The impact of financial interest in intensity-modulated radiation therapy on the utilization of radiation therapy for treatment of newly diagnosed prostate cancer: a single center experience

Objective. As recent participants in an integrated prostate cancer (PCa) care center, we sought to evaluate whether financial investment in an intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) center resulted in an increased utilization of radiation therapy in our patients with newly diagnosed PCa. Materials & Methods. Following institutional review board approval, we retrospectively reviewed the records of all consecutive patients who were diagnosed with prostate cancer in the 12 months prior to and after investment in IMRT. Primary treatment modalities included active surveillance (AS), brachytherapy (BT), radiation therapy (XRT), radical prostatectomy (RP), and androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). Treatment data were available for all patients and were compared between the two groups. Results. A total of 344 patients with newly diagnosed PCa were evaluated over the designated time period. The pre-investment group totaled 198 patients, while 146 patients constituted the post-investment group. Among all patients evaluated, there was a similar rate in the use of XRT (20.71% versus 20.55%, P = 1.000) pre- and post-investment in IMRT. Conclusions. Financial interest in IMRT by urologists does not impact overall utilization rates among patients with newly diagnosed PCa at our center.

Do silver alloy-coated catheters increase risk of urethral strictures after robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy?

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate whether the use of silver-coated catheters increased the risk of developing urethral stricture disease after robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALP). Recently, silver alloy-coated Foley catheters have been shown to decrease the risk of catheter-associated urinary tract infections. Other than the increased cost, no disadvantages to the use of these catheters have been reported.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We switched to routine use of the Bardex I.C. silver alloy-coated Foley catheters for all urologic procedures on November 1, 2008. After institutional review board approval, we retrospectively reviewed the records of all consecutive patients who had undergone RALP 12 months before and after the catheter change. The primary outcome was the rate of urethral strictures after RALP.

RESULTS

A total of 188 RALPs were performed during the 12 months before the catheter change. No patients who underwent RALP in the months before the catheter change had developed a new postoperative urethral stricture. In the 12 months after the change to the silver-coated catheters, 217 RALPs were performed. Six patients after RALP using silver-coated catheters developed new strictures, at a rate of 2.8% (P = .03).

CONCLUSIONS

Silver alloy-coated urinary catheters might increase the risk of developing urethral strictures after RALP compared with standard noncoated catheters. Additional evaluation by a large randomized prospective trial is warranted to elucidate the true risk of stricture formation.

Outcomes of hand-assisted laparoscopic nephrectomy in technically challenging cases

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the outcomes of hand-assisted laparoscopic nephrectomy in patients with significant complicating clinical factors.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective review of 322 hand-assisted laparoscopic nephrectomy cases that were completed at a single institution from 1998 to 2004. Patients with a history of extensive abdominal surgery or prior procedures on the affected kidney, evidence of perirenal inflammation, renal lesions 10 cm or more in diameter, or level I renal vein thrombus were included.

RESULTS

A total of 42 patients were included in this series. Of these, 16 patients had a lesion 10 cm or larger, 10 had a renal vein thrombus, and 10 had undergone prior major abdominal surgery. Many patients had more than one complicating factor. Another 6 patients had a history of prior renal procedures or chronic inflammatory processes involving the affected kidney. One Stage T4 renal tumor with paraspinous muscle invasion was successfully managed without conversion. The overall mean operative time and estimated blood loss was 235 minutes and 439 mL, respectively, with a mean hospital stay of 4 days. Four patients (9.5%) required open conversion (one renal hilar injury, two failure to progress, and one persistent bleeding from the renal fossa). Postoperative complications included pulmonary embolism in 1, ileus in 1, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation in 1 patient. One patient developed an incarcerated port site hernia requiring reoperation.

CONCLUSIONS

Hand-assisted laparoscopic nephrectomy is an attractive minimally invasive option in the setting of significant complicating factors. This technique may facilitate the successful laparoscopic completion of these challenging cases with reasonable operative times, blood loss, and complication rates.

Minimizing Minimally Invasive Surgery: The 5-mm Trocar Laparoscopic Pyeloplasty

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Laparoscopic pyeloplasty has evolved into the procedure of choice when definitive repair of the obstructed ureteropelvic junction is contemplated. Its main advantage over the gold standard of open pyeloplasty is decreased morbidity. We have utilized only three 5-mm ports in our last 15 pyeloplasties in an effort to further reduce morbidity and improve acceptance by an often-younger patient population.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Fifteen consecutive patients underwent laparoscopic transperitoneal pyeloplasty by the 5-mm port technique. Three trocars were utilized, two for the working instruments and one for a 5-mm telescope mounted on a voice-activated robotic arm (AESOP; Intuitive Surgical, Sunnyvale, CA). Three patients required an additional trocar for liver retraction. All patients underwent dismembered pyeloplasty and had indwelling double-pigtail stents placed for 4 to 6 weeks.

RESULTS

The mean operative time was 195 minutes (range 120-240 minutes). The average blood loss was 30 mL. None of our patients required open conversion. With a median follow-up of 10 months (range 3-15 months), all 15 patients have shown both subjective (freedom from symptoms) and objective (renal scan) improvement.

CONCLUSION

We believe our technique has further minimized the morbidity of laparoscopic pyeloplasty without compromising the outcome. The 5-mm trocars obviate fascial closure, decrease patient discomfort, and improve cosmesis. Furthermore, the use of the robotic arm eliminates the need for a surgical assistant and makes this an essentially "one-person" procedure.

Hand-Assisted Laparoscopic Cystoprostatectomy and Urinary Diversion

PURPOSE

We report the first series of patients who have undergone hand-assisted laparoscopic cystoprostatectomy and diversion (HALCD).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Seven patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer elected to have their surgery by hand-assisted laparoscopy. The bladder was excised using a hand-assisted laparoscopic technique, and the ileal conduit was constructed through the midline incision created for the hand.

RESULTS

The operative time was relatively short (mean 7.6 hours), blood loss was low (420 mL), and the postoperative stay was short (4.6 days). Long-term follow-up is pending.

CONCLUSION

Laparoscopic techniques for radical cystectomy are currently being explored at several major medical centers. Hand-assisted laparoscopy offers the distinct advantages of palpation, retraction, speed, and minimal morbidity.

Perioperative morbidity of laparoscopic radical prostatectomy compared with open radical retropubic prostatectomy

The objective of the study was to compare the perioperative complication rates of our initial 60 laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP) patients and our most recent 60 sequential open radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP) patients. Sixty sequential LRP and 60 sequential RRP patients treated between March 2000 and March 2002 were retrospectively evaluated. Patients who received neo-adjuvant hormonal therapy or had metastatic disease and 3 LRP patients converted to open RRP were excluded. Estimated blood loss (EBL), transfusion rates, hemoglobin level, serum and drain fluid creatinine levels, hospital stay and complication rates were analyzed. There were 15 (25%) and 11 (18.3%) complications in the LRP and RRP cohorts, respectively. There were 3 (ulnar neuropathy, ureteral stricture, anastomotic leak with ureteral obstruction requiring reoperation), and 4 [2 bladder neck contractures (BNC) and 2 deep venous thromboses (DVT)] major complications, respectively. Minor complications included rectus hematoma, superficial wound infections, ileus and anastomotic urine leaks. A higher incidence of the latter (10 patients) was noted in the LRP cohort. One (1.7%) LRP and 31 (52%) RRP cohort patients received intraoperative or postoperative transfusions. The mean (median) EBL was 317 (250) and 1355 (1100) for the LRP and RRP cohorts, respectively. A transient, insignificant increase in serum creatinine from a median of 1.0 to 1.2 mg/dL was observed only in the LRP cohort. We concluded that our initial 60 LRP patients had a similar, but not improved, rate of perioperative complications when compared with 60 sequential open RRP patients of nearly identical age, preoperative PSA and prostate size. The types of complications differed between the LRP and RRP cohorts.

Retroperitoneal laparoscopic cryoablation of small renal tumors: intermediate results

OBJECTIVES

To present our experience with laparoscopic renal cryoablation with up to 3 years of follow-up. Laparoscopic renal cryoablation remains a viable option for the treatment of small peripheral renal masses in patients with significant comorbidities. Although partial nephrectomy has been shown to be a safe and reliable method of renal parenchymal preservation, laparoscopic cryoablation still requires longer term data to prove its efficacy.

METHODS

Twenty patients with small renal masses (1.4 to 4.5 cm) underwent laparoscopic renal cryosurgery at our institution. A retroperitoneal laparoscopic approach was used to expose the kidney. Intraoperative ultrasound guidance was used to localize the lesions and monitor iceball formation. A double-freeze technique was used. Needle biopsies of solid masses were performed intraoperatively.

RESULTS

Renal biopsies revealed renal cell carcinoma in 11 of the 20 patients. Of these 11 patients, none had evidence of recurrent disease at last follow-up, and follow-up scans showed no enhancement of any lesions. Of the 8 patients with follow-up of 2 years or greater, 4 had complete resolution of the renal lesions. The remainder had lesions that were reduced and stable in size. Complications included surgical re-exploration to evaluate pancreatic injury in 1 patient and failure to ablate a lesion in another.

CONCLUSIONS

Laparoscopic renal cryoablation appears to be an effective tool for ablation of small renal lesions. A moderate length of follow-up continues to demonstrate efficacy because no patients had growth of treated pathologic lesions or developed metastasis to date. Continued maturation of data is necessary to determine the long-term efficacy.

Expression of cell-cycle-regulated proteins pRb2/p130, p107, p27(kip1), p53, mdm-2, and Ki-67 (MIB-1) in prostatic gland adenocarcinoma

PURPOSE

The quest for prognostic molecular markers in prostatic carcinoma is still in progress. Many proteins have already been screened by immunohistochemistry with the aim to find the most reliable indicator of progressive disease. In this study, we evaluated the expression of pRb2/p130, p107, p27(kip1), p53, mdm-2, and Ki-67 (MIB-1) by immunohistochemistry in 24 prostate carcinomas compared with the paired expression of normal prostates.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

Expression of the different proteins in normal and pathological specimens was evaluated by the Wilcoxon test. A matrix of correlation (Spearman coefficient) was used to evaluate the possible association in expression among the different proteins. Logistic regression analysis was used to test the multivariable prognostic value of the levels of protein expression for the probability of disease development.

RESULTS

p53 and Ki-67 (MIB-1) showed a higher expression in cancer than in normal tissue (P = 0.006 and <0.001, respectively). pRb2/p130, p107, and p27(kip1) showed an overall lower expression in cancer, but the difference between cytoplasmic and nuclear expression was always higher for cancer (Ps, from <0.001 to 0.016). mdm-2 expression was lower in cancer, but the difference between cytoplasmic and nuclear expression was not significant (P = 0.571) when compared with that in normal tissue. A positive correlation between p27 and pRb2/p130 levels expressed, in normal and cancer counterparts in the same sample, as the difference between cytoplasmic and nuclear protein concentrations (P = 0.045) was found. Additionally, p107 expression showed an inverse correlation with Ki-67 (MIB-1) expression in the most aggressive tumors (P = 0.046). Logistic regression output showed that Ki-67 (MIB-1) and pRb2/p130 (expressed as differences between cytoplasmic and nuclear concentrations) were the variables associated with a higher risk of cancer. The highest value was reported for Ki-67 (MIB-1) (odds ratio, 2.11), followed by pRb2/p130 (odds ratio, 1.01). pRb2/p130 alone was associated with a sensitivity (rate of cases having a posterior probability of disease >/=0.5) of 61% with a false positive rate of 22%. Ki-67 (MIB-1) alone yielded a sensitivity of 69% and a false positive rate of 14%. The combined model (Ki-67 + pRb2/p130) yielded a sensitivity of 83% with a false positive rate of 17%. Interestingly, one specimen in which we also found a high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia showed the progressive loss of pRb2/p130 from normal prostatic cells to prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia cells, suggesting that in prostatic cancer, lack of expression of the tumor suppressor gene pRb2/p130 could be involved in the progression of the disease, from an early stage.

CONCLUSIONS

This study showed that all of the proteins but mdm-2 were expressed at a different rate in normal and pathological prostate specimens. Multivariate analysis showed that pRb2/p130 and p107 may be involved in the pathogenesis and progression of prostate cancers, and that the expression of the retinoblastoma-related protein pRb2/p130 along with Ki-67 (MIB-1), expressed as differences between cytoplasmic and nuclear concentrations, could be considered new parameters to be evaluated in discriminating patients at a higher risk for prostate cancer.

Does hormonal therapy influence sexual function in men receiving 3D conformal radiation therapy for prostate cancer?

PURPOSE

We evaluated the effect of three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT) with or without hormonal therapy (HT) on sexual function (SF) in prostate cancer patients whose SF was known before all treatment.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

Between March 1996 and March 1999, 144 patients received 3D-CRT (median dose = 70.2 Gy, range 66.6-79.2 Gy) for prostate cancer and had pre- and post-therapy SF data. All SF data were obtained with the O'Leary Brief SF Inventory, a self-administered, multidimensional, validated instrument. We defined total sexual potency as erections firm enough for penetration during intercourse. Mean follow-up time was 21 months (SD +/- 11 months). The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to test for significance of the change from baseline.

RESULTS

Before 3D-CRT, 87 (60%) of 144 men were totally potent as compared to only 47 (47%) of 101 at 1-year follow-up. Of the 60 men totally potent at baseline and followed for at least 1 year, 35 (58%) remained totally potent. These changes corresponded to a significant reduction in SF (p < 0.05). Patients who had 3D-CRT alone were more likely to be totally potent at 1 year than those receiving 3D-CRT with HT (56% vs. 31%, p = 0.012); however, they were also more likely to be potent at baseline (71% vs. 44%, p = 0.001). Although these two groups had a significant reduction in SF from baseline, their change was not significantly different from each other.

CONCLUSION

These data indicate that 3D-CRT causes a significant reduction in total sexual potency as compared to pretreatment baseline. The addition of HT does not appear to increase the risk of sexual dysfunction.

Comparison and clinical evaluation of hand-assist devices for hand-assisted laparoscopy

Hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery (HALS) is being used increasingly in urologic laparoscopy, particularly for laparoscopic nephrectomy. Hand-assist devices (HADs) facilitate the intra-abdominal placement of the hand during laparoscopy. There are currently three HADs available in the United States: the Pneumo Sleeve, the Handport, and the Intromit. The performance of each HAD is assessed regarding usage options, maintenance of pneumoperitoneum, device failure, exchange of intra-abdominal hands, adaptation to obese patients, and specimen removal. The use of these devices is reviewed based on our experience in more than 100 cases of HALS.

Hand-assisted laparoscopic nephroureterectomy: description of technique

PURPOSE

Traditional treatment of transitional cell carcinoma of the upper urinary tract (UTTCC) has been nephroureterectomy by open surgical techniques, often requiring two incisions. Our experience and technique for hand-assisted laparoscopic nephroureterectomy (HALNU) is reviewed.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Thirty-two patients had HALNU performed by one of three surgeons from August 1998 to October 2000. The distal ureter and bladder cuff was resected laparoscopically and sutured closed in 15 patients and resected by combined cystoscopic and laparoscopic approach in 17 patients.

RESULTS

The indication for surgery was UTTCC for 29 patients and benign conditions in 2 patients. The mean operating time (including initial cystoscopy) was 372 minutes (281-530), and the mean blood loss was 541 cc (50-3500). The mean hospital stay was 5.5 days (3-12). There were no positive surgical margins, local recurrences, trocar site seeding, or wound seeding.

CONCLUSIONS

HALNU is an effective minimally invasive approach for the treatment of UTTCC.

Management of hemorrhage during laparoscopy

Bleeding can be a complication of laparoscopic procedures commonly performed by urologists, such as pelvic node dissection and nephrectomy, and is often difficult to manage. Hemorrhage also can occur as a result of Veress needle or trocar placement, and there are specific strategies for the management of these injuries. Laparoscopic clip appliers, laparoscopic staplers, laparoscopic suturing, various energy sources (monopolar and bipolar electrocautery, laser, ultrasonic dissectors, and argon beam coagulators), and topical agents (gelatin foam, cellulose, collagen, and fibrin sealant) can be used to obtain hemostasis. Converting to laparotomy to obtain hemostasis may be necessary in some cases. Proper patient selection is important for lowering the risk of hemorrhage.

Transurethral microwave thermotherapy of the prostate without intravenous sedation: results of a single United States center using both low- and high-energy protocols. TJUH TUMT Study Group

PURPOSE

Previous studies have indicated that high-energy transurethral microwave thermotherapy (TUMT) requires intravenous (IV) sedation and/or narcotics for patient tolerance. This study was performed to determine tolerability, patient acceptance, and efficacy of TUMT using both low- and high-energy protocols in a single United States university setting.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Between August 11, 1997 and October 28, 1999, 210 men (mean age 64.9 +/- 9.1 years) presenting with symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) received treatment with a Prostatron TUMT using either the low-energy Prostasoft 2.O or high-energy Prostasoft 2.5 software. Each patient had digital rectal examination and prostate-specific antigen level consistent with BPH, American Urological Association symptom score > or = 15, and Qmax <15 mL/s. Each patient received TUMT with only ibuprofen 400 mg by mouth (PO), lorazepam 1.0 mg PO, and ketorolac 30 mg intramuscularly (IM) prior to TUMT. A few patients who were concerned about limited pain threshold received oxycodone 5 mg/acetaminophen 325 mg PO. Of 210 patients treated, 12-month efficacy data were available for analysis in 80 patients.

RESULTS

Forty-eight men (mean age 65 +/- 9.2 years) received low-energy 2.0 software TUMT, and 32 men (mean age 65.1 +/- 9.2 years) were treated with high-energy 2.5 software. Mean prostatic volume was 44.3 +/- 23.9 mL and 60.7 +/- 26.4 mL for the 2.0 and 2.5 groups, respectively. Mean energy delivered was 108.8 +/- 50.4 kJ and 173.1 +/- 41.1 kJ for the 2.0 and 2.5 treatment groups, respectively. International Prostate Symptom Score decreased from 23 pre-TUMT to 8 post-TUMT and 21 pre-TUMT to 10 post-TUMT at 12 months in the 2.0 and 2.5 groups, respectively. Mean peak flow rate improved 31.9% from 9.1 mL/s pre-TUMT to 12.0 mL/s post-TUMT and 45.8% from 9.6 mL/s pre-TUMT to 14.0 mL/s post-TUMT at 12 months in the 2.0 and 2.5 groups, respectively. All but two patients tolerated treatment without IV sedation. One patient experienced intolerable rectal spasm, and treatment was terminated in another patient because of poorly controlled hypertension.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients can be treated safely with TUMT using either low or high energy, with almost universal patient tolerance and without the need for IV sedation or narcotics, if they premedicated effectively using a PO/IM regimen. Patients experience significant relief of symptoms whether low- or high-energy TUMT is used; however, high-energy TUMT improves flow rate to a greater extent than does low-energy therapy.

The multidisciplinary clinic approach to prostate cancer counseling and treatment

The optimum management for an individual patient with prostate cancer is not well defined. Patients with localized disease may be offered options ranging from observation, hormonal therapy, cryotherapy, radiation therapy, or surgery. Each option may have unique aspects to consider when counseling a patient often leading to multiple physician visits over an extended period of time. Since 1996, the Kimmel Cancer Center of Thomas Jefferson University has offered newly diagnosed urologic cancer patients the opportunity to be evaluated in a multidisciplinary clinic. Here, multiple physician consultative visits, including pathologic and radiologic evaluation and protocol evaluation, are provided during the session. Herein we report on our experience with this multidisciplinary approach for patients with prostate cancer.

Rapid eye movement sleep changes during the adaptation night in combat veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder

BACKGROUND

Hyperarousal in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is manifested during sleep as well as waking. Elevated rapid eye movement sleep (REMS) phasic activity, likely signifying central nervous system alerting, has been identified in PTSD. The authors reasoned that PTSD compared to control subjects would show particularly increased REMS phasic activity on the first night of polysomnography, with adaptation to a novel environment.

METHODS

First-night polysomnograms of 17 veterans with PTSD were compared with those of 11 control subjects. Sleep was also studied in subsets of both groups over two nights.

RESULTS

On the first night, the PTSD subjects had a higher density of rapid eye movements in the first REMS period. This measure was increased on the first compared to the second night, but there was no interaction effect between night and group.

CONCLUSIONS

REMS changes are again demonstrated in veterans with PTSD. Introduction to a novel environment activated a REMS phasic process, but not differentially in PTSD compared to control subjects.

Open trials as a method of prioritizing medications for inclusion in controlled trials for cocaine dependence

This paper describes a rapid and systematic method of using open trials to identify medications that may be useful for the treatment of cocaine dependence. Results of these open trials can be used to prioritize medications for inclusion in subsequent double-blind, placebo-controlled trials. Preliminary results are presented from the evaluation of propranolol, nefazodone, and the combination of phentermine and fenfluramine (phen/fen). Each medication was evaluated in an open trial, and results were compared to results obtained from a group that received a multivitamin. Outcome measures included treatment retention, urine toxicology screens, self-reported cocaine use, and changes on the Addiction Severity Index (ASI). Treatment retention was significantly better in the propranolol group than in the multivitamin group. Concurrent alcohol abuse was associated with increased rates of attrition in the multivitamin group, and the phen/fen group, but not in the propranolol group. Neither the nefazodone nor the phen/fen groups showed any outcome advantages over the multivitamin group. We conclude that propranolol may enhance retention among cocaine-dependent patients, especially among those who also abuse alcohol. These results encourage a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of propranolol.

Reliability and validity of the Cocaine Selective Severity Assessment

This article assesses the reliability and validity of the Cocaine Selective Severity Assessment (CSSA), a measure of cocaine abstinence signs and symptoms. Interrater reliability and scale internal consistency were high. Initial CSSA scores were significantly higher in cocaine-dependent subjects than in alcohol-dependent subjects. Initial CSSA scores were highly correlated with recent cocaine use and with severity measures from the Addiction Severity Index (ASI) including the interviewer severity rating and composite score in the drug section. Among cocaine-dependent subjects, initial CSSA scores were higher for those who failed to achieve abstinence or who subsequently dropped out of treatment. Further, CSSA scores showed consistent and marked declines over time for subjects who continued in treatment and remained abstinent. The CSSA appears to be a reliable and valid measure of cocaine abstinence symptoms and a useful predictor of negative outcomes in cocaine dependence treatment.

Treatment of transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder with intravesical interleukin-2: a pilot study

Human recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2) administered systemically can mediate the regression of solid tumors in some patients. IL-2 has been detected in the bladder effluent from patients treated with intravesical BCG for transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder (TCC), suggesting that IL-2 may be an effector molecule in the mechanism of action of BCG. The purpose of the pilot study was to determine the response rate, duration of response and toxicity of rIL-2 (Cetus) administered intravesically to previously untreated patients and patients who had failed prior intravesical therapy with other agents. Fourteen patients with biopsy proven transitional cell carcinoma (13 Stage TIS/Ta/T1, 1 Stage T2) were treated with 8 weekly instillations of 12 x 10(6) IU of rIL-2. An index lesion was followed with cystoscopy, biopsy and cytology at three months, with identical follow up every three months thereafter if a response was noted in the index lesion at the first evaluation. There were 3 complete responses (duration of response measured from start of treatment to date of progression) of 9+, 3, 9 months; one patient with TIS, and 2 patients with Ta disease. There were 11 non-responders for an overall response rate of 21%. One patient with extensive CIS had a dramatic partial response and was converted to a complete response with a second 8-week course of rIL-2. All of the complete responders had failed prior intravesical therapy with standard agents. Toxicity from rIL-2 given intravesically was minimal. One patient reported malaise for 24 hours after each treatment and two patients developed asymptomatic lower UTIs.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Urinary dysfunction in Lyme disease

Lyme disease, which is caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi, is associated with a variety of neurological sequelae. We describe 7 patients with neuro-borreliosis who also had lower urinary tract dysfunction. Urodynamic evaluation revealed detrusor hyperreflexia in 5 patients and detrusor areflexia in 2. Detrusor external sphincter dyssynergia was not noted on electromyography in any patient. We observed that the urinary tract may be involved in 2 respects in the course of Lyme disease: 1) voiding dysfunction may be part of neuro-borreliosis and 2) the spirochete may directly invade the urinary tract. In 1 patient bladder infection by the Lyme spirochete was documented on biopsy. Neurological and urological symptoms in all patients were slow to resolve and convalescence was protracted. Relapses of active Lyme disease and residual neurological deficits were common. Urologists practicing in areas endemic for Lyme disease need to be aware of B. burgdorferi infection in the differential diagnosis of neurogenic bladder dysfunction. Conservative bladder management including clean intermittent catheterization guided by urodynamic evaluation is recommended.