Testicular myeloid sarcoma: a rare manifestation of acute myeloid leukemia in an infant.

Myeloid sarcoma manifesting in the testis is rare and may occur concomitantly with bone marrow disease or as a separate entity. We describe our experience with a 6-month-old boy who presented with painless scrotal swelling and was found to have bilateral testicular masses on ultrasonography. The patient underwent unilateral radical inguinal orchiectomy. Surgical pathology revealed myeloid sarcoma of the testicle. He developed peripheral blood involvement 1 week postoperatively. Bone marrow biopsy showed acute myeloid leukemia. He is in remission after 2 cycles of induction chemotherapy, local radiation therapy, and allogeneic bone marrow transplantation.

Erosion of inflatable penile prosthesis reservoir into neobladder.

INTRODUCTION: Erosion of the reservoir into surrounding tissues is a rare complication after inflatable penile prosthesis (IPP) implantation. AIM: To present a new case and a review of the literature including discussion of pathogenesis, risk factors, and management options. METHODS: We present the case of a 75-year-old male who underwent placement of an IPP for postoperative erectile dysfunction with a history of bladder cancer requiring radical cystoprostatectomy and Studer neobladder. Six years after IPP placement, he presented with recurrent febrile urinary tract infection that seemed to be precipitated by cycling of his penile prosthesis. Cystoscopy and cross-sectional computed tomography imaging demonstrated erosion of the inflatable penile prosthesis reservoir into the neobladder. RESULTS: Patient underwent open removal of the IPP reservoir and cystorrhaphy with a plan for future prefascial reimplantation of an IPP reservoir. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with a history of abdomino-pelvic surgery or radiation therapy, the retroperitoneal space may be extremely fibrotic and the transversalis fascia may have thickened. Potential intraoperative complications as well as reservoir erosion may be avoided by using a two-piece device or ectopic reservoir placement. Management options for reservoir erosion include explantation of the entire device as well as reservoir removal with salvage of remaining components.

Students investigating the antiproliferative effects of synthesized drugs on mouse mammary tumor cells.

The potential for personalized cancer management has long intrigued experienced researchers as well as the naïve student intern. Personalized cancer treatments based on a tumor's genetic profile are now feasible and can reveal both the cells' susceptibility and resistance to chemotherapeutic agents. In a weeklong laboratory investigation that mirrors current cancer research, undergraduate and advanced high school students determine the efficacy of common pharmacological agents through in vitro testing. Using mouse mammary tumor cell cultures treated with "unknown" drugs historically recommended for breast cancer treatment, students are introduced to common molecular biology techniques from in vitro cell culture to fluorescence microscopy. Student understanding is assessed through laboratory reports and the successful identification of the unknown drug. The sequence of doing the experiment, applying logic, and constructing a hypothesis gives the students time to discover the rationale behind the cellular drug resistance assay. The breast cancer experiment has been field tested during the past 5 yr with more than 200 precollege/undergraduate interns through the Gains in the Education of Mathematics and Science program hosted by the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research.