[A Case of Calyceal Diverticula with Stones Treated by Ureteroscopic Management].

Most patients with calyceal diverticula stones are asymptomatic, but some patients experience fever and low back pain. Here we report a case of calyceal diverticula stones treated by ureteroscopic management. A 41-year-old woman with backache visited a local doctor. She was diagnosed with a urinary tract infection, and prescribed an antibiotic. Her symptoms began to improve, but the ultrasonography showed she had a left renal cystic lesion, so she visited our hospital. Abdominal contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) showing in-flow of a contrast agent into the left renal calyceal diverticula located stones in the upper pole. We performed ureteroscopic management of the calyceal diverticula stones in two stages. First, we expanded the neck of the calyceal diverticula by indwelling the ureteral stent at the calyceal diverticula. Then, using a ureteral dilator, we expanded the neck of the calyceal diverticula further and removed the stones in the calyceal diverticula. Treatment with ureteroscopic management was possible due to the location of the calyceal diverticula stones and the success rate was increased by performing the treatment in two stages.

[Investigation of the Risk for Biochemical Recurrence after Radical Prostatectomy Using the Length of the Positive Surgical Margin Microscopically Measured from the Surgical Specimen].

Radical prostatectomy is one of the major treatment options for patients with localized prostate cancer, and biochemical recurrence (BCR) after surgery is regarded as one of the representative indicators of the oncological outcome. The positive surgical margin (PSM) of the surgical specimen is considered to be one of the risk factors for BCR and its length (LPSM) was reported to be positively correlated with the risk for BCR. We retrospectively investigated the relationship between BCR and LPSM in 115 patients who underwent radical retropubic prostatectomy or laparoscopic radical prostatectomy without neoadjuvant hormone therapy at Shimada Municipal Hospital between 2008 and 2016. We found that the patients with a LPSM of 3 mm or longer had a higher risk for BCR than those with a LPSM shorter than 3 mm (HR 10.98, 95% confidence interval : 3.09-39.06, p <0.001), and patients with pT3 disease with a LPSM of 3 mm or longer had a higher risk for early BCR. Therefore, the LPSM may be a useful parameter to predict BCR after radical prostatectomy.

[A Case Of cT3bN2M0 Pleomorphic Giant Cell Carcinoma of the Bladder without Recurrence after Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy and Radical Cystectomy for 4 Years].

Pleomorphic giant cell carcinoma of the bladder is a highly malignant subtype and its prognosis is very poor. Among 22 previously reported cases, 14 cases were diagnosed as muscle-invasive tumors and the 10 patients died within 1.5 years after the initial diagnosis. We herein report a long-surviving patient with cT3bN2M0 pleomorphic giant cell carcinoma of the bladder without recurrence. A 73-year-old man presented with macroscopic hematuria and cystoscopy revealed a papillary nodular tumor 45 millimeters in diameter at the right bladder wall. Bilateral external iliac lymph node metastases were found on computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The histopathological diagnosis of the transurethral resection specimen was pleomorphic giant cell urothelial carcinoma, high-grade, G3, pT2 or higher. The pleomorphic giant cells were composed of large epithelioid cells with single or multiple bizarre nuclei. The patient underwent 2 cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy using gemcitabine and cisplatin. Follow-up CT and MRI revealed disappearance of iliac lymph node matastases. Laparoscopic radical cystectomy and lymphadenectomy were performed. The histopathological diagnosis was pleomorphic giant cell urothelial carcinoma, ypT3aN0M0, RM0. Giant cells were found in 70% of the tumor. No recurrence has been found for 4 years after surgery. If neoadjuvant chemotherapy is effective, long-term survival without recurrence may be possible after radical cystectomy even in cases of muscle-invasive or N2 pleomorphic giant cell carcinoma of the bladder.

[A Case of PT1 Plasmacytoid Variant Bladder Cancer Treated by Bladder Conserving Therapy].

Plasmacytoid variant bladder cancer is a highly malignant subtype associated with a high propensity for invasion, metastasis and poor prognosis. Among approximately 100 reported cases, most were diagnosed at an advanced stage and only 10 were diagnosed at a non-muscle-invasive stage. Due to the limited data on clinical features of non-muscle-invasive plasmacytoid variant bladder cancer, its treatment has not been established. We report a long-surviving patient with pT1 plasmacytoid variant bladder cancer in whom the bladder was conserved after detailed pathological examinations of the transurethral resection (TUR) specimen and intensive follow-up. A 65-year-old man presented with macroscopic hematuria. Cystoscopy revealed a nodular tumor 11 millimeters in diameter and no metastasis was observed on computed tomography. The histopathological diagnosis of the TUR specimen was pT1 plasmacytoid variant urothelial carcinoma of the bladder. Microvascular invasion was not found by immunohistochemical staining and histopathological examination of the specimen from the second TUR indicated no residual cancer. The patient strongly desired bladder conservation and additionally underwent intravesical instillation therapy with 40 mg of mitomycin C weekly for 6 consecutive weeks. Follow-up cystoscopy demonstrated 3 small papillary tumors 12 months after intravesical instillation therapy, but histopathologically, the recurrent tumors were pTa with pTis urothelial carcinomas without plasmacytoid components. To treat pTis disease, he subsequently underwent intravesical BCG instillation therapy. The plasmacytoid variant bladder cancer has not recurred for 26 months since the initial diagnosis. Non-muscle-invasive and localized plasmacytoid variant bladder cancer may be treated with bladder conserving therapy.

[Laparoscopic resection of a retroperitoneal müllerian cyst: a case report].

A 51-year-old woman had a cystic mass in the retroperitoneal space, below the left kidney, which was incidentally detected at a medical check-up. The size of the mass was 6 cm in diameter, which was similar to that obtained by magnetic resonance imaging 4 years ago. We followed the case and found that the mass was slightly enlarged a year later. Because malignancy could not be ruled out, we performed a laparoscopic tumor excision. Histologically, the cyst was diagnosed as a Müllerian cyst, and there was no evidence of malignancy. Retroperitoneal Müllerian cyst is a rare tumor. Sixteen cases have been reported previously and this is the fourth case of a laparoscopic excision.

Effects of thienopyridine class antiplatelets on bleeding outcomes following robot-assisted radical prostatectomy.

This study aimed to assess the effects of thienopyridine-class antiplatelet agents (including ticlopidine, clopidogrel, and prasugrel) on bleeding complications in patients who underwent robot-assisted radical prostatectomy. This cohort study used a database for robot-assisted radical prostatectomy at 23 tertiary centers nationwide between 2011 and 2022. Patients who received thienopyridines (thienopyridine group) were compared with those who received aspirin monotherapy (aspirin group). The primary outcome was the incidence of bleeding complications. High-grade complications were defined as Clavien-Dindo grade III or higher. The risks of these outcomes were evaluated using inverse probability of treatment weighted regression models. The study results demonstrated that thienopyridine therapy was associated with a higher risk of overall bleeding complications (OR: 3.62, 95%CI 1.54-8.49). The increased risks of the thienopyridine group were detected for low-grade bleeding complications (OR: 3.20, 95%CI 1.23-8.30) but not for high-grade bleeding complications (OR: 5.23, 95%CI 0.78-34.9). The increased risk of bleeding complications was not observed when thienopyridine was discontinued (OR: 2.52, 95%CI 0.83-7.70); however, it became apparent when it was continued perioperatively (OR: 4.35, 95%CI 1.14-16.61). In conclusion, thienopyridine increased the incidence of bleeding complications, particularly low-grade bleeding complications, following robot-assisted radical prostatectomy. These bleeding effects emerged when thienopyridine was continued perioperatively.

[Case of pharyngeal emphysema with airway obstruction during retroperitoneal laparoscopic nephroureterectomy].

A 76-year-old woman with right renal pelvic cancer underwent a laparoscopic nephroureterectomy via a retroperitoneal approach. During the 300 minutes of CO2 insufflation, arterial blood pressure, temperature, and oxygen saturation were stable, whereas the end-tidal CO2 (ETCO2) gradually increased and reached a peak of 55 mmHg. Her arterial blood gas analysis suggested acute respiratory acidosis. She developed hypercapnia in spite of controlled hyperventilation in response to the increasing ETCO2. Skin crepitus was extending into the neck and face from the operative site. A portable chest radiograph taken postoperatively showed pneumomediastinum and extensive subcutaneous emphysema of neck and chest wall. Laryngoscopy revealed grossly emphysematous pharyngeal tissues preventing direct vocal cord visualization. Her airway was appeared to be totally occluded by markedly edematous laryngeal tissues. As a leak sound around the tracheal tube was not heard after deflation of the tube cuff, her pharyngeal swelling was suspected to be severe and tracheal extubation during the operation was postponed. When cervicofacial emphysema occurs intraoperatively, we recommend that laryngoscopy should be performed before tracheal extubation to avoid potential airway obstruction from associated pharyngeal emphysema.

[Pericardial effusion due to metastatic prostate cancer: a case report].

We describe a patient whose complaints were related to pericardial effusion due to prostatic carcinoma. An 80-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of chest discomfort and dyspnea. The chest radiograph revealed cardiomegaly and computed tomographic scan showed a large pericardial effusion. Pericardiocentesis revealed sanguinous exudates. Cytologic study suggested metastatic adenocarcinoma or malignant mesothelioma. He died suddenly because of ventricular tachycardia. At autopsy, the major finding was poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma of the prostate with metastases to the mediastinum.

[Multi-institute survey on actual conditions of urologic management for severe bladder dysfunction after hysterectomy].

We conducted a multi-institute survey on the conditions related to urologic management of severe voiding dysfunction after hysterectomy for uterine cancer with or without postoperative irradiation. Our first study population was a group of adult female patients currently managed by urologists, using clean intermittent catheterization (CIC). Of the 287 patients in this group, 99 (34%) had suffered from uterine cancer. Of these patients, 94 underwent hysterectomy for this disease; 44 and 30 were treated with or without postoperative radiation, respectively, while postoperative irradiation status was unknown for 20. Median follow-up after surgery was 21 (0.2-52) years and median interval from operation to the introduction of CIC was 4.0 (0-49) years. CIC tended to be introduced later for patients with postoperative radiation than those without it. Seventy-four patients, who required invasive urologic interventions other than CIC for voiding dysfunction after hysterectomy, are the second study population. Most of these (82%) had received postoperative irradiation. Continuous Foley catheter placement was the most frequent procedure. Long-term follow-up and urologic management for voiding dysfunction is required for patients undergoing hysterectomy.

[Acute urethritis caused by Neisseria meningitidis and Chlamydia trachomatis].

A 16-year-old heterosexual man presented to our hospital with a purulent urethral discharge and pain at voiding. These symptoms began seven days after oral-genital contact (fellatio) with his partner. A Gram-stained smear from the urethral discharge showed Gram-negative diplococci, and the antigen of Chlamydia trachomatis from urine was positive. We initially made a diagnosis of urethritis caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae and C. trachomatis. However, N. meningitidis was isolated by culture. Clinicians should pay attention to the possibility of N. meningitidis infection in all cases resembling gonococcal urethritis.

[Bladder contracture following intravesical BCG immunotherapy treated by hydrodistention: a case report].

A 35-year-old man had undergone retroperitoneoscopic radical nephrouretectomy in May 2002 (pTisNxM0). He later developed carcinoma in situ (CIS) of the bladder, and underwent intravesical instillation of 80 mg of Bacillus-Calmette-Guerin (BCG) once a week for 6 weeks in January 2004. After the treatment, irritative symptoms (frequency and dysuria) developed, and he was diagnosed with bladder contracture. Conventional treatment with anti-cholinergics, analgesics, anti-tuberculous drugs, and steroids was ineffecsive, but hydrodistention improved the subjective symptoms. Hydrodistention seems to be useful for bladder contracture following intravesical BCG immunotherapy.

[Nontraumatic perirenal hematoma: a case report].

A patient with non-traumatic perirenal hematoma is reported. A 56- year-old woman visited our hospital with a complaint of left back pain. Computed tomographic scan showed left perirenal hematoma. Selective renal arteriogram demonstrated no apparent vascular abnormality but minor leakage of contrast medium was detected from the branch of the renal artery. The patient was treated with selective transcatheter arterial embolization. The patient has been followed up after the embolization without any complications. A total of 149 cases of non-traumatic perirenal hematoma were collected from the literature and discussed.

[Rupture of renal artery aneurysm during pregnancy].

We report a case of renal artery aneurysm ruptured during pregnancy. A 32-year-old woman presented at 38th week of gestation with left flank pain. We performed a cesarean delivery for fetal distress, and found retroperitoneal hemorrhage. After delivery, she entered a pre-shock state, and abdominal computed tomography and angiography showed a left renal artery aneurysm and hemorrhage from the aneurysm. Left nephrectomy was performed, and both mother and baby were rescued. Renal artery rupture during pregnancy is a fatal event, but with quick diagnosis and adequate treatment, if possible nephron sparing surgery, most patients, including babies, can be rescued.

[Clinical effects of naftopidil on nocturia associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia].

We studied the efficacy of naftopidil (50 mg/day) on nocturia associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia in 35 patients (62-80 years old). The patients had BPH > 20 ml, nocturia, more than 3 times, international prostate symptom score (IPSS) > 7, quality of life score (QOL) < 1, and maximum flow rate (Qmax) < 15 ml/sec. They received naftopidil for more than 6 weeks. IPSS, QOL, Qmax, micturition volume, and side effects were analyzed. Naftopidil was effective for nocturia associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia, especially when taken at night.

Ductal adenocarcinoma of the prostate associated with prostatic multilocular cyst.

A case is reported here of ductal adenocarcinoma of the prostate forming a multilocular cyst, which responded well to androgen deprivation therapy.

Application of the microwave tissue coagulator: is it beneficial to partial nephrectomy?

BACKGROUND/AIM: The indications of partial nephrectomy have expanded after the introduction of new techniques for preventing excessive blood loss and avoiding deterioration of the renal function after clamping the renal pedicle. We present our clinical experience of partial nephrectomy for renal tumors using a microwave tissue coagulator. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between April 1996 and January 2000, 34 patients underwent open partial nephrectomies in the Kobe City General Hospital. The microwave tissue coagulator was used for resection of the renal parenchyma, but in deeper lesions a sharp dissection was performed. Twenty-two patients (groups 1 and 2) underwent partial nephrectomy without vascular control (14 renal pedicles were not disturbed in group 1 patients, and 8 renal pedicles were dissected but not clamped in group 2 patients). Another 12 patients (group 3) underwent vascular control with ligation of the tumor-feeding segmental arteries before parenchymal resection. The patients of group 1 underwent wedge resections, while those of groups 2 and 3 underwent segmental or transverse partial nephrectomies. RESULTS: Complete tumor resection was done in all 34 patients. In group 1, the microwave tissue coagulator was very effective to control the blood loss (mean 330 ml). In larger resections, this method only was inadequate to control the blood loss (mean 489 ml in group 2), so that we needed vascular control. However, despite vascular control, mean blood losses of about 943 ml because of deeper venous bleeding occurred in group 3, and, moreover, postoperative renal infarctions occurred in 2 patients. Other complications were urinary fistula formation in 16 patients (47%) and renal pelvic stenoses in 2 patients (5.8%). All of the urinary fistulas were easily repaired by simple suturing intraoperatively. CONCLUSIONS: Especially in wedge resection, the microwave tissue coagulator achieved safe resection without vascular control which differs from other new techniques. However, in larger resections, a combination with other techniques may be necessary to decrease blood loss and the rate of complications.

Adrenal leiomyosarcoma extending into the right atrium.

Primary soft tissue sarcoma of the adrenal gland is very rare and aggressive. In right adrenal tumors, because of direct venous drainage into inferior vena cava, the tumor may invade the vena caval wall toward the right atrium. We present a case of adrenal leiomyosarcoma extending into the right atrium.

Predicting disease outcome of non-invasive transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder using an artificial neural network model: results of patient follow-up for 15 years or longer.

BACKGROUND: Patients with non-invasive (Ta/T1) transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the urinary bladder are often observed without progression in the long-term follow-up period, although many of them experience recurrence of disease. It is difficult to accurately predict the disease outcome of each patient with Ta/T1 TCC using conventional prognostic criteria. In this study, we examined the usefulness of artificial neural networks (ANNs) to predict the long-term disease outcome of patients with TCC of the urinary bladder. METHODS: A retrospective, prognostic study of 90 patients with Ta/T1 TCC of the urinary bladder, diagnosed by transurethral resection of the bladder tumor between April 1981 and March 1985, and then followed up for 15 years or longer, was carried out. Data were analyzed using the Bayesian network tool of SPSS Neural Connection 2.1. The input neural data consisted of tumor stage, grade, tumor number, age, gender, tumor architecture and estimates of mean nuclear volume. The data set was randomly divided into 68 training and 22 testing examples for the prediction of disease progression and tumor recurrence within 15 years. RESULTS: During 15 years follow-up, tumor recurrence was noted in 42/90 (47%) Ta/T1 tumors. The ANN model could not predict tumor recurrence. Conversely, disease progression was noted in 17/90 (19%) Ta/T1 tumors, and, in the test set, 4/22 (18%) Ta/T1 tumors underwent disease progression. The sensitivity of the ANN model to predict progression was 100% (specificity 67%; positive predictive value 40%; negative predictive value 100%). Patients who were judged to have a favorable prognosis using ANN analysis did not progress within the 15-year follow-up period. CONCLUSION: The results of the ANN study indicate that long-term progression-free survival of patients with non-invasive TCC of the urinary bladder can be precisely predicted. A favorable prognosis using ANNs would be one of the exclusion criteria for immediate or future total cystectomy.

Low incidence of ipsilateral adrenal involvement and recurrences in patients with renal cell carcinoma undergoing radical nephrectomy: a retrospective analysis of 393 patients.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate, in a retrospective analysis of the outcome of 393 consecutive patients undergoing radical nephrectomy, the advantages and disadvantages of concomitant ipsilateral adrenalectomy with this operation. METHODS: The medical records, pathologic specimens, and preoperative and postoperative computed tomography scans of 165 patients with, and 228 patients without, concomitant adrenalectomy were reviewed. The incidence of adrenal involvement in the former patients and ipsilateral adrenal recurrence in the latter patients was evaluated. The influence of adrenalectomy on the disease-specific survival was also assessed by both univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: Of the 165 patients, only 5 (3.0%) had adrenal involvement. All of these cases were diagnosed as cT3 or greater preoperatively, and preoperative computed tomography detected 4 of these 5 cases. Of the 228 patients without adrenalectomy, no ipsilateral adrenal recurrence was observed at a mean follow-up of 65.2 months. Ipsilateral adrenalectomy did not confer a favorable prognosis on the patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that the advantages of ipsilateral adrenalectomy in patients with normal findings on preoperative computed tomography are limited. Concomitant ipsilateral adrenalectomy is indicated in cases such as locally advanced tumors with uncertain preoperative imaging studies or those with apparent adhesion or inflammation around the adrenal gland at surgery, thus suggesting perinephric tumor involvement.