Background and Objectives: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and associated lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTSs) can substantially impair health-related quality of life (HRQoL). We examined the relationship between LUTS severity, measured by the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), and HRQoL assessed with the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) in men receiving pharmacological treatment for BPH. Materials and Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study at the University Clinical Center of Vojvodina (May–July 2024). Seventy men aged 50–80 years on ≥1 year of pharmacological therapy for BPH were enrolled. LUTS severity was categorized by IPSS (mild, moderate, severe). HRQoL was measured across WHOQOL-BREF domains (physical, psychological, social, environmental). Group differences were tested with one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and post hoc tests; associations were evaluated with Spearman’s rank correlation; multivariable linear regression adjusted for age, socioeconomic status, and therapy type. Results: Severe LUTS were associated with significantly lower HRQoL in the physical (p = 0.002), social (p = 0.007), and environmental (p = 0.008) domains compared with mild or moderate symptoms, while psychological scores did not differ. IPSS correlated negatively with the physical (ρ = −0.438, p < 0.001), social (ρ = −0.470, p < 0.001), and environmental (ρ = −0.449, p < 0.001) domains. In multivariable regression, IPSS remained independently associated with lower physical HRQoL (β = −0.768, p < 0.001), independent of age, socioeconomic status, and therapy type. Conclusions: Greater LUTS severity is associated with poorer health-related quality of life in men receiving pharmacological treatment for BPH. Integrating comprehensive symptom assessment with HRQoL measures may enhance clinical evaluation and support more personalized management. Longitudinal studies are needed to determine whether symptom improvement translates into meaningful gains in quality of life.

Background/Aim. To date, most of the scientific attention has been aimed at the morphometric analysis of the nephrogenic zone (NZ) of the fetal renal cortex, while the quantification and analysis of the maturation zone (MZ) and other indicators of renal maturity were missing. The aim of the study was to examine the characteristics of fetal kidney cortex maturation, as well as to propose the development of a new cortical maturity index (CMI). Methods. The study included 42 paraffin molds of the fetal kidney, divided into three groups according to gestational age (GA). After hematoxylin and eosin staining, tissue sections were analyzed through the following parameters: the thickness of the NZ and MZ, the renal corpuscles area (RCa) and the glomerular capillary tuft area (GCTa), and the maturation stages of the glomeruli. In addition, a new parameter, CMI, was formed as a ratio of NZ and MZ thickness. The collected data were statistically processed. Results. Changes in NZ and MZ thickness were statistically significant, and they correlated with GA. A value of CMI higher than 0.2 was recorded in the kidney samples of fetuses younger than the 20th gestational week (GW), while a value lower than 0.1 was recorded in the samples older than the 30th GW. With an increase in GA in all zones of the renal cortex, RCa and GCTa decreased. A statistically significant reduction of GCTa was observed in the oldest group in the juxtamedullary and intermediate zones of the cortex (p < 0.01). Glomeruli located in the deeper parts of the cortex were more mature than the superficial ones. Conclusion. The measured parameters can serve as a starting point for future studies that would analyze the histomorphological characteristics of the fetal kidney cortex. In the absence of clinical data, a newly formed parameter CMI can represent assistance with the determination of GA, as it significantly correlates with GA (p < 0.01).

Introduction. Surgical repair of inguinal hernias is among the most commonly performed procedures in general surgery. Despite the high volume of operations performed annually, urological complications following this procedure remain underreported. Testicular torsion is one of the most frequent causes of an acute scrotum; however, it is rarely considered a postoperative complication, which may delay diagnosis and subsequently increase the risk of testicular loss. Case Report. We present the case of a 47-year-old male who was admitted to the Emergency Department with scrotal pain occurring three days after an elective right-sided inguinal hernia repair. Physical examination and scrotal color Doppler ultrasonography were performed, after which urgent surgical exploration was indicated. Intraoperatively, a 360o intravaginal torsion of the right spermatic cord was identified, with no restoration of blood flow following detorsion. Based on intraoperative findings, a right-sided orchiectomy was performed. The diagnosis was subsequently confirmed by histopathological examination. Conclusion. Although postoperative symptoms may be nonspecific and misleading, clinicians should maintain a high level of suspicion for possible urological complications after inguinal hernia repairs. Delayed recognition can significantly impact a patient?s quality of life and may result in considerable medico-legal consequences. Early identification and prompt management are thereof essential.

We present a rare case of sciatic ureteral herniation with consecutive renal unit obstruction. 72 year old woman presented with gross hematuria associated with unilateral hydronephrosis. During work up IVP and MRI were performed, and the diagnosis of sciatic ureteral hernia was established. Condition was resolved by laparoscopic hernia repair.

Introduction/Objective. Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed malignancy in men in more than half of the world’s countries and a leading cause of cancer death. Radical prostatectomy is the standard surgical treatment but carries a risk of postoperative complications. The aim of this study was to analyze postoperative complications after open and laparoscopic radical prostatectomy using the Clavien-Dindo classification. Methods. A retrospective study included 304 patients with prostate cancer treated at the Clinic of Urology, University Clinical Center of Vojvodina, from 2020 to 2024. Complications occurring within 60 days of surgery were graded using the Clavien-Dindo classification and analyzed in relation to sociodemographic, preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative factors. Results. The mean age was 67.4 ± 5.7 years. Most complications were mild (Grade I, 47%; Grade II, 35.2%); the most frequent were blood transfusion (18.7%) and elevated serum creatinine (10.9%). Complication severity correlated significantly with body mass index (ρ = 0.169, p < 0.01), preoperative prostate-specific antigen (ρ = 0.167, p < 0.01), operative duration (ρ = 0.719, p < 0.001), and intraoperative blood loss (ρ = 0.552, p < 0.001). Sociodemographic factors showed no significant association. The difference between the open and laparoscopic approaches was not statistically significant (p = 0.295). Conclusion. Postoperative complications after radical prostatectomy were predominantly mild. Body mass index, prostate-specific antigen, operative duration, intraoperative blood loss, and the postoperative course were associated with greater complication severity, whereas the surgical approach was not.