Search Results (23)

Background and Objectives: Cystic echinococcosis (CE) remains a significant health concern in endemic areas, including Romania, where hepatic hydatid cysts frequently require surgical treatment. Surgery represents the cornerstone of therapy, particularly in large, complicated, or symptomatic cysts, where medical or minimally invasive options may be insufficient. This study aims to investigate the clinical characteristics, risk factors, and postoperative evolution of patients undergoing surgical intervention for hepatic CE in a tertiary care center over a five-year period. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study examined data from 62 patients who underwent surgical procedures for hepatic CE during a 5-year period. The analysis focused on demographic parameters, cyst morphology, surgical techniques employed, and postoperative complications, with particular attention to the frequency, management, and outcomes of biliary fistulas. Results: The study cohort had an average age of 44.1 years, with a slight predominance of female patients (51.6%). The majority of cysts (62.9%) were located in the right hepatic lobe, with an average diameter of 10.9 cm. Postoperative complications were recorded in 25.8% of cases, with biliary fistulas being the most frequent (12.9%). Patients who developed biliary fistulas presented significantly larger cysts (152.13 ± 105.68 mm vs. 102.20 ± 37.86 mm, p = 0.012) and required an extended length of hospitalization, particularly in high-output cases (29 vs. 9.3 days, p = 0.045). Hospital stays and treatment expenses were notably higher among patients with biliary fistulas. Conclusions: Biliary fistulas were observed exclusively in patients who underwent partial cystectomy. This finding highlights the need for increased caution when performing partial cystectomy, especially in cases involving large or recurrent cysts, where the risk of postoperative biliary fistulas is higher. Tailoring the surgical technique based on cyst characteristics and incorporating intraoperative strategies to manage or prevent biliary leakage may help reduce morbidity. Early identification and multidisciplinary management of high-risk cases are key to improving outcomes in hepatic CE. Full article

Background: Despite numerous studies assessing LCs in urological surgical oncology, high-quality evidence and a fully structured curriculum are missing. We aimed to systematically search and review the available literature on the LCs of robot-assisted surgery in urological cancers. Methods: Medline was systematically searched up to December 2024 to retrieve studies following the Preferred Reporting Items reporting on LC in robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP), robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC), robot-assisted radical and partial nephrectomy (RARN, RAPN), and robot-assisted radical nephroureterectomy (RANU). The results of the last five years were then compared to those of the previous years. Results: In total, 82 studies were identified, 47 of which were for prostatectomy, 9 of which were for the last 5 years. Eighteen studies referred to partial-nephrectomy, seven over the previous 5 years. Finally, 16 studies referred to radical cystectomy, 7 over the previous five years. For radical prostatectomy, LC was based on operative time (OT), estimated blood loss (EBL), length of hospital stays, complication rate, positive surgical margin (PSM), biochemical recurrence (BCR), continence, and potency with ranges of 100–400, 90–290, 200, 15–250, 50–300, 30–250, 200–500 and 200–300 cases, respectively. For partial nephrectomy, the LC was based on OT, EBL, length of hospital stay, complication rate, warm ischemia time (WIT), and trifecta, with unclear ranges for the first three categories and 20–50, 26–140, and 50–77 cases, respectively, for the rest. Finally, for radical cystectomy, the LC was based on OT, EBL, length of hospital stay, complication rate, PSM, and lymph node yield, with ranges 20–75, 88, 40–198, 16–100, no difference, and 30–50 cases, respectively. We could not identify any study assessing the LCs in RARN and RANU. Conclusions: Robot-assisted surgery does not have a standard definition of LC regardless of the type of operation, which causes heterogeneity between the studies. Nevertheless, LCs appear to be steep and continuous. Training curriculums are essential to optimize outcomes and prepare new surgeons. Full article

Background/Objectives: Delta-radiomics involves analyzing feature variations at different acquisition time-points. This study aimed to assess the utility of delta-radiomics feature analysis applied to contrast-enhanced (CE) and non-contrast-enhanced (NE) T1-weighted images (WI) in predicting the therapeutic response to chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in patients diagnosed with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). Methods: Forty-three patients with non-metastatic MIBC (cT2–4N0M0) who underwent partial or radical cystectomy after induction CRT were, retrospectively, reviewed. Pathological complete response (pCR) to CRT was defined as the absence of residual viable tumor cells in the cystectomy specimen. Identical volumes of interest corresponding to the index bladder cancer lesions on CE- and NE-T1WI on pre-therapeutic 1.5-T MRI were collaboratively delineated by one radiologist and one urologist. Texture analysis was performed using “LIFEx” software. The subtraction of radiological features between CE- and NE-T1WI yielded 112 delta-radiomics features, which were utilized in multiple machine-learning algorithms to construct optimal predictive models for CRT responsiveness. Additionally, the predictive performance of the radiomics model constructed using CE-T1WI alone was assessed. Results: Twenty-one patients (49%) achieved pCR. The best-performing delta-radiomics model, employing the “Extreme Gradient Boosting” algorithm, yielded an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.85 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.75–0.95), utilizing four signal intensity-based delta-radiomics features. This outperformed the best model derived from CE-T1WI alone (AUC: 0.63, 95% CI: 0.50–0.75), which incorporated two morphological features and one signal intensity-based radiomics feature. Conclusions: Delta-radiomics analysis applied to pre-therapeutic CE- and NE-MRI demonstrated promising predictive ability for CRT responsiveness prior to treatment initiation. Full article

Background: Bladder leiomyomas are rare benign tumors (<0.5% of all bladder tumors) arising from the bladder wall’s smooth muscle. Only 250 cases of this condition have been reported worldwide so far. While some leiomyomas present with irritative or obstructive symptoms, hematuria, or nonspecific abdominal pain, others are asymptomatic and are diagnosed incidentally. The surgical approach is based on the leiomyoma’s size and location. Given this tumor’s rarity, standardized management guidelines do not exist; however, transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT), partial or radical cystectomy, or laparoscopic/robotic enucleation are viable therapeutic options. Case history: We report the case of a 64-year-old female presenting with recurrent colic and pelvic pain. An abdominal CT scan showed a 3 cm mass protruding from the posterior bladder wall toward the right vaginal fornix. A transvaginal ultrasound-guided through-cut biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of a bladder leiomyoma. Due to the tumor’s size and location, robotic enucleation was chosen to minimize the risk of bladder perforation. The mass was successfully excised via a transvesical approach. Results: The procedure was completed in 210 min without complications, with 50 mL blood loss. The patient recovered well, with resolution of symptoms and no recurrence at eighteen-month follow-up. Histopathological examination on the surgical specimen confirmed the diagnosis of bladder leiomyoma. Conclusions: This case highlights the feasibility and safety of robotic enucleation for large bladder leiomyomas, emphasizing minimal invasiveness, limited pelvic dissection, and preservation of bladder function. Further research and standardized guidelines are needed for managing this rare condition. Full article

Background: Urachal pathologies, while rare, carry a risk of malignant transformation. Robot-assisted urachal excision and partial cystectomy (RAUEPC) is a minimally invasive technique that offers potential advantages, but the available evidence remains limited. This study aims to evaluate the outcomes of RAUEPC for benign and malignant urachal pathologies through a systematic review and single-center experience. Methods: A systematic review was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, the Cochrane Library, and ScienceDirect (last search: 1 November 2024). Inclusion criteria encompassed studies reporting on RAUEPC for urachal pathologies, while non-robotic approaches and incomplete data were excluded. Risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for cohort studies and the JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist for Case Reports. Descriptive statistics summarized continuous data (means, medians, 95% confidence intervals), and chi-square tests analyzed associations between categorical variables. Heterogeneity analysis was infeasible, necessitating narrative synthesis. Institutional retrospective data from three cases (2021–2024) were included for comparison. This study was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42024597785). No external funding was received. Results: A total of 44 studies (n = 145) met the inclusion criteria. Benign lesions accounted for 66.2% and malignant lesions for 33.8%. Mean operative time was 177.8 min (cumulative), 162.7 min (benign), 192.2 min (malignant), 85.33 min (institutional, 95% CI: 74.13–96.53). Mean blood loss was 85.4 mL (cumulative), 99.5 mL (benign), 72.7 mL (malignant), 216.66 mL (institutional). Mean hospital stay was 3.64 days (cumulative), 3.26 days (benign), 4.36 days (malignant), 6.33 days (institutional, 95% CI: 3.46–9.20). Complications occurred in 10.04% (cumulative), 11.82% (benign), 8.57% (malignant), with one minor event (Clavien–Dindo II) in institutional cases. No conversions to open surgery were reported. All cases achieved complete excision with no R1 resections. No recurrences were observed at 10.66-month (institutional) mean follow-up. Conclusions: RAUEPC appears to be a feasible and safe approach with promising short-term outcomes. The associations between symptoms and diagnostic methods highlight its utility. The limitations of the evidence include small sample sizes and retrospective designs. Further prospective studies are needed to validate these findings. Full article

Background/Objectives: Bladder cancer is a significant clinical problem with approximately 500,000 new cases worldwide annually. In approximately 25% of cases, disease is diagnosed at a stage of invasion of the muscle layer of the bladder. The current standard approach in this disease is preoperative chemotherapy followed by radical cystectomy. Dose-dense MVAC (ddMVAC), a two-day chemotherapy regimen, is the reference treatment protocol in this setting. The presented study evaluated the effectiveness and safety of accelerated MVAC (aMVAC) chemotherapy—a one-day regimen given before the resection of the bladder due to muscle-invasive disease. Methods: A retrospective analysis included 119 consecutive patients diagnosed with urothelial muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) who underwent preoperative chemotherapy with the aMVAC regimen. The planned treatment included 4–6 cycles of preoperative chemotherapy. The analysis of the degree of histopathological response to treatment was based on the three-grade TRG (tumor regression grade) classification. Results: A complete pathological response (TRG1) was observed in 44 patients (36.7%), and a major pathologic response (<ypT2) was achieved in 58 patients (48.7%). A reduction in the cisplatin dose was associated with a statistically significant decrease in the chance of achieving complete pathologic responses (46.1% vs. 10%, RR for TRG1 = 0.69, p = 0.00118). Patients who received at least 4 cycles (compared to ≤3 cycles) of neoadjuvant chemotherapy had a significantly higher chance of achieving a pathological response (partial or complete) to treatment (78.1% vs. 52.2%, RR 0.68, p = 0.0374). Administration of at least five cycles of chemotherapy was associated (compared to four cycles) with a significantly higher likelihood of achieving a complete pathological response (63.2% vs. 33.8%, RR = 1.71, p = 0.0221). The vast majority of adverse events were in grades 1 and 2, according to CTCAE version 5.0. Only five patients experienced grade 3–4 toxicities. The most common adverse event was anemia, which occurred in 66.3% of patients. Conclusions: Our real-world data analysis confirms the activity, safety, and feasibility of the aMVAC regimen as neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with urothelial MIBC. Full article

Endometriosis is a complex condition causing surgical challenges, sometimes leading to urogynecological complications, the diagnosis and treatment of which are not always obvious. We present a case of a 46-year-old woman with a history of severe endometriosis and adenomyosis who developed an oligosymptomatic vesicovaginal fistula (VVF) as a complication of surgery. The patient’s medical history included multiple surgeries for endometriosis, a cesarean section, and a laparoscopic hysterectomy. After the excision of the full-thickness infiltration of the urinary bladder, she experienced postoperative bowel obstruction treated by laparotomy. Subsequent urinary complications of bladder healing were eventually recognized as oligosymptomatic VVF. Symptoms of VVFs may vary, making a diagnosis challenging, especially when the lesion is narrow. Imaging techniques such as cystoscopy and cystography are helpful for diagnosis. The treatment options for VVFs range from surgical repair to conservative methods, like bladder catheterization, hormonal therapy, and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections, depending on the lesions’ size and location. In this case, the patient’s VVF was treated with PRP injections, a low-invasive method in urogynecology. PRP, known for its pleiotropic role, is increasingly used in medicine, including gynecology. The patient’s fistula closed after 6 weeks from the PRP session, highlighting the potential of this conservative treatment modality. Full article

This review provides a summary of the literature encompassing partial and total cystectomy procedures in dogs and subsequent conclusions that can be drawn. Surgical excision as a component of treatment for lower urinary tract neoplasia in dogs may enhance survival time and result in acceptable quality of life, though risk for surgical complications is substantial, particularly following total cystectomy procedures. However, for dogs with urothelial carcinoma, cystectomy is generally not considered curative and disease progression is common. Appropriate case selection and thorough preoperative discussion with owners regarding potential risks and benefits of cystectomy are imperative for successful outcomes. Full article

Enterovesical fistula (EVF) is a rare complication of Crohn’s disease (CD), characterized by recurrent urinary tract infections, fecaluria, and pneumaturia. However, most diagnostic tools have low sensitivity for EVF. Management consists of conservative and surgical approaches. Conservative treatment is usually adopted first. However, the appropriate time to consider surgery remains controversial. Herein, we report on the case of a 34-year-old male who presented with diffuse abdominal pain with fullness for one day. Enteroscopy and biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of Crohn’s disease. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) suggested a fistula between the ileum and urinary bladder; however, cystoscopy did not find an obvious tract. The patient initially received medical treatment, but the symptoms persisted with recurrent urinary tract infections and subsequent bilateral hydronephrosis. He then underwent successful fistulectomy, partial cystectomy, and two segmental resections of the small bowel with end-to-end primary sutures. No complications or symptomatic urinary tract infections were noted during 30 months of follow-up after surgery, suggesting no recurrence of EVF. Surgical intervention is warranted when medical treatment fails or complications occur. Clinical symptoms and laboratory data are often less informative for the diagnosis of EVF, and CT is the most helpful diagnostic modality. Our management strategy provides an option for such patients. Full article

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumour (IMT) is a rare tumour with an intermediate biological behaviour. It usually occurs in children and adolescents, primarily in the abdomen or lungs. Histopathologically, IMT consists of spindle cells, i.e., myofibroblasts, and a variable inflammatory component. Localization in the urinary bladder is rare. We are presenting a rare case of IMT in the bladder in a middle-aged man treated by partial cystectomy. A 62-year-old man consulted a urologist because of haematuria and dysuric disturbances. A tumorous mass was detected by an ultrasound in the urinary bladder. CT urography described the tumorous mass at the dome of the urinary bladder measuring 2 × 5 cm. A smooth tumorous mass was cystoscopically observed at the dome of the urinary bladder. Transurethral resection of the bladder tumour was performed. Histopathological analysis of the specimen identified spindle cells with a mixed inflammatory infiltrate; immunohistochemical findings showed positivity for anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK), smooth muscle actin (SMA) and vimentin. A histopathological diagnosis of IMT was established. It was decided that the patient would undergo a partial cystectomy. A complete excision of the tumour from the dome of the urinary bladder with surrounding healthy tissue was performed. Histopathological and immunohistochemical findings of the sample confirmed the diagnosis of IMT, without the presence of the tumour at the surgical margins. The postoperative course went smoothly. IMT is a rare tumour in adults, especially localised in the urinary bladder. IMT of the urinary bladder is difficult to distinguish from urinary bladder malignancy both clinically and radiologically, as well as histopathologically. If the location and size of the tumour allow it, bladder-preserving surgeries such as partial cystectomy represent a reasonable modality of operative treatment. Full article

Background and Objectives: There is no consensus regarding the optimal therapy sequence in stage II and III bladder cancer. The study aimed to evaluate the long-term oncologic outcomes in patients with bladder cancer after a multimodality approach. Materials and methods: Medical files of 231 consecutive patients identified with stage II (46.8%), IIIA (30.3%), and IIIB (22.9%) transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder (BC) treated with a multimodality approach were retrospectively reviewed. The treatment consisted of transurethral resections or cystectomy, radiotherapy alone or concurrent chemoradiotherapy as definitive treatment, or neoadjuvant chemotherapy using platinum salt regimens. Results: Median age at diagnosis was 65 ± 10.98 years. Radical or partial cystectomy was performed in 88 patients (37.1%), and trans-urethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) alone was performed in 143 (61.9%) patients. Overall, 40 patients (17.3%) received neoadjuvant chemotherapy and 82 (35.5%) received definitive chemoradiotherapy. After a median follow-up of 30.6 months (range 3–146 months), the median disease-free survival (DFS) for an entire lot of patients was 32 months, and the percentage of patients without recurrence at 12, 24, and 36 months was 86%, 58%, and 45%, respectively. Patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy had a better oncologic outcome compared to patients without neoadjuvant chemotherapy (median DFS not reached vs. 31 months, p = 0.038, HR = 0.55, 95% CI 0.310–0.951). There was a trend for better 3-year DFS with radical cystectomy vs. TURBT (60 months vs. 31 months, p = 0.064). Definitive chemoradiotherapy 3-year DFS was 58% compared to 44% in patients who received radiotherapy or chemotherapy alone. Conclusions: In patients with stages II and III, both neoadjuvant chemotherapy and concurrent radio-chemotherapy are valid options for treatment and must be part of a multidisciplinary approach. Full article

The urachus is an embryologic remnant of the cloaca that usually degenerates after birth, resulting from the obliteration of the allantois, whose role is to connect the bladder to the umbilicus. Incomplete removal of the lumen may give rise to different malformations of the median umbilical ligament after birth. Although in the pediatric population urachus are common, most cases are asymptomatic and may go unrecognized until adulthood and give rise to cysts, rarely reported in the literature. Thus, in this manuscript we present the circumstances of a 43-year-old Romanian woman showing hypogastric pain of moderate intensity for three weeks, radiation in the left lower limb, menstrual cycle abnormalities, and dysmenorrhea. Based on the initial examinations, a paraovarian cyst measuring 80 mm was noted. Through the subsequent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) conducted, a hypoechoic mass was detected, and the patient underwent a tumorectomy and partial cystectomy. A 9.7/7.5-cm tumor was excised, and the anatomopathological result was urachal mucinous cystadenoma. It came to our attention that relatively scarce data were found in the literature, with only seven studies with the diagnosis of the urachal cyst. Full article

Background and Objectives: The aim was to compare the intra and postoperative outcomes between the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocol versus the standard of care protocol (SCP) in patients who underwent radical cystectomy performed by a single surgeon. Materials and Methods: A retrospective comparative study was conducted including patients who underwent radical cystectomy from 2017 to 2020. Length of stay (LOS), incidence of ileus, early postoperative complications, and number of re-hospitalizations within 30 days were considered as primary comparative outcomes of the study. Results: Data were collected for 91 patients who underwent cystectomy, and 70 and 21 patients followed the SCP and ERAS protocol, respectively. The mean age of the patients was 70.6 (SD 9.5) years. Although there was a statistically significant difference in time to flatus (TTF) [3 (2.7–3) vs. 1 (1–2 IQR) days, p < 0.001, in the SC hospital and in the ERAS center respectively], no difference was reported in time to first defecation (TTD) [5 (4–6) vs. 4 (3–5.8), p = 0.086 respectively]. The median LOS in the SCP group was 12 (IQR 11–13) days vs. 9 (IQR 8–13 p = 0.024). In the postoperative period, patients reported 22 complications (37% in SCP and 42.8% in ERAS group, p = 0.48). Conclusions: The study reveals how even partial adherence to the ERAS protocols leads to similar outcomes when compared to SCP. As a single surgeon series, our study confirmed the role of surgeons in reducing complications and improving surgical outcomes. Full article

Coexistent growing teratoma syndrome (GTS) and gliomatosis peritonei (GP) arising during chemotherapy of ovarian immature teratoma (IMT) is extremely rare and can be misdiagnosed as recurrent or progressive disease. We present a 33-year-old woman diagnosed with GTS with synchronous GP during chemotherapy of IMT. She underwent ovarian cystectomy due to ovarian immature teratoma and chemotherapy were administered. The α-fetoprotein (AFP) concentration decreased from 28.7 ng/mL to normal after the second cycle. Four days after the third cycle of chemotherapy, ultrasound and CT revealed an 8-cm mass with negative tumor markers in the pouch of Douglas. An exploratory laparotomy was conducted, and a smooth round cystic-solid 8-cm mass was noted in the pouch of Douglas. Extensive peritoneal seeding glial nodules were also observed on the surface of the uterus, peritoneum, and omentum. The patient underwent a partial omentectomy, intact resection of the tumor, and resection of most of the glial nodules. Postoperative pathology demonstrated a pure mature cystic teratoma component in the mass, as well as diffuse GP involving the uterine serosa, peritoneum, and omentum; this diagnosis of GTS with synchorous GP should be considered in IMT patients with mass newly identified during chemotherapy while tumor markers are normal after treatment. Full article

In recent years, immunohistochemical protein expression was studied as a surrogate to the molecular classification of bladder cancer, although no tissue biomarkers are available for clinical use to predict survival or the response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (CT) in UC, as the literature produced conflicting results. This retrospective study included TURB specimens harboring foci of HG pT2 muscle-invasive bladder carcinoma (MIBC) from 251 patients who subsequently underwent radical cystectomy. We performed immunohistochemical analysis on tumor samples, for relevant gene-expression-based markers for basal type (CD44, CK5/6) and luminal type (CK20 and pPARγ). Piescore, investigated in both non-muscle-invasive (NMI) and muscle-invasive (MI) components of the tumor, divided basal and luminal UC-types when at least three of the four markers were consistent with a specific phenotype, mixed types if one/two luminal and basal markers were present simultaneously, and neu-like types when all four markers investigated were negative. Eighteen selected cases were also investigated with RT-PCR to validate, and to increase the specificity of, the immunohistochemical results. We observe an immunophenotypical difference in the NMI and MI components in 96/251 UC patients (38.25%): half of tumors (44/96 cases) have a transition to basal, 36.46% (35/96 cases) to neu-like, 12.5% (12/96 cases) to mixed, and 5.2% (5/96 cases) to luminal phenotypes. Mixed tumors in the NMI component are more likely to change phenotype than other groups, particularly compared with basal tumors, which demonstrate greater stability (only 8/96 cases, p < 0.00001). The transition of luminal tumors to basal display a better OS compared with the transition toward neu-like tumors (p = 0.027). Overall, the phenotypical switch does not affect lymphovascular invasion, pT, DFS, or OS compared with non-switched cases. In the MI component, the presence of CD44 expression, irrespective of score-related phenotype, shows a protective effect in papillary-type UC (OS p = 0.008, HR 0.453, PFS p = 0.07, HR 0.599), and in UC naïve for CT (p = 0.0479). Piescore immunophenotyping reveals an intratumoral phenotypical transition between the NMI and MI components of the same tumor. The molecular change is a common event in the mixed and luminal categories, but not in basal tumors, which show better phenotypical stability. This phenomenon could partially explain the sensitivity of a subset of luminal UC to chemotherapy: good responders could be “non-real” luminal UC, which acquire nasal markers, such as CD44. Full article