The role of pre-biopsy mpMRI in lymph node staging for prostate cancer.

INTRODUCTION: Prostate cancer (PCa) staging is an integral part in the management of prostate cancer. The gold standard for diagnosing lymph node invasion is a surgical lymphadenectomy, with no superior imaging modality available at the clinician's disposal. Our aim in this study is to identify if a pre-biopsy multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) can provide enough information about pelvic lymph nodes in intermediate and high risk PCa patients, and whether it can substitute further cross sectional imaging (CSI) modalities of the abdomen and pelvis in these risk categories. METHODS: Patients with intermediate and high risk prostate cancer were collected between January 2015 and June 2019, while excluding patients who did not undergo a pre-biopsy mpMRI or a CSI. Date regarding biopsy result, PSA, MRI results, CSI imaging results were collected. Using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24.0, statistical analysis was conducted using the Cohen's Kappa agreement for comparison of mpMRI with CSI. McNemar's test and receiver operator curve (ROC) curve were used for comparison of sensitivity of both tests when comparing to the gold standard of lymphadenectomy. RESULTS: A total of 143 patients fit the inclusion criteria. We further stratified our patients into according to PSA level and Gleason score. Overall, agreement between mpMRI and all CSI was 0.857. When stratifying patients based on Gleason score and PSA, the higher the grade or PSA, the higher agreement between mpMRI and CSI. The sensitivity of mpMRI (73.7%) is similar to CSI (68.4%). When comparing CSI sensitivity to that of mpMRI, no significant difference was present by utilizing the McNemar test and very similar receiver operating characteristic curve. CONCLUSION: A pre-biopsy mpMRI can potentially substitute further cross sectional imaging in our cohort of patients. However, larger prospective studies are needed to confirm our findings.

Comparative analysis of histopathological subtypes of renal cell carcinoma in the Middle East compared to other world regions.

INTRODUCTION: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has various histopathological tumor subtypes which have a significant implication on the oncological outcome of these patients. We aimed to evaluate the distribution of RCC subtypes presenting at a tertiary care center in the Middle East, in comparison to the distribution reported in different geographic areas worldwide. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was conducted on all patients who underwent partial or radical nephrectomy for RCC at the American University of Beirut Medical Center between January 2012 and January 2018. Data on histologic subtypes were compiled and compared to representative series from different continents. RESULTS: One hundred and seventy-nine patients with RCC were identified, of whom 122 (68.2%) were classified as clear cell, 30 (16.8%) as papillary, 17 (9.5%) as chromophobe, and 10 (5.6%) as unclassified. When compared to other regions of the world, this Middle Eastern series demonstrated a higher prevalence of the chromophobe subtype compared to Western populations (9.5% in the Middle East vs. 5.3% in the US and 3.1% in Europe) and a lower prevalence of clear cell subtype (68.2% in the Middle East vs. 78.7% in the US and 85.8% in Europe). Conversely, there was a higher prevalence of papillary RCC in the Middle East (16.8%) compared to North America (13.1%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 12.7-13.6), Europe (11.1%, 95% CI: 10.0-12.1), and Australia (10.2%). The prevalence of chromophobe and clear cell RCC in the Middle East was similar to that reported in South America. CONCLUSIONS: The distribution of RCC subtypes in this Middle Eastern cohort was significantly different from that reported in the Western hemisphere (Europe and the US) but similar to that reported in South America and Australia. These findings may point to a possible genetic predisposition underlying the global variation in distribution.

An evaluation of the timing of surgical complications following radical prostatectomy: Data from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP).

OBJECTIVE: To perform a time-to-complication analysis for radical prostatectomy (RP) and computing risk factors for these complications, as RP is established as a first-line treatment for localised prostate cancer with excellent oncological outcomes but is not without its complications. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We used the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database to analyse data of patients who underwent RP, between 2008 and 2015, with the primary endpoint of time-to-complications. Categorical variables were analysed using descriptive statistics and continuous variables were recorded as medians and interquartile ranges (IQRs) such as timing of complications. Multivariable regression analyses were used to analyse time-to-complication and its effect on other outcomes. A P < 0.05 was defined as statistically significant. RESULTS: The overall 30-day complication rate was 7.54% and was equally distributed before and after discharge. Bleeding/transfusion (3.37%), urinary tract infection (1.58%), deep venous thrombosis (DVT; 0.74%), and wound infection (1.08%) were the five most common complications after RP. The median (IQR) time-to-complication unique for each complication was: bleeding/transfusion occurred on the same operative day (1), renal complications occurred at 4 (2-6) days, sepsis at 12 (6.5-17.5) days, DVT at 11 (5.5-16.5) days, pneumonia at 4 (0.5-7.5) days, and cardiac arrest occurred at 5 (1.75-8.25) days. After discharge complications were associated with greater odds of re-admission (odds ratio [OR] 16.40, P < 0.001), but associated with a lesser length of stay (OR - 3.33, P < 0.001) when compared to pre-discharge complications. CONCLUSION: Several risk factors predict pre- and post-discharge complication rates. Knowledge regarding the timing of complications and their respective risk factors should improve patient-physician communication and prediction, and thus patient care. ABBREVIATIONS: ACS: American College of Surgeons; BMI: body mass index; DM: diabetes mellitus; DVT: deep venous thrombosis; Hct: haematocrit; IQR: interquartile range; LOS: length of stay; NSQIP: National Surgical Quality Improvement Program; OR: odds ratio; RP: radical prostatectomy.

Development of a novel nomogram incorporating platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio for the prediction of lymph node involvement in prostate carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: The available nomograms used to predict lymph node involvement (LNI) are not comprehensive. We sought to derive a novel nomogram incorporating the platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) to predict LNI and compare its performance to validated preoperative risk nomograms in a cohort of men undergoing robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy at our institution. METHODS: Our electronic health record was queried for patients who underwent robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy with bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy between 2013 and 2019. A bootstrapped multivariate logistic regression model was constructed for the predictors of LNI while adjusting for other covariates. Then, we used the derived logistic regression formula to estimate each patient's risk (%) for LNI. Individualized risks were also calculated using the following verified nomograms: Briganti-2012, Cagiannos, Godoy, and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Subsequently, we plotted the risks for our nomogram and the 4 verified nomograms into receiver operating characteristics curves. We reported the area under the curve (AUC) for each of the 5 nomograms and the corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI). RESULTS: The cohort included 173 patients, of which 13.9% demonstrated LNI. LNI was associated with higher preoperative prostate-specific antigen (PSA) ≥ 10 [odds ratio [OR] = 4.89; 95% confidence interval [CI] (1.42-16.83)], higher grade (WHO group ≥ 3)[19.21; (2.23-195.25)], and higher percentage of positive biopsy cores (≥60%) [3.38, (1.04-11.00)]. With every 30-unit increase in PLR the risk of LNI increased by 47%. The nomogram derived from our data had the highest AUC [(AUC 0.877; 95% CI (0.806-0.947)]. The Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Briganti 2012 displayed almost congruent ability [0.836; 95% CI (0.758-0.915)] and [0.827; (0.752-0.902)] to identify patients with positive nodes in our cohort with perfect sensitivity and negative predictive value. CONCLUSION: The nomogram incorporating PLR demonstrated 94.7% sensitivity to predict LNI and avoided pelvic lymphadenectomy in half of the patients at a cut-off between 6.5% and 8.5%. A prospective study with a larger sample is needed to validate our findings.

Inflammatory serum markers predicting spontaneous ureteral stone passage.

INTRODUCTION: Ureteral stones pose a high economic and medical burden among Emergency Department (ED) admissions. Management strategies vary from expectant therapy to surgical interventions. However, predictors of spontaneous ureteral stone passage are still not well understood. We aim to explore the role of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte (PLR) ratios in the spontaneous ureteral stone passage (SSP). METHODS: Chart review was done for 619 patients who presented to our institution's ED with non-febrile renal colic and received a radiological diagnosis of ureteral stone of less than 10 mm. Demographic, clinical, laboratory, and radiological data were collected. The Linear-by-Linear Association test was used to look at the trend among the NLR and PLR quartiles and other demographic variables. Univariate analysis was run for the collected variables. Then, a hierarchal backward multivariate logistic regression was run for each of NLR and PLR variables. To validate the results, bootstrapping was undertaken for each model. RESULTS: NLR between 2.87 and 4.87 had odds ratio (OR) 2.96 (95% CI 1.80-5.49) and an NLR > 4.87 had 3.63 (2.04-6.69) the odds of retained ureteral stone. A PLR between 10.42 and 15.25 and a PLR > 15.25 had 3.28 (1.79-6.19) and 3.84 (2.28-7.12) the odds of failed SSP, respectively. Other significant variables in the two models are diabetes, urine leukocyte esterase > 10 white blood cell/µl, moderate-to-severe hydronephrosis, and stone size. CONCLUSION: NLR and PLR are inversely associated with SSP of ureteral stones. In adjunct with other indicators, NLR and PLR are inflammatory markers that could be used in the clinical decision of ureteral stone management.

Isolated Testicular Metastasis Diagnosed More than a Decade and a Half Post Primary Treatment for Prostate Cancer.

Prostate cancer is the most common visceral malignancy among men. It rarely metastasizes to the testicles. We herein present the case of a male patient who underwent a radical prostatectomy for a grade group 3 Gleason score 7 (4 + 3) prostate adenocarcinoma followed by adjuvant radiation therapy and continuous androgen deprivation therapy after his first biochemical recurrence. Despite optimal management, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels rose back up, upon which a PET/CT 68Gallium scan demonstrated an isolated left testicular lesion that turned out to be of prostatic origin following orchiectomy. Testicular metastases from prostate cancer are of unknown prognosis, and the current treatment modality favors an orchiectomy.

A novel approach to treatment of priapism refractory to non-surgical methods: A single-case experience.

Ischaemic priapism is a rarely encountered urological emergency that can lead to erectile dysfunction if not treated. Treatment strategies for ischaemic priapism include: cavernosal sympathomimetic injections; percutaneous shunts; and surgical procedures including shunts and penile prostheses. We present a case of a middle-aged man presenting with ischaemic priapism refractory to cavernosal injections and percutaneous T-shunt procedure. After refusal of surgery, a continuous cavernosal infusion of phenylephrine was successfully performed with resolution of erection and no sequelae. For the treatment of ischaemic priapism, adherence to management guidelines should be encouraged; however, it is still a disease entity that is not well understood and new treatment protocols may have a role in the future. Abbreviation: ED: erectile dysfunction.

Adrenal Cystic Lymphangioma: An Unexpected Pathological Finding in a Constellation of Uncontrolled Hypertension and Hypercalcemia.

Adrenal cysts are rarely observed lesions. Adrenal cystic lymphangiomas are asymptomatic benign lesions of the lymphatic vessels with the vast majority occurring in women. We herein present a rare case of a middle-aged gentleman with labile blood pressure associated with an incidental finding of an adrenal mass of 4 x 3 x 3 cm. Following surgical resection, pathology revealed the diagnosis of adrenal cystic lymphangioma.

A yellow-colored lipomatous lesion of the bladder: An unorthodox finding seen upon investigation for microscopic hematuria.

Bladder lesions are almost always malignant where only 5% turn out to be benign. Among the benign lesions, bladder lipomas are rarely reported in the literature. Typically, they are incidentally discovered, after endoscopic resection, during an investigation for hematuria or other urinary tract symptoms. This submucosal lesion must be differentiated from its malignant counterparts, such as liposarcoma or pelvic lipomatosis both of which have higher chance of recurrence and invasion when inadequately resected. We hereby report another rare case of an incidentally discovered bladder wall lipoma in a patient presenting with microscopic hematuria.