[Case of portal venous gas and pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis occurring during chemotherapy for a castration-resistant prostate cancer].

Portal venous gas is a rare complication. We present a case of hepatic portal venous gas (HPVG) and pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis (PCI) in a patient treated with docetaxel for prostate cancer. An 80-year-old man with castration-resistant prostate cancer received 5 cycles of docetaxel. Diarrhea and vomiting appeared on the 4th day of the 5th cycle. An abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan revealed HPVG and PCI. Since there were neither peritoneal irritation signs nor intestinal necrosis, we performed conservative management. The HPVG and PCI were no longer detected in the abdominal CT scan on the 18th day. Mucosal injury of the bowel wall by docetaxel might have caused HPVG and PCI. This case report is the first description of HPVG and PCI in a patient with castration-resistant prostate cancer in Japan.

[Low-dose docetaxel, estramustine and dexamethasone combination chemotherapy for hormone-refractory prostate cancer].

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of low-dose docetaxel, estramustine and dexamethasone combination chemotherapy in patients with hormone-refractory prostate cancer (HRPC). Sixty-nine patients with HRPC were enrolled. Docetaxel was given at a dose of 25 mg/m(2) on days 1 and 8 every 3 weeks, oral estramustine 280 mg twice daily on days 1 to 3 and 8 to 10, and oral dexamethasone 1 mg daily throughout the course. Cycles were repeated every 21 days. Treatment was continued until disease progression or excessive toxicity. Patients were evaluated for response and toxicity. Patients received a median of eleven cycles (range : 1-25). Prostatic-specific antigen (PSA) was decreased greater than 50% in 53 (77%) out of 69 patients and median duration of PSA response was 10.2 months. Median time to progression and overall survival 10.2 and 24 months, respectively. Grade 1-2 fatigue was the most common toxicity observed in 10 (15%) patients. Grade 3-4 toxicities were observed in five (7%) patients (2 thrombosis, 2 bilirubin elevation, and 1 aspartate transaminase/alanine transaminase elevation). Low-dose docetaxel, estramustine and dexamethasone combination chemotherapy is an effective and well tolerated treatment for Japanese HRPC patients.

[Segmental infarction of the testis presenting as acute scrotum: a case report].

We report a case of segmental testicular infarction that is a rare and usually idiopathic. The patient is a 36-year-old man who presented with acute right scrotal pain and swelling. Scrotal ultrasound demonstrated a round hypoechoic lesion and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings could not rule out intratesticular hemorrhage or necrotic tissue associated with malignant neoplasm. Therefore right high orchiectomy was performed. The histopathological examination revealed segmental infarction of the testis at the upper and middle pole with coagulation necrosis.

[A clinical study concerning survival of operative cases for the transitional cell carcinoma of the upper urinary tract].

To identify prognostic factors influencing survival in transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the upper urinary tract, we retrospectively studied 189 (median age 70, 130 males and 59 females) patients who underwent surgical resection at our 3 hospitals from August 1980 to September 2006. After a median follow up of 47.8 months, 45 cases (23.8%) died of cancer and the 5-year and 10-year disease-specific survival rate (Kaplan-Meier method) was 70.5 and 67.1%. Because lymphatic and vascular involvements, pattern of infiltration and location of tumor had loss of data, only the univariate analysis was done. They were observed to be significantly different by the univariate analysis. The significant prognostic factors for survival using Cox-proportional hazard models were tumor stage, tumor grade, lymph node metastasis, and surgical margin status. Adjuvant chemotherapy was not the prognostic factor in our multivariate analysis.

[NON-SPECIFIC GRANULOMATOUS PROSTATITIS: A CASE REPORT].

We report non-specific granulomatous prostatitis in a 58-year-old man who visited a Urology clinic with fever and dysuria. Digital rectal examination revealed prostatic tenderness, and laboratory examination of the urinary sediment revealed pyuria. Thus, he was diagnosed with acute bacterial prostatitis and treated with antibiotics. He remained symptomatic despite treatment; therefore, he was referred to our hospital. A second digital rectal examination (performed at our hospital) revealed stony hard nodules in the prostate and an irregularity of its surface. Moreover, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) suggested a prostate cancer. We performed a transperineal needle biopsy, which revealed only non-specific inflammatory cells without any evidence of neoplasm in the specimen. Therefore, a definitive diagnosis could not be established. Nevertheless, he continued to show a high index of suspicion for prostatic malignancy based on his clinical findings. Therefore, we performed a transurethral resection of the prostate and a transrectal biopsy to obtain more specimens. Microscopic findings revealed granulomatous prostatitis without any evidence of prostate carcinoma. Notably, an MRI demonstrated remarkable shrinkage of the prostate 3 months after the diagnosis. Non-specific granulomatous prostatitis is a rare inflammatory disease. Because it is difficult to differentiate this disease from prostatic neoplasms based on clinical findings or imaging modalities such as MRI, a few reports have described performing a radical prostatectomy in patients. This disease usually demonstrates a good prognosis as was noted in our patient. We conclude that establishing a preoperative histopathological diagnosis is important to avoid invasive procedures.

[A CASE REPORT OF FUNGUS BALL FOUND DURING TRANSURETHRAL URETEROLITHOTOMY].

Herein we report the confirmation of fungus balls (circular collections of C.tropicalis) during a transurethral ureterolithotomy, which is as far as we know the first reported instance. A-61-year old man was referred to the urology department with bilateral ureteral calculi. Initially a transurethral ureterolithotomy was attempted but residual stones existed. During the second operation, we found numerous white fluffy material in the renal pelvis. Because of them, we were unable to have a clear field of vision to complete operation. During the third operation, we found the fungus balls again and cultured them. Cultures yielded C.tropicalis.

[Retroperitoneal Castleman's disease presenting characteristic image finding].

A 30-year-old woman was hospitalized in our institute with fever up and abdominal pain. Computerized tomography showed a retroperitoneal mass (8 cm in diameter) with arborizing calcification, which was enhanced homogeneously in the arterial phase. The operation was performed and parthological diagnosis revealed hyaline vascular type Castleman's disease. This characteristic calcification pattern is considered unique to Castleman's disease, and could be useful for future diagnosis.

[A case of hormone/docetaxel-refractory prostate cancer in which PSA level decreased after docetaxel+zoledronic acid treatment].

The patient was a 63-year-old man who had a recurrence and bone metastasis of prostate cancer after total prostatectomy. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer refractory to hormones. Subsequently, the PSA level decreased after docetaxel therapy, but then gradually increased. Thus, he was diagnosed with bone metastasis of prostate cancer refractory to therapy with hormones or docetaxel. The PSA level decreased after the start of therapy with docetaxel+ zoledronic acid. Zoledronic acid seems to be effective not only for the prevention but also for the treatment of skeletal related events(SRE)in patients with prostate cancer with bone metastases.

[GIANT BLADDER CALCULI TREATED WITH SINGLE-STAGE SIMULTANEOUS PERCUTANEOUS SUPRAPUBIC AND TRANSURETHRAL CYSTOLITHOTRIPSY: A CASE REPORT].

An 82-year-old man presented with lower abdominal pain and general malaise. Noncontrast computed tomography revealed a remarkably enlarged prostate and a full bladder with a giant stone 80 mm in diameter causing bilateral hydroureteronephrosis. Laboratory data demonstrated systemic inflammation and renal dysfunction with hyperkalemia. Acute postrenal dysfunction caused by urinary retention was diagnosed. A urethral catheter was inserted and emergent dialysis was initiated. After renal function recovered, we performed lithotripsy for the urinary bladder calculi. To achieve stone free status with a single-stage procedure, we performed simultaneous percutaneous suprapubic and transurethral cystolithotripsy. The procedure was successfully performed without significant complications.The patient was discharged 9 days after surgery, although clean intermittent catheterization was required.Giant bladder calculi are often treated with cystolithotomy because transurethral cystolithotripsy requires time to remove all fragments. In this case, we achieved stone free status in acceptable operative time by performing simultaneous percutaneous suprapubic and transurethral cystolithotripsy. In conclusion, the endourological management is an effective treatment choice, even in a case with a giant bladder calculus.

[Combined use of PSA density and free to total PSA ratio for cancer detection from patients with PSA elevations].

Prostate specific antigen (PSA) has been used an excellent diagnostic indicator, but its low cancer specificity has been pointed out. In this study, we investigated whether or not the use of Prostate specific antigen density (PSAD) in combination with free/total (F/T) ratio could improve biopsy indication in patients with abnormal PSA levels. Investigated were 428 patients undergoing prostate biopsy in our institution between January 2001 and September 2004, in which PSA levels were 4-20 ng/ml, and F/T ratio and prostate volume (hereinafter 'PV') could also be measured. At the cut-off values of 0.15 for PSAD and 0.25 for F/T ratio, the specificity and sensitivity were 37.7% and 85.5%, respectively, with PSAD alone; 20.1% and 91.8%, respectively, with F/T ratio alone; and 46.5% and 100%, respectively, with PSAD and F/T ratio. These results indicated that PSAD in combination with F/T ratio could also be an excellent biopsy indicator.

[Propiverine hydrochloride improved correlatively subjective QOL and objective findings in Japanese patients with urinary frequency and/or incontinence].

To investigate how urinary frequency and incontinence affect the patient's subjective quality of life (QOL) and whether an improvement in objective findings by medical treatment affects his/her subjective QOL, a voiding diary using the King's Health Questionnaire (KHQ) and International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form (ICIQ-SF) was delivered to patients with urinary frequency and/or incontinence before and after treatment with propiverine hydrochloride for 8 weeks. Sixty-eight patients completed the diary and the questionnaires. Objective symptoms decreased significantly with respect to the mean frequency of urination and to the mean incidence of urinary incontinence. The KHQ and ICIQ-SF scores improved significantly with respect to all domains except personal relationships in the KHQ. In the KHQ, furthermore, a significant correlation was found between decreased incidence of urinary incontinence and improvement in role limitations and between decreased incidence of urinary incontinence and improvement in emotional problems. In the ICIQ-SF, a significant correlation was found between decreased incidence of urinary frequency and subjective improvement in quantity of leakage, between decreased incidence of urinary frequency and improvement in subjective QOL scores, between decreased incidence of urinary frequency and improvement in the total ICIQ-SF score, and between decreased incidence of urinary incontinence and improvement in subjective QOL scores. Thirty-two episodes of adverse reactions were observed. None of them were serious. These results suggest that an improvement in objective symptoms with propiverine hydrochloride favorably improves subjective QOL of the patient, and provide further evidence about the safety and efficacy of propiverine hydrochloride.

Transfollicular drug delivery: penetration of drugs through human scalp skin and comparison of penetration between scalp and abdominal skins in vitro.

In order to quantitatively investigate the importance of transfollicular pathway for drug delivery, drug penetration through human scalp skin was investigated using liquid formulations containing lipophilic and hydrophilic drugs in vitro. The penetration pathway for drugs through the scalp skin was examined using fluorescent probes. Additionally, the drug penetration through the scalp skin was compared with that via human abdominal skin to clarify the usefulness of intrafollicular delivery. Lipophilic melatonin (MT) and ketoprofen (KP) showed high permeabilities through the scalp skin, although the flux of KP was much higher. Absorption enhancers, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone and isopropylmyristate, only slightly increased the fluxes. Hydrophilic fluorouracil (5FU) and acyclovir (ACV) penetrated through the scalp skin with relatively large fluxes. However, there was large variability in the fluxes of these drugs across scalp skin from different sources. When the relationship between the flux and hair follicle density was estimated, there was good correlation between the two (r = 0.651 for MT and r = 0.666 for ACV, P < 0.05). The histologic examination of the scalp skin, following application of the formulation with nile red or sodium fluorescein, indicated that the probes permeated into the junction of the internal and external root sheath of follicles and diffused into the dermis via the outer root sheath at the initial times. The penetration of nile red, a lipophilic probe, via the stratum corneum of scalp skin was later than that via the follicles. The permeation of MT and 5FU through the scalp skin was much higher than that via the abdominal skin, being 27 and 48 times as high as the abdominal skin, respectively. These results indicate that the drug delivery through the scalp skin will offer an available delivery means for drugs, particularly for hydrophilic drugs.