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Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic definitely changed the management of patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). This study followed the modalities of treatments in patients with BPH associated with SARS-CoV-2 attending the Urology Clinic of “Sf. Ioan” Emergency Clinical Hospital, Bucharest, Romania. Material and methods:The present study included 81 patients (mean age 63.2 years, age range 55–87 years) with SARS-CoV-2 and BPH who were admitted to our Urology Department between January 2021 and January 2022. The diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 was based on the PCR test and that of BPH by using the diagnostic triad consisting of digital rectal examination, PSA, free PSA and ultrasound examination. It should be noted that some of the hospitalized patients were following treatment with alpha blockers and/or 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors at the time of admission. Results:Out of the 81 hospitalized cases, 13 required emergency endoscopic intervention under spinal anaesthesia (TURP or TURisP) for haemostasis because those patients presented with persistent haematuria which did not respond to conservative treatment. A number of 17 cases showed acute urinary retention during hospitalization and a urethrovesical catheter was fitted and will be re-evaluated urologically after the COVID episode. Of the remaining 51 subjects with BPH, 17 already had chronic urinary retention on admission, with urethrovesical probe present, 13 cases began during hospitalization with alpha-blocker treatment associated with 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors; meanwhile, there were no urological interventions to modify the treatment regimen in the remaining 21 patients, who were strictly managed on the side of COVID-19 infection. Conclusion:There was no clear influence of the evolution of patients with BPH due to SARS-CoV-2 pathology, and the general management trend was to delay chronic cases until the time of viral infection remission.

Objectives: A single centre, retrospective trial was performed trying to assess the impact of NBI cystoscopy in cases of non-muscle invasive bladder tumors (NMIBT) by comparison to the standard approach. Our goal was to determine the superiority of the new method in terms of detection rates and subsequent postoperative treatment changes. Materials and Methods: A total of 320 NMIBT suspected consecutive cases were enrolled in the study. The inclusion criteria were represented by hematuria, positive urinary cytology and/or ultrasound suspicion of bladder tumors. All patients underwent WLC and NBI cystoscopy. Standard transurethral resection of bladder tumors (TURBT) was performed for all lesions visible in WL and NBI guided resection for solely NBI observed tumors. Results: The overall NMIBT and CIS patients’ detection rates were significantly improved for the NBI evaluation ((94.9% versus 88.1% and 95.7% versus 65.2%). Also, on a lesions’ related basis, NBI cystoscopy emphasized a significantly superior diagnostic accuracy concerning the CIS, pTa and overall NMIBT formations ((95.2% versus 60.3%, 92.8% versus 83.9% and 94.1% versus 82%). Additional tumors were diagnosed by NBI in a significantly higher proportion of CIS, pTa, pT1 and NMIBT patients (56.6% versus 8.7%, 28% versus 10.3%, 30.3% versus 10.6% and 31.6% versus 9.4%). As a result of these supplementary findings, the postoperative treatment was significantly improved in a substantial proportion of cases (15.4% versus 5.1%). Conclusions: NBI cystoscopy represents a valuable diagnostic alternative in NMIBT patients, with significant improvement of tumor visual accuracy as well as detection rates. This approach provided a substantial amelioration to the risk category stratification and subsequent bladder cancer therapeutic management.

Introduction:Nephroureterectomy with perimeatal cystectomy is still the gold standard in the treatment of urothelial upper urinary-tract carcinoma (UUTC). Ureteral endoscopic surgery was proposed as a complementary first step in nephroureterectomy, in order to obviate the low abdominal incision. Our goal was to establish the value of a novel method of endoscopic distal ureteral management in on step nephroureterectomy for UUTC: pluck technique by using bipolar plasma vaporization. Materials and Methods:During the last two years, we performed nephroureterectomy with pluck transurethral detachment of the intramural ureter by using bipolar plasma vaporization in 42 cases with UUTC (pTa in 16 cases, pT1 in 10 cases, pT2 in 9 cases, pT3 in 7 cases). The tumor was pyelocaliceal in 34 cases, ureteral in 7 cases, and both ureteral and pyelocaliceal in 1 case. The follow-up was performed by cystoscopy with urinary cytology, ultrasonography, intravenous urography and CT. The mean follow-up was of 14 months (range 8 to 26 months). Results:All procedures were completed successfully. The complications rate was of 4.8%: 2 cases of hematuria, one imposing an endoscopic approach and another one treated conservatively. During follow-up, 6 patients had bladder recurrences, 1 had renal fossa tumors and 1 had secondary lymph-node invasion. The disease-specific mortality rate was of 4.8%. Conclusions:The endoscopic approach of the terminal ureter with bipolar plasma vaporization as part of one-step nephroureterectomy is a safe, facile and effective method offering good oncological results.