Sphincterotomy: long-term complications and warning signs.

Transurethral sphincterotomy is a commonly performed operation in spinal cord injury patients. Sixty-three patients who have had transurethral sphincterotomy were evaluated at our spinal cord injury unit for the risk and possible predictors of long-term outcome associated with this procedure. In addition to history and physical examination, all patients had urine culture, blood urea and creatinine, intravenous pyelogram and/or KUB with renal ultrasound, 4 channel videourodynamics, voiding cystourethrogram, and cystocopy when indicated.

A new method for cytodestruction of bladder epithelium using protamine sulfate and urea.

Bladder epithelium relies primarily on the presence of a surface glycosaminoglycan (GAG) layer and the structural integrity of cell-cell contact to maintain impermeability to toxic urinary wastes. Previous clinical studies evaluating bladder permeability characteristics in interstitial cystitis patients had indicated that epithelial desquamation occurs after treatment with protamine sulfate (PS) followed by hypertonic urea. The following study was performed using rabbits to further investigate this finding.

Abnormal sensitivity to intravesical potassium in interstitial cystitis and radiation cystitis.

The urgency-frequency syndrome (UFS) (non-bacterial cystitis, interstitial cystitis) may well represent a heterogenous group with several etiologies. This study was based on the hypothesis that one subset of UFS patients has a leaky (to solutes) epithelium and cations such as potassium could thereby diffuse subepithelially and provoke symptoms. It was also hypothesized that normal impermeable transitional epithelium would not allow cations to diffuse across the cells during the K+ provocation test and no symptoms would be experienced.

Clinical diagnosis of prostate cancer.

Background: The clinical diagnosis of localized prostate carcinoma in the asymptomatic male has been based on a careful digital rectal examination (DRE).

Methods: The DRE, prostate specific antigen (PSA), transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS), prostate needle biopsy (PNB), and other modalities are examined for their role in prostate cancer diagnosis.

Results: Up to 20% of localized prostatic cancer is still diagnosed "retrospectively" on transurethral resection (TURP) for clinically benign disease and prostatism.