[Clinical usefulness of free PSA/total PSA ratio in the early diagnosis of prostatic cancer]. / Utilidad clínica de la ratio PSA libre/PSA total en el diagnóstico precoz del cáncer de próstata.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the clinical utility of free/total PSA ratio and PSA density in the early diagnosis of prostate cancer (patients with serum PSA between 4 and 10 ng/ml) and to determine the differences, if any, in the free/total PSA ratio in patients with cancer and those with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). METHODS: A prospective and descriptive study was conducted on 61 patients with low grade obstructive symptoms and total serum PSA between 4 and 10 ng/ml (group 1), and 42 patients who underwent prostate surgery and had an anatomopathologically confirmed diagnosis of BPH (group 2). Free and total PSA were determined, as well as prostate volume by transrectal US, in all cases. Prostate biopsy was performed in all patients with a total PSA value between 4-10 ng/ml. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative prognostic values of free/total PSA ratio and PSA density were analyzed. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients in group 1 was 67.7 years and 68.3 years in group 2. The mean prostate volume by US was 55.2 and 47.1, respectively (n.s.). The mean total PSA was 6.39 ng/ml for group 1 and 5.73 ng/ml for group 2 (n.s.). No significant difference was found between the mean free PSA values of both groups. However, the free/total PSA ratio and PSA density were significantly different (p < 0.000). In group 1 (total PSA 4-10 ng/ml), prostate biopsy was positive in 32.8% of the patients. In this group of patients, there were no significant differences in the parameters analyzed. Application of different cutoffs for both tests showed a higher clinical utility for the 0.24-0.30 range. CONCLUSIONS: At similar mean prostate volume and mean total PSA, significant differences were found in the free/total PSA ratio and PSA density of patients submitted to surgery for BPH and those with a total PSA value of 4-10 ng/ml. However, these results were not observed when patients with PSA of 4-10 ng/ml were analyzed for presence or absence of evidence of malignancy in the prostate biopsy.

[Cerebral metastasis as first manifestation++ of a bladder carcinoma]. / Metástasis cerebral como primera manifestación de un carcinoma vesical.

The infiltrant vesical carcinoma shows a tendency to become metastatic in a high percentage of cases, so that the preferred sites are usually the retroperitoneal lymph nodes, liver and bone. CNS metastasis is an uncommon fact, but it is even less common to find CNS affectation symptoms even before the appearance of any signs and symptoms related to the vesical affectation itself. Contribution of one case of infiltrant vesical carcinoma which presented with focal neurological symptomatology as its first manifestation.

[Tumor pathology in horseshoe kidney]. / Patología tumoral en el riñón en herradura.

Within renal aberrations, the most frequent one is the horseshoe kidney. Adenocarcinoma is the most common primary renal neoplasia. The association of tumour and horseshoe kidney is uncommon, with only 135 cases described in the literature. Presentation of 4 patients with tumours in horseshoe kidney: 3 adenocarcinoma and one urothelial tumour of renal pelvis. As a result of our experience we consider that arteriography is a key imaging technique for pre-operative study of these patients, medial laparotomy being the choice access for approach, and prognosis depending on tumour staging, with no influence from the malformation.

[Intradiverticular bladder tumors]. / Tumores vesicales intradiverticulares.

Retrospective study conducted on 58 patients with vesical diverticulum seen in our unit between 1975 and 1992, of which a total of 11 (18.9%) patients had vesical tumours. Of these, 6 (10.3%) were intradiverticular and 5 (8.6%) extradiverticular. Sixty-six percent of patients with intradiverticular tumours also had prior or concurrent history of extradiverticular vesical tumours. The most frequent clinical presentation was gross haematuria. The abdomino-pelvic CT is the most sensitive morphological examination although in 33% cases it resulted in overstaging. Curative treatment was only possible in the 4 patients with urothelial tumours, in whom 3 partial cystectomies with pelvian lymphadenectomy (2 pT1 G2 and 1 pT3 G3) and 1 TUR (T1 G2) were performed. The 2 (33%) remaining patients had advanced locoregional epidermoid carcinoma (T4 N+). All patients with urothelial carcinoma are alive with follow-up ranging between 6 months for the one infiltrant case and 136 months for a surface tumour undergoing partial cystectomy. Prognosis for both epidermoid carcinoma was ominous with mean survival time of 9 months. Review of the literature and discussion of epidemiological, clinical, diagnostic, therapeutic and prognostic issues.