[Radical cystectomy with orthotopic neobladder replacement: Comparison of robotic assisted and open surgical route]

INTRODUCTION

Radical cystectomy remains the referent treatment of non-metastatic muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). The fast development of robotic surgery has led some teams to use it for the surgical treatment of the MIBC, in the hope of reducing postoperative morbidity. Urinary diversion by bladder substitution is a bypass option. The aim of our study was to compare the robot-assisted cystectomy with open cystectomy, with urinary diversion by bladder substitution.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Over a two-year period, all the patients who underwent a robot-assisted laparoscopic or open cystectomy with urinary diversion by bladder substitution have been included. The urinary diversion performed was extra-corporeal.

RESULTS

The study concerned were 26 men, 15 of them underwent robot-assisted cystectomy, and 11 open cystectomy. There was no significant difference in the median operating time or duration of stay (300 vs 314min and 14 vs 18 days). However, there were less blood loss and more lymph nodes collected in the cystectomies robot-assisted group (median: 400 vs 800mL, P=0.016; 15 vs 10, P=0.01). Three grade III complications of the Clavien-Dindo classification have been described in the robot-assisted group, and none in the open group. No robot-assisted procedure required a conversion to laparotomy. Within 90 postoperative days, complications are basically low grades and results are consistent with the literature.

CONCLUSION

In our series, robot-assisted cystectomies with extracorporeal bladder substitution is technically feasible, with best results on blood loss and the number of lymph nodes removed, without impact on the length of stay.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

4.

Recognition Of Emotional Prosody In Anorexia Nervosa

Deficits in emotional processes are often observed by clinicians in anorexia nervosa and may have an impact on social functioning. Recognition of emotion was mostly investigated using visual stimuli as faces of emotional scenes. Only one study (Kucharska-Pietura et al., 2004) demonstrated impairments in emotional prosody using positive and negative valenced stimuli. However, this study did not provide a highlight for the identification of emotional bias (for example, to recognize an intense fear in a friendly voice). The aim of this study is to better understand the recognition of emotional prosody in anorexia nervosa using a wide range of positive, negative and neutral stimuli (Belin et al., 2008).

In order to test emotion recognition biases in emotional prosody, we exposed 15 patients with anorexia nervosa and 15 healthy controls (HCs) to emotional vocal tasks asking them to rate emotional intensity on visual analog scales. In addition, we assessed clinical symptomatology and cognitive functioning for all participants.

We showed that patients with anorexia nervosa provided higher intensity ratings on the non-target scales (e.g., surprise scale for fear stimuli) than HCs for sadness, fear and neutral voices. Furthermore, with the exception of neutral vocal stimuli, they provided the same intensity ratings on the target scales as the HCs.

These findings suggested a bias in the processing of emotional prosody and may impact the social functioning of patients with anorexia nervosa. The bias may result from a sensorial deficit or a high-order cognitive dysfunction and have to be investigated in future studies.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

[Partial nephrectomy on solitary kidney: Renal function outcome and predictive factors of impairment]

OBJECTIVES

To assess the postoperative functional outcome of PN in solitary kidney and define some predictive factors of renal change.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A monocentric series of 45 partial nephrectomies on solitary kidneys, performed between 1988 and 2014, was retrospectively analyzed. Pre-, per- and postoperative clinicopathological data were collected in the UroCCR database. The evolution of early, medium and long-term postoperative Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) was evaluated. Predictive factors of GFR decline and hemodialysis were assessed in multivariate analysis.

RESULTS

Mean age was 61 years old (±10.8). Mean preoperative GFR and tumor size were respectively 59.6 mL/min (±18.7) and 3.9 cm (±2.6). Vascular clamping was performed in 41 cases (91%). Median time of warm ischemia was 20 minutes (2-60). Mean follow-up was 66 months (±47). Mean GFR at day 5, 1 month and last follow-up were respectively 46.4 mL/min, 50.3 mL/min and 53.1 mL/min. At day 5 and at last follow-up, a GFR decrease ≥ 20% was found in 20 patients (44.4%) and in 16 patients (35.5%), respectively. Five patients (11%) required definitive hemodialysis (HD) at last follow-up. At day 5, tumor size>4 cm (0.006) and operative time (P=0.003) were independent predictive factors of GFR decline. At 1 year, RENAL ns ≥ 10 was the only independent predictive factor of GFR alteration (P=0.0007). Preoperative GFR was significantly associated with final hemodialysis (P=0.023).

CONCLUSION

Partial nephrectomy allows most of the patients presenting with renal cell carcinoma on solitary kidney to be free of hemodialysis. Tumor complexity, tumor size and preoperative GFR seems to play a determinant role on postoperative functional outcome. These non-modifiable predictive factors should be recognized and taken into account to better select patients with high risk of postoperative renal failure.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

5.

Recognition of emotional prosody in anorexia nervosa

Deficits in emotional processes are often observed by clinicians in anorexia nervosa and may have an impact on social functioning. Recognition of emotion was mostly investigated using visual stimuli as faces of emotional scenes. Only one study (Kucharska-Pietura et al., 2004) demonstrated impairments in emotional prosody using positive and negative valenced stimuli. However, this study did not provide a highlight for the identification of emotional bias (for example, to recognize an intense fear in a friendly voice). The aim of this study is to better understand the recognition of emotional prosody in anorexia nervosa using a wide range of positive, negative and neutral stimuli (Belin et al., 2008). In order to test emotion recognition biases in emotional prosody, we exposed 15 patients with anorexia nervosa and 15 healthy controls (HCs) to emotional vocal tasks asking them to rate emotional intensity on visual analog scales. In addition, we assessed clinical symptomatology and cognitive functioning for all participants. We showed that patients with anorexia nervosa provided higher intensity ratings on the non-target scales (e.g., surprise scale for fear stimuli) than HCs for sadness, fear and neutral voices. Furthermore, with the exception of neutral vocal stimuli, they provided the same intensity ratings on the target scales as the HCs. These findings suggested a bias in the processing of emotional prosody and may impact the social functioning of patients with anorexia nervosa. The bias may result from a sensorial deficit or a high-order cognitive dysfunction and have to be investigated in future studies.

A novel, blocking, Fc-silent anti-CD40 monoclonal antibody prolongs nonhuman primate renal allograft survival in the absence of B cell depletion

CD40-CD154 pathway blockade prolongs renal allograft survival in nonhuman primates (NHPs). However, antibodies targeting CD154 were associated with an increased incidence of thromboembolic complications. Antibodies targeting CD40 prolong renal allograft survival in NHPs without thromboembolic events but with accompanying B cell depletion, raising the question of the relative contribution of B cell depletion to the efficacy of anti-CD40 blockade. Here, we investigated whether fully silencing Fc effector functions of an anti-CD40 antibody can still promote graft survival. The parent anti-CD40 monoclonal antibody HCD122 prolonged allograft survival in MHC-mismatched cynomolgus monkey renal allograft transplantation (52, 22, and 24 days) with accompanying B cell depletion. Fc-silencing yielded CFZ533, an antibody incapable of B cell depletion but still able to potently inhibit CD40 pathway activation. CFZ533 prolonged allograft survival and function up to a defined protocol endpoint of 98-100 days (100, 100, 100, 98, and 76 days) in the absence of B cell depletion and preservation of good histological graft morphology. CFZ533 was well-tolerated, with no evidence of thromboembolic events or CD40 pathway activation and suppressed a gene signature associated with acute rejection. Thus, use of the Fc-silent anti-CD40 antibody CFZ533 appears to be an attractive approach for preventing solid organ transplant rejection.

[Multicenter study of Advance ® suburethral sling for treatment of postoperative urinary incontinence of male]

OBJECTIVES

To estimate in the medium term, the efficiency and morbidity of Advance(®) for the treatment of postoperative urinary incontinence for male, and determine predictive preoperative factors of success or failure.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Retrospective multicentric clinical study of patients presenting a postoperative urinary incontinence and treated by Advance(®) suburethral sling. The importance of the preoperative incontinence was classified in three groups: light (pad-test<50 g/day or 1 pad/day), moderated (pad-test between 50 and 100 g/day or 2 or 3 pads/day), severe (pad-test>100 g/day or >3 pads/day). The functional results were classified in 4 categories: continence and improvement, defining the criterion of success and unchanged situation and deteriorated situation defining the criterion of failure.

RESULTS

Sixty-six patients were included from 2008 till 2013. The radical prostatectomy was responsible in 85.5% of the cases. The incontinence was light, moderated and severe for respectively 43.4%, 35.6% and 21% of the patients. After treatment, 39.4% of the patients were continent and 78.9% in situation of success. The rate of success decreased with the severity of the incontinence (respectively 94%, 74% and 56%). For 9 patients, implantation of artificial urinary sphincter was performed without operative difficulties. Complications were urine retention (n=4), hematoma (n=3) and scrotal pains persistent more than one postoperative month (n=11).

CONCLUSION

Advance(®) suburethral sling is a technique in which the efficiency decreases with the severity of the incontinence, but which does not seem to prevent from implanting artificial urinary sphincter. Its main problem is the apparition of scrotal pain.

[Evaluation of the impact of CTMH guidelines on the management of benign prostatic hyperplasia]

INTRODUCTION

The French guidelines on the management of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) have been published in 2012 by the LUTS committee of the French Urological Association. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of these guidelines on the BPH management by French urologists.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A questionnaire has been distributed by email to 1141 urologists members of the French Association of Urologists in November 2013.

RESULTS

We collected 222 responses (response rate: 19%). The guidelines have been read by 73% of the urologists. The guidelines were followed most of the time by 76% of them, 11% followed them systematically and 4.5% did not follow them. The new terminology was used by 28 to 52% according to the items. The symptoms were evaluated by the IPSS score (33%), by interrogatory alone (64%) or by neither of them (3%). Prostate volume was not systematically taken for account in the treatment strategy by 57% of the urologists. Sexual function was assessed systematically by 28% of the urologists, 11% used a questionnaire (IIEF: 92%). PSA was tested respectively by 70 and 51% of the urologists at the initial evaluation and the follow-up. After introduction of a monotherapy, 56% of the urologists evaluated the efficacy at 3 months.

CONCLUSION

The French guidelines for the management of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) by the LUTS committee of the French Urological Association were well known and used by French urologists. Some improvements can be expected for the use of the IPSS score, the evaluation of the sexual function, and the use of the new terminology.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

4.

Use of very-high-dose olanzapine in treatment-resistant schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a chronic illness with a progressive course that can be marked by resistance to antipsychotic treatment. This can make therapeutic support challenging for the practitioner, with results that are partial and unsatisfactory. In the literature, treatment with high-dose olanzapine (>20mg/day) appears to be a good alternative to clozapine, the gold standard for treatment-resistant schizophrenia. In the present observational prospective study, we studied the clinical and biological profiles of patients treated with olanzapine doses up to 100mg/day. In total, 50 patients were clinically and biologically assessed. We found a linear relationship between oral dose and serum concentration (Pearson's r=0.83, p<0.001) with effects of tobacco (p<0.05) and of coffee and tea consumption (p<0.01). Tolerance seemed to be good regardless of dose. No link was found between concentration and efficiency. Despite a nonexhaustive assessment of pharmacokinetic parameters, not least pharmacogenetic data (e.g., genotyping of cytochrome P450-1A2 or glycoprotein P Abcb1a), pharmacokinetic aspects alone cannot account for why the disease may sometimes be resistant to 20mg of olanzapine but respond to higher doses. A nuclear imaging study exploring brain occupancy by high-dose olanzapine, coupled with the abovementioned pharmacokinetic assessment, may prove a relevant experimental paradigm for studying the pathophysiological mechanisms of resistant schizophrenia.