Efficacy and safety of dose-dense gemcitabine plus cisplatin as neoadjuvant chemotherapy for muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of dose-dense gemcitabine and cisplatin (ddGC) as neoadjuvant chemotherapy for muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). METHODS: Patients with locally advanced MIBC (cT2aN0M0-cT4N1M0) who received ddGC between December 2017 and December 2023 were included. Regimens of ddGC with pegfilgrastim were administered every 2 weeks for 4 cycles, followed by radical cystectomy. The pathological complete response (CR) (pT0N0) and objective response (OR) (

Necessity of prophylactic drainage tube in retroperitoneal laparoscopic nephroureterectomy with open distal ureterectomy: A matched-pair analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the necessity of prophylactic drain placement in retroperitoneal laparoscopic nephroureterectomy with open distal ureterectomy for upper tract urothelial cancer. METHODS: Between July 2011 and March 2021, 200 patients with localized clinical Tis-T3 upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma underwent laparoscopic nephroureterectomy with open distal ureterectomy. After removing the specimen, drainage tubes were placed on the renal beds and/or in the retrovesical spaces. Drain tubes were omitted for most patients after 2017. We compared the postoperative outcomes between the patients with drain placement (D+ group) and without drain placement (D- group) using propensity score matching. RESULTS: A total of 164 patients (90 in the D+ group and 74 in the D- group) were enrolled, and matched pairs of 108 patients were analyzed. There was no significant difference in the incidence of complications according to Clavien-Dindo grade in the two groups after the propensity score matching. There was no significant difference in the incidence of postoperative lymphocele (n = 5 vs. 9, p = 0.395) and symptomatic lymphocele (n = 1 vs. 1, p = 1) between the two groups. The length of hospital stay was significantly shorter in the D- group (11 vs. 8 days, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: We found that omitting the drainage tube after laparoscopic radical nephroureterectomy did not increase postoperative complications or lymphocele and shortened the post-hospital stay.

The efficacy of sequential therapy with docetaxel and cabazitaxel for castration-resistant prostate cancer: A retrospective multi-institutional study in Japan.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the efficacy of docetaxel (DOC) and cabazitaxel (CBZ) and examined the factors associated with the prognosis of patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) receiving DOC-CBZ sequential treatment in Japanese real-world data. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated data for 146 patients who received DOC followed by CBZ. The correlations of prostate specific antigen (PSA) decrease rate and time to progression between DOC and CBZ treatment were examined. Combined progression-free survival (PFS) of DOC-CBZ and overall survival (OS) from the initiation of DOC and the diagnosis of CRPC were evaluated and compared between patients with high and low PSA levels at the start of DOC and CBZ treatment. RESULTS: No correlations of PSA decrease rate and time to progression were observed between DOC and CBZ. The patients for whom DOC was started in higher PSA levels had significantly shorter combined PFS (p = 0.003) and OS from the initiation of DOC (p = 0.002). In patients who started DOC at high PSA levels, those who switched to CBZ at low PSA levels had longer OS than those who switched at high PSA levels (p = 0.048). The OS from CRPC of patients who started DOC at low PSA levels was significantly longer than those that started at high PSA levels (p = 0.030). CONCLUSIONS: For patients for whom DOC was not effective, sequential CBZ might have change to be effective. The PSA levels at the start of DOC and CBZ might be a potential prognostic biomarker.

Effect of quick simple exercise on non-specific low back pain in Japanese workers: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: We designed a quick simple exercise program that can be performed in a short period of time in real-world occupational health settings and investigated the effects of three months of program implementation on non-specific low back pain (NSLBP). METHODS: Participants were 136 individuals working in the manufacturing industry. The quick simple exercise program was designed to be doable in three minutes and consisted of two exercises: a hamstring stretch and a lumbar spine rotation with forward, backward, and lateral flexion. This was a randomized controlled trial incorporating an intervention group to whom the exercises were recommended within a leaflet, and a control group to whom the exercises were not recommended. NSLBP was evaluated at baseline and after three months using numerical rating scale (NRS) scores, ranging from 0 points (no pain at all) to 10 points (worst pain imaginable). The percentages of cases that improved by a minimal clinically important difference (two points or above) were compared. RESULTS: Overall, 76.1% of the intervention group participants performed the quick simple exercises at least once every one or two days. Three months after baseline, a significantly higher percentage of participants in the intervention group (17 participants: 25%) had NSLBP improvement of two or more points on the NRS compared to that in the control group (8 participants, 12%) (P = 0.047). The average NRS score decreased significantly from 1.87 ± 1.86 to 1.33 ± 1.60 in the intervention group but showed no significant change in the control group, transitioning from 1.46 ± 1.73 to 1.52 ± 1.83. A significant interaction was also observed between the intervention and control groups (F = 6.550, P = 0.012). CONCLUSIONS: Three months of a quick simple exercise program among workers in the manufacturing industry increased the percentage of workers with improvement in the NRS scores. This suggests that the program is effective in managing NSLBP in workers in the manufacturing industry. TRIAL REGISTRATION: UMIN-CTR UMIN000024117.

[A Case of m0CRPC after Hormone Therapy for Pelvic Lymph Node Metastasis in which Salvage RARP was Effective].

The patient was a 63-year-old man with biopsy Gleason score of 4＋5 prostate cancer with an initial prostate specific antigen level of (PSA) 51.2ng/ml. On imaging examination, extracapsular invasion, rectal invasion, and pararectal lymph node metastasis were found (cT4N1M0). After 4 years of androgen deprivation therapy, PSA decreased to 0.631ng/ml, and then increased gradually to1.2ng/ml. Computed tomographic scan showed that the primary tumor had shrunk and lymph node metastasis had disappeared; so salvage robot-assisted resection of the prostate (RARP) was performed for non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (m0CRPC). Since PSA decreased to an undetactable level, hormone therapy was terminated at 1 year. The patient remained recurrence-free for 3 years after surgery. RARP may be effective for m0CRPC, enabling discontinuation of androgen deprivation therapy.

Influence of Marker Number and Position on Accuracy of Breast Measurement With Three-Dimensional Camera.

BACKGROUND: The VECTRA H1 three-dimensional (3D) imaging system (Canfield Scientific, Parsippany, NJ) enables easy 3D image construction and measurement. Although the number and positions of markers on the skin for image synthesis might affect accuracy of measurements, few studies have mentioned the possibility. This study investigated the accuracy and reproducibility of distance measurements using VECTRA H1, focusing on the number and positions of markers. METHODS: A total of 3, 5, or 7 markers were attached to a female breast model including lateral markers 6 cm from the midline and photographed with VECTRA. Five markers were configured in more two ways, with the lateral markers either positioned 3 cm outside the midline (narrow interval) or 9 cm outside the midline (wide interval). 3D models were created three times under each condition, for a total of 15 models. Differences (measurement error) between measured values on 3D models and actual measured values were verified for six distances, such as distance between the nipples. RESULTS: The average difference was 11.1 mm with 3 markers (95% confidence interval (CI), 4.38-17.7 mm, p = 0.0028). In comparison, average difference was -0.395 mm (-0.866 to 0.0763 mm, p = 0.095) with 5 markers, and 0.139 mm (-0186 to 0.465 mm, p = 0.379) with 7 markers, all less than 1 mm. Average difference with narrow interval 5 markers was larger than one with wide interval. CONCLUSIONS: In 3D imaging of the breast using VECTRA H1, distance measurements offering clinically satisfactory accuracy can be made by setting appropriate marker conditions. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE V: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Comparison between 5-aminolevulinic acid photodynamic diagnosis and narrow-band imaging for bladder cancer detection.

BACKGROUND: To compare 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA)-mediated photodynamic diagnosis (PDD) with narrow-band imaging (NBI) for cancer detection during transurethral resection of bladder tumour (TURBT). METHODS: Between June 2018 and October 2020, 114 patients and 282 lesions were included in the analysis. Patients were orally administered 5-ALA (20 mg/kg) 2 h before TURBT. The bladder was inspected with white light (WL), PDD, and NBI for each patient, and all areas positive by at least one method were resected or biopsied. The imaging data were then compared to the pathology results. RESULTS: The sensitivities of WL, PDD, and NBI for detecting urothelial carcinoma were 88.1%, 89.6%, and 76.2%, respectively. The specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value for detecting urothelial carcinoma were 47.5%, 80.9%, and 61.3%, respectively, for WL; 22.5%, 74.5%, and 46.2%, respectively, for PDD; and 46.3%, 78.2%, and 43.5%, respectively, for NBI. PDD was significantly more sensitive than NBI for all lesions (p < 0.001) and carcinoma in situ (CIS) lesions (94.6% vs. 54.1%, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: PDD can increase the detection rate of bladder cancer, compared to NBI, by greater than 10%. Therefore, 100% of CIS lesions can be detected by adding PDD to WL.

Effect of optimal neoadjuvant chemotherapy on oncological outcomes of locally advanced bladder cancer with laparoscopic radical cystectomy: A matched-pair analysis in a multicenter cohort.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the effect of optimal neoadjuvant chemotherapy of at least three cycles of cisplatin-based regimen on oncological outcomes of clinical stage T3 or higher bladder cancer treated with laparoscopic radical cystectomy. METHODS: Laparoscopic radical cystectomies carried out at 10 institutions were included in this retrospective study. The outcomes of patients who received optimal neoadjuvant chemotherapy and those who did not receive neoadjuvant chemotherapy were compared using propensity score matching in clinical stage T3-4 or T2 cohorts, separately. RESULTS: Of the 455 patients screened, matched pairs of 54 patients in the clinical T3-4 cohort and 68 patients in the clinical T2 cohort were finally analyzed. In the cT3-4 cohort, the 5-year overall survival (78% vs 41%; P = 0.014), cancer-specific survival (81% vs 44%; P = 0.008) and recurrence-free survival (71% vs 53%; P = 0.049) were significantly higher in the optimal neoadjuvant chemotherapy group than in the no neoadjuvant chemotherapy group; no significant survival difference was shown between the two groups in the cT2 cohort. In the cT3-4 cohort, the incidence of local recurrence (4% vs 26%; P = 0.025) and abdominal or intrapelvic recurrence, including peritoneal carcinomatosis (7% vs 30%; P = 0.038), was significantly lower in the optimal neoadjuvant chemotherapy group. CONCLUSIONS: Administration of optimal neoadjuvant chemotherapy has a significant survival benefit. It decreases the incidence of local and atypical recurrence patterns in patients with clinical stage T3 or higher locally advanced bladder cancer undergoing laparoscopic radical cystectomy.

[Risk Factors for Recurrence in Patients with Pathological Lymph Node-Positive Prostate Cancer after Extended Lymph Node Dissection in Laparoscopic and Robotic-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy].

From April 2007 to April 2018, we performed lymph node dissection in 305 cases of laparoscopic radical prostatectomy and 202 cases of robot-assisted radical prostatectomy at our hospital, and there were 68 cases with positive lymph node metastasis (pN1). Of these 68 cases, we examined retrospectively 62 cases in which extended lymph node dissection (ELND) was performed. The median number of removed lymph nodes was 25 (interquartile range [IQR] ; 18-34) and the median number of metastatic lymph nodes was 1 (IQR ; 1-3). Postoperative prostate-specific antigen (PSA) recurrence was observed in 40 of the 62 patients. The median time to PSA recurrence was 24 months. After univariate analysis, PSA at initial diagnosis (iPSA) of 10 ng/ml or more, pathological Gleason score (pGS) of 8 or more, total number of lymph node metastases of 2 or more, and positive surgical margin (RM＋) were found to be riskfactors of PSA recurrence. In multivariate analysis, iPSA of 10 ng/ml or more, pGS of 8 or more and RM＋ were independent riskfactors of PSA recurrence (p＜0.05). In the cases without riskfactors such as iPSA≥10, pGS≥8, and RM＋, immediate postoperative adjuvant therapy may be avoided even with pN1.

Atypical oncologic failure after laparoscopic and robot-assisted radical cystectomy at a single institution.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of atypical oncologic failure in patients with bladder cancer, including peritoneal carcinomatosis, and recurrences at the port site and soft tissue after laparoscopic and robot-assisted radical cystectomy are not well characterized. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 52, 51, and 12 patients who underwent open, laparoscopic, and robot-assisted radical cystectomy, respectively, for bladder cancer from 2007 to 2018 at our institution. We identified techniques associated with atypical oncologic failure. RESULTS: The median follow-up period was 29 months. Among the 115 patients, 29 (25%) experienced oncological recurrences, and 7 (6%), 12 (10%), and 23 (20%) had atypical, local, and distant recurrences, respectively. The laparoscopic and robot-assisted radical cystectomy groups had significantly higher incidences of total atypical oncologic failure than the open radical cystectomy group (p = 0.013), including six, one, and two patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis, port site carcinomatosis, and soft tissue involvement, respectively. All 7 patients with atypical oncologic failure died of cancer; the median time from surgery to death was 9.3 months. All these patients were cT â‰§ 3 and had grade 3 disease. In three patients (43%), the pathological tissue contained variants other than urothelial carcinoma. Five (71%) were among the initial twenty patients. Four patients (57%) had histories of intraoperative urine spillage or bladder perforation during transurethral resection. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with cT â‰§ 3 stage, with pathological variants other than urothelial carcinoma, and those undergoing procedures that lead to extravesical dissemination should avoid laparoscopic radical cystectomy when the procedures are first introduced.

Perioperative and oncological outcomes of laparoscopic radical cystectomy with intracorporeal versus extracorporeal ileal conduit: A matched-pair comparison in a multicenter cohort in Japan.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the perioperative and oncological outcomes of pure laparoscopic intracorporeal ileal conduit urinary diversion versus extracorporeal ileal conduit urinary diversion after laparoscopic radical cystectomy for bladder cancer in a multicenter cohort in Japan. METHOD: A total of 455 patients who underwent laparoscopic radical cystectomy carried out at 10 institutions were included in this retrospective study. The perioperative data of the intracorporeal ileal conduit urinary diversion and extracorporeal ileal conduit urinary diversion groups were compared using the propensity score matching method. The Kaplan-Meier curves were obtained to elucidate time to ureteroenteric stricture, reoperation, recurrence and survival. RESULTS: In total, 72 matched pairs were evaluated for the final analysis. The median follow-up period was 28 and 23 months in the intracorporeal ileal conduit urinary diversion and extracorporeal ileal conduit urinary diversion groups, respectively. The operative time in the intracorporeal ileal conduit urinary diversion group was approximately 1 h longer than that in the extracorporeal ileal conduit urinary diversion group. The early and late postoperative complication rates were similar in both groups, except for the reduced wound-related complication rates in the intracorporeal ileal conduit urinary diversion group. The median days to regular oral food intake were 4 and 5 days in the intracorporeal ileal conduit urinary diversion and extracorporeal ileal conduit urinary diversion groups, respectively (P = 0.014). No significant difference was noted in the occurrence of ureteroenteric strictures and reoperation rate. Furthermore, recurrence-free, cancer-specific, and overall survival rates and recurrence patterns did not significantly differ. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic intracorporeal ileal conduit urinary diversion is a safe, feasible and reproducible procedure with similar postoperative complication rates, ureteroenteric stricture rate and oncological outcomes when compared with extracorporeal ileal conduit urinary diversion, but faster postoperative bowel recovery and decreased wound-related complication rates.

Influence of increased physical activity without body weight loss on hepatic inflammation in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

BACKGROUND: Physical activity (PA) that includes an accumulated exercise regimen that meets or exceeds a certain intensity reduces intrahepatic fat, leading to the improvement of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in afflicted patients. However, whether an increase in comprehensive PA, including activities of daily living, contributes to ameliorating the pathophysiology of NAFLD remains unclear. This study aimed to examine whether PA improves liver function in patients with NAFLD. METHODS: The study included 45 patients with NAFLD who underwent follow-up examinations at least 6 months-but no later than 1 year-after their baseline examinations. The patients were interviewed about their daily activities and exercise habits to determine whether they had engaged in at least 3 metabolic equivalents (METs) per day during the previous 6 months; the quantity of PA, expressed in Ekusasaizu (Ex) units, was calculated as METs multiplied by hours. Patients who had achieved at least a 1-Ex increase in PA per week compared to baseline at the time of their follow-up interview (the PA increase group) were compared to those whose PA was the same or lower at the time of follow-up (the PA non-increase group). RESULTS: There were no significant changes in all blood and biochemical parameters in the PA non-increase group at the time of follow-up when compared with baseline levels. In the PA increase group, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and γ-guanosine triphosphate levels were all significantly lower at follow-up than they were at baseline. Body weight did not change significantly from baseline to follow-up in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: In the present study, hepatic inflammation improvement was accompanied by increased PA but not decreased body weight. Increasing PA may be effective for the improvement of hepatic inflammation even without body weight loss. Our results indicate the effectiveness of PA monitoring for the management of NAFLD. TRIAL REGISTRATION: UMIN-CTR, UMIN000038530.

[Necessity of Pelvic Drain Placement after Robot-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy].

Sixty eight patients had robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) from January 2016 to April 2017 with estimated blood loss of less than 500 ml. We compared the postoperative complication rates and the length of hospital stay between 34 of these patients who had pelvic drain placement (PD group), and the remaining 34 patients who had no drain placement (ND group). The approach was intraperitoneal in 25 patients in each group. The PD and ND groups were comparable for age (69.5 vs 70 yrs, P=0.459), clinical Gleason Score (6/7/≧8) 2/17/15 vs 3/8/23 (P=0.077), clinical stage (1c/2/3) 3/25/6 vs 1/25/8 (p=0. 539), operative time (311 vs 309 min, P=0.868), and estimated blood loss (p=0.166). The PD group had significantly higher median PSA level than the ND group (8.01 vs 6.25 ng/ml, P=0.023). Incidence of 30- day overall complications in the PD group (35 events) was lower than that in the ND group (38 events). All complications were classified as Clavien Dindo grade I. The postoperative hospital stay was 8 days in the PD group and 7 days in the ND group, showing no prolongation in the ND group. Pelvic drainage may be omitted after RARP without increasing postoperative complications or prolonging the hospital stay.

[Simple Methods to Prevent Postoperative Inguinal Hernia after Extraperitoneal and Transperitoneal Robot-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy].

Herein we present simple methods to prevent postoperative inguinal hernia (IH) after extraperitoneal and transperitoneal robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP). Among 275 patients who underwent RARP between January 2014 and December 2016 at our institution, we evaluated 143 and 115 patients who underwent extraperitoneal-RARP (e-RARP) and transperitoneal-RARP (t-RARP), respectively, after excluding those with intraoperative detection of IH (17 patients). In the e-RARP group, all 143 patients (286 groins) underwent an IH prevention procedure. In the t-RARP group, the first 22 patients (44 groins) did not undergo an IH prevention procedure, whereas 29 patients (37 groins) with patent processus vaginalis (PPV) among the last 93 patients underwent the procedure. The IH prevention procedure during e-RARP included release of the vas deferens from the peritoneum and spermatic cord, and peritoneal dissection of the spermatic cord at the internal inguinal ring. The IH prevention procedure during t-RARP included release of the vas deferens from the peritoneum and spermatic cord, complete circumferential dissection of the peritoneum around the PPV at the level of the internal inguinal ring, and ligation of the PPV with a Hem-o- Loc○R clip. In the e-RARP group, postoperative IH occurred in 3 of the 143 patients (1.9%) during the follow-up period of 22.0±9.2 months. In the first subgroup of t-RARP, postoperative IH developed in 4 of the 22 patients (18%) during the follow-up period of 33.1±12.1 months, whereas in the last t-RARP group, postoperative IH developed in 3 of the 93 patients (3.3%) during the follow-up period of 20.1±8.6 months. Different IH prevention procedures performed in patients undergoing e-RARP and t-RARP were simple and effective in preventing postoperative IH.

En bloc laparoscopic radical nephrectomy with inferior vena cava thrombectomy: A single-institution experience.

OBJECTIVE: To report the outcomes of laparoscopic radical nephrectomy with inferior vena cava thrombectomy for right renal cell carcinoma at Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan. METHOD: A retrospective review of the clinical records of five patients who underwent laparoscopic radical nephrectomy with inferior vena cava thrombectomy for right renal cell carcinoma between 2013 and 2017 was carried out. The surgical procedure included ligation and cutting of the right renal artery, followed by kidney mobilization. The left renal vein, and the caudal and cephalad sides of the inferior vena cava thrombus were clamped using laparoscopic vascular clamps, and the inferior vena cava was incised. The free kidney and tumor thrombus were placed en bloc in a retrieval bag. Subsequently, the inferior vena cava was laparoscopically closed using a continuous suture. RESULTS: The median operative time, pneumoperitoneum time, blood loss and postoperative hospital stay were 316 min, 266 min, 400 mL and 7 days, respectively. The median clamp time was 28 min (range 13-105 min). One patient (20%) required a perioperative blood transfusion. The surgical margin was negative in all patients. Only one patient experienced a major complication (Clavien-Dindo grade ≥3), namely a postoperative hemorrhage requiring transarterial embolism. CONCLUSION: En bloc laparoscopic radical nephrectomy with inferior vena cava thrombectomy is a challenging yet feasible procedure for experienced surgeons in carefully selected patients. Further studies of this surgical procedure are required for standardization and safe application.

Comparison of perioperative outcomes of robot-assisted partial nephrectomy without renorrhaphy: Comparative outcomes of cT1a versus cT1b renal tumors.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the perioperative outcomes of robot-assisted partial nephrectomy without renorrhaphy for cT1b renal tumors compared with cT1a. METHODS: From February 2015 to May 2018, 100 robot-assisted partial nephrectomy patients who underwent robot-assisted partial nephrectomy without renorrhaphy for renal tumors were included. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records, and compared the perioperative outcomes of 66 and 34 patients for cT1a and cT1b tumors, respectively. Inner suture was carried out in the opened collecting system or renal sinus, whereas parenchymal renorrhaphy was not. For hemostasis, the soft-coagulation system was used, and absorbable hemostats were placed on the resection bed. RESULTS: The median tumor size and RENAL nephrometry score were significantly different between the two groups (cT1a vs cT1b: 23.5 vs 45 mm, P < 0.001, 6 vs 8, P < 0.001). The median operating time and warm ischemic time were significantly longer in the cT1b group than in the cT1a group (154 vs 184 min, P < 0.001; 14 vs 21 min, P < 0.001). The median blood loss was not significantly different (2.5 vs 50 mL, P = 0.109). The positive surgical margin rate was 4.5% versus 11.7% (P = 0.22). Postoperative complications classified as Clavien-Dindo grade III or higher were port-site herniation (one patient), acute cholecystitis (one patient) and pseudoaneurysm (one patient) in the cT1b group. Urinary leakage was not observed in the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Robot-assisted partial nephrectomy without renorrhaphy using the soft-coagulation system and absorbable hemostats appears to be feasible for renal or cT1b tumors. However, longer warm ischemic time and a high rate of complications can be expected compared with cT1a tumors.

[Traumatic Adrenal Injury : A Single-Institution Experience].

Traumatic adrenal injury is quite rare. From January 2008 to March 2018, out of 287 patients with genitourinary trauma, 23 patients (8%) were diagnosed with traumatic adrenal injury at Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records and assessed the traumatic category, image findings and outcome. All 23 patients were bluntly injured. The causes of traumatic adrenal injury were motor vehicle accident (11 patients : 48%) and falls (9 patients : 39%). The majority of injuries occurred on the right side (18 patients : 78%). Associated injuries occurred in all 23 patients, most frequently in the liver (57%) and ribs (57%). Extravasation of contrast materials was identified on computed tomography (CT) in 4 patients (17%). Although 22 patients (96%) were conservatively managed, only 1 patient was treated by transcatherter arterial embolization because of hypotension. One patient died of intraabdominal bleeding. To our knowledge, the present study is the largest on traumatic adrenal injury in Japan.

[A Case of Systemic Polyarteritis Nodosa Presenting with Scrotal Pain].

A 76-year-old man with a history of hypertension was admitted with high fever and left scrotal pain. Laboratory findings revealed high serum C-reactive protein levels. The left epididymis appeared to be swollen on computed tomography. The patient was diagnosed with bacterial epididymitis and treatment with antibiotics was initiated. Despite treatment, his left scrotal pain and fever did not improve. Additionally, he developed right scrotal and posterior neck pain. For histopathological diagnosis, a left high orchiectomy was performed and the findings revealed thickened arteriolar walls with infiltration of inflammatory cells around the testis, leading to a final diagnosis of systemic polyarteritis nodosa. Treatment with steroids led to complete resolution of the patient's systemic pain and inflammation.

[Kidney Auto-Transplantation for Intraoperative Right Renal Artery Injury in a Single Kidney Patient : A Case Report].

A man in his 70's who had undergone left radical nephrectomy for kidney cancer had the right renal artery ablated unexpectedly during pancreatoduodenectomy for a huge duodenal tumor. For this intraoperative emergency, an autologous kidney transplantation was performed with the right kidney being removed, perfused, and transplanted into the right iliac fossa. Warm ischemic time was over 2 hours. The patient developed postoperative hemorrhagic infarction of a renal artery branch, which was successfully treated with intravascular intervention. The patient was weaned off hemodialysis and was discharged in 16 weeks postoperatively.

[The Safety of Laparoscopic Radical Cystectomy during Initial Phases in a Japanese Multicenter Cohort].

We evaluated the safety of laparoscopic radical cystectomy (LRC) during initial phases and its learning curve in a Japanese multicenter cohort by studying 436 patients who underwent LRC with no robot assistance at 10 institutions in Japan. We divided the patients into three groups according to cumulative surgical volume at each institution (first 10 cases, 11-30 cases, after 31 cases in each institution), and compared perioperative and pathologic variables among the three groups. The first, second, and third groups included 100, 166, 170 patients, respectively. The preoperative variables were similar in the three groups except for the rate of neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The methods of LRC procedure, such as urinary diversion, the extent of lymph node dissection, and concomitant urethrectomy or nephroureterectomy, were similar in the three groups. Mean operative time was 629, 562 and 531 minutes, respectively, and mean blood loss was 755, 650 and 435 ml, respectively. Both values decreased over time with the institution's experience. There was no significant difference among the three groups in the rate of positive surgical margin, the number of retrieved lymph nodes, and the rate of intra- and postoperative complications. LRC was safely performed during initial phases with an acceptable complication rate and without compromising oncological results, although operative time was longer and blood loss increased.