Journal Reviews
Bladder cancer outcomes in patients with spina bifida
These authors carried out a systematic review using PubMed and a number of terms to pick up studies with an underlying diagnosis of myelomeningocele and bladder cancer, with exclusions of cord injury, tuberculosis, schistosomiasis, or prior ureterosigmoidostomy. Their aim was...
Hypospadias surgery complication rates
These authors identified all children undergoing NHS hypospadias surgery between 1999 and 2009 in England using the hospital episode statistic database and looked at repair types and complications. High-volume centres (24/75) were classified as such if they did more than...
Prostate cancer detection rate of MRI-TRUS fusion vs. systematic biopsy
With the advent of one-stop prostate cancer diagnostic clinics, the findings of this study are of interest to readers who may be considering introducing the technique of magnetic resonance imaging transrectal ultrasound (MRI-TRUS) fusion biopsies to their practice. A retrospective...
Non-antibiotic options for recurrent UTI
Recurrent urinary tract infection (UTI) imposes a heavy burden on health services. By definition recurrent UTI is two infections in six months or three in one year. The annual incidence of single UTI is 30 per 1000 women. The Scottish...
Treatment of varicocele in children and adolescents
Varicocele occur in about 15% of all adolescents. These authors searched Medline, Embase and a number of platforms reporting on varicoses in children and adolescents, including only randomised controlled trials with patients under 21 years. After an initial 198 studies...
Prostate cancer screening
This editorial is from the University of Minnesota in the USA. The present evidence suggests that prostate specific antigen (PSA) testing provides a small reduction in prostate cancer (CaP) mortality and no reduction in all-causes mortality. The downside is of...
Urologists beware!
This article recounts the story of a Californian urologist who was shot dead two decades later by a patient who was diagnosed with stricture of the urethra. The patient underwent surgery for urethral stricture in 1992 by a team (ironically,...
When partial nephrectomy is unsuccessful
With increasing use of partial nephrectomy (PN) to treat complex T1 tumours, the risk of conversion to radical nephrectomy (RN) increases. In this study the authors look at the incidence of conversion of robotic PN (RPN) to RN and analysed...
Ureterocystostomy – novel surgery for the paediatric obstructed megaureter
Megaureter is a relatively common congenital urinary tract anomaly; obstructed non-refluxing megaureter is one variant. Initial management is conservative, with operative intervention reserved for symptomatic cases (recurrent pyelonephritis, pain, increasing dilatation or worsening renal function). Surgical options include cutaneous ureterostomy,...
MRI targeted transperineal prostate biopsy: a local anaesthetic approach
Transperineal template biopsy remains the gold standard investigation in diagnosis of prostate cancer. Data from the PROMIS study demonstrated the low sensitivity of transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) biopsy as a diagnostic tool, and highlighted the need for a better diagnostic pathway....
UTI Care – antibiotics or NSAIDs?
This is the cover story of a recent issue of the BMJ. As per the World Health Organization (WHO), antibiotic resistance is becoming a major economic and global problem. This is a randomised, double-blind study from 17 general practices in...
Solifenacin for children and adolescents with overactive bladders
Solifenacin (VESIcare®) is the second-line anti-muscarinic medication of choice for my patients with overactive bladder (oxybutynin being my initial choice). However, currently, it remains unlicensed for use in children. Newgreen et al. have evaluated the long-term safety and efficacy of...
