Patient's adherence on pharmacological therapy for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)-associated lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) is different: Is combination therapy better than monotherapy

Abstract BACKGROUND: Recent studies showed that the non-adherence to the pharmacological therapy of patients affected by BPH-associated LUTS increased the risk of clinical progression of BPH. We examined the patients adherence to pharmacological therapy and its clinical consequences in men with BPH-associated LUTS looking at the differences between drug classes comparing mono vs combination therapy. METHODS: A retrospective, population-based cohort study, using prescription administrative database and hospital discharge codes from a total of 1.5 million Italian men. Patients ≥ 40 years, administered alpha-blockers (AB) and 5alpha-reductase inhibitors (5ARIs), alone or in combination (CT), for BPH-associated LUTS were analyzed. The 1-year and long term adherence together with the analyses of hospitalization rates for BPH and BPH-related surgery were examined using multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression model and Pearson chi square test. RESULTS: Patients exposed to at least 6 months of therapy had a 1-year overall adherence of 29 % (monotherapy AB 35 %, monotherapy 5ARI 18 %, CT 9 %). Patient adherence progressively declined to 15 %, 8 % and 3 % for AB, 5ARI, and CT, respectively at the fifth year of follow up. Patients on CT had a higher discontinuation rate along all the follow-up compared to those under monotherapy with ABs or 5ARIs (all p < 0.0001). Moreover, CT was associated with a reduced risk of hospitalization for BPH-related surgery (HR 0.94; p < 0.0001) compared to AB monotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: Adherence to pharmacological therapy of BPH-associated LUTS is low and varies depending on drugs class. Patients under CT have a higher likelihood of discontinuing treatment for a number of reasons that should be better investigated. Our study suggests that new strategies aiming to increase patient's adherence to the prescribed treatment are necessary in order to prevent BPH progression

Leydig Cell Tumor in a 53-Year-Old Patient with Gynecomastia and Gynecodynia: A Case Report and Literature Review

Introduction: Testicular cancer is a rare neoplasm that afflicts men particularly in specific age-range. 5% to 6% of these tumors are non-germ cell tumors, in which Leydig cell tumors (LCTs) are included. Case Presentation: This case report describes an uncommon presentation of a Leydig tumor cell in a 53 year old man with gynecomastia and gynecodynia Conclusions: LCT is a rare neoplasm of the testis; its origin is still unknown and it could also present out of the normal range-age with the highest incidence. The radical surgery is still preferred, even if an organ sparing approach is reported. There are a lot of reports and case series in literature about LCT's but our work focus the attention of uncommon signs of presentation of this disease, expecially gynecodynia

Association of kidney disease measures with risk of renal function worsening in patients with type 1 diabetes

Background: Albuminuria has been classically considered a marker of kidney damage progression in diabetic patients and it is routinely assessed to monitor kidney function. However, the role of a mild GFR reduction on the development of stage 653 CKD has been less explored in type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) patients. Aim of the present study was to evaluate the prognostic role of kidney disease measures, namely albuminuria and reduced GFR, on the development of stage 653 CKD in a large cohort of patients affected by T1DM. Methods: A total of 4284 patients affected by T1DM followed-up at 76 diabetes centers participating to the Italian Association of Clinical Diabetologists (Associazione Medici Diabetologi, AMD) initiative constitutes the study population. Urinary albumin excretion (ACR) and estimated GFR (eGFR) were retrieved and analyzed. The incidence of stage 653 CKD (eGFR &lt; 60 mL/min/1.73 m2) or eGFR reduction &gt; 30% from baseline was evaluated. Results: The mean estimated GFR was 98 \ub1 17 mL/min/1.73m2 and the proportion of patients with albuminuria was 15.3% (n = 654) at baseline. About 8% (n = 337) of patients developed one of the two renal endpoints during the 4-year follow-up period. Age, albuminuria (micro or macro) and baseline eGFR &lt; 90 ml/min/m2 were independent risk factors for stage 653 CKD and renal function worsening. When compared to patients with eGFR &gt; 90 ml/min/1.73m2 and normoalbuminuria, those with albuminuria at baseline had a 1.69 greater risk of reaching stage 3 CKD, while patients with mild eGFR reduction (i.e. eGFR between 90 and 60 mL/min/1.73 m2) show a 3.81 greater risk that rose to 8.24 for those patients with albuminuria and mild eGFR reduction at baseline. Conclusions: Albuminuria and eGFR reduction represent independent risk factors for incident stage 653 CKD in T1DM patients. The simultaneous occurrence of reduced eGFR and albuminuria have a synergistic effect on renal function worsening

Neural network technique for the joint time-frequency analysis of power system quantities

The joint time-frequency analysis of power system quantities is a powerful approach to monitor the distorting effects produced by nonlinear, time-variant loads. Essential in shorting the time taken by the analysis is the knowledge of the power system frequency. In this paper a technique based on neural network (NN) is proposed to estimate such a frequency in real time. The frequency is represented by a NN weight, adjusted online through a suitable learning process or the line voltage. The same is done for the magnitude of the harmonic content since this makes the frequency estimation accurate. The performance or the proposed technique is described in terms of dynamic behavior and steady-state accuracy. In particular, it is found that a change in the power system frequency is tracked in much less than a line perio

Real-time estimation of power system frequency by Neural Network

The joint time-frequency analysis of power system quantities is a powerful approach to monitor the distorting effects produced by nonlinear, time-variant loads. Essential in shorting the time taken by the analysis is the knowledge of the power system frequency. In this paper a technique based on neural network (NN) is proposed to estimate such a frequency in real time. The frequency is represented by a NN weight, adjusted online through a suitable learning process or the line voltage. The same is done for the magnitude of the harmonic content since this makes the frequency estimation accurate. The performance or the proposed technique is described in terms of dynamic behavior and steady-state accuracy. In particular, it is found that a change in the power system frequency is tracked in much less than a line perio

Neural network technique for the joint time-frequency analysis of distorted signal

Nonstationary distorted signals need to be analyzed in both the time and frequency domains to determine their characteristics. In this paper, a technique based on a neural network (NN) is presented which has the merit of providing such an analysis in real time. After arranging a suitable NN, the algorithm utilized to carry out the analysis is illustrated. Then, expressions assessing the dynamic behavior and the steady-state accuracy of the technique are derived. From the expressions, the influence of the NN parameters on the technique performance is readily recognized. As an example, the technique is applied to the analysis of the time evolution of the current harmonics absorbed by a diode rectifier and the results are compared with those obtained by the short-time Fourier transfor

TERAPIA TOPICA CON ESTRIOLO: VALUTAZIONE IN PAZIENTI IN MENOPAUSA DA 1 A 20 ANNI

Lo scopo della nostra ricerca e' stato quello di meglio definire la validita' terapeutica dell'Estriolo sulla sintomatologia dell'atrofia vaginale, attraverso la valutazione dell'indice di maturazione epiteliale

Giant renal artery aneurysm: A case report

A case of a 12 cm giant renal artery aneurysm (RAA) in an 59-year-old woman is reported. The patient was referred to our hospital for flank pain and spot hematuria. Ultrasonography (US) revealed some wide lacunar areas in her right kidney and a thin cortex. Three-dimensional computed tomography (3D-CT) revealed a giant right renal arteriovenous malformation (AVM). AngioCT scan showed a pervious right renal artery. The cavities of the right kidney were dilated and the parenchyma was markedly reduced. Two months later the patient underwent an open resection of the aneurysm and a right nephrectomy. She had an uneventful recovery and a healthy status (last follow-up: 9 month). In this particular case, a safe approach is the transabdominal approach since the aneurysm was very large, friable, and located on the right side. This report confirms the opportunity of a planned nephrectomy once there is adequate renal reserve in the opposite kidney using a midline approach

Intraoperative presentation of Bochdalek’s hernia in an adult during robotic-assisted partial nephrectomy: An uncommon situation and literature review

Bochdalek's diaphragmatic hernia (BDH) is a congenital defect of the diaphragm that usually present during the neonatal period and rarely remain silent until adulthood. We present a 45-year-old-female case with diagnosis of double left kidney tumor prepared for robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RPN). During the preoperative procedure she had a reduction of inspiratory volumes and increased pulmonary pressures: the robotic camera revealed the incidental presence of the left diaphragmatic defect. We report a simultaneous nephron sparing surgery (NSS) and left posterolateral BDH correction done by the da Vinci Surgical Robot (Intuitive Surgical, Sunnyvale, CA)

Intra-operative vertebroplasty combined with posterior cord decompression: A report of twelve cases

Percutaneous vertebroplasty (VP) is a minimally invasive technique for the treatment of vertebral pathology providing early vertebral stabilization and pain relief. In cases of vertebral pathology complicated by spinal cord compression with associated neurological deficits, VP alone cannot be performed free of risks. We describe a combined approach in which decompressive laminectomy and intra-operative vertebroplasty (IVP) are performed during a single session. Among the 252 VP performed in our centre in the past three years, 12 patients (12 vertebral levels) with different pathologies (six symptomatic haemangiomas, two metastatic fractures, four osteoporotic fractures) were treated with an open procedure combined with surgery. All cases were treated with decompressive laminectomy and IVP (mono/bipeduncular or median-posterior trans-somatic access). Five patients with symptomatic haemangiomas were treated with endovascular embolization prior to the combined approach. A visual analogue scale (VAS) was applied to assess pain intensity before and after surgery. The neurological deficits were evaluated with an ASIA impairment scale. In all cases benefit from pain and neurological deficits was observed. The mean VAS score decreased from 7.8 to 2.5 after surgery. The ASIA score improved in all cases (five cases from D to E and five cases from C to D). No clinical complications were observed. In one case a CT scan performed after the procedure showed a foraminal accumulation of PMMA, but the patient referred no symptoms. IVP can be successfully applied in different pathologies affecting the vertebrae. In our limited series this approach proved safe and efficient to provide decompression of spinal cord and dural sac and vertebral body stabilization in a single session