Anxiety and depression analyses of patients undergoing diagnostic cystoscopy.

PURPOSE: To prospectively assess anxiety and depression in patients undergoing diagnostic cystoscopy. METHODS: Patients presenting for outpatient diagnostic cystoscopy were recruited from four European urological departments. Anxiety and depression were assessed with the 'Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale' (HADS) before cystoscopy and after 1 week. Statistical analyses, including the Chi-square test, univariate, and multivariate logistic regression analyses, were carried out with SPSS v. 21 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). RESULTS: Prior to cystoscopy, 30.2 % of patients were anxious and 24.8 % depressive (n = 442). In the post-examination period, anxiety declined to 24.5 %, while depression was unchanged (24.4 %). Pre-cystoscopy anxiety was significantly more common in women (41.8 vs. 24.5 %, p < 0.0001), patients aged <65 years (34.9 vs. 25.9 %, p = 0.04), and in those being examined with rigid cystoscopes (35.7 vs. 23.9 %, p = 0.007). In multivariate regression analyses, female gender (OR 2.6, p < 0.0001), <65 years of age (OR 1.7, p = 0.03), and coexistence of depression (OR 7.8, p < 0.0001) were independently associated with elevated pre-cystoscopy anxiety. Anxious (OR 2.1, p = 0.03) and depressive (OR 2.1, p = 0.01) patients had higher odds of experiencing moderate or severe pain during cystoscopy. Bladder cancer diagnosis did not significantly change patient's anxiety (p = 0.23) or depression (p = 0.7) during the 1 week of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Women, patients aged <65 years, depressive patients and those being examined with rigid devices had higher rates of anxiety prior to cystoscopy. Anxious and depressive patients experienced more pain during cystoscopy. Bladder cancer diagnosis seems to have a minor effect on anxiety and depression during the first week after diagnosis.

Prospective, multi-institutional pain assessment of 150 women undergoing diagnostic cystoscopy.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to prospectively assess women's pain during rigid and flexible diagnostic cystoscopy and afterwards during a one-week follow-up. METHODS: Prospective, multi-institutional trial analyzing numeric rating scales (NRS) of women undergoing diagnostic cystoscopy. Pain categories: no (0 points), mild (1-3), moderate (4-6) and severe pain (7-10). Assessing of pain before, during cystoscopy, and at day 1, 4 and 7 of follow-up. RESULTS: A total of 150 women undergoing rigid (N.=85) or flexible (N.=65) diagnostic cystoscopy were analyzed. Women undergoing flexible cystoscopy were more frequently pain-free (64.6% vs. 40%, P=0.003) and experienced mild pain less frequently (27.7% vs. 52.9% vs. P=0.002). No significant differences were noted among moderate (6.2% vs. 5.9%, P=0.95) and severe pain (1.5% vs. 1.2%, P=0.85). Patients undergoing their first (P=0.14) and repeat cystoscopy (P=0.08) had similar pain perception. In multivariate logistic regression analyses, women undergoing flexible cystoscopy had a 2.6 increased chance of being pain-free (OR=2.6, CI: 1.28-5.11, P=0.08) and their odds of experiencing mild pain were significantly lower (OR=0.34, CI: 0.17-0.71, P=0.004). The likelihood of experiencing moderate (OR=1.1, CI: 0.28- 4.4, P=0.83) or severe pain (OR=2.42, CI: 0.11-51.79, P=0.57) differed insignificantly. CONCLUSIONS: Rigid and flexible cystoscopies were well-tolerated by most women. However, flexible cystoscopy was associated with a higher likelihood of being pain-free and lower chances of experiencing mild pain. Patients' previous experience with cystoscopy did not influence pain perception.

Prospective multi-institutional study analyzing pain perception of flexible and rigid cystoscopy in men.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate pain perception in men undergoing flexible or rigid diagnostic cystoscopy. METHODS: This is a prospective multi-institutional analysis of men undergoing cystoscopy in 4 European departments of urology. Pain perception was assessed with an 11-point numeric rating scale. Pain categories were as follows: no (0 points), mild (1-3), moderate (4-6), and severe pain (7-10). Assessment of pain was before, during cystoscopy, and at days 1, 4, and 7 of follow-up. RESULTS: A total of 300 cystoscopies were analyzed (150 rigid and 150 flexible). Men undergoing flexible cystoscopy were more frequently free of pain (58.7% vs 24%; P <.0001). Mild pain (54% vs 30.7%; P <.0001) and moderate pain (18.7% vs 9.3%; P = .02) were more common with rigid devices. No significant differences were prevalent in severe pain perception (3.3% vs 1.3%; P = .25). Patients, who had previous experience with cystoscopy reported similar pain levels as patients naïve to cystoscopy, regardless if rigid (P = .92) or flexible (P = .26) devices were used. Pain decreased to the baseline during the 1-week follow-up after both, flexible and rigid cystoscopy. In multivariate regression analyses, rigid cystoscopy was an independent predictor for not being pain free (odds ratio [OR] = 0.15; confidence interval [CI] = 0.08-0.28; P <.0001), for experiencing mild pain (OR = 2.57; CI = 1.57-4.19; P <.0001), and for moderate pain (OR = 2.39; CI = 1.13-5.07; P = .02). Severe pain was seldom with both devices, and thus, no statistical difference was found. CONCLUSION: Flexible diagnostic cystoscopy caused less pain than rigid cystoscopy in men. Patient's previous experience with cystoscopy did not influence pain sensation. The type of cystoscope itself was identified as an independent risk factor of pain perception.

Only a minority of patients in the urological emergency unit need urgent urology care.

OBJECTIVE: To present patients who were examined, monitored and admitted at the urological emergency unit (UEU) at the University Hospital, Split during the summer and winter of 2010 and to establish who of them were really in need of immediate urological care. METHODS: A retrospective study of patients and diagnoses of patients examined at the UEU was undertaken during two winter and two summer months 2010. We compared the total number of patients, the number of patients with urological issues, patients with urological emergencies, patients with non-urological issues, patients who were briefly monitored at the UEU, and patients admitted to the urology department, within these two periods. Descriptive statistic and chi squared tests were used. RESULTS: During the winter period 465 patients were examined at the UEU and during the summer 733 patients. During the summer period there were statistically more urological issues (χ²=12.3; p=0.005) and urological emergencies (χ²=4.14; p=0.042) while in the winter period there were more non-urological issues and more patients were monitored at the UEU (χ²=33.9; p<0.001). The most common diagnoses are: renal colic and urine retention, in both periods. Only 8% of patients in both the winter and summer periods were admitted to hospital after examination at the UEU, which represents the actual number of patients who needed immediate urological care. CONCLUSION: Of all the patients examined at the UEU, only a fraction constituted real, life-threatening urological emergencies. Primary care physicians and general emergency departments should be more educated in urological emergencies so that they can resolve more nonemergency patients themselves.

[Cystine urolithiasis: recommendations for diagnosis, treatment and recurrence prevention]. / Cistinska urolitijaza: preporuke za dijagnostiku, lijecenje i prevenciju recidiva.

Cystine lithiasis is a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. This consensus document has outgrown of discussion of experts in nephrology and urology. It is our hope that this document will be of use for all physicians who are facing this disturbing type of urolithiasis. So far, in our national literature there have been no comprehensive documents dealing with this entity and we believe that not only nephrologists and urologists will benefit, but also specialists in internal medicine and general practitioners.

[Clinical guidelines for diagnosing, treatment and monitoring patients with bladder cancer--Croatian Oncology Society and Croatian Urology Society, Croatian Medical Association]. / Klinicke upute za dijagnostiku, lijecenje i pracenje bolesnika oboljelih od raka mokracnog mjehura Hrvatskoga Onkolokog Drustva i Hrvatskoga Uroloskog Drustva Hrvatskoga Lijecnickog Zbora.

Urothelial cancer is the most common bladder cancer. Hematuria is the most common presenting symptom in patients with bladder cancer. The most common diagnostics of bladder cancer is performed by transurethral resection of bladder after which pathohistological diagnosis is set. It is necessary to determine whether the cancer penetrated in muscle layer (muscle-invasive cancer) or not (muscle-noninvasive cancer). Decision on therapeutic modality depends on the clinical stage of disease and on prognostic and risk factors. For muscle non-invasive bladder cancer transurethral resection is preferred with or without intravesical instillation of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG). For invasive cancer the method of choice is radical cystectomy. Radiotherapy is used in radical and palliative purposes. Metastatic disease is most frequently treated by chemotherapy metotrexate/vinblastine/doxorubicine/cisplatin (MVAC) or gemcitabine/cisplatin (GC). The purpose of this article is to present clinical recommendations to set standards of procedures and criteria in diagnostics, treatment and follow up of patients with bladder cancer in the Republic of Croatia.

[Clinical guidelines for diagnosing, treatment and monitoring patients with prostate cancer--Croatian Oncology Society and Croatian Urology Society, Croatian Medical Association]. / Klinicke upute za dijagnostiku, lijecenje i pracenje bolesnika oboljelih od raka prostate Hrvatskoga Onkoloskog Drustva i Hrvatskoga Uroloskog Drustva Hrvatskoga Lijecnickog Zbora.

Prostate adenocarcinoma is the second most common solid neoplasm in male population in Croatia. It rarely causes symptoms unless it is advanced. The finding of PSA rise is the most common reason for diagnostic workout. Treatment plan is based on TNM classification, Gleason score and PSA. Clinically localized disease is successfully treated by radical prostatectomy or radiotherapy with or without hormonal therapy. Locally advanced disease is treated with radiotherapy and hormonal therapy. Metastatic disease can be controlled for many years by androgen deprivation. For castration resistant disease appropriate treatment is chemotherapy or secondary hormonal therapy. The following paper presents the clinical guidelines in order to standardize procedures and criteria for the diagnosis, management, management, treatment and monitoring of patients with prostate cancer in the Republic of Croatia.

Carcinoma in situ of urinary bladder: incidence, treatment and clinical outcomes during ten-year follow-up.

Bladder carcinoma in situ (CIS) is a rare, high-grade intraepithelial neoplasm with a high tendency of progression and unpredictable clinical course. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence, treatment and clinical outcome of patients with CIS during a 10-year period. Medical records of 1062 patients with primary bladder cancer and 847 patients with recurrent bladder cancer that underwent tumor resection at Department of Urology, Split University Hospital Center, Split, Croatia, between January 2001 and December 2010, were analyzed. Among all treated patients with primary bladder neoplasms, 51 (4.8%) had CIS. Primary CIS was diagnosed in 18 (1.7%) and concomitant CIS in 33 (3.1%) patients. In the same period, 847 patients with recurrent tumors were treated by transurethral resection (TUR), 12 (1.4%) of them with secondary CIS. Clinical course was followed-up in 15 patients with primary CIS and 21 patients with concomitant (TaT1) CIS. BCG immunotherapy was applied in 12 patients with primary and 17 patients with concomitant CIS. After median follow-up of 50 months, 9 patients with primary CIS had no sign of disease, 4 progressed, 1 had recurrence and 1 died. After median follow-up of 37 months, 13 (62%) patients with concomitant CIS had complete response, 3 progressed (14%), 1 had recurrence (4%) and 4 patients died, however, only 2 (10%) of these due to bladder cancer. Of all patients receiving BCG immunotherapy, 8 (27%) had significant side effects. The incidence and treatment of patients with CIS of urinary bladder in our institution is comparable to other recent literature reports.

Results of long-term follow-up of patients with superficial bladder carcinoma treated with intravesically applied bacillus Calmette-Guerin vaccine according to the schedule of 6 weekly + 6 monthly instillations.

BACKGROUND: The efficacy of bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) immunotherapy in the prevention of local recurrence and disease progression in patients with superficial bladder cancer is very well documented. This study reports the effect of BCG on disease-specific and overall survival. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this retrospective trial, we have analyzed 170 patients with stage Ta and T1 superficial bladder cancer. Patients in the control group (87 patients) we followed-up only (median follow-up of 119 months) and treated surgically or with other oncologic modalities when progression of disease was diagnosed. The BCG group consisted of 83 patients treated with 6 weekly followed by 6 monthly instillations, and they have been followed-up of median 124 months. RESULTS: Patients receiving BCG had statistically significant better 10-year disease specific survival (83% vs. 69%, P = 0.03). At the same time point, the local recurrence rate was 48 % and the progression rate 19% for patients treated with BCG, while 77% (P < 0.001) and 38% (P = 0.007) were results in control group. Despite numerically better in the BCG group, overall survival is not significantly different in the 2 groups (P = 0.14). CONCLUSION: BCG immunotherapy significantly increases the disease-specific survival in patients with superficial bladder carcinoma.

Necrotizing fasciitis: literature review of contemporary strategies for diagnosing and management with three case reports: torso, abdominal wall, upper and lower limbs.

Necrotizing fasciitis (NF) is an uncommon soft tissue infection, usually caused by toxin-producing virulent bacteria. It is characterized by widespread fascial necrosis primarily caused by Streptococcus hemolyticus. Shortly after the onset of the disease, patients become colonized with their own aerobic and anaerobic microflora from the gastrointestinal and/or urogenital tracts. Early diagnosis with aggressive multidisciplinary treatment is mandatory. We describe three clinical cases with NF. The first is a 69 years old man with diabetes mellitus type II, who presented with NF on the posterior chest wall, shoulder and arm. He was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) with a clinical picture of severe sepsis. Outpatient treatment and early surgical debridement of the affected zones (inside 3 hours after admittance) and critical care therapy were performed. The second case is of a 63 years old paraplegic man with diabetes mellitus type I. Pressure sores and perineal abscesses progressed to Fournier's gangrene of the perineum and scrotum. He had NF of the anterior abdominal wall and the right thigh. Outpatient treatment and early surgical debridement of the affected zones (inside 6 hour after admittance) and critical care therapy were performed. The third patient was a 56 year old man who had NF of the anterior abdominal wall, flank and retroperitoneal space. He had an operation of the direct inguinal hernia, which was complicated with a bowel perforation and secondary peritonitis. After establishing the diagnosis of NF of the abdominal wall and retroperitoneal space (RS), he was transferred to the ICU. There he first received intensive care therapy, after which emergency surgical debridement of the abdominal wall, left colectomy, and extensive debridement of the RS were done (72 hours after operation of inquinal hernia). On average, 4 serial debridements were performed in each patient. The median of serial debridement in all three cases was four times. Other intensive care therapy with a combination of antibiotics and adjuvant hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) was applied during the treatment. After stabilization of soft tissue wounds and the formation of fresh granulation tissue, soft tissue defect were reconstructed using simple to complex reconstructive methods.

Ureterorenoscopic treatment of ureteral stones--influence of operator's experience and skill on the procedure outcome.

AIM: To observe the influence of operating urologist's education and adopted skills on the outcome of ureterorenoscopy treatment of ureteral stones. METHODS: The study included 422 patients (234 men, 55.4%) who underwent ureterorenoscopy to treat ureteral stones at the Urology Department of Clinical Hospital Center Split, Croatia, between 2001 and 2009. All interventions were carried out with a semi-rigid Wolf ureteroscope and an electropneumatic generator used for lithotripsy. The operating specialists were divided into two groups. The first group included 4 urologists who had started learning and performing endoscopic procedures at the beginning of their specialization and the second group included 4 urologists who had started performing endoscopic procedures later in their careers, on average more than 5 years after specialization. RESULTS: Radiology tests confirmed that 87% (208/238) of stones were completely removed from the distal ureter, 54% (66/123) from the middle ureter, and 46% (28/61) from the proximal ureter. The first group of urologists completed significantly more procedures successfully, especially for the stones in the distal (95% vs 74%; P = 0.001) and middle ureter (66% vs 38%; P = 0.002), and their patients spent less time in the hospital postoperatively. CONCLUSION: Urologists who started learning and performing endoscopic procedures at the beginning of their specialization are more successful in performing ureteroscopy. It is important that young specialists receive timely and systematic education and cooperate with more experienced colleagues.

Biopsies of the normal-appearing urothelium in primary bladder cancer.

AIM: The aim of the study was to determine the incidence of "positive" findings in biopsies of the normal-appearing urothelium near primary cancer and their influence on therapeutic decisions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between January 2001 and October 2008, in 230 patients with primary bladder cancer during initial resection of tumor, we also performed random biopsy of surrounding normal-appearing urothelium. We analyzed retrospectively the number and type of positive biopsy findings and their impact on further treatment. RESULTS: There were 40% of patients (92/230) whose normal-appearing urothelium biopsy revealed pathological findings such as tumor tissue, Tis, and dysplasia. In 24.4% of patients, the stage of the primary tumor was Ta (32/131), in 50% it was T1 stage (30/61), and in 79% T2 stage (30/38). When we assessed the grade of malignancy, we found 18% of biopsies with G1 tumors (16/88), 33% with G2 tumors (19/59), and 69% with G3 tumors (57/83). Tumor tissue that was found in the normal-appearing urothelium in biopsy specimens in 13% of patients was in stage Ta (17/131), in 16% it was T1 stage (10/61), and in 39% of patients, the tumor was in T2 stage (15/38). Pathological findings of random biopsies were crucial in changing therapeutical decisions in 4.6% (9/192) of patients. CONCLUSION: Biopsy of the normal-appearing urothelial tissue is easy to perform and may help in identifying patients with high risk of disease progression and recurrence. Based on our results and results from the literature we recommend this simple tool as part of the routine management during transurethral resection of primary bladder cancer.

[Lipomatosis pelvis]. / Lipomatosis pelvis.

The article is a discussion of three cases of lipomatosis in the pelvis and of the surgical treatment undertaken in each case. In the first two cases, fatty tissue compressed the lower uriunary tract, and in the third, the rectosigmoid intestine. In the third case, the patient was also diagnosed as having a malignant rectum polyp. In all three cases, the diagnosis by ultrasound, intravenous urography and rectoscopy was confirmed by CT. All three patients underwent surgery. The first patient was erroneously surgicaly treated in another clinic. The operation involved resection of the terminal part of ureters and, on the antireflux principle, the reimplantation of ureters into the bladder. The patient's condition seriously deteriorated in a short time. In the second case, we removed some fatty tissue from the patient's pelvis and performed ureteroileocutaneostomy. At present, 14 years since the operation, the patient's condition is good. The third patient had malignant rectum polyp, so we removed a large part of fatty tissue and performed resection of the anorectum and the distal part of the sigmoid colon, together with "anus praeter naturalis unipolaris sigmoidalis". The patient's condition, 10 years since the operation, is good.

Immunoprophylactic intravesical application of bacillus Calmette-Guerin after transurethral resection of superficial bladder cancer.

AIM: To evaluate the effect of intravesical instillation of Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) in the prevention of recurrence and progression of the superficial bladder cancer. METHODS: Between February 1989 and May 1994, 170 patients with histologically proven superficial transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder stage Ta and T1 were assessed as eligible for 6-week + 6-month protocol of intravesical BCG instillation at the Split University Hospital. All patients underwent complete transurethral resection of the tumor, which established tumor size, histology, stage, and absence of muscle invasion. Out of 170 patients offered to receive intravesical BCG instillations, 80 agreed to undergo the treatment (BCG group), and 90 refused it (control group). The median duration of follow-up was 64 months (range, 16-128). RESULTS: The BCG group had lower incidence rates of recurrence (12 vs 26 events per 100 patient-years in controls, p<0.001) and progression (3.0 vs 6.6 events per 100 patient-years in controls, p=0.017, large-sample one-sample binomial test in both cases) than the control group, but similar mean intervals to first recurrence or progression. The 5-year recurrence-free rates were 55% in BCG patients and 31% in controls, and in case of progression, 86% and 70%, respectively. Cox regression showed that the independent predictors of recurrence were tumor size (p<0.001), absence of BCG treatment (p=0.002), and patient age (p=0.05). The single independent predictor of tumor progression was absence of BCG treatment, but only in case of tumor grade III (roughly doubling the relative risk of the event). CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that BCG intravesical instillation, using 6 week + 6 month scheme, prevents against recurrence and progression of superficial bladder tumors. This treatment should be especially advocated in patients with advanced grade tumors, but the scheme remains to be evaluated against other BCG treatment schemes.