Botulinum neurotoxin A (BoNT/A) appears to be one of the best intravesical treatments for interstitial cystitis/bladder painful syndrome (IC/BPS). We aimed to point out what the evidence is regarding ...the effects of BoNT/A intravesically injected in patients with IC/BPS. We performed a systematic review of all randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing BoNT/A for IC/BPS by using Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, CENTRAL and MetaRegister of Controlled Trials. Standardized mean differences (SMD) were extracted from the available trials and combined in a meta-analysis applying a random effect model, including heterogeneity of effects. Twelve trials were identified. Significant benefits from BoNT/A injections were detected in: Interstitial Cystitis Symptom Index and Problem Index (ICSI, ICPI) (small to medium effect size: SMD = -0.302;
= 0.007 and -0.430,
= 0.004, respectively); Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for pain and day-time urinary frequency (medium effect size: SMD = -0.576,
< 0.0001 and -0.546,
= 0.013, respectively). A great effect size was detected for post-void residual volume (PVR, SMD = 0.728;
=0.002) although no clinically relevant in most cases. Great heterogeneity was observed in treatments' methodologies and symptoms assessment. Overall, BoNT/A intravesical injections significantly improve some of the most relevant symptoms affecting IC/BPS patients.
Background:
We investigated the effectiveness and safety of mirabegron oral treatment in a group of patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and overactive bladder (OAB), refractory to antimuscarinics.
...Materials and methods:
Thirty patients with PD and refractory OAB were prospectively included in the study. At baseline, motor symptoms, severity of disease and cognitive status were assessed with the Hoehn–Yahr Scale, the Unified Parkinson’s disease Rating Scale, the Mini Mental State examination and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. At baseline, urinary symptoms, satisfaction with treatment and the impact of urinary incontinence on quality of life (QoL) were assessed with the 3-day voiding diary, the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), the Incontinence–QoL questionnaire and urodynamics. Patients started assuming mirabegron 50 mg tablets once daily. Evaluation of urinary symptoms and related questionnaires, motor symptoms, severity of PD and uroflowmetry with postvoid residual volume measurement were then repeated at the 3- and 6-month follow up. Side effects were also noted.
Results:
At baseline, the most frequently reported urinary symptoms were: urinary urgency (present in all the patients), urge urinary incontinence in 28/30 (93.3%) and increased daytime urinary frequency in 25 (83.3%) patients. At the 3-month follow up, 7 out of the 30 patients achieved a complete urinary continence. Significant improvements in VAS and Incontinence–QoL scores were observed in 24 patients. These benefits were maintained for the whole observation period. Four patients discontinued treatment due to poor efficacy, and two due to the cost of the drug.
Conclusions:
Mirabegron is a safe and effective treatment in patients with PD and OAB refractory to anticholinergics in the short-term follow up.
To evaluate lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and bowel disorders in a population of young subjects with autism spectrum disorder (ADS) by a national survey and to assess the relationship between ...the occurrence, frequency, and type of LUTS and the severity of behavioral and neuropsychiatric characteristics.
A survey on LUTS and bowel disorders in the ASD population was sent by mail and social media through the main Italian Associations of ASD between February and September 2022. The correlation between LUTS and ASD severity was also assessed.
The survey was completed by 502 subjects with a mean age of 16.6 years ± 10 years: male participants were 413 (mean age: 16.5 years ± 9.8 years), while female participants 89 (mean age: 17.2 years ± 10.9 years). ADS severity was found low in 29.9%, moderate in 27.1%, and severe in 43%. LUTS were reported by 77.1%, storage symptoms in 51.4%, and voiding symptoms in 60.6%. Urinary incontinence was reported by 12.5%. Enuresis was reported by 14.3% (72/502) of the respondents: primary enuresis in 70.8% (51/72), secondary in the remaining. Pads were used by 40 subjects with a median of 2.9 pads/day (range, 0-8). A toilet training program was performed by 61 of the respondents, with satisfactory results in 40/61 (65.6%). A significant correlation was found between greater ASD severity and higher LUTS rates. The mean VAS score on the impact of LUTS on family relationships was 2 ± 2.9. Regular bowel function was reported by 57.4% (288/502) of the respondents, while increased daily defecations were present in 11.2% (56/502), constipation in 31.5% (158/502), and fecal incontinence in 7.9% (40/502).
This survey demonstrated that LUTS are very common in the young ASD population and that the prevalence of urinary symptoms is related to higher severity of the ASD condition. Bowel disorders are often associated with urinary symptoms and dysfunctions. Urologists should be aware of the frequent occurrence of urological disorders and symptoms in individuals with ASD and should be involved in their clinical management in a multidisciplinary team that cares for these people.
Purpose
Bladder neck stenosis (BNS) is a long-term complication of surgical procedures for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). We performed a systematic literature review and a meta-analysis of the ...incidence of BNS after transurethral procedures for BPH.
Methods
We performed a systemic literature review using MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Central Controlled Register of Trials. We accepted only randomized trials comparing transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) vs. other transurethral surgery for BPH that were grouped in Ablation vs. Enucleation modalities. The incidences of BNS were pooled using the Cochran–Mantel–Haenszel Method with the random effect model and expressed as Risk Ratios, 95% Confidence Intervals, and
p
values. Study heterogeneity was assessed utilizing the
I
2
value.
Results
72 studies were identified for meta-analysis, 46 comparing TURP vs. Ablation and 26 TURP vs. Enucleation. The pooled incidence of BNS was 1.3% after TURP, 0.66% after enucleation and 1.2% after Ablation. The incidence of BNS was higher after TURP than after Enucleation but the difference was not statistically significant (RR 1.75 95% CI 0.81–3.79,
p
= 0.16). There was no significant heterogeneity among the studies (
I
2
0%, Chi
2
4.11,
p
= 0.90). The incidence of BNS was higher after TURP than after Ablation, but the difference was not statistically significant (RR 1.31, 95% CI 0.82–2.11,
p
= 0.26) with no significant heterogeneity (
I
2
0%, Chi
2
21.1,
p
= 0.51).
Conclusion
Our study showed no difference in the rate of BNS incidence among randomized trials comparing TURP vs. Ablation vs. Enucleation and can be used as a reference to counsel patients undergoing BPH surgery.
Background
Urologists may hesitate to offer transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) because of increased morbidity in elderly patients.
Aims
We aimed to compare data on postoperative outcomes ...of elderly men undergoing bipolar transurethral resection of the prostate (B-TURP) as compared to thulium laser vapoenucleation of the prostate (ThuVEP).
Methods
We retrospectively reviewed data of all patients aged ≥ 75 years who underwent benign prostatic hyperplasia surgery. Differences between interventions were estimated using propensity scores (PS) to adjust for different patients characteristics.
Results
Between 2017 and 2020, 275 men were included in the analysis. Propensity score retrieved 65 patients in each group. Median age was 78 (4) years in B-TURP group and 78 (6) in ThuVEP group. Median prostate volume was 63 (35) ml and 54 (24) ml in B-TURP group and ThuVEP group, respectively. Only American Society of Anesthesiologists score was significantly higher in ThuVEP group (
p
= 0.006). Median operation time, catheterization time, and hospital stay were similar in both groups (55 min, 2 and 3 days). Overall, 84.6% of men had no complications, with no significant differences between the groups (
p
= 0.234). Only one patient in B-TURP group experienced a Clavien grade IIIb complication. By 1 year, there were a statistically significant differences in International Prostate Symptom Score (
p
= 0.000) in favor of B-TURP group and in maximal urine flow rate (
p
= 0.000) in favor of ThuVEP group.
Discussion and conclusions
Both procedures showed excellent functional improvements one year after surgery with a low rate of major complications in men aged ≥ 75 years with small-to-medium sized prostates.
We aimed to find potential differences in clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa) detection rates between transperineal software-assisted fusion biopsy (saFB) and cognitive fusion biopsies ...(cFB).
A systematic review of the literature was performed to identify comparative studies using PubMed, EMBASE, and Scopus according to the PICOS criteria. Cancer detection and complication rates were pooled using the Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel method with the random effect model and reported as odds ratios (ORs), 95% confidence intervals (CI), and
-values. A meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager (RevMan) 5.4 software by Cochrane Collaboration. The quality assessment of the included studies was performed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool, using RoB 2 for randomized studies and ROBINS-I for retrospective and nonrandomized ones.
Eight studies were included for the meta-analysis, including 1149 cases in software-based and 963 cases in cognitive fusion biopsy. The detection rates of csPCa were similar between the two groups (OR 1.01, 95% CI 0.74-1.37,
= 0.95). Study heterogeneity was low (I2 55%).
There is no actual evidence of the superiority of saFB over cFB in terms of the csPCa detection rate. Operator experience and software availability can drive the choice of one fusion technique over the other.