The Prevalence of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms and Overactive Bladder in South Korea: A Cross-Sectional, Population-Based Study / 대한배뇨장애요실금학회지

Purpose@#Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) affect over half of the adults’ population worldwide, with an increasing prevalence among the older age groups. Therefore, with the increasing elderly population, LUTS is an important disease, highlighting the need for accurate data on its prevalence. This present study aimed to investigate the prevalence of LUTS in South Korea. @*Methods@#The study targeted individuals aged at least 19 years nationwide. We conducted computer-assisted telephone interviews, 80% mobile random digital dialing (RDD) sampling frame, and 20% landline RDD sampling frame between April and May 2020. Questionnaires included The International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), the overactive bladder symptom score (OABSS), and the characteristics of respondents. Current International Continence Society definitions were used for individual LUTS and OAB. @*Results@#There were 2,000 respondents, 1,009 (50.4%) were women and 546 (27.3%) were aged ≥60 years. Based on our IPSS questionnaire survey results, 77.9% of the respondents had LUTS; 63.7% had mild symptoms (1–7), 11.7% had moderate symptoms (8–19), and 2.4% had severe symptoms (20–35). The prevalence and severity of LUTS increased with age with 22.1% of respondents aged 60 years and above complaining of moderate or severe LUTS. According to the survey through OABSS, the prevalence of OAB was 9.6%, males were 10.3% and females were 9.0%. @*Conclusions@#Based on our survey results, 77.9% of the Korean adult population (over the age of 19) experienced at least one LUTS, and the severity increased with age. The prevalence and severity of OAB increased with age, especially after 40 years; the prevalence of OAB was 9.6%, and 13.4% of them were over 60 years old.

Correlation Between Testosterone Replacement Treatment and Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms / 대한배뇨장애요실금학회지

Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are a cluster of voiding symptoms, such as weak stream, hesitancy, intermittency, urinary frequency, urgency, and nocturia. LUTS are frequent in elderly men and it considered the ultimate clinical symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia. With aging, male hypogonadism is increased which is defined as decreased ability of the testes to produce sperm and sex steroids because of a pituitary/hypothalamic, or testicular deficiency. In academic andrology associations, the term “male hypogonadism” is commonly used to categorize testosterone deficiency. Testosterone deficiency syndrome (TDS) is defined as a decrease in serum testosterone accompanied by symptoms such as libido decrease, depressive disorder, erectile dysfunction, and fatigue. Although the mechanism about testosterone-replacement therapy (TRT) effects on men with hypogonadism is not yet identified, TRT has been shown to effectively relieve the symptoms of TDS as well as LUTS by several studies. Although the present review demonstrates the effectiveness and safety of TRT in men with TDS by prior studies, future large scale of clinical trials should be conducted to present more high-quality evidence to clinicians and patients.

Correlation Between Testosterone Replacement Treatment and Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms / 대한배뇨장애요실금학회지

Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are a cluster of voiding symptoms, such as weak stream, hesitancy, intermittency, urinary frequency, urgency, and nocturia. LUTS are frequent in elderly men and it considered the ultimate clinical symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia. With aging, male hypogonadism is increased which is defined as decreased ability of the testes to produce sperm and sex steroids because of a pituitary/hypothalamic, or testicular deficiency. In academic andrology associations, the term “male hypogonadism” is commonly used to categorize testosterone deficiency. Testosterone deficiency syndrome (TDS) is defined as a decrease in serum testosterone accompanied by symptoms such as libido decrease, depressive disorder, erectile dysfunction, and fatigue. Although the mechanism about testosterone-replacement therapy (TRT) effects on men with hypogonadism is not yet identified, TRT has been shown to effectively relieve the symptoms of TDS as well as LUTS by several studies. Although the present review demonstrates the effectiveness and safety of TRT in men with TDS by prior studies, future large scale of clinical trials should be conducted to present more high-quality evidence to clinicians and patients.

The Novel Method to Reduce Catheter-Related Bladder Discomfort after Transurethral Prostate Surgery

No abstract available.

Lifestyle Modification Strategy for Patients with Premature Ejaculation as Metabolic Syndrome

No abstract available.

It's Time to Take Advantage of Robotic Assisted Simple Prostatectomy in Large Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

No abstract available.

The Systematic Review of the Efficacy and Safety of Minimally Invasive Surgical Treatments in Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

Lower urinary tract symptoms caused by benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) has conventionally treated by transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) or open simple prostatectomy. TURP has historically been associated with significant morbidity and then holmium laser enucleation of the prostate technique was developed and rapidly extended in global. Over recent years, novel minimally invasive surgical treatments (MISTs) such as the prostatic urethral lift (Urolift system), convective Water Vapor Energy (REZUM system), Aquablation (Aquabeam system) were entered to the field of BPH. MISTs aim to be effective, ideally to be performed in an outpatient setting under only local anesthesia and to offer a more favorable safety results than existing techniques. In present study, we provide an update on the more recently and largely studied about MISTs. The mechanism of action, efficacy and safety profiles about these MISTs in clinical trials were evaluated and presented.

Finasteride and Erectile Dysfunction in Patients with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia or Male Androgenetic Alopecia

Finasteride is primarily used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and male androgenetic alopecia (MAA). Five-alpha reductase inhibitors (5α-RIs) could induce male sexual dysfunction due to their effects on testosterone and dihydrotestosterone. There is evidence suggesting that 5α-RIs may independently increase the risk of erectile dysfunction (ED). However, many investigators believe that side effects of 5α-RIs will disappear with continuous treatment. Considerable controversy exists regarding the severity and persistence of side effects of finasteride on ED. The aim of this review was to summarize current research studies on finasteride associated with ED. The search strategy used each term of finasteride and ED against PubMed database to identify related studies. ED data reported from available trials for finasteride were summarized and reviewed. Although there is not enough evidence to prove the relationship between finasteride and ED, most studies in this review found that finasteride for BPH was correlated with ED. However, most studies included in this review revealed that finasteride for MAA was not correlated with ED. On the other hand, some studies reported side effects of finasteride associated with sexual dysfunction, including ED, male infertility, ejaculation problem, and loss of libido, even in MAA patients. Well-designed randomized controlled trials are needed to further determine the mechanism and effects of finasteride on ED. However, physicians should discuss with their patients possible long-term effects of finasteride on sexual function, although we do not have evidence showing that adverse events of sexual dysfunction are absolutely associated with 5α-RIs.

Letter to the Editor regarding the Article: “Anti-Inflammatory and Antimicrobial Effects of a Novel Herbal Formulation (WSY-1075) in a Chronic Bacterial Prostatitis Rat Model” by Park et al. World J Mens Health 2016;34(3):179-185

No abstract available.

Let's Take Advantage of Mixtures of Bupivacaine or Ropivacaine in Urologic Inguinal and Scrotal Surgery

No abstract available.

Routine Use of Single Instillation of Epirubicin after Transurethral Resection of Bladder Tumor - Should It Be Done in Korean Patients?

To study the impact of single instillation of epirubicin (SIE) on the cancer recurrence of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) after transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) in Korean patients. The major inclusion criteria were NMIBC patients. The major exclusion criteria were muscle invasive bladder cancer, metastatic bladder cancer, combined urinary upper tract tumor, and carcinoma in situ. SIE group received 50 mg epirubicin within 6 hours after TURBT. Non-SIE group did not receive epirubicin. This study enrolled a total of 214 patients diagnosed as having NMIBC during the period from October 2003 through January 2010 at the single institutions. Follow-up of the patients was conducted through January 2012. The median age of patients was 63.4 years. Of 112 evaluable patients in the SIE group, cancer recurrence rate was 33.9% and in non-SIE group, cancer recurrence rate was 62.7% (p<0.001). The recurrence-free survival duration was longer in Group SIE compared with Group non-SIE (p<0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed that SIE was significantly associated with cancer recurrence (HR 0.213, p<0.001). We confirmed the impact of SIE on the cancer recurrence in the Korean patients who underwent TURBT for NMIBC. Single instillation of chemo-agent after TUR-B might be recommended in Korean patients for reduce bladder cancer recurrence and provide longer recurrence-free survival duration.

Risk Factors for Urethral Condyloma among Heterosexual Young Male Patients with Condyloma Acuminatum of Penile Skin / 감염과화학요법

To our knowledge, this is the first study that focuses on risk factor of urethral condyloma (UC). The subjects of our study included genital warts patients who had been diagnosed as having condyloma acuminatum of penile skin (CAPS) with/without UC. Relationship with UC of number of life time female partners, co-infection with urethritis, circumcision status, number of CAPS and wart diameter were studied by use of multivariate analysis. Co-infection with urethritis, circumcision status were risk factors of UC in heterosexual young male patients with CAPS. This information will be helpful for providing more professional counseling to patients with genital warts.

Current Status and Clinical Studies of Oriental Herbs in Sexual Medicine in Korea

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is one of the most common diseases among aging men. Although previous studies have shown that type 5 phosphodiesterase inhibitors (PDE5-Is) are very effective for the treatment of ED, many researchers are currently attempting to identify therapeutic agents from natural sources with comparable or better effects than PDE5-Is. Herbal medicine is thought to be advantageous because it is natural; moreover, it not only treats isolated symptoms, but also maintains general well-being. Furthermore, since newly created chemical compound libraries have limited structural diversity with regard to pharmaceutical agents, more attention has recently been paid to the ability of oriental herbs to enhance physical health, including sexual function. Herein, we review the current status of Korean preclinical or clinical studies of the application of oriental herbs to sexual medicine.

Effect of aging on urodynamic parameters in women with stress urinary incontinence

PURPOSE: Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is one of the most common lower urinary tract symptoms in women. We analyzed age-associated changes in urodynamic parameters in women with SUI. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed the urodynamic study (UDS) results of patients with urodynamically proven SUI between March 2008 and July 2014. In uroflowmetry, maximal flow rate (Qmax), time to Qmax, voided volume, and postvoid residual urine volume (PVR) and filling cystometry data including first, strong desire to void and Valsalva leak point pressure (VLPP) were measured. Also, Qmax and detrusor pressure at Qmax (Pdet@Qmax) of voiding cystometry data were analyzed. RESULTS: The subjects included 776 patients. Among the patients, 151 were withdrawn because of incomplete UDS data or because they met the exclusion criteria. A total of 625 patients enrolled in our study. The mean age of the population was 57.3 years. The mean Qmax, voided volume, voiding time, and PVR were 26.2 mL/s, 292.1 mL, 25.7 s, and 31.7 mL, respectively. Qmax (p=0.001) in uroflowmetry, PVR (p=0.042), first desire to void (p=0.042), Pdet@Qmax (p=0.016), and the bladder contractility index (p=0.046) were significantly different between the age groups. Qmax and Pdet@Qmax were decreased and PVR was increased significantly with age after 60 years. CONCLUSIONS: Older women with SUI also have worsened voiding function with age as the results of urodynamic parameters. Specifically, detrusor contractility decreased with age after 60 years.

An Unexpected Course after Simultaneous Urethral Repair and Reimplantation of Penile Prosthesis in a Patient with a Urethral Stricture

We experienced the growth of urethral hair along the urethral stricture six years after simultaneous urethral repair and reimplantation of penile prosthesis (RPP) in a patient with a urethral stricture. We detected hair in the urethra with a stricture on the bulbous urethra. Further, we performed hair removal by using a pair of cystoscopic forceps and internal urethrotomy. Then, we performed RPP, and the patient voided well; the prosthesis worked very well and without any complications. One-stage urethroplasty with a pedicle island of the penile skin and RPP in a simultaneous stage may be an option for treating the long-segment urethral stricture in the penile prosthesis patient. However, we should pay attention to the urethral hair growth that can occur after urethral repair performed using a skin graft.

Ureteral Penetration Caused by Drilling During Internal Pelvic Bone Fixation: Delayed Recognition / 대한배뇨장애요실금학회지

A 49-year-old man was referred to our department with profuse serous fluid discharge from a Penrose drain after undergoing internal fixation with metal screws for multiple pelvic bone fractures. A definite ureteral penetration was identified that was orientated from the lateral to the medial aspect of the right distal ureter. The patient was surgically treated with excision of the 2-cm injured ureteral segment, end-to-end ureteroureterostomy, and double J ureteral stent placement. To our knowledge, a penetrating ureteral injury caused by bone drilling has not been reported previously in the published literature. This case shows that surgeons who do pelvic surgery, including orthopedic surgeons, should be familiar with the anatomical relationship of the ureter and its potential injuries.

Current Management of Testicular Cancer

Germ cell tumors (GCTs) of the testis are rare, but are the most common cancer in young men. GCTs may consist of one predominant histologic pattern or may represent a mixture of multiple histologic types. For treatment purposes, two broad categories are recognized: 1) pure seminoma and 2) others, which together are termed nonseminomatous GCTs (NSGCTs). In general, seminoma tends to be less aggressive, to be diagnosed at an earlier stage, and to spread predictably along lymphatic channels to the retroperitoneum before spreading hematogenously to the lung or other organs. Compared with NSGCTs, seminoma is exquisitely sensitive to radiation therapy and platinum-based chemotherapy. NSGCTs are usually mixed tumors and teratoma often exists at the sites of metastasis with other GCT elements; cure often requires chemotherapy to kill the chemosensitive-components and surgery to remove the teratomatous components. The main factors contributing to excellent cure rates of GCTs are careful staging at diagnosis; adequate early treatment using chemotherapeutic combinations, with or without radiotherapy and surgery; and very strict follow-up and salvage therapy. We review several clinical studies and summarize the current trends in the management of GCTs.

Preoperative Factors Influencing Postoperative Results after Vasovasostomy

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the preoperative factors that influenced postoperative sperm concentration after vasovasostomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 97 consecutive single-layer vasovasostomy procedures performed by a single surgeon between March 2003 and September 2010. The patients were stratified into three groups based on sperm concentration at 1 month follow-up: group I-azoospermia, group II-oligospermia, and group III-normal. We evaluated the preoperative factors that may have influenced sperm concentration at postoperative 1 month. Patients with serial semen analysis were divided into four groups according to the change in postoperative sperm concentration at the 6-month visit: group II-N-from oligospermia to normal, group II-O-from oligospermia to oligospermia, group III-O-from normal to oligospermia, group III-N-from normal to normal. We compared the pregnancy rate among the four groups. RESULTS: The mean obstructive interval was 9.69 years in group I, 6.02 years in group II, and 7.82 years in group III. There were significant differences found among the groups (p=0.035). There was significantly different change in sperm concentration, sperm motility, and sperm morphology between each of the groups. A total of 32 patients underwent serial semen analyses at 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months after vasovasostomy. There was no significant difference in patient age, obstructive interval, or follicle-stimulating hormone among the groups. The natural pregnancy rate in group II-O was lower than that in group II-N, and in group III-O was lower than that in group III-N. However, there was no significant difference among each of the groups. CONCLUSIONS: The sperm concentration after vasovasostomy was significantly related to the obstructive interval between vasectomy and reversal.

Inverted Papilloma of the Prostatic Urethra Arising in a Juvenile

Inverted papilloma of the urinary tract is a rare benign lesion. We report, to our knowledge, the first case of inverted papilloma of the prostatic urethra arising in a juvenile. Our patient was referred for evaluation of painless, gross hematuria and voiding difficulty. Transrectal sonography demonstrated a 1.4 cm papillary lesion on the medial aspect of the prostatic urethra. Cystoscopy showed a solitary, papillary tumor on the prostatic urethra. Transurethral resection was performed and histological examination showed an inverted papilloma.

Proper Mesh Placement Using the Outer Cylinder of a Ballpoint Pen in the Transobturator Adjustable Tape Sling Procedure for Female Stress Urinary Incontinence

PURPOSE: The transobturator adjustable tape (TOA) sling operation is an effective procedure that allows for correction of postoperative incontinence or obstruction through adjustment of the mesh tension. During the operation, the outer cylinder of a ballpoint pen was used for proper mesh placement with less dissection. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of the TOA sling operation with the use of the outer cylinder of a ballpoint pen. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 127 consecutive women with stress urinary incontinence underwent the TOA sling operation with the use of the outer cylinder of a ballpoint pen. The preoperative evaluations included a stress cough test, urodynamic study, and questionnaires related to quality of life. The mesh tension was adjusted 1 day after the operation. Postoperative evaluation was done at 1 month and included a stress cough test, uroflowmetry, questionnaires, and asking about satisfaction. At 1 year, we evaluated the patients with a stress cough test and by asking about their satisfaction with the procedure. RESULTS: The overall cure rate was 95.3% at 1 month and 96.8% at the 1-year follow-up. Postoperative adjustment of the mesh tension was done for 22 patients (17.3%). Eight patients needed increased tension for remaining stress urinary incontinence, and 14 patients needed reduced tension for urinary obstruction. The maximal flow rate was decreased significantly. However, the residual urine volume was not increased significantly. The total score on the questionnaires increased significantly. CONCLUSIONS: Results were excellent compared with outcomes of the traditional TOA sling procedure. Proper mesh placement by use of the outer cylinder of a ballpoint pen with less dissection and tension adjustment could improve the success rate of the TOA sling operation.