Several intralesional therapeutic protocols have been proposed for the treatment of Peyronie's disease. Among all, hyaluronic acid (HA) and verapamil have been differently tested. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of intralesional verapamil (ILVI) compared with intralesional HA in patients with early onset of Peyronie's disease (PD). This is a multi-centre prospective double-arm, randomized, double-blinded study comparing ILVI vs. intralesional HA after 12-weeks. Sexually active men, older than 18 years and affected by the acute phase of PD were eligible for this study. Patients have been double-blinded randomly divided into two groups (1 : 1 ratio): Group A received intralesional treatment with Verapamil (10 mg in 5 mL of normal saline water) weekly for 12 weeks, while group B received intralesional treatment with HA (0.8% highly purified sodium salt HA 16 mg/2 mL) weekly for 12 weeks. The primary efficacy outcome was the change from the baseline to the endpoint (12 weeks after therapy) for the penile curvature (degree). The secondary outcome was the change in the plaque size and in the International Index of erectile Function (IIEF-5) score. The difference between post- and pre-treatment plaque size was -1.36 mm (SD ± 1.27) for Group A and -1.80 mm (SD ± 2.47) for Group B (p-value = NS). IIEF-5 increased of 1.46 points (SD ± 2.18) in Group A and 1.78 (SD ± 2.48) in Group B (p-value ± NS). No difference in penile curvature was observed in Group A, while in Group B the penile curvature decreased of 4.60° (SD ± 5.63) from the baseline (p < 0.001) and vs. Group A. According to PGI-I results, we found significant difference as concerning patient global impression of improvement (PGI-I) (4.0 vs. 2.0; p < 0.05). This prospective, double-arm, randomized, double-blinded study comparing ILVI vs. HA as intralesional therapy showed greater efficacy of HA in terms of penile curvature and PGI-I.

Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Serenoa repens + selenium and lycopene (Profluss®) versus S. repens alone for the treatment of category IIIa chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS). Patients and Methods: 102 patients with IIIa CP/CPPS were enrolled and randomized into two groups each to receive Profluss or S. repens alone for 8 weeks. Evaluation was based on results of the National Institutes of Health-Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI), IPSS, maximum peak flow rate (MPFR), and PSA measurements at baseline and at weeks 4, 8 and 8 after the end of treatment. The primary endpoint was a >50% reduction in NIH-CPSI score. Secondary endpoints evaluated were MPFR, IPSS, PSA and white blood cell count. Results: No patients withdrew from the study. The mean NIH-CPSI score decreased significantly (p < 0.001) in both groups; we observed a decrease in the total score from 27.45 to 13.27 in group 1 (–51.64%) and from 27.76 to 20.62 in group 2 (–26.06%). IPSS improved significantly (p < 0.001) in both arms, but more in group 1. PSA and white blood cell count decreased significantly (p < 0.007) only in group 1. The MPFR improved more in group 1 (p < 0.005). Conclusion: Profluss is a triple therapy that is safe and well tolerated. It ameliorates symptoms associated with IIIa CP/CPPS.

Purpose: Consecutive exotropia is a frequent consequence of surgery for convergent strabismus that may develop at differing rates postoperatively. Several surgical options on horizontal recti have been proposed, but none report a clearly standardized amount of surgery. The present study provides further results of the medial rectus muscle advancement. Methods: Twenty-eight patients, age ranged from 6-55 years, who had undergone unilateral or bilateral medial rectus advancement to the physiological insertion, with or without contemporary unilateral lateral rectus muscle recession, were included in the study. Factors leading to the onset of consecutive exotropia were analyzed. Results: After 2-3 years, the overall mean angle reduction was 21.3 prismatic diopters (PD) for distance and 22.8 PD for near, with an effectiveness on near vision lower than expected. Only in the 7 cases with a preoperatively larger exotropia at near (of at least 10 PD), the reduction was 17.0 PD for distance and 24.6 PD for near. In unilateral medial rectus muscle advancement, the mean reduction was 14.3 PD for distance and 16.3 PD for near; in bilateral advancement it was 25.8 PD and 25.2 PD respectively. Conclusion: Medial rectus advancement is preferable to other options, especially in cases with convergence deficit, if no excess of divergence or limitation of bulb rotation is present, for which a lateral rectus muscle recession is indicated. Unilateral and bilateral surgeries are useful for exotropia of about 15 PD and 25 PD respectively. The effectiveness depends weakly or not at all on the amount of the previously executed recession.

To compare the efficacy and safety of intravesical instillation of hyaluronic acid/chondroitin sulfate with conventional long-term antibiotic prophylaxis in women with recurrent bacterial cystitis. Materials and Methods: In this analysis of a prospective study, where women with recurrent bacterial cystitis were randomised to intravesical hyaluronic acid 800 mg/chondroitin sulfate 1,000 mg (group 1) or long-term antibiotic prophylaxis (group 2 -control group), patients in group 1 were evaluated 36 months after treatment. Outcomes included cystitis recurrence, subjective pain symptoms based on a visual analogue scale (VAS), three-day voiding, pelvic pain and urgency/frequency symptoms (PUF scale), sexual function questionnaire, quality of life based on King's Health Questionnaire (KHQ), maximum cystometric capacity (MCC), and adverse events. Results: Twelve women (mean ± standard deviation 59.3 ± 13.9 years old) underwent follow-up at 36 months after treatment. There were improvements in all efficacy evaluations at 36 months' follow-up, with significantly favourable mean changes from baseline in cystitis frequency (-5.4 episodes/year; p < 0.001), three-day voiding (-10.7 voids; p = 0.002), urinary VAS (-6.7 points; p < 0.001), PUF (-14.2 points; p < 0.001), sexual function (-4.3 points; p < 0.001) and KHQ (-34.0; p < 0.001) scores, and MCC (+131.7; p < 0.001). No adverse events were reported. Conclusions: Intravesical hyaluronic acid/chondroitin sulfate significantly reduced cystitis recurrence and associated symptoms and was well tolerated in women with recurrent bacterial cystitis at 36 months' after treatment.

IntroductionThe complete absence of the chiasm (chiasmal aplasia) is a rare clinical condition. Hypoplasia of the optic nerve and congenital nystagmus are almost invariably associated characteristics. Microphthalmos or anophthalmos are common features in chiasmal aplasia, while central nervous system abnormalities are less frequent. Esophageal atresia can be isolated or syndromic. In syndromic cases, it is frequently associated with cardiac, limb, renal or vertebral malformations and anal atresia. More rarely, esophageal atresia can be part of anophthalmia-esophageal-genital syndrome, which comprises anophthalmia or microphthalmia, genital abnormalities, vertebral defects and cerebral malformations. Here, a previously unreported case of chiasmal aplasia presenting without microphthalmos and associated with esophageal atresia is described.Case presentationAplasia of the optic chiasm was identified in a Caucasian Italian 8-month-old boy with esophageal atresia. An ultrasound examination carried out at 21 weeks' gestation revealed polyhydramnios. Intrauterine growth retardation, esophageal atresia and a small atrial-septal defect were subsequently detected at 28 weeks' gestation. Repair of the esophageal atresia was carried out shortly after birth. A jejunostomy was carried out at four months to facilitate enteral feeding. The child was subsequently noted to be visually inattentive and to be neurodevelopmentally delayed. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed chiasmal aplasia. No other midline brain defects were found. His karyotype was normal.ConclusionIf achiasmia is a spectrum, our patient seems to depict the most severe form, since he appears to have an extremely severe visual impairment. This is in contrast to most of the cases described in the literature, where patients maintain good--or at least useful-- visual function. To the best of our knowledge, the association of optic nerve hypoplasia, complete chiasmal aplasia, esophageal atresia and atrial-septal defect, choanal atresia, hypertelorism and psychomotor retardation has never been described before.