Introduction Female sexual function contains four major subtypes of desire, arousal, orgasm, and pain. Few studies used validated instruments to determine the dysfunction in these areas and assess their risk factors. Aim To assess the prevalence of and risk factors for individual components of sexual difficulty in women. Methods A self-administered questionnaire containing the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) was given to 2,159 woman employees of two hospitals to assess their sexual function and its correlates. Main Outcome Measures The associations between female sexual difficulty in individual domains defined by the FSFI domain scores and potential risk factors assessed by simple questions. Results Among the 1,580 respondents, 930 women’s data were eligible for analysis with a mean age of 36.1 years (range 20–67). Of them, 43.8% had sexual difficulty in one or more domains, including low desire in 31.3%; low arousal, 18.2%; low lubrication, 4.8%; low orgasmic function, 10.4%; low satisfaction, 7.3%; and sexual pain, 10.5%. Compared with the younger women (20–49 years), the oldest age group (50–67 years) had a significantly higher prevalence in low desire, low arousal, and low lubrication, but not in the other domains. Based on multivariate logistic regression analyses, poor relationship with the partner and perception of partner’s sexual dysfunction were major risk factors for low desire, low arousal, low orgasmic function, and low satisfaction. Age and urge urinary incontinence were associated with low lubrication and sexual pain. Most comorbidities were not related to these difficulties, except diabetes being related to low desire. Conclusions Relationship factors had substantial impact on female sexual function in desire, arousal, orgasm, and satisfaction. On the other hand, women’s lubrication problem and sexual pain were related predominantly with biological factors. These are initial results and future research is needed to confirm them.

By using an ethylene glycol-induced urolithiasis model, we assessed the role of testosterone in the pathogenesis of urolithiasis. The intact and castrated male and female rats were fed with 0.5% ethylene glycol in drinking water for four weeks. The renal excretions of oxalate, citrate and other electrolytes were measured, and the stone and crystal deposit were examined microscopically. The results showed that drinking a loading of 0.5% ethylene glycol for four weeks produced hyperoxaluria in all rats, but the intact male rats excreted more urinary oxalate than any other groups of rats. The ethylene glycol-fed rats exhibited hypocitraturia except the castrated male rats. However, urolithiasis occurred in intact male but not female rats. Castration in male rats fed with ethylene glycol dramatically decreased the incidence of renal stone from 71.4% (5/7) to 14.3% (1/7). On the other hand, there was still no renal stone formed in the oophorectomized female rats which received ethylene glycol treatment. These data indicate that serum testosterone level plays a determinant role in urolithiasis formation.

Seventeen patients with urolithiasis in problem kidneys which comprised horseshoe kidneys, medullary sponge kidneys (MSKs), polycystic kidneys and duplex kidneys presented to our hospital and were evaluated for treatment with extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy (ESWL). A total of 21 renal units were treated with ESWL. Auxiliary procedures included preoperative retrograde ureteral catheterization (1 horseshoe kidney) placement of a retrograde double-J catheter stent (1 MSK), percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL; 2 MSKs) and postoperative PCNL (1 MSK). The outcome showed that 5 renal units (23.8%) were stone free, 15 renal units (71.4%) had a decreased stone load with residual sotne and improved symptoms, and 1 renal unit (4.8%) had residual stone with persistent symptoms. We conclude that ESWL can be used as a primary management tool for calculi in problem kidneys.

There was no difference in VEGF immunoreactivity between malignant and benign prostatic epithelium in Taiwanese. High Gleason grade tumors and advanced disease had significantly higher frequency of VEGF expression in stroma but not glandular epithelium. Tumors with positive epithelium VEGF staining had significantly higher PSA levels.

p21(WAF1) and p27(KIP1) expression have no role in predicting biochemical relapse for stage pT2 prostate cancers.