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Simple Summary: Penile cancer is aggressive and rapidly progressive. Early detection is crucial for survival. Many men delay seeking help due to a lack of awareness and fear of embarrassment. This study explored the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in detection of penile cancer. AI was trained on 136 penile lesions images from scientific publications. This included 65 penile cancer, 44 precancerous, and 27 benign images. It performed well in distinguishing between benign lesions and penile cancer with high accuracy. However, it faced challenges in accurately identifying precancerous lesions. These findings suggest that AI has potential in early detection of penile cancer, but more research is needed to refine and validate the AI software with real-life data. The goal is to complement and not replace clinicians. The AI algorithm may allow patients to evaluate any concerning penile lesion from the comfort and privacy of their home, potentially encouraging earlier medical consultation. Background/Objective: Penile cancer is aggressive and rapidly progressive. Early recognition is paramount for overall survival. However, many men delay presentation due to a lack of awareness and social stigma. This pilot study aims to develop a convolutional neural network (CNN) model to differentiate penile cancer from precancerous and benign penile lesions. Methods: The CNN was developed using 136 penile lesion images sourced from peer-reviewed open access publications. These images included 65 penile squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), 44 precancerous lesions, and 27 benign lesions. The dataset was partitioned using a stratified split into training (64%), validation (16%), and test (20%) sets. The model was evaluated using ten trials of 10-fold internal cross-validation to ensure robust performance assessment. Results: When distinguishing between benign penile lesions and penile SCC, the CNN achieved an Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve (AUROC) of 0.94, with a sensitivity of 0.82, specificity of 0.87, positive predictive value of 0.95, and negative predictive value of 0.72. The CNN showed reduced discriminative capability in differentiating precancerous lesions from penile SCC, with an AUROC of 0.74, sensitivity of 0.75, specificity of 0.65, PPV of 0.45, and NPV of 0.88. Conclusion: These findings demonstrate the potential of artificial intelligence in identifying penile SCC. Limitations of this study include the small sample size and reliance on photographs from publications. Further refinement and validation of the CNN using real-life data are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Genital skin conditions are rare and pose a diagnostic challenge due to their diverse pathology. Patient anxiety and referral decisions add complexity for primary caregivers. Demographics and overlapping symptoms complicate diagnosis, causing anxiety for both patients and clinicians. Social stigma and apprehension to seek healthcare might delay treatment. Accurate differentiation between benign and potentially serious conditions is crucial. Objective We aim to provide clinicians with a clear and concise framework to assist them in risk stratification, treatment decisions and referral pathways for common genital skin conditions. Discussion Differentiating normal variations is crucial to minimise unnecessary investigations and alleviate patient anxiety. Circumcision status, pigmentation and genetics influence disease presentation. We highlight benign conditions for reassurance. Inflammatory genital lesions might arise from various causes. Biopsies remain essential for accurately diagnosing uncertain cases. Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) should be promptly diagnosed and treated. Neoplastic conditions can evolve rapidly, requiring an urgent specialist referral. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PurposeWe assessed patient perceptions of regular intermittent self-dilation in men with urethral stricture.Materials and methodsWe constructed and distributed a visual analog questionnaire to evaluate intermittent self-dilation via catheterization by men referred for urethral stricture management at a total of 4 institutions. Items assessed included patient duration, frequency, difficulty and pain associated with intermittent self-dilation as well as interference of intermittent self-dilation with daily activity. The primary outcome was patient perceived quality of life. Multivariate analysis was performed to assess factors that affected this outcome.ResultsIncluded in the study were 85 patients with a median age of 68 years, a median of 3.0 years on intermittent self-dilation and a median frequency of 1 dilation per day. On a 1 to 10 scale the median intermittent self-dilation difficulty was 5.0 ± 2.7, the median pain score was 3.0 ± 2.7 and median interference with daily life was 2.0 ± 1.3. Overall quality of life in patients with stricture was poor (median score 7.0 ± 2.6 with poor quality of life defined as 7 or greater). On univariate analysis younger age (p

Objective: This study aims to describe the experience of a single-surgeon series with the use of intra-lesional mitomycin C (MMC) in the treatment of bladder neck contracture (BNC) and vesicourethral anastomotic stenosis (VUAS). Patients and methods: From July 2014 to January 2019, patients who underwent bladder neck incision (BNI) and intra-lesional MMC injection performed by a single surgeon were included in this retrospective study. Clinico-pathological data were extracted from medical records. The primary outcome was recurrence rate following BNI and MMC injection. Results: Ten patients were included in the study. The median age was 68 years. The cause of BNC or VUAS was secondary to radical prostatectomy in eight patients and to endoscopic prostatectomy in two patients. The median follow-up was 16.4 months. The success rate was 70% after first treatment with BNI and MMC injection, and 80% after repeated treatment. There were no serious adverse events or complications related to the MMC injection. Conclusion: BNI and intra-lesional MMC injection is a minimally invasive treatment for refractory bladder neck contractures with a good success rate and minimal risk of side effects when a low dose of MMC is used. Further prospective multicentre study is warranted. Level of evidence: Level 4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]