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Background: Erectile dysfunction (ED) and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) due to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) are two common conditions in aging men. Their association exceeds mere age-related coincidence and involves shared vascular, neurological, endocrine-metabolic and psychosexual mechanisms. Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of ED in patients followed for symptomatic BPH, to identify factors associated with its severity, and to analyze the evolution of erectile function after medical treatment. Methods: A prospective cross-sectional study conducted at the Urology Department A of Ibn Sina Hospital, Rabat, from August 1 to November 30, 2021. After excluding 37 records, 100 male patients aged 50 to 80 years followed for BPH were included. LUTS were assessed using the IPSS score and erectile function using the IIEF-5 score. Sociodemographic, clinical, biological, ultrasonographic, cardiovascular and therapeutic data were analyzed. The significance threshold was set at p < 0.05. Results: Mean age was 66 ± 15 years. The overall prevalence of ED was 72%, with 30% mild, 33% moderate, and 27% severe forms among interpretable cases. Only 25% of patients had spontaneously reported their sexual dysfunction. Factors significantly associated with ED were age (p < 0.001), LUTS severity by IPSS (p < 0.001), obesity (p < 0.001), and history of prostatic surgery (p < 0.01), arterial hypertension (p < 0.02) and nocturia (p < 0.05). Alpha-blocker–tadalafil combination therapy improved the IIEF-5 score by +4.3 to +5.2 points. Alpha-blockers alone did not significantly improve erectile function. Conclusion: ED is common and largely under-reported in patients with BPH. LUTS severity, particularly nocturia, is closely linked to erectile impairment. Systematic sexual assessment should be an integral part of BPH management, and the alpha-blocker–PDE5i combination represents a relevant therapeutic strategy in patients with associated ED.

Radical cystectomy with urinary diversion is the standard treatment for muscle-invasive bladder cancer. The impact of the type of urinary diversion on quality of life (QoL) remains debated. This cross-sectional study assessed QoL in 57 patients who underwent radical cystectomy between 2014 and 2022 at two urology departments in Rabat, Morocco, using the Bladder Cancer Index (BCI), the SF-36, and the Body Image Scale (BIS). Multiple linear regression identified socioeconomic status, body image perception, urinary discomfort, and comorbidities as the main determinants of QoL, with the type of urinary diversion playing an indirect role mediated through these factors. These findings underscore the need for a multidimensional approach when evaluating and optimizing QoL outcomes after radical cystectomy.

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder characterized by chronic hyperglycemia and disrupted carbohydrate, fat, and protein metabolism, representing a growing health issue in Bosnia and Herzegovina, particularly among the elderly. This study evaluated the accumulation and distribution of identified risk factors among 108 elderly patients with type 2 diabetes (54 females and 54 males) treated at the Clinical Center University of Sarajevo. Evaluated risk factors included age, sex, hyperlipidemia, adiposity, family history, smoking, hypertension, and elevated fibrinogen levels. The overall mean number of identified risk factors was 4.11 per patient (SD = 1.32, range: 1–8). Female patients exhibited a slightly higher mean (4.26, SD = 1.36) than male patients (3.96, SD = 1.27), but this difference was not statistically significant (t = 1.18, df = 106, p = 0.240). Overall, 80.56% of patients presented with 3–5 risk factors, 12.04% with 6 or more, and only 7.41% with 2 or fewer, showing no significant association between sex and risk burden category (p = 0.670). In conclusion, elderly patients with type 2 diabetes exhibit a high cumulative risk-factor burden that is comparable between sexes, underscoring the need for comprehensive, multi-targeted intervention strategies in clinical practice.

Ureteral double-J stents are a commonly used device in urological practice to allow urinary drainage, avoid ureteral obstruction processes, and protect the upper urinary tract after surgical procedures. However, long indwelling time may give rise to numerous complications, such as infection, migration, and fragmentation of the stent, especially encrustation. Encrustation of stents is a well-known complication that has been closely related to the time active of the stent and can cause significant morbidity if not timely addressed. In severe cases, abundant mineral deposition can result in the development of large calculi encasing the stent and rarely progress to staghorn stones. These cases may pose challenges in terms of the extraction of the stent and may result in complex endourological intervention. The encrustation likelihood is substantially higher if stents are left forgotten or remain in place longer than the advised period. Most patients with heavily encrusted stents have symptoms including flank pain, urinary tract infection, hematuria, or obstructive uropathy, but can present without any symptoms, and this can delay the diagnosis.

Introduction: In the Republic of Congo, Mombénzélé village’s an area endemic for cholera where environmental and socio-economic factors favor the persistence of the epidemic. This study assessed the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of the indigenous peoples of Mombénzélé regarding cholera to design culturally appropriate and sustainable prevention strategies.Materials and methods: This was a preliminary cross-sectional pilot study, descriptive and analytical in nature, conducted from April 21 to 31, 2026, in the indigenous community of Mombénzélé (Impfondo district, Republic of Congo). The study assessed adults. Convenience sampling was used. Data were collected via a questionnaire in Lingala and face-to-face interviews, with secure data entry on tablets. Analysis using SPSS, including socio-demographic profiles, KAP variables, and chi-square tests (p < 0.05), was conducted in strict compliance with ethical principles and anonymization guidelines. Results: The population studied is predominantly male (60%) and without formal education (92%). Cholera is largely unknown to 92% of individuals, who believe exclusively in mystical causes. Hygiene practices are dangerous, with a complete lack of water treatment (100%) and systematic recourse to traditional healers (60%). Vulnerability is exacerbated by open defecation (56% in the river) and a refusal to use chlorinated water (88%). Sociodemographic factors significantly influence behaviors, notably age, which impacts funeral practices (p = 0.033), and educational level, which determines access to the river (p = 0.0033). The main activity influences the consumption of treated water (p = 0.0218) and determines (p = 0.000026) funeral practices. Household size impacts the perception of cholera lethality (p = 0.009) and guides the choice of funeral practices (p = 0.045).Discussion: A cholera epidemic has struck the Mombénzélé village, affecting 96% of adults and exacerbated by a complete lack of awareness of the symptoms and a rejection of chlorinated water. The health crisis has driven 76% of the population to traditional medicine. Conclusion: To contain the health crisis in Mombénzélé, it’s essential to deploy a strategy combining the training of bilingual mediators and the improvement of water infrastructure, in order to overcome the lack of information on the transmission of cholera and to adapt prevention to the realities and cultural barriers of the indigenous community.

Introduction: Few studies have explored the vulnerability of women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) to developing cervical cancer and its precursor lesions. Objective: To describe the clinical, metabolic, and endocrine characteristics of a series of women with cervical squamous intraepithelial lesions and polycystic ovary syndrome, aiming to generate hypotheses regarding the potential pathophysiological mechanisms linking both conditions.Methods: A descriptive and hypothesis-generating study was conducted. The series consisted of nine women with a cytological diagnosis of cervical squamous intraepithelial lesions (SIL) who also met the Rotterdam criteria for PCOS. Characterization included age, sexual behavior, toxic habits, history of hypertension and diabetes mellitus, body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), metabolic parameters (insulin resistance, dyslipidemia), serum hormone levels (testosterone, prolactin, estradiol), human papillomavirus (HPV) 16/18 infection, grade of the lesion, and PCOS phenotypes. Results: The mean age was 37,11 ± 12,8 years. Abdominal obesity was detected in 55,5% and insulin resistance in 44,4% of cases. Hyperprolactinemia was present in 33,3%. HPV 16/18 infection was identified in 77,7% of cases. Most patients presented high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) and PCOS phenotype D. Conclusion: The presence of HSIL in more than a third of the women in this case series is compatible with the hypothesis that PCOS, particularly those with insulin resistance, abdominal obesity, or hyperprolactinemia, may act as a multifactorial risk factor for cervical lesions, either independently or synergistically through metabolic and hormonal pathways that interact with HPV. These findings should be interpreted as preliminary observations that warrant confirmation in larger, controlled studies.

While canine pets offer significant psychological and physical benefits to their owners, especially children, there are well-documented health risks associated with pathogens that can be transmitted to humans.To determine the prevalence of intestinal parasites, with an emphasis on zoonotic ones, in children and their dogs, and to identify risk factors associated with infection, a cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in children from primary schools in the Cerro municipality, province of Havana. One hundred and three children (36 with dogs and 67 without pets) from fifth and sixth grades were selected. Three stool samples were collected on alternate days, and one stool sample was collected from their pets using conventional coproparasitological techniques between September and December 2023. The results showed a prevalence of 38.8% of intestinal parasites in the children studied. Blastocystis spp. (30.1%) and Giardia duodenalis (17.5%) were the most prevalent zoonotic species. Ancylostoma caninum (8.3%) was the most frequent zoonotic parasite in dogs. Male sex was the only variable that showed statistical significance, associated with a higher risk of infection. There were no significant differences in the prevalence of intestinal parasites in the group of children with dogs compared to those without pets, and no statistical association in the analyzed epidemiological variablesIt is important to develop a One Health approach for the control of these zoonoses, as dogs can act as important sentinels of public health.