[Penile tunica albuginea plication for the treatment of penile curvature secondary Peyronie's disease]. / Plicatura de la albugínea como tratamiento de la incurvación de pene causada por la enfermedad de Peyronie.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate, in a retrospective analysis, our long-term results of patients undergoing the Essed plication procedure for the correction of penile curvature due to Peyronie's disease. METHODS: Between January 1998 and June 2003, 83 patients with acquired penile deviation were treated with the Essed technique in our hospital. We analyse the following data: age, main complaint, type of deviation, erection before and after the surgery, physical exploration, ecographic data, complications and results. RESULTS: Mean follow-up was 36 months. Main complaint was penile curvature in 96.3% of patients. The most frequent types of deviation were dorsal (55.4%) and left lateral (48.1%). Erection before surgery was sufficient for sexual intercourse in 74.7%. Physical exploration revealed a plaque in 79.5% of the patients. 93% of the cases reported complete penile curvature correction or residual deviation < 10 degrees. 65.1% of the patients were satisfied or very satisfied with the result of the operation and 64% were able to perform sexual intercourse. CONCLUSIONS: The Essed plication is a simple and minimally invasive method for correcting acquired penile deviation. Although functional results seem to be satisfactory, in our experience the degree of satisfaction with the outcome is not as good, among the patients, as it could be expected.

Plicatura de la albugínea como tratamiento de la incurvación de pene causada por la enfermedad de Peyronie / Penile tunica albuginea plication for the treatment of penile curvature secondary Peyronie´s disease

OBJETIVO: Evaluar nuestros resultados enel tratamiento de la incurvación peneana causada porla enfermedad de Peyronie mediante la plicatura albugíneadescrita por Essed.MÉTODOS:Revisión retrospectiva de los 83 pacientestratados quirúrgicamente de incurvación peneanaadquirida en nuestro centro mediante la técnica de plicaturaentre enero de 1998 y junio de 2003, analizandolas siguientes variables: edad, motivo de consulta,antecedentes personales, exploración física,datos ecográficos, tipo de incurvación, erección pre ypostcirugía, complicaciones y resultados de la técnicaquirúrgica.RESULTADOS:El seguimiento medio fue de 36 meses.El motivo de consulta principal fue la desviación peneanaen erección (96,3%). El tipo de incurvación másfrecuente fue dorsal (55,4%) y lateral izquierda(48,1%). La erección previa a la cirugía era suficientepara mantener una relación sexual en el 74,7% de lospacientes. La exploración física reveló la existencia deplaca en el 79,5% de los casos. En cuanto a los resultadosde la cirugía, el 93% refieren una correccióncompleta de la incurvación o una desviación residualmenor de 10º. El 65,1% manifestaron encontrarse satisfechoso muy satisfechos con la operación, mientrasque el 64% eran capaces de llevar a cabo una relaciónsexual.CONCLUSIONES: La plicatura de Essed es un procedimientosencillo y mínimamente invasivo para corregirla desviación adquirida de pene. En nuestra experiencia,aunque los resultados funcionales parecen ser buenos,el grado de satisfacción entre los pacientes tras lacirugía no es tan alto como cabría esperar

OBJETIVE: To evaluate, in a retrospective analysis, our long term results of patients undergoing the Essed plication procedure for the correction of penile curvature due to Peyronie´s disease. METHODS: Between January 1998 and June 2003, 83 patients with acquired penile deviation were treated with the Essed technique in our hospital. We analyse the following data: age, main complaint, type of deviation, erection before and after the surgery, physical exploration, ecographic data, complications and results. RESULTS: Mean follow-up was 36 months. Main complaint was penile curvature in 96.3% of patients. The most frequent types of deviation were dorsal (55.4%) and left lateral (48.1%). Erection before surgery was sufficient for sexual intercourse in 74.7%. Physical exploration revealed a plaque in 79.5% of the patients. 93% of the cases reported complete penile curvature correction or residual deviation < 10º. 65.1% of the patients were satisfied or very satisfied with the result of the operation and 64% were able to perform sexual intercourse. CONCLUSIONS: The Essed plication is a simple and minimally invasive method for correcting acquired penile deviation. Although functional results seem to be satisfactory, in our experience the degree of satisfaction with the outcome is not as good, among the patients, as it could be expected

[The effect of seminal leukocytes on semen quality in subfertile males with and without varicocele]. / Efectos de la leucocitospermia sobre la calidad seminal en varones subfértiles con y sin varicocele.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the concentration of leukocytes and round cells in semen samples of subfertile males (SM), men with varicocele (VM), and fertile males (FM) to establish a possible relationship between leukocyte concentration, semen parameters (pH, concentration, mobility, spermatic morphology) and lipidic peroxidation of the spermatozoid. METHODS: We evaluated 298 semen samples from: 42 fertile males, 170 subfertile males, and 86 men with varicocele. Sperm tests were performed following WHO criteria. All samples with leukocyte counts higher than 1 million/ml were submitted for oxidative stress study (malonyldialdehyde in seminal plasma). RESULTS: Leukocyte concentration was higher in subfertile males and men with varicocele (2.5 +/- 2.1 x 10(6)/ml and 2.3 +/- 2.1 x 10(6)/ml) than in fertile males (1.1 +/- 0.1 x 10(6)/ml) (p 0.0001). In the same way concentration of round cells was higher in the SM group (6.5 +/- 0.3 x 10(6)/ml) and VM group (6.1 +/- 0.4 x 10(6)/ml) than in FM (4.5 +/- 0.4 x 10(6)/ml) (p 0.05). Spermatozoid concentration was lower in SM (42.1 +/- 2.4 x 10(6)/ml) and VM (9.9 +/- 3.5 x 10(6)/ml) than in FM (82.4 +/- 5.7 x 10(6)/ml) (p 0.0001). The percentage of spermatozoa with type "a" mobility was lower in the SM (14.1 +/- 0.9) and VM (19.9 +/- 1.4) groups than in the FM group (50.0 +/- 1.3) (p 0.0001). In the same way, "a + b" mobility was lower in the SF group (26.7 +/- 1.4) and VM group (34.1 +/- 1.9) than in the FM group (50.0 +/- 1.3) (p 0.0001). The SM group showed a lower percentage of normal forms (43.3 +/- 1.5) than the VM (50.0 +/- 1.6) and FM (60.6 +/- 1.3) groups (p 0.0001). When grouping by concentration of peroxidase positive cells, there were not statistical differences in the spermatic variables in SM, with the exception of progeny cells. Type "a" mobility in the VM group was lower in the peroxidase positive group than in the peroxidase negative group (p 0.005); "a + b" mobility was also lower in the peroxidase positive men than in peroxidase negative (p 0.01); in the progeny cells they were higher in the peroxidase positive males (4.2 +/- 0.4 x 10(6)/ml) than in peroxidase negative males (3.0 +/- 0.3 x 10(6)/ml). Malonyldialdehyde concentrations were significantly higher in seminal plasma of subfertile and varicocele males than in fertile males (p 0.006, and p 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Increased number of semen lymphocytes is more frequent in subfertile and varicocele males than in fertile males. The increase of semen leukocytes is associated with deterioration of seminal parameters. Oxidative stress has a negative influence on seminal parameters in subfertile males of unknown etiology.

[The treatment of varicocele in the infertile male I: results on semen quality]. / Tratamiento del varicocele en el varón infértil I: resultados sobre la calidad seminal.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effect of interventionist treatment of varicocele, either open surgery or endovascular radiological occlusion, on seminal parameters, and to identify which factors are associated with their normalization. METHODS: Between 1975 and 2000, 631 patients with the diagnosis of idiopathic varicocele were evaluated in our hospital; 238 of them were part of an infertile couple. Among them, finally, 183 underwent studies; they complied with the following criteria: 1) Infertility for more than one year; 2) seminal parameters below normality following WHO criteria (1992); 3) absence of other pathologies or diseases which could explain male infertility; and 4) absence of evident causes of male infertility. 131 patients were treated by radiological occlusion and 26 by conventional surgery. The remaining 26 patients did not undergo the treatment indicated. Two parameters were evaluated on follow-up: 1) achievement of pregnancy (these results will be analyzed in a next article), and 2) normalization of seminal parameters. RESULTS: 48% and 39% of the patients respectively achieved normalization of the number of spermatozoids per ml (=20 million spermatozoids per ml) and spermatic morbidity (=50%). The association between normalization of seminal parameters and age, clinical grade, or type of treatment was not demonstrated. Only baseline degree of severity in the alteration of seminal parameters showed statistically significant differences in the evaluation of semen quality after treatment of varicocele (p = 0.001 and p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: The degree of previous seminal alteration--oligospermia and asthenospermia--was the factor with greatest prognostic value in relation with normalization of seminal parameters.

[The treatment of varicocele in the infertile male II: results on fertility]. / Tratamiento del varicocele en el varón infértil II: resultados sobre la fertilidad.

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the efficacy of varicocele treatment, either surgical or endovoscular radiological occlusion, on pregnancy rates of infertile couples in which the male had clinically. patent left varicocele, and to identify which factors are associated with the probability of obtaining pregnancy in such cases. METHODS: This study is part of a more ample one described in previous article: "The treatment of varicocele in the infertile male I: Results on semen quality". Overall, 183 couples were included. 157 males received treatment (131 radiological occlusion and 26 open surgery), the remaining 26 did not received the treatment indicated. Couples underwent periodic follow-up during the first year, evaluating two parameters: 1) normalization of semen analysis parameters, and 2) pregnancy during the following 12 months after indication of treatment. RESULTS: Overall, 41 couples (22.4%) achieved pregnancy during first year, 35/157 (22%) in the group of treated patients, and 6/26 (23%) in the non treatment group. In the treatment group, surgical ligature achieved higher pregnancy rates than radiological occlusion (35% vs. 20%), but the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.255). No association was demonstrated between male age, female age, varicocele clinical grade, degree of semen quality abnormalities, or duration of infertility and pregnancy rates. The FSH value was significantly lower (p 0.0006) in patients who achieved pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: The degree of semen quality abnormality, which so closely correlated to normalization of seminal parameters, locked of prognostic significance in terms of achievement of pregnancy. The FSH value was the only factor with certain prognostic value, although it did not reach significance in logistic regression analysis.