CLINICAL FEATURES OF 15 PATIENTS UNDER SURVEILLANCE FOR RENAL MASSES.

(Objective) We investigated the clinical features of patients under surveillance for localized renal masses. (Methods) This study was a retrospective analysis of 15 patients who were diagnosed as having clinically localized renal cell carcinoma and were placed under surveillance and 68 patients who underwent immediate radical operation for renal masses. (Results) The age at diagnosis in the surveillance group was significantly higher than in the immediate operation group (median, 81 vs. 65 years, respectively, P<0.01). The Charlson Comorbidity Index in the surveillance group was significantly higher than in the immediate operation group (median, 5 vs. 2, respectively, P<0.01) and 10 patients (67%) had complications, which was one of the reasons for surveillance. The median initial tumor size in the surveillance group was 2.5 cm (1.5-10.1). There was no significant difference in the tumor size between the two groups. During a median follow-up of 19 months (6-55) the median tumor growth rate was 0.29 cm per year (-0.19-0.65) in the surveillance group. Of the 15 patients with computed tomography follow-up, four underwent surgical resection of the renal masses after surveillance. The histological diagnosis was clear cell renal cell carcinoma in all four. During follow-up, two patients died of other causes and one patient had bone metastasis but there was no death related to the renal masses in the surveillance group. (Conclusions) The appropriateness of the surveillance should be considered when we initiate surveillance for patients with renal masses because metastasis was detected in one patient in this study. On the other hand, surveillance may be an acceptable management method for elderly or severely comorbid patients because there were two deaths from other causes in the surveillance group.

[Tumor size and regional lymph node metastasis in patients with M0 renal cell carcinoma: analysis in those having regional lymph node dissection].

We evaluated the relationship between regional lymph node metastasis and tumor size in patients with M0 renal cell carcinoma who received regional lymph node dissection. The study involved 234 of the 247 patients with localized renal cell carcinoma who underwent radical nephrectomy with lymph node dissection at our institute between 1985 and 1999. Patients were arbitrarily classified into 3 groups by the greatest diameter of the tumor on preoperative computed tomography (CT): 4.0 cm or less (group A), 4.1 to 7.0 cm (group B), and 7.1 cm or more (group C). The incidence of lymph node metastasis was assessed in each group. The current study showed that 11 (4.7%) of the 234 patients with lymph node dissection together with radical nephrectomy were lymph node positive. The incidences of lymph node metastasis were 4.0% in group A, 2.3% in group B, and 8.4% in group C (p = 0.79). Of these 11 patients with lymph node metastasis, 2 (18.2%) have so far survived for over 5 years following surgery. Although the role of regional lymph node dissection with radical nephrectomy might be limited and controversial in renal cell carcinoma, urological surgeons should always be aware of possible metastasis for any tumor size.

Complications of Stamey needle suspension for female stress urinary incontinence.

INTRODUCTION: The Stamey bladder neck suspension for stress urinary incontinence in females is thought to be an excellent procedure. However, recent studies revealed that complications of this procedure have not been negligible. In this retrospective study, complications of the Stamey needle bladder neck suspension were examined. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Stamey procedure was performed either alone or in combination with anterior colporrhaphy for 86 female patients with stress urinary incontinence between 1989 and 1999. The mean follow-up period was 37.6 months and the mean age was 59.1 years. We studied the complications postoperatively pointed out by patients' complaint and image examination. RESULTS: The overall incidence of complications was 37.2%. Voiding difficulties and lower abdominal pain were present in 15 cases, respectively. We experienced 2 unusual cases in whom suspensory stitches had to be removed due to abdominal pain. CONCLUSIONS: Although the Stamey bladder neck suspension is thought to be an excellent procedure for stress urinary incontinence, surgeons should beware of possible complications and be alert of the symptoms, such as abdominal pain and bladder irritation.

Modulation of phenotype of human prostatic stromal cells by transforming growth factor-betas.

BACKGROUND: We investigated the effects of transforming growth factor (TGF)-betas on morphological and receptor phenotypes, as well as proliferation of four currently established human prostatic myofibroblast cell lines and one commercially available prostatic stromal cell line. METHODS: The effects of TGF-betas on morphological changes and proliferation of the cells were studied by immunohistochemistry and bromodeoxyuridine assay, respectively. The expression of alpha 1-receptor subtypes was measured by real time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and the radioligand binding assay for the receptors was also performed. RESULTS: TGF-betas 1, 2, and 3 induced expression of desmin and myosin of cells of the established cell lines, and significantly inhibited their growth. The alpha 1a-receptor was expressed only in the commercially available cell line and alpha 1b and 1d, in all cell lines. TGF-beta 1 suppressed the expression of all three subtypes of the alpha 1-receptor. The binding sites of cells of all the cell lines were reduced by treatment with this growth factor. CONCLUSIONS: TGF-betas may induce human prostatic stromal cells to express the smooth muscle phenotype and inhibited their growth. However, the growth factor reduced the binding sites of the receptor and suppressed mRNA expression of its subtypes, suggesting that morphological and receptor phenotypes may be regulated via more than one pathway by TGF-beta(s).