[A case of retroperitoneal bronchogenic cyst].

A 59-year-old hypertensive man was referred to our hospital with a retroperitoneal cystic tumor, measuring 6 cm in diameter that was detected by an ultrasound examination during routine check-up 2 years before coming to our department. During the 2-year follow-up, the cystic tumor gradually increased in size. The patient also became hypertensive with slightly elevated urine levels of noradrenaline and dopamine, while the plasma catecholamines and their metabolites in the urine were within the normal range. Computed tomographic scanning and magnetic resonance imaging revealed a dumbbell-shaped retroperitoneal cyst with dense fluid, measuring 7 x 3.5 x 3 cm in diameter, in the left supra-adrenal and sub-diaphragmatic regions. He underwent extirpation of the cystic tumor with suspicion of adrenal endocrine cystic tumor. The histopathological diagnosis was a bronchogenic cyst, which is an extremely rare developmental anomaly in the retroperitoneal space. We herein report this rare case of retroperitoneal bronchogenic cyst and present a brief review of the previously reported 30 Japanese cases.

The impact of radical prostatectomy on patient well-being: a prospective urodynamic study focused on detrusor function.

Prostate cancer is common in aged men and radical prostatectomy is established as a therapeutic measure. However, to date there is little information about its impact on voiding function. We conducted a prospective clinical study to elucidate the impact of radical prostatectomy on voiding function in 17 patients with prostate cancer, by urological evaluation including filling and voiding cystometry (pressure flow study). The patients who were estimated as having weak detrusor function including very weak detrusor function at 3 months postoperatively had significantly more frequent urinary incontinence compared with the others (p < 0.05). Of 8 patients who showed urinary incontinence for more than 3 months, 7 (88%) patients developed weak detrusor function at 3 months after operation, but 4 of them were estimated as having normal detrusor function preoperatively. These patients revealed reduced maximum flow rate and significantly increased quality of life score compared with the other patients (p < 0.05). An initially reduced bladder compliance disclosed a tendency to a rapid return to normal with time after surgery. Detrusor overactivity itself and neoadjuvant antiandrogen therapy were not related to prolonged postoperative urinary incontinence. The present study indicates that caution is required when administering medication that could potentially affect detrusor function, regardless of the type of preoperative detrusor function, in patients with persistent urinary incontinence or a reduced urinary stream. Particular emphasis is laid on the importance of urodynamic assessment of post-prostatectomy detrusor function and appropriate management modalities based on the results.

Aggressive angiomyxoma in the scrotum expressing androgen and progesterone receptors.

Aggressive angiomyxoma is a rare benign mesenchymal myxoid tumor that arises from the pelvic soft tissues and perineum in relatively young females. This tumor has the ability to infiltrate locally and has a high risk of local recurrence after extirpation, but no potential to metastasize. We report here a rare case of aggressive angiomyxoma that developed in the scrotum of a 47-year-old male. Immunostaining of the resected specimen revealed that the tumor cell nuclei stained strongly and diffusely for androgen receptors (80% of the tumor cells), and moderately and partly for progesterone receptors (20% of the tumor cells). However, staining was negative for estrogen receptors. It is highly suggested that the growth of aggressive angiomyxoma in males may depend on androgen manipulation, contrary to its frequent and close association with estrogen receptor expression, which has been reported in females.

[A case of primary transitional cell carcinoma of the prostate].

A 77-year-old man was referred to our hospital with a complaint of dysuria and right ischiodynia. He had had a hemi-thyroidectomy for thyroid cancer and right cervical lymphadenectomy three years and one year, respectively, before this visit. Prostate cancer was strongly suspected by transrectal examination with prostate specific antigen (PSA) elevated to 77.8 ng/ml. Pathological diagnosis of prostate biopsy specimen was transitional cell carcinoma with grade 3 malignancy and negative staining for PSA. Endoscopic examination showed a normal appearance of bladder and prostatic urethral epithelium. Urine cytology showed no malignant cells. However, immunostaining for PSA revealed that the cervical lymph node specimen resected before was moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma of prostate. He had multiple metastases to mediastinal and retroperitoneal lymph nodes and right ischium. Endocrine therapy (goserelin acetate depot, bicalutamide) and systemic chemotherapy (methotrexate, epirubicin, cisplatin) were performed combined with irradiation to right ischium metastasis. Two months later, he showed a complete response in PSA and partial response in lymph node metastases, but died of cancer 13 months later.

[A case of inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of the retroperitoneum].

Here we report a rare case of inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of the retroperitoneal space. A 46-year-old woman had had microscopic hematuria for 5 years. Ultrasonographic examination for screening revealed two solid tumors adjacent to the right kidney. These tumors were suspected to be malignant fibrous histiocytoma or liposarcoma by computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. She underwent resection of these retroperitoneal tumors and additional right nephrectomy because these tumors were adhered to the kidney and liposarcoma was highly suspected on frozen sections. Histopathologic examination finally revealed that the tumors were inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor arising within Gerota's fasia. She has been followed up for 9 months without any evidence of local recurrence.

Chromophobe cell renal carcinoma with acquired cystic disease of the kidney in a long-term hemodialysis patient.

We report a rare case of chromophobe cell renal carcinoma found in a 52-year-old female who had received hemodialysis therapy for 13 years. She was diagnosed as having a left renal tumor 7.5 cm in diameter with acquired cystic disease of the kidney (ACDK) by ultrasonographic examination during periodical systemic screening. As abdominal computed tomography scanning and enhanced color Doppler ultrasonography suspected that the hypervascular tumor was renal cell carcinoma, she underwent translumbar nephrectomy in July 2000. The histopathological diagnosis was chromophobe cell carcinoma with pT2 and grade 2 malignancy. Chromophobe cell carcinoma is uncommon among renal tumors with ACDK found in long-term hemodialysis patients.

[Clinicopathological significance of neoadjuvant hormonal therapy prior to radical prostatectomy: whole section analysis].

We investigated whether the histopathological effect (cell viability) of neoadjuvant hormonal treatment before radical prostatectomy for clinically localized prostate cancer is involved in the biochemical outcome, i.e., androgen independency. Non-randomized prospective trial was carried out between September 1996 and April 2001 involving the patients with clinical stage T1-3 prostate cancer, including 62 who underwent radical prostatectomy after receiving neoadjuvant hormonal treatment for an average of 6.3 months and 76 who underwent radical prostectomy only. All resected specimens were histopathologically diagnosed by whole section analysis. The patients receiving neoadjuvant hormonal treatment were categorized into 4 groups according to the histological change in the resected prostate. There were 8 patients in G0 (all viable cells), 11 patients in G1 (more than 50% viable cells), 26 patients G2 (more than 50% non-viable cells) and 17 patients in G3 (no cancer cells). No difference in the patient background (prostate specific antigen, stage, Gleason score, positive core Nr, duration of neoadjuvant therapy) was observed in any group, except for the duration of (p < 0.05). Multivariate hazards analyses revealed that only the duration of neoadjuvant hormonal treatment was independently associated with excellent responders with grade 3 histological effect. Neoadjuvant hormonal therapy prior to radical operation resulted in various histopathological changes in the prostate, but it is not clear whether the histological effects of hormonal treatment might be involved in the outcome. A longer follow-up randomized prospective trial is necessary.