Improvement of medication adherence for desmopressin by adjusting the prescription dosage in male patients with overactive bladder: A claims database analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Desmopressin is widely used for nocturia in patients with nocturnal polyuria. We investigated the continuation rate and adherence for desmopressin in patients with overactive bladder and nocturia using a claims database and evaluated factors that improved adherence. METHODS: Patients with nocturia in a Japanese claims database who started desmopressin between September 2019 and July 2021 were evaluated. Drug persistence was assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method for initial prescription of desmopressin. The proportion of days covered (PDC) was also evaluated among patients with prescription persistence. Multivariate analysis was performed using logistic regression analysis to identify factors predicting adherence to desmopressin. RESULTS: The study included 72,888 patients entered into Japan Medical Data Center (JMDC) database between September 2019 and July 2021. For the 236 patients prescribed desmopressin formulations, mean prescription duration was 114 days. Among the total cases, 90 (38.1%) cases were prescribed only once, mean PDC was 0.60, and the number of high-adherence patients (PDC ≥ 0.80) was 108 (45.8%). Desmopressin prescription doses were fixed in 216 patients and adjusted in 20 patients. Multivariate analysis identified prescription dose adjustment for desmopressin as significantly associated with high PDC. CONCLUSION: Desmopressin showed a 38% dropout rate after the first dose. However, high medication continuation and high medication adherence rates (PDC) could be maintained with prescription adjustments. Careful patient monitoring and appropriate adjustment of the desmopressin dosage appear to be important factors in improving nocturia.

Factors related to nocturia-specific quality of life in renal transplantation patients.

OBJECTIVES: Patients following renal transplantation (RTX) may experience nocturia exacerbation due to polyuria and reduced bladder capacity, thereby impacting the specific quality of life (QOL) associated with nocturia. The present study aims to investigate factors associated with the deterioration of nocturia-specific QOL in RTX patients. METHODS: The study cohort comprised 59 consecutive patients who had undergone successful RTX. Nocturia-related QOL questionnaires (N-QOL) were employed to evaluate the specific QOL related to nocturia. The Bother/Concern and Sleep/Energy domains of the N-QOL were also assessed. The primary outcome measure was to explore factors related to the aggravation of nocturia-specific QOL in patients post-RTX. RESULTS: The mean nocturia frequency post-RTX was 1.3 ± 1.0. Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed a significant reduction in the Bother/Concern domain score associated with increased nocturia (p = .042). Aging significantly decreased the total N-QOL score and the Sleep/Energy domain score (p = .001 and .0002, respectively). Prolonged duration after RTX significantly reduced the scores of both the Sleep/Energy domain and the Bother/Concern domain (p = .018 and .037, respectively). However, the duration of dialysis prior to RTX was not significantly associated with the total score or subdomains of N-QOL. CONCLUSIONS: Nocturia-specific QOL affected not only the nocturia itself, but also aging and the prolonged duration after RTX. Thus, comprehensive approaches to the RTX patients were needed to improve the Nocturia-specific QOL in RTX patients.

Factors Related to Overactive Bladder-like Symptoms in Bladder Cancer.

BACKGROUND/AIM: The aim of the present study was to investigate the factors related to overactive bladder (OAB)-like symptoms in patients with bladder cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study included 59 patients who underwent transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT). OAB-like symptoms were identified based on the Overactive Bladder Symptom Score (OABSS) and International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) questionnaires. The main outcome measures were elucidation of bladder cancer-related factors that might induce OAB-like symptoms. RESULTS: Non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) was observed in 50 patients, and carcinoma in situ (CIS) was observed in 14 patients. OABSS total score, IPSS total score, and quality of life index were 5±3, 12±7 and 3±1, respectively. The OABSS question 1 score, indicating pollakisuria, was significantly higher in NMIBC patients with CIS than in those without CIS (presence of CIS vs. absence of CIS=1.0±0.6 : 0.5±0.6, p=0.02). IPSS question 4 score, indicating urgency (r=0.31, p=0.01), and OABSS question 4 score, indicating urgency incontinence (r=0.29, p=0.03), correlated significantly with the maximum bladder tumor diameter. Multivariate regression analysis demonstrated that presence of CIS in NMIBC cases correlated significantly with pollakisuria (p=0.02), and that maximum diameter of the bladder tumor correlated significantly with both urgency (p=0.04) and urgency incontinence (p=0.01). CONCLUSION: CIS induced pollakisuria in NMIBC. Larger diameter bladder tumors induced both urgency and urgency incontinence. Patients with bladder cancer who present with pollakisuria might have CIS.

Effect of Pharmacotherapy for Overactive Bladder on the Incidence of and Factors Related to Urinary Tract Infection: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: The aim of this meta-analysis was to investigate the effect of pharmacotherapy for overactive bladder on the pathogenesis of urinary tract infection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A comprehensive search was performed in MEDLINE and the Cochrane Library using terms for overactive bladder, antimuscarinic agents, and beta 3-adrenoceptor agonists. The primary end point was the emergence of urinary tract infection after pharmacotherapy for overactive bladder. The secondary end point was the emergence of urinary retention, dysuria, and/or increased residual urine volume after overactive bladder treatment. Meta-analyses were conducted using random-effects models. RESULTS: A total of 35,939 patients in 33 trials (29 trials of antimuscarinic agents vs placebo, and 9 trials of beta 3-adrenoceptor agonists vs placebo) that included patients with overactive bladder were identified. At 1-3 months after treatment, the incidence of urinary tract infections was statistically significantly higher in the patients treated with antimuscarinic agents (RR: 1.23, 95% CI: 1.04, 1.45; P = .013) than in the placebo control group. The incidence of urinary tract infections was not increased in the patients treated with beta 3-adrenoceptor agonists (RR: 1.04, 95% CI: 0.76, 1.42; P = .796). Antimuscarinic agents also statistically significantly increased the risks of urinary retention, dysuria, and/or increased residual urine volume (RR: 2.88, 95% CI: 1.79, 4.63; P < .001), whereas beta 3-adrenoceptor agonists did not (RR: 1.26, 95% CI: 0.38, 4.14; P = .708). CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis showed that antimuscarinic agents statistically significantly increased the incidences of urinary tract infection and lower urinary tract symptoms and dysfunction, but beta 3-adrenoceptor agonists did not. To prevent urinary tract infection emergence, beta 3-adrenoceptor agonists might be safer than antimuscarinic agents.

Drugs Showing Real-world Efficacy for Nocturia in Patients With Bladder Storage Symptoms.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Nocturia is defined as the symptom that an individual has to disrupt their sleep at night, for one or several times, in order to void. Nocturia is a bothersome event that markedly reduces a patient's quality of life. The aim of the study was to elucidate which drugs, prescribed to reduce nocturia, show real-world efficacy in patients with bladder storage symptoms. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred consecutive patients who visited the Fukuoka University Medical Center were evaluated between May and July 2022. Anticholinergic drugs, ß3 adrenoceptor agonists, α1 blockers, desmopressin, and other medicines were prescribed for relieving nocturia. Desmopressin was used as second-line treatment of nocturia only in males with nocturnal polyuria. The association between each drug and actual decrease in nocturia was investigated using multivariate analysis. RESULTS: The number of nocturia episodes was reduced in patients using anticholinergic drugs, ß3 adrenoceptor agonists, and desmopressin (-1.4±0.9, -1.3±0.9, -2.0 ±0.8 episodes/night, respectively). Multivariate analysis for the entire cohort showed that anticholinergic drugs and ß3 adrenoceptor agonists were associated with significantly decreased nocturia episodes (p=0.01 and p=0.04, respectively). In males, only desmopressin was associated with a significant decrease in nocturia (p=0.03), and combination therapy significantly decreased the number of nocturia episodes compared to monotherapy (p=0.001). CONCLUSION: In a real-world clinical setting, anticholinergic drugs and ß3 adrenoceptor agonists were similarly effective in reducing nocturia. Administration of desmopressin combined with anticholinergic drugs and/or ß3 adrenoceptor agonists is the most effective method for reducing nocturia in male patients with both storage symptoms and nocturnal polyuria.

Exacerbation of Urinary Storage Symptoms by the Psychological Stress Induced by the COVID-19 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND/AIM: This study aimed to determine whether psychological stress associated with the COVID-19 pandemic might exacerbate lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and decrease lower urinary tract function in outpatients with LUTS. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We evaluated 104 patients who visited our hospital during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Psychological stress was evaluated by the Stress Response Scale-18 (SRS-18). Subjects were divided into aggravation and non-aggravation of psychological stress groups according to the SRS-18. LUTS was evaluated according to the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS). Lower urinary tract function was evaluated as the post-void residual urine volume (PVR). Comparisons of scores and changes in scores of each parameter before versus during/after the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic were performed between the two groups. RESULTS: Forty-two patients were included in each group. We observed no significant differences in the comparison of scores at each time point and in changes in total IPSS score, voiding symptom subscores and PVR between the two groups. Although no significant differences in storage symptom subscores were observed between the two groups, changes in storage symptom subscores increased significantly during the first wave of the pandemic in the aggravation of psychological stress group (p=0.02). However, no significant increase was observed after the first wave. CONCLUSION: Psychological stress during the COVID-19 pandemic might transiently aggravate storage symptoms in patients with LUTS. Physicians should be aware of the possibility of transient worsening of LUTS during future pandemics, and transiently additional medication might be effective in such patients.

Efficacy of the opened legs position for protecting against postoperative rhabdomyolysis after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy: A propensity score-matched analysis of perioperative outcomes.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to clarify the relationships of intraoperative surgical position with the incidence of postoperative rhabdomyolysis and with postoperative renal function to safely perform robot-assisted radical prostatectomy. METHODS: The participants in the present study were 276 consecutive patients who underwent robot-assisted radical prostatectomy at our institutions between 2013 and 2020; 130 cases were performed in the opened legs position and 146 cases in the lithotomy position with a steep 23°-25° head-down position. Rhabdomyolysis was defined as creatine kinase values greater than 1000 IU/L. Propensity score matching including age, body mass index, the presence of comorbidities, preoperative creatine kinase, preoperative estimated glomerular filtration rate, and prostate-specific antigen was performed, resulting in a matched cohort of 146 patients (opened legs position group n = 73; lithotomy position group n = 73). RESULTS: After propensity score matching, creatine kinase values on the first day after surgery were significantly lower in the opened legs position group than in the lithotomy position group (opened legs position group: lithotomy position group = 246.9 ± 114.9 IU/L: 558.2 ± 114.9 IU/L, P = 0.034). There were significantly fewer patients diagnosed with postoperative rhabdomyolysis in the opened legs position group (opened legs position group: lithotomy position group = 0% (0/73): 9.6% (7/73), P < 0.001). In addition, fluid replacement volume was significantly less in the opened legs position group (opened legs position group: lithotomy position group = 5747 ± 180 mL: 6349 ± 0176 mL, P = 0.018). CONCLUSIONS: To prevent rhabdomyolysis after surgery, robot-assisted radical prostatectomy should be performed in the opened legs position.

Successful Fowler-Stephens Orchiopexy for an Abdominal Testis Associated With Continuous Type of Splenogondal Fusion: A Case Report.

Splenogonadal fusion (SGF) is a rare congenital anomaly in which there is abnormal adhesion between splenic tissue and gonads. Several patients with cryptorchidism associated with this anomaly have undergone orchiectomy because of the suspicion of tumors. Preoperative computed tomography (CT) is useful in differentiating between SGF and tumors, and in evaluating the vasculature of the SGF. We report a boy with an abdominal testis associated with SGF. Based on the CT findings, we successfully performed Fowler-Stephens orchiopexy. To the best of our knowledge, no SGF cases in which Fowler-Stephens orchiopexy could salvage the testis without testicular atrophy have been previously reported.

[COMPLETE RESPONSE OF BULKY LYMPH NODE METASTASES TREATED WITH ENZALUTAMIDE AFTER CHEMOTHERAPY WITH DOCETAXEL IN CASTRATION-RESISTANT PROSTATE CANCER: A CASE REPORT].

A 74-year-old man was initially diagnosed as having cT4N0M0 and Gleason score 5+4 prostate adenocarcinoma in 2012. Systemic therapy was initiated with luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH) agonist and bicalutamide, and serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels fell to a nadir of 0.02 ng/ml from 25.55 ng/ml.After 3 years of initial treatment, the patient presented with metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) with extensive bulky lymphadenopathy and a serum PSA of 4.81 ng/ml. Open biopsy of the left supraclavicular lymph node revealed metastasis by poorly-differentiated adenocarcinoma of prostatic origin. He continued to receive LH-RH agonist and bicalutamide and underwent seven courses of docetaxel (DOC) chemotherapy plus prednisolone. Computed tomography showed partial response in all but one metastatic pelvic lymph node, which gradually increased in size. The mCRPC response to DOC was heterogeneous, and DOC chemotherapy was stopped because of toxicity and progressive disease.Second-line hormonal therapy with enzalutamide and LH-RH agonist was started and after 6 months, computed tomography revealed complete response in the metastatic lymph nodes based on response evaluation criteria in solid tumors (RECIST); PSA levels decreased to 0.01 ng/ml. The patient has been in complete remission for 28 months.