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Recent medical advances, including closure of myelomeningocele defects, shunting of hydrocephalus, and focusing on renal preservation have led to many individuals with spina bifida (SB) living into adulthood. This has led to more individuals with SB transitioning their care from pediatric-based to adult-based care models. We seek to explore the process of transition, with a focus on difficulties in transitioning individuals with SB. Additionally, we explore new problems that arise during the period of transition related to sexual function and dysfunction. We also discuss some of the difficulties managing neurogenic bladder and the sequalae of their prior urologic surgeries. Each of the authors was asked to provide a summary, based on current literature, to highlight the challenges faced in their area of expertise. Transitioning care for individuals with SB is especially challenging due to associated neurocognitive deficits and neuropsychological functioning issues. Sexual function is an important component of transition that must be addressed in young adults with SB. Management of neurogenic bladder in adults with SB can be challenging due to the heterogeneity of the population and the sequelae of their prior urologic surgeries. The aim is to ensure that all individuals with SB receive appropriate, evidence-based care throughout their lifetime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Individuals with neuromuscular disorders and neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction are commonly nonweight-bearing with lower lean muscle mass than the general population. We sought to compare estimated glomerular filtration rate equations that include creatinine, cystatin C, or both, in nonweight-bearing individuals and matched ambulatory controls. Materials and Methods: Records were reviewed for individuals with serum creatinine (Cr) and cystatin C (Cys) and diagnosis consistent with nonweight-bearing status, and matched ambulatory controls. The 2021 CKD-EPI (Chronic Kidney Disease-Epidemiology Collaboration) race agnostic equations were used to calculate estimated glomerular filtration rate. Renal function was compared by equation in the overall cohorts and in a patient subset with imaging and/or urinalysis evidence of renal dysfunction. Results: Nonweight-bearing (n = 102) and control populations (n = 204) had similar demographics. In the nonweight-bearing population, estimated glomerular filtration rate differed when calculated using CKD-EPICr, CKD-EPICr+Cys, and CKD-EPICys (107, 93, 80 mL/min/1.73 m², respectively, P < .001). The differences in estimated glomerular filtration rate were greater in the nonweight-bearing relative to the control group regardless of CKD-EPI equation pairs compared (P < .001). In the patient subset with imaging and/or proteinuria evidence of renal dysfunction, the nonweight-bearing population again had different estimated glomerular filtration rate when calculated using CKD-EPICr, CKD-EPICr+Cys, and CKD-EPICys (P < .001). Fifty-eight percent of nonweight-bearing individuals with evidence of renal dysfunction on imaging or urinalysis were reclassified into a lower estimated glomerular filtration rate category when using estimated glomerular filtration rateCys relative to estimated glomerular filtration rateCr. Conclusions: Estimated glomerular filtration rate equations containing serum creatinine, cystatin C, or both, validated in mostly ambulatory populations, are not equivalently accurate in estimating kidney function in nonweight-bearing individuals. Comparison of these equations against gold standard glomerular filtration rate measurement is needed to determine which most closely approximates true glomerular filtration rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Human childbirth simulated by vaginal distention is known to increase the expression of chemokines and receptors involved in stem cell homing and tissue repair. We hypothesized that pregnancy and parturition in rats contributes to the expression of chemokines and receptors after vaginal distention. Materials and Methods: We used 72 age matched female Lewis rats, including virgin rats with and without vaginal distention, and delivered rats with and without vaginal distention. Each rat was sacrificed immediately, or 3 or 7 days after vaginal distention and/or parturition, and the urethra was harvested. Relative expression of chemokines and receptors was determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Mixed models were used with the Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons. Results: Vaginal distention up-regulated urethral expression of CCL7 immediately after injury in virgin and postpartum rats. Hypoxia inducible factor-1α and vascular endothelial growth factor were up-regulated only in virgin rats immediately after vaginal distention. CD191 expression was immediately up-regulated in postpartum rats without vaginal distention compared to virgin rats without vaginal distention. CD195 was up-regulated in virgin rats 3 days after vaginal distention compared to virgin rats without vaginal distention. CD193 and CXCR4 showed delayed up-regulation in virgin rats 7 days after vaginal distention. CXCL12 was up-regulated in virgin rats 3 days after vaginal distention compared to immediately after vaginal distention. Interleukin-8 and CD192 showed no differential expression. Conclusions: Vaginal distention results in up-regulation of the chemokines and receptors expressed during tissue injury, which may facilitate the spontaneous functional recovery previously noted. Pregnancy and delivery up-regulated CD191 and attenuated the expression of hypoxia inducible factor-1α and vascular endothelial growth factor in the setting of vaginal distention, likely by decreasing hypoxia. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Purpose: The male transobturator AdVance™ sling is a viable option for mild to moderate post-prostatectomy incontinence. As this treatment is relatively new, our study provides an analysis of efficacy through patient reported outcomes and pad use. Materials and Methods: A telephone survey and chart review were conducted on all patients receiving a sling before 2010 by either of 2 surgeons at a large academic institution. The survey included the Patient Global Impression of Improvement and Severity instruments, pad use characteristics before and after sling surgery, and items assessing durability of efficacy. Patient determined (subjective) success was very much or much better on the Patient Global Impression of Improvement without subsequent incontinence therapy. Quantitative success was defined as a decrease to 2 or fewer pads per day. We assessed therapeutic durability in a subanalysis of patients interviewed twice, first in a prior study. Results: From initial office followup to 2 years, quantitative success decreased from 87.3% to 62.5% and pad use doubled from a mean ± SD of 0.8 ± 1.7 to 1.7 ± 2.5 pads per day. Patient determined success was 53.6% at 2 years. A subgroup of 25 patients interviewed at 7 and 29 months after sling surgery had quantitative success significantly decrease by 20% (p = 0.03), subjective success decrease by 4% (p = 0.56) and pad use significantly increase (p = 0.01) from 1.4 ± 2.2 to 2.3 ± 3.2 pads per day. Conclusions: Most patients receiving the AdVance sling did see improvement in post-prostatectomy incontinence and a decrease in pad use, but in 20% of patients this benefit decreased with time. Nevertheless, patients remained satisfied and perceived the treatment as successful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: We dissected prevailing assumptions about cryptorchidism and reviewed data that support and reject these assumptions. Materials and Methods: Five questions about cryptorchidism and the risk of testicular cancer were identified because of their implications in parent counseling and clinical management. Standard search techniques through MEDLINE® were used to identify all relevant English language studies of the questions being examined. Each of the 5 questions was then examined in light of the existing data. Results: The RR of testicular cancer in a cryptorchidism case is 2.75 to 8. A RR of between 2 and 3 has been noted in patients who undergo orchiopexy by ages 10 to 12 years. Patients who undergo orchiopexy after age 12 years or no orchiopexy are 2 to 6 times as likely to have testicular cancer as those who undergo prepubertal orchiopexy. A contralateral, normally descended testis in a patient with cryptorchidism carries no increased risk of testis cancer. Persistently cryptorchid (inguinal and abdominal) testes are at higher risk for seminoma (74%), while corrected cryptorchid or scrotal testicles that undergo malignant transformation are most likely to become nonseminomatous (63%, p <0.0001), presumably because of a decreased risk of seminoma. Conclusions: Orchiectomy may be considered in healthy patients with cryptorchidism who are between ages 12 and 50 years. Observation should be recommended in postpubertal males at significant anesthetic risk and all males older than 50 years. While 5% to 15% of scrotal testicular remnants contain germinal tissue, only 1 case of carcinoma in situ has been reported, suggesting that the risk of malignancy in these remnants is extremely low. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Purpose: We evaluated the timing of the presentation of urethrocutaneous fistulas after hypospadias repair and the development of recurrent urethrocutaneous fistulas after prior fistula repair. Materials and Methods: We reviewed the charts of all patients with urethrocutaneous fistulas following hypospadias repair who were seen from 1995 to 2005. Age at hypospadias repair, hypospadias level, hypospadias repair type, time when the parent/patient noted the fistula, date/type of fistula repair, time when fistula recurrence was noticed, date/type of secondary repair and date of last followup were documented. Results: A total of 26 patients with urethrocutaneous fistula were seen, of whom 15 had undergone at least 1 prior operation elsewhere. Of the patients 58% and 61% with fistulas following hypospadias repair and recurrent fistulas following the initial fistula, respectively, presented in the immediate postoperative period. Of the patients 23% with initial fistulas presented more than 2 years after hypospadias repair (up to 17 years later), while only 5.5% with recurrent fistulas presented more than 1 year after fistula repair. Age at presentation with initial fistulas after hypospadias repair was 0 to 12 months in 5 patients, 12 to 24 in 6, 24 to 36 in 6, 36 to 48 in 2 and more than 48 in 7. Mean followup was 5.5 months (range 0 to 69). Conclusions: While many urethrocutaneous fistulas develop immediately following hypospadias repair, almost a quarter present well beyond the typical followup of many urologists. These findings suggest that reported rates of urethrocutaneous fistula may be underestimated and longer followup may be warranted. Late recurrence of urethrocutaneous fistula is rare with 5.2% seen at more than 1 year, suggesting that more limited followup may be appropriate in these patients. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Purpose: We investigated the effect of the duration of vaginal distention on the differential expression of stem cell homing, tissue repair cytokines and cytokine receptors to identify the factors most important for recovery from injury. Materials and Methods: A total of 20, 10-week-old virgin Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 4 groups, including 1, 4 and 6-hour vaginal distention, and anesthetized sham operation. The vagina, bladder, urethra and rectum were harvested immediately after vaginal distention. Real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to determine the relative expression of cytokines and receptors of interest. Mixed models analysis was used to determine associations between expression levels and vaginal distention duration. Results: Positive associations between vaginal distention duration and the urethral expression level were found for 1 of the receptors of monocyte chemotactic protein-3, CCR1 (p = 0.0001) as well as for monocyte chemotactic protein-3 (p = 0.025), CCR5 (p = 0.032) and hypoxia inducible factor-1α (p = 0.023). A positive relationship between vaginal distention duration and monocyte chemotactic protein-3 expression was also observed in rectal tissue (p = 0.035). Urethral expression of CCR2, another receptor for monocyte chemotactic protein-3, approached significance (p = 0.066). An inverse relationship between vaginal distention duration and interleukin-8 expression was found in the bladder (p = 0.0008). No association was noted between vaginal distention duration and the expression of stromal derived factor-1, CXCR4, CCR3 and vascular endothelial growth factor in any pelvic organs. Conclusions: These data support a relationship between vaginal distention duration and the subsequent expression of monocyte chemotactic protein-3 and 1 of its associated receptors, CCR1, in the urethra immediately following vaginal distention. The increase in hypoxia-inducible factor1α expression in the urethra with prolonged vaginal distention suggests a limited role of tissue ischemia in the immediate response of pelvic organs to vaginal distention. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Purpose: We evaluated biochemical relapse-free survival after surgery for localized prostate cancer, comparing rates between black and white men in the early and late prostate specific antigen eras. Our hypothesis was that the gap in biochemical relapse-free survival between these groups would lessen in the later prostate specific antigen era due to catch-up awareness/availability of screening and treatment in the black population. Materials and Methods: Data on 2,910 men treated with prostatectomy from 1987 to 2004 were evaluated. The primary end points were 1) rates of organ confined disease and 2) biochemical relapse-free survival after prostatectomy in the early (1987 to 1997) and late (1998 to 2004) prostate specific antigen eras. Rates of organ confined disease were compared using the chi-square test. Biochemical failure was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier estimates and Cox proportional hazards regression. Results: Median followup for the early and late prostate specific antigen periods was 9.8 (range 1.2 to 18.2) and 3.3 years (range 1.0 to 7.7), respectively. Based on rates of organ confined disease in the early vs late periods black and white men had significant gains in the number presenting with favorable disease at diagnosis in the late prostate specific antigen period (54% vs 76% and 49% vs 71%, respectively, each p <0.01). Despite gains of similar magnitude in favorable features at presentation biochemical relapse-free survival for black men lagged behind white men by 11% at 5 years in the early era and by 12% in the late era. Race was a significant predictor of biochemical relapse-free survival on multivariate analysis in each era. Conclusions: Despite similar increases in the rate of organ confined disease between black and white men in the late vs early prostate specific antigen eras black men continue to show higher rates of biochemical failure after surgery. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Objective: To expand on a previously published analysis of children fertilized in vitro (IVF) who demonstrate the cloacal/bladder exstrophy–epispadias complex (CBEEC). Patients and methods: Data were collected on CBEEC patients who were fertilized in vitro and seen at The Brady Urological Institute of The Johns Hopkins Hospital (Brady/JHH) from 1997 to 2004. The numbers of live births and IVF births were acquired/estimated from the US Centers for Disease Control. Incidence rates for CBEEC were estimated using International Clearinghouse for Birth Defects Monitoring Systems data. A Pearson-type chi-squared analysis evaluated the association between IVF and CBEEC. Results: An estimated 322,937 IVF births occurred in the US in 1997–2004. The rate of CBEEC was estimated at 6.2:100,000. A total of 150 CBEEC patients born in 1997–2004 were evaluated at Brady/JHH of whom eight were IVF. Under the hypothesis of no association between IVF and CBEEC, the expected incidence of IVF in CBEEC children ranged between 0.60% and 1.59%. The observed incidence of IVF in CBEEC children evaluated at Brady/JHH ranged between 4.2% and 6.7%. Comparison of the expected and observed incidence using a Pearson-type chi-squared test resulted in a bootstrapped P value of 0.0182. Conclusion: The incidence of IVF in CBEEC children appears to be higher than what would be expected if there was no association between IVF and CBEEC. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]