PubMed HealthSearch

Biomedical subjects

E Austoni

Publications and source records attributed to E Austoni.

18 recordsLinked to original sources

Venous surgery in erectile dysfunction: therapeutic strategy and results.

The therapeutic rationale of venous surgery is to create an effective obstacle to the pathologically increased venous outflow, determined by an intrinsic pathology of the cavernous bodies. In the last 15 years, many techniques have been proposed, and our therapeutic approach has evolved with our knowledge of penile haemodynamics. Up to October 1990, we performed 316 operations for the relief of impotence. In a 2-year follow-up our recurrence rates were as follows: DDV plus corporpexy (n = 50): 26% (n = 13); DDV plus crura plication (n = 34): 47% (n = 16); DDV plus collateral vein ligation (n = 48): 62.5% (n = 30).

Arterial Occlusive Diseases

Prognostic significance of prostate-specific antigen in endocrine treatment for prostatic carcinoma.

We have studied the prognostic significance of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), monitored monthly, in 24 patients with prostatic cancer (5 D1, 19 D2) on endocrine therapy. The pretreatment levels of PSA were high in all patients (mean value 41 ng/ml). It was found that PSA levels at the end of the first and sixth months of treatment were reliable prognostic indicators. At the first month evaluation PSA had decreased more than 50% from the initial values in the 16 patients with stable disease, while it had decreased less than 50% in those with progressing disease. At the end of 6 months, patients with stable disease had PSA levels within the normal range, while 8 of the patients who had progressing disease had levels higher than 10 ng/ml. Respectively 6 and 2 patients had also had increases in PSA levels at 3 and 6 months before scintigraphic demonstration of increased bone metastases.

Aged

[Metastasis and markers].

Tumor markers are antigens which can be associated with certain malignancies. A variety of markers have been demonstrated in genitourinary tumors. The best known examples are human chorionic gonadotropin (bHCG) and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) for testicular tumors, prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) and prostatic specific antigen (PSA) for prostatic cancer. The plasma levels of these substances are influenced by the tumor mass and therefore by the tumor stage. Markedly elevated plasma levels can be demonstrated when metastases are present, although a few patients without metastases may elaborate abnormal amount of markers. The removal of the primary tumor leads to a fall to normal levels: a still increased level indicates residual primary tumor or the presence of metastases. Measurements of markers are also of value in estimating the effects of medical treatment and in detecting local or distant recurrences.

Acid Phosphatase

[Use of ultrasound-guided percutaneous nephrostomy before and after ESWL: 4 years of experience].

We evaluated the usefulness of percutaneous nephrostomy in 1700 patients treated for reno-ureteral stones by extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (SWL). Out of this group 81 patients (5.8%) underwent echo-guided percutaneous nephrostomy (EPCN): the procedure has been performed in local anesthesia in 38% of the cases (31 pts) before SWL and in 62% (50 pts) after. The majority of EPCN were carried out for the presence of acute or chronic ureteral obstruction with echographic evaluable dilation of pyelocaliceal system when retrograde ureteral manipulations failed or were considered unsuitable. EPCN before SWL was performed because of ureteral stone and uncomplicated pyelocalyceal dilation (19 pts); ureteral stone, pyelocaliceal dilation and fever > 38 degrees C (3 pts); ureteral stone, pyelocalyceal dilation and functional IVP exclusion (5 pts); pyelic stone in solitary kidney (1 pts); ureteral stones in pregnancy (2 pts). EPCN after SWL was performed because of uncomplicated, persistent pile-up (31 pts); ureteral pile-up complicated by fever and colics (9 pts); ureteral obstructing fragments (2 pts); double J obstruction by stone dust (3 pts); persistent ureteral pile-up around double J (3 pts); anuria in solitary kidney (1 pt). Out of the patients who underwent EPCN before SWL 13% were stone free and without drainage at discharge, 77% had passable stone fragments at discharge and drainage has been taken out at 15-30 days check up, 10% had unbroken stone and underwent with drainage to ureterolithotripsy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Humans

[Impotence from the 70's through the 90's: 20 years of evolution of diagnosis and therapy].

The surgical treatment of vascular impotence has evolved as our understanding of the haemodynamics of erection advanced. In the early Seventies the direct revascularization techniques which create an anastomosis between an artery and the corpora cavernosa came to be so much in use that an era of so-called "pure arteriogenic impotence" seemed to be dawning. An arterial role in the pathogenesis of importance gained increasing support during that decade, as the use of a number of techniques for the diagnostic assessment of penile haemodynamics becomes widespread (Doppler ultrasound, determination of the penile-brachial index, selective hypogastric arteriography, penile radionuclide scan, penile plethysmography). Corpora cavernosa-direct revascularization techniques, such as the Epigastric-Corporal and Femoro-Corporal trans-Saphena anastomoses, were developed, the latter being proposed by Michal in 1973. By the late Seventies, however, most Authors had abandoned these techniques. Severe haemodynamic side-effects, such as uninterrupted intra-cavernous high pressure and attendant permanent tumescence of penis, were found to induce the microfibrosis of erectile tissues and the thrombosis at the site of the anastomosis. In this period, "venous leakage" became, with the advent of cavernosography, a recognized factor in the pathogenesis of impotence. However, the concept of venogenic impotence, characterized as it is by transient erection, and featuring pathological cavernosograms as well as high cavernometric figures, belongs more appropriately to a clinical syndrome and is, therefore far from being unambiguous. Arterial-arterial bypass and selective veins ligation were then introduced to treat cases of "pure" arteriogenic or venogenic insufficiency.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Erectile Dysfunction

[Non-surgical therapy of impotence: infiltration, iontophoresis, ultrasound, laser].

Surgical therapy is the only useful correction in congenital fibrosis or in hypoplasia of the 'corpora cavernosa', associated with hypospadia or not. On the contrary in not congenital fibrosis of the 'corpora cavernosa' (Peyronie's disease, consequences of priapism, or trauma, complications of pharmaco-prosthesis) are allowed pharmaco-physical treatments (infiltrations, ionophoresis, ultrasound, laser). Pharmaco-physical therapy can be used as the only treatment, which is often resolutive, but it is also useful before or after the surgical operation of the 'corpora cavernosa'. These diseases can give disorders of the erection, until complete impotence is reached. In fact the erectile tissue can't expand, because of the rising fibrosclerosis. Among acquired fibrosis of corpora cavernosa I.P.P. has surely the greatest recurrent: the consistency of our series made possible to achieve significant results with a unified therapeutical protocol. The same management was applied in other, less frequent, penile fibrosis, always with full positive results even if on a small number of patients. We are evaluating a new drug (defibrotide) in the treatment of cavernosal vasculitis. Another one (hyaluronidase) associated to orgotein, could improve its effect against inflammation especially in chronic evolutions. Besides new treatments, we emphasize the prevention of iatrogenic fibrosis with particular regard to cavernous pharmaco-infusions by autoinjections: the training of the patient and the safety of the autoinjectors must be carefully checked by the andrologist to decrease a large amount of complications.

Erectile Dysfunction

[Vacuum therapy].

In the therapy of vasculogenic impotence, the Vacuum Device has been proposed up to now as an "external" prosthesis device with the aim of obtaining a penile erection of sufficient rigidity for penetration, in patients afflicted by vascular or neurological disorders. In the eighties, the experience gained with the use of Intra Cavernous Injections (C.I.D.) (using papaverine, phentolamine and prostaglandin), demonstrated not to be an exclusively palliative therapy ("pharmacological prosthesis"), but to represent as well a sort of "vasoactive exercise" of the erectile tissue. In the nineties, many wondered what could be a valid alternative to the C.I.D. Taking this into consideration, we modified the method of application of Vacuum Therapy. The device was used once a day without the constrictive band applied to the penis root, in order to generate a passive action on the erectile tissue, a sort of "stretching" for the smooth muscle fibers. From January 1990 to December 1991, we treated 78 pts. afflicted by erectile failure. The patients were divided into 3 groups (26 each) of distinct therapy: the first was treated weekly with only endocavernous papaverine administration (20 mg.), the second underwent daily Vacuum Therapy exclusively (10'-15') and the third received a combined therapy: Vacuum Device, daily and C.I.D. with Papaverine (20 mg.) once a week. The results of this treatment are as follows: the patients who underwent Vacuum Therapy daily (2nd and 3rd groups) showed, at the end of the treatment (6 months), a significant improvement in spontaneous erectile ability (14 Pts.-53.8% in the 2nd group; 17 Pts-65.3% in the 3rd group).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Erectile Dysfunction

[Postoperative impotence].

Increasing interest has developed in recent years about the preservation of sexual function after urological surgery. The pelvic plexus which is formed by parasympathetic visceral efferent preganglionic fibers that arise from the sacral center provides autonomic innervation to the corpora cavernosa. The cavernous nerves emerge from the pelvic plexus and then travel along the posterolateral portion of the seminal vesicle and prostate and then along the membranous urethra. The preservation of the nerve supply of the corpora during urological and pelvic procedures is of vital importance to preserve potency.

Erectile Dysfunction

Multiple clonal chromosome abnormalities in Peyronie's disease.

Numerical and structural chromosome aberrations were found in cell plaque metaphases from 9 of 14 patients with Peyronie's disease. In two cases there was evidence of clonal evolution for some of the chromosomal aberrations observed. The Y chromosome was the most frequently involved in numerical changes. Four of 9 cases with abnormal karyotype showed more than one abnormal, cytogenetically unrelated clone. Our findings suggest the possibility of a multiclonal origin for this benign tumor, and confirm the presence of chromosome instability in this cell growth disorder.

Adult

[Early diagnosis and correct treatment of cryptorchism].

Diagnosis in cryptorchidism should be as early as possible for therapeutical purposes and for the achievement of most positive results. Early but also exact diagnosis allows a selective therapy concerning type of procedure and age of performance. Aims of early diagnosis and selected treatment are: prevention of infertility and eventual decrease of androgenic endocrinal function in the adult; prevention of torsion in retractile testis; prevention of trauma in perineal ectopic situation; prevention of cancer especially in cryptorchidism of the adult; prevention of psychogenic defects of the empty scrotum. Those goals can be obtained by different approaches: pharmacological (hormonal stimulation), surgical (orchidopexy) or by their association. If hormonal administration is not suitable or without results surgical approach will be adopted. Which is now the most suitable age for surgery? Testicular damages begin at the second year of life. Therefore operation should be acted in advance. However, up to date international acknowledgement is in favour of surgical management around the fourth year for the advantages of a more mature anatomical situation without reducing quality of results. Purpose of early diagnosis and selective therapy in cryptorchidism is to avoid irreversibility of severe histological alteration able to compromise gonadal, especially germinal, function. It is never to forget that the high level of infertility in cryptorchidism can be depending not only on evident alteration in number, motility and morphology of spermatozoa but also on morphofunctional defects escaping from the routine seminal examination. All that is in tight connection with the intrinsic dysmorphism in cryptorchism where the abnormal position of the testis is only a partial aspect.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent

[Arterialized penile skin flap: personal technique of reconstruction of the bulbo-membranous urethra].

In bulbar-membranous urethral strictures, the surgical choice treatment should consist on removing the stricture and performing an end to end overlap anastomosis between two flat patent surfaces (Turner-Warwick's technique), whenever possible. When this procedure cannot be used (recurrence, complex or too long strictures), we get different types of tissue in order to create a fitting neo-urethra. To this goal, in the last twenty years we performed, a wide range of urethroplastic techniques (scrotal flap, bladder mucosa free grafts, dermo-epidermal free mesh-grafts). We recently achieved a significant improvement of the post-operative results by an original procedure, which consists in using a very well-vascularized pediculed flap, taken from the complete penile dorsal skin, pulling it to the perineal area, laterally to the cavernous bodies, to be employed for the reconstruction of the neurethra. By this way, we obtain a viable and suitable tissue, reaching even 13 cm in length, so creating a very long segment of neurorethra. A free dermoepidermal mesh-graft should be used to cover the dorsal surface of the penis, in case of enlarged skin uptake. From February 1989 to April 1990, 16 patients affected with complex and relapsed bulbar-membranous urethral strictures, underwent urethroplasty with penile skin island flap. Urethrocistograms and urinary flowmetry performed 3 months from operation demonstrated effective results and all patients referred satisfactory micturation; no fistulas occurred.

Adult

[Venous leakage and role of the suspensory ligament of the penis: anatomo-surgical observations and therapeutic suggestions].

From April 1988 to October 1990 we treated 80 patients by D.D.V. ligation and successive tightening of the cavernous bodies with simultaneous corporo-pubic suspension with four non-absorbable dorsal stiches. In 58 of them, further ligation have not been necessary; the remaining 22 patients had also to be treated with cavernous crura ligation (16 Pts.) and Urettiro-glandular lysis (6 Pts.). The immediate post-operative functional success (satisfactory sexual intercourse), in the first group, was 88%, in the second one was 80%. The 12-months follow up (50 Pts.) has shown a success rate of 77.5. In the technique we propose (corporo-tightening and pubic suspension - C.T.P.S.) there are two advantages: the reduction of the cavernous outflow and the improvement of the erection angle, making coitus easier.

Adult

[Injuries of the urethra and corpora cavernosa].

Authors present a synthetic review on the etiopathogenetic classification of the posttraumatic urethral and cavernosal pathology. Furthermore they propose the current therapeutic assessment adopted at the Institute of Urology of Milan, both in case of urgent management and for elective treatment.

Drainage

[Enoxacin in the treatment of bacterial prostato-cystitis].

Thirty-three patients suffering from acute, subacute or chronic prostatovesiculitis were admitted to an open, non comparative trial. Enoxacin was administered at the daily dosage of 400 mg every 12 hours for 10 days starting from the enrollment. A second cycle of treatment was performed if cure was not obtained with the first cycle. Treatment efficacy was established by assessing patient symptoms related to the infection, such as pollakiuria and dysuria, consistency and volume of prostate and spermatic vesicles (evaluated by rectal examination and transrectal ultra-sonography); bacterioscopical and bacteriological evaluations of prostate/vesicles secretion with sensitivity testing were also carried out. All observations were collected at baseline, 5 and 30 days after the end of the first cycle and 5 days after the end of the 2nd cycle of treatment. After the first cycle of treatment, cure was obtained in 22 subjects (67%) and clinical improvement in 24 (73%). All but one patients still infected at the end of the first treatment period, showed improvement (5; 45.5%) or cure (6; 54.5%). The end of the second cycle None of the 22 patients cured with one cycle of treatment relapsed within 30 days after the end of treatment, confirming they really achieved cure. Side effects were observed only in 1 case (mild vertigo); no drop outs were observed. These results suggest that enoxacin may be successfully used in the treatment of prostato-vesiculitis.

Acute Disease