Recently, artificial intelligence (AI) has been widely applied in the diagnosis and treatment of urinary diseases with the development of data storage, image processing, pattern recognition and machine learning technologies. Based on the massive biomedical big data of imaging and histopathology, many urinary system diseases (such as urinary tumor, urological calculi, urinary infection, voiding dysfunction and erectile dysfunction) will be diagnosed more accurately and will be treated more individualizedly. However, most of the current AI diagnosis and treatment are in the pre-clinical research stage, and there are still some difficulties in the wide application of AI. This review mainly summarizes the recent advances of AI in the diagnosis of prostate cancer, bladder cancer, kidney cancer, urological calculi, frequent micturition and erectile dysfunction, and discusses the future potential and existing problems.
Artificial Intelligence ; trends ; Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted ; trends ; Humans ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Urologic Diseases ; diagnosis

Acute idiopathic scrotal edema (AISE) is a self-limiting condition that is characterized by acute scrotal swelling and erythema. AISE is a very rare cause of acute scrotum, especially in neonates. We report a case of AISE in a 26-day-old infant who was admitted to the outpatient clinic with swelling and erythema of the penis and scrotum for a week. His vital signs were stable, and laboratory findings were non-specific. A diagnosis of AISE was made using scrotal ultrasonography with color Doppler. His symptoms resolved within four days after the onset of supportive treatment, and he was discharged from the hospital. In neonates with an acute scrotum, AISE should be considered to prevent unnecessary surgical exploration.
Ambulatory Care Facilities ; Diagnosis ; Edema ; Erythema ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Penis ; Scrotum ; Ultrasonography ; Urologic Diseases ; Vital Signs

We sought to describe the incidence rate of the urologic disease in the Korean military by reviewing diagnoses made in active duty soldiers from 2008 to 2013. A total of 72,248 first visits were generated in the Defense Medical Statistics Information System (DMSIS) with its gradually increasing trend over 6 years. A sharp increase of first visit was observed after implementation of the regular health check-up for all conscripted soldiers since 2013. Urolithiasis, prostatitis, epididymoorchitis, urethritis, and varicocele were prevalent. Prostatitis was the highest diagnosis made in the outpatient service, while varicocele was ranked the highest in the inpatient service. The incidence rates of urologic disease varied from 12.3 to 34.2 cases per 1,000 person-years. The urologic disease in conscripted men showed different distribution when we separated the population into conscripted and professional soldiers. Epididymoorchitis was the highest disease followed by urolithiasis, dysuresia, and balanoposthitis in 2013. This study underscores that the urologic disease has spent significant amount of health care resources in the Korean military. This calls for further study to find any significant difference and contributing factors of the urologic disease in the military and the civilian population.
Delivery of Health Care ; Diagnosis ; Epidemiology ; Humans ; Incidence ; Information Systems ; Inpatients ; Male ; Medical Records* ; Military Personnel* ; Outpatients ; Prostatitis ; Urethritis ; Urolithiasis ; Urologic Diseases* ; Urology ; Varicocele

OBJECTIVES: The purposes of this study are to examine the sociodemographic factors that increase the prevalence of insomnia, as well as to identify the relationship between the prevalence of insomnia and health conditions by navigating through the prevalence rates of insomnia in two different geographical regions with different socioeconomic structures. METHODS: A survey was conducted targeting 937 residents of Guri-si and Yangpyeong-gun in Gyeonggi Province, Korea. The Insomnia Severity Index was used to verify whether a respondent was experiencing insomnia. The Abbreviated Self-Rated Korean version of the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview was used in diagnosis of mental diseases. Chi-square test was performed to determine the unique relationship between sociodemographic characteristics and the prevalence of insomnia. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the association of prevalence of insomnia with categorized relevant factors. RESULTS: The overall prevalence rate of insomnia for all respondents was 9.26%. The prevalence rate for Yangpyeong-gun was 11.75%, marking a significantly higher figure compared with the prevalence rate for Guri-si, which was 6.87%. Advanced age, female, other marital statuses than married, lower education, lower income, non-existence of private health insurance, and unemployment were risk factors for insomnia. The prevalence of insomnia showed strong association with physical and mental conditions, particularly with mental disorders, urologic diseases, and risk of injury from fall. CONCLUSION: The prevalence rates of insomnia in those two surveyed regions showed a meaningful difference even after controlling for sociodemographic characteristics. These findings suggest that such regional differences merits further attention and additional nationwide epidemiologic studies are needed.
Surveys and Questionnaires ; Diagnosis ; Education ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Female ; Gyeonggi-do* ; Humans ; Insurance, Health ; Korea* ; Logistic Models ; Marital Status ; Mental Disorders ; Mental Health ; Prevalence* ; Risk Factors ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders* ; Unemployment ; Urologic Diseases

Renal scintigraphic methods, which are physiologic and minimally invasive, have played important role in the management of various renal diseases in children, providing sensitive tool for early detection of disease even before structural changes become prominent and giving valuable functional and anatomical information to aid medical decision makings in the treatment and follow-up of patients. This review article focuses on the concept and advantages of renal scintigraphy in pediatric patients with various urologic diseases.
Child ; Early Diagnosis ; Humans ; Nuclear Medicine* ; Radionuclide Imaging ; Urologic Diseases ; Urology*

Renal scintigraphic methods, which are physiologic and minimally invasive, have played important role in the management of various renal diseases in children, providing sensitive tool for early detection of disease even before structural changes become prominent and giving valuable functional and anatomical information to aid medical decision makings in the treatment and follow-up of patients. This review article focuses on the concept and advantages of renal scintigraphy in pediatric patients with various urologic diseases.
Child ; Early Diagnosis ; Humans ; Nuclear Medicine* ; Radionuclide Imaging ; Urologic Diseases ; Urology*

PURPOSE: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) in biological fluids are potential biomarkers for the diagnosis and assessment of urological diseases such as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer (PCa). The aim of the study was to identify and validate urinary cell-free miRNAs that can segregate patients with PCa from those with BPH. METHODS: In total, 1,052 urine, 150 serum, and 150 prostate tissue samples from patients with PCa or BPH were used in the study. A urine-based miRNA microarray analysis suggested the presence of differentially expressed urinary miRNAs in patients with PCa, and these were further validated in three independent PCa cohorts, using a quantitative reverse transcriptionpolymerase chain reaction analysis. RESULTS: The expression levels of hsa-miR-615-3p, hsv1-miR-H18, hsv2-miR-H9-5p, and hsa-miR-4316 were significantly higher in urine samples of patients with PCa than in those of BPH controls. In particular, herpes simplex virus (hsv)-derived hsv1-miR-H18 and hsv2-miR-H9-5p showed better diagnostic performance than did the serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test for patients in the PSA gray zone. Furthermore, a combination of urinary hsv2-miR-H9-5p with serum PSA showed high sensitivity and specificity, providing a potential clinical benefit by reducing unnecessary biopsies. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings showed that hsv-encoded hsv1-miR-H18 and hsv2-miR-H9-5p are significantly associated with PCa and can facilitate early diagnosis of PCa for patients within the serum PSA gray zone.
Biomarkers ; Biopsy ; Cohort Studies ; Diagnosis ; Early Diagnosis ; Herpes Simplex ; Humans ; Microarray Analysis ; MicroRNAs* ; Passive Cutaneous Anaphylaxis ; Prostate ; Prostate-Specific Antigen ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; Prostatic Neoplasms* ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Simplexvirus ; Urologic Diseases

For the evaluation of the kidney impairment, serum creatinine concentrations or glomerular filtration rates are mainly used, and the conditions of solitary or transplanted kidney and chronic dialysis are also taken into the considerations. Some symptoms and signs of the chronic renal disability in spite of adequate treatment add one additional grade. For evaluating bladder and urethral impairment, the criteria include voiding symptoms and signs. The patients with urinary diversions have impairment grades depending on the alteration of upper urinary tract function. For penile impairment, the degrees are evaluated using the international index of erectile function, nocturnal penile tumescence and color doppler ultrasonography. For evaluating impairment of other male reproductive organs, functional and anatomical changes of these organs, analysis of the semen or hormones and the state of solitary testis are used as the criteria. For evaluating impairment of female reproductive organs, pregnancy potential, requirement of continuous treatment and the ability of sexual intercourse are used. Also, degree of impairment is modified according to the ages in evaluating female reproductive systems. We have tried to make this evaluation system objective, scientific, and convenient, but still find it leaving much to be desired.
*Disability Evaluation ; Female ; Genitalia, Female/physiopathology ; Genitalia, Male/physiopathology ; Humans ; Kidney Diseases/classification/*diagnosis ; Korea ; Male ; Program Development ; Severity of Illness Index ; Urethral Diseases/classification/*diagnosis ; Urinary Bladder Diseases/classification/*diagnosis ; Urologic Diseases/classification/*diagnosis

Integrative traditional Chinese and Western urinary surgery is a subject with good prospect and special superiority of combined TCM with Western medicine. In the past decade, great achievements have been obtained by virtue of endeavor from the integrative urinary surgical workers, they set up a good foundation for the development and academic improvement of the cause in our nation.
Animals ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Integrative Medicine ; methods ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Phytotherapy ; Urologic Diseases ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; surgery

Technological breakthroughs have advanced the temporal and spatial resolutions of diagnostic imaging, and 3 dimensional (3-D) reconstruction techniques have been introduced into everyday clinical practice. Virtual endoscopy (VE) is a non-invasive technique that amplifies the perception of cross-sectional images in the 3-D space, providing precise spatial relationships of pathological regions and their surrounding structures. A variety of computer algorithms can be used to generate 3-D images, taking advantage of the information inherent in either spiral computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). VE images enable endoluminal navigation through hollow organs, thus simulating conventional endoscopy. Several clinical studies have validated the diagnostic utility of virtual cystoscopy, which has high sensitivity and specificity rates in the detection of bladder tumor. Published experience in the virtual exploration of the renal pelvis, ureter and urethra is encouraging but still scarce. VE is a safe, non-invasive method that could be applied in the long-term follow-up of patients with ureteropelvic junction obstruction, urinary bladder tumors and ureteral and/or urethral strictures. Its principal limitations are the inability to provide biopsy tissue specimens for histopathologic examination and the associated ionizing radiation hazards (unless MRI is used). However, in the case of endoluminal stenosis or obstruction, VE permits virtual endoluminal navigation both cephalad and caudal to the stenotic segment. To conclude, VE provides a less invasive method of evaluating the urinary tract, especially for clinicians who are less familiar with cross-sectional imaging than radiologists.
Cystoscopy ; methods ; Endoscopy ; methods ; Humans ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; methods ; Ureteral Diseases ; diagnosis ; Urethral Diseases ; diagnosis ; Urologic Diseases ; diagnosis