, these biopsies do not routinely include anterior or apical sampling. We aimed to evaluate the significance of anterior and apical samplings during combined biopsies. METHODS: After obtaining institutional review board approval we identified 303 consecutive patients who underwent transperineal combined biopsies of the prostate between 2017-2020. Systematic biopsies were obtained from the peripheral zone, anterior zone, and apex. Study outcomes included CSPC and any cancer on anterior or apical biopsies. Logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate the association between pre-biopsy characteristics and study outcomes. RESULTS: Median prostatic-specific-antigen value was 6.8 ng/dL. Most patients had stage T1c disease (77%). Overall, combined biopsies detected CSPC in 87 patients (29%). Any cancer and CSPC in the anterior zone were found in 54 (18%) and 19 (6%) patients, respectively. Any cancer and CSPC in the apex were found in 54 (18%) and 16 (5%) patients, respectively. Anterior/apical samplings upgraded the pathological result in 19 patients (6%). Logistic regression analyses demonstrated that PI-RADS 5 lesions predicted the presence of CSPC in both the anterior zone (OR = 8, 95%CI = 3-22, P <0.001) and apex (OR = 4, 95%CI = 1-10, P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Avoiding anterior and apical samplings during prostate biopsy does not result in substantial under-diagnosis of significant cancer. However, these areas are easily accessible using the transperineal approach and should be sampled in selected patients, particularly those with PI-RADS 5 lesions.