The influence of fibrillin-1 and physical activity upon tendon tissue morphology and mechanical properties in mice.

Fibrillin-1 mutations cause pathological changes in connective tissue that constitute the complex phenotype of Marfan syndrome. In this study, we used fibrillin-1 hypomorphic and haploinsufficient mice (Fbn1 and Fbn1 mice, respectively) to investigate the impact of fibrillin-1 deficiency alone or in combination with regular physical activity on tendon tissue morphology and mechanical properties. Morphological and biomechanical analyses revealed that Fbn1 but not Fbn1 mice displayed smaller tendons with physical properties that were unremarkable when normalized to tendon size.

Efficacy and safety of Elevate® system on apical and anterior compartment prolapse repair with personal technique modification.

Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of Anterior Elevate® mesh kit system (AES) in woman with symptomatic stage 3 or 4 anterior and/or apical pelvic organ prolapse (POP).

Materials And Methods: This retrospective, monocentric, single surgeon study enrolled between May 2010 and January 2013 fifty-six woman experiencing symptomatic anterior vaginal prolapse with or without apical descent (POP-Q stage 3 or 4). All women received a AES and 7 (12.

Transobturator surgery in presence of corona mortis: a study in 13 women.

Purpose: Severe and life-threatening bleeding has been reported in the literature after retropubic mid-urethral slings procedure, due to corona mortis damage. The aim of this study is to evaluate safety of transobturator passage of the tape in stress-urinary incontinence (SUI) correction and anchoring the mesh in pelvic-organ prolapse (POP) repair in the presence of corona mortis.

Materials And Methods: Thirteen women with a pre-operatory contrast-enhanced abdominal multidetector computed tomography were prospectively enrolled in the study between January 2009 and December 2014.

Use of transvaginal ultrasound in females with primary bladder neck obstruction. A preliminary study.

Introduction And Aim: The video-urodynamics study is the principal exam to establish a possible primary bladder neck obstruction (PBNO) condition. While trans-rectal ultrasonography plays an important role in the evaluation of the low urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and the severity of bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) in men, the use of the transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS) in women with symptoms suggesting BOO remains unclear. We tried to check the utility of the TVUS in women with PBNO condition.

Modulating the inflammatory response to provide the best environment for healing in the pelvic organ prolapse (POP) repair. A preliminary study using coated medical devices.

Aim: We studied the inflammatory response in Phosphorylcholine (PC)-coated and uncoated meshes after 4 weeks of implantation in the subcutaneous tissue of the hypogastric region in six patients.

Material And Methods: Six patients underwent POP surgery using two different types of mesh. In three of them a PC-coated mesh was implanted and an uncoated one was implanted in the last three.

Tumor-stroma metabolic relationship based on lactate shuttle can sustain prostate cancer progression.

Background: Cancer cell adopts peculiar metabolic strategies aimed to sustain the continuous proliferation in an environment characterized by relevant fluctuations in oxygen and nutrient levels. Monocarboxylate transporters MCT1 and MCT4 can drive such adaptation permitting the transport across plasma membrane of different monocarboxylic acids involved in energy metabolism.

Methods: Role of MCTs in tumor-stroma metabolic relationship was investigated in vitro and in vivo using transformed prostate epithelial cells, carcinoma cell lines and normal fibroblasts.

[An unusual case of massive funicular lipoma].

Intrascrotal lipomas are benign diseases that originate from adipose tissue inside the scrotal sac or constituting the scrotal wall itself. Paratesticular spermatic cord lipomas are a rare type of intrascrotal lipomas. A 78 years old patient in good health comes to our attention for massive tense-elastic swelling of left hemiscrotum appeared about 3 years ago and slowly increasing.

Plasmakinetic bipolar versus monopolar transurethral resection of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer: a single center randomized controlled trial.

Objectives: To compare the safety and the efficacy of plasmakinetic bipolar resectoscope versus conventional monopolar in the transurethral resection of primary non-muscle invasive bladder cancer.

Methods: From January 2007 to December 2009, 132 patients underwent endoscopic resection for primary non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. They were randomly assigned to two groups: 67 patients underwent a transurethral resection of the bladder with bipolar plasmakinetic energy transurethral resection of the bladder and 65 were treated with conventional monopolar transurethral resection.

[Impacts of antibiotic and anti-inflammatory therapy on serum prostate specific antigen in asymptomatic men: our experience].

Introduction: The management of "grey zone" elevated Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) is uncertain. After prostate cancer, benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostatitis may induce PSA increase. PSA reduction, after medical therapy, might identify those patients in whom biopsy can be avoided.

An innovative combined antero-retrograde approach for the resolution of the complete iatrogenic obliteration of ureteral ostium: a case report.

In selected cases of endoscopic surgery of bladder cancer, in order to reach an oncologic radicality, the resection of the ureteral ostium affected by the disease is required. Although infrequent, a possible complication of this manoeuvre is represented by the complete obliteration of theresected ostium. Literature suggests that the traditional "open" surgery and the latest "laparoscopic" surgery are effective in the resolution of this complication, in contrast with the techniques of endourological and uro-interventional radiology which, although minimally invasive, do not appear to be completely appropriate in the treatment of this condition.

Does transrectal color Doppler ultrasound improve the diagnosis of prostate cancer?

Objective: To prospectively evaluate whether TRUS guided biopsy associated with Color Doppler (CD) imaging improves the detection of PCa.

Material And Methods: From January 2008 to December 2010, 144 subjects, with an increased PSA value or with a suspect digital rectal examination, were enrolled. Transrectal grey-scale Ultrasound (US) and CD examination were performed in all patients.

Integrated staging systems for conventional renal cell carcinoma: a comparison of two prognostic models.

Objective: The objective of the current study was to compare, in a single center experience, the discriminating accuracy of two prognostic models to predict the outcome of patients surgically treated for conventional renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

Patients And Methods: We retrospectively evaluated the clinical and pathological data of 100 patients surgically treated for RCC between 1998-2008 at our institution. For each patient, prognostic scores were calculated according to two models: the University of California Los Angeles integrated staging system (UISS) and the Stage, Size, Grade, and Necrosis (SSIGN) developed at the Mayo Clinic.

[Impact of overactive bladder on sexual function in women].

Introduction: Overactive Bladder (OAB) and Urge Urinary Incontinence (UUI) are both debilitating and bothersome conditions. OAB negatively impact on women’s quality of life affecting their own ability and personal relationships. Our aim has been to evaluate how OAB and UUI affect women’s sexual function and the possible role of antimuscarinic drugs in improving their sexual condition.

PSA supernormalisation: a surrogate of complete adenoma removal in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia.

It is known that serum prostate-specific antigen levels (PSA) decrease gradually following surgery for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), but there is not an established cut-off value for normal PSA after relief of obstruction. We evaluated the impact of prostatic adenoma enucleation on PSA levels in 110 patients who underwent transvesical suprapubic adenomectomy for symptomatic BPH. We examined PSA levels before and after open surgery and weight of the prostatic adenoma as measured by the pathologist.

Urodynamic parameters after solifenacin treatment in men with overactive bladder symptoms and detrusor underactivity.

Aims: To describe the changes in urodynamic parameters and to assess patients' perceptions of voiding difficulties and improvements in symptom bother after solifenacin treatment in men with overactive bladder (OAB) and detrusor underactivity (DUA).

Methods: In this prospective study, 49 neurologically intact men were enrolled. DUA was defined as a bladder contractility index (BCI) <100.

Surgical and biologic outcomes after neoadjuvant bicalutamide treatment in prostate cancer.

Objectives: To perform a randomized, prospective, controlled, intention-to-treat study to determine the usefulness of bicalutamide as a neoadjuvant hormonal therapy regimen to surgery in reducing positive surgical margins and modulating epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) member's in men with prostate cancer.

Methods: From April 2002 to December 2003, 430 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer. Of these men, 119 with clinical Stage T2-T3a were enrolled.

Ejaculatory duct obstruction caused by a right giant seminal vesicle with an ipsilateral upper urinary tract agenesia: an embryologic malformation.

Objective: To report our experience with TURED in infertile men with EDO associated with abnormal development of the mesonephric or Wolffian duct, causing a contemporary malformation of the ipsilateral upper urinary tract.

Design: Retrospective clinical study.

Setting: Infertile men in an hospital environment.

Urodynamic obstruction in women with stress urinary incontinence--do nonintubated uroflowmetry and symptoms aid diagnosis?

Purpose: We estimated the prevalence of urodynamic obstruction in women with stress urinary incontinence and determined which clinical indicator (nonintubated uroflowmetry or urinary symptoms) better predicts urodynamic obstruction.

Materials And Methods: From December 2004 to June 2005, 101 women with urodynamic stress urinary incontinence were enrolled. Adjunctive lower urinary tract symptoms were also observed.

Bladder outlet obstruction index and maximal flow rate during urodynamic study as powerful predictors for the detection of urodynamic obstruction in women.

Aims: To evaluate whether bladder outlet obstruction index (BOOI), a mathematical index of outlet resistance, in association with maximal flow rate (Qmax) obtained during multichannel urodynamics (UDS) or detrusor pressure at maximal flow rate (PdetQmax) could help the identification of obstruction in women.

Methods: From January 2004 to February 2005, 401 women were assessed in our urodynamic unit. Of these, 133 were neurologically intact women, referred symptoms suggestive of voiding disorders and had an abnormal non-intubated uroflussometry (NIF) (BOO group).

Tamsulosin treatment increases clinical success rate of single extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy of renal stones.

Objectives: To design a randomized, no-treatment, controlled, prospective study to determine whether the administration of tamsulosin, as adjunctive medical therapy, increases the efficacy of one extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) session to treat renal stones and decreases the use of analgesic drugs after the procedure.

Methods: A total of 130 patients underwent a single ESWL session to treat solitary radiopaque renal stones 4 to 20 mm in diameter. After treatment, all patients were randomly assigned to receive our standard medical therapy alone (controls) or in association with 0.

[Ultrasonographic assessment of bladder volume].

Introduction: The aim of this study is to evaluate intra and inter-observatory variability in the sonography measurement of bladder volume.

Materials And Methods: We have evaluated 138 patients (128 men and 10 women) affected by lower urinary tract symptoms with a mean age of 64 years (range 36-75) between December 2000 and June 2001. Sonography measurement of bladder volume was obtained at the end of a pressure/flow study with the double lumen catheter in situ.

[Percutaneous treatment of varicocele: considerations and our experience].

Unlabelled: Due to its high incidence and its affecting male infertility, varicocele is an important disease. Consequently, it is essential to choose the best treatment.

Materials And Methods: Since 1999 to 2000, 75 patients affected by varicocele (mean age 25 years) underwent percutaneous retrograde sclerotherapy through a right transfemoral approach.

[Primary "small-cell" lymphoma of the lung. A clinical case report].

Primary lymphoma of the lung is a rare pathological condition arising from mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT). The lack of specific symptoms and the related diagnostic problems induced the authors to report a clinical case recently observed. Therefore, some histopathologic characteristics useful for a correct differential diagnosis with the pseudolymphoma of the lung and the interstitial lymphocyte pneumonia are analysed.