Initial stage of hospital contamination with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Lao People's Democratic Republic.

Monitoring drug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus has been carried out in Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) since 1993. No methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strains were detected until 2001 when two isolates were found: 01LP40, which was coagulase type IV, enterotoxin non-productive, and SCCmec (staphylococcal chromosome cassette mec) type III; and 01LP63 from a different hospital, which was coagulase type II, enterotoxin productive, and the SCCmec belonged to a new type. In 2002 four MRSA isolates similar to the latter were detected, 02LP211, 02LP214, 02LP217 from the same hospital as 01LP63, and 02LP100 from a third hospital. This appears to be the initial stage of a MRSA epidemic in Lao PDR. Careful monitoring and intensive monitoring and precautions are recommended.

[AIDS control in industry in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan].

To see how industry is responding to AIDS, an anonymous questionnaire survey was conducted on member companies (n = 407) of the chamber of commerce with 50 or more employees in three large cities in Okinawa, during February to March, 1994. Responses were obtained from 221. The questionnaire looked at type of industry, number of employees, number of business trips to foreign countries, specialists for health management, AIDS control, attitudes and actions taken toward infected persons and AIDS patients, etc. The main results were as follows; In 73 companies foreign business trips had been made. The rate of appointment of specialists in health management was below 50%. In 80% of the companies, AIDS control was not in place. About 1/2 of the companies responded that there was a need to grapple with AIDS control while 40% of the companies were undecided. The majority of the companies felt that there was no chance of their employees having HIV infection within five or six years. Many companies had no regulations for dealing with employees who are infected with HIV. From the survey, three points were made clear: 1. Industry does not have an adequate plan to deal with AIDS. 2. There is no awareness of a crisis. 3. There is insufficient dissemination of information regarding AIDS. HIV/AIDS is predicted to increase in industries in our country and management will be hard-pressed to deal with the intricate problems that arise. HIV/AIDS is not exclusively an individual problem, but should be the concern of industries and society as well.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Primary carcinoma of the female urethra: report of five cases].

Between 1988 and 1996, we treated five patients with primary carcinoma of the female urethra between 65 and 79 years of age. Presenting symptoms included a urethral mass in 2 patients, hematuria in 1, dysuria in 1 and urethral bleeding in 1. Histopathology revealed squamous cell carcinoma in 4 cases and transitional cell carcinoma in 1. Clinical stage according to Grabstald's classification comprised Stage A in two cases, Stages B, C and D in one each. The modes of treatment were surgical resection alone in two, radiation therapy alone in two, and surgery with adjuvant chemotherapy in one case. Three patients without disease and two with disease are olive from 5 to 87 months after diagnosis.

Compensatory renal hypertrophy and changes of renal function following nephrectomy.

We studied the changes in the serum creatinine level and the volume of the remaining kidney following nephrectomy using contrast-enhanced compounded tomogram (CT) scans. Twenty-five patients undergoing nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma without obvious disease in the remaining kidney were carefully followed for a period of at least two years at our hospital. Twelve patients received follow-up CT scans each year after nephrectomy. The ellipsoid volume of the kidney was calculated by measuring the 3-dimensional size on CT scans. The mean relative volume (%) of the remaining kidney increased up to year 3 postoperatively, and the final mean relative volume at varying periods from years 2 to 7 was 120%. Kidneys that were smaller prior to nephrectomy showed a tendency to have a larger final relative volume after nephrectomy, although there was no significant correlation between the kidney volume prior to nephrectomy and at final measurement. The mean serum creatinine level was significantly increased at one year after nephrectomy, but it decreased significantly over time. Therefore, both compensatory renal hypertrophy and improved renal function seemed to be established within several years after nephrectomy. However, the improvement of serum creatinine was delayed compared with the increase of kidney volume. That is, renal plasma flow might be increased early by compensatory renal hypertrophy, followed within a few years by an increase in glomerular filtration and a decrease of serum creatinine.

[Retroperitoneal schwannoma arising from the adrenal area: a case report].

A 67-year-old woman presented with upper abdominal pain and was found to have a suprarenal tumor by ultrasonography and CT scanning. Under a diagnosis of non-functioning adrenal tumor, we made an extraperitoneal approach via a lumbar incision and removed the tumor together with the left adrenal gland. There was minimal blood loss. The resected tumor was firm and had a yellowish-white cut surface. The lesion measured 60 x 40 x 35 mm and weighed 50 g. The pathological diagnosis was benign schwannoma, mainly of the Antoni type A. This is the 27th case of benign schwannoma in the adrenal area reported in the Japanese literature.

[Renal transplantation for patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: report of two cases].

Renal transplantation for patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) remains controversial. We performed living-tissue related renal transplantation on a 45-year-old woman with SLE and an eight-month history of hemodialysis. We also did cadaveric renal transplantation on a 41-year-old man with SLE and a 12-year history of hemodialysis. Serological tests including tests for antinuclear antibodies and complements were negative prior to surgery and throughout the course in both cases. The latter patients survived herpes-zoster virus infection in month 6 and bacterial pneumonia in month 9 after transplantation. Neither patient experienced any rejection or relapse of lupus nephritis after the procedure, and both maintained good renal allograft functions. The recurrence of lupus nephritis is reportedly extremely rare, i.e., with a possibility rate of less than 1% in transplant patients with burnt-out SLE. To the best of our knowledge, these cases are the 27th and 28th case reports of renal transplantation for SLE patients in Japanese literature.

Retroperitoneoscopic heminephrectomy of the right upper collecting system emptying into an ectopic ureterocele in a 5-year-old girl: a case report.

A 5-year-old girl with a history of recurrent urinary tract infection since the age of 14 months was diagnosed as having a right duplicated urinary collecting system with the upper ureter ectopically opening in the urethra. She underwent retroperitoneoscopic heminephrectomy for a right dysplastic kidney and open ureterocelectomy and reimplantation of the refluxing lower ureter via Pfannenstiel incision. She survived the procedure without serious complications and resumed normal daily activities by day 6. To the best of our knowledge, this case is the 16th case of laparoscopic heminephrectomy for pediatric patients and the first case treated by the retroperitoneal approach in the English literature.

[Cadaveric renal transplantation for Goodpasture's syndrome: a case report].

A 19-year-old man with a history of histologically-proven Goodpasture's syndrome (hemoptysis, rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis, and positive anti-glomerular basement membrane (anti-GBM) antibody) was maintained on hemodialysis for 21 months. After steroid pulse therapy and plasmapheresis, his anti-GBM antibody disappeared. His stable condition on dialysis and a session of plasmapheresis prior to surgery allowed him to undergo cadaveric renal transplantation from a 34-year-old man. The blood type was identical (group A and Rh (+)), and there was 1 and 0 mismatch of HLA class 1 and 2, respectively. The initial immunosuppressants included cyclosporine, methylprednisolone, mizoribine, azathioprine, and anti-lymphocyte globulin (ALG). The transplanted kidney regained function on day 6 and he was free from hemodialysis. Circulating anti-GBM antibody was negative after surgery. The graft has functioned well for almost 4 years after transplantation without any episodes of renal or pulmonary complications. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of renal transplantation for Goodpasture's syndrome in the Japanese literature.

[Clinical studies of the treatment of bladder tumor and its effects--experience in 86 cases].

Prognosis on evaluable 86 patients with primary bladder tumor seen during the 10 years up to 1985 was evaluated in relation to treatment mode and tumor stage. The majority of patients underwent multimodal therapies including surgery, chemotherapy and immunotherapy with picibanil (OK432). Transurethral resection of the tumor was performed as an initial surgical treatment in 49 patients, 9 of whom ultimately underwent total cystectomy. After leaving hospital, these patients were kept on immunotherapy with OK432 and topical chemotherapy with bladder instillation of mitomycin C or adriamycin (ADM) with or without systemic administration of Tegefur as long as possible. The overall actual 5-year survival rate for the patients treated by initial transurethral resection was 80%. Recurrence rate for these 49 patients was 35%. Total cystectomy with urinary diversion was performed in 37 patients who had been placed postoperatively on systemic administration of Tegafur and immunotherapy with OK 432 as long as possible. The overall actual 5-year survival rate for the patients treated with total cystectomy was 54%. The patients with pT2 and lower stage tumor had an actual 5 year survival rate of 72%, while the patients with pT3 and higher stage tumors had a survival of 10%. The high recurrence rate in the patients with superficial tumor and the low actual survival rate of the patients with pT3 and higher stage remain a problem in the treatment of bladder tumor. In recent trials, bacillus Calmette-Gúerin instillation therapy has been initiated to lower the recurrence rate in superficial tumor and we have had a satisfactory 4-year result.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Hypogonadotropic hypogonadism treated with HCG monotherapy: report of 3 cases].

We report 3 cases of hypogonadotropic hypogonadism and the effects of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) monotherapy on plasma testosterone levels, which were related to clinical results. The patients were males 29, 21 and 14 years old. Each received 5,000 units of HCG subcutaneously or intramuscularly twice or three times a week for 16 to 40 months. Genital effects, including an increase in testicular volume were seen in all patients after 2 or 3 months. The increase in plasma testosterone level after HCG therapy was significantly correlated with the genital effects similarly to other treatments. Moreover, spermatozoa appeared in one case.

[Simultaneous and metachronous pelvic bone metastases from renal cell carcinoma necessitating hemipelvectomy: report of two cases].

Two patients, one with and one without a history of nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma, presented with lower abdominal pain. One of them, a 49-year-old man, had tumors in the right kidney and the right ischiadic bone. He underwent nephrectomy and pathologic findings showed renal cell carcinoma (tubular type, granular cell subtype, INF-gamma, G2). The other patient, a 33-year-old man with a previous history of left nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma (tubular type, granular cell subtype, INF-alpha, G2), was found to have a large tumor in the pelvis, extending from the pubic and iliac bones to the hip joint. Both patients underwent embolization of the hypervascular mass using a vascular coil followed by hemipelvectomy under general anesthesia. The pathology reports confirmed bone metastases from renal cell carcinoma. Both patients survived surgery and their postoperative courses were uneventful without urinary or bowel incontinence. However, impaired potency was noted in the latter case. Immunotherapy with INF-alpha was resumed immediately after surgery.

[Clinical studies of ureteroileal junction stricture in ileal conduit].

Fifty eight patients who underwent ileal conduit formation in our hospital for the past 14 years were reviewed. Out of them, 11 patients developed hydronephrosis which should be treated. It occurred due to urolithiasis, recurrent tumor, contracted ileal loop in one patient respectively, and ureteroileal junction stricture in 8 patients (10 ureteral units). The 8 patients consisted of 6 males and 2 females. All of the males underwent total cystectomy because of bladder tumor (T.C.C.), and the females had anterior pelvic exenteration because of uterine cancer (adenocarcinoma). Out of 10 ureteral units, 7 were corrected by surgical intervention, 1 was dilated with endourological procedure, and 2 had no treatment. Six ureteral units including 1 ureteral unit treated by an endourological method resulted in improvement or disappearance of hydronephrosis. Histological examination of the stricture revealed fibrosis in 7 ureteral units treated surgically. According to our clinical studies, infection in the pelvic space seemed to be one of the causes which brought about ureteroileal junction stricture.

[Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for radiation-induced hemorrhagic cystitis].

BACKGROUND: Radiation therapy has widely been used for cancers in the pelvis. Radiation cystitis, one of the late complications, presents often as hemorrhagic cystitis, which is refractory to the conventional therapy and may threaten the patient's life. We used hyperbaric oxygen therapy on patients with radiation cystitis to test its potential benifit. METHODS: Ten patients aged from 46 to 81 years with a mean of 62 years underwent one or more courses of hyperbaric oxygen therapy according to their symptoms, consisting of 20 sessions (3 to 5 sessions a week) at the Department of Hyperbaric Medicine, the University of the Ryukyus Hospital in the 9-year period from 1985 to 1994. They included 8 patients having a history of cervical cancer, one with external genital cancer and one with vaginal cancer. During the 75 min hyperbaric oxygen therapy patients received 100% oxygen at 2 absolute atmosphere pressure in the Multiplace Hyperbaric Chamber. RESULTS: Hematuria subsided and subjective symptoms including urinary frequency improved in seven patients. Cystoscopic findings including mucosal edema, redness, and capillary dilation were partially improved. The procedure subjectively and objectively palliated the 10 patients in a favorable manner. CONCLUSIONS: To date we have not armed any active procedure to control radiation-induced refractory hemorrhagic cystitis in terms of efficacy, invasiveness, and adverse effects. Therefore, in consideration of our clinical results, hyperbaric oxygen therapy appears to be useful for radiation cystitis.

[Fornix of vagina suspension for cystocele].

OBJECTIVE: Bladder neck hypermobility causes cystocele in middle to old elderly women. We developed an easy and useful surgical technique for cystocele. METHODS: Thirteen patients with cystocele (grade 2-4) were operated by fornix of the vagina suspension. Patients were placed on lithotomy position under general or spinal anesthesia. Lower midline or lower abdominal transverse incision was made to open the peritoneum and denuded vesicouterine pouch. Several nylon sutures were placed on the lateral side of exposed fornix of the vagina. These sutures were suspended to anterior layer of the rectus sheath. Fornix of the vagina was fixed to the rectus muscle, so the prolapsed bladder wall was pulled up in normal position. RESULTS: Operating time ranged from 15-110 minutes (average 73 minutes). Ten patients of thirteen were successful up to 2-43 months postoperatively. Cystocele recurred in three patients of thirteen. Two patients was re-operated by the same method, but one of them recurred. Two of three recurrent patients had grade 4 cystocele. CONCLUSION: Fornix of the vagina suspension for cystocele seems useful and promising because of easy procedure without serious morbidity, especially in elderly high-risk patients.