The Incidental prostatic adenocarcinoma and transitional cell carcinoma involvement of the prostate gland in patients undergoing radical cystoprostatectomy for bladder cancer treatment in Rajavithi Hospital

Objective: To determine the incidence of incidental prostatic adenocarcinoma and transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) involvement of the prostate gland in patients undergoing radical cystoprostatectomy in Rajavithi Hospital, Secondly, to assess the possible influence of the patient factors and bladder cancer on the pathological findings of the prostate gland. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 169 male patients who had undergone radical cystoprostatectomy for bladder cancer between April 2013 and August 2019. Pathologic findings of the prostate gland and urothelial cancer in the prostate gland were catalogued. Information including age, body mass index (BMI), underlying disease, glomerular filtration rate (GFR), pathologic stage, and grade was collected and analyzed to determine any correlations. Results: Incidental prostatic adenocarcinoma and TCC involvement of the prostate gland were found in 15 patients (8.9%) and 29 patients (17.2%), respectively. There were no correlations between patient demographics and pathological findings of the prostate gland. Conclusion: Although the incidence of incidental prostatic adenocarcinoma and TCC involvement of the prostate gland in our research is low, the screening of every candidate for prostate sparing cystectomy with a digital rectal examination, prostate-specific antigen, and transurethral biopsy of the prostatic urethra and bladder neck prior to surgery are recommended.

Impact on clinical outcome of segmental vs diffuse parenchymal thinning in infants with prenatal urinary tract dilation

Objective: To determine the difference in renal function and rate of surgical intervention between neonates with diffuse and segmental parenchymal thinning. Materials and Methods: First postnatal ultrasonography images of neonates with prenatal urinary tract dilation were evaluated and measurements taken. Neonates with parenchymal thinning were categorised into segmental and diffuse parenchymal thinning groups using the medullary to intermedullary ratio. A statistical correlation of differential renal function and rate of surgical intervention between the two groups was calculated and evaluated using an independent t-test and Kaplan-Meier curve with Log-rank test, respectively. Results: Of the 20 neonates, 10 had segmental parenchymal thinning, while the other 10 had diffuse parenchymal thinning. Mean differential renal function was 49.3% in the segmental parenchymal thinning group compared to 45.8% in the diffuse group (p = 0.400). Five patients (50%) from the segmental parenchymal thinning group underwent pyeloplasty in comparison to seven patients (70%) from the diffuse group (p = 0.430) Conclusion: There were no significant differences in renal function or rate of surgical intervention between neonates with segmental parenchymal thinning and diffuse parenchymal thinning. Neonates with segmental parenchymal thinning need to be monitored as closely as those with diffuse parenchymal thinning for early detection of renal deterioration and to identify potential need for surgical intervention.

A comparison of stone free rate between a diuretic and a control group of patients undergoing extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy: a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Objectives: To compare the stone free rate and treatment success rate between a diuretic group of patients undergoing extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) and a control placebo group (normal saline solution). Materials and Methods: One hundred and ninety-four patients with solitary renal calculi or ureteric calculi size of 5 mm or over were prospectively randomized into 2 groups. Ninety-seven patients in the first group (diuretic group) underwent ESWL after intravenous injection of furosemide 40 mg, and 97 patients in the second (control) group received normal saline solution 4 ml instead of furosemide prior to ESWL. The treatment protocol included 3,000 shockwaves per patient in each session with the energy beginning at 8 and progressing up to 15 kilovolts. A maximum of 3 ESWL sessions were permitted per patient. The primary outcome was stone free rate, and the secondary outcome was treatment success rate at 3 months after the first ESWL treatment. Results: The stone free rate was 48.5% compared to 50.5% for diuretic group and control group respectively and the treatment success rate was 81.4% compared to 64.9%. The difference in stone free rate was not statistically significantly different (p = 0.87), however the treatment success was, p = 0.01. Conclusion: A combination of diuretic therapy followed by ESWL improves the treatment success rate compared with standard ESWL therapy alone.

Nocturia and effect on the quality of life. A study at Ramathibodi Hospital

Objective: To investigate the impact and the incidence of nocturia on the quality of life of patients in Ramathibodi Hospital. Materials and Methods: This study was a hospital-based cross-sectional study to measure the QoL of nocturia patients using a Nocturia Quality-of-Life questionnaire (N-QoL). Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was used to explore internal consistency. Pearson’s correlation coefficient (r) was used to determine the strength of the relationship between the scores for each item. Uni- and Multivariate analyses were used to explore the significant parameters. Results: One hundred and fifty-five nocturia patient were included in the study analysis. Most of the questionnaire respondents were male (80.65%) and the vast majority had at least 1 underlying disease requiring long-term follow-up by a physician (86.45%) with a median urination of 3 times per night and a 3 hour median first urination after retiring to bed. From our study questionnaire, most patients responded that they had moderate to good quality of life with a minor inconvenience from nocturia, requiring them to nap during the day on some days. An increasing frequency of urination per night and a first urination of less than 2 hours after retiring is significantly related to low levels of energy the next day, sleep deprivation, worry over treatment options, overall inconvenience and a reduction in quality of life. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated nocturia patients experience a significant reduction in quality of life, and a decrease in quality of sleep. The incidence of urination in the night and the timing of the first urination after bed had more impact on overall quality of life.

Innovation and new technology in ureteral stents

Ureteral stent insertion is a procedure performed extensively by all urologists. Nevertheless, stent-related symptoms and stent encrustation are still common complications pushing the innovation and development of novel ureteral stents. Developments are focussing on three significant aspects: material, design, and removal technique. Various materials including silicone, polymers, and metals are frequently utilized, with or without an additional coating. The use of biodegradable materials is looking promising but these is a lack of proven clinical trials in association with this in humans. The new designs focus on the reduction of stent-related symptoms through the modification of the bladder end. The new stent removal techniques with extraction strings or novel magnetic end may exclude subsequent cystoscopic procedures. Finally, utilization of a ureteral stent tracker application helps in reminding both physicians and patients to remove the stent at the appropriate time.

One-shot dilation versus metallic dilation technique for access in percutaneous nephrolithotomy: comparison of efficacy, access time and fluoroscopic time

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy, access tract dilation time and fluoroscopic time between the one-shot dilation technique and telescopic metal dilatation technique in patients undergoing percutaneous nephrolithotomy in Nakornping Hospital. Materials and Methods: Sixty-six patients who underwent percutaneous nephrolithotomy from January 2020 to July 2021 were included in the study and they were randomly divided into two groups. In group 1 (32 patients), telescopic metal dilation was used, in group 2 (33 patients), the one-shot technique was used. Success rates of dilation, access tract dilation time and fluoroscopic time were evaluated. Results: The success rate of dilation was 100% in both groups. The access tract dilation time was 835.63 ± 309.68 seconds in group 1 and 569.42 ± 314.75 seconds in group 2 (p = 0.001). The fluoroscopic time was 48.16 ± 22.16 seconds in group 1 and 41.97 ± 23.99 seconds in group 2 (p = 0.29). The access tract dilation time of the one-shot dilation technique was statistically significantly shorter than that in the telescopic metal dilatation group. The mean fluoroscopic time of the one- shot dilation technique was shorter than in telescopic metal dilatation but was not statistically significant. Conclusion: One-shot dilation technique is as effective as telescopic metal dilatation, with a significant reduction in access tract dilation time.

Gynecologic organ involvement and incidental gynecologic organ neoplasms in female patients with urothelial carcinoma of the bladder undergoing anterior pelvic exenteration in Rajavithi Hospital

Objective: To evaluate the pathological data of the bladder and gynecologic organs obtained from anterior pelvic exenteration and review the incidence of gynecologic organ involvement and primary gynecologic tumor. Materials and Methods: The clinicopathological data of 70 patients who were diagnosed with bladder transitional cell carcinoma and underwent anterior pelvic exenteration in Rajavithi Hospital between January 2008 and October 2020 were analyzed to examine and determine any correlations. Results: Thirteen (18.5%) patients had gynecologic organ involvement. This consisted of 4 cases (5.7%) involving the uterus, 7 (10%) involving the vagina, 2 (2.8%) involving the ovaries, and 10 (14.2%) involving the cervix. Female patients with gynecologic organ invasion were more likely to have a high pathological T stage (p < 0.001), and have pre-operative hydronephrosis (p = 0.002). From multivariate logistic regression, pre-operative hydronephrosis was associated with increased risk of gynecologic organ invasion (odds ratio 9.57; 95% confidence interval, 1.86 - 49.18; p = 0.007). There were 23 (32%) female patients incidentally diagnosed with benign gynecologic tumors, specifically 16 (22%) cases of myoma uteri, 7 (10%) of adenomyosis and 4 (2.8%) with ovarian cysts. No patient was diagnosed as having primary gynecologic malignancy. Conclusions: The incidence of gynecologic organ involvement in female patients who had undergone anterior pelvic exenteration for urothelial carcinoma of the bladder was 18.5%. Pre-operative hydronephrosis was a risk factor associated with increased risk of gynecologic organ involvement. Information from this study may allow better identification of candidates for gynecologic organ sparing surgery.

Comparison of open and laparoscopic radical cystectomy as regards long-term oncological outcomes for bladder cancer

Objective: Recently, the laparoscopic technique has become widely accepted as a minimally invasive modality which reduces morbidity and provides similar oncological outcomes to open surgery. However, the number of clinical trials comparing laparoscopic and open radical cystectomy are limited. The objectives of this study are to compare the long-term oncological outcomes between open radical cystectomy (ORC) and laparoscopic radical cystectomy (LRC) for bladder cancer. Materials and Methods: Out of 144 radical cystectomy patients admitted to our institute from January 2006 to December 2016, 87 patients were categorized as being in the LRC group, and 57 patients in the ORC group. Baseline characteristics, perioperative variables, and pathology results were collected retrospectively. Oncological outcomes including overall survival (OS), recurrence-free survival (RFS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) were analyzed and compared between the two groups. Results: The mean age of the patients was 64.19 ± 9.89 years in the ORC group and 61.90 ± 10.47 years in the LRC group. The most frequent urinary diversion procedure in both groups was ileal conduit. All pathology results between the LRC group and the ORC group showed no statistical significance. The median follow-up duration was 57.18 ± 44.68 months in the ORC group and 53.96 ± 34.97 months in the LRC group. There was no statistically significant difference in overall survival (OS), recurrence-free survival (RFS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) between the groups (p = 0.322, 0.946, and 0.528, respectively). Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that the long-term oncological outcome of LRC is comparable to ORC in the management of bladder cancer. LRC is an alternative option to open radical cystectomy and is safe, effective, and feasible. However, further large comparative studies with adequate long-term follow-up are recommended to support our results.

Oncological outcomes of metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) treated with different therapies sequences after completion of docetaxel: a retrospective study in Songklanagarind Hospital

Objective: Many treatment options of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) after docetaxel chemotherapy have proved efficacious in clinical trials but, to date, knowledge regarding oncological outcomes is limited. Materials and Methods: We assessed the oncological outcome of 4 drugs (abi- raterone acetate, cabazetaxel, enzalutamide and ketoconazole) in a normal clinical setting in a university-based hospital. Our cohort consisted of 69 patients with post-docetaxel mCRPC. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS). The secondary endpoint was predicted factor associated overall survival with all sec- ond-line mCRPC treatment outcomes according to the Cox proportional hazards regression model. Results: This cohort consisted of 69 patients with progressive mCRPC after docetaxel chemotherapy. Median overall survival following treatment with abiraterone acetate and ketoconazole was 25.92 and 9.59 months respectively (p < 0.05). Overall survival rates at 1-year following abiraterone acetate, cabazetaxel, enzalutamide and ketoconazole therapy were 76.3%, 83.3%, 100% and 41.9%, respectively. Multivariable analysis found that abiraterone acetate, cabazitaxel and enzalutamide significantly improved survival in comparison to ketoconazole (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Analysis of overall survival following second-line treatment of mCRPC post docetaxel in our study statistically significantly confirmed that abiraterone acetate, cabazitaxel and enzalutamide improve overall survival in comparison to ketoconazole. The study also found that enzalutamide treatment resulted in better outcomes in comparison to the other drugs.

The Desmopressin melt therapy in children with non-monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis: a prospective study

Objective: The negative consequences of enuresis in children can be far reaching and an understanding of the impact of these is essential for effective treatment by the clinician. Enuresis can be categorized into monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis (MNE) and non-monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis (NMNE). There have been several studies in treatment of MNE with lyophilizate desmopressin melt but very limited research into the efficacy of desmopressin melt in treating NMME. The objectives of this study were to measure the efficacy and side effects of desmopressin melt in treating children with NMNE. Materials and Methods: Children aged 6 to 18 years with NMNE who visited the outpatient department of pediatric urology were included in this prospective study. Any underlying diseases and lower urinary tract symptoms were corrected then their enuresis was treated with 120-240 mcg of desmopressin melt for 6-8 weeks. Outcomes were defined as complete response, partial response, and no-response as defined by the International Children’s Continence Society guidelines. Results: A total of 25 children with NMNE were included in the study. The results showed 44% complete response, 20% partial response, and 36% no-response. The mean volume of nocturnal enuresis decreased from 159.96 to 115.30 ml in the pre and post treatment periods, respectively (p = 0.012). The mean frequency of enuresis decreased from 4.36 to 2.84 days per week in pre and post treatment periods, respectively (p < 0.001). The mean whole night urine volume decreased from 373.39 to 292.37 ml in pre and post treatment periods (p = 0.061). There were no major side effects in the study. Conclusion: Desmopressin melt is effective and safe in treating NMNE in children. However, to add weight to the findings of this study further research with a larger number of patients should be considered in the near future.