Pirfenidone improves voiding function by suppressing bladder fibrosis in underactive bladder rats.

Underactive bladder (UAB), characterized by a complex set of symptoms with few treatment options, can significantly reduce the quality of life of affected people. UAB is characterized by hyperplasia and fibrosis of the bladder wall as well as decreased bladder compliance. Pirfenidone is a powerful anti-fibrotic agent that inhibits the progression of fibrosis in people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. In the current study, we evaluated the efficacy of pirfenidone in the treatment of bladder fibrosis in a UAB rat model. UAB was induced by crushing damage to nerve bundles in the major pelvic ganglion. Forty-two days after surgery, 1 mL distilled water containing pirfenidone (100, 300, or 500 mg/kg) was orally administered once every 2 days for a total of 10 times for 20 days to the rats in the pirfenidone-treated groups. Crushing damage to the nerve bundles caused voiding dysfunction, resulting in increased bladder weight and the level of fibrous related factors in the bladder, leading to UAB symptoms. Pirfenidone treatment improved urinary function, increased bladder weight and suppressed the expression of fibrosis factors. The results of this experiment suggest that pirfenidone can be used to ameliorate difficult-to-treat urological conditions such as bladder fibrosis. Therefore, pirfenidone treatment can be considered an option to improve voiding function in patient with incurable UAB.

Water Vapor Therapy and Zonal Anatomy of the Prostate.

Water vapor therapy using Rezum has been recently introduced as a minimally invasive surgery for benign prostatic hyperplasia and is being increasingly performed. However, there is a lack of real-time images showing this practice and how convective water vapor acts in the prostate gland. In real-time ultrasonography, convective water vapor rapidly spreads throughout the ipsilateral transitional zone and is mostly limited within the transitional zone. For educational purposes, we would like to present a case to help readers understand water vapor therapy by visualizing convective water vapor using real-time ultrasound.

Efficacy of fosfomycin compared to second generation cephalosporin flumarin as antimicrobial prophylaxis for transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy: a single center retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Fluoroquinolone has been the historic choice of antimicrobial prophylaxis for transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) guided prostate biopsy. However, increased fluoroquinolone resistance and recent restrictions of its use for antimicrobial prophylaxis has led to the emergence of alternative agents for antimicrobial prophylaxis for TRUS guided prostate biopsy including fosfomycin and cephalosporins. This study aimed to compare the efficacy of fosfomycin and a second-generation cephalosporin flumarin as alternative antimicrobials for TRUS-guided prostate biopsy in terms of the incidence of infectious complications after TRUS-guided prostate biopsy. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of all patients who underwent TRUS-guided prostate biopsy between November 2009 to January 2023 was undertaken. Comparison of baseline characteristics and the incidence of infectious complications was done between those who received fosfomycin as antimicrobial prophylaxis for TRUS-guided prostate biopsy and those who received flumarin. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify risk factors for infectious complications after TRUS-guided prostate biopsy. RESULTS: Of 2,900 patients identified as eligible candidates for analysis, 333 (11.5%) received fosfomycin and 2,567 (88.5%) received flumarin. The overall rate of infectious complications was approximately 3% lower in patients who received fosfomycin, although such difference did not reach statistical significance (5.7% vs. 8.6%, p = 0.074). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that history of operation done under general anaesthesia within six months of the biopsy (odds ratio [OR]: 2.216; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.042-4.713; p = 0.039) and history of prior antimicrobial use within six months (OR: 1.457; 95% CI: 1.049-2.024; p = 0.025) were significant risk factors for infectious complications after TRUS-guided prostate biopsy. CONCLUSION: Fosfomycin was comparable to second-generation cephalosporin flumarin in preventing infectious complications after TRUS-guided prostate biopsy. Coupled with its properties such as ease of administration, low adverse effects, low resistance rate, and low collateral damage, fosfomycin might be an attractive alternative antimicrobial prophylaxis for TRUS-guided prostate biopsy.

Anterograde irrigation - assisted ureteroscopic lithotripsy in patients with percutaneous nephrostomy

ABSTRACT In complicated urinary tract infection with ureteral calculi, urinary diversion is inevitable. So, stenting or percutaneous drainage can be an option. In hemodynamically unstable patients, percutaneous drainage is superior to ureteral stenting (1). Once acute infection is controlled, definite treatment of the stone is necessary. According to a guideline, semirigid ureteroscopy is recommended for lower and mid - ureter stone and flexible ureteroscopy for upper ureter stone (2). Semi - rigid ureteroscopy can migrate stone to kidney, especially in upper ureter stone, lowering stone free rate (3). Not only flexible ureteroscopy creates additional costs but also is barely available in developing countries (4, 5). So, the authors would like to introduce anterograde irrigation - assisted ureteroscopic lithotripsy in patients with percutaneous nephrostomy. Retrograde irrigation was connected and flowed minimally enough to secure visual field. Once stone is noted, another saline irrigation, which is placed above 40 cm over the patient is connected to nephrostomy. Retrograde irrigation is disconnected from ureteroscope and the previous connected channel on ureteroscope is opened. Actual pressure detected by barometer from the opened channel of ureteroscope is usually about 30 cmH2 O while anterograde irrigation is administered in maximal flow, which means fully opened anterograde irrigation is not hazardous to kidney. There was no complication in 17 patients submitted to this method. Video shows advantages of our practice: clear visual field; reduced risk of stone migration into kidney; induced spontaneous passage of fragments without using instrumentation; and decreased operation time. In short, most of surgeons, even unexperienced, can perform an excellent procedure with less time consuming using our method.