The role of the elastography in the diagnosis of prostate cancer: a retrospective study on 460 patients.

OBJECTIVE: Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancer among men in industrialized total Prostatic Specific Antigen (PSA) and PSA ratio, Trans Rectal Ultrasound Scan (TRUS) and prostate biopsy, which is the gold standard for tumoral diagnosis. The poor sensibility of TRUS, when DRE and/or PSA are abnormal, requires prostate biopsy for diagnostic confirmation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the sensibility and the specificity of real time elastography (SE) with and without the association of TRUS for cancer diagnosis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated 460 patients who underwent TRUS-guided prostate biopsy. The mean age of patients was 66.4 years, the mean PSA was 7.96 ng/ml and the mean PSA ratio was 17.19%. We compared histopathological findings of prostate biopsies with the results of TRUS and elastography. RESULTS: 32.17% of all patients were positive for prostate cancer.TRUS showed a sensitivity of 76.35% with a low specificity (43.59%), a Positive Predictive Value (PPV) of 39.1% and a Negative Predictive Value (NPV) of 79.53%. SE showed a lower sensitivity (61.49%), but better specificity (75%), PPV (53.85%) and NPV (80.41%). The association of TRUS + SE showed an increase in the sensitivity (79.79%) and in the NPV (86.71%). We separately evaluated the results of the two urologists with a greater experience in the use of these diagnostic methods who got an excellent sensitivity (91.42%) and an high NPV (92.68%). CONCLUSIONS: SE is certainly an useful diagnostic method for the detection of prostate cancer, especially in association with TRUS. A great experience of the sonographist and an adequate training are indispensable to make, in the future, elastography a "structural marker".

Thulium-laser retrograde intra renal ablation of upper urinary tract transitional cell carcinoma: an ESUT Study.

BACKGROUND: Radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) is the gold standard treatment for upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC); however, patients presenting with small low-grade UTUC have been treated by flexible ureteroscopic laser ablation with good outcomes. Different types of laser have been discussed in the literature including Holmium and Neodymium lasers. We aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of Thulium laser (Tm:YAG) in the ureteroscopic ablation of UTUC. METHODS: A retrospective observational multicentre study of patients diagnosed with papillary UTUC between January 2015 and December 2016 was carried out. All patients underwent ureteroscopic biopsy of the UTUC followed by Tm:YAG ablation. Based on the histopathological grade of the tumor, patients were counseled to undergo either RNU (high- grade tumors) or conservative management and follow-up (low-grade tumor). RESULTS: RNU was performed in 31 patients, while the remaining 47 patients (undergone Tm:YAG ablation only) were followed up for a mean of 11.7 months with only 19.2% of patients showing upper tract recurrence and no patients showed postoperative ureteral strictures. Limitations include the short follow-up and retrospective nature of the study. CONCLUSIONS: On the short term, thulium Laser ablation of UTUC is safe and feasible especially in low-grade UTUC.

[Real-time elastography in the diagnosis of prostate cancer: personal experience]. / Ruolo dell'elastosonografia prostatica transrettale nella diagnostica per immagini del carcinoma prostatico: esperienza personale.

INTRODUCTION: Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. In the future, a significant further increase in the incidence of prostate cancer is expected. The indication to perform a prostate biopsy is digital rectal examination suspicious for prostate cancer, total prostate specific antigen (PSA) value, free PSA/total PSA ratio, PSA density and PSA velocity, and an evidence of hypoechoic area at transrectal ultrasound scan. Unfortunately the specificity and sensibility are still poor. The aim of this retrospective study is to evaluate the specificity and sensibility of real time elastography versus ultrasound transrectal B-mode scan. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated 108 pts. having undergone TRUS-guided transrectal prostate biopsy (10 samples). The indication for biopsy is: digital rectal examination, total prostate specific antigen (PSA) value, PSA ratio, PSA density and PSA velocity suspicious for prostate cancer, and/or an evidence of hypoechoic area at transrectal ultrasound scan, and/or hard area at real-time elastography. The mean age of patients is 66.8 years, mean PSA 6.5 ng/mL, and mean ratio 16.5%. We compared the histopathological findings of needle prostate biopsies with the results of transrectal ultrasound and transrectal real-time elastography. RESULTS: 32/108 (29.6%) pts. were positive for prostate cancer (mean Gleason score 7.08), mean PSA 14 ng/mL and mean ratio 9.5%. Transrectal ultrasound scan shows a sensibility of 69% and specificity of 68%. Transrectal ultrasound scan shows a VPP of 51.4%. Transrectal ultrasound scan shows a VPN of 80.9%. Real-time elastography shows a sensibility of 56% and specificity of 85.7%. Real-time elastography shows a VPP of 60.1%. Real-time elastography shows a VPN of 83%. CONCLUSIONS: Elastography has a significantly higher specificity for the detection of prostate cancer than the conventionally used examinations including DRE and TRUS. It is a useful real-time diagnostic method because it is not invasive, and simultaneous evaluation is possible while performing TRUS.

Primary malignant melanoma of the bladder.

Primary malignant melanomma of bladder is extremely rare: 18 cases are reported to date. An 82 year-old man underwent trans-urethral resection of bladder for a bleeding tumor of the posterior wall. Histological diagnosis was melanoma of the bladder. There was no history of previous or regressed cutaneous malignant melanoma. Margins of the bladder lesion contained atypical melanocytes similar to those commonly seen in the periphery of primary mucous membrane lesions. Clinical studies and radiological examinations were negative for other primary site of melanoma. The patient had a bladder recurrence that was consistent with primary tumor and died of widespread disease 9 months after diagnosis.