Diagnostic value ultrasound signs of stones less than or equal to 10 mm and clinicoradiological variants of ureteric colic

Objective:To determine the diagnostic value of ultrasound signs of urinary stones less than or equal to 10 mm and to determine clinico-radiological variants of ureteric colic.Methods:A total of 455 ultrasound investigations were performed in patients referring to emergency department with urolithiasis and symptoms suspected of ureteric colic between January 2021 and May 2021.In addition to microscopic evaluation of urine sediment to detect different crystals and non-contrast spiral computed tomography to detect stones,B-mode and color Doppler sonography was performed to assess the presence of acoustic shadow(AS)and twinkle artifacts(TA)as possible signs of stone(s)in ureter.Results:While the sensitivity and specificity of AS and TA were higher than 90%in patients with stones greater than 5 mm;positive prognostic values of these parameters were found to be extremely low for stones with sizes of 1-3 mm with specificity and sensitivity values not exceeding 53%.The sensitivity and specificity of AS and TA in the upper and lower ureters were higher for stones greater than or equal to 5 than for compared to those less than 5 mm.At the same time,the diagnostic values of TA and AS for middle ureter stones were very limited.The most prevalent clinico-radiological variants of ureteric colic were types I,III,and V being observed in 39%,28% and 21% cases,respectively.Conclusion:Our results demonstrate that TA and AS parameters seem to have a very low sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of urinary stones less than 5 mm.The diagnostic value of TA and AS increase significantly in stones greater than or equal to 5 mm.Therefore,clinicians need to be very careful for overestimating the diagnostic values of TA and AS for stones less than 5 mm and non-contrast spiral computed tomography must be the method of choice for patients presenting to emergency department with ureteric colic.

New insights into the pathogenesis of Peyronie’s disease:A narrative review

Peyronie’s disease(PD)is a benign,progressive fibrotic disorder characterized by scar or plaques within the tunica albuginea(TA)of the penis.This study provides new insights into the pathogenesis of PD based on data from different studies regarding the roles of cytokines,cell signaling pathways,biochemical mechanisms,genetic factors responsible for fibrogenesis.A growing body of literature has shown that PD is a chronically impaired,localized,wound healing process within the TA and the Smith space.It is caused by the influence of different pathological stimuli,most often the effects of mechanical stress during sexual intercourse in genetically sensitive individuals with unusual anatomical TA features,imbalanced matrix metalloproteinase/tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase(MMP/TIMP),and suppressed antioxidant systems during chronic inflammation.Other intracellular signal cascades are activated during fibrosis along with low expression levels of their negative regulators and transforming growth factor-β1 signaling.The development of multikinase agents with minimal side effects that can block several signal cell pathways would significantly improve fibrosis in PD tissues by acting on common downstream mediators.

A Prospective, Observational Study of Use Combination Silodosin 8 mg Plus Serenoa Repens, Urtica Dioica, Cucurbita Pepo (Rotaprost) Compared With Silodosin 8 mg Alone in Treatment Patients with Benign Prostate Hyperplasia

Background:Benign prostatic hyperplasia(BPH)is one of the most common causes of lower urinary tract symp-toms(LUTS)in older men.Nowadays,there are several plant extracts used for the treatment of LUTS due to BPH.Objective:The aim of this study is to compare the effect of combining silodosin 8 mg with Serenoa repens,Urtica dioica,Cucurbita pepo(Rotaprost 530 mg)compared to silodosin 8 mg and Rotaprost 530 mg alone in patients with LUTS/BPH.Methods:Four hundred five men with symptomatic BPH were recruited for the study from June 2020 to Jan-uary 2021.Three hundred eighty-nine patients were followed up for 6 months.All participants provided writ-ten informed consent.This prospective study included analysis of three treatment groups:Group I patients(n=130)received a combination of silodosin 8 mg and Rotaprost 530 mg(containing a dry extract of Serenoa repens 80 mg,a dry extract of Urtica dioica 150 mg,a dry extract of Cucurbita pepo seeds 200 mg,zinc(in the form of zinc picolinate)0.105 mg,and selenium(as sodium selenite)22.5μg);the group II(n=129)re-ceived silodosin 8 mg alone,and the group III(n=130)received Rotaprost 530 mg alone.Outcomes were measured by changes from baseline in International Prostate Symptom Score(IPPS)total score,PSA value,prostate volume,residual urine after urination,and maximum flow rate.Statistical significance was set at P<0.05.Results:In group I,IPSS,prostate volume,and maximum urinary flow rate(Qmax)improved significantly(P<0.05)compared with groups II and III during follow-up.Prostate volume in group I showed a significant decrease only during 6 months of therapy(P<0.05).No serious adverse effects were registered in the three groups.Conclusion:Combination therapy with silodosin 8 mg significantly reduced LUTS/BPH,Qmax,and prostate volume compared with silodosin 8 mg alone.Rotaprost 530 mg can also reduce PSA by at least 20.6−25.7%after 6-months of treatment.