A rare presentation of Zinner syndrome as recurrent epididymitis: A case report.

Zinner syndrome is a rare congenital malformation characterized by ipsilateral renal agenesis, atresia of the ejaculatory duct, and cystic distension of the seminal vesicles. Symptoms typically arise in adolescence or adulthood and may include painful urination, perineal discomfort, and post-ejaculatory pain. Diagnosis, often made between the ages of 20 and 50 years, involves differentiating Zinner syndrome from other cystic disorders using techniques such as cystoscopy, MRI, intravenous urography, and transrectal ultrasound. Treatment varies based on symptom severity, ranging from conservative approaches to invasive surgeries. Regular follow-up is essential to identify complications and preserve fertility. Herein, we present a 27-year-old male with recurrent scrotal swelling and erythema incidentally diagnosed with Zinner syndrome. The patient had a history of recurrent epididymitis and was found to have cystic dilatation of the seminal vesicle, ipsilateral renal agenesis, and obstruction of the left ejaculatory duct on imaging. Given the patient's mild symptoms, he was managed conservatively with antibiotics and pain medication, resulting in significant improvement.

[Seminal vesiculoscopy: Safe and effective for the treatment of refractory hemospermia].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical effect and safety of transutricular seminal vesiculoscopy in the treatment of refractory hemospermia. METHODS: Using 6Fr ureteroscopy through the prostatic utricle, we treated 103 cases of refractory hemospermia with distal seminal duct obstructive lesions, including 12 cases complicated by distal seminal duct cyst. We rinsed the seminal duct cavity, cleaned out the stones, removed the cyst wall with holmium laser and followed up the patients for 12 months postoperatively. RESULTS: The operations were successfully completed in all the cases but 1 (0.9%), in which the ureteroscope failed to enter the bilateral seminal vesicles. The operation time was (47 ± 9) min. No rectal injury or acute epididymitis occurred intraoperatively, nor fever, long-term dysuria or long-term hematuria after surgery. Postoperative follow-up showed that bloody semen symptoms vanished in 93 (90.3%) of the cases, improved significantly in 4 (3.9%) and not significantly in 2 (1.9%), and 3 cases of recurrence (2.9%) were all relieved after reoperation. CONCLUSION: Transutricular seminal vesiculoscopy has the advantages of clear anatomic vision, minor invasiveness and significant effectiveness in the treatment of refractory hemospermia. What's more, holmium laser is better than plasmakinetic resection in removal of the cyst wall.

Clinical characteristics, etiology, management and outcome of hematospermia: a systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: Hematospermia is an uncommon symptom but can cause significant anxiety among the patient and his partner. The available data on the underlying etiology, management and outcome are variable and inconsistent. This systematic review was aimed to describe the clinical characteristics, etiology, treatment and outcomes of hematospermia. METHODS: Keywords were searched in PubMed, Scopus, LILACS and Google Scholar. Relevant articles were manually added from the list of references of eligible articles. Studies with a considerable assessment of patients with hematospermia were included. Qualitative analysis was performed using the available data. RESULTS: Twenty studies (Fifteen prospective and five retrospective, n=2079 patients, mean age =46.2 (range: 15-89) years) were eligible. Community screening reported a 0.5% prevalence of hematospermia (one study). Majority had hematospermia as the main/only symptom while dysuria (n=38/232, 16.4%), lower urinary tract symptoms (n=113/833, 13.6%), Hematuria (65/566, 11.5%) and testicular pain (n=68/631, 10.7%), were associated in some patients. Suspicious rectal examination (one study) and elevated PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) levels (four studies) were indicative of sinister pathologies. Common etiologies were urogenital infections/inflammatory conditions followed by prostatic, seminal vesicular or urethral calculi. Malignancies were detected in 5.4% (n=74/1362, 11 studies) of patients >40 years old and the majority had prostate cancers (67/74, 90.5%). Etiology was unknown in 51.8% (n=603/1163). Definitive treatment of the underlying etiology (n=260/347, 74.9%) resolved the symptoms while spontaneous resolution occurred in the vast majority 88.9% (n=168/189) with unknown etiology. CONCLUSIONS: Hematospermia is relatively an innocent symptom. Malignancies are rare and occurred in men over 40 years. Clinical assessment including a rectal examination and a PSA level would be sufficient to identify most causes. Urogenital infections/inflammation and prostatic calculi are the commonly found etiologies. There was no identifiable cause in almost half of those with hematospermia. The majority has a benign course.

[Application of transurethral seminal vesiculoscopy in uroandrology].

With the continuous improvement of living conditions, increasing attention is being drawn to the genitourinary health of males, which has boomed the development of uroandrology in recent years. Refractory hemospermia, infertility, and perineal pain are commonly seen in some male patients, and mainly relied on medical imaging for diagnosis in the past, which, however, has a high pseudopositive rate and cannot give an etiological explanation. Patients with these diseases often adopt conservative treatments such as medication and physiotherapy, often with poor prognosis, and those suffering frequent recurrence used to be treated by transurethral resection, laparoscopic surgery or open surgery, which are now rarely employed due to their high rate of postoperative complications, slow recovery, and easy recurrence. In recent years, transurethral seminal vesiculoscopy has gained a wide application in the diagnosis and treatment of the above-mentioned uroandrological diseases and shown its advantages of high clinical effectiveness and low incidence of complications. The review updates on the indications, methods, skills and clinical application of transurethral seminal vesiculoscopy.

Efficacy and feasibility of day surgery using transurethral seminal vesiculoscopy under caudal block anesthesia for intractable hemospermia.

BACKGROUND: Transurethral seminal vesiculoscopy (TSV) is a safe and effective method for intractable hemospermia. It uses a natural cavity, is fast, involves little trauma, and boasts a low incidence of complications. Because uncontrollable penile erection during general anesthesia will severely influence the surgical operation or even damage the endoscope, spinal anesthesia was applied more on TSV. But spinal anesthesia extends the length of stay in the hospital and brings patients unnecessary discomfort. As the TSV is a quick recovery operation, we should think about a more suitable mode for these patients. METHODS: A total of 141 patients received TSV between January 2015 and July 2019: 81 patients received day surgery under caudal block (group A), and 60 received inpatient surgery under spinal anesthesia (group B). Operative time, postoperative hospital stay, hemospermia remission rate, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) remission rate are compared. Visual analog scale (VAS) scores of groups were taken and compared at 2 time points: when there was pain during surgery (T1) and at the end of surgery (T2). Surgical methods of two groups are the same. RESULTS: The mean operative time of two groups are 34 min (group A) and 32 min (group B), and there was no statistical difference. Postoperative hemospermia remission rates are both 100% at 3 months, which at 6 months are 60% and 48%, and there was no statistical difference. MRI remission at 3 months are 72% and 57%, which has no statistical difference. Postoperative complications were mild in two groups like hematuria and dysuria which can relieve within one day, and there were no severe complications. Intraoperative pain was present in 18.5% (15/81) of group A. Their highest VAS score was 3 points, indicating mild pain, which did not influence the surgical process or postoperative recovery. The postoperative VAS scores were similar between the 2 groups. Group A did not require postoperative hospitalization, whereas the average postoperative hospitalization in group B was 2 days. CONCLUSIONS: Seminal vesiculoscopy can be performed as a day surgery under caudal block, which has obvious advantages in accelerating postoperative recovery and shortening the hospital stay.

Application of transurethral seminal vesiculoscopy in uroandrology / 中华男科学杂志

With the continuous improvement of living conditions, increasing attention is being drawn to the genitourinary health of males, which has boomed the development of uroandrology in recent years. Refractory hemospermia, infertility, and perineal pain are commonly seen in some male patients, and mainly relied on medical imaging for diagnosis in the past, which, however, has a high pseudopositive rate and cannot give an etiological explanation. Patients with these diseases often adopt conservative treatments such as medication and physiotherapy, often with poor prognosis, and those suffering frequent recurrence used to be treated by transurethral resection, laparoscopic surgery or open surgery, which are now rarely employed due to their high rate of postoperative complications, slow recovery, and easy recurrence. In recent years, transurethral seminal vesiculoscopy has gained a wide application in the diagnosis and treatment of the above-mentioned uroandrological diseases and shown its advantages of high clinical effectiveness and low incidence of complications. The review updates on the indications, methods, skills and clinical application of transurethral seminal vesiculoscopy.

Zinner syndrome presenting with intermittent scrotal pain in a young man.

Congenital malformations of the seminal vesicle are uncommon, and most of them are cystic malformations. If an insult occurs during the first trimester of gestation, the embryogenesis of the kidney, ureter, seminal vesicle, and vas deferens could be altered. The mutual embryological origins of the seminal vesicle and ureteral bud from the mesonephric (Wolffian) duct result in association between ipsilateral renal agenesis and seminal vesical cysts. Zinner syndrome is a rare condition comprising a triad of unilateral renal agenesis, ipsilateral seminal vesicle obstruction and ipsilateral ejaculatory duct obstruction. This syndrome were first described by Zinner in 1914, and 200 cases have been reported in the literature. Most patients with this anomaly are asymptomatic until the second or third decade of life. Some cases have nonspecific symptoms such as prostatism, urinary urgency, dysuria, painful ejaculation, and perineal discomfort. In this paper, we present a uncommon case of a 21-year-old patient which the initial presentation of this condition was intermittent scrotal pain. A brief review of the literature is undertaken, regarding the main clinical, imaging implications, and the developmental anomalies that are involved in this congenital anomaly.

Transurethral seminal vesiculoscopy for recurrent hemospermia: experience from 419 cases.

We summarized our experience in transurethral seminal vesiculoscopy (TSV) for recurrent hemospermia by introducing surgical techniques, intraoperative findings, and treatment outcomes. TSV was performed in 419 patients with an initial diagnosis of persistent hemospermia at Shanghai Changhai Hospital (Shanghai, China) from May 2007 to November 2015. TSV was successfully performed in 381 cases (90.9%). Hemospermia was alleviated or disappeared in 324 (85.0%) patients by 3 months after surgery. Common intraoperative manifestations were bleeding, obstruction or stenosis, mucosal lesions, and calculus. Endoscopic presentation of the ejaculatory duct orifice and the verumontanum was categorized into four types, including 8 (1.9%), 32 (7.6%), 341 (81.4%), and 38 (9.1%) cases in Types A, B, C, and D, respectively. TSV is an effective and safe procedure in the management of seminal tract disorders. This study may help other surgeons to become familiar with and improve this procedure. However, further multicentric clinical trials are warranted to validate these findings.

Transurethral seminal vesiculoscopy acts as a therapeutic investigation for intractable hemospermia: Step-by-step illustrations and single-surgeon experience.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the methodology of transurethral seminal vesiculoscopy and the anatomy of the seminal tract, and to report a single-surgeon experience with this procedure. METHODS: A total of 38 consecutive patients with intractable macroscopic hemospermia were enrolled from January 2010 to July 2016. A 6/7.5-Fr semirigid ureteroscope was used to enter the seminal tract by one of these two approaches: through either a trans-ejaculatory duct opening or a trans-utricle fenestration. Patient characteristics and their preoperative and postoperative measurements were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: The success rate of transurethral seminal vesiculoscopy was 92.1%, whereas the approaching method in most patients was the trans-utricle fenestration (88.89%). A total of 34 (94.4%) transurethral seminal vesiculoscopy inspections ended with complete remission, even though nearly half of them (47.2%) only disclosed negative perioperative findings. The median period to complete remission was 4 weeks (interquartile range 4-6 weeks) after the procedure. Four patients had recurrent hemospermia, and the median time to recurrence was 21.5 (range 13-48.5) months. CONCLUSIONS: Transurethral seminal vesiculoscopy is a valuable diagnostic tool for intractable hemospermia, and also plays a therapeutic role by blocking the vicious cycle of stasis, calculi and seminal vesiculitis. More familiarity of the anatomy and enough practice would make the learning curve less steep.

New Treatment for Urethral Rent in Stallions.

The aim of this report is to describe a new methodology to successfully treat stallions diagnosed with urethral rent. Four stallions of ages ranging from 7 to 12 years (median 9) with hemospermia were admitted for clinical evaluation, breeding soundness examination, and urethroscopy for inspection of the urethra and vesicular glands. Once the presence of urethral rent was identified and/or other sources of hemorrhage were excluded, a topical treatment was performed with 4% Policresulen solution (Albocresil). The treatment was carried out by infusing 100 mL of the solution into the lumen of the urethra through a catheter placed up to the region of the ischial arch. This procedure was repeated once daily, or at 48 hours intervals, resulting in a total of 4-7 infusions. In all cases, chemical cauterization was efficient in the healing of the urethral rent. However, due to masturbation during treatment, one animal did not completely heal, and the treatment with the Policresulen was prolonged. It is believed that the low pH of the solution resulted in urethritis, which was treated with systemic therapy of antibiotic and anti-inflammatory nonsteroidal. Topical treatment with 4% Policresulen was found to be efficient in the chemical cauterization of urethral rent in stallions. This treatment was efficient, practical, less invasive, and less costly than the alternative of surgical methods, which are more invasive and require longer recovery time of the animal. However, sexual rest and the elimination of sexual stimuli from the environment are essential management in association with this therapeutic method.

Transurethral seminal vesiculoscopy for recurrent hemospermia: Experience from 419 cases / 亚洲男科学杂志(英文版)

We summarized our experience in transurethral seminal vesiculoscopy (TSV) for recurrent hemospermia by introducing surgical techniques, intraoperative findings, and treatment outcomes. TSV was performed in 419 patients with an initial diagnosis of persistent hemospermia at Shanghai Changhai Hospital (Shanghai, China) from May 2007 to November 2015. TSV was successfully performed in 381 cases (90.9%). Hemospermia was alleviated or disappeared in 324 (85.0%) patients by 3 months after surgery. Common intraoperative manifestations were bleeding, obstruction or stenosis, mucosal lesions, and calculus. Endoscopic presentation of the ejaculatory duct orifice and the verumontanum was categorized into four types, including 8 (1.9%), 32 (7.6%), 341 (81.4%), and 38 (9.1%) cases in Types A, B, C, and D, respectively. TSV is an effective and safe procedure in the management of seminal tract disorders. This study may help other surgeons to become familiar with and improve this procedure. However, further multicentric clinical trials are warranted to validate these findings.

Transurethral seminal vesiculoscopy for recurrent hemospermia: experience from 419 cases / 亚洲男科学杂志(英文版)

We summarized our experience in transurethral seminal vesiculoscopy (TSV) for recurrent hemospermia by introducing surgical techniques, intraoperative findings, and treatment outcomes. TSV was performed in 419 patients with an initial diagnosis of persistent hemospermia at Shanghai Changhai Hospital (Shanghai, China) from May 2007 to November 2015. TSV was successfully performed in 381 cases (90.9%). Hemospermia was alleviated or disappeared in 324 (85.0%) patients by 3 months after surgery. Common intraoperative manifestations were bleeding, obstruction or stenosis, mucosal lesions, and calculus. Endoscopic presentation of the ejaculatory duct orifice and the verumontanum was categorized into four types, including 8 (1.9%), 32 (7.6%), 341 (81.4%), and 38 (9.1%) cases in Types A, B, C, and D, respectively. TSV is an effective and safe procedure in the management of seminal tract disorders. This study may help other surgeons to become familiar with and improve this procedure. However, further multicentric clinical trials are warranted to validate these findings.

The feasibility and safety of applying all-seeing needle in transurethral seminal vesiculoscopy / 中华泌尿外科杂志

Objective To detect the feasibility and safety of applying all-seeing needle in transurethral seminal vesiculoscopy.Methods Retrospective analysis was made with clinical data of 32 patients of hemospermia treated with transurethral seminal vesiculoscopy using all-seeing needle from March 2016 to January 2018.The patients'age was (38.8 ± 8.7) years (27-60 years) and the course of disease was (7.1 ±3.3) months (2-15 months).Ultrasound before operation showed heterogeneous echo,or expansion of the seminal vesicle.MRI showed hemorrhage of the seminal vesicle,or abnormal signal of the seminal vesicle.Patients had levofloxacin or mosisasin anti-infection therapy more than one month and remained uncovered.The operation was performed under subarachnoid anesthesia,and the patients took the lithotomy position.The F4.8 all-seeing needle entered the posterior urethra,the verumontanum was found,and the saline was slowly pushed with a syringe to maintain a clear view.Then,the ejaculatory duct opening was searched on both sides of the verumontanum.If the ejaculatory duct opening cannot be found in the normal position,we entered the needle into the prostatic utricle to find the possible ectopic opening.If the ejaculatory duct opening was still not found,at the 5 and 7 o'clock positions in the prostatic utricle,the needle was probed and punctured into the side wall of the ejaculatory duct.Visible puncture with all-seeing needle can effectively avoid penetrating blood vessels and reduce damage to tissues during puncture.In this study,the ejaculatory duct opening got accessed on the verumontanum in 14 cases,through ectopic openings within the prostatic utricle in 2 cases,and through artificial establishment in 5 and 7 o'clock positions within prostatic utricle in 16 cases.After entering the ejaculatory duct and seminal vesicle,we explored the cavities of the seminal vesicles.For stones or polyps,after replacing the outer sheath to F8,F1.9 stone retrieval basket was applied to remove stones or polyps,followed by rinsing the seminal vesicles with normal saline,0.02％ nitrofurazone,and then 160,000 units of gentamicin into each seminal vesicle.For hemorrhage,after clearing up the blood,seminal vesicles were also washed with normal saline,nitrofurazone,and perfused with gentamicin.In the operation,prostatic utricle stone was found in 5 cases,and seminal vesicle stone was found in 7 cases.One case of seminal vesicle polyp was observed,and in 19 cases,seminal vesicle hemorrhage was seen.Results All the operations were accomplished successfully,the operation time was (55.0 ± 11.3) min (35-82 min).There was no rectal injury or urethral injury during operation.The postoperative catheter was removed at 2 days postoperatively and the patients discharged on the 4th day after surgery.The length of hospital stay was (6.3 ± 0.7) days (5-7 days).One patient had mild hematuria after removal of the urethral catheter and got improved spontaneously;one case developed epididymitis,which improved after anti-infective treatment.6 cases made stone analysis,with 5 cases of magnesium ammonium phosphate hexahydrate,and 1 case of calcium oxalate dihydrate,calcium oxalate monohydrate and carbonate apatite mixed stones.One case of polyp was diagnosed by pathologists to be an inflammatory polyp.Follow-up was performed at 4,6,8,and 12 weeks after surgery.Hemospermia was cured in 24 cases,relieved in the other 8 cases at 8-week follow-up,who received oral antibiotic treatment afterwards.At the 12-week follow-up,the rest 6 cases in 8 got hemospermia recovered,with 2 cases still uncovered.Conclusions All-seeing needle is user-friendly and safe in transurethral seminal vesiculoscopy,with reliable short-term efficacy.

Transurethral seminal vesiculoscopy in the treatment of refractory hemospermia / 中华泌尿外科杂志

Objective To discuss the clinical effects of transurethral seminal vesiculoscopy in refractory hemospermia caused by seminal vesicle diseases.Methods The clinical data of 50 patients suffered from refractory hemospermia caused by seminal vesicle gland diseases were retrospectively analyzed from February 2012 to February 2014.Patients' age varied from 25 to 54 years old,mean (39.2 ± 9.2) years.The course of disease was (7.44 ± 2.6) months.There were 24 seminal vesiculitis,10 seminal ducts obstruction disease,and 16 seminal vesicle calculi disease.According to patients' priority,the patients were divided into surgical treatment group and conservative treatment group.In surgical group,there were 38 patients with age of (38.9 ± 8.8) years old,and the course of disease was (7.5 ± 2.5) months.There were 18 seminal vesiculitis,8 seminal ducts obstruction,and 12 seminal vesicle calculi.Whereas in conservative treatment group,there were 12 patients,with age of (40.2 ± 10.5) years old,and the course of disease was (7.3 ±2.9) months.Among them,there were 6 seminal vesiculitis,2 seminal ducts obstruction,and 4 seminal vesicle calculi.There was no significant difference between the two groups in patients age,course of disease and constitution of disease.The clinical data derived from the two treatment groups including the white blood cell counts (WBC) and red blood cell counts (RBC) in the seminal fluid,hematospermia rate,quality of life score,cure rate and improvement rate before and after the treatment were analysed.Results 1,3,6 months and 1 year after treatment,all observation indexes in the two groups had been ameliorated and had significant difference compared with those before treatment including WBC and RBC in the seminal fluid,hematospermia rate and quality of life score.No operative complications occurred in conservative treatment group.While a patient in surgical treatment group suffered from infection and recovered after levofloxacin treatment for a day.Six months after two kinds of treatment,in surgical treatment group,the cure rate was 55.2％,and the improvement rate was 36.8％.In the meanwhile,in conservative treatment group,the cure rate and the improvement rate were both 25.0％.A year after two different treatment,in surgical treatment group,the cure rate was 60.5％,the improvement rate was 34.2％.However,in conservative treatment group,the cure rate and improvement rate were both 8.3％.The effective rate of surgical group was much higher than that of conservative treatment group and the difference were significant.Conclusions Both transurethral seminal vesiculoscopy and conservative treatment have certain effects in relieving hemospermia.The transurethral seminal vesiculoscopy has obvious advantages over conservative treatment in improving the clinical effects of hemospermia after long duration.It could be used as a good supplement when medication fail.

Resolución laparoscópica de tumores de vesícula seminal: presentación de 2 casos y revisión de la literatura / Laparoscopic resolution of seminal vesicular tumors: 2 cases report and literature review

RESUMEN La patología tumoral de las vesículas seminales es extremadamente poco frecuente. Sólo existen reportes de series de casos que no logran ser más de 150 en todo el mundo. Por lo mismo, no existen pautas de recomendación para el diagnóstico y tratamiento. A propósito de 2 casos de tumores de vesículas seminales ocurridos en un período de 12 meses en nuestro centro, hemos decidido realizar una revisión de la literatura actual sobre el estudio y manejo de esta patología poco frecuente. La sintomatología es inespecífica, y su diagnóstico comprende una combinación de test sanguíneos, imagenológicos e histopatológicos en su mayoría para descartar otras neoplasias. El tratamiento es multimodal el cual incluye resección quirúrgica donde la vía laparoscópica es el patrón de oro, asociado a adyuvancia con hormonoterapia y/o radioterapia. Su pronóstico es pobre debido al diagnóstico en etapas avanzadas, por lo que se requiere un alto índice de sospecha diagnóstica para lograr realizar un tratamiento oportuno.(AU)

Abstract The tumor pathology of the seminal vesicles is extremely rare. There are only reports of series of cases that fail to be more than 150 worldwide. For this reason, there are no recommendation guidelines for diagnosis and treatment. With regard to 2 cases of seminal vesicle tumors that occurred in a period of 12 months in our center, we decided to review the current literature on the study and management of this rare pathology. The symptomatology is non-specific, and its diagnosis includes a combination of blood, imaging and histopathological tests, mostly to rule out other neoplasms. The treatment is multimodal, which includes surgical resection where the laparoscopic approach is the gold standard, associated with adjuvance with hormone therapy and / or radiotherapy. Its prognosis is poor due to the diagnosis in advanced stages, which is why a high index of diagnostic suspicion is required to achieve an opportune treatment.(AU)

Ultrasound detection of prostatic calculi as a parameter to predict the appearance of hematospermia after a prostate biopsy

ABSTRACT Purpose: We evaluated the correlation between prostate calculi and hematospermia in patients undergoing prostate biopsy, and its impact on sexual activity of patients. Materials and Methods: A single-center prospective randomized study of 212 patients referred for transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy (TRUSBx) was performed. All patients were divided into two groups: Group A (GA), 106 patients with moderate/marked presence of prostatic calculi visualized by TRUS; Group B (GB), 106 patients with absence/scarce of prostatic calcifications. Patients were handed questionnaires to obtain a validated data on the duration and impact of hematospermia on sexual activity. The anxiety scores were recorded using a visual analogue scale. Results: No significant difference was noted between the two groups when comparing age, preoperative PSA level, prostate volume, and biopsy number, except for digital rectal examination (DRE) findings. Post-biopsy results of patients included in GA revealed that the complication of hematospermia was present in 65.1%, while in GB was present in 39.7% (p<0.001). On multivariate analysis for identifying significant preoperative predictors of hematospermia, which included variables of age, PSA, prostate volume, and prostate cancer were not shown to be significant predictors of hematospermia, except DRE and prostate calculi (p<0.001). The mean anxiety score was 3.7±2.8 in GA and 2.3±1.9 in GB, respectively (p<0.001). Conclusions: Prostatic calculi are an independent predictive factor of severe hematospermia after TRUSBx on the basis of multivariate analysis, but don't affect the positive rate of prostate cancer. Patients should be adequately counselled before TRUSBx to avoid undue anxiety and alterations in sexual activity.

Etiologic classification, evaluation, and management of hematospermia.

Hematospermia is defined by the presence of blood in the semen typically occurring in men younger than 40 years of age. Symptoms can occur due to a multitude of reasons, but are usually benign and self-limiting, requiring no additional treatment or evaluation. Despite this, the condition often impairs quality of life due to associated anxiety and must be taken seriously by the patient and the physician, particularly if recurrent, refractory, and painful. The etiology of hematospermia can be classified into inflammatory, infectious, lithiasis, cystic, obstructive, tumoral, vascular, traumatic, iatrogenic, and systemic origin. Alternatively, it can also be divided into subcategories based on anatomical origins such as prostate, bladder, spermatic cord, seminal vesicles, or epididymis. A complete history and physician examination, laboratory testing, and a variety of invasive and non-invasive imaging and instrumentation modalities can help to identify and treat the underlying pathology promptly.

ACR Appropriateness Criteria® Hematospermia.

Most men with hematospermia or hemospermia (HS) are young (<40 years of age), presenting with transient or episodic HS without other signs or symptoms of disease. The condition is self-limiting in most cases and idiopathic in nature. When a cause can be identified, infections of the urogenital tract are the most common. Imaging does not play a role in this patient population. In older men (>40 years of age), clinical screening for prostate cancer is advised. Furthermore, when HS is persistent or has symptoms, causes include obstruction or stricture at the level of the verumontanum, calcifications or calculi in the prostate, ejaculatory ducts or seminal vesicles, and cysts arising within these structures. Noninvasive imaging, predominantly transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) and MRI, can be used in men of any age with persistent or refractory HS, or other associated symptoms or signs. TRUS is considered as the first-line imaging with MRI used when TRUS is inconclusive or negative. The American College of Radiology Appropriateness Criteria are evidence-based guidelines for specific clinical conditions that are reviewed annually by a multidisciplinary expert panel. The guideline development and revision include an extensive analysis of current medical literature from peer-reviewed journals and the application of well-established methodologies (RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method and Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation or GRADE) to rate the appropriateness of imaging and treatment procedures for specific clinical scenarios. In those instances where evidence is lacking or equivocal, expert opinion may supplement the available evidence to recommend imaging or treatment.

Ultrasound detection of prostatic calculi as a parameter to predict the appearance of hematospermia after a prostate biopsy.

PURPOSE: We evaluated the correlation between prostate calculi and hematospermia in patients undergoing prostate biopsy, and its impact on sexual activity of patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A single-center prospective randomized study of 212 patients referred for transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy (TRUSBx) was performed. All patients were divided into two groups: Group A (GA), 106 patients with moderate/marked presence of prostatic calculi visualized by TRUS; Group B (GB), 106 patients with absence/scarce of prostatic calcifications. Patients were handed questionnaires to obtain a validated data on the duration and impact of hematospermia on sexual activity. The anxiety scores were recorded using a visual analogue scale. RESULTS: No significant difference was noted between the two groups when comparing age, preoperative PSA level, prostate volume, and biopsy number, except for digital rectal examination (DRE) findings. Post-biopsy results of patients included in GA revealed that the complication of hematospermia was present in 65.1%, while in GB was present in 39.7% (p<0.001). On multivariate analysis for identifying significant preoperative predictors of hematospermia, which included variables of age, PSA, prostate volume, and prostate cancer were not shown to be significant predictors of hematospermia, except DRE and prostate calculi (p<0.001). The mean anxiety score was 3.7±2.8 in GA and 2.3±1.9 in GB, respectively (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Prostatic calculi are an independent predictive factor of severe hematospermia after TRUSBx on the basis of multivariate analysis, but don't affect the positive rate of prostate cancer. Patients should be adequately counselled before TRUSBx to avoid undue anxiety and alterations in sexual activity.

Treatment of hemospermia with transprostatic utricle seminal vesiculoscopy / 中国医师进修杂志

Objective To determine the feasibility and safety of transprostatic utricle seminal vesiculoscopy in the treatment of hemospermia. Methods Totally 11 patients with hemospermia, mean age of (46.6 ± 3.5) years, ranging from 38 to 68 years, for 3 months admitted from September 2012 to August 2015 were enrolled, Their main manifestations were hemospermia. Painful ejaculation was observed in 7 patients, and perineal and testicular pain occured in 4 patients. They all underwent transprostatic utricle seminal vesiculoscopy, and then were followed up for 3 to 6 months. Results Ten patients were operated successfully, but 1 patient failed. The operation revealed that the causes of hemospermia were seminal vesiculitis in 8 cases, seminal vesiculitis accompanied with seminal calculi in 2 cases, and ejaculatory duct cyst in 1 case. Operation time was (29.2 ± 3.2) min ( ranging from 25 to 37 min) , and hospital stay was 2 d ( from 2 to 4 d). Hemospermia disappeared in 10 patients within 1 month of surgery, and hemospermia recurrence was observed in 1 patient within 6 months. The patient was treated with transprostatic utricle Holmium laser incision, then hemospermia was dispeared,Two cases of postoperative epididymitis were cured after one week of antibiotic treatment. Conclusions Seminal vesiculoscopy is a safe and effective to treat hemaospermia.