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Mauro Dicuio

Publications and source records attributed to Mauro Dicuio.

10 recordsLinked to original sources

TURP and low-energy TUMT treatment in men with LUTS suggestive of bladder outlet obstruction selected by means of pressure-flow studies: 8-year follow-up.

AIMS: To evaluate the long-term outcome of transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) and transurethral microwave thermotherapy (TUMT) in men with symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), when allocation to the treatment-group was based on urodynamic diagnosis of bladder outlet obstruction (BOO). METHODS: A total of 231 elderly men with symptomatic BPH were treated either by TURP or by low-energy TUMT. A pressure-flow study was performed to detect the obstruction and to help in the selection of the two treatments. The patients were examined at baseline then checked again after 2 and 8 years. RESULTS: At 2 years of follow-up there was a significant improvement for both IPSS and QoL (P < 0.0001) in both groups of treatment. This was accompanied by a significant improvement (P < 0.0001) in the maximum flow rate from 10.0 (5.8) to 16.4 (7.6) in the TURP group and from 12.1 (5.2) to 14.9 (5.7) in the TUMT group. These findings persisted at 8 years, they were, however, more pronounced after TURP. The overall retreatment rate reached a value of 11% in the TURP group and 27% in the TUMT group, respectively. At the follow-up, 95% of the patients who underwent TURP and 70% of the patients treated by TUMT claimed to be satisfied with that choice. CONCLUSIONS: With durable symptomatic improvement and lowest retreatment rate, TURP still presents a standard treatment option for patients with severe BOO. Low-energy TUMT has sufficiently relieved patients' symptoms and can be offered to less obstructed patients as an alternative.

Aged↗

The use of prostatic intravesical protrusion correlated with uroflowmetry: a new method to measure obstruction in patients with LUTS due to BOO without using P/F studies.

OBJECTIVES: To detect obstruction in patients with LUTS suggestive of BPH comparing the prostatic intravesical protrusion detected by abdominal ultrasounds with uroflowmetry testing results with urodynamic study to make evidence of obstruction. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A series of 25 patients (mean age 67.9 years) at the first visit for BPH problems, underwent to routine examination including: abdominal ultrasound examination, TRUS, uroflowmetry IPSS and QoL questionnaires and urodynamic evaluation. We evaluated the degree in mm of prostatic intravesical protrusion by ultrasounds with a bladder volume between 150-220 cc. The degree of protrusion was classified as mild (<5 mm), moderate (5-10 mm) and severe (>10 mm), Qmax was divided in obstructed (<10 ml/s), equivocal (10-15 ml/s) and unobstructed (>15 ml/s). Confirmation or not of obstruction was validated by urodynamic study. RESULTS: mean prostate volume was 41.4cc; IPSS 22.4; Quality of Life 4.0; post voided residual urine 97.8 cc; DAMPF 62.6; Schäfer 3.4; Qmax 9.9 ml/s. Almost all the patients with severe protrusion had obstructed flow confirmed by P/F study. Patients with severe protrusion and unobstructedflow have obstruction compensated by high pressure voiding. CONCLUSIONS: These results, despite of the numbers of patients, suggest that the degree of prostatic protrusion measured by abdominal ultrasounds is a data that, if correlated to obstructed Qmax, can be used in the evaluation of BPH patients and their grade of obstruction.

Aged↗

Doppler ultrasonography in a young patient with penile Mondor's disease.

OBJECTIVE: Mondor reported the first superficial venous thrombosis on the chest wall in 1939. This condition is usually a benign and self-limited process, requiring only symptomatic treatment. Mondor's disease of the penis is an uncommon condition, which usually involves the superficial dorsal veins, it was first described by Braun-Falco in 1955. Isolated superficial dorsal vein-thrombosis was reported in 1958 by Helm et al. Since then around fifty cases have been reported. Patients experience a cord or string-like induration along the penile superficial dorsal vein, which is often painful and accompanied by localized inflammatory changes. This condition is benign and self-limited in most patients with complete resolution after 6 to 8 weeks of conservative management although sometimes surgery is indicated when it is associated with chronic or severe local pain. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We report on a 23-year sold man with Mondor's disease of the penis following a normal sexual intercourse, who recently underwent microsurgical left varicocelectomy. RESULTS: Treatment consisted in NSAID Aulin (100 mg orally twice a day for 3 weeks) Ciproxin (500 mg orally twice a day for 10 days), Reparil 1 x 3 orally for 25 days and Lansox 30 mg orally 1 per day for 21 days. The patient was advised to abstain from sexual intercourse or masturbation until the thrombosis had completely resolved. In the follow-up visit there was the complete resolution of the disease with no evidence of superficial dorsal vein thrombosis or palpable penile plaque 30 days later. The patient was also able to have sexual intercourse without problems. CONCLUSION: Although penile Mondors' disease is rare, proper clinical diagnosis and consequent reassurance can help the patient to dissipate the anxiety and the following erectile dysfunction. Ultrasound and Doppler Ultrasonography examination was not useful for diagnosis but helped the clinician to show the patient that the disease is a benign condition.

Adult↗

Measurements of urinary bladder volume: comparison of five ultrasound calculation methods in volunteers.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the precision of five different calculation methods in real-time bladder volume measurement. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Bladders from 10 medical staff volunteers were examined. Two examinations of each subject were performed by one examiner using the same ultrasound scannet Five different calculation algorithms were used on the frozen ultrasound pictures: the prolate ellipsoid method based on the formula: volume = length x width x heigth x 0.52 on two dimensions; the double area method based on the formula: volume = ex [C1 + C2 x ln(A1) + C3 x ln(A2)] on two dimensions; The double ellipsoid method on two dimensions; the method of one dimension of the shape of the bladder outlined manually with the maximal longitudinal diameter; the method of one dimension of the shape of the bladder outlined by smooth ellipsoid with the maximal longitudinal diameter After registration of the voided volume the subjects were scanned again in order to assure complete emptying. RESULTS: Voided volumes ranged from 120 ml to 465 ml. The precision of each method was equal. Errors were not more than 25% of the voided volume. No significant improvement in accuracy for any of the methods was found. CONCLUSIONS: Ultrasound bladder volume calculation is an easy method for estimation of bladder volume. Errors can be reasonably accepted. Large variation, irrespective of methods, from the true bladder volume, indicates that the clinical evaluation of ultrasound bladder measurement must be interpreted with great care in some patients.

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30-MINUTES-TUMT. Use of the visual analogue scale to investigate patients' pain perception, different cocktail options and tolerability during 30 minutes' treatment.

INTRODUCTION PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: to investigate if 30-MINUTES-TUMT can be performed under topical anesthesia and analgesics. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: to evaluate retrospectively analgesics and to study parameters connected with pain. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighty-nine patients underwent TUMT. Patients were divided into four groups with different medications. Paracetamol and tolterodin-L-tartrate were administered in all groups. The first group was also given hydromorphone hydrochloride and atropine sulphate, the second group dextropropoxyphene, the third group morphine and diclofenac, and the fourth group morphine and dextropropoxyphene. Pain during TUMT was registered using the VAS scale. RESULTS: Pain during TUMT was (VAS in mm), respectively, total-first-second-third-fourth group: at 5 min -30, 31, 12, 28, 35; at 15 min -30, 23, 16, 25, 34; at 25 min -30, 28, 18, 25, 35. All patients accepted the treatment. No significant difference between the different drug schedules was noticed. CONCLUSIONS: It is possible to treat patients with 30-MINUTES-TUMT with local anesthesia and analgesics. The pain can be accepted by all patients.

Aged↗

Relationship between age, prostate volume, prostate-specific antigen, symptom score and uroflowmetry in men with lower urinary tract symptoms.

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the relationship between age and the values of different diagnostic tests in men with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) suggestive of benign prostatic enlargement (BPE) and to compare prostate growth curves between the normal population sample, healthy men and men with LUTS. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A series of 354 men (mean age 70.2 years; range 45-91 years) with LUTS due to BPE were stratified into seven age groups and reviewed retrospectively. All patients underwent a standard evaluation, involving determination of the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), digital rectal examination, uroflowmetry, determination of the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level and transrectal ultrasonography. Descriptive statistics were used to describe all the variables and Spearman's correlation test was used to evaluate the relationships between them. RESULTS: The mean prostate volume was 40.1 (+/-23.9) cm(3) and mean PSA concentration 3.9 (+/-4.2) ng/ml. Both values increased progressively from 27.5 ml and 1.5 ng/ml, respectively in the <54 years age group to 48.2 ml and 5.4 ng/ml, respectively in the <80 years age group. However, in the 75-79 years age group there was a decrease in both prostate volume and symptom score; PSA concentration remained unchanged and maximal flow rate increased slightly. A statistically significant but weak correlation was found between prostate volume and age (r = 0.25, p < 0.0001) and between PSA and age (r = 0.28, p < 0.0001). Prostate volume correlated positively with serum PSA (r = 0.54, p < 0.0001). The correlations between maximum flow rate and age, prostate volume, PSA and IPSS were r = -0.21, p < 0.0001; r = -0.18, p < 0.0006; r = -0.29, p < 0.0001; and r = 0.14, p < 0.0098, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: These data confirm that prostate volume and serum PSA concentration are significantly correlated and increase with advanced age. The correlations between uroflowmetry (Qmax) and age, prostate volume, serum PSA and IPSS were also significant. However, there was no relationship between symptoms and objective measures of BPE. The increase in different parameters of the severity of benign prostatic hyperplasia with advanced age is not continuous. The prostate volume alone is not useful in the estimation of disease severity.

Age Factors↗

Usefulness of a prevoiding transabdominal sonographic bladder scan for uroflowmetry in patients involved in clinical studies of benign prostatic hyperplasia.

OBJECTIVE: Flow rate measurements in clinical studies require an amount of voided urine greater than 125 to 150 mL. Often patients do not void sufficient amounts of urine, and having them produce repeated flows is often difficult. Transabdominal sonographic scanning of the bladder is a simple method for estimating bladder volume. We determined by sonography the prevoiding bladder volume needed to void a sufficient amount of urine. METHODS: Sixty-seven patients with a mean age +/- SD of 67.5 +/- 8.0 years underwent free flow rate measurement. Bladder volume was measured by transabdominal sonography when the patient had the sensation to void and after uroflowmetry to calculate residual urine. RESULTS: The voided volume was 220 +/- 127 mL; the postvoiding residual urine volume was 92 +/- 88 mL; and the bladder scan volume was 309 +/- 158 mL. Among all patients, 23.9% had insufficient voided volumes of less than 125 mL in the flow rate measurements, and 31.3% had voided volumes of less than 150 mL. There was a strong correlation between the prevoiding measured volume and the voided volume (r = 0.836; P < .0001). Linear regression analysis of the flow rate recording yielded the following formula: voided volume = 11,766 + (0.673 x prevoiding volume). CONCLUSIONS: Bladder scanning before uroflowmetry is a useful test for reducing the amount of nonevaluable flow rate data. If a voided volume of greater than 125 mL (>150 mL) is required, the mandatory prevoiding bladder scan volume should be greater than 200 mL (>250 mL), which would decrease the number of noneligible flow rate recordings from 23.9% to 4.5% (31.3% to 4.5%).

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Cardiovascular parameter changes in patients with erectile dysfunction using pde-5 inhibitors: a study with sildenafil and vardenafil.

Sildenafil is the most prescribed oral agent for patients with erectile dysfunction (ED). Vardenafil is a new phosphodiesterase type 5 (Pde-5) inhibitor that was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration last year to treat patients with ED of various causes. Both of these Pde-5 inhibitors have vasodilating properties and effects on blood pressure (BP), and like nitrates, they work through the nitric oxide cyclic guanosine monophosphate pathway. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of these Pde-5 inhibitors on BP and heart rate (HR) in normotensive men with ED by a crossover comparison. Thirty-five patients with ED were enrolled to evaluate and compare the effect of sildenafil (50 mg) and vardenafil (10 mg) on BP and HR. At the screening (baseline [B]) visit, sitting systolic blood pressure (B-SBP), diastolic blood pressure (B-DBP), and HR were measured. We performed a multiple administration for both drugs and, therefore, multiple measurements of BP and HR changes, 3 doses a week, on alternate days, late in the afternoon, and on an empty stomach. B-SBP, B-DBP, and HR were recorded before each 50-mg sildenafil dosing and after 30, 60, 120, and 240 minutes. Data were averaged over the 4 time points and compared with the baseline values obtained before each dosing. After a 3-week wash-out period, patients were crossed over to vardenafil (10 mg) with the same study design. After administration of both drugs, we observed a statistically significant decrease of BP and an increase of HR. On average, sildenafil caused a decrease of SBP ranging from 5.1 +/- 3.9 mm Hg during the first dosing to 4.7 +/- 4.2 mm Hg during the third dosing, DBP ranged from 4.4 +/- 4.9 to 4 +/- 4.1 mm Hg, and HR increased 1.8 +/- 2.0 bpm (first dose) and 1.2 +/- 0.9 bpm (third dose). With vardenafil, we recorded a greater variation for SBP and DBP. SBP decreased from 8.02 +/- 8.0 mm Hg during the first dosing to 5.4 +/- 5.5 mm Hg during the third dosing, whereas DBP decreased from 6.6 +/- 7.2 to 5.0 +/- 5.3 mm Hg, respectively. Recorded HR showed an increase of 3.1 +/- 3.2 bpm (first dose) and 2.4 +/- 2.3 bpm (third dose). After the first vardenafil administration, we recorded fainting episodes in 3 patients because of a decrease in BP greater than 20 mm Hg. Two of the patients were in therapy with doxazosin for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Cardiovascular response was not significantly different after the first dose between the 2 treatments. Vardenafil demonstrated clinically significant differences (fainting) with respect to sildenafil only during the first doses. We suggest that before starting therapies with Pde-5 inhibitors, particularly with the newer ones, that baseline cardiovascular parameters are measured and monitored, especially during the first dose, because of the presence of a "first dose effect." Moreover, it is necessary to pay particular attention to those patients in treatment with other drugs that could have a synergistic hypotensive effect as a result of vasodilation potentiation.

3',5'-Cyclic-GMP Phosphodiesterases↗

Transurethral microwave thermotherapy: clinical results after 11 years of use.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the durability of the effect of transurethral microwave thermotherapy (TUMT) for lower urinary-tract symptoms (LUTS) suggestive of bladder outlet obstruction (BOO). PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 841 patients with LUTS received TUMT using the Prostatron device at Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Sweden. Two treatment programs were used: low-energy Program 2.0 and high-energy Program 3.5. A questionnaire, including International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), quality of life (QoL) score, and questions about general health status, was sent to all the patients. The mean followup after TUMT was 8.8 years for Program 2.0 and 2.5 years for Program 3.5. RESULTS: At the end of follow-up, 67% of the patients treated with Program 2.0 were satisfied with the TUMT. During the follow-up period, 37% of patients experienced worsened symptoms, 18% various complications (e.g., hematuria), and 25% transient urinary-tract infection, and 16% went into retention. Secondary treatment (repeat TUMT, transurethral resection, medical therapy) was needed in 32% of patients. The mean IPSS was 13.5, and QoL score decreased to 2.1. With Program 3.5, 82% of the patients were satisfied, with another 17% having increased symptoms, 17% various complication, 25% urinary tract infection, and 26% retention. Only 7% of patients needed secondary treatment. The IPSS and QoL score went down to 11.4 and 1.6, respectively. CONCLUSION: These long-term data show that TUMT produces durable improvement and, with its safety and low retreatment rate, presents an attractive alternative for patients with LUTS suggestive of BOO.

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