Dear Colleagues,
The UIJ has grown to be read in over 165 countries with an individual subscriber base of over 20,000 individuals. This growth has only been possible because of the work that the authors have done to produce the papers accepted through the fast-tracked peer-review process. The reviewers have also been dedicated to their roles in reviewing the manuscripts and offering their comments in a timely manner, consistent with the vision of the journal. I am pleased to introduce the selection of outstanding articles, one from each category from past publications that are being recognized as recipients of the first annual Editor's Awards for Excellence.
2008-2009 Editor's Award of Excellence: Basic Science Hammouda HM, Hassan YS, Abdelateef AM, Morsi MG, Ali MM, Abdelnaeim M. Post-Tubularized Incised Plate Urethroplasty Healing: An Experimental Randomized Study in 40 Dogs. UroToday Int J. 2009 Oct;2(5).
2008-2009 Editor's Award of Excellence: Clinical Trial Olshansky B, Spierings ELH, Brum J, Mongay L, Egermark M, Seifu Y.Validation of the Differential Cardiovascular Effects of the Antimuscarinic Agents Darifenacin and Tolterodine in a Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, 3-Way Crossover Study. UroToday Int J. 2009 Aug;2(4).
2008-2009 Editor's Award of Excellence: Original Study Dickstein RJ, Baker EH, Siroky MB. Outcome of Patients with Abnormal Upper Tract Cytology and Negative Initial Workup. UroToday Int J. 2009 Dec;2(6).
Gamal WM, Rashid A, Zaki M, Salem E, Mostafa M, Abuzeid A, Osman MM. Modified N-Shaped Ileal Neobladder After Radical Cystectomy.UroToday Int J. 2009 Oct;2(5).
2008-2009 Editor's Award of Excellence: Case Report Eldefrawy A, Katkoori D, De Los Santos R, Manoharan M, Soloway MS. Basal Cell Carcinoma of the Prostate: A Case Report and Review of the Literature. UroToday Int J. 2009 Jun;2(3).
Hutchings DC, Sammons EL, Patel NS, Sullivan ME. Solitary Metastasis of Cervical Carcinoma to the Kidney: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.UroToday Int J. 2009 Dec;2(6).
2008-2009 Editor's Award of Excellence: Topical Review Westerling D. Bladder Pain: Clinical Assessment and Treatment. UroToday Int J. 2009 Aug;2(4).
The authors will be honored along with the editorial board of the UIJ at a reception to be held in San Francisco, California, USA. The current issue offers a unique look at problems in defining treatment success following radical prostatectomy and radiation therapy for adenocarcinoma of the prostate. The authors Barrett and Hertzfeld treated patients with brachytherapy alone and found that 73.6% of their patients had an undetectable PSA level (< 0.1 ng/mL) that was consistently associated with a disease-free state at a median follow-up of 85.2 months, and 98% of patients with PSA ≤ 0.2 had subsequent nonrising PSA. When the results were compared with current literature, the authors concluded that brachytherapy appears to have success that is similar to prostatectomy.
Shigemura et al compared the results of prostate biopsies from the transitional zone only, peripheral zone only, and combined transitional and peripheral zones. They found that transitional zone biopsies resulted in significantly lower cancer detection rates, and concluded that biopsies from this zone may not be necessary for patients with serum PSA < 10 ng/mL.
Valdivia-Uria et al developed an alternative laparoscopic technique for distal ureterectomy used to treat ureteral and bladder perimeatic mucosa through thermal ablation, and they present promising long-term results.
Authors continue to contribute fantastic case studies that allow for all of us as readers to gain a perspective on select impacts of clinical practice and basic research. The 3 unique cases with genitourinary sarcoidosis as the initial presentation and no systemic manifestation, described by El-Zawahry et al, provide insight into an extremely rare disorder. The complex management issues involved with intersex disorders of sexual development are thoughtfully discussed in Kumar et al. Finally, studies involving basic science are always welcome. Lo et al described contractility of the detrusor muscle in the transverse and longitudinal directions in young rats.
I am honored to present you with these open-access, peer-reviewed articles. We are grateful for your continued support.
Kind regards,
K-E Andersson
Editor-In-Chief
UIJ