BJU international
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What's known on the subject? and What does the study add? For the past 30 years Serenoa repens has become a widely used phytotherapy in the USA and in Europe, mostly because of positive comparisons to α-blockers and 5α-reductase inhibitors. During the last 4 years we have seen two very high quality trials comparing Serenoa repens to placebo and up to 72 weeks' duration. These trials found Serenoa repens no better than placebo, even (in one trial) at escalating doses. ⋯ • Serenoa repens therapy does not improve LUTS or Q(max ) compared with placebo in men with BPH, even at double and triple the usual dose. • Adverse events were generally mild and comparable to placebo.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Add-on fesoterodine for residual storage symptoms suggestive of overactive bladder in men receiving α-blocker treatment for lower urinary tract symptoms.
Study Type - Therapy (RCT) Level of Evidence 1b What's known on the subject? and What does the study add? Male lower urinary tract symptoms are often attributed to bladder outlet obstruction secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia and treated with drugs targeting the prostate. However, many men with storage lower urinary tract symptoms may not respond adequately to these agents. Antimuscarinics, with or without an α-blocker, may be effective for the treatment of the storage symptoms of overactive bladder in some men. Flexible-dose fesoterodine as an add-on treatment significantly improved urinary frequency and symptom bother, but not urgency episodes (primary endpoint), versus add-on placebo and was well tolerated in men with persistent overactive bladder symptoms despite receiving α-blocker. ⋯ • Flexible-dose fesoterodine was well tolerated as an add-on treatment in men with persistent storage symptoms. • Changes in urgency episodes at week 12 (primary endpoint) and many secondary endpoints were not significantly different between fesoterodine and placebo add-on treatment; however, improvements in frequency and symptom bother were significantly greater with fesoterodine. • These data suggest that there remains a limited understanding of the optimal evaluation and treatment of men with LUTS.
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Comparative Study
Comparison of percutaneous nephrolithotomy and retrograde flexible nephrolithotripsy for the management of 2-4 cm stones: a matched-pair analysis.
Study Type--Therapy (case control). Level of Evidence 3b. What's known on the subject? and What does the study add? Recently European Association of Urology 2011 guidelines on urolithiasis recommended retrograde intrarenal surgery as the second-line therapy for the treatment of kidney stones <10 mm in diameter. This study shows that retrograde intrarenal surgery may be an alternative therapy to percutaneous nephrolithotomy, with acceptable efficacy and low morbidity for 2-4 cm stones. ⋯ • Satisfactory outcomes can be achieved with multi-session RIRS in the treatment of 2-4 cm renal stones. RIRS can be used as an alternative treatment to PCNL in selected cases with larger renal stones.
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Comparative Study
Assessment of lower urinary tract symptoms in men by international prostate symptom score and core lower urinary tract symptom score.
Study Type - Therapy (symptom prevalence). Level of Evidence 2a. What's known on the subject? and What does the study add? The International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) has been most commonly used for the symptom assessment of men with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). However, LUTS in men are so variable that they may not be fully captured by the IPSS questionnaire alone. This study has demonstrated that the Core Lower Urinary Tract Symptom Score (CLSS) questionnaire, which addresses 10 important symptoms, is an appropriate initial assessment tool for LUTS in men with various diseases/conditions. ⋯ CLSS questionnaire is more comprehensive than IPSS questionnaire for symptom assessment of men with various diseases/conditions, although both questionnaires can capture LUTS with possible negative impact on QOL.