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Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between mean platelet volume (MPV) and vitamin D levels according to ED severity. Methods: Between October 2015 and September 2017, patients who applied to the andrology outpatient clinic with an ED complaint were retrospectively reviewed. Patients with diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, malignancy, late-onset hypogonadism and smokers were not included in the study. The International Erectile Function Index-Erectile Function (IIEF-EF) questionnaire was used to assess the levels of erectile function. According to this scoring system, patients were divided into two groups. IIEF score: between 17 and 25 = mild ED (Group 1) and IIEF score between 16 and 0 = moderate-severe ED (Group 2). Blood samples of the patients were taken from antecubital vein and MPV and 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels were evaluated. Results: Ninety patients were included in the study (Group 1: n  = 41, Group 2: n  = 49). The mean age of the patients was 41.07 ± 8.56 and the mean body mass index (BMI) was 27.59 ± 3.91. 25(OH)D levels were found to be statistically lower in Group 2 (18.85 ± 6.09; 13.98 ± 7.10; p  = .001). MPV levels were found to be statistically higher in Group 2 (10.05 ± 0.81; 10.78 ± 1.16; p  = .001). Correlation between IIEF-EF scores and 25(OH)D levels was positive ( p  = .03, r  = 0.22). There was negative correlation between IIEF-EF scores and MPV and between 25(OH)D levels and MPV levels [ p  = .003 for IIEF-EF/MPV, p  = .04, r  = -0.23 for 25(OH)D/MPV]. Conclusion: There is a significant positive correlation between ED severity and 25(OH)D levels and there is a significant negative correlation between ED severity and MPV levels.

Purpose: Peyronie disease (PD) occurs as a result of recurrent microvascular injuries or trauma of the tunica albuginea, although its precise etiology is unknown. Mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet distribution width (PDW), and plateletcrit (PCT), which are parameters indicative of platelet activity, are considered to be functional markers of platelets involved in the pathophysiology of related inflammatory and vascular diseases. In this study, we aimed to examine the relationship between PD and platelet indices., Materials and Methods: We evaluated participants who presented to the andrology department of our institution between December 2015 and May 2018. Ninety-two men with PD and 80 healthy volunteers were included in this study. Participants who had received medical treatment affecting platelets or had any hematologic or systemic diseases were excluded from the study., Results: The mean age of men with PD was 53.8±10.2 years, and the mean age of the control group was 52.2±8.0 years (p=0.465). There were no significant differences in the mean IIEF-5 scores, platelet count, MPV, PDW, or PCT between the patients with and without PD (p<0.05)., Conclusions: No correlations were found between PD and platelet indices. Large-scale prospective cross-sectional studies are needed to elucidate the etiopathogenesis of PD., Competing Interests: The authors have nothing to disclose., (Copyright © 2020 Korean Society for Sexual Medicine and Andrology.)

Introduction and Hypothesis: Overactive bladder (OAB) is a syndrome with symptoms such as urinary frequency, urinary urgency and urge incontinence. The aim of this study is to assess the validity and reliability of the Turkish overactive bladder symptom score (OABSS) and to evaluate the results of mirabegron treatment with OABSS., Methods: The study was carried out with 117 patients who applied to the urology outpatient clinic between June 2018-January 2019. OABSS Turkish validation was developed from the English version. Demographic data of the patients were recorded. The OABSS, overactive bladder questionnaire (OAB-v8) and International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire Short Form (ICIQ-SF) were filled out by the patients. The patients were asked to fill in these questionnaires after 2 weeks. Patients receiving mirabegon treatment were evaluated with the same questionnaires and bladder diaries after 8 weeks., Results: A total of 117 OAB patients, including 82 OAB-wet and 35-OAB dry, were included in the study. The mean age of the patients was 46.79 ± 14.26 (18-78) years, and the mean duration of OAB complaint was 32.28 ± 32.21 months. The mean score of the OABSS is 9.9 ± 3.14. The results of the reliability assessment showed that the intraclass correlation coefficient of the total OABSS score was 0.71 (weighted coefficients of individual item points, 0.635-0.831), and the Cronbach α was 0.736. In the validity analysis, the OABSS total score was highly correlated with that belonging to other questionnaire forms (OAB-v8, ICIQ-SF and bladder diary). After the treatment with mirabegron, mean OABSS scores of the patients improved significantly from baseline to the 8th week (p < 0.001)., Conclusion: The Turkish version of the OABSS has been approved as a valid and reliable tool for evaluating OAB. Mirabegron used daily improved the symptoms of OAB in patients.

Purpose: To identify the factors increased fluoroscopy time during percutaneous nephrolithotomy and investigate the relationship between the 3D segmentation volume ratio of stone to renal collecting system and fluoroscopy time., Materials and Methods: Data from 102 patients who underwent percutaneous nephrolithotomy were analyzed retrospectively. Volume segmentation of both the renal collecting system and stones were obtained from 3D segmentation software with the images on CT data. Analyzed stone volume (ASV), renal collecting system volume (RCSV) measured and the ASV-to-RCSV ratio was calculated. Several parameters were evaluated for their predictive ability with regard to fl uoroscopy time., Results: The stone-free rate was 55.9% after the percutaneous nephrolithotomy. Complications occurred in 31(30.4%) patients. The mean fluoroscopy time was 199.4±151.1 seconds. The fl uoroscopy time was significantly associated with the ASV-to-RCSV ratio (p<0.001, r=0.614). The single tract was used in 77 ( 75.5%) cases while multiple tracts were used in 25 (24.5%) cases. Fluoroscopy time was significantly associated with multiple access (p<0.001, r=0.689). On univariate linear regression analysis, longer fluoroscopy time was related with increased stone size, increased stone volume, increased number of access, increased calyx number with stone, increased ASV-to-RCSV, increased operative time and decreased stone essence. On multivariate linear regression analysis, the number of access and the ASV-to-RCSV were independent predictors of fluoroscopy time during percutaneous nephrolithotomy., Conclusions: The distribution of the stone burden volume in the pelvicalyceal system is a significant predictor for prolonged fluoroscopy time during percutaneous nephrolithotomy. Measures to decrease FT could be benefi cial in patients with a high ASV-to-RCSV ratio for precise preoperative planning., Competing Interests: None declared., (Copyright® by the International Brazilian Journal of Urology.)

The aim of this study is to investigate whether serum vitamin D level predicts the risk of Peyronie's disease. Calcium and inflammatory cytokines play an important role during fibrocalcification of the plaques in Peyronie's Disease. TGF-β1 is one of the most fibrogenic cytokines. Increasing serum vitamin D levels is considered that induce expression of TGF-β1. Serum vitamin D levels and TGF-β1 are related with calcifications of some soft tissues in previous studies. One hundred and three Peyronie patients and 162 healthy volunteers were included in the study. In both groups, demographic data, medical history, physical examination and erectile capacity were recorded. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, triglyceride and testosterone levels were measured. The mean level of serum 25 (OH) D was significantly higher in men with Peyronie's disease compared with the controls (32.6 ± 7.9 ng/ml vs. 18.5 ± 6.6 ng/ml respectively. p < 0.001). There is a relationship between Peyronie's disease and high serum vitamin D levels. Also, increased low-density lipoprotein and total cholesterol levels, diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular diseases were associated with Peyronie's disease., (© 2019 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.)

Introduction: Even though lifelong premature ejaculation (PE) is highly prevalent, few studies have investigated the neural mechanisms underlying PE., Aim: This study aimed to investigate whether patients with lifelong PE exhibit macrostructural or microstructural alterations of the parts of the brain involved in the male sexual response., Materials and Methods: We enrolled 42 healthy participants and 54 lifelong PE patients. Lifelong PE was diagnosed according to the Premature Ejaculation Diagnostic Tool (PEDT) and intravaginal ejaculation latency time (IELT). We compared measures of cortical morphology, such as volumes of gray matter, white matter, cerebellum volumes, and subcortical structures (ie, amygdala, caudate, hippocampus, globus pallidus, putamen, and thalamus) between the groups using a voxel-based morphometry method from whole-brain T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. Moreover, we evaluated the relationships between the relevant cerebral alterations and the severity of symptoms obtained from participants via self-reported questionnaires., Main Outcome Measures: Cerebral macrostructural and microstructural alterations were assessed in PE patients and controls, along with the correlation of caudate nucleus changes in PE patients with clinical data (including the PEDT and the IELT)., Results: The mean volume of the caudate nucleus was significantly larger in the lifelong PE patients compared with healthy controls (P = .048). Moreover, caudate nucleus volume was positively correlated with PEDT score (r = 0.621; P = .0179) and negatively correlated with the IELT (r = -0.592; P = .0101). However, cortex morphology and the other subcortical volumes were not significantly different between the 2 groups (P > .05)., Clinical Implications: Microstructural alterations in deep gray matter nuclei might be a useful parameter for studying the mechanism of the neurobiology underlying PE., Strengths and Limitations: There are few studies examining microstructural changes in PE patients. This study furthers our understanding of the etiology of PE. Limitations include the small sample, which limits our ability to make an absolute determination as to whether such subcortical changes are the cause or the consequence of lifelong PE., Conclusions: We found a significant difference in caudate nucleus volume between patients with PE and healthy controls. In addition, the caudate nucleus volume was positively associated with the severity of PE symptoms. More extensive and possibly longitudinal studies are needed to improve our understanding of the mechanism of the neurobiology underlying PE. Atalay HA, Sonkaya AR, Ozbir S, et al. Are There Differences in Brain Morphology in Patients with Lifelong Premature Ejaculation? J Sex Med 2019;16:992-998., (Copyright © 2019 International Society for Sexual Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To investigate the relationship between 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25 (OH) D) levels and acquired premature ejaculation (PE)., Materials and Methods: A total of 97 patients with acquired PE and 64 healthy men as a control group selected from volunteers without PE attending our Andrology Outpatient Clinic between November 2016 and April 2017 were included the study. All patients were considered to have acquired PE if they fulfilled the criteria of the second Ad Hoc International Society for Sexual Medicine Committee. Premature ejaculation diagnostic tool questionnaires were used to assessment of PE and all participants were instructed to record intravaginal ejaculatory latency time. Vitamin D levels were evaluated in all participants using high performance liquid chromatography method included in the study., Results: Compared to men without PE, the patients with acquired PE had significantly lower 25 (OH) D levels (12.0 ± 4.5 ng/mL vs. 18.2 ± 7.4 ng/mL, p < 0.001). In the logistic regression analysis, 25 (OH) D was found to be an independent risk factor for acquired PE, with estimated odds ratios (95% CI) of 0.639 (0.460-0.887, p = 0.007) and the area under curve of the ROC curve of 25 (OH) D diagnosing acquired PE was 0.770 (95% CI: 0.695 to 0.844, p < 0.001). The best cut-off value was 16 ng/mL with a sensitivity of 60.9%, specificity of 83.5%, PPV of 70.9%, and NPV of 76.4% to indicate acquired PE., Conclusions: This study demonstrates that lower vitamin D levels are associated with the acquired PE. The result of our study showed that the role of serum vitamin D levels should be investigate in the etiology of acquired PE. Perhaps supplementation of vitamin D in men with acquired PE will ameliorate the sexual health of these patients., Competing Interests: None declared., (Copyright® by the International Brazilian Journal of Urology.)

Purpose: The aim of the study was to determine the effect of anticholinergics used for overactive bladder treatment on the sexual function of women., Methods: Between January 2016 and August 2018, over 18 years old, 216 sexual active women with OAB and 165 healthy women as control group were prospectively enrolled in the study. Five different anticholinergics were used for the treatment. Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), eight-item overactive bladder awareness tool (OAB-V8), and Beck Depression Inventory form were completed before and after 3 months. Baseline and post-treatment scores were compared with a control group of age-matched healthy women., Results: Patients with OAB reported at baseline significantly worse sexual function in all FSFI domains compared to healthy control group (21.47 ± 3.22 vs. 26.79 ± 5.56, p < 0.01). Three months after treatment, over 85% of participants reported clinically relevant improvements in sexual function, with statistically significant changes in mean FSFI scores., Conclusions: Treatment of OAB with anticholinergics can improve sexual function of sexual active women with OAB. Patients may be informed about this potential benefit of anticholinergic treatment, to improve their sexual function.

It is not always possible to replace a ureteric stent with a new one due to the fact that tumoral effect increases in ureter with time. We present our experience of manual replacement of double J stent without fluoroscopy. The data from 23 female patients who underwent double J stent replacement with a total of 110 times was retrospectively analyzed. The steps of technique are as follows: take out distal end of the double J stent through urethra to external urethral meatus cystoscopically, insert a 0.035-inch guide wire through double J stent to the renal pelvis or intra pelvicaliceal system, take out old double J stent over guide wire, slide new stent over guide wire and at external meatus level take out guide wire while gently sliding distal end of double J stent over guide wire into urethra. The mean age was 58.39 ± 9.21 years. Cervical, endometrial, and ovarian cancer were diagnosed in 16, 4, and 3 patients respectively. The mean follow-up and indwelling period were 13.8 ± 5.2, 3.8 ± 0.6 months, respectively. Increased pelvicaliceal dilatation, serum creatinine level, or renal parenchymal loss was not observed. Replacement of double J stents with this technique is easy and can be used successfully in distal ureteral obstructions.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the local recurrence and distant metastasis rates for urothelial carcinoma of the bladder after radical cystectomy and to identify the predictive factors for local recurrence and distant metastasis. The study population was 347 consecutive patients treated with radical cystectomy for urothelial carcinoma of the bladder at our institution. Local recurrence, distant metastasis, and both local and distant recurrence rates were 49 (14.1%) months, 96 (27.7%) months, and 17 (4.9%) months, respectively. The mean follow-up times to recurrence were 14.37 ± 13.25 months (range, 2-60 months) and 14.43 ± 15.72 months (range, 2-109 months) for local recurrence and distant metastasis, respectively (p = 0.808). The mean post-recurrence disease-specific survival (PRDSS) times for local, distant, and both local and distant recurrences were 17.82 ± 3.18 months, 4.16 ± 0.39 months, and 11.41 ± 2.73 months, respectively (p < 0.001). The predictive factors for local recurrence and distant metastasis were stage and nodal involvement (p < 0.001). Sex, grade, lymphovascular invasion (LVI), carcinoma in situ (CIS), and lymph node density (LND; 10% cut-off value) were not predictors for recurrence in the results of the multivariate analysis. The current study demonstrated that stage and pathological nodal involvement were independent predictors of local recurrence and distant metastasis. The results of this study suggest that the early diagnosis and intervention of invasive bladder cancer cases may decrease the number of high stage and lymph node positive cases that have a high risk of local and distant recurrences. The adjuvant treatment options in the presence of risk factors for recurrence may improve survival outcomes., (Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Taiwan.)

Objective: To determine the prognostic value of pT3 bladder urothelial carcinoma substaging in patients without lymphatic involvement., Patients and Methods: Pathologic and clinical data were reviewed on patients who underwent radical cystectomy for urothelial carcinoma between 1991 and 2010. Of the 460 reviewed patients, 74 patients were diagnosed with pathologic T3No urothelial carcinoma of the bladder. The impact of pathologic substaging (pT3a vs. pT3b) was examined to determine the effect on overall and disease-specific survival., Results: Five years disease-specific and overall survival rates were 46.9 % and 39.6 % for patients with pT3aNo tumor, whereas these ratios were 34.4 and 30.3 %, respectively, for patients with pT3bNo tumor (p > 0.05). Mean disease-specific survival time was 43.94 ± 6.50 months for pT3aNo, while it was 39.01 ± 7.19 months for pT3bNo (p = 0.539). In multivariate cox regression analysis, age (p = 0.459), gender (p = 0.710), urinary diversion type (p = 0.088), and pT3 substaging (p = 0.554) were not noticed as an independent predictive factor for survival., Conclusion: Macroscopic extravesical extension (pT3b) is not associated with a worse outcome than pT3a disease in lymph node-negative cases of bladder urothelial carcinoma.