BJU International

To present our initial experience of thulium laser resection via a flexible cystoscope for recurrent non‐muscle‐invasive bladder cancer (ThuRBT), as transurethral resection for bladder tumour (TURBT) is regarded as the reference standard for treating this disease, but alternative laser resection or ablation is suitable especially for recurrent tumours.

From January 2005 to October 2005, 32 patients with early recurrent bladder tumour (recurrent within a year after TURBT) were treated with ThuRBT via a flexible cystoscope. The follow‐up included urine analysis, ultrasonography and cystoscopy every 3 months.

All patients were treated successfully with ThuRBT in one session, with no bladder haemorrhage, obturator nerve reflex or vesicle perforation. Randomized biopsies taken after surgery on and adjacent to the resection surface revealed no residual tumours. The mean (range) tumour diameter was 1.5 (0.5–3) cm and the mean operative duration was 25 (15–35) min. During the first year of follow‐up, local and heterotopic recurrences were found in three and six patients, respectively. The accumulated recurrence rates at 3, 6 and 12 months were 9%, 22% and 28%, respectively.

ThuRBT is a reliable therapy with minimal morbidity and invasiveness for selected patients with bladder cancer.

To describe the use of a novel 'trizonal' biopsy schema in which 'near‐target' biopsies are taken adjacent to the MRI lesion, in addition to target and systematic biopsies, to determine the accuracy of prostate MRI fusion systems.

A trizonal biopsy technique was used to evaluate 75 men with small Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System (PI‐RADS) 3–5 MRI lesions (<15 mm) identified from a prospective cohort of 290 men undergoing multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for suspected prostate cancer at a single high‐volume institution between September 2017 and May 2019. In addition to target and systematic biopsies, near‐target biopsies were taken 4 mm from the apparent border of the MRI lesion. Comparisons were made between highest International Society of Urological Pathology grade and longest tumour length.

Fifty‐three men with significant prostate cancer in the same quadrant as the target were included in the final analysis. The percentages of positive cores from target, near‐target and MRI‐negative zones were 66%, 39% and 17%, respectively. Significant cancer was detected in the near‐target zone in 77% of cases when the target zone was positive. A total of 17% of participants were upgraded by a median (range) of 1 (1–3) grades through the addition of near‐target cores. Notably, 9% of men were diagnosed with clinically significant prostate cancer solely via the near‐target biopsy cores when the target cores were negative.

The use of near‐target biopsies as part of a trizonal biopsy schema provides a novel methodology to optimize clinically significant prostate cancer detection.

To assess cancer detection rates of different target‐dependent transperineal magnetic resonance (MR)/ultrasonography (US) fusion‐guided biopsy templates with reduced number of systematic cores.

Single‐centre outcome of transperineal MR/US fusion‐guided biopsies of 487 men with a single target MR imaging (MRI) lesion, prospectively collected between 2012 and 2016. All men underwent transperineal targeted biopsy (TB) with two cores, followed by 18–24 systematic sector biopsies (SB) using the Ginsburg protocol. Gleason score ≥7 prostate cancer detection rates for two‐core TB, four‐core extended TB (eTB), 10‐ to 20‐core saturation TB (sTB) including cores from sectors adjacent to the target, and 14 core ipsilateral TB (iTB) were compared to combined TB+SB.

Cancer was detected in 345 men and Gleason score 7–10 cancer in 211 men. TB alone detected 67%, eTB 76%, sTB 91% and iTB 91% of these Gleason score 7–10 cancers. In the subgroup of 33 men (7% of cohort) with an anterior >0.5 mL highly suspicious MRI lesion and a prostate volume ≤45 mL, four‐core eTB detected 31 of 32 cancers (97%) and all 26 Gleason score 7–10 cancers.

sTB detected Gleason score 7–10 cancer in 25% more of the men than a two‐core TB approach, and in almost as many men (91%) as the 20–26‐core combined TB+SB, while needing only 10–20 cores. A four‐core extended TB may suffice for large, highly suspicious anterior lesions in small or slightly enlarged prostates.

To evaluate the impact of intralesional heterogeneity on the performance of multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) in determining cancer extent and treatment margins for focal therapy (FT) of prostate cancer.

We identified men who underwent primary radical prostatectomy for organ‐ confined prostate cancer over a 3‐year period. Cancer foci on whole‐mount histology were marked out, coding low‐grade (LG; Gleason 3) and high‐grade (HG; Gleason 4–5) components separately. Measurements of entire tumours were grouped according to intralesional proportion of HG cancer: 0%, <50% and ≥50%; the readings were corrected for specimen shrinkage and correlated with matching lesions on mpMRI. Separate measurements were also taken of HG cancer components only, and correlated against entire lesions on mpMRI. Size discrepancies were used to derive the optimal tumour size and treatment margins for FT.

There were 122 MRI‐detected cancer lesions in 70 men. The mean linear specimen shrinkage was 8.4%. The overall correlation between histology and MRI dimensions was r = 0.79 (P < 0.001). Size correlation was superior for tumours with high burden (≥50%) compared to low burden (<50%) of HG cancer (r = 0.84 vs r = 0.63; P = 0.007). Size underestimation by mpMRI was more likely for larger tumours (51% for >12 mm vs 26% for ≤12 mm) and those containing HG cancer (44%, vs 20% for LG only). Size discrepancy analysis suggests an optimal tumour size of ≤12 mm and treatment margins of 5–6 mm for FT. For tumours ≤12 mm in diameter, applying 5‐ and 6‐mm treatment margins would achieve 98.6% and 100% complete tumour ablation, respectively. For tumours of all sizes, using the same margins would ablate >95% of the HG cancer components.

Multiparametric MRI performance in estimating prostate cancer size, and consequently the treatment margin for FT, is impacted by tumour size and the intralesional heterogeneity of cancer grades.

To evaluate the impact of various factors that might ultimately influence the stoma complication rate associated with the construction of a continent catheterizable urinary (CCU) and Malone antegrade colonic enema (MACE) stoma in children.

Retrospectively, we reviewed our experience in patients who had a CCU and/or MACE stoma reconstructed at our institution from 1992 to 2003. Diagnosis, type of stoma constructed (CCU vs MACE), single vs dual stomas, stomal site, conduit material (appendix, split appendix, Monti‐Yang or ureter), sex, age, patient mobility and body mass index, race and concomitant surgery (e.g. bladder augmentation with or without bladder neck reconstruction) were evaluated for stoma‐related complications. In all, 109 patients (64 males and 45 female), with a mean (sd, range) age of 8.6 (5.7, 2–37) years, had 151 stomas constructed during the period of analysis, comprising 56 CCU only, 11 MACE only and 42 (84 stomas) both simultaneously.

The mean (range) follow‐up was 48 (6–144) months. The primary diagnoses were neurogenic bladder in 60 (55%), bladder exstrophy/epispadias in 17 (16%) and posterior urethral valves in 11 (9%) patients. The umbilicus was the primary site for the CCU stoma in 88 of 98 (90%) cases, while the right lower quadrant was the primary site for MACE in 46 of 53 (87%). After surgery complete stomal continence was provided in 95 of 98 (97%) CCU stoma, whereas the MACE was successful in 52 of 53 (99%). The stoma‐related complications included stenosis in 27, leakage in eight, false passage in four, atrophy in two, keloid in one, and breakdown of the stoma in two. Individually, only greater age and a primary diagnosis of neurogenic bladder were independent risk factors associated with an increased rate of stomal complications and higher incidence of revision (P < 0.05).

Stomal complications are extremely common whether CCU or MACE stomas are constructed individually or together. Nevertheless, despite the need for revision, the high stoma continence rate supports their use. Greater age at surgery and a primary diagnosis of neurogenic bladder were associated with a significant increase in the stoma‐related complications and the need for revision.

To digitally model (three‐dimensional, 3D) the course of the pudendal arteries relative to the bony pelvis in the adult male, and to identify sites of compression with different bicycle riding positions as a potential cause of penile hypoxia and erectile dysfunction.

3D models were made from computed tomography scans of one adult male pelvis (a healthy volunteer) and three bicycle seats. Models were correlated with lateral radiographs of a seated rider to determine potential vascular compression between the bony pelvis and seats at different angles of rider positioning.

Pelvis/seat models suggest that the most likely site of compression of the internal pudendal artery is immediately below the pubic symphysis, especially with the rider leaning forward. For an upright rider, the internal pudendal arteries do not appear to be compressed between the seat and the bony pelvis. Leaning partly forward with arms extended, the seat/symphysis areas were reduced to 73 mm² with standard seat and 259 mm² with a grooved seat. Leaning fully forward, the seat/symphysis areas decreased (no space with standard seat; 51 mm² with a grooved seat) and both the ischial tuberosities and the pubic symphysis might be in contact with the seat.

A grooved seat allows better preservation of the seat/symphysis space than a standard seat, but the rider’s position is more important for preserving the seat‐symphysis space (and reducing compression) than is seat design alone. Any factors which influence the seat‐symphysis space (including an individual’s anatomy, seat design and rider position) can increase the potential for penile hypoxia and erectile dysfunction/perineal numbness.

To evaluate the blood supply to the penis during bicycling and thus determine whether the associated perineal compression might be responsible for some cases of impotence.

The transcutaneous penile oxygen partial pressure (pO₂ ) at the glans of the penis was measured in 25 healthy athletic men; pO₂ is readily measured by noninvasive techniques currently widely used in the management of premature infants, and which have been shown to give pO₂ levels that correlate with arterial pO₂ levels. The measurements in the healthy subjects were taken in various positions, before, during and after bicycling.

The mean (sd) pO₂ of the glans when standing before cycling was 61.4 (7.2) mmHg; it decreased after 3 min of cycling to 19.4 (4.7) mmHg. After 1 min of cycling in a standing position it increased significantly to 68 (7.6) mmHg; when cycling was continued in a seated position, after 3 min the pO₂ fell to 18.4 (4.2) mmHg and there was a full return to normal pO₂ values after a 10‐min recovery period.

The pO₂ seems to correlate with the blood supply to the penis. The present results support the hypothesis that as the penile arteries are compressed against the pubic bone by the saddle during bicycling, the pO₂ values decrease. Additionally, shifting from a seated to a standing position while cycling significantly improved the pO₂ value of the penis and penile blood oxygenation was then even greater. Therefore, we suggest that cyclists change their body position frequently during cycling. Correcting the handlebars or the height of the saddle, tipping the nose of the saddle to produce a more horizontal, or even downward pointing position, and attention to the design of the saddle may be the only required precautions.