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Serum testosterone does not correlate with androgen tissue activity, and it is critical to optimize tools to evaluate such activity in males. Ultrasound measurement of bulbocavernosus muscle (BCM) was used to assess the relationship between the number of CAG repeats (CAGn) in the androgen receptor (AR) and the BCM size; the changes in the number of CAGn over age were also evaluated. Transperineal ultrasound measurement of the BCM was also performed. AR CAGn were determined by high performance liquid chromatography, and morning hormone levels were determined using immunoassays. Forty-eight men had CAG repeat analysis. Twenty-ive were <30 years of age, mean 23.7 years (s.d. = 3.24) and 23 were >45 years of age, mean 53 years (s.d. = 5.58). The median CAGn was 21 (13-29). BCM area was greater when the number of CAGn were <18 as compared to the number of CAGn >24 (P = 0.04). There was a linear correlation between the number of CAGn and the BCM area R² = 16% (P = 0.01). In the 45 to 65-years-old group, a much stronger negative correlation (R² = 29%, P = 0.01) was noticed. In the 19 to 29-years-old group, no such correlation was found (R² = 4%, P = 0.36). In older men, the number of CAGn increased with age (R² = 32%, P = 0.01). The number of CAGn in the AR correlates with the area of the BCM. Ultrasound assessment of the BCM is an effective surrogate to evaluate end-organ activity of androgens. The number of CAGn may increase with age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Penile prosthesis implant surgery is an effective management approach for a number of urological conditions, including medication refractory erectile dysfunction (ED). Complications encountered post-operatively include infection, bleeding/hematoma, and device malfunction. Since the 1970s, modifications to these devices have reduced complication rates through improvement in antisepsis and design using antibiotic coatings, kink-resistant tubing, lock-out valves to prevent autoinflation, and modified reservoir shapes. Device survival and complication rates have been investigated predominately by retrospective database-derived studies. This review article focuses on the identification and management of post-operative complications following penile prosthetic and implant surgery. Etiology for ED, surgical technique, and prosthesis type are variable among studies. The most common post-operative complications of infection, bleeding, and device malfunction may be minimized by adherence to consistent technique and standard protocol. Novel antibiotic coatings and standard antibiotic regimen may reduce infection rates. Meticulous hemostasis and intraoperative testing of devices may further reduce need for revision surgery. Additional prospective studies with consistent reporting of outcomes and comparison of surgical approach and prosthesis type in patients with variable ED etiology would be beneficial., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Opioid-induced androgen deficiency (OPIAD) was initially recognized as a possible consequence of opioid use roughly four decades ago. Long-acting opioid use carries risks of addiction, tolerance, and systemic side effects including hypogonadotropic hypogonadism with consequent testosterone depletion leading to multiple central and peripheral effects. Hypogonadism is induced through direct inhibitory action of opioids on receptors within the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axes as well as testosterone production within the testes. Few studies have systematically investigated hormonal changes induced by long-term opioid administration or the effects of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) in patients with OPIAD. Clomiphene citrate, a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM), is a testosterone enhancement treatment which upregulates endogenous hypothalamic function. This review will focus on the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management of OPIAD, including summary of literature evaluating OPIAD treatment with TRT, and areas of future investigation.

Introduction: Bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS) is a novel, precise quantification of body composition (BC) using low electrical currents through tissue. Accurate BC quantification may better predict postoperative outcomes. We compared BIS-BC and body mass index (BMI) for correlation with post-surgical outcomes in robotic assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) patients., Materials and Methods: Preoperative BIS-BC and BMI analyses were conducted on men with biopsy-proven prostate cancer undergoing RARP. Height, weight, percentage and fat mass (PFM, FM), percentage and fat-free mass (PFFM, FFM), percentage and total body water (PTBW, TBW), and percentage and intracellular/extracellular water (PICW, PECW, ICW, ECW) were obtained using the ImpediMed SFB7 Device (San Diego, CA, USA). Preoperative PSA, biopsy and pathologic Gleason scores, prostate volume, percentage tumor volume, margin status, operative time, estimated blood loss (EBL) and pathologic stage were recorded. Spearman's rank correlation was estimated to evaluate the association between BIS-BC results, BMI, and post-surgical outcomes., Results: Between April 2009 and August 2010, 63 men had been enrolled in this ongoing study. Fourteen were of normal weight (18.5 kg/m2-24.9 kg/m2), 33 were overweight (25 kg/m2-29.9 kg/m2) and 16 were obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2). Mean age was 60.7 years, mean preoperative PSA was 7.4 ng/mL, and median Gleason was 7. BMI correlated with FFM (p = 0.002), FM (p = 0.01), and PTBW (p = 0.02). FM correlated with preoperative PSA (p = 0.01). PFFM (p = 0.03), PFM (p = 0.03) and PTBW (p = 0.04) correlated with % tumor volume. ICW (p = 0.01) and TBW (p = 0.009) correlated with EBL. BMI (p = 0.04), PECW (p = 0.04), FM (p = 0.05), and PICW (p = 0.03) correlated with pathologic tumor stage., Conclusions: BMI correlates with BIS-BC FFM, FM and PTBW. PFFM, PFM and PTBW correlated with % tumor volume. ICW and TBW correlated with EBL. BMI, PECW, FM, and PICW correlated with pathologic tumor stage. BIS-BC metrics may be helpful in predicting post-RARP outcomes. Further study is required to validate these predictions.