The role of the multi-disciplinary team and multi-disciplinary therapeutic protocol in the management of the chronic pelvic pain: There is strenght in numbers!

Introduction: The aim of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a Multi-disciplinary team (MDT) and multi-disciplinary approach in the treatment of Chronic Pelvic Pain (CPP). Methods: The data of all consecutive patients referred for a CPP from 11/2016 to 2/2019 has been prospectively collected. The sample was divided in two groups: Group A, made by patients managed after the institution of our MDT, and Group B, made of patients managed before this date. The MDT is composed by three urogynecologists, a psychologist and a physiotherapist. All Group A patients underwent a weekly bladder instillation with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), kinesiotherapy for trigger points and Percutaneous Tibial Nerve Stimulation for 10 consecutive weeks. Patients were asked to perform a self-treatment following the Stanford Protocol and to adhere to a specific diet. All Group B patients were managed only with DMSO instillations and a strict diet. Results: The Group A was made of 41 females and 6 males while the Group B was made of 38 females and 5 males. The Group A patients showed a statistically significant improvement in the Pelvic Pain Urgency Frequency, in the frequency times reported at the 6 months voiding diary, and a better Patient Global Impression of Improvement. Conclusions: Our data support the efficacy of the MDT in the management of CPP. The multimodal approach might represent an effective and reproducible non-invasive option to manage successfully CPP

The inclusion of market information in off-site supervision models: is it worth it? Empirical evidence from EU banks

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Ectopic adrenal tissue in the kidney: A systematic review

Introduction: Ectopic adrenal tissue in the kidney, including "Ectopic adrenal tissue" and "Adrenal-renal fusion", is a rare event with a specific behavior which may be difficult to distinguish clinically from renal neoplasms. We performed a systematic review on ectopic adrenal tissue variants reported in the literature underlining its clinical aspects. Methods: Manuscripts which presented a case report or case series of ectopic adrenal tissue in the kidney were included even if published in original articles, reviews, or letters to the editor. A specific search on SCOPUS®, PubMed®, and Web of Science® database was performed. Only English language papers published in a period ranging between August 1991 and April 2020 were considered. Additionally, a case we had at our institution is described, and its characteristics are included. Data on clinical presentation, type of adrenal anomaly, location, anatomopathological and immune-histotype characteristics were collected. Results: We identified 888 manuscripts. Among these 29 were included in this systematic review. Overall, 39 patients with renal adrenal fusion or adrenal ectopia were considered. In most cases, the diagnosis was made incidentally, or following investigation for flank pain, abdominal pain, or endocrinological disorders. CT scan frequently identified a solid vascularized lesion that was difficult to distinguish from renal neoplasm. Adrenal fusion was mostly located at the level of the upper pole. Adrenal rest was found in the renal parenchyma, renal hilum, or retroperitoneum in close proximity to the renal peduncle. Often these ectopic adrenal tissue lesions follow a benign behavior and can be classified as functioning or non-functioning adenomas. Rarely, they may experience neoplastic degeneration. The most frequently positive markers were inhibin, vimentin, melan-A, synaptophysin and anti-p450 scc. Conclusions: Ectopic adrenal tissue in the kidney is a rare event with specific clinical characteristics that need to be identified in order to arrive at a correct diagnosis and carry out appropriate treatment management

Customized virtual reality naturalistic scenarios promoting engagement and relaxation in patients with cognitive impairment: a proof-of-concept mixed-methods study

Abstract Being immersed in a natural context has a beneficial and pervasive impact on well-being. Virtual Reality (VR) is a technology that can help expose people to naturalistic scenarios virtually, overcoming obstacles that prevent them from visiting real natural environments. VR could also increase engagement and relaxation in older adults with and without cognitive impairment. The main aim of this study is to investigate the feasibility of a customized naturalistic VR scenario by assessing motion-sickness effects, engagement, pleasantness, and emotions felt. Twenty-three individuals with a diagnosis of cognitive impairment living in a long-term care home participated in our study. At the end of the entire VR experimental procedure with older adults, five health staff operators took part in a dedicated assessment phase focused on evaluating the VR procedure's usability from their individual perspectives. The tools administered were based on self-reported and observational tools used to obtain information from users and health care staff professionals. Feasibility and acceptance proved to be satisfactory, considering that the VR experience was well-tolerated and no adverse side effects were reported. One of the major advantages emerged was the opportunity to deploy customized environments that users are not able to experience in a real context. Trial Registration: National Institute of Health (NIH) U.S. National Library of Medicine, ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05863065 (17/05/2023)

Intravesical Therapy for Non-Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer: What Is the Real Impact of Squamous Cell Carcinoma Variant on Oncological Outcomes?

: Background and Objectives: To evaluate the oncological impact of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) variant in patients submitted to intravesical therapy for non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). Materials and Methods: Between January 2015 and January 2020, patients with conventional urothelial NMIBC (TCC) or urothelial NMIBC with SCC variant (TCC + SCC) and submitted to adjuvant intravesical therapies were collected. Kaplan-Meier analyses targeted disease recurrence and progression. Uni- and multivariable Cox regression analyses were used to test the role of SCC on disease recurrence and/or progression. Results: A total of 32 patients out of 353 had SCC at diagnosis. Recurrence was observed in 42% of TCC and 44% of TCC + SCC patients (p = 0.88), while progression was observed in 12% of both TCC and TCC + SCC patients (p = 0.78). At multivariable Cox regression analyses, the presence of SCC variant was not associated with higher rates of neither recurrence (p = 0.663) nor progression (p = 0.582). Conclusions: We presented data from the largest series on patients with TCC and concomitant SCC histological variant managed with intravesical therapy (BCG or MMC). No significant differences were found in term of recurrence and progression between TCC and TCC + SCC. Despite the limited sample size, this study paves the way for a possible implementation of the use of intravesical BCG and MMC in NMIBC with histological variants