[Silica-containing urinary stones--clinical issues to keep in mind]. / Silikathaltige Harnsteine im Klinikalltag. Was gibt es zu beachten?

Formation of calculi in efferent urinary passages is always due to supersaturation of urinary calculi substances and associated increased crystallization. Apart from the typical calculi, consisting of calcium oxalate, inorganic phosphates, uric acid or cystine, there are occasional signs of rare substance classes. Although more than 50 silicate stones have already been reported internationally, this stone entity remains relatively unknown. In particular, the occurrence of silicate stones in the absence of magnesium trisilicate abuse is extremely rare. A medium-sized left-sided ureterolith was removed from a 54-year-old male patient using a ureteroscope. X-ray diffraction showed it to be a compound stone consisting of 40% silicate. The patient, who in 1986 was living close to the nuclear reactor accident in Chernobyl, showed no signs of a constant uptake of magnesium trisilicate. However, he had undergone partial (2/3) gastrectomy 4 months before for a drug-refractory gastric ulcer, which had been diagnosed at the end of the 1980s and treated with excessive dosages of a magnesium trisilicate antacid preparation until the time of the operation. The patient had also been suffering from unstable angina pectoris since 1986 and treated with Pentalong (pentaerythrityltetranitrate) for 17 years. We were also able to detect silicium dioxide in components of this drug using X-ray diffraction. Silicate uroliths are extremely rare but they can be clearly identified by X-ray diffraction or infrared spectroscopy and distinguished from artifacts or quartz pebbles. Formation of calculi can be prevented by increasing diuresis as well as switching to a different drug and reducing the dosage.

[Liposarcoma of the spermatic cord--report of one new case and review of the literature]. / Liposarkom des Samenstrangs--Darstellung eines Falls.

Liposarcoma of the spermatic cord is a rare entity. Although most liposarcomas of the spermatic cord are well-differentiated, the propensity for local recurrence is high. Preferential treatment of spermatic cord liposarcoma is radical orchiectomy with high ligation of the cord. Radiation therapy is recommended in addition to surgery in cases with evidence of more aggressive tumour behavior (i.e., high-grade tumour, lymphatic invasion, inadequate margin, or recurrence). A 39-year-old-male presented with a 4-year history of a mass in the left scrotum. Radical orchiectomy was performed. Pathological analysis demonstrated a well-differentiated liposarcoma with tumour detection in the surgical margin. In view of the incomplete surgical removal of the tumour a retroperitoneal reoperation of the testicular vessels and vas deferent with R0-resection was conducted. Without any postoperative adjuvant therapy in evidence of recurrence or metastasis was noted during the 12-month follow-up period. The current literature on management of malignant tumours of the spermatic cord is reviewed. Paratesticular liposarcomas are most commonly well-differentiated and lipoma-like and have a prolonged clinical course. Radical orchiectomy with wide local excision of the mass is the recommended therapy, while adjuvant radiotherapy may be considered in high-grade tumours and in recurrent liposarcomas. Retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy does not offer any additional therapeutic benefit, and the role of chemotherapy is not well defined. Regardless of initial therapy, the risk of local recurrence always necessitates long-term followup.

[Bilateral testicular masses in the scope of adrenogenital syndrome]. / Beidseitige testikuläre Raumforderungen im Rahmen des adrenogenitalen Syndroms.

Testicular masses in male individuals with the adrenogenital syndrome (AGS) are a clinical and pathological diagnostic dilemma. The major differential diagnosis of gonadal nodules in this setting includes interstitial Leydig cell tumors and secondary benign tumors possibly of adrenal origin. We report a case of adrenogenital syndrome occurring in a 14-year-old boy. Examinations to clarify the cause of his dwarfism and bilateral testicular masses revealed 21-hydroxylase deficiency. The testes were not tender and were firm and nodular on palpation. The serum levels of adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH), 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone (17-alpha-OHP), testosterone, and aldosterone were found to be elevated. Under corticosteroid therapy the serum marker abnormalities were corrected and there was gradual regression of the tumor lesions in both testes. Testicular tumors with adrenogenital syndrome are typically bilateral and develop in untreated or inadequately treated males with AGS.

[Superior vena cava syndrome with bilateral jugular and subclavian vein thrombosis. Paraneoplastic manifestion of renal cell carcinoma]. / V. -cava-superior-Syndrom mit beidseitiger Jugularis- und SubklaviavenenthromboseParaneoplastische Manifestation eines Nierenzellkarzinoms.

At present thrombosis of the superior vena cava is an uncommon event that is now more frequently associated with diagnostic or therapeutic catheterization. If an apparent spontaneous thrombosis occurs, malignancy should be considered in the differential diagnosis. One case of clinically symptomatic thrombosis of the internal jugular, subclavian, and superior vena cava is presented. We detected an asymptomatic left renal cell carcinoma in a 54-year-old patient and nephrectomy was performed. Increased blood coagulability as part of a paraneoplastic syndrome was considered to be the possible etiology. In patients with otherwise unexplained superior vena cava thrombosis, examination not only of the head and neck but also of the abdomen, retroperitoneum, and pelvis should be pursued. A review of the literature pertinent to this rare case is provided.

[Outlet of a megaureter with aplastic kidney into a seminal vesicle cyst. Case report of laparoscopic intervention]. / Mündung eines Megaureters mit aplastischer Niere in eine Samenblasenzyste. Fallbericht einer laparoskopischen Intervention.

Unilateral cyst of the seminal vesicle, ipsilateral ectopic ureter, and ipsilateral renal aplasia are the components of a rare congenital abnormality affecting the male urogenital tract. The clinical picture is characterized by a retrovesical cystic tumor, which may cause nonspecific symptoms. Differential diagnosis includes cysts of the müllerian duct, the urogenital sinus/ejaculatory duct, and the prostate. We report a case of a left seminal vesicle cyst associated with aplasia of the left kidney in a 14-year-old boy. Preoperatively, an ipsilateral renal agenesis was suspected, but a renal aplasia with an ectopic urinary megaureter into the seminal vesicle was found intraoperatively. An 8-cm cystic left seminal vesicle and an ipsilateral renal aplasia was successfully removed by operative laparoscopy. The advantages of the laparoscopic approach over open surgery include excellent exposure of the deep pelvic structures, a short hospitalization, and a rapid recovery for the patient. We searched the literature to review the clinical presentation, diagnostic procedures, differential diagnosis, and therapeutic treatment options for this anomaly.

[Solitary renal cell carcinoma metastasis to the thyroid gland--a paradigm of metastasectomy?]. / Die solitäre Nierenzellkarzinommetastase in der Schilddrüse. Ein Paradigma der Metastasenchirurgie?

We investigated the usefulness of thyroidectomy for solitary metastases from renal cell carcinomas in ten patients. In the absence of postoperative morbidity and mortality, a mean survival time of 3.4 years was observed. Subsequently, four patients developed intracerebral metastases. Swelling of the neck and the discovery of a nodule in the thyroid of patients who have undergone nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma should raise suspicion of a metastasis, possibly after a long latency period. With the aid of modern immunohistochemical methods, renal cell carcinoma metastasis can now be identified unequivocally, with differentiation from a primary follicular carcinoma of the thyroid rendered possible by a combination of TTF-1, thyroglobulin, and CD 10. In the event of a solitary lesion with no extrathyroidal tumour manifestation, an R0 resection of the metastasis should always be attempted. If tumour dissemination has occurred, palliative measures and endoscopic intervention (e.g. placement of an endotracheal stent) with the aim of improving quality of life by preventing obstruction of the airways are justified.

[Angiomyolipoma of the kidneys as a rare cause of retroperitoneal hemorrhage. Two case reports with tuberous sclerosis Bourneville-Pringle]. / Renale Angiomyolipome assoziiert mit tuberöser Hirnsklerose als seltene Ursache einer abundanten retroperitonealen Blutung. Report von 2 Fällen.

Tuberous sclerosis (Bourneville-Pringle-disease, TSC) is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by seizures, mental retardation and hamartomatous tumours in multiple organs, including subependymal giant cell astrocytomas, cardiac rhabdomyomas and renal angiomyolipomas. Recent population-based studies suggest a prevalence of 1 case per 25,000 individuals. Renal angiomyolipomas, which may be found sporadically or associated with TSC, become evident as an acute retroperitoneal haemorrhage or by symptoms of a flank mass. Ultrasound and computed tomography provide clear evidence of lipomatous formation while, in rare instances, angiography can demonstrate the existence of multiple vascular tumour compartments. In view of two cases which were admitted with the clinical picture of an acute abdomen on the basis of retroperitoneal haemorrhage, the therapeutic strategies for TSC patients with renal angiomyolipomas are discussed, paying regard to the literature in this field.