Stepping into 2024 with the best luck in the Chinese Dragon Year

The effects of COVID-19 are fading away. We have resumed our normal activities in 2023. Several modifications have been made; however, we still face many challenges. Numerous researchers have contributed to the first issue of Urological Science in 2024. For low-risk upper tract urothelial cancer (UTUC) and high-grade distal UTUCs, kidney-sparing surgeries have been considered. In their nationwide collaborative study in Taiwan, Wang et al1 investigated the outcomes of segmental ureterectomy for UTUC in a highly endemic area. After segmental ureterectomy, 56/161 (34.8%) patients were free of UTUCs after a median follow-up of 44.5 months; however, two-thirds of these patients may still develop some oncological events requiring further treatment. Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) may cause mental illness and vice versa. Chang et al2 reviewed the reciprocal impact of LUTS on mental illness. They suggested that patients with LUTS may benefit from mental illness–related health care; similarly, patients with mental illness represent an at-risk population for developing LUTS. Leading urological guidelines recommend the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) as a tool for evaluating LUTS. However, studies have shown that patients with a limited educational background may face challenges in understanding certain questions in IPSS. Hence, the Visual Prostate Symptom Score (VPSS) was designed to overcome the limitations of IPSS. Laranjo-Tinoco et al3 reported a prospective comparison of VPSS and IPSS in Portuguese men. They observed a significant correlation of VPSS with IPSS and Qmax. Moreover, a greater proportion of men were able to complete the VPSS without assistance and the time to complete VPSS was shorter than that of IPSS. Wu et al4 reported their single-center experience of using Allium ureteral stent in 13 patients with refractory ureteral stricture. Treatment success and improvement were noted in 9 (69.2%) and 3 (23.1%) patients, respectively. However, stent migration and encrustation occurred in 3 (23.1%) and 1 (7.7%) patients, respectively. Aquablation is a novel minimally invasive surgical technique that combines robotic precision with heat-sparing ablation of the obstructing prostate tissue, reducing the risk of injury to the ejaculatory function. Scholtz et al5 provided an overview of the setup and mechanism of action of aquablation and reviewed the clinical outcomes based on clinical trials and recent meta-analyses. The Senhance robotic surgical system (TransEnterix Inc., Morrisville, North Carolina) is an ergonomically designed laparoscopy-based robotic system equipped with a three-dimensional high-definition laparoscope, an eye-tracking system, and a haptic feedback system. Lin et al6 reported the initial experience of using and troubleshooting the Senhance robotic system from a community hospital perspective. The availability of antibodies for selective targeting of CYP11B1 and CYP11B2 has revolutionized the diagnosis/nomenclature of primary aldosteronism-related adrenal pathology by enabling immunohistochemical staining for CYP11B2 to identify the site of aldosterone production in the human adrenal cortex. Fang et al7 report the importance of a novel histopathological classification and its association with outcomes of primary aldosteronism. Their work provides useful insights from a urological perspective. The use of conventional imaging modalities for the staging of prostate cancer (PCa) has its limitations. Newer modalities such as multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) and prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) positron emission tomography (PET) have shown promising results for the staging of PCa. Patel et al8 compare the diagnostic accuracy of independent 68Gallium PSMA (68Ga-PSMA) PET-computed tomography with that of mpMRI for preoperative staging of PCa, using histopathology as the reference standard. They conclude that PSMA PET-computed tomography is superior to mpMRI for the locoregional staging of PCa. We hope that you find these articles relevant in expanding your knowledge about urology.