Comparing different pneumoperitoneum (12 vs. 15 mmHg) pressures with cytokine analysis to evaluate clinical outcomes in patients undergoing robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical cystectomy and intracorporeal robotic urinary diversion.

Background: Robotic cystectomy is the mainstay surgical intervention for treatment-refractory nonmuscle-invasive and muscle-invasive bladder cancer. However, paralytic ileus may complicate the postoperative recovery and may be a consequence of an inflammatory response associated with transient gut ischaemia. We have therefore investigated clinical, operative and inflammatory biomarker associations between paralytic ileus in the context of robotic cystectomy and intracorporeal ileal conduit urinary diversion. Methods: Prospective consective patients referred for robotic cystectomy were consented and included in the study, while patients >75 years old and converted to open procedure were excluded. The pneumoperitoneum pressure (PP) for carbon dioxide insufflation required to perform the procedure efficiently and safely was recorded (12 or 15 mmHg). We also recorded the postoperative days patients passed flatus and stools, whether they developed ileus, as well as other standard clinical and demographic data. The expression of select proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines was determined by multiplex analysis using a cytometric bead array with changes in profiles correlated with the pressures applied and with the existence of an ileus. Results: Twenty-seven patients were recruited, but only 20 were used in the study with 10 patients in each PP group. Seven patients were excluded all of whom had an extracorporeal ileal conduit formation. There were differences in the 40-min shorter operative time and 1 day shorter length of stay, as well as passing flatus 1 day and stools 1.5 days earlier in the 12 mmHg compared with the 15 mmHg group. More patients had ileus in the 15 mmHg group vs 12 mmHg group (30% vs. 10.0%). These were not statistically significant. Similarly, there were no statistical differences in the expression of proinflammatory cytokines at the two different pressures or between patient groups, but there were outliers, with the median indicating nonsymmetrical distribution. By comparison, anti-inflammatory cytokines showed some significant differences between groups, with IL-6 and IL-10 showing elevated levels postsurgery. No statistical difference was observed between pressures or the existence of an ileus, but the maximum levels of IL-6 and IL-10 detected in some patients reflect a pressure difference. Conclusions: The initial findings of this novel scientific study indicated a higher risk of paralytic ileus postrobotic cystectomy and robotic intracorporeal urinary diversion when a higher pressure of 15 mmHg is used compared with 12 mmHg. Although further studies are required to establish the linkage between cytokine profile expression, pressure and ileus, our initial data reinforces the advantages of lower pressure robotic cystectomy and intracorporeal urinary diversion in patient outcomes.

A Rare Case of Prostatic Stromal Tumour of Uncertain Malignant Potential Surrounding Ejaculatory Ducts in a Patient With Concurrent Prostate Adenocarcinoma.

Stromal tumour of uncertain malignant potential (STUMP) is exceedingly rare. Diagnosis and management of STUMP present a challenge to the urologist due to the absence of specific clinical findings and its unpredictable clinical course. Thus, radical resection is often recommended. Here, we present a case of a 64-year-old male, who presented with mild obstructive voiding symptoms with a raised age-specific prostate-specific antigen (PSA) of 3.1. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed an area of suspicion, in an area thought to be the left seminal vesicle, containing a malignant lesion within it. Biopsy of this area and the prostate confirmed concurrent prostatic STUMP and Gleason 3+3=6 adenocarcinoma of the prostate, managed with robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy with wide local excision.

Single tertiary cancer center experience on the management of pT3b prostate cancer after robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy.

Background: Pathological involvement of the seminal vesicle poses a treatment dilemma following robotic prostatectomy. Margin status plays an important role in deciding further management. A wide range of treatment options are available, including active monitoring, adjuvant radiotherapy, salvage radiotherapy, and occasionally androgen deprivation therapy. Patients undergoing postoperative radiotherapy tend to have higher risk of urinary and bowel morbidities. The recent RADICALS-RT concluded that adjuvant radiotherapy did not have any benefit compared with salvage radiotherapy. We aim to audit the incidence, margin status, and management of T3b cancer cases at our center. Materials and methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted of all patients diagnosed with pathological T3b (pT3b) prostate cancer following robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy from January 2012 to July 2020. Preoperative parameters analyzed included prostate-specific antigen (PSA), T stage, and age. A chi-square test and 2-tailed t test were used to determine the relationship between categorical and continuous variables, respectively. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were generated to assess overall survival in patients with pT3b prostate cancer and used to compare unadjusted progression-free survival among those who underwent adjuvant and salvage radiotherapy. Results: A total of 83 (5%) of 1665 patients who underwent robotic prostatectomy were diagnosed with pT3b prostate cancer between January 2012 and July 2020. Among these, 36 patients (44%) did not receive any radiotherapy during follow-up, compared with 26 patients (31%) who received adjuvant radiotherapy and 21 (25%) who received salvage radiotherapy. The median age of our cohort was 64 (SD, 6.4) years. Mean PSA at presentation was 12.7 µg/L. Positive margins were seen in 36 patients (43%); however, there was no statistically significant difference between treatment groups (p = 0.49). The median overall survival was 96%. There was no significant difference between the adjuvant and salvage groups in terms of biochemical progression-free survival (p = 0.66). Five-year biochemical progression-free survival was 94% for those in the adjuvant radiotherapy group and 97% for those in the salvage radiotherapy group. Conclusions: Our audit corroborates with the recently concluded RADICALS-RT study, although we had fewer patients with positive margins. Radiotherapy can be avoided in patients with T3b prostate cancer, even if margin is positive, until there is definitive evidence of PSA recurrence. In keeping with the conclusion of RADICALS-RT, salvage radiotherapy may be preferable to adjuvant radiotherapy.

Guideline of guidelines: Muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

Muscle-invasive bladder cancer accounts for 25% of bladder cancer cases and represents a spectrum of disease, which can result in significant morbidity and mortality for anyone affected. Current management has evolved through years of research and clinical practice. It is based on a risk-benefit approach, which is often tailored to the individual requirements of patients and involves cystectomy, neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapies, and multimodal surveillance paradigms to achieve high survival rates. Multiple guidelines exist to assist the clinicians in this decision-making process, but their adherence is often variable. In this article, we aimed to review the 4 most commonly used guidelines from the European Association of Urology, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, and the American Urological Association.

Prostate cancer and microfluids.

Microfluidic systems aim to detect sample matter quickly with high sensitivity and resolution, on a small scale. With its increased use in medicine, the field is showing significant promise in prostate cancer diagnosis and management due, in part, to its ability to offer point-of-care testing. This review highlights some of the research that has been undertaken in respect of prostate cancer and microfluidics. Firstly, this review considers the diagnosis of prostate cancer through use of microfluidic systems and analyses the detection of prostate specific antigen, proteins, and circulating tumor cells to highlight the scope of current advancements. Secondly, this review analyses progressions in the understanding of prostate cancer physiology and considers techniques used to aid treatment of prostate cancer, such as the creation of a micro-environment. Finally, this review highlights potential future roles of microfluidics in assisting prostate cancer, such as in exosomal analysis. In conclusion, this review shows the vast scope and application of microfluidic systems and how these systems will ensure advancements to future prostate cancer management.

Depression in Tourette syndrome: A controlled and comparison study.

BACKGROUND: Tourette syndrome (TS) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterised by multiple tics and co-morbid behavioural problems. Previous research found that up to 76% of patients with TS experience affective symptoms, with 13% fulfilling diagnostic criteria for depression. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to assess the severity of depression and profile of depressive symptoms in adult patients with TS compared to patients with major depression and healthy controls. METHODS: Depression ratings were collected from patients with TS (N=65) using the BDI-II and from patients with recurrent major depressive disorder (rMDD, N=696) and healthy controls (N=293) using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)-IA. Direct comparisons were possible for 14/21 BDI items. RESULTS: Patients with TS scored significantly higher on the BDI than controls (P<0.001) and all individual symptoms were reported more frequently by patients with TS than by controls (P<0.001). Total BDI score in TS was not significantly different to that in rMDD, however irritability was significantly more frequently reported in the TS group and this remained significant after controlling for age and gender differences between the two groups (OR 5.24, 95% CI 1.97-14.00; P=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings show that depression is a prominent feature in TS and may present with a more irritable phenotype than rMDD. Patients with TS should be routinely screened for depression to implement treatment as appropriate.

Dyskinesias and treatment with pramipexole in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Dopamine agonists such as pramipexole (PPX) have first been proposed as adjunctive treatment to levodopa (L-DOPA) for patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and then as a monotherapy alternative to alleviate dyskinesia. Treatment with PPX has overall been associated with improvement in parkinsonian symptoms. Although the majority of placebo-controlled studies demonstrated that dyskinesia was more prevalent in the PPX compared to the placebo groups, some studies did not detect any dyskinesia as a side effect of this medication. PPX was consistently associated with lower risk for developing dyskinesia compared to L-DOPA. Moreover, the presence of these symptoms in the placebo groups suggests involvement of non-PPX-related factors for developing dyskinesia. It is suggested that future research should aim at ascertaining whether cotherapy with L-DOPA, PPX dosage, and other patient characteristics are contributory factors for the development of PPX-related dyskinesia in patients with PD.

What patients with gilles de la tourette syndrome should be treated with deep brain stimulation and what is the best target?

BACKGROUND: Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (GTS) is a chronic neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by tics and associated behavioral symptoms. Over the past decade, deep brain stimulation (DBS) has been increasingly advocated as a reversible and controllable procedure for selected cases of GTS. OBJECTIVE: We set out to answer 2 clinically relevant questions: what patients with GTS should be treated with DBS and what is the best target? METHODS: We conducted a systematic literature review of the published studies of DBS in GTS and critically evaluated the current evidence for both patient and target selection. RESULTS: Since 1999, up to 99 cases of DBS in GTS have been reported in the scientific literature, with varying selection criteria, stimulation targets, and assessment protocols. The vast majority of studies published to date are case reports or case series reporting successful outcomes in terms of both tic severity improvement and tolerability. The reviewed studies suggest that the best candidates are patients with significant functional impairment related to the tic symptoms, who did not respond to conventional pharmacological and behavioral interventions. The globus pallidus internus and thalamus appear to be the safest and most effective targets, especially for patients with "pure" GTS and patients with comorbid obsessive-compulsive symptoms, anxiety, and depression. CONCLUSION: DBS is a promising treatment option for severe cases of GTS. There is a need to reach consensus on the definition of "treatment-refractoriness" and to conduct larger double-blind randomized controlled studies on the most promising targets.

Beneficial and adverse psychotropic effects of antiepileptic drugs in patients with epilepsy: a summary of prevalence, underlying mechanisms and data limitations.

Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) can have both beneficial and adverse psychotropic effects. They act on neurotransmitter systems, neuronal ion permeability and other targets, although the exact mechanisms are not generally fully elucidated. A systematic review of the literature reveals evidence for both positive and negative effects on depression, anxiety, aggression, psychosis and sleep in patients with epilepsy. Topiramate, vigabatrin, levetiracetam, tiagabine and zonisamide have been associated primarily with adverse psychotropic effects, whilst gabapentin, pregabalin, lacosamide and lamotrigine, in particular, have demonstrated a more beneficial psychotropic profile, especially with regard to affective symptoms. This review, however, identifies specific methodological issues with studies that have reported on the psychotropic effects of AEDs, suggesting that some of the findings might be inconclusive or unreliable because of confounding factors, particularly the presence of psychiatric history. More rigorous double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trials on larger numbers of patients with epilepsy, with clear inclusion/exclusion criteria, that are specifically designed to investigate psychotropic changes are more likely to produce results that inform clinical practice and direct future research.

The role of impulse control disorders in Tourette syndrome: an exploratory study.

INTRODUCTION: Tourette syndrome (TS) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterised by the presence of multiple motor tics and one or more phonic tics, often associated with co-morbid behavioural problems. Impulse control disorders (ICDs) are a set of disorders where patients have significant difficulties in controlling their urges to perform rewarding behaviours. ICDs are expected to be common in patients with TS, as many problems reported in TS are related to difficulties in controlling impulsivity. AIMS: This exploratory study aimed to determine the clinical characteristics of ICDs in adult patients with TS, and to investigate the relationship between the presence of ICDs and health-related quality of life (HR-QOL). METHODS: Thirty-one patients with a diagnosis of TS were screened for ICDs using the Minnesota Impulsive Disorders Interview (MIDI). HR-QOL was assessed using a generic instrument, the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) and a disease-specific scale, the Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome-Quality of Life Scale (GTS-QOL). RESULTS: Twenty-three out of 31 participants (74.2%) had at least one ICD. The most common ICDs were intermittent explosive disorder (51.6%) and compulsive buying disorder (41.9%). The number of ICDs significantly correlated with reduced HR-QOL (p=0.011) as measured by the GTS-QOL, but not by the SF-36. CONCLUSIONS: ICDs are common in patients with TS. HR-QOL measures specific to this patient population show that the presence of co-morbid ICDs results in poorer HR-QOL.