Benign urologic diseases that cause hematuria

Hematuria is defined by the presence of red blood cells in the urine, usually treated by primary care physicians. Various urologic conditions cause this common finding. While malignancies are often considered in the differential diagnosis, benign urologic conditions also need to be recognized as potential causes of hematuria. A better understanding of these benign conditions can help avoid unnecessary diagnostic procedures and improve patient outcomes.Current Concepts: This review provides an overview of the current concepts regarding benign urologic conditions associated with hematuria. These include urinary tract infections, urolithiasis, benign prostatic hyperplasia, vascular conditions affecting the urinary tract, and hemorrhagic cystitis. Based on the latest literature, we discuss the epidemiology, clinical presentation, diagnostic evaluation, and management options for each benign condition.Discussion and Conclusion: Clinical presentation, diagnostic evaluation, and management of each condition are discussed. A comprehensive understanding of these benign urologic conditions is essential for accurately diagnosing and effectively managing hematuria.

Cognitive Function and Urologic Medications for Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms / 대한배뇨장애요실금학회지

Special considerations should be made when selecting medications for the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in older patients especially those over 65 years old. This review summarizes the relationship between current treatments for LUTS and cognitive impairment. Although the recently reported association between dementia and tamsulosin is debatable, the effects of α-blockers and pharmacokinetics are not reported in this context. Five-alpha reductase inhibitors appear to affect mood. However, the association between the development of dementia and cognitive impairment is unlikely. Anticholinergic agents, other than trospium, fesoterodine, and imdafenacin have a relatively high distribution in the central nervous system. In particular, oxybutynin is reported to cause cognitive impairment. Several animal studies on the blood-brain barrier permeability of oxybutynin support this. Therefore, care must be taken when they are used in older patients (65 years and older). Beta-3 agonists are an alternative to, or may be used in combination with, anticholinergic drugs for patients with an overactive bladder (OAB). Several phase 2 and 3 clinical studies report high tolerability and efficacy, making them relatively safe for OAB treatment. However, there is a possibility that cognitive function may be affected; thus, long-term study data are required. We have reviewed studies investigating the correlation of urologic medications with cognitive dysfunction and have provided an overview of drug selection, as well as other considerations in older patients (65 years and older) with LUTS. This narrative review has focused primarily on articles indexed in PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and Embase databases. No formal search strategy was used, and no meta-analysis of data was performed.

Therapeutic Options in High-Risk Nonmuscle Invasive Bladder Cancer During the Shortage of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin

Bladder cancer is the second most common malignant tumor of the urinary tract and is the seventh most commoncancer among men worldwide and 17th among women. Seventy to eighty percent of bladder cancers arenonmuscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) at the first diagnosis, and about 20%–25% of patients progress toinvasive bladder cancer. According to the EORTC (European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer)risk classification study, patients with high-risk NMIBC (T1, high grade/G3, carcinoma in situ) have a 5-year recurrisk of up to 80% and a 50% chance of advance. Treatment options for high-risk NMIBC recommend BacillusCalmette-Guérin (BCG) intrabladder infusion therapy after transurethral resection of bladder tumor, and intrathecalbladder chemotherapy such as mitomycin C or epirubicin, or early radical bladder resection may also be consideredin recurrent high-risk patients. Among them, BCG intrathecal bladder infusion therapy has been demonstratedto reduce progression to mycoinvasive disease and has been used as a primary treatment for high risk NMIBCpatients. BCG intrathecal infusion therapy reported that less than 10%–20% of patients in the responding groupdeveloped myoinvasive disease, while 66% of the patients in the poor response group developed myoinvasivedisease. However, because BCG is made from Mycobacterium bovis, mass production is difficult due to a numberof factors, such as the strength, quality, purity, and potency of BCG vaccines that pharmaceutical companiesneed to control. Most of all, BCG vaccines are prone to bacterial contamination due to long incubation periodsand expensive specialized equipment. These factors eventually led to the closure of the Sanofi Institute for BCGvaccines in 2012, which continues the difficulties Merck has faced due to the lack of BCG supplies. BecauseBCG is a generic drug, the 2003 Medicare Modernization Act limited costs by up to 6% above the Medicareaverage selling price. Therefore, in 2016, Sanofi did not find any party to continue BCG’s manufacturing technologyand acquire the company, as a result, it announced that it will stop production in the United States, Canada,the United Kingdom, and France. In this article, we will discuss how to treat high-risk NMIBC patients underthese BCG deficiencies, along with some of the treatment options that can be implemented in cases of drugshortage.

A Novel Technique of Morcellation Using a Pneumovesicum After Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate in Complicated Situations: Our Initial Experience and Tips / 대한배뇨장애요실금학회지

PURPOSE: To describe our initial experience with a novel method of adenoma retrieval using a pneumovesicum (PNV) after Holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP). METHODS: From January 2016 to April 2018, a total of 93 consecutive patients treated with HoLEP were enrolled in this study. For tissue morcellation, we used the PNV morcellation technique for an initial series of 21 patients and the conventional technique (Lumenis VersaCut) for a consecutive series of 72 patients. We compared efficiency and safety between the novel technique and the traditional technique. Subgroup analysis was performed to assess the effectiveness of the current technique in the large prostate (>70 mL). RESULTS: There were significant differences in mean age and prostate volume between the 2 groups. However, there were no significant differences in the baseline characteristics and preoperative parameters in the subgroup analysis of large prostates (>70 mL). The mean morcellation efficiency was higher (8.50±1.94 minutes vs. 1.76±0.45 minutes, P<0.05) and the time of morcellation (7.81±1.25 minutes vs. 34.04±11.14 minutes, P<0.05) was shorter in the PNV group. Moreover, there were no significant differences between groups in hospitalization period (2.62±1.10 days vs. 2.90±1.26 days, P=0.852) and any other postoperative events, including recatheterization, reoperation, clot retention, and urethral stricture (P-value range, 0.194–0.447). In the PNV group, there were some cases of procedure-related complications, including postoperative extravesical leakage (5th case), clot retention (8th case), and recatheterization (9th case). CONCLUSIONS: This method has a higher tissue retrieval efficacy, with the advantage of excellent visibility compared to conventional morcellation. The current method can be applied when a transurethral morcellator is out of order or cannot be used.

Correlation of Androgen Deprivation Therapy with Cognitive Dysfunction in Patients with Prostate Cancer: A Nationwide Population-Based Study Using the National Health Insurance Service Database / Journal of the Korean Cancer Association, 대한암학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) with cognitive dysfunction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using the National Health Insurance Service database of the entire Korean adult prostate cancer population (n=236,391), data on ADT and cognitive dysfunction between 2008 and 2015 were analyzed. We excluded patients previously diagnosed with cognitive dysfunction, dementia, or a cerebral event history. We tested the effect of ADT on the risk of cognitive dysfunction using propensity score–matched Cox proportional hazards regression models and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Our final cohort comprised of 35,401 individuals with prostate cancer, including 24,567 men (70.6%) who underwent ADT. RESULTS: During a mean follow-up period of 4.1 years, 4,741 patients were newly diagnosed with cognitive dysfunction. A statistically significant association was found between ADT and the risk of cognitive dysfunction (hazard ratio, 1.169; p=0.002). Meanwhile, age (≥ 70 years), diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular history, and peripheral vascular disease were identified as factors that contribute to the increased risk of cognitive dysfunction. In contrast, the use of statins and aspirin was associated with a lower risk of cognitive dysfunction. Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated that patients aged 70 years or older who underwent ADT had the lowest cumulative probability of remaining cognitive dysfunction-free (log-rank p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Our results revealed an association between the use of ADT for the treatment of prostate cancer and an increased risk of cognitive dysfunction in a nationwide population-based study. This finding should be further evaluated in prospective studies.

Seasonal Variation of Overactive Bladder Symptoms in Female Patients / 대한배뇨장애요실금학회지

PURPOSE: To evaluate seasonal variations of overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms in women who visited hospital clinics.METHODS: Medical records of female patients treated for OAB symptoms from January 2011 to December 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients with pyuria at the first visit, those who did not complete the questionnaire, and those with <3 overactive bladder symptom scores (OABSS) were excluded. Uroflowmetric parameters, 3-day micturition diary, and OABSS were analyzed.RESULTS: A total of 582 patients with OAB symptoms who visited the hospital were enrolled in this study. Patients were grouped into 1 of the 3 season groups (cold, intermediate, and hot) depending on the average temperature of the month that the patient first visited the urologic department outpatient clinic. The total OABSS was significantly different between the 3 season groups (cold [7.25±3.20] vs. intermediate [6.24±3.40] vs. hot [5.51±3.20], P=0.001). The proportion of patients who had moderate OAB symptoms (6≤OABSS) was higher in the cold season group (56.2%) than in the other season groups (intermediate, 42.1%; hot, 31.8%; P=0.002). Differences in the number of micturitions (12.12±4.56 vs. 10.95±4.39, P=0.021) and number of urgent urinary incontinence episodes (2.06±0.94 vs. 2.48±0.87, P=0.001) between the cold and hot season groups were also significant. However, differences in the nocturia episode, total daytime voided volume, and mean voided volume between season groups were not significant.CONCLUSIONS: Different urinary symptoms and uroflowmetric parameters were correlated with seasonal variation. OAB symptoms might be worse in cold season than in other seasons.

Update on Current Role of Perioperative Chemotherapy in Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma

Upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) has a relatively low prevalence rate of about 1.8 per 100,000 people. According to the recent literature, the development of diagnostic techniques has gradually increased the prevalence and diagnosis rate. In the past, when UTUC was diagnosed, more than 60% of the patients were diagnosed as locally advanced or metastatic cancer. However, since 2010, approximately 70% of the patients have been diagnosed as operable stage. Although radical nephroureterectomy is known as the basis of treatment for UTUC, overall survival is poor in patients with lymph node invasion. Especially, the finding that a localized UTUC is associated with a high risk of cancer metastasis in approximately 50% of patients suggests that these patients may not have sufficient treatment through surgery alone. The European Association of Urology and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network guideline 2017 suggested that postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy may be considered in patients with advanced UTUC beyond pT2. Also, recent meta-analyses have reported that cisplatin-based adjuvant chemotherapy can be expected to have a synergistic effect of overall survival and disease-free survival. However, many patients with UTUC undergo postoperative renal failure, which may result in failure to perform cisplatin-based adjuvant chemotherapy with adequate dose. For this reason, several researchers have suggested that it is beneficial to apply neoadjuvant chemotherapy when the preoperative renal function is maintained to a certain extent. But, neoadjuvant chemotherapy has not been used by many clinicians because of the lack of studies and the rarity of the disease. We are currently discussing the outcomes and prospects of perioperative chemotherapy.

Laparoscopic Approach for Intravesical Surgery Using Pneumovesicum in Urology: Literature Review / 대한배뇨장애요실금학회지

Minimally invasive laparoscopic surgical procedures are increasingly being used in the management of various urological diseases. In particular, the laparoscopic approach for intravesical surgery using pneumovesicum (LPV) is a minimally invasive alternative with potential advantages including decreased morbidity, shorter hospital stays, and improved cosmesis. We review the applications of LPV in urology, summarize data for different surgical approaches, and provide an overview of patient management, as well as other considerations. This narrative review focused primarily on articles indexed in PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and Embase databases. No formal search strategy was used, and no meta-analysis of data was performed.

Eleven-year Cumulative Incidence and Estimated Lifetime Prevalence of Urolithiasis in Korea: a National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort Based Study

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was estimation of the cumulative incidence and lifetime prevalence of urolithiasis in Korea. METHODS: We used a National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) sample cohort dataset that included approximately 1 million individuals from Korea. Data from January 2002 to December 2013 were collected. We calculated the annual prevalence, recurrence rate, and estimate lifetime prevalence of urolithiasis. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify risk factors associated with urolithiasis. RESULTS: There were 57,921 diagnosed urolithiasis cases in the NHIS database over the 11 years studied. The annual incidence of urolithiasis increased every year (Poisson regression; hazard ratio, 1.025; P 60 years), income level, diabetes, body mass index, hypertension, and cancer history were identified as contributing factors to urolithiasis. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that the annual incidence of urolithiasis in Korea is increasing. The overall standardized lifetime prevalence rate was higher than that reported in a previous report. This study is significant in that it is the first retrospective cohort study to estimate the lifetime prevalence of urolithiasis using a large national retrospective cohort.

Letter to the Editor: Commentary on “Evidence Is Enough?: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis of the Efficacy of Tamsulosin 0.2 mg and Tamsulosin 0.4 mg as an Initial Therapeutic Dose in Asian Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Patients” / 대한배뇨장애요실금학회지

No abstract available.

Chemotherapy With Androgen Deprivation for Hormone-Naïve Prostate Cancer

Research regarding the treatment of metastatic prostate cancer has been undergoing dramatic progress. Treatment of hormone-naïve metastatic prostate cancer includes surgical castration and medical castration that lowers androgen level in the blood using drugs. Although these androgen deprivation therapies are very effective, hormone-naïve metastatic prostate cancer finally leads to castration-resistant prostate cancer because resistance to surgical or medical castration occurs. The treatment at this stage includes not only docetaxel, but also new androgen synthesis inhibitor or androgen receptor inhibitors such as abiraterone or enzalutamide, new cytotoxic anticancer agents such as carbazitaxel, and radioisotope treatment such as radium-223. Recently, studies on the effect of chemotherapy on hormone-naïve metastatic prostate cancer before the development of castration-resistant prostate cancer have been actively published. As a result, various guidelines have recommended docetaxel as the first-line therapy for hormone-naïve metastatic prostate cancer. In this manuscript, we will summarize the basic concepts of androgen deprivation therapy for hormone-naïve metastatic prostate cancer and the main results of research on chemotherapy for hormone-naïve metastatic prostate cancer.

Clinical Features of Mumps Orchitis in Vaccinated Postpubertal Males: A Single-Center Series of 62 Patients

PURPOSE: Although the measles-mumps-rubella vaccination covers most children against mumps in Korea, the development of mumps has been reported. However, the clinical manifestations of mumps orchitis in postpubertal vaccinated patients have never been investigated. Herein we report the clinical features of mumps orchitis in postpubertal vaccinated patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study included a total of 62 postpubertal males who developed acute mumps orchitis from 2005 to 2010. The clinical manifestations such as the incubation period, febrile duration, and the mean duration of orchitis were retrospectively investigated. The laboratory and sonographic findings were also reviewed and compared with the features of previously reported cases of unvaccinated postpubertal mumps orchitis. RESULTS: The mean age of the 62 patients was 17.56 years (range, 15 to 29 years). All patients were serologically confirmed with acute mumps infection (positive immunoglobulin [Ig] M and negative or positive IgG). The mean incubation period was 5.39 days (range, 0 to 23 days), with a febrile duration of 1.8 days (range, 0.5 to 3 days), and a mean duration of orchitis of 4.96 days (range, 0 to 17 days). Sonography revealed unilateral orchitis in 58 patients (93.6%) and bilateral orchitis in only 6 (6.4%). CONCLUSIONS: In our study, mumps orchitis in postpubertal vaccinated patients showed a relatively shorter febrile duration. In addition, less scrotal swelling and a lower incidence of bilaterality were found upon physical examination and ultrasonography. In the future, additional long-term follow-up is needed to determine the features of mumps orchitis in postpubertal vaccinated males, and an additional booster vaccination should be considered.

Influence of Nonregional Lymph Node Metastasis as a Prognostic Factor in Metastatic Prostate Cancer Patients

PURPOSE: In advanced prostate cancer, malignant cells generally tend to spread into the bone, and metastasis into nonregional lymph nodes (NRLNs) at the time of initial diagnosis is relatively rare. We investigated the prognostic significance of NRLN metastasis in patients receiving hormonal therapy and chemotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From February 2005 to August 2011, we identified 105 patients who had metastatic prostate cancer. First, we assessed the prognostic effect of NRLN metastasis on the prostate-specific antigen response through logistic regression and the progression-free time to castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) by using the Cox proportional hazard regression model. Second, we investigated the prognostic influence of NRLN metastasis on the chemotherapy response through logistic regression and on cancer-specific survival of CRPC patients receiving chemotherapy by using Cox proportional analysis. RESULTS: Of these 105 patients, 12 patients (11.4%) had only NRLN metastases without bone metastases. Progression-free time to CRPC was significantly less in patients with NRLN metastases by Cox proportional hazard regression multivariate analysis (p=0.020). However, NRLN metastasis was not an independent factor for predicting the response to chemotherapy in CRPC patients, and NRLN metastasis did not reduce cancer-specific survival in the multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Twelve (11.4%) of 105 patients with NRLN metastases had lymph node metastases without bone metastases. In addition, NRLN metastasis was a significant prognostic factor for predicting reduced progression-free time to CRPC. Thus, although we speculate that prostate cancer with NRLN metastasis exhibits unique tumor biology, additional molecular and genetic studies are needed.

Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Distal Ureterectomy and Ureteral Reimplantation

We report here on our technique and outcomes of the first case of robot-assisted laparoscopic distal ureterectomy with a bladder cuff excision and ureteroneocystostomy. A 74-year-old male patient who had a distal ureter tumor underwent robot-assisted transperitoneal distal ureterectomy. After distal ureterectomy with bladder cuff excision was performed, direct ureteroneocystostomy was performed. The whole procedure was successfully performed by using the robot without conversion to open surgery. The total operative time was 207 minutes, and the estimated blood loss was 30 ml. The final pathological examination showed stage T2 invasive transitional cell carcinoma of the distal ureter. The patient's postoperative recovery was uneventful and the bladder cuff was free of tumor. Robot-assisted laparoscopic distal ureterectomy with ureteroneocystostomy is safe and feasible and offers patients the advantages of minimally invasive surgery.