Echoguided drug infiltration in chronic prostatitis: results of a multi-centre study.

Objectives: In chronic prostatitis there are many causes that may provoke a therapeutical failure of a systemic antibiotic treatment. At the moment a consensus has not been reached on the efficacy of the many therapeutical options that are available with not one of these approaches being efficacious in all patients. In our view the main causes of treatment failure are the well-known hurdle to antibiotic diffusion inside the glandular parenchyma associated with the so-called intraprostatic bacterial biofilms and the possible presence of local auto-immune reactions.

Assessing outcome after a modified vaginal wall sling for stress incontinence with intrinsic sphincter deficiency.

Forty women with stress incontinence, intrinsic sphincter deficiency (ISD), associated or not with urethral hypermobility, a Valsalva leak point pressure (VLLP)<60 cmH(2)0 and a maximum urethral closure pressure<30 cmH(2)0 underwent in situ vaginal wall sling. The main modification to the technique was the use of two small Marlex meshes placed at the lateral edges of the sling. Outcome was assessed by pad use, surgical results and patients' satisfaction.

Uroflowmetry in female voiding disturbances.

Aims: The clinical validity of uroflowmetry in women is attenuated by lack of absolute normal values. A peak flow <15 mL/sec and/or residual urine >50 mL with a minimum total bladder volume of 150 mL before voiding (volume voided+residual) (method A) and the 10th centile curve of the Liverpool Nomogram (method B) for the maximum urine flow rate have been identified as useful discriminants when diagnosing voiding difficulties in women. This study compares the two methods and analyses the validity of uroflowmetry in female voiding disturbances.

Clinical and urodynamic features of intrinsic sphincter deficiency.

Aims: A prospective analysis of 92 patients with genuine stress incontinence was performed to identify the clinical and urodynamic features of intrinsic sphincter deficiency (ISD).

Methods: We divided the patients into two categories: 50 patients affected by pure ISD as they had severe stress incontinence and no urethral mobility; 42 patients suffering from stress urinary incontinence without ISD as they had mild stress incontinence and marked urethral hypermobility. Cystometry was normal in all patients.