Increased risk of bladder cancer recurrence due to bacillus Calmette-Guérin shortage in Brazil.

OBJECTIVE: Our study aimed to evaluate the impact of bacillus Calmette-Guérin shortage on recurrence and progression in patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer in a Brazilian cohort. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the clinicopathological data of 409 patients who had their first transurethral resection of the bladder tumor for intermediate or high-risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer between June 2014 and May 2021 in a tertiary public hospital in Brazil. Patients included had non-muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma of the bladder resected completely for the first time, regardless of bacillus Calmette-Guérin use. Low-risk disease patients were excluded from the analysis. Demographic, clinicopathological, and bacillus Calmette-Guérin use data were collected from our database. Recurrence and progression data were obtained from patient records or through telephone interviews. Recurrence-free survival and progression-free survival were calculated from the date of transurethral resection of the bladder tumor until the events of recurrence, progression, last office visit, or phone interview. RESULTS: Within a median follow-up period of 26.7 months, 168 (41.1%) patients experienced a recurrence in a median time of 27 months (95%CI 16.1-38). Bacillus Calmette-Guérin was administered to 57 (13.9%) individuals after transurethral resection of the bladder tumor. Patients with ≥3 lesions (p<0.001), those with lesions >3 cm (p=0.02), and those without bacillus Calmette-Guérin treatment (p<0.001) had shorter recurrence-free survival. According to a Cox multivariate regression model, bacillus Calmette-Guérin use was independently associated with a reduced recurrence rate, with an HR of 0.43 (95%CI 0.25-0.72). Out of the patients studied, 26 (6.4%) experienced progression. T1 stage (p<0.001) and high-grade (p<0.001) were associated with shorter progression-free survival. Bacillus Calmette-Guérin did not influence bladder cancer progression. In the Cox multivariate analysis, high-risk disease was independently associated with progression (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Our study confirms that non-muscle invasive bladder cancer exhibits a high recurrence rate. The use of adjuvant bacillus Calmette-Guérin in intermediate and high-risk patients significantly reduces this rate. Furthermore, the bacillus Calmette-Guérin shortage could have negatively impacted these patients.

Validation of the TWIST score for testicular torsion in adults.

PURPOSE: The TWIST (Testicular Work-up for Ischemia and Suspected Torsion) score was developed to allow for expedited diagnosis of testicular torsion (TT) in children based on clinical variables: edema (2 points), hard mass (2), absent cremasteric reflex (1), high-riding testis (1) and nausea/vomiting (1). We sought to validate the TWIST Score applied by non-expert physicians for the diagnosis of testicular torsion in an adult population. METHODS: We prospectively analyzed all consecutive males presenting to a tertiary hospital with acute scrotum. Patients with previous scrotal pathology or trauma were excluded. Physical examination was performed by a general surgeon and variables of TWIST were recorded. All patients underwent Scrotal Doppler Ultrasound. Measures of accuracy of the TWIST score and ROC curves were generated to evaluate its performance in diagnosing TT in adults. RESULTS: Of 68 patients, 34 had TT (50%). Median age was 24.9 years. According to the original cutoffs of TWIST, 23 patients had a score ≤ 2 among which none had TT. Fifteen patients had a score of 3-4, among which seven had TT. Thirty patients had a score ≥ 5, among which 27 had TT. All 18 patients with a score of 6 or greater had TT (100% PPV). ROC curve revealed an AUC of 0.95. CONCLUSION: The TWIST Score is valid for the diagnosis of Testicular Torsion in adults, presenting a PPV of 90% for a cutoff of 5 points and 100% for six points. In all patients with a score of 2 or less, the disease could be safely excluded (100% NPV).

Calcifying fibrous tumor: A rare spermatic cord presentation.

Calcifying fibrous tumor of the tunica vaginalis is a rare fibrous proliferation, which can sometimes mimic a scrotal malignancy prompting surgical intervention. It has been recognized as a benign lesion, and no recurrence has been described after its resection. Its identification is essential to avoid overtreatment and unnecessary orchiectomy. We herein describe a rare case of calcifying fibrous tumor of the tunica vaginalis in a young patient and review the clinical features of inguinal and scrotal calcifying fibrous tumors to help clinical decisions and encourage a testis sparing surgery.