Dear Colleagues,
Since the inception of UroToday International Journal, our primary concern has been to provide our readers with articles focusing on topics of interest to the urology community as well as a platform to share innovation, experimentation, and discovery. It’s these very tenets that continue to propel us forward, and as our readership continues to grow, we are proud to remain a dependable resource for all of the up-to-date advances and breakthroughs that reflect the challenging and ever-changing field.
In this issue, a review by Carnevale et al. investigates prostatic artery embolization (PAE) as a new benign prostatic hyperplasia treatment. PAE, a minimally invasive outpatient procedure, is performed under local anesthesia, and it has been widely reported since 2008. They are encouraged by the data demonstrating PAE as a safe and effective treatment for patients.
Al-Ba’adani et al. present their experience with antegrade-retrograde maneuver in the form of cut-to-light or cut-to-sound in treating complete posterior urethral strictures. They determine this procedure is safe under supervision, and it markedly decreased operative time, hospital stay, and cost.
Galal et al. assess the value of non-contrast computed tomography as a possible predictor of renal stone disintegration by shock-wave lithotripsy. Through this process, they discover that increased stone density is a significant predictor of failure to fragment renal stones.
Seeking to correlate various factors affecting the male population with benign prostatic hyperplasia, Baruah et al. observe statistically significant correlations within age, prostate volume, and serum prostate-specific antigen level. However, contradictory data suggests further evaluation in a large cohort of the aging population is needed to establish further influence.
Singham et al. compare prostate cancer detection using the Vienna nomogram versus laterally directed sextant and octant biopsy methods on 371 patients with qualified inclusion criteria. Based on their findings, they discover that the use of a Vienna nomogram did not offer significant advantages in cancer detection.
Khaled et al. explore the specificity and sensitivity of increased bladder wall thickness as measured by transabdominal ultrasonography for diagnosing detrusor overactivity in patients with lower urinary tract symptoms. This non-invasive, easily performed technique offers negligible risks. However, further studies are required to validate findings before this technique can be recommended as a primary diagnostic tool.
Priyadarshi et al. present a prospective study that compares the results of sonourethrography with that of retrograde urethrography and probe the effects. Their determination is that sonourethrography is more accurate in providing a better assessment of a diseased urethra. It is best if used as an extension of the physical examination.
We also present a series of case studies on several topics, including isolated renal hydatid cysts, adrenal oncocytomas, and chronic ketamine abuse and its effects.
As always, we thank our readers for their continued support of UIJ and its goals. We are also grateful to the authors who shared their work in this issue and to the reviewers who ensured its publication.
Warm regards,
Karl-Erik Andersson