Long-term functional outcomes and predictors of efficacy in thulium laser enucleation of the prostate (ThuLEP) for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH): a retrospective observational study.

OBJECTIVES: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common urological condition affecting aging men worldwide. Among the treatment options available for BPH, transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) is the gold-standard invasive intervention. To reduce the TURP-related non-negligible morbidity, loss-of-ejaculation rate, hospitalization, blood loss and catheterization time several laser techniques have been developed, such as the Thulium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate (ThuLEP). To investigate the efficacy outcomes of the ThuLEP as a treatment option for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) we performed a retrospective observational study at Moriggia Pelascini Hospital (Como, Italy) between January 2015 and September 2018. METHODS: We included 265 patients who underwent ThuLEP at a specific hospital between defined dates. Data on various parameters, including post-void residue volume, peak urinary flow rate (Qmax), International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) for urinary symptoms, IPSS Quality of Life (QoL) score, and International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) score for erectile dysfunction, were collected at baseline and follow-up. RESULTS: The analysis revealed significant improvements in voiding efficiency, urinary flow, urinary symptoms, quality of life, and erectile function following ThuLEP. Furthermore, certain baseline characteristics, such as post-void residue, peak urinary flow rate, age, prostate volume, and aspirin usage, were found to influence treatment outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the study's limitations, these findings contribute to understanding ThuLEP's effectiveness in managing BPH and can aid in making informed clinical decisions for patient care. Prospective studies with longer follow-up periods are recommended to validate and extend these results.

Ultrasound thyroid evaluation in thalassemic patients: correlation between the aspects of thyroidal stroma and function.

Hypothyroidism is one of the most common endocrine complications in thalassemic patients, usually appearing in the second decade of life related to iron overload. Ultrasonography is one of the techniques most frequently used to evaluate the volume and structure of the gland. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the possible correlation between thyroid function and its appearance on ultrasound in 45 thalassemic patients. We found reduced antero-posterior diameter of the thyroid in 12 patients (26.6%), reduced echogenicity of the glandular tissue in 24 patients (46.6%), and diffuse spotty echogenicity in 15 patients (33.3%). In our opinion, these patterns may be useful to indicate the need for further diagnostic evaluation of thyroid function. Follow-up studies are necessary to confirm this hypothesis.