A pictorial view on false positive findings of 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT and their prognostic value in patients with prostate carcinoma after radical prostatectomy and undetectable PSA values.

OBJECTIVE: Recently, gallium-68-prostate-specific membrane antigen-11 (68Ga-PSMA-11) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) has become a key imaging method in prostate carcinoma staging and biochemical progression, with varying sensitivities in different studies (from 40% to 80%). After four years of experience with 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT, we found that it is possible to detect lesions with increased PSMA expression in patients with undetectable prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels after radical prostatectomy. The key questions we wanted to answer were as follows: if those lesions were malignant and could the early detection of those malignant lesions have a role in patient management? We aimed to identify and follow up PSMA-positive findings for a period of 4 years in patients with prostate cancer after radical prostatectomy and undetectable PSA values at the time of the examination. We also explored false-positive lesions in detail. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The study included all patients who underwent radical prostatectomy and had undetectable PSA values <0.05ng/mL and who underwent 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT between July 2019 and December 2019. We performed 220 studies and found 40 patients with these characteristics; these patients were included in this study. All of them were followed up until July 2023. Any finding with increased radiopharmaceutical accumulation above the background activity in the respective area was considered a false positive. Prostate-specific membrane antigen accumulation in established lesions was assessed semi-quantitatively by the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) and qualitatively by the four-point visual scale proposed in the E-PSMA recommendations. RESULTS: We found 15/40 (37.5%) patients with PSMA-positive findings. These were predominantly bone changes without a corresponding CT abnormality or discrete cystic or osteoblastic lesions with above-background increased PSMA expression. The mean SUVmax of these non-specific lesions was 3.02 (SD 2.86). After 3.5-4 years of follow-up, biochemical progression was found in only two of the patients.The great sensitivity of the method nowadays is a powerful engine for the development of new therapeutic options. On the other side, the lower specificity due to false positive findings, if misinterpreted, might lead to switching to a higher stage, with the planned radical treatment replaced by palliative treatment. CONCLUSION: The presence of 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT-positive findings in patients after radical prostatectomy and an undetectable PSA had a low predictive value for future progression. The interpretation of 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT should always include a complex assessment of the clinical setting-the risk group, PSA value and degree of PSMA accumulation in the lesions. In these situations, further clarification of PSMA-positive findings is appropriate before deciding to change treatment.

The challenge to prove a rare cause of secondary arterial hypertension. A case report of a pediatric renal solitary fibrous tumor.

BACKGROUND: Childhood hypertension is getting more attention in recent years. We present a case report of a rare cause of secondary arterial hypertension in a teenage girl - a solitary fibrous tumor of the kidney. The case demonstrates that standard imaging techniques, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, are not fully reliable in the diagnosis of renovascular hypertension. CASE: A 15-year old girl was admitted to the Pediatric Department because of episodes of stiffness in the limbs, accompanied by pale skin and lips, dated 4 months back. During these episodes, high blood pressure up to 160/100 mmHg was measured. A 24-hour blood pressure monitoring demonstrated arterial hypertension stage II. Renovascular hypertension was suspected, but the computed tomography examination of the abdomen showed normal-sized renal arteries. In the left kidney hilum, an intraparenchymal formation was discovered. The data presented a non-specific lesion with a wide differential diagnosis. Given the fact that the patient had been treated with an ACE-inhibitor, serum renin level could not be correctly interpreted. The lesion was removed through a laparoscopic intervention. Intraoperatively, the tumor was compressing a small intra-renal vessel - a finding that hadn`t been discovered by the previous imaging studies. The final pathologist diagnosis was: solitary fibrous tumor. During the next six months of follow-up, the maximal blood pressure values of the patient were up to 120/80 mmHg. CONCLUSIONS: Solitary fibrous tumors of the kidneys are infrequent in children. The presented case displays a rare form of initial clinical manifestation of this tumor. It is also a demonstration that standard imaging techniques are not able to get a precise visualization of the small intra-renal vessels. At the same time, the decision of whether or not to perform a more invasive procedure should be based on the clinical conditions and risks of the individual patient.

Serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D levels in Bulgarian patients with prostate cancer: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: The antiproliferative effect of the active form of vitamin D on cancer cells and its ability to induce cell differentiation and suppression of tumor-induced angiogenesis in the last decade has provoked enormous research for the elucidation of its role in the prevention of different types of cancer and in slowing down the malignancy progression. The aim of the present pilot study was to determine the circulating 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25OHD) levels in Bulgarian prostate cancer (PCa) patients and to investigate their relationship with various determinants associated with the severity and progression of the disease. METHODS: A total of 53 male patients (mean age 67.0 ± 7.1 years) with clinical suspicion for PCa were enrolled in the study. All patients were subjected to systemic transrectal ultrasound-guided tru-cut prostate biopsies (10 cores at least). Detected tumors were graded using the Gleason grading system. Prostate specific antigen (PSA) serum levels were measured immunochemically. The 25OHD assay was performed by a validated HPLC-UV method. Other covariates (BMI, age, family history of PCa) were collected by interview at the time of hospitalization. One-way ANOVA with Kruskal Wallis statistics was used for comparison of medians of different parameters. The level of significance was set at p < 0.05. RESULTS: Significantly lower 25OHD levels were detected in PCa patients compared to those with benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) (p < 0.05). Patients with high grade tumors (Gleason score ≥ 7) showed significantly lower 25OHD levels, while those with low grade tumors (Gleason score < 7) revealed better 25OHD status (50.49 vs. 63.17 nmol/L, p < 0.05). A moderate negative correlation between 25OHD levels and the Gleason score was established (Spearman r = -0.46, p < 0.05). Significant seasonal variations in 25OHD levels, both for PCa and BPH patients, were detected (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: This preliminary study shows an association between 25OHD status and classical markers characterizing the severity of PCa. The results might suggest a potential beneficial role of vitamin D for PCa patients. Further prospective studies are needed to strengthen the interrelationships between 25OHD levels and variables related with PCa and to test them for causality.

Validation of nomograms predicting lymph node involvement in patients with prostate cancer undergoing extended pelvic lymph node dissection.

Our aim was to validate Briganti's nomograms predicting the probability of lymph node involvement (LNI) in prostate cancer (PCa). Clinicopathological data of 256 PCa patients who underwent extended pelvic lymph node dissection (ePLND) and radical prostatectomy (RP) were obtained from two Bulgarian institutions. Predicted probabilities of LNI were assessed using Briganti's nomograms based on ePLND. In addition to the established basic LNI predictors, Briganti's nomograms included the number of lymph nodes removed (version 2006) and the number and percentage of positive biopsy cores (versions 2007 and 2012). The accuracy of these nomograms was compared with the updated Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) nomogram (version 2011). Receiver-operating characteristics analysis was done to assess the discriminative ability of each of the nomograms applied. All of Briganti's nomograms showed a higher predictive accuracy as compared with the updated MSKCC nomogram. The respective AUC values were calculated as 0.847, 0.837, 0.858 and 0.875 for the four Briganti nomograms, and 0.770 for the updated MSKCC nomogram, respectively. Despite the potential for heterogeneity in patient selection and management, all predictions demonstrated high concordance with actual observations. Compared with other similar prognostic tools the updated Briganti nomogram (version 2012) showed the highest predictive accuracy and should therefore be preferred.

Laparoscopic transperitoneal renal cyst decortication.

The aim of this study was to report our experience with the llaparoscopic transperitoneal treatment of simple renal cysts, to analyze the immediate and long-term clinical outcomes, and to evaluate the efficacy and safety of this miniinvasive surgical technique. Between 2009 and 2014 we diagnosed and treated a total of 48 patients with symptomatic simple renal cysts. The diagnosis was set up by ultrasound (US) and/or computed tomography (CT) examination. All cases were managed by transperitoneal laparoscopic cyst decortication. Demographic data, perioperative blood loss, duration of operative procedure, length of hospital stay and peri- and postoperative complications were analyzed. Follow-up included clinical examination and renal US, performed at 3-monthly intervals during the first year and yearly thereafter. Patient age ranged from 32 to 68 years (mean age 52.4 years). 27 (56.2%) of the patients were males and 21 (43.8%)--females. 42 (87.5%) of the cysts were peripheral, and 6 (12.5%)-peripelvic; 28 (58.3%) were localized to the left and 20 (41.7%)--to the right; and they ranged by size from 5 to 30 cm (mean 9.8 cm). 45 (93.8%) of the cysts were identified as category I, and only 3 (6.2%)--as category II, according to the Bosniak classification. None of the cases required conversion to open surgery. There were no peri- and postoperative complications. The average duration of the laparoscopic procedure was 55 min, and the average perioperative blood loss--50 mL. All patients had negative cytological and histological findings indicative for malignancy. The follow-up period ranged from 5 to 52ain months (average--25.4 months). In 47 cases (97.9%) exellent therapeutic results were reported: complete relief of clinical symptoms, fast recovery of physical activity and patient quality of life. There were three recurrences (6.2%) met in patients with multiple cysts, but only one of them required repeated surgery. Laparoscopic transperitoneal decortication is a miniinvasive, highly effective and safe method of treatment of symptomatic renal cysts. The immediate relief of clinical symptoms, the short period of reconvalescence, the excellent quality of life after surgery, and the low relapse rate confidently define it as the surgical method of choice.

Radical Prostatectomy as a First-Line Treatment in Patients with Initial PSA >20 ng/mL.

Initial PSA >20 ng/mL is generally considered an adverse prognostic feature in prostate cancer (PCa). Our goals were to estimate the impact of radical prostatectomy (RP) on biochemical recurrence- (BCR-) free and cancer-specific survival (CSS) rates of PCa patients with PSA >20 ng/mL, and to identify patients with favorable oncological outcome. Using 20 ng/mL as a cut-point value, 205 PCa patients, who underwent RP, were stratified into two groups. Multivariate analysis was used to determine the significant outcome predictors among patients with PSA >20 ng/mL. Men in this group had significantly lower 10-yr BCR-free and CSS rates than patients with PSA ≤20 ng/mL (20.7% versus 79.6% (P < 0.001) and 65.0% versus 87.9% (P = 0.010), resp.). Pathological stage and lymph node status were found to be the only independent predictors of PSA failure. Patients with favorable combination of these variables (pT2, N0) had significantly longer 10-yr BCR-free and CSS rates (44.3% versus 0% (P = 0.001) and 100.0% versus 33.6% (P = 0.011), resp.). High PSA values do not uniformly indicate poor prognosis after surgery. Patients, who might benefit the most from RP, are those with organ confined PCa and negative lymph nodes.

Gangrenous cystitis: report of a case and review of the literature.

Gangrenous cystitis is an extremely rare condition: only a total of 240 cases worldwide have been reported so far. Most of these cases have occurred in the preantibiotic era. After the advent and widespread use of antibiotics in clinical practice, only sporadic cases have been observed. We report a case of gangrenous cystitis in an 83-year-old woman who presented with symptoms of acute abdomen. The main causative factor was overdistension of the bladder due to urinary retention. The patient underwent total cystectomy and bilateral ureterocutaneostomy with a favorable outcome. The incidence, etiology, diagnosis, management and outcome of gangrenous cystitis are discussed.

Surgery for renal cell carcinoma in two European urologic clinics: to compare or compete?

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate and compare the incidence, TNM staging and the current strate- gy for the surgical treatment of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in two European urologic institutions, situated in Varna, Bulgaria and in Bari, Italy. Both clinics have sound experience of RCC surgery, and modern laparoscopic equipment. A retrospective chart review of all patients with RCC diagnosed and treated in the last year was conducted at the two sites. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In total, 88 patients (66 males and 22 females, mean age 58 years, range 24-81 years) were enrolled in the study. Comparisons were made between some clinical and pathologic parameters with an established prognostic and therapeutic impact. The type of surgery perormed at both sites was analyzed as well. All these comparative studies were performed in relation to the 2008 EAU guidelines on the current management of RCC. Commercially available statistical software was used for the purpose. RESULTS: The results showed no difference between the two sites regarding the RCC incidence and the patients' age and gender. Significant differences (p value < 0.0001) emerged in terms of: the median size of the tumors at surgery (8.5 cm in Varna, SD + 4.04 vs. 4.4 cm in Bari, SD _ 2.02); T-stage of the tumor (Varna T T2-30%, T3-22%, T4-15% vs. Bari T1-64%, T2-12%, T3-24%, T4-0%); N-positive disese (24% vs. 2%); distant metastases (20% vs. 2%) and presence of necrosis in the renal masses (37% vs. 19%). Thus, 85% of Varna patients underwent open radical nephrectomy, 11% nephron-sparing surgery and 4% explorative laparotomy, due to inoperability of the renal mass. Only 29% of Bari patients were treated by open radical nephrectomy, 12% underwent laparoscopic nephrectomy, 57% open partial nephrectomy and 2% laparoscopic partial tumor resection. CONCLUSIONS: These numbers demonstrate more advantageous tumour features at the Italian clinic in terms of organ-sparing surgical options (open and laparoscopic), whereas in the Bulgarian clinic the tumour features pose certain limitations to the application of modern surgical techniques. This difference is due to early diagnosis of RCC in Italy, allowing treatment of smaller volume tumors.