[INFECTIOUS AORTITIS-RELATED MORTALITY AFTER ILEAL NEOBLADDER SUBSTITUTION IN A PATIENT WITH DIABETES MELLITUS].

A 78-year-old man, who underwent total cystectomy with ileal neobladder substitution for bladder cancer 5 years ago, had a fever since the beginning of May 2022. He was hospitalized in an internal medicine ward of another hospital and was diagnosed with febrile urinary tract infection (UTI). Escherichia coli with sensitivity to almost all antibiotics was cultured in urine. Computed tomography (CT) showed that the distended neobladder with bilateral hydronephrosis contained gas and the severely athelosclerotic aorta. Even after using four antibiotics, the UTI could not be controlled. After 3 weeks of hospitalization, CT showed periaortic lymphatic swelling. Therefore, he was transferred to our hospital on 6 June due to uncontrollable UTI and lymphatic metastasis of bladder cancer. However, CT revealed that the neobladder remained distended and showed thickening of the periaortic soft tissue with gas. He was diagnosed with advanced infectious aortitis. Furthermore, he had poorly controlled diabetes mellitus of HbA1c 8.4%. Immediately after admission, an exchange of the urethral catheter and antibiotics, and blood sugar control strengthening were performed. On the second day, the patient was close to defervescence. However, on the third day, abrupt onset of loss of consciousness and abdominal swelling occurred. CT showed retroperitoneal hematoma caused by the rupture of the aorta. Then, bradycardia and respiratory arrest occurred, ventilator management and blood transfusion were performed, and the patient survived. However, his condition worsened, and he died 2 days later. The patient had undergone ileal neobladder substitution, but had infectious aortitis and died of an aortic rupture due to distended neobladder-induced UTI, poorly controlled diabetes mellitus and the severely athelosclerotic aorta.

[ROBOT-ASSISTED LAPAROSCOPIC RADICAL PROSTATECTOMY WITHOUT TRANSCATHETER ARTERIAL EMBOLIZATION FOR A PATIENT WITH PROSTATE CANCER AND PELVIC ARTERIOVENOUS MALFORMATION: A CASE REPORT].

We performed robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RARP) without transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) for a 72-year-old male patient with prostate cancer and pelvic arteriovenous malformation (AVM). Though lymphatic dissection was made contralateral to the AVM, the operation time (robotic: 2h 40 min, and total: 3h 2 min) was not long. Moreover, the blood loss amount of 250 ml was less than those in the past reports of preoperative TAE. Robotic surgery, a dissection of an abnormal arterial branch from the internal iliac artery before the division of the bladder neck, bunching of the deep dorsal vein complex, and resection of the vascular pedicle connecting with AVM in the final step of prostatectomy, contributed to the safe operation. Moreover, the surgical margin was negative in the pathological report,and the prostate specific-antigen was 0.006 ng/ml 3months following the operation. In addition, CT revealed the same size of AVM and no postoperative complication. It has been demonstrated that in the absence of TAE for pelvic AVM, RARP for prostate cancer is safe and effectively controls cancer.

Effect of imidafenacin on nocturia and sleep disorder in patients with overactive bladder.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of imidafenacin on nocturia and sleep disorder in patients with overactive bladder (OAB). PATIENTS AND METHODS: A prospective multicenter study of imidafenacin 0.1 mg twice daily for patients with OAB and nocturia was conducted. At baseline and at week 4 and 8, patients were assessed using the overactive bladder symptom score (OABSS), frequency volume charts (FVC) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). RESULTS: Treatment with imidafenacin significantly improved OAB symptoms. Imidafenacin also improved PSQI, especially subjective sleep quality, sleep latency and daytime dysfunction. In FVC, the number of daytime voids and nighttime voids significantly decreased and average voided volume significantly increased after imidafenacin. Subanalysis of FVC based on the patients' age revealed that nocturnal polyuria was more often found in patients aged 75 years or over than in those aged under 75 years (79 vs. 55%, p < 0.05). Treatment with imidafenacin significantly reduced the nocturnal polyuria index only in patients aged 75 years or over. CONCLUSIONS: Imidafenacin can improve nocturia and sleep disorder in patients with OAB. The efficacy of imidafenacin on nocturia is attributable to an increase in bladder capacity and a decrease in nocturnal urine volume. We conclude that imidafenacin is an effective and safe drug for nocturia in patients with OAB.

[Management of pregnancy and delivery after augmentation cystoplasty].

We report 2 cases of women who became pregnant and experienced vaginal delivery after augmentation cystoplasty. CASE 1: A 23-year-old woman with spina bifida became pregnant 3 years after augmentation sigmoidocystoplasty which had been performed to treat intractable urinary tract infection and urinary incontinence. During pregnancy, she developed febrile urinary tract infection twice which required antibiotics together with tight adherence to clean intermittent catheterization. At 36 weeks of gestation, she was safely delivered of a healthy baby. No deterioration of urinary continence level and renal function was observed after the delivery. CASE 2: A 32-year-old woman became pregnant 23 years after augmentation ileocecocystoplasty which had been performed to reconstruct diverted urinary tract due to a congenital hour-glass bladder. At 19 weeks of gestation, she developed acute pyelonephritis and hydronephrosis at right kidney which required antibiotics and indwelling urethral catheter. At 21 weeks of gestation, a drip infusion of ritodrine hydrochloride was started and maintained until 34 weeks of gestation to inhibit premature uterine contraction. At 29 weeks of gestation, she developed acute pyelonephritis and progressive hydronephrosis at left kidney, for which percutaneous nephrostomy drainage was deemed to be mandatory. She was delivered of a healthy baby at 36 weeks of gestation. Ten days after the delivery, both nephrostomy tube and indwelling urethral catheter were removed and clean intermittent catheterization was resumed. Total renal function was maintained during and after the pregnancy, and no deterioration of urinary continence was observed after the delivery. Since urinary tract infection is extremely common during pregnancy after augmentation cystoplasty, prevention and prompt intervention for urinary tract infection should be mandatory. Significant upper tract obstruction, if developed, should be treated by an effective urinary drainage. Thus, urological as well as obstetrical appropriate management is mandatory for the safe accomplishment of pregnancy and delivery after augmentation cystoplasty.

Late corticosteroid withdrawal can be safely performed for kidney recipients with stable graft function under pathological confirmation.

Corticosteroid withdrawal (CSWD) protocols to minimize the risk of cardiovascular events after kidney transplantation have been reported. However, most of them were within one year post-transplant, and the pathological survey after CSWD was poorly done. We conducted the present retrospective study to elucidate the usefulness and safety of late-steroid withdrawal more than one year after transplantation in kidney recipients with pathological evaluation. Twenty kidney recipients with stable graft function more than one year post-transplant, and whose corticosteroid (CS) was withdrawn were enrolled in this study. The change in their clinical parameters of graft function (sCr and uP/Cr), metabolic profiles, and histological graft status (Banff 97 scoring system) were studied pre- and post-CSWD, and compared with a control cohort taking continuous CS. The dose of CS was tapered gradually and has been maintained with the minimal dose of CS (1.25-5 mg of prednisone) by three months after transplant. CS was furthermore reduced thereafter, if graft function had been stable more than one year and a patient wanted CS to be withdrawn, then a graft biopsy was undertaken. CSWD was accomplished between 16 and 195 (median 41.5) months post-transplant, if there was no significant histological graft damage or on-going acute rejection. A repeat biopsy was carried out two to 21 months after CSWD. In contrast, the observation point of the control cohort was 24 to 49 (median 36.5) months after transplant, and the second biopsy was done five to 30 months after the initial biopsy. The control cohort took 2.5 to 5 (median 2.5) mg of prednisone daily. There were no significant alterations of graft function between pre- and post-CSWD (sCr: 1.14 +/- 0.1 and 1.17 +/- 0.1 mg/dL, respectively, p = 0.3299, uP/Cr: 0.12 +/- 0.01 and 0.21 +/- 0.06, respectively, p = 0.0574). The hypertension rate between both groups was not different between double biopsy points. In addition the rates of glucose intolerance and hyperlipidemia were comparable between two points in both cohorts. There was no significant change in the acute/active lesion scoring (2 t1 and 3 i1 were only positive factors before CSWD and they all returned to t0 and i0 after CSWD). Moreover, chronic/sclerosing allograft nephropathy scorings were minimal and similar between pre- and post-CSWD compared with the control. CSWD for more than one year is safe for patients whose graft functions are stable with pathological confirmation; however, a longer follow-up study is warranted.

Quadruple immunosuppression with basiliximab, tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil and prednisone is safe and effective for renal transplantation.

INTRODUCTION: Recent immunosuppression with tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil has improved the results of renal transplantation. In this study, we analyzed the effect and safety of basiliximab as an induction therapy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Forty-nine kidney recipients were given tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil and prednisone (non-Bas group), and 31 recipients were given basiliximab as an induction therapy in addition to the triple immunosuppressants (Bas group). Graft function, incidence of acute rejection (AR), findings of protocol graft biopsy and adverse effects were compared. RESULTS: Serum creatinine within 1 yr post-transplant was comparable between the two groups. Incidence of biopsy-proven AR within 6 months post-transplant was less in the Bas group than in the non-Bas group. Borderline change at 3 months post-transplant was less in the Bas group when compared to the non-Bas group. The frequency and severity of tubulitis were higher in the non-Bas group than in the Bas group. The addition of basiliximab did not increase opportunistic infection, but reduced tacrolimus nephrotoxicity. CONCLUSION: The addition of basiliximab to the tacrolimus-based triple immunosuppressive regimen enabled us to reduce the doses of immunosuppressants and tacrolimus nephrotoxicity without increasing early rejection or infection. This regimen is safe and effective for application during the early period after renal transplantation.

Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and its receptors Flk-1 and Flt-1 during the regeneration of autotransplanted adrenal cortex in the adrenalectomized rat.

PURPOSE: Autotransplantation of the adrenal cortex may be a therapeutic alternative in the future. For successful adrenal transplantation revascularization is necessary. It is possible that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which is a potent angiogenic peptide, may have some roles in adrenal transplantation through 2 its receptors, kinase insert domain-containing region (Flk-1) and fms-like tyrosine kinase (Flt-1). Therefore, we studied sequential changes in expression of VEGF, Flk-1 and Flt-1 in regenerated adrenal. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eight to 9-week-old male Wistar rats underwent bilateral adrenalectomy and immediate adrenal capsular autotransplantation. The expression of VEGF, Flk-1 and Flt-1 was analyzed by immunohistochemistry and reverse-transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: Angiogenesis was observed in the remodeling of adrenal sinusoidal endothelium during adrenal regeneration. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry showed that VEGF expression increased in grafted tissue with time after transplantation and its Flk-1 receptor, which localized to endothelial cells, increased transiently during the regeneration process. Immunostaining for Flt-1 receptor was identified in adrenocortical cells and its intensity gradually increased during adrenal regeneration. CONCLUSIONS: During adrenal gland regeneration VEGF and its receptors Flk-1 and Flt-1 are thought to be involved in neovascularization.

Complications of bacillus Calmette-Guerin therapy in superficial urothelial cancer: clinical analysis and implications.

BACKGROUND: Intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) therapy has been proven to be effective in the prophylaxis and treatment of superficial bladder cancer. However, several complications of BCG therapy have been reported. The aim of this study was to clarify the impact of BCG treatment-related side effects on the clinical outcome of patients with superficial urothelial cancer. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of 33 patients who underwent BCG instillation therapy in our department. After complete endoscopic tumor resection, intravesical or intrapelvic instillation of BCG (80 mg of the Tokyo strain) was performed every week for 8 weeks. BCG treatment-related side effects were classified as minor (persistence of symptoms or low-grade fever for less than 48 h) or major (persistence of symptoms or low-grade fever for more than 48 h, or high fever). Risk factors for major side effects and relationships between the occurrence of major side effects and subsequent tumor progression were evaluated. RESULTS: In total, there were 43 courses of intravesical and intrapelvic instillations of BCG in 33 patients, 20 (46%) of which were associated with major side effects. Risk factors associated with the occurrence of major side effects could not be detected. Subsequent tumor progression was observed in 3 of the 16 patients (19%) with major side effects and in 10 of the 17 patients (59%) without them. Nine patients who discontinued BCG therapy because of major side effects experienced no tumor progression. Progression-free survival was significantly higher in patients with major side effects than in those without them. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that BCG therapy should be discontinued whenever major side effects occur, because this does not necessarily lead to an unfavorable outcome regarding tumor progression.