Bladder debris on ultrasound as a predictor for positive urine culture in a pediatric population.

INTRODUCTION: Debris within the bladder is commonly seen on ultrasound. The etiology of bladder debris is varied and the likelihood that urinary debris represents positive urine culture is under investigation. We hypothesize that bladder debris will increase the likelihood that a urine culture is positive compared to those without bladder debris. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review on children aged 0-17 years who had a voiding cystourethrogram with a catheterized urinalysis or urine culture, and who also had a renal and bladder ultrasound up to 1 week prior, the day of, or up to 2 days after their urine studies. Presence of bladder debris and debris severity was recorded. Positive urine culture was defined as a single bacterial strain ≥50,000 cfu/mL. Demographic information, including findings of reflux and hydronephrosis were compared. Sensitivity, specificity, and risk ratios were calculated for predicting positive urine culture in patients with urinary debris on ultrasound. RESULTS: A total of 445 patients met inclusion criteria between January and December 2014. The positive urine culture rate was 20%, and the rate of bladder debris was 22%. The mean age for those with and without bladder debris was 6.6 and 5.5 years, respectively (p = 0.02). 23% of girls had bladder debris, compared to 12% of boys (p = 0.04, see results table). The sensitivity and specificity for bladder debris in detecting positive urine cultures was 52% and 86%, respectively. Forty-seven percent of those with bladder debris had positive cultures, compared with 12% of those without debris (p < 0.01). The relative risk of positive urine culture if debris is present is 3.90 (95% CI 2.73-5.55). Hydronephrosis or vesicoureteral reflux did not affect the relationship between bladder debris and positive urine cultures. CONCLUSIONS: Nearly half of pediatric patients undergoing urological evaluation found to have bladder debris on ultrasound will have a positive urine culture. Debris is noted more commonly in girls and at a slightly higher age. The presence of debris is associated with a fourfold increase in detecting a positive urine culture, regardless of debris severity, hydronephrosis, or vesicoureteral reflux. Given this, it is of value to routinely document and look for the presence of any amount of bladder debris seen on ultrasound, as this finding can be used to augment clinical decision-making and warrants strong consideration for obtaining urine culture.

Epidemiology and Diagnosis of Testis Cancer.

Testis cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in young men. Most cases represent sporadic occurrences. Most commonly it presents at an early stage (clinical stage I) and is highly curable with radical orchiectomy. Even more advanced stages of testicular cancer are curable with a multimodality treatment approach. There are no widely accepted screening strategies for germ cell tumors. This article discusses the known risk factors and epidemiology of testis cancer, the presentation, and work up for new patients, and the prognosis and cure rates based on the staging and current treatment modalities for testis cancer patients.

Cost-effectiveness of neoadjuvant chemotherapy before radical cystectomy for muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the costs of treatment and the duration of survival, adjusted for quality of life, for patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer treated with immediate radical cystectomy (RC) or with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) with intent for subsequent RC. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A retrospective review of our institutional review board-approved database identified patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer treated at our institution from 2004 to 2011. Patients were divided into those receiving RC alone and those receiving NAC before planned RC. Patients who refused RC following NAC were included in an intention-to-treat analysis. Survival duration was converted to quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), and costs of treatment per QALY were determined. RESULTS: A total of 119 patients (65.4%) received RC alone and 63 (34.6%) received NAC, 38 of whom proceeded to cystectomy as planned. Mean total costs were $42,890 and $52,429 for RC and NAC, respectively (P = 0.005). The 5-year overall survival was 31.7% and 42.5% for the RC-only group and the NAC group, respectively (P = 0.034). The 5-year overall survival measured in QALYs was 21.9% and 42.9% for the RC-only and the NAC groups, respectively (P = 0.021). The increased cost for NAC was $5,840 per additional life year gained (95% CI: $1,772-$9,909) and $6,187 per additional QALY gained (95% CI: $1,877-$10,498). CONCLUSIONS: The use of NAC is associated with a significant increase in quality-adjusted survival. The additional cost per QALY gained is approximately $6,000. The cost-utility analysis of NAC compares favorably with other cancer-specific therapies.