PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

M P Wirth

Publications and source records attributed to M P Wirth.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

[Extensive Fournier gangrene. A dermatologic emergency].

Fournier gangrene is a necrotizing fasciitis of the perineal and genital region, which almost exclusively affects men. The cause is a polymicrobial infection associated with superficial trauma, urological diseases and operations, as well as colorectal diseases. Diabetes mellitus, alcoholism, immunosuppression and other severe illnesses are frequent co-factors. Immediate administration of systemic broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy with coverage of both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria combined with surgical debridement and intensive medical care can lower the high mortality rate of this condition.

Adult↗

[Prevention of prostate cancer].

Prostate cancer has become the most frequently diagnosed male cancer next to non-melanotic skin cancer in the Western world. Preventive measures would therefore have important potential effects on the incidence and prevalence of this disease. A potential for effective prevention of prostate cancer is currently seen in dietary changes and perhaps in dietary supplementation with vitamins D and E or selenium. Pharmacological prevention seems a possibility with drugs acting on intraprostatic testosterone metabolism. Several large randomised trials are ongoing to clarify the potential for successful prostate cancer prevention.

5-alpha Reductase Inhibitors↗

[Impact of thoracic epidural analgesia on revenue for G-DRG M01B, OPS-301 5-604.0 (radical retropubic prostatectomy)].

INTRODUCTION: Using the surgical procedure OPS 5-604.0 (radical retropubic prostatectomy) as an example, our study identifies revenue-relevant patient characteristics and describes the impact of the perioperative application of thoracic epidural analgesia (TEA). METHODS: Factors affecting duration of stay were determined in 460 patients undergoing OPS 5-604.0 in the year 2001 and 2002 using multifactorial regression analysis. Preoperative parameters served as factors for matched-pair analysis of the effects of TEA. RESULTS: Characteristics significantly affecting length of postoperative hospital stay were ASA status, age, preoperative haemoglobin concentration, postoperative tachycardia, number of transfused packed red cells, wound infection and surgical revision. Based on identical matching criteria 27 pairs (with/without TEA) could be formed. While the induction time in the TEA group was 8+/-18 min longer (p=0.04), emergence was briefer by 3+/-9 min (p=0.045). Neither anaesthesia presence time nor anaesthesia costs or total costs of surgery differed significantly between the pairs. However, duration of epidural postoperative pain therapy was longer with TEA but in contrast, the postoperative length of hospital stay after TEA was reduced. Assuming a continuous demand for OPS 5-604.0 procedures, TEA enables 32 more procedures to be carried out per year with an increased yield on turnover of 2.7%. CONCLUSION: At first sight combined anaesthesia procedures require more human resources and material, however, as a result of shortened hospital stay and optimized pain therapy patient satisfaction increases and a substantial potential for increased revenue is gained.

Age Factors↗

[PSA recurrence after primary curative therapy--local or systemic? When is a second curative therapy still possible?].

PSA recurrence after primary curative therapy for localized prostate cancer is a common problem. Further curative treatment is only reasonable in the case of local recurrence. Therefore, minimizing the likelihood of metastatic disease is crucial. So far, imaging techniques cannot distinguish between local recurrence and distant metastasis. It is therefore reasonable to orientate on PSA kinetics and pathological criteria. Histologic confirmation of suspected local recurrence after radical prostatectomy before salvage therapy is not required. However, after initial radiation therapy histologic confirmation of suspected isolated local recurrence should be obtained. The optimal treatment for a PSA recurrence depends on the initial therapy and the life-expectancy of the patient.

Aftercare↗

[Treatment of locally advanced prostate cancer].

The management of clinically locally advanced prostate carcinoma (cT3) remains a controversial issue. The clinical stage cT3 consists of a mixture of overstaged T2 carcinomas but also contains lymph node-positive cases. Treatment options consist of radical prostatectomy, external beam radiotherapy, hormonal deprivation (early or delayed) and the so-called watchful waiting. In many cases multimodal therapy is used. Radical prostatectomy in the clinical stage T3 can achieve acceptable tumour-specific survival rates if patients are well selected. In this way, tumour-specific survival rates can be reached for pT3 patients which closely approach those of pT2 cases. In lymph node-positive cases after radical prostatectomy adjuvant hormonal treatment can prolong survival, but not in lymph node-negative cases. A benefit of adjuvant radiotherapy after radical prostatectomy has not been proven. Although it can postpone or prevent biochemical recurrence, it does not prolong overall survival. Treatment of stage cT3 by external beam radiotherapy alone results in unfavourable tumour-specific survival rates. In these cases definite improvement can be achieved by adjuvant androgen deprivation with LHRH analogues. If in case of severe comorbidity or advanced age primary hormonal treatment is chosen, early vs deferred treatment seems to prolong survival marginally.

Androgen Antagonists↗

[Tissue engineering of the urinary bladder].

In tissue engineering of the urinary bladder with autologous cell transplantation, high differentiation of the cells cultivated in vitro on biocompatible membranes is essential for the functionality of the tissue constructs after implantation. The terminal differentiation of superficial urothelial cells has a key role because of the barrier function of these cells against urine. The aim of this study was to determine optimized conditions for the creation of terminally differentiated urothelium to cover large membrane surfaces. This can bring us closer to the goal of using functioning tissue constructs in clinical trials.

Absorbable Implants↗

[Syndrome of persisting mullerian duct with first manifestation in an adult].

INTRODUCTION: We report on a 22-year-old male patient who presented with an intrapelvic tumor. CASE REPORT: CT and MRI showed a left pelvic abscess, which was drained. After regression of the abscess, we removed the causative tubular structure surgically, revealing a rudimentary genital structure with parts of the Mullerian and Wolffian ducts. CONCLUSIONS: This case report demonstrates an abscess formation as complication of a previously asymptomatic rudimentary genital structure, which was associated with further abnormalities, such as left testicular agenesia, perineoscrotal hypospadias and transverse testicular ectopia.

Abdominal Abscess↗

Bladder tumor recurrence after primary surgery for transitional cell carcinoma of the upper urinary tract.

OBJECTIVE: Primary transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the upper urinary tract represents 6-8% of all TCC cases. Nephroureterectomy with removal of a bladder cuff is the treatment of choice. The rates of TCC recurrence in the bladder after primary upper urinary tract surgery described in the literature range between 12.5 and 37.5%. In a retrospective analysis we examined the occurrence of TCC after nephroureterectomy for upper tract TCC in patients without a previous history of bladder TCC at the time of surgery. METHODS: Between 1990 and 2002, 29 patients underwent primary nephroureterectomy for upper tract TCC. The mean age of the patients was 69.5 years. In 5 cases upper urinary tract tumors were multilocular, in the remaining cases unilocular in the renal pelvis (n=12) or the ureter (n=12). The follow-up was available for 29 patients with a mean follow-up of 3.37 (0.1-11.2) years. RESULTS: 11/29 (37.9%) patients had TCC recurrence with 9/11 patients having bladder TCC diagnosed within 2.5 years (0.9-6.0) after nephroureterectomy. 13/29 patients are alive without TCC recurrence, 3/29 patients died due to systemic TCC progression and 5/29 died of unrelated causes without evidence of TCC recurrence. CONCLUSION: Our data indicate a high incidence of bladder TCC after nephroureterectomy for primary upper tract TCC of up to 6 years after primary surgery. Because of the high incidence of bladder TCC within the first 3 years of surgery, careful follow-up is needed over at least this period.

Adult↗

[Chemotherapy of hormone refractory prostate carcinoma].

An increasing life expectancy and the growing number of largely healthy older men have lead to more patients with hormone insensitive relapses after palliative hormone or curative therapy for prostate cancer. After 10 years without therapeutic improvement for hormone refractory prostate cancer, the introduction of new substances has led to a revival of chemotherapy. Although a definitive cure is still not possible, such chemotherapy fulfils important palliative criteria-good toleration and an improvement in quality of life-in addition to distinct long-term remission. For example, taxane as a monotherapy or in combination with estramustine is effective and well tolerated while mitoxantrone in combination with prednisolone, although of limited effectiveness, leads to a substantial reduction in symptoms. Although evidence for increased longevity through modern chemotherapy is available, this has still not been definitively demonstrated. The substantial reduction in pain and therapy related morbidity frequently makes chemotherapy for hormone refractive prostate cancer a superior alternative to simple pain and complication management.

Aged↗

Early changes of oxalate and calcium urine excretion in those with calcium oxalate stone formation after extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the extent of transient changes of tubular function in idiopathic calcium-oxalate (CaOx) stone-bearing patients after extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL), calcium and oxalate excretion were measured before and after ESWL. METHODS: In 22 patients with renal CaOx stones, the plasma values and urine excretion of creatinine, calcium, oxalate, magnesium, and citrate were measured before and on days 1 and 2 after ESWL under conditions of a standardized diet. Overnight urine collection for an 8-hour period was used to measure the urine excretion, and the values were extrapolated to a 24-hour period. For calculation of the urine ion activity, the AP(CaOx) index EQ(s) and the CaOx risk index were used. RESULTS: After ESWL, hyperoxaluria was noted in 10 patients compared with 2 before ESWL. Hypercalciuria was seen in 11 patients after ESWL compared with 3 before. Combined hyperoxaluria and hypercalciuria was found in 7 patients after ESWL compared with 1 before. Both the oxalate/creatinine and calcium/creatinine ratios were significantly increased after ESWL. The AP(CaOx) index EQ(s) and the CaOx risk index were significantly increased after ESWL in patients with increased post-ESWL calcium and/or oxalate excretion. CONCLUSIONS: Increased calcium and/or oxalate excretion can be seen in patients with CaOx stones early after ESWL. This increased excretion of lithogenic substances represents an increased risk of fragment apposition after ESWL for the group with a significantly increased AP(CaOx) index EQ(s) and CaOx risk index. Therefore, prophylactic measures in patients at risk early after ESWL might be warranted to prevent possible recurrent stone formation.

Adult↗

[Intratesticular cysts in infancy - case report and review of the literature].

INTRODUCTION: Intratesticular cysts in neonates and infants are rare findings compared to other cystic lesions of the testes and can be diagnosed by high-power ultrasonography. In contrast to simple epithelial cysts seen in adults, which are usually small and incidental findings, intratesticular cysts in infants are often diagnosed because of an increase in scrotal size. CASE REPORT: We report the case of a 6-month-old child with painless swelling of the right scrotum and the ultrasonographic finding of an intratesticular cyst. Together with surgical enucleation of the cyst, biopsy of the macroscopically normal testicular parenchyma was performed and showed tubular atrophy in the vicinity of the cyst. CONCLUSIONS: In view of possible increase in size with resulting atrophy of testicular parenchyma, intratesticular cysts in neonates and infants should be treated surgically by simple cyst resection.

Age Factors↗

Recommendations for the treatment of localized prostate cancer by permanent interstitial brachytherapy.

The increasing use of interstitial brachytherapy for the treatment of prostate cancer has made it necessary to discuss and establish guidelines for the application of this treatment modality. A group of experts representing the four professional and scientific societies of urologic surgeons and radiation oncologists in Germany was formed by the German Society of Urology (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Urologie, DGU), the Association of German Urologists (Berufsverband der Deutschen Urologen e.V., BDU), the German Society for Radiation Oncology (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Radioonkologie, DEGRO) and the Association of German Radiotherapists (Berufsverband der Deutschen Strahlentherapeuten, BVDSt). This group has formulated a consensus statement consisting of recommendations and guidelines for the indications, planning, implementation and follow-up of permanent interstitial brachytherapy by seed implantation for the treatment of localized prostate cancer. These recommendations also define the responsibilities of the two medical disciplines involved in the use of this interdisciplinary treatment.

Aged↗

Manifestation, latency and management of late urological complications after curative radiotherapy for cervical carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Radiotherapy alone or in combination with radical hysterectomy remains a potentially curative treatment for cervical carcinoma. Late urological complications after curative radiotreatment are rare but often present difficult problems of management due to the progressive nature of radiogenic tissue damage. We reviewed all cases of radiogenic urologic complications after radiotherapy for cervical carcinoma treated at our institution over the past 10 years. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In a retrospective analysis, out of all female patients treated for hydronephrosis (n = 543), 93 patients with hydronephrosis occurring after curative treatment for gynecological malignancies were identified. The most frequent cause was progressive disease (n = 55); 30 patients without recurrence had severe radiogenic urological complications (study population). RESULTS: Out of 30 patients with a mean age of 44.9 years at the time of treatment for cervical cancer, 6 had undergone primary radiotherapy and 24 had received adjuvant radiotreatment after radical hysterectomy. The observed late urological complications were: distal ureteral stenoses (bilateral in 4 cases, unilateral in 15 cases), distal ureteral necrosis (n = 1), bilateral ureteral reflux (n = 3), vesico-vaginal fistulae (n = 5), vesico-intestinal fistula (n = 1), severe fibrotic bladder shrinkage (n = 6) and urethral stenosis (n = 2). Marked signs of radiogenic cystitis were observed in almost all patients. The mean latency time between radiotherapy and manifestation of severe radiogenic urological sequelae was 19.4 years (range 0.5-41.5). Primary treatment of urological complications consisted in temporary urinary diversion by percutaneous nephrostomies or insertion of internal ureteral stents. Permanent treatment for radiogenic ureteral stenosis in all patients with sufficient general health consisted of surgical or endourological urinary diversion or reconstruction. However, the majority of patients were managed by permanent endourological measures. Lower tract fistulae were treated by distal ureteral occlusion and diversion. CONCLUSIONS: Although severe late urological sequelae of curative radiotherapy for cervical carcinoma are rare they represent major complications, result in considerable distress for the patient, and often present difficult therapeutic problems for the urologist. As these urological complications can have extremely long latency times, focussed follow-up for early detection may be advisable.

Adult↗

Primary renal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma - a difficult differential diagnosis.

INTRODUCTION: Primary renal lymphoma (PRL) as a clinical entity is not undisputed because the kidneys do not contain lymphatic tissue and the mechanism of development of PRLs is unclear. Most of the few cases reported showed rapid systemic progression and a poor prognosis. Although there are no clearly defined diagnostic criteria for renal lymphomas, abdominal and thoracic computed tomography as well as renal and bone marrow biopsy are recommended. 3 cases of renal lymphoma are reported and their diagnosis and management discussed. CASE REPORTS: Between 1996 and 2001, 3 male patients with renal lymphoma were diagnosed and treated at our institution. In patient No. 1, because of persisting macroscopic hematuria a bilateral PRL was diagnosed by renal biopsy, without any detectable lesions on CT imaging. Patient No. 2 presented with a large renal mass which, on biopsy, was diagnosed as a lymphoma. Patient No. 3 showed lymphoma on renal biopsy and bone marrow involvement. All 3 patients were treated with systemic chemotherapy which resulted in death of disease in 2 patients and a complete remission in 1 patient after adjuvant radiotherapy and nephrectomy. CONCLUSION: PRL represents a rare entity which must nevertheless be considered in cases of unusual renal masses or otherwise unexplained renal symptoms. If diagnosed early, cure is possible, and multimodal treatment should be considered.

Aged↗