Background/objectives: An electric wire inserted into the bladder or urethra presents a specific challenge that is frequently encountered in such cases: the potential formation of a tight knot, making extraction nearly impossible. The primary objective of this study was to share our personal experience with patients who had intravesical electric cable insertions and to provide an extensive literature review, offering detailed insights into the various strategies reported for managing such foreign body cases.
Methods: Of the four cases with a foreign body in the lower urinary tract, two involved patients aged 19 and 53, respectively, who had inserted an electric cable.
Fundam Clin Pharmacol
February 2025
Background: Methotrexate (MTX) is the first-line treatment for Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), yet 30%-50% of RA patients develop resistance to MTX, which can manifest several years after treatment initiation.
Objective: This study investigates the relationship between erythrocyte methotrexate polyglutamates (MTX-PGs) subtype concentrations and clinical disease activity in RA patients undergoing long-term MTX treatment.
Methods: In this cross-sectional study, patients on a stable dose of subcutaneous MTX for several years were included.
: The objective of this study is to explore potential correlations between prostate volume, LUTS, and IIEF, with a particular emphasis on the relationship between prostate dimensions-width, height, and length-and both LUTS and IIEF and to assess patients based on risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, smoking, alcohol consumption, and PSA levels. : A retrospective multicenter study was conducted between January 2007 and December 2023, focusing on male patients over the age of 40. The study evaluated hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, smoking, alcohol consumption, and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) through the completion of the IPSS and QoL questionnaires, sexual function using the IIEF-15, and PSA levels.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTadalafil cream, a topically administered phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor (PDE5), presents a potential alternative to oral PDE5 inhibitors like tadalafil for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED). This study evaluates the non-inferiority and potential superiority of tadalafil cream compared to oral tadalafil. This randomized controlled trial employed a cross-over design with two treatment periods of two weeks each, separated by a one-week washout phase.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis review aimed to bring a comprehensive analysis of key clinical strategies for enhancing reproductive efficiency in buffaloes, a species that exhibit low reproductive performance under conventional reproductive management compared to that exhibited by cattle. It considers key ART techniques including estrus synchronization for artificial insemination, and ovulation induction, highlighting their role in improving fertility and overall herd productivity. However, it also addresses common postpartum inflammatory and functional reproductive disorders, discussing their diagnosis and treatment protocols, stressing their impact on the overall reproductive outcome in buffalo farming.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPancreatic cancer is often diagnosed in an advanced/metastatic stage, as it is a very aggressive type of cancer. The prognosis of pancreatic cancer is extremely unfavorable. The mean survival rate for patients with metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma is 3-6 months.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProstate cancer (PCa) remains a significant global health issue, exhibiting a spectrum of clinical behaviours from indolent to aggressive. Biomarkers are crucial for risk assessment, treatment selection and prognosis prediction. Despite their importance, accurately evaluating PCa aggressiveness and guiding personalised treatment strategies present challenges.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground And Aims: To evaluate a novel multimodal treatment (TLP) that integrates the use of a thulium laser, bipolar transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP), and "button-type" bipolar plasma vaporization for the endoscopic treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).
Methods: From March 2018 to December 2021, we prospectively evaluated 220 patients with symptomatic BPH who underwent TLP. Patients were assessed based on the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), quality of life (QoL), maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax), and postvoid residual urine (PVR).
Background And Aims: To evaluate the quality of life in patients treated for prostate cancer in detail, an accessible, extensive, and easy-to-administer questionnaire is needed. The self-administered 50-item "Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite" (EPIC) is an instrument used for this purpose, but it is not officially translated into Romanian. The aim of the study was to translate and validate the Romanian version of the EPIC.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF: Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an aggressive form of cancer with a poor prognosis. The two-year survival rate is 8% of all cases. : We present the case of a male patient who was 50 years old at the time of diagnosis in May 2022.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe aim of our study is to compare the perioperative and functional outcomes of a multimodal approach combining thulium laser vaporization, bipolar TURP, and bipolar plasma vaporization (TLP) with bipolar TURP in a matched-pair analysis. A nonrandomized, observational, retrospective, and matched-pair analysis was performed on two homogeneous groups of 60 patients who underwent TLP versus bipolar TURP at our center between March 2018 and December 2021. The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score and prostate volume (PV) were the main parameters used to match patients between the two groups.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Sepsis and septic shock represent severe pathological states, characterized by the systemic response to infection, which can lead to organ dysfunction and high mortality. Early diagnosis and rapid intervention are crucial for improving survival chances. However, the diagnosis of sepsis is complex due to its nonspecific symptoms and the variability of patient responses to infections.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Infective endocarditis(IE) has a low incidence, but it remains a serious disease with high mortality rates. Only 5 % of these patients will develop a splenic abscess, and the number of patients that have IE and a splenic abscess requiring surgery is low. The current guidelines recommend that splenectomy should be performed prior to valve replacement, but there is no strong evidence to support this statement and no evidence to clearly endorse the order in which the surgical interventions should be performed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF: The purpose of the study was to analyze the relationships among several clinical factors and also the tumor topography and surgical strategies used in patients with colorectal cancer. We designed an analytical, observational, retrospective study that included patients admitted to our emergency surgical department and diagnosed with colorectal cancer. The study group inclusion criteria were: patients admitted during 2020-2022; patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer (including the ileocecal valve); patients who benefited from a surgical procedure, either emergency or elective.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small non-coding RNAs that may function as tumor suppressors or oncogenes. Alteration of their expression levels has been linked to a range of human malignancies, including cancer. The objective of this investigation is to assess the relative expression levels of certain miRNAs to distinguish between prostate cancer (PCa) from benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPulmonary hypertension (PH) is a progressive and invalidating condition despite available therapy. Addressing complications such as left main coronary artery compression (LMCo) due to the dilated pulmonary artery (PA) may improve symptoms and survival. Nevertheless, clear recommendations are lacking.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDespite incessant research, colorectal cancer (CRC) is still one of the most common causes of fatality in both men and women worldwide. Over time, advancements in medical treatments have notably enhanced the survival rates of patients with colorectal cancer. Managing metastatic CRC involves a complex tradeoff between the potential benefits and adverse effects of treatment, considering factors like disease progression, treatment toxicity, drug resistance, and the overall impact on the patient's quality of life.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis (XGPN) is a rare form of chronic renal inflammation, caused by long-term obstruction of the urinary tract. Pyonephrosis is a severe suppurative complication of acute obstructive pyelonephritis. Although minimally invasive approaches have many advantages, the safe dissection of the kidney may not be always achievable.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: This study aimed to evaluate the indirect effect of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the surgical outcomes and oncological results of patients who underwent surgery during the lockdown period.
Methods: We analysed data from 423 patients who underwent radical prostatectomy between 2016 and 2022, with a cut-off date of March 16, 2020. Patients were categorised into two groups, namely, pre-lockdown (n = 289) and during lockdown (n = 134).
Purpose: To analyze the perioperative factors that influence the risk of biochemical recurrence (BCR) in patients with localized PCa undergoing radical prostatectomy Materials and Methods: A total of 457 patients, operated by 2 surgeons in our high-volume oncological center were included in the initial database. Patients who underwent RP for clinically localized PCa in our clinic from 2016 to 2021 were included in the study. Perioperative data were retrospectively reviewed for this study.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFacebook is the most popular social media platform and often used by news organizations to distribute content to broad audiences. Features of this online news environment, especially user-generated comments shown to news consumers, have the potential to induce audience perceptions of hostile media bias. This study furthers investigation into the influence of exposure to Facebook comments and news topics on consumers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe propose a mechanism that couples matter fields to three-dimensional quantum gravity, which can be used for theories with a positive or negative cosmological constant. Our proposal is rooted in the Chern-Simons formulation of three-dimensional gravity and makes use of the Wilson spool, a collection of Wilson loops winding around closed paths of the background. We show that the Wilson spool correctly reproduces the one-loop determinant of a free massive scalar field on rotating black holes in AdS_{3} and Euclidean dS_{3} as G_{N}→0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To report our step-by-step technique for 3D laparoscopic radical nephrectomy and thrombectomy for a right renal tumor with level IV venous thrombus. Worldwide experience in minimally-invasive approach for such complex cases is limited.
Materials And Methods: A 66-year-old male was incidentally diagnosed with a right renal tumor.
Rhabdomyosarcoma is a rare tumor that is diagnosed mostly in children and adolescents, rarely in adults, representing 2-5% of all soft tissue sarcomas. It has four subtypes that are recognized: embryonal (50%), alveolar (20%), pleomorphic (20%), and spindle cell/sclerosing (10%). The diagnosis of rhabdomyosarcoma is based on the histological detection of rhabdomyoblasts and the expression of muscle-related biomarkers.
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