I. Atilla Aridogan

The Incidence of Congenital Penile Curvature

To determine the incidence of congenital penile curvature a group of 500 consecutive male neonates at our institution were examined for this anomaly. In this group there were 3 cases of congenital penile curvature, for an incidence of 0.6%.

An Evaluation of the Effects of Long-term Cell Phone Use on the Testes Via Light and Electron Microscope Analysis

OBJECTIVE To investigate whether the low-intensity electromagnetic waves transmitted by cell phones cause histopathological or ultrastructural changes in the testes of rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS Wistar-Kyoto male rats were placed into either a control group or a group that was exposed to an electromagnetic field (EMF). Two cell phones with Specific Absorbation Rate values of 1.58 were placed and left off in cages that housed 15 rats included in the control group, and four cell phones were placed and left on in cages that housed 30 rats included in the experimental group. After 3 months, weights, seminiferous tubule diameters, and spermatogenic cell conditions of all testes of the rats were evaluated. One half of each testis was examined also under an electron microscope. RESULTS No significant differences were observed between the testis weights, seminiferous tubule diameters, and histopathological evaluations between rats that had and had not been exposed to EMF. Electron microscope analysis revealed that the membrana propria thickness and the collagen fiber contents were increased and the capillary veins extended in the experimental group. Common vacuolization in the cytoplasm of the Sertoli cells, growth of electron-dense structures, and existence of large lipid droplets were noted as the remarkable findings of this study. CONCLUSION Although the cells that had been exposed to long-term, low-dose EMF did not present any findings that were contrary to the control conditions, the changes observed during ultrastructural examination gave the impression that significant changes may occur if the study period were to be extended. Longer studies are needed to better understand the effects of EMFs on testis tissue.

Epidemiological Characteristics of Fournier's Gangrene: A Report of 71 Patients

Introduction: To identify the predisposing factors, etiological and clinical characteristics as well as the Fournier’s gangrene (FG) severity index (FGSI) in the outcomes of patients with FG. Materials and Methods: The data from 71 patients diagnosed with FG in a period of 17 years were retrospectively reviewed for the age of the patient, their history, predisposing factors, etiology, prodromal symptoms, FGSI, culture results, hospitalization period, surgical interventions, responses to the therapy and complications. Results: All of the patients were Caucasian males, and the mean age was 61.3 (range 36–92) years. The mean duration from the onset of symptoms to surgery was 7.5 days. The mean hospitalization time was 27.4 days and the most common etiological factor for FG was a perineal abscess. The overall mortality rate was 29.6%. The relationship between the number of predisposing factors and mortality rates in patients with FG was the most statistically significant parameter (p = 0.001). Conclusions: Multiple predisposing factors predict a poor prognosis and correlate significantly with mortality. Extension of the disease and the FGSI score were not predictive of outcome. The most essential intervention for stopping the rapidly progressing infectious process of FG consists of early recognition of the disease, proper management of the predisposing factors and aggressive surgical debridement. Such an intervention can improve clinical outcomes.

Three different techniques for administering analgesia during transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy: a comparative study

PURPOSE The efficacy of three different analgesic techniques during transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) guided prostate biopsy, including (i) periprostatic blockage (PPB), (ii) intrarectal gel instillation, and (iii) sedoanalgesia were compared. MATERIAL AND METHODS During a period of five months, 100 consecutive men were enrolled in this study. A 10-point linear visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to assess the pain scores during (VAS 1), immediately after (VAS 2) and one hour after (VAS 3) the needle biopsy procedure. The relationship between the level of pain, prostate volume, age and PSA was determined. RESULTS There were no statistically significant differences between the four groups in terms of mean age and PSA values. The pain scores were significantly lower in sedoanalgesia and PPB groups (p = 0.0001). There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of complications. CONCLUSIONS In this study, it was shown that patient comfort is better and it is possible to get decreased pain scores with PPB or sedoanalgesia. However, PPB is a preferable method in TRUS-guided prostate biopsy since it is much more practical in outpatient clinics.

Evaluation of Concordance between Gleason Scores of Tansrectal Ultrasound Guided Biopsy and Radical Prostatectomy Samples in Prostate Cancer

Objective : In this study, we investigated the concordance between Gleason scores of transrectal ultrasound guided biopsy and radical prostatectomy specimens in patients diagnosed with prostate cancer via transrectal ultrasound guided biopsy and treated with radical prostatectomy in our clinic. Material and Method : 115 patients were included in our study treated with radical prostatectomy for organ-confined prostate cancer between the dates of November 2011 and December 2014. Data of these patients are reviewed retrospectively. Results : The average age of the patients was 61.8 ± 6.8 (43-76) years. The average body mass index of these patients were (BMI) 26.7 ± 3.34 (19.3 – 35.3) kg/m². Average PSA value was 6.6 ± 10.1 (1.4 – 80) ng/ml. Gleason scores of transrectal ultrasound guided biopsy and radical prostatectomy were observed concordant in 74 (64.3%) of 115 patients, while 41 (35.6%) were not concordant. Gleason score was decreased by 1 grade for 8.6% (10 patients) of patients, it was increased by 1 for 26.0% (30 patients) of patients and for 0.8% (1 patient) it was increased by 3. Discussion : These findings indicate indicate that Gleason scores of transrectal ultrasound guided biopsy and prostatectomy specimens may be discordant.