Dear Colleagues,
It’s April again and we are welcomed by the rebirth of spring. With that comes potential, and we at UIJ know there are new ideas, innovations, and studies out there that authors are hoping to share. We encourage our current readers and authors to continue to spread the good word about UIJ, reminding potential submitters that submission, peer review, and publication are all free.
We would also like to welcome Anna Forsberg as the new editorial assistant on the UIJ. We are sure you will find her to be helpful as well as patient.
In this issue, Pal et al. present a study performed to establish the efficacy of tacrolimus ointment as a mode of nonsurgical management of early balanitis xerotica obliterans. They show that the use of topical tacrolimus has promising results with good symptomatic relief and few side effects.
Singh et al. compare the clinical efficacy and tolerability of naftopidil versus tamsulosin in patients with lower urinary tract disorders due to benign prostatic hyperplasia. Tamsulosin acts via α1A/D-receptors and naftopidil mainly via α1D-receptors. Despite this difference, they find that in the management of symptomatic BPH, naftopidil and tamsulosin appeared to be equally effective, safe, and well tolerated.
McCammon et al. performed a retrospective review of urodynamic findings in patients presenting to their institution with post-prostatectomy incontinence following either an open or robotic prostatectomy from 1985 through 2009. They found that following open compared to robotic prostatectomy, patients experienced elevated voiding pressures and decreased peak flows, presumably secondary to the increased incidence of anastomotic stenosis observed in those patients.
Daneshmand et al. attempt to evaluate the relationship and investigate the short-term effects of continent and non-continent diversions on patients with both normal renal function and pre-existing renal insufficiency. Their study suggests that mild pre-existing renal insufficiency may not be a contraindication to continent diversion.
A study by Wani et al. aimed to evaluate the incidence of von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) gene mutations among a group of Kashmiri patients diagnosed with renal cell tumors. They demonstrated that alteration in the VHL gene had been implicated in the pathogenesis of renal-cell sporadic cancer of the patients in their population.
The aim of a study by Swellam et al. was to evaluate the feasibility of tattooing of the bladder urothelium using different stains. Despite the side effects of the used materials, tattooing remains feasible. A wide range of dyes and pigments can be used, however, the type of material, dose titration, and long follow-up are needed to detect the most suitable material.
We also present a series of case studies on several topics, including disorders of sexual differentiation, a giant capsular leiomyoma of the kidney, and a large staghorn calculus.
As always, we are grateful to our continued readership for their loyalty, and I thank our editorial board for their dedication and commitment to quality with every article we publish.
Warm regards,
Karl-Erik Andersson
