Photoacoustic microscopy for real-time monitoring of near-infrared optical absorbers inside biological tissue.

Significance: We developed a high-speed optical-resolution photoacoustic microscopy (OR-PAM) system using a high-repetition-rate supercontinuum (SC) light source and a two-axes Galvano scanner. The OR-PAM system enabled real-time imaging of optical absorbers inside biological tissues with excellent excitation wavelength tunability. Aim: In the near-infrared (NIR) wavelength range, high-speed OR-PAM faces limitations due to the lack of wavelength-tunable light sources. Our study aimed to enable high-speed OR-PAM imaging of various optical absorbers, including NIR contrast agents, and validate the performance of high-speed OR-PAM in the detection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs). Approach: A high-repetition nanosecond pulsed SC light source was used for OR-PAM. The excitation wavelength was adjusted by bandpass filtering of broadband light pulses produced by an SC light source. Phantom and in vivo experiments were performed to detect tumor cells stained with an NIR contrast agent within flowing blood samples. Results: The newly developed high-speed OR-PAM successfully detected stained cells both in the phantom and in vivo. The phantom experiment confirmed the correlation between the tumor cell detection rate and tumor cell concentration in the blood sample. Conclusions: The high-speed OR-PAM effectively detected stained tumor cells. Combining high-speed OR-PAM with molecular probes that stain tumor cells in vivo enables in vivo CTC detection.

Chromatic-aberration-free multispectral optical-resolution photoacoustic microscopy using reflective optics and a supercontinuum light source.

A supercontinuum (SC) light source enables multispectral photoacoustic imaging at excitation wavelengths in the visible-to-near-infrared range. However, for such a broad optical wavelength range, chromatic aberration is non-negligible. We developed a multispectral optical-resolution photoacoustic microscopy (MS-OR-PAM) setup with a nanosecond pulsed SC light source and a reflective objective lens to avoid chromatic aberration. Chromatic aberrations generated by reflective and conventional objective lenses were compared, and the images acquired using the reflective objective were not affected by chromatic aberration. Hence, MS-OR-PAM with the reflective objective was used to distinguish red blood cells from melanoma cells via spectral subtraction processing.

[CLINICAL ANALYSIS OF 95 CASES OF PERCUTANEOUS CYSTOSTOMY].

(Introduction) Percutaneous cystostomy is a standard urological procedure; however, very few reports have focused on the many cases of this procedure performed in Japan. We analyzed the background of the procedure and its approach as well as the incidence of its complications at our institution. (Material and methods) We examined 95 patients who underwent percutaneous cystostomy between April 2010 and March 2019. A comparative analysis was conducted for each type of procedure performed. Furthermore, cases that experienced accidental catheter extraction before the first catheter replacement were analyzed, and the three patient groups were compared based on the type of procedure performed and cases that needed another operation. (Result) The indications for cystostomy were urethral stricture (56.3%), neuropathic bladder (13.5%), and prostatic hyperplasia (11.5%). The complications included hemorrhage, peritoneal injury, urinary tract infection, and catheter damage caused by a puncture needle. The overall complication rate was 10.5%. Based on type of the procedure performed, the incidence of hemorrhage was found to be as high as 25% in patients who underwent the procedure using a cannula puncture needle. Accidental catheter extraction before the first catheter replacement occurred most frequently in patients treated with Seldinger technique (17.0%). The rate of complications including accidental catheter extraction ranged from 25.0% to 25.4% among the three groups. (Conclusion) We prefer the Seldinger technique for the first placement of the cystostomy catheter because of its low rate of hemorrhage, but a cannula puncture needle may also be used by using exploratory puncture if vascular damage and accidental catheter extraction are avoided.

A Case of Hemorrhagic Adrenal Pseudocyst Mimicking Solid Tumor.

BACKGROUND Adrenal pseudocysts are often discovered incidentally on imaging, but the diagnosis and treatment can be challenging. A case of adrenal pseudocyst with hemorrhage is presented that mimicked a solid tumor on imaging, resulting in adrenalectomy. CASE REPORT A 78-year-old woman was found to have a right adrenal lesion on abdominal imaging. Enhanced computed tomography (CT) showed a heterogeneously enhanced mass, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a high-intensity T1-weighted and T2-weighed image, with an irregular enhanced margin. The imaging findings were suggestive of a solid tumor of the adrenal gland. Although full endocrine serological studies were negative, the lesion increased in size at two-year follow-up. Right laparoscopic adrenalectomy was performed, and a benign hemorrhagic adrenal pseudocyst was diagnosed histologically. CONCLUSIONS Adrenal pseudocyst can be associated with acute intracystic hemorrhage, and imaging will show contrast enhancement, suggesting malignancy. In such cases, surgical excision is both diagnostic and curative.

A Case of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin Cystitis Diagnosed with a Novel Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification Method.

Intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) instillation is broadly used to prevent bladder cancer recurrence or to treat carcinoma in situ. BCG infection is rare but can cause serious problems because this strain has intrinsic resistance to pyrazinamide, a first-line anti-tuberculosis drug. Furthermore, there had been no specific and easy procedure accurately diagnosing BCG infection. In this case report we present the first case of BCG cystitis diagnosed with a newly developed easy-to-use diagnostic procedure using the loop-mediated isothermal amplification method.

Up-Regulation of Antioxidant Proteins in the Plasma Proteome during Saturation Diving: Unique Coincidence under Hypobaric Hypoxia.

Saturation diving (SD) is one of the safest techniques for tolerating hyperbaric conditions for long durations. However, the changes in the human plasma protein profile that occur during SD are unknown. To identify differential protein expression during or after SD, 65 blood samples from 15 healthy Japanese men trained in SD were analyzed by two-dimensional fluorescence difference gel electrophoresis. The expression of two proteins, one 32.4 kDa with an isoelectric point (pI) of 5.8 and the other 44.8 kDa with pI 4.0, were elevated during SD to 60, 100, and 200 meters sea water (msw). The expression of these proteins returned to pre-diving level when the SD training was completed. The two proteins were identified using in-gel digestion and mass spectrometric analysis; the 32.4 kDa protein was transthyretin and the 44.8 kDa protein was alpha-1-acid glycoprotein 1. Oxidation was detected at methionine 13 of transthyretin and at methionine 129 of alpha-1-acid glycoprotein 1 by tandem mass spectrometry. Moreover, haptoglobin was up-regulated during the decompression phase of 200 msw. These plasma proteins up-regulated during SD have a common function as anti-oxidants. This suggests that by coordinating their biological effects, these proteins activate a defense mechanism to counteract the effects of hyperbaric-hyperoxic conditions during SD.

[Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma in Paranasal Sinus for which Periodic Drug Withdrawal Schedule of Axitinib was Effective : A Case Report].

A 73-year-old male patient underwent a right nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma in 2008, and interferon-alpha was initiated as adjuvant treatment. Computed tomography (CT) scans showed lymphadenopathy above the left diaphragm, and treatment with interferon-2 was subsequently initiated in 2009. Nasal bleeding manifested in February 2010, and CT scans showed a soft-tissue density mass mainly located in the ethmoid sinus. A biopsy of the lesion was performed, and metastatic renal cell carcinoma was diagnosed. Treatment with sorafenib was consequently initiated and the paranasal metastasis showed a temporary partial response (PR). However, the metastatic lesion increased in size and caused repeated nasal bleeding that required blood transfusion. Although treatment with everolims was initiated, adverse events, such as rush, hypertensionnemia, and anemia due to nasal bleeding, developed. Treatment with axitinib was subsequently initiated. However, because adverse events, such as severe diarrhea, renal dysfunction and proteinuria manifested, the dose of axitinib was gradually decreased, and a periodic drug withdrawal schedule (11 days on, 3 days off) was finally initiated, which controlled these adverse events. The metastatic lesions showed a PR for 31months following axitinib administration.

Preoperative risk factors for extraurothelial recurrence in N0M0 patients with renal pelvic cancer treated by radical nephroureterectomy.

The prediction of extraurothelial recurrence (EUR) before radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) is difficult for patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma. If EUR can be predicted preoperatively, it may be possible to determine the need for neoadjuvant chemotherapy or the surgical strategy. Our previous study identified preoperative risk factors for EUR in ureteral cancer, while the present study identified preoperative risk factors for EUR in renal pelvic cancer (RPC). The preoperative factors were reviewed in 71 N0M0 patients with RPC treated by RNU between 1999 and 2013. Preoperative clinical background data, laboratory test results, including inflammatory indices, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and estimated glomerular filtration rate, and radiological findings were subjected to multivariate analyses to identify independent predictive factors for EUR. The 3-year EUR-free survival (EURFS) rate was 81.9%, and univariate analysis showed that clinical T (cT) stage ≥3, white blood cell counts ≥7600/µl, neutrophil counts ≥4,500/µl, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio ≥2.0, and LDH ≥210 IU/l were significantly associated with EURFS. Additionally, a cT stage ≥3 (P=0.0244) and LDH ≥210 IU/l (P=0.0322) were independent predictors for EUR. When patients were stratified into three groups according to the number of risk factors, the 3-year EURFS rates were 94.5, 76.3, and 33.3% for the low-, intermediate-, and high-risk patient groups, respectively. In conclusion, cT stage ≥3 and LDH ≥210 IU/l were preoperative predictive factors of EUR in patients with RPC. High-risk patients may be candidates for neoadjuvant chemotherapy and low-risk patients may be candidates for RNU without lymph node dissection.

Preoperative risk factors for extraurothelial recurrence in patients with ureteral cancer treated with radical nephroureterectomy.

PURPOSE: Recent studies have suggested that lymph node dissection may improve the prognosis in patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma. Therefore, patients who will benefit from lymph node dissection need to be selected before surgery. Because patients who have extraurothelial recurrence theoretically include those whose prognoses are improved by lymph node dissection, we conducted this study to determine the preoperative predictors of extraurothelial recurrence in patients with ureteral cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Because it is not appropriate to categorize the preoperative radiologic findings of ureteral cancer and those of renal pelvic cancer using the same classification criteria, we focused on ureteral cancer. We reviewed preoperative factors in 70 patients with ureteral cancer treated with radical nephroureterectomy. Laboratory tests including inflammatory indices, tumor markers and estimated glomerular filtration rate, along with radiologic findings, were evaluated. Multivariate analyses were performed to determine independent factors predicting extraurothelial recurrence in patients with ureteral cancer. RESULTS: Positive cytology, cT stage 3 or greater, length of ureteral cancer 3 cm or greater and estimated glomerular filtration rate less than 60 ml/minute/1.73 m2 were independent predictors of extraurothelial recurrence on multivariate analysis. When patients were stratified into 3 groups according to the number of risk factors, the 3-year extraurothelial recurrence-free survival rates were 95.2% in the low risk group, 75.8% in the intermediate risk group and 25.1% in the high risk group. CONCLUSIONS: Positive cytology, cT stage 3 or greater, length of ureteral cancer 3 cm or greater and estimated glomerular filtration rate less than 60 ml/minute/1.73 m2 were preoperative predictive factors of extraurothelial recurrence in patients with ureteral cancer and lymph node dissection may be omitted for low risk patients.

Mixed epithelial and stromal tumor of the kidney with polypoid component extending into renal pelvis and ureter.

Mixed epithelial and stromal tumor (MEST) of the kidney is an unusual benign neoplasm that predominantly occurs in middle-aged females. It typically appears as a well-circumscribed multiseptate mass with solid components on computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance image (MRI), reflecting its characteristics of an admixture of stromal proliferation and epithelial cells consisting of multiple cysts. We present a rare case of 61-year-old woman with MEST, which manifested as a multilocular cystic mass with a polypoid component protruding into the renal pelvis and ureter. To our best knowledge, this is the first case of MEST extending into the ureter.