Translational andrology and urology最新文献

{"title":"Transurethral ventral buccal mucosal inlay grafting: a narrative review.","authors":"Benjamin Cedars, Dmitriy Nikolavsky","doi":"10.21037/tau-24-615","DOIUrl":"10.21037/tau-24-615","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background and objective: </strong>Urethral strictures involving the meatus and fossa navicularis (FN) account for up to 18% of cases, presenting unique diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. This review explores the history and current management strategies, including minimally invasive endoscopic techniques and reconstructive options such as flap and buccal mucosal graft (BMG) urethroplasty. Open urethroplasty remains the gold standard, particularly for complex cases, but it carries undesirable risks such as dehiscence and fistula formation. We will review transurethral approaches to avoid these risks and provide a step-by-step explanation for the ventral inlay BMG FN urethroplasty.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A focused review of the literature was performed using the PubMed database with the following search terms: \"transurethral\", \"transmeatal\", \"urethroplasty\", and \"fossa navicularis\". English language articles were included, and detailed review was carried out to select the relevant articles.</p><p><strong>Key content and findings: </strong>Recent advancements include transurethral approaches that minimize external incisions and associated complications, demonstrating high success rates while preserving functional and aesthetic outcomes. Key elements of the procedure include ventral scar tissue resection, harvest of a tear-shaped BMG, and use of double-armed sutures to allow for external knot tying.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This review highlights the importance of refining and innovating techniques to optimize patient outcomes in managing FN strictures, most recently via transurethral augmentation with BMG.</p>","PeriodicalId":23270,"journal":{"name":"Translational andrology and urology","volume":"14 8","pages":"2391-2397"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-08-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12433170/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145065499","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Harnessing the power of combination therapy: reflecting on the final survival data from the CLEAR study with lenvatinib plus pembrolizumab.","authors":"Brian M Shinder, Lingbin Meng, Eric A Singer","doi":"10.21037/tau-2025-201","DOIUrl":"10.21037/tau-2025-201","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":23270,"journal":{"name":"Translational andrology and urology","volume":"14 8","pages":"2124-2128"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-08-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12433167/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145065636","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma patients show better overall response rate than bladder cancer patients during enfortumab vedotin treatment following pembrolizumab.","authors":"Mamoru Hashimoto, Ken Fukiage, Kosei Taniguchi, Takafumi Minami, Wataru Fukuokaya, Keiichiro Mori, Takafumi Yanagisawa, Takuya Tsujino, Ryoichi Maenosono, Masanobu Saruta, Kiyoshi Takahara, Takeshi Hashimoto, Yosuke Hirasawa, Haruhito Azuma, Yoshio Ohno, Ryoichi Shiroki, Kazutoshi Fujita","doi":"10.21037/tau-2025-254","DOIUrl":"10.21037/tau-2025-254","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The treatment strategy for urothelial carcinoma has advanced with the development of enfortumab vedotin (EV); however, a comparative analysis of its therapeutic efficacy between upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) and bladder cancer (BCa) has yet to be established. We aimed to compare the effects of EV after pembrolizumab treatment between the patients with UTUC and BCa.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We included the patients with advanced UC patients who received EV after pembrolizumab in this retrospective study. We investigated the impact of various clinical variables including age, primary site of disease (UTUC <i>vs.</i> BCa), Liver metastasis, lung metastasis, prior number of regimens before EV treatment, and ECOG PS, which influenced on prognosis and efficacy of EV treatment.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 63 male and 23 female patients were included in our study. The number of UTUC and BCa patients were 33 and 53, respectively. The UTUC cohort had a significantly older patient population and a greater incidence of lung metastases compared to the BCa group. The prognosis of UTUC patients were not significantly different from BCa patients. However, UTUC was determined as significant factor to predict better overall response rate than BCa in multiple logistic regression analysis.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>UTUC patients showed significantly better response to EV treatment than BCa patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":23270,"journal":{"name":"Translational andrology and urology","volume":"14 8","pages":"2279-2288"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-08-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12433179/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145065551","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of a novel implantable tibial nerve stimulation system on overactive bladder in pigs.","authors":"Feijun Yu, Xing Wang, Jun Chen, Longzhen Cheng, Yixiu Ni, Wankun Wang, Ganpei Jiao, Aokang Zhang","doi":"10.21037/tau-2025-245","DOIUrl":"10.21037/tau-2025-245","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Overactive bladder (OAB) is a common and burdensome condition characterized by urgency, frequency, and urinary incontinence. While tibial nerve stimulation (TNS) has emerged as a minimally invasive neuromodulation therapy for OAB, current systems are limited by external devices, frequent hospital visits, and inconsistent stimulation. This study aims to investigate the safety and efficacy of a novel implantable TNS system for treating OAB in pigs.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Three male Bama miniature pigs (25-28 kg) received bilateral implantation of a novel battery-free, wireless implantable TNS system. The right-side device was activated as the treatment side, and the left-side device remained inactive as a control. Postoperative observations continued for 30 days, including assessments of general health, body weight, and X-ray monitoring of device position. OAB was induced by intravesical infusion of 5% acetic acid. Bladder pressure-volume curves were measured under baseline, OAB-induced (control), and TNS-stimulated (experimental) conditions. Histological examination of tissues surrounding the implants was conducted using hematoxylin and eosin staining to assess inflammation.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>All pigs remained in good health throughout the study, with stable weight gain and no adverse events. The implanted devices showed no migration and maintained stable function. Compared with baseline, bladder capacity was significantly reduced in the control group after OAB induction (P<0.05), and significantly increased in the experimental group after stimulation (average improvement of 24.4%, P<0.05). Histological analysis revealed no significant inflammatory reactions at electrode contact sites or in surrounding tissues between the experimental and control groups (P>0.05).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The novel implantable TNS system demonstrated excellent safety, biocompatibility, and efficacy in reducing OAB symptoms in pigs. These findings support its potential as a convenient and effective long-term neuromodulation therapy for OAB.</p>","PeriodicalId":23270,"journal":{"name":"Translational andrology and urology","volume":"14 8","pages":"2325-2336"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-08-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12433157/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145065667","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Varicocele grade does not correlate with the severity of sperm DNA fragmentation levels nor with the amount of improvement in DNA fragmentation following varicocele repair.","authors":"Parviz K Kavoussi, Romtin Mehrabani-Farsi, Hayden T Henderson, Jason Weiss, Jeissen Pyo, Claire Fason, Arya Farahi, Negar Farzaneh, Sarosh Irani, Shahryar K Kavoussi","doi":"10.21037/tau-2025-154","DOIUrl":"10.21037/tau-2025-154","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Varicocele is the most common correctable form of male infertility. Varicoceles have been established to result in worsened semen parameters as well as elevate sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF). There is data indicating that varicocele repair improves semen parameters and SDF, however; there is a paucity of data assessing the correlation of varicocele clinical grade with the severity of SDF and the amount of improvement in SDF with varicocele repair based on grade. The purpose of this study was to assess the difference in baseline sperm DNA fragmentation indices (DFIs) in infertile men with varicoceles based on the clinical grade of the varicocele and the amount of improvement in DFI following varicocele repair.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A retrospective chart review was performed in men who presented for a fertility evaluation and were diagnosed with a clinical varicocele and underwent varicocele repair with preoperative and 3-month postoperative semen analyses with DFI testing.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>There was no significant difference in the level of SDF based on the grade of varicocele, and there was not a significant correlation between the grade of the varicocele and the amount of improvement in SDF from baseline to 3 months after varicocele repair.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>When counseling infertile men undergoing varicocele repair for elevated SDF, the grade of varicocele may not impact the amount of improvement expected in SDF following repair, suggesting that varicocele patients may be counseled similarly on expectations for response regardless of varicocele grade.</p>","PeriodicalId":23270,"journal":{"name":"Translational andrology and urology","volume":"14 7","pages":"1904-1911"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12336730/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144837720","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Elevated PABPC4 expression in human prostate cancer tissues predicts adverse clinical outcomes.","authors":"Xianqi Shen, Zijian Li, Yuchuan Shi, Zenghui Zhou, Yan Wang, Min Qu, Jin Ji, Xu Gao","doi":"10.21037/tau-2025-19","DOIUrl":"10.21037/tau-2025-19","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Poly(A) binding protein cytoplasmic 4 (PABPC4) has been regarded as a prognostic marker in many malignancies. In this study, we evaluated PABPC4 expression at both messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) and protein levels. The prognostic value of PABPC4 in patients with prostate cancer (PCa) was also investigated.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, our analysis of Chinese Prostate Cancer Genome and Epigenome Atlas (CPGEA), and 65 pairs of ribonucleic acid (RNA) sequencing data from our center were employed to detect the expression of PABPC4 in PCa tissues. Tissue microarrays (TMAs) were utilized to detect the expression of the PABPC4 protein, and survival analysis as well as risk factor analysis were conducted.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In the 65 pairs of sequencing data, the expression of PABPC4 in tumor tissues was significantly higher than that in paired adjacent tissues (P<0.001), and its expression also presented significant differences among different Gleason groups (P=0.041). In the CPGEA data, the expression of PABPC4 in tumor tissues was significantly higher than that in control tissues (P<0.001), and the expression of PABPC4 in M1 patients was higher than that in M0 patients, although no significant statistical difference was shown (P=0.051). In the TCGA data, the expression of PABPC4 in tumor tissues was significantly higher than that in control tissues (P<0.001). The expression of pT3/4 (pathological tumor stage 3 and pathological tumor stage 4) in high-stage tumor tissues was significantly higher than that in low-stage tumor tissues (pT2) (P=0.02), the expression of pT3/4 in GSE21034 and GSE32571 tumor tissues was significantly higher than that in control tissues (P<0.001), and the expression of pT3/4 in primary tumor tissues was higher than that in metastatic tissues in GSE6752 (P<0.001). The TCGA data revealed that patients with high PABPC4 expression had poorer overall survival (OS) than those with low PABPC4 expression (P=0.04), and the TMA data indicated that patients with high PABPC4 expression had a poor prognosis (P=0.004).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our study demonstrated that PABPC4 was overexpressed at mRNA and protein levels in PCa. We found that patients with high PABPC4 expression had a shorter biochemical recurrence (BCR)-free survival and OS, showing its value as a prognostic biomarker in patients with PCa.</p>","PeriodicalId":23270,"journal":{"name":"Translational andrology and urology","volume":"14 7","pages":"1893-1903"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12336731/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144837809","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Identification of M2 macrophage-related biomarkers for a predictive model of interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy after kidney transplantation by machine learning algorithms.","authors":"Kaifeng Mao, Xiang Xu, Fenwang Lin, Yige Pan, Zhenquan Lu, Bingfeng Luo, Yifei Zhu, Zhenda Li, Junsheng Ye","doi":"10.21037/tau-2025-198","DOIUrl":"10.21037/tau-2025-198","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy (IFTA) represent significant histopathological manifestations contributing to long-term kidney allograft failure after transplantation. Identifying M2 macrophage (Mφ2)-related biomarkers could enhance early diagnosis and prognosis prediction, improving patient outcomes. This study aimed to explore Mφ2-related biomarkers for IFTA via bioinformatics and machine learning approaches.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data from the GSE98320 dataset were analyzed to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Immune cell profiling using the CIBERSORT algorithm and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was performed to elucidate Mφ2-related biomarkers modules. Three machine learning algorithms were applied to identify hub genes. A nomogram model was developed and validated using multiple external datasets. Consensus clustering was employed to stratify patients into high-risk and low-risk groups based on hub gene expression.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We obtained three hub genes (<i>ALOX5, ARL4C</i>, and <i>MS4A6A</i>) significantly associated with IFTA. The nomogram model demonstrated robust discriminatory power with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.738 in the training cohort and 0.78-0.88 in external validation cohorts. Consensus clustering stratified patients into high-risk (cluster 1) and low-risk (cluster 2) groups, with elevated hub gene expression correlating with accelerated graft loss (P<0.001). Functional enrichment analysis revealed immune dysregulation and activation of fibrosis-related pathways in the high-risk group.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our findings uncovered novel Mφ2-related biomarkers for IFTA, offering diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic targets to improve kidney allograft outcomes. This study highlighted the potential of integrating bioinformatics and machine learning approaches to advance personalized medicine in kidney transplantation.</p>","PeriodicalId":23270,"journal":{"name":"Translational andrology and urology","volume":"14 7","pages":"1990-2006"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12336727/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144837810","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"<i>RhoJ</i> promotes the progression of clear cell renal cell carcinoma via the TNF-α/NF-κB axis.","authors":"Ji Feng, Bin Zheng, Jichen Wang, Qingjiang Xu, Qing Ouyang, Huaikang Li, Tongyu Jia, Yaohui Wang, Tianwei Cai, Yi Feng, Xu Zhang, Xiubin Li, Xin Ma","doi":"10.21037/tau-2025-132","DOIUrl":"10.21037/tau-2025-132","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) represents the predominant form of kidney cancer. The Ras homology (Rho) GTPases family plays essential roles in several tumors. However, few studies have reported the function and clinical value of the Rho GTPases family in ccRCC. Our study aimed to systematically investigate the expression profiles, functional roles, and clinical significance of Rho GTPases in ccRCC, with the goal of identifying potential biomarkers and novel therapeutic targets to improve the treatment outcomes and survival rates of this aggressive kidney cancer.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The expression level of Ras homolog family member J (<i>RhoJ</i>) was detected in ccRCC cells and tissues using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), western blotting, and immunohistochemistry (IHC). The biological functions of <i>RhoJ</i> were evaluated via <i>in vitro</i> and <i>in vivo</i> assays. RNA sequencing was used to investigate the underlying mechanisms. Potential <i>RhoJ</i> inhibitors were identified using virtual screening in a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs repository.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Our study identified <i>RhoJ</i> as the only Ras-homologous guanosine triphosphate (GTP)-binding protein (Rho GTPase) associated with poor prognosis in ccRCC patients. Using ccRCC cells and tumor tissues, we found that <i>RhoJ</i> was significantly highly expressed in ccRCC. Moreover, <i>RhoJ</i> apparently enhanced ccRCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Further, upregulated <i>RhoJ</i> could accelerate cell cycle progression, inhibit apoptosis, and enhance epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Through orthotopic tumor models, we found that knocking down <i>RhoJ</i> inhibited tumor growth. Mechanically, <i>RhoJ</i> influenced ccRCC progression through the tumor necrosis factor-alpha/nuclear factor kappa B (TNF-α/NF-κB) axis. Blocking this axis could partially rescue malignant phenotypes caused by <i>RhoJ</i>. Finally, since there are no available drugs targeting <i>RhoJ</i>, the virtual screening was used to identify potential <i>RhoJ</i> inhibitors based on an FDA-approved drug library, which showed that ergotamine, irinotecan, ledipasvir, pazopanib, and avodart were potential <i>RhoJ</i>-targeting drugs.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Taken together, our findings provide novel insights into the role of <i>RhoJ</i> and identify available potential drugs for controlling ccRCC.</p>","PeriodicalId":23270,"journal":{"name":"Translational andrology and urology","volume":"14 7","pages":"1849-1864"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12336740/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144837798","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Development of a prediction model for risk of breakthrough urinary tract infection in children with primary vesicoureteral reflux.","authors":"Zhenzhen Yang, Jiayi Li, Pei Liu, Ning Sun, Hongcheng Song, Weiping Zhang","doi":"10.21037/tau-2025-85","DOIUrl":"10.21037/tau-2025-85","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Many factors influence the risk of breakthrough urinary tract infection (BTUTI) in children with primary vesicoureteral reflux (VUR). Distal ureteral diameter ratio (UDR) and VUR index (VURx) have been shown in studies as predictors of BTUTI. We aimed to establish a predictive model through selecting voiding cystourethrography (VCUG)-related parameters in combination with clinical parameters for BTUTI in children with primary VUR.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A retrospective cohort analysis was conducted on the clinical characteristics and VCUG-related parameters of patients with primary VUR. Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed to identify independent predictors and develop a model for predicting the probability of BTUTI. We compared our model against two other metrics for predicting BTUTI: the distal UDR and the VURx. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC), calibration curve, and decision curve analysis (DCA) were used to evaluate the predictive performance of the model.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 193 patients were included in this study. Based on the results of univariable and multivariable analyses, three variables of sex (female) [odds ratio (OR): 3.39; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.57-7.33], high-grade VUR (OR: 2.27; 95% CI: 0.98-5.25), and ureterovesical junction diameter of ureter (UVJ diameter) (OR: 5.85; 95% CI: 1.81-18.92) were used to create a prediction model and a nomogram. The AUCs for our model, the UDR, and the VURx in predicting the occurrence of BTUTI were 0.736, 0.680, and 0.546, respectively. The DCA revealed the clinical usefulness of the model.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study identified three independent variables, namely, female sex, high-grade VUR, and UVJ diameter, for predicting the probability of BTUTI in primary VUR. The model and nomogram established in this study can greatly assist urologists in individualizing the management of primary VUR patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":23270,"journal":{"name":"Translational andrology and urology","volume":"14 7","pages":"1882-1892"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12336739/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144837807","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Long-term prognosis of urethral balloon dilation for urethral strictures: experience from a tertiary care center in China.","authors":"Xing Ji, Zhenpeng Zhu, Chunru Xu, Xiaoyu Li, Jian Lin","doi":"10.21037/tau-2025-223","DOIUrl":"10.21037/tau-2025-223","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The treatment of urethral stricture, particularly long-segment urethral stricture, poses a significant challenge in urological reconstruction. High-pressure balloon dilation has gained widespread recognition as an effective and safe therapeutic option. However, studies on its long-term outcomes, especially for long-segment urethral stricture, remain scarce. This study aims to establish the clinical baseline efficacy and safety of urethral balloon dilation at a tertiary care center and to provide context through an exploratory comparison with a contemporaneous cohort treated with direct vision internal urethrotomy (DVIU)/dilation.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>There were 128 patients with urethral strictures who underwent endoluminal treatment at our center between November 2017 and September 2023. Of these 128 patients, 64 underwent balloon dilation and 64 underwent DVIU/dilation. Demographic and stricture characteristics data were collected. The endpoint was defined as the recurrence of strictures requiring intervention. The efficacy and safety of balloon dilation were analyzed, including outcomes by stricture length within the balloon dilation group. Comparative outcomes with the DVIU/dilation group were explored cautiously due to baseline differences.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The median follow-up duration was 26 months for the balloon dilation group and 43 months for the DVIU/dilation group. Patients in the balloon dilation group generally had more complex strictures. The overall 1-year success rate for balloon dilation was 70.1%. Within the balloon dilation group, the 1-year success rate for long-segment strictures (≥2 cm) was 70.0%, and for short-segment strictures (<2 cm) was 70.6%, indicating comparable performance across these lengths in this cohort. The overall incidence of complications in the balloon dilation group was 20.3%. The DVIU/dilation group had an overall 1-year success rate of 70.2%. An exploratory subgroup analysis comparing patients with long-segment strictures (≥2 cm) in both treatment arms showed a success rate for balloon dilation (70.0%) that was markedly superior to that for DVIU/dilation (36.4%) within this specific subgroup (P=0.03, hazard ratio =2.48).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Balloon dilation represents an effective and safe method for the management of both short and long-segment urethral strictures. These findings establish a valuable clinical baseline for conventional balloon dilation.</p>","PeriodicalId":23270,"journal":{"name":"Translational andrology and urology","volume":"14 7","pages":"1925-1934"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12336734/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144837811","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}