["FlowSecure" artificial urinary sphincter: a new adjustable artificial urinary sphincter concept with conditional occlusion for stress urinary incontinence]. / Implantación del esfínter urinario artificial "FlowSecure" en uretra bulbar: descripción de la técnica quirúrgica paso a paso.

INTRODUCTION: We have implanted the FlowSecure artificial sphincter for the first time in October 2006. The prototype was originally conceived and designed by Professor Craggs M. D. and Professor Mundy A.R. Preliminary clinical results were reported in nine patients early this year. Our objective is to spread technique for surgical implantation. METHODS: Combined perineal and abdominal incisions are required for exposure of bulbar urethra, creation of a cavity in the para-vesical space and dissection of a pocket under de scrotal wall. A trocar with a stylet is routed from the abdominal incision to the perineal incision to pass the deflated cuff to the perineal site. The cuff is placed around the urethra and secured with Prolene sutures. After refilling the cuff, fluid is removed from the system until the stress relief balloon becomes just indented (atmospheric pressure 0). The pump is placed in the scrotum and the balloons in the paravesical space. RESULTS: We have implanted our first FlowSecure artificial sphincter in a patient with severe stress incontinence following a T.U.R.P. The surgical technique is simple and associated with little handling. He was discharged from hospital 4 days after the procedure and it was decided that pressurisation was unnecessary. DISCUSSION: Surgical implantation of the new FlowSecure artificial urinary sphincter is an easy procedure in males with stress urinary incontinence. Knigth et al. reported 30 to 40 minutes operating time, 4 days mean hospital stay and unnecessary pressurisation procedure in 3 out of their 9 patients. It seems that their results are reproducible.

Perineal approach for rectourethral fistulae after radical laparoscopic prostatectomy.

OBJECTIVE: To describe our experience with the perineal approach to treat rectourethral fistulae (RUF) after radical laparoscopic prostatectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective study from 2012 to 2015 presenting 5 cases of RUF after radical laparoscopic prostatectomy. All cases required major abdominal surgery between the radical laparoscopic prostatectomy and the RUF treatment due to various complications. In no case was radiation therapy indicated prior to or after the repair. A perineal approach was performed in the 5 cases as the first option. One case required a second operation with a combined approach (abdominal and perineal) due to persistent fistulae. RESULTS: After a minimum of 12 months of follow-up, 5 cases had resolved the RUF. Two patients presented urinary incontinence, and one patient had an anastomotic stricture that required internal urethrotomy. The other patients had no long-term complications. CONCLUSION: The perineal approach provides a healthy surgical field in patients who undergo multiple operations, achieving high rates of resolution of the fistulae.

[Incomplete urethral duplication in a male. A case report]. / Duplicidad uretral incompleta en un varón. Aportación de un nuevo caso.

Urethral duplication is a rare congenital anomaly affecting mainly males and being usually diagnosed during paedriatric age. We report a 20 year old male complaining of double urethral meatus with double urinary stream. Physical examination confirmed and additional hypospadic meatus below a normally placed urethral meatus. Retrograde urethro-cystography and voiding cysto-urethrograms showed two distinct urethras originating from a common bladder neck and the diagnosis of Effmann type IIA2 incomplete urethral duplication was made. No treatment was felt to be applied after associated anomalies were ruled out.

[Cell cycle and apoptosis mechanisms implicated in intravesical chemotherapy resistances in superficial bladder cancer]. / Mecanismos del ciclo celular y la apoptosis implicados en las resistencias a los fármacos de uso intravesical en el cáncer superficial de vejiga.

It is well documented the effectiveness of intravesical chemotherapy following transurethral resection to prevent recurrences of superficial bladder cancer. But it is also known that efficacy may be limited by tumour cell resistance to one or several of the drugs available for instillation. In addition to the genetically determined unicellular mechanisms classically described in the literature such as glycoprotein P-170 expression (mdr-1), overexpression of Bcl-2 or glutation S-transferase activity, it has been recently shown that multicellular mechanisms may also be involved in drug resistance. Multicellular resistance can only be demonstrated in three-dimensional cultures and fails to be shown in monolayers or cell suspensions. This is explained by the fact that cell-to-cell and cell-to-stroma adhesion limits drug penetration and by the variable susceptibility to cytotoxicity determined by oxygen and tissue proliferation gradients. A better understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in drug resistance is necessary to increase intravesical chemotherapy effectiveness. Current research includes improving drug penetration, searching resistance reversing agents and developing in vitro chemosensitivity tests to identify drug resistance.

[Rectorrhage as an unusual extrarenal complication after ESWL]. / Rectorragias como complicación extrarrenal poco habitual tras LEOC.

We report a case of rectorrhage due to an hematoma of sigmoid colon post ESWL in a patient with chronic hepatopathy and right ureteral calculus. We comment the clinic and endoscopical study, as well as the review of literature.

[Immunotherapeutic treatment for metastatic renal carcinoma]. / Tratamiento inmunoterápico para el carcinoma renal metastásico.

Immunotherapy management for advanced renal carcinoma has awaken a growing interest over the last few years. Based on Atzpodien's studies, in December 1994 a protocol was initiated in our centre for the treatment of metastatic renal carcinoma, using subcutaneous alpha interferon, subcutaneous Interleukin-2 and endovenous 5-Fluorouracil. The present report analyzes all six cases included in the protocol and their results.

[Asymptomatic renal carcinoma diagnosed based on synchronous metastasis in the thyroid gland]. / Carcinoma renal asintomático diagnosticado a partir de una metástasis sincrónica en tiroides.

Secondary tumors of the thyroid are very rare, being the kidney the most frequent place of the primary tumor. The majority of these metastases appear months or years after the primary renal tumor. We report the case of an asymptomatic renal carcinoma discovered after the histological analysis of a thyroidectomy piece. The treatment of the primary renal tumor was radical nephrectomy. Three years after diagnosis and treatment the patient is free of relapse.

[Benign pathology of the urachus in adults: report of two cases]. / Patología benigna del uraco en el adulto: a propósito de dos observaciones.

Two cases of being pathology of urachus in adults are present, the first one correlated to a urachus cyst and the second one to a vesicourachal diverticulum. We believed publication is justified since this pathology is quite uncommon in adult patients.

[Etiopathogenesis and management of paraneoplastic fever and Stauffer syndrome in renal carcinoma]. / Etiopatogenia y manejo de la fiebre paraneoplásica y del síndrome de Stauffer en el carcinoma renal.

Some paraneoplastic syndromes as fever, cachexia, loss of weight or hepatic dysfunction, are relatively frequent in patients affected by a renal cell carcinoma (RCC). However their pathogeny has been unknown until a short time ago. The advances in immunology have permitted to identify the interleukin-6 as the responsible for these changes. In spite of our better knowledge, the treatment of these paraneoplastic syndromes, when persist after the removal of the tumor, continues being a challenge. We present the case of a patient with a renal cell carcinoma that began as a feverish syndrome, developing thereinafter a hepatic dysfunction or Stauffer's syndrome. The paraneoplastic symptoms persisted after removal of the tumor. No response to the administered treatment has been observed. The patient died two months after the surgery.

[Self-administration of an oil solution in the penis]. / Autoinoculación de una solución oleosa en el pene.

We report the case of a patient who has autoinjected himself the penis and the scrotum with a solution constituted by petroleum, vaseline, oxygenated water and ketoconazol gel. Treatment consists in the excision of the injected deposit of lipid material and antibiotic therapy with good result at 4 months. We review the existing literature related with this exceptional pathology.

[Leiomyosarcoma of the inferior vena cava. Apropos of a case]. / Leiomiosarcoma de cava inferior. A propósito de un caso.

Presentation of one case of inferior cava leiomyosarcoma in a 24-year old female patient, incidentally diagnosed after performance of ultrasound. The complementary examinations performed (CAT, NMR, arteriography) guided to a mass of suprarenal origin. During surgery, a tumour of the inferior cava vein was suspected and was later confirmed through the pathoanatomical study of the surgical piece. Review of the clinical and diagnostic aspects placing special emphasis on treatment.

[Bilateral germ tumors of the testis. Report of 5 cases and review of the literature]. / Tumores germinales bilaterales de testículo. Aportación de cinco casos y revisión de la literatura.

OBJECTIVE: To know the prevalence of the bilateral germ cell tumours of testis diagnosed in our Department and to review the literature. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 64 patients diagnosed of a germ cell tumour of the testis were followed during an average period of 51.4 months (1-168 months). RESULTS: 5 (7.8%) patients developed a second germ cell testicular tumour. In one patient the tumours were synchronous while in the remaining four were metachronous, occurring in an average interval of 59 months. One patient with a metachronous tumour died as consequence of the second tumour. In two of the five patients risk factors were identified, one presented testicular atrophy and the second referred history of undescended testis. DISCUSSION: The probability of developing a germinal testis tumour between the patients with history of a previous germ cell tumour of the testis is sensibly greater than between the general population. The prevalence of the bilateral tumours of the testis oscillates between 1-5% and approximately 75% will be metachronous. The principal factor that can predict the appearance of a second testicular tumour is the presence of the carcinoma in situ (Cis) in the contralateral testicular biopsy. Except in cases of testicular atrophy or previous history of undescended testis we do not recommend routine biopsy of the other testis.

[Fibroepithelial polyps of the ureter: report of three new cases]. / Pólipos fibroepiteliales del uréter: aportación de tres nuevos casos.

The fibroepithelial polyp of the ureter is a benign tumour with a mesenchymal origin. Since its incidence is low, there are very few cases published in the national literature. Presentation of our series, which consists of three cases seen and treated in our service over the last 10 years. Discussion of the most frequent characteristics seen in this type of disease and emphasis on its great relevance for the differential diagnosis with other causes of ureteral repletion deficiency.

[Utility of inhibin B in the management of male infertility]. / Utilidad de la inhibina B en el manejo del varón infértil.

INTRODUCTION: Inhibin B (INHB) is an hormone produced by Sertoli's cells that exercises a negative feedback on FSH secretion. In this study we analyze its diagnostic value as a marker of spermatogenesis and its prognostic value for testicular sperm extraction in azoospermic patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Between June 2003 and April 2007 we studied 504 infertile males in our Fertility Department. Until May 2006 we determined INHB only in patients with a sperm count <10M/ml. Since then INHB was determined in every patient due to the present study. 158 determinations were finally performed using enzymoimmunoassay considering normal values between 80 and 300pg/ml. We correlated INHB values with other hormones, spermatic count and, in case of azoospermia (24 patients), with success/failure of surgical sperm retrieval from testes (TESE) to use for intracytoplasmatic sperm injection (ICSI). RESULTS: A significant correlation was observed between INHB and FSH (r=-0.469, p<0.001) and LH (r=-0.399, p<0.001) but not with testosterone, prolactin, estradiol and SHBG. Sperm count was better correlated with INHB (r=0.247; p<0.003) than with FSH (r: -0.157; p<0.052). INHB and FSH were altered in 57.6% and 42.1% of azoospermia respectively, 42.1% and 11.1% in severe oligospermia (0-2M/ml) and 5% and 3.3% in oligospermia (>2M/ml) and normozoospermia. In azoospemic patients PPV for success in testicular sperm extraction was 81.8 % for normal INHB and 76.6% for normal FSH. NPV for failure of sperm retrieval was 61.6% for low INHB and 63.6% for high FSH. CONCLUSIONS: An inverse correlation exists between INHB and FSH and LH levels. INHB correlates better than FSH with sperm count. In azoospermia and oligospermia (<2M/ml), low INHB is more sensitive to detect testicular damage than high FSH. Normal INHB level predicts better than FSH the success of testicular sperm extraction for ICSI, although the favourable outcome can never be assured.