A large adrenocortical adenoma surrounded with a renal arteriovenous malformation.

INTRODUCTION: Large adrenal adenomas are clinically rare. We report a case of a large adrenal adenoma with a renal arteriovenous malformation, mimicking a malignant adrenal tumor in preoperative imaging. CASE PRESENTATION: A 66-year-old woman presented to a local hospital with abdominal pain. A right adrenal tumor was detected, 66 mm in diameter and surrounded by thick and tortuous vessels. Based on the imaging findings, pheochromocytoma was suspected. However, clinical symptoms and endocrine abnormalities were absent, and radionuclide accumulation in scintigraphy was negative. Laparoscopic right adrenalectomy was performed. Intraoperatively, a notable growth of vessels forming a nidus surrounding the tumor was observed. Pathologically, this was diagnosed as an adrenocortical adenoma in conjunction with a renal arteriovenous malformation. CONCLUSION: We report a case of a large adrenal tumor surrounded with an arteriovenous malformation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of this combination.

There are no three physiological narrowings in the upper urinary tract: a new concept of the retroperitoneal anatomy around the ureter.

The widely held dogma of three physiological narrowings in the upper urinary tract has proven incorrect by recent several studies using computed tomography images. There are only two common obstruction sites: the upper ureter and the ureterovesical junction. The second narrowing, where the ureter crosses the iliac vessels, cannot be regarded anymore as a common obstruction site. The mechanism by which stones lodge in the upper ureter is explained anatomically by the change in ureteral mobility and compliance at the level where the ureter exits the perirenal space. This level can be identified radiologically as the point where the ureter crosses under the ipsilateral gonadal veins, termed the "crossing point". Kinking of the upper ureter is another manifestation of this anatomical phenomenon, visible in radiological images. It is caused by loosening of the ureter at or above the crossing point (within the perirenal space), corresponding with renal descent such as during the inspiratory phase. This new anatomical discovery in the retroperitoneum will not only bring about a paradigm shift in terms of the physiological narrowings in the upper urinary tract, but may also lead to the development of new surgical concepts and approaches in the area.

CT Findings of Upper Urinary Tract Lesions in IgG4-Related Disease: Comparison With Urothelial Carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE. IgG4-related disease is characterized by extensive infiltration of IgG4-positive plasma cells and fibrosis in various organs. The objective of this study is to investigate CT findings of IgG4-related lesions involving the upper urinary tract and compare them with those of urothelial carcinomas. MATERIALS AND METHODS. This study reviewed pretreatment CT images of 13 consecutive patients with IgG4-related disease with upper urinary tract lesions and 80 consecutive patients with urothelial carcinomas. The findings assessed were laterality, location, growth pattern, margins, internal structure, presence of calcification and lipid component, enhancement pattern, and extraurinary findings. RESULTS. Bilaterality (p < 0.0001), an extramural growth pattern (p < 0.0001), a greater number of affected segments (p = 0.04), and a gradual dynamic enhancement pattern (p < 0.001) were significantly more frequent in patients with IgG4-related disease. With regard to extraurinary findings, paraaortic fat stranding (p = 0.03), presacral fat stranding (p < 0.001), fat stranding of the pelvic walls (p < 0.001), and aortic involvement (p < 0.001) were seen more frequently in patients with IgG4-related disease; on the other hand, there was no statistically significant difference in terms of frequency of pancreatic involvement. Hydronephrosis and renal involvement were seen more frequently in patients with urothelial carcinoma, although the difference was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION. CT findings suggestive of IgG4-related upper urinary tract lesions in comparison with urothelial carcinoma are bilateral and have a longer urinary tract involvement and exhibit an extramural growth pattern, ill-defined margins, a gradual enhancement pattern, aortic involvement, and fat stranding in the paraaortic, presacral, or pelvic wall areas.

The Peak Site of Stone Distribution in the Upper Ureter is Unlikely the Ureteropelvic Junction: Computed Tomography Analysis of Stone Lodging Site With Respect to a Newly Identified Area of Constriction.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between the upper urinary stone distribution and the "crossing point," an area of relative fixation within the upper ureter at approximately the level where the ureter crosses the gonadal vein. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed 298 consecutive patients presenting with acute renal colic, identified upper ureteral stones in computed tomography. For stones located at the "renal pelvis and upper ureter," we measured the vertebral level of each renal pelvis, crossing point, and stone. The distance between the crossing point and the stones (designated as positive if the stone was located above it) and the distance between the renal pelvis and the crossing point were measured. RESULTS: The average stone size at the "renal pelvis and upper ureter" was 6.0 ± 3.2 mm, at "middle ureter" 5.2 ± 1.9 mm, and at "lower ureter" 3.7 ± 1.8 mm. Lower location was significantly correlated with smaller size (P <.001). The level of the crossing point and stone location were significantly lower on the right (P = .019, P = .033, respectively), whereas the vertebral level of the renal pelvis was not significantly different on both sides (P = .225). The mean distance between the crossing point and the stones was -5.6 ± 18.4 mm (median: 0 mm) on the right and -4.7 ± 19.3 mm (median: 0 mm) on the left. The mean distance between the renal pelvis and the stones was significantly longer on the right (57.2 ± 18.5 mm and 48.2 ± 19.1 mm) (P = .038). CONCLUSION: The crossing point is the peak site of stone distribution in the upper ureter and likely different from the traditionally identified obstruction site at the ureteropelvic junction.

Transcatheter arterial embolization of anomalous systemic arterial supply to the basal segment of the lung.

We describe the case of a 67-year-old woman with an anomalous systemic arterial supply to the basal segment of the lung, which was managed successfully by transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) with microcoils. Her chest computed tomography (CT) scan showed diffuse ground-glass opacity in the left lower lobe, no bronchial abnormalities, and blood supply from an anomalous artery originating from the descending thoracic aorta, with drainage to the normal pulmonary vein. We successfully performed TAE under balloon occlusion of the anomalous artery, without complications. TAE is a minimally invasive, safe, and valuable method, and could be used as first-line treatment in such cases.