Partial urethral resection in the surgical treatment of vulvar cancer does not have a significant impact on urinary continence. A confirmation of an authority-based opinion

Partial resection of the urethra is sometimes necessary in the surgical treatment of locally advanced vulvar cancer. In this study, the frequency of urinary incontinence after partial urethral resection was compared with that of patients who were treated without partial resection of the urethra. Eighteen patients with vulvar cancer encroaching or infiltrating the urethra, treated by a radical vulvectomy and partial urethrectomy, were compared with 17 patients treated by vulvectomy without partial removal of the urethra. Data on urinary incontinence pre- and postoperatively from both groups were retrospectively collected from the patient files. A questionnaire on urinary incontinence was sent to a subset of patients from both groups in order to get information on the current micturation pattern. In four out of 18 patients (22%) with a partial urethrectomy, incontinence was reported, versus two out of 17 patients (12%) in the control group (P= 0.860). Eight patients in the study group and 12 in the control group are currently alive, and all responded to the questionnaire. Two (25%) in the study group and three (25%) in the control group reported to have current symptoms of urinary incontinence. This retrospective study shows that partial resection of 1-1.5 cm of the distal urethra in addition to a radical local excision for vulvar cancer does not result in a significant increase in the frequency of urinary incontinence, compared with vulvar cancer patients without partial urethrectomy.     

Urinary incontinence following radical vulvectomy

Although incontinence has been reported after radical vulvectomy, its relationship to operative technique, anatomy, and treatment has not been defined. Twenty-one patients having vulvectomies for vulvar cancer were prospectively evaluated preoperatively and postoperatively with urodynamic function studies. A portion of the urethra was removed in four patients undergoing radical vulvectomy, and 14 had a vulvectomy excision that came within 1 cm of the distal urethra. Six patients (28%) developed a change of continence, with three developing total incontinence, two stress incontinence, and one urge incontinence. All four patients who had a portion of the urethra excised developed stress or total incontinence. The other two patients with incontinence (one total, one urge) had the vulvectomy excision that came close to the urethra. No patient had a change in continence when surgery did not involve or come close to the urethra. When the four patients with a distal urethral resection were compared with patients in whom the urethra was not excised, there was a significant decrease postoperatively in functional urethral length (P less than .0001), anatomical urethral length (P less than .0001), and distal urethral pressure transmission ratios in Q3 (P = .004), Q4 (P = .02), and Q5 (P = .005); but no difference in urethral support (Q-tip test), flow rates, residual urine, bladder capacity, maximal urethral pressure, resting closure pressure, or squeeze pressure. Histologic examination of urethral specimens demonstrated that a portion of the compressor urethrae muscle was often excised. Radical vulvectomy by itself does not cause incontinence, but it would appear that removal of a portion of the urethra increases the chance of incontinence.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

A comparative study of radical vulvectomy and modified radical vulvectomy for the treatment of invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva.

Forty-five patients who underwent a modified radical vulvectomy for invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva were compared with forty-five patients who underwent radical vulvectomy for similar lesions. Vulvar wound infection and breakdown were infrequent in both groups. Anal incontinence developed postoperatively in five of the modified radical vulvectomy patients and in none of the radical vulvectomy patients. Urinary incontinence developed postoperatively in two of the modified radical vulvectomy patients and in seven of the radical vulvectomy patients. Possible reasons for these differences are discussed. One invasive local recurrence (2.2%) developed in the modified radical vulvectomy group and two (4.4%) local recurrences developed in the radical vulvectomy group. A modified radical vulvectomy appears to be efficacious for the vulvar phase of treatment of localized invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva.     

Management of carcinoma in situ of the vulva

Concern about multicentricity and occult invasion has led authorities to recommend total vulvectomy in the management of carcinoma in situ of the vulva (VCIS). Of these considerations, only occult invasion has sufficient import to contraindicate a more conservative therapeutic approach. VCIS is being diagnosed with increasing frequency in young women for whom the deforming and sexually crippling effects of vulvectomy are especially repugnant. Because of its distinctive success in localizing preinvasive and early invasive squamous neoplasia of the cervix, colposcopy and directed biopsy were employed in evaluating all patients seen in our vulva clinic since 1971. Of 27 consecutive patients considered to have VCIS, 24 were treated either by local excision, skinning vulvectomy, topical 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), or cryosurgery. In no instance was occult invasion missed on pretreatment evaluation, and only one patient has developed a new in-situ lesion following conservative surgical therapy. Topical 5-FU therapy was unsuccessful in six of six cases. These results demonstrate that total vulvectomy for VCIS can be replaced successfully with more conservative operations.     

Transurethral polydimethylsiloxane injection: a valid minimally invasive option for the treatment of postradical hysterectomy urinary incontinence

Urinary incontinence (UI) is a common complication after radical hysterectomy, ranging between 21% and 53%. Two cases of postradical hysterectomy UI treated with transurethral macroplastique injection are reported here. At 1-year follow-up, 1 patient showed no episodes of incontinence in voiding diary. The second patient showed a positive cough stress test only in standing position at 400 mL of bladder emptying. The frequency of UI according to a 3-day voiding diary was 3 episodes. Preoperative and postoperative subjective patient perception of UI symptom severity (visual analog scale) was 7-0 and 8-2 for cases 1 and 2, respectively. Bulking agents urethral injection could be a minimally invasive option to improve well-being of patients with cervical cancer after radical surgery.     

Partial and total skinning vulvectomy in treatment of carcinoma in situ of the vulva

From July 1974 to December 1984, 24 skinning vulvectomies (17 partial and seven total) were performed in 24 patients with carcinoma in situ of the vulva. The objective for partial skinning vulvectomy was preservation of the cosmetic and functional integrity of the vulva in younger and sexually active patients in whom a steady increase in the incidence of vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia has been observed in the last decade. Two groups selected for partial skinning vulvectomy with skin graft were patients with multicentric vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia with colposcopic evidence of normal skin, and patients with localized but a wide surface area of vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia such that poor cosmetic results would be unavoidable should excision be approximated with primary skin closure. Only patients with involvement of the entire vulva were subjected to total skinning vulvectomy with total skin graft replacement. Recurrence and/or persistence were observed in two patients, both treated with total skinning vulvectomy. At present, all 24 patients remain free of detectable neoplasia on follow-up of six months to 11 years and all have very good cosmetic and functional results.     

Preoperative radiotherapy followed by radical vulvectomy with inguinal lymphadenectomy for advanced vulvar carcinomas

A therapeutic alternative to exenteration for large locally advanced vulvar carcinoma involving the rectum, anus, or vagina is the use of preoperative radiation followed by radical surgery. Between 1980 and 1988, 13 patients with Stage III and 3 with Stage IV vulvar carcinoma involving the rectum/anus, urethra, or vagina were treated with 4000 rad to the vulva and 4500 rad to the inguinal and pelvic nodes followed by a radical vulvectomy and inguinal lymphadenectomy 4 weeks later. The overall 5 year cumulative survival was 45%. Twelve tumors regressed after radiation with 62.5% of the patients having visceral preservation while in 4 patients there was no major response to radiation and urinary or fecal diversion was required. Of the 6 recurrences 4 were central and 2 distant. Three patients with central recurrences had tumor within 1 cm of the vulvectomy margin. Complications included wet desquamation, inguinal wound separation, lymphedema, and urethral strictures. There were no operative deaths. It is concluded that the use of preoperative radiation followed by radical vulvectomy may be an alternative to pelvic exenteration in selected patients with advanced vulvar lesions.     

女性压力性尿失禁的综合治疗

目的:探讨女性压力性尿失禁(stressurinaryincontinence,SUI)的治疗方法和效果。方法:压力性尿失禁51例采用经阴道无张力尿道中段悬吊带术治疗23例,药物和功能训练治疗28例。结果:手术治疗组23例手术时间平均35min,出血量平均15ml,随访患者3~23月, 21例(91 .3% )治愈, 2例明显改善。4例出现并发症,其中术中膀胱损伤3例,术后尿潴留1例。非手术治疗28例2例治愈, 18例有不同程度地改善, 8例无效,总有效率为71 .4%。结论:经阴道无张力尿道悬吊带术是治疗女性压力性尿失禁十分有效的微创方法,药物治疗和功能训练有一定的改善作用。     

Pharmakotherapie der weiblichen Harninkontinenz

Stress urinary incontinence of women is especially in the middle age the most frequent incontinence form and causes considerable psychological strain. Up to now there was no effective pharmacological therapy for stress urinary incontinence. Since 2004 the dual working serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor Duloxetin is available. Conservative and pharmacological therapies, especially in combination, cause a relative time preliminary before frequent too early operations. The overactive bladder syndrome with or without incontinence generates enormously high psychological strain, because the controlling loss of the bladder degradates the patients on the level of childhood. The big offer of anticholinergics facilitate an individual patient’s care to the expert doctor. The therapy of the overactive bladder syndrome limited itself long time to the clinical application of so-called “classic anticholinergics”. The long term compliance of the treated patients was only moderate because either side effects were not tolerated, or the effectiveness was insufficient. New application forms, receptor selectivity, pharmacokinetic and the improvement of side effect profile allow an individual therapy and improve patient satisfaction and compliance.     

Transvaginal bone anchors in female stress urinary incontinence: poor results

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluates the results of a minimally invasive technique for correcting female stress urinary incontinence by transvaginal implantation of pubic bone anchors. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Female stress urinary incontinence was treated by fixing a gelatin-coated Dacron sling between two miniature titanium anchors with Prolene sutures. RESULTS: A total of 26 patients (median age 57.2 years) underwent the sling procedure. The follow-up examination was performed after 11.4 months on average. Stress incontinence showed a median improvement from grade 2 to grade 0.5 (p = 0.01), although only 16 of the 26 patients were completely continent. Urethral pressure and functional length were not significantly influenced. Impaired vaginal wound healing was seen in 14 of the 26 patients (53.8%), and 13 of them underwent revision. All patients affected (15/26, 57.7%) as well as 1 with uneventful healing showed sensory urge symptoms or detrusor instability (7/26, 26.9%). The correlation between impaired wound healing and detrusor instability was highly significant (p < 0.003). 17 of the 26 patients (65.3%) were dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with the intervention. The unfavorable results did not significantly correlate with the patients' age, the number of previous operations, or the surgeon's skill. CONCLUSION: In view of the poor vaginal wound healing and the resultant irritative symptoms, transvaginal bone anchoring with fixation of a Dacron sling must be regarded as an unsuitable technique.     

非侵入式体外磁波治疗妇女尿失禁的临床应用

目的 推荐一种运用体外磁波治疗妇女尿失禁的新疗法，该仪器提供了应用于尿失禁的“非侵犯性”治疗新技术。方法 应用“体外磁波仪治疗女性尿失禁”针对111例压力性、急迫性尿失禁之患者进行治疗。结果 111例患者有47例完成6个月随访，完全治愈13例(28％)，症状改善28例(53％)。对急迫性尿失禁患者也有40％的有效率(4／10)。结论 对照过去多种治疗法，其评比成果获得医学界相当的肯定；也带给医学界，对治疗尿失禁痼疾的一个重大机转。尿失禁系属需长期治疗的顽固症，运用简便而安全的“体外磁波治疗法(ExMI)”患者接受治疗的意愿与配合度较高。因此，作者在此回顾文献中，阐述该项新技术的研发和临床之成果以及该项新治疗法，以期能提高女性尿失禁之治愈和改善率。     

Comparison of the anterior colporrhaphy procedure and the Marshall-Marchetti-Krantz operation in the treatment of stress urinary incontinence among women.

OBJECTIVE: To compare retrospectively the efficacy of the anterior colporrhaphy procedure (AC) and the Marshall-Marchetti-Krantz operation (MMK) in the treatment of stress urinary incontinence (SUI). METHODS: A retrospective analysis through a review of the medical records of Japanese women with stress urinary incontinence who were surgically treated at Kyushu University Hospital from 1980 through 1996. A questionnaire regarding the current status of urinary incontinence was sent to all patients. RESULTS: A total of 103 patients could be evaluated, 77 of whom had undergone an AC, and 26 of whom had undergone an MMK. Postoperative complications were more common in the AC group (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences between the 2 groups in terms of the duration of hospital stay or postoperative catheterization. The long-term subjective cure rates of the ACs and the MMKs were 55% and 58%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The AC and the MMK were equally effective in treating stress urinary incontinence, and both showed decreased long-term subjective cure rates. The recurrence rate did not differ between the AC and the MMK. The AC had more postoperative complications and shorter recurrence intervals.     

北京郊区女性尿失禁及盆腔脏器脱垂发病情况及其对生活质量影响的抽样调查

目的 调查北京郊区女性尿失禁及盆腔器官脱垂发病情况及其对生活质量的影响。方法 按照整群抽样的方法，选取生活在北京市房山区某自然村18岁以上的常住已婚女性，进行问卷调查，并行妇科检查和B超检查。结果 全村符合调查的女性202人，回收问卷190份，应答率94．1％。调查结果显示，尿失禁的患病率为67例（35．3％）。子宫脱垂49例（25．8％），阴道前壁膨出79例（41．6％），阴道后壁膨出61例（32．1％）。尿失禁对女性日常生活、情绪和性生活的影响率分别为29．9％、23．9％、29．9％，尿失禁以轻度尿失禁为主（占82．1％），尿失禁合并子宫脱垂占31．3％，合并阴道前壁膨出59．7％，合并阴道后壁膨出44．8％。结论 整群抽样调查显示，北京郊区女性尿失禁及盆腔脏器脱垂均较常见，尿失禁患者多合并盆腔脏器脱垂，尤其是阴道前壁膨出，并对生活质量有较大影响。     

A review of office urethroscopy and cystometry

The authors review the indications and findings of urethroscopic and cystometric examinations carried out on 279 patients. The most common indication was urinary incontinence, stress and urge types. Other indications included dysuria, recurrent urinary infections, and preoperative indications. The most common finding was chronic urethritis. Other findings included urethral stenosis, unstable bladder, anatomic stress incontinence, and urethral diverticulum. Changes in the vesical neck, characteristic of anatomic stress incontinence, were found in 43% of patients who complained of stress incontinence. This resulted in fewer patients being treated operatively. Chronic urethritis was present in 48% of patients with urinary incontinence. Many patients became continent after medical treatment for chronic urethritis. Office urethroscopy and cystometry are invaluable to properly select patients for operative treatment of stress incontinence. Chronic urethritis often will be found to be the source of many pelvic complaints.     

A health care program for the investigation and treatment of elderly women with urinary incontinence and related urogenital symptoms

The assessment and treatment of urinary incontinence and related urogenital symptoms using an algorithm model was evaluated in 364 elderly women complaining of urinary incontinence. The women (age 72.1 +/- 1.5 years, range 65-84 years) were assessed by a 48-hour pad test, a cough provocation test, micturition lists and a gynecological examination which included a smear test, measurement of vaginal pH and bacterial cultures. The diagnosis of urinary incontinence was confirmed in 346 women (stress 26.3%; urge: 32.7%; mixed: 41.0%). Women suffering from stress incontinence were younger (p less than 0.05) and had experienced a larger number of deliveries (p less than 0.05) than women with urge incontinence. All the women were treated with oral estriol, 3 mg daily for 4 weeks followed by 1-2 mg daily. The total urinary leakage per 48 hours (p less than 0.01) and maximum single leakage (p less than 0.05) were reduced in women with mixed incontinence, while the frequency of micturition decreased (p less than 0.05) in women with urge incontinence after 12 weeks treatment with oral estriol. There were no significant changes in any of the objective micturition parameters in women with stress incontinence following treatment. Karyopyknotic index and the presence of lactobacilli were increased (p less than 0.001), and vaginal pH decreased (p less than 0.001) following treatment in women with all types of incontinence. More than 70% of all the women treated in this algorithm model judged themselves to be improved, much improved or cured.     

CO2 laser used for cancer in situ/Bowen's disease (VIN) and lichen sclerosus in the vulvar region

The subject of this report is a surgical method, CO2 laser, for the treatment of non-invasive vulvar diseases. The combination therapy consists of skinning resection of the vulva of the central lesions and skin destruction by laser evaporation of the peripheral lesions. Over a period of five years 23 patients were treated with skinning laser resection of the vulva. Primary closure of the wound was performed in all cases. In three of the patients--two with the diagnosis of lichen sclerosus and one with Bowen's disease--who were first treated with total skinning vulvectomy, the histopathological examination revealed invasive cancer. They were treated again with total radical vulvectomy. In all cases less than 200 ml blood was lost at the time of surgery. The average duration of the operations was 25 minutes. The central section healed within eight to twelve days. All the patients with VIN were cured after the first radical treatment. The follow-up time is two to six years.     

Delayed reaction to the Dacron buttress used in urethropexy

Eleven patients developed a delayed reaction to the Dacron buttress used in Stamey urethropexy. The reaction was characterized by pain, dyspareunia, vaginal discharge and/or bleeding, induration of the abdominal incision, vaginal granulation tissue and draining abdominal or vaginal sinus tracts. This complication occurred in 5% of the 163 patients we treated with the Stamey procedure for stress urinary incontinence. Treatment consisted of removal of the nylon suture and Dacron buttress. None of the 11 patients developed recurrent incontinence. The subjective cure rate for stress urinary incontinence was 92% using the Stamey procedure.     

The place of pelvic exenteration in the primary management of advanced carcinoma of the vulva

Over a 25-year period, 236 patients were treated surgically for carcinoma of the vulva. Of these, 13 (5%) were treated by radical vulvectomy with pelvic exenteration for Stage IV disease. Five of ten patients (50%) eligible for a 5-year survival were alive and well with no evidence of disease after this time. None of these five patients had lymph node metastases at the time of her surgery. A review of the English language literature from 1973 to date confirmed that the results with exenteration and radical vulvectomy in selected cases are good. Including our series, a total of 53 patients underwent this procedure, of whom 25 (47%) survived 5 years. In view of these findings, we feel that consideration should be given to the use of this procedure in patients with advanced, but resectable carcinoma of the vulva.     

Tension-free vaginal tape procedure for treatment of USI: subjective and objective efficacy evaluation

Urinary incontinence is a frequent functional disease affecting 5% to 25% of women. It is commonly believed that urinary stress incontinence (USI) is caused by anatomical defects, thus it can be treated by restoring anatomy. More than 100 surgical techniques have been proposed for genuine stress incontinence treatment. The tension free vaginal tape procedure (TVT) for the treatment of genuine IUS in women was first reported in 1996 by Ulmsten et al. The purpose of this study was to evaluate objective and subjective efficacy of the TVT procedure in different types of female urinary incontinence. From February 2000 to December 2001, 52 patients with urinary incontinence underwent the TVT procedure in the Obstetric and Gynecology Department of Avezzano Hospital, Italy. No difference in the cure rates was found between patients undergoing the TVT alone or associated with anterior and/or posterior colporrhaphy. In accordance with many authors we can affirm that the TVT sling technique is easy to use, the time for surgery is relatively short, and the procedure is free of complications and provides a satisfactory outcome.     

Urinary incontinence in pregnancy and in puerperium: 3 months follow-up after delivery

AIM: The aim of this clinic prospective study was to point out the predisposing risk factors for the development of urinary incontinence during pregnancy and postpartum and to understand how to prevent the symptomatology. METHODS: Sixty seven primipara women at 32 weeks of pregnancy and 3 months after the delivery, were studied through an urogynecological work-up and a questionnaire on the main urinary symptoms. RESULTS: At 32 weeks of pregnancy, 27 patients (40.29%) were affected by stress urinary incontinence (SUI) of type I and 22 (32.83%) by urge incontinence. Three months after delivery, it was observed SUI of type I in 8 patients (15.68%), SUI of type II in 9 patients (17.64%), SUI of type II and II degree cystouretrocele in 3 patients (5.8%) and urge incontinence in 14 patients (27.45%). The most frequent risk factors that were tracked down were: a vaginal delivery, with a prolonged labour, and the episiotomy. We didn't find either substantial changes in the weight between patients continent and incontinent or correlations with the patients' age or with the weight of the foetus and the symptomatology reported. CONCLUSION: It is important to understand the beginning of the urinary symptoms in the pregnant women, to prevent the worsening of it. It is required, however, a long term follow-up on our patients to verify if the urinary incontinence persists or disappears by the time is needed.