Ureteropelvic junction obstruction with renal pelvic calcification: a case report

Calcification in the wall of the renal pelvis is rare. We report on a 65-year-old man with hydronephrosis secondary to ureteropelvic junction obstruction with renal pelvic calcification. Calcium deposit was found in the wall of the severely dilated renal pelvis. Pathological examination revealed a damaged and hyalinized fibrous renal pelvic wall and serum calcium level was normal. Thus, we speculated that this calcification was dystrophic. Chronic extensive dilatation with intermittent hemorrhage of the renal pelvic wall may have caused this dystrophic renal pelvic calcification.

[A case of renal cell carcinoma effectively treated by interferon-alpha and embolization of the renal artery]

A case of renal cell carcinoma effectively treated by interferon-alpha and the embolization of the left renal artery is reported. A 69-year-old man was referred to us because of a left renal mass. We made a diagnosis of a left renal tumor with tumor thrombus in the renal vein and inferior vena cava, and multiple lung metastases by imaging examinations. At first the embolization of the left renal artery was selected and interferon-alpha treatment was performed for 3 months. At 3 months after the embolization, the metastatic lung tumors had completely disappeared and the left renal tumor and the tumor thrombus were reduced in size, so that left radical nephrectomy was performed. Pathological examination revealed that a small part of the tumor was viable renal cell carcinoma. After the operation, interferon-alpha treatment has been continued for 15 months and recurrence and metastasis have not been detected.

[Clinical studies on the need of prophylactic antibiotics during extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy]

We examined whether prophylactic antibiotics are necessary or not during the ESWL treatment for patients with urolithiasis. Twenty-eight patients with unilateral renal or ureteral stones composed of calcium oxalate, calcium phosphate or the mixed stones were treated with MPL 9000 between May 12 and September 30, 1992. Although 17 patients (60.7%) had complications of pyuria before treatment, none of the 28 patients had taken any prophylactic antibiotics during the treatment. To evaluate the clinical signs of infection, we examined the white blood cell count, in blood and urine sediment and serum C-reactive protein (CRP) value at the time of 1, 3 and 7 days after ESWL treatment, and body temperature and urine culture at the time immediately after the treatment in addition to the above-mentioned days, compared with the pre-treatment data. White blood cell count at one day after ESWL treatment was significantly elevated both in the patients with and without pyuria, while body temperature at the time immediately after the treatment was significantly elevated only in the patients with pyuria. Six of the 23 patients (26.1%) with preoperative sterile urine and who had urine culture immediately after ESWL, had bacteriuria. However, none of the 28 patients had any clinically significant infectious complications during ESWL treatment without any antibiotics therapy. We concluded that it is important to examine urine culture immediately after ESWL treatment for early protection from complication of urinary tract infection and that administration of prophylactic antibiotics is not necessary during ESWL treatment for patients with non-infection stones even concomitantly with pyuria.

A case of primary localized amyloidosis of urethra

Amyloidosis of the urethra is a rare disease. The clinical appearance resembles carcinoma of the urethra, so that biopsy is required to make the appropriate diagnosis. Once primary localized amyloidosis of the urethra has been diagnosed, selection of the appropriate treatment for each case becomes important. We report a case of primary localized amyloidosis in the male anterior urethra. This case was treated successfully with urethral dilatation.

[A case of virilizing adrenocortical carcinoma in adult]

A case of virilizing adrenocortical carcinoma is reported. A 35-year-old woman was referred to our clinic because of left adrenal mass detected incidentally by ultrasonography. At the time of admission, facial acne, systemic hirsutism, hypertrophied clitoris and amenorrhea for two months were observed. Serum testosterone showed obviously high level and urinary 17-KS and 17-OHCS showed slightly high level. A computed tomography revealed a heterogeneous mass with calcification in the left adrenal region. Selective angiography revealed hypervascularity. Under the preoperative diagnosis of virilizing left adrenal tumor, left adrenalectomy was performed. The tumor measured 8 x 6 x 7 cm, and weighed 194 g. A diagnosis of adrenocortical carcinoma was made by pathological examination. Virilizing adrenocortical carcinoma is very rare in adults. We reviewed and discussed 10 cases of virilizing adrenocortical carcinoma in adults, including our case, in the Japanese literature.

[Clinical experience of percutaneous renal cyst puncture in recent six years]

Ultrasound-guided renal cyst puncture of 69 renal cysts was performed in our department, between April, 1986 and March, 1992. The indications for this procedure consisted of cysts over 4 cm in diameter and those of less than 4 cm in diameter with caliceal or pelvic distortion and compression. Fifty-four cysts were instilled with dehydrated ethanol, 10 cysts with minocycline, one cyst with 50% dextrose as a sclerosing agent, and four cysts underwent only aspiration of the cyst fluid. We instilled dehydrated ethanol when the aspirated fluid was not bloody and there existed no extravasation of the contrast medium or communication between the cyst cavity and the urinary tract. The instilled volume of dehydrated ethanol ranged from 8 to 400 ml (average: 72.8 ml), equivalent to 35.0-100% (average: 62.1%) of the aspirated volume. Retention time was 20 minutes, the follow-up period was 2-67 months (mean follow-up period: 13.7 months), and the reduction rate of the cyst volume was 60.0-100% (average: 96.2%). There were no major complications due to puncture or dehydrated ethanol instillation. Ultrasound-guided renal cyst puncture was shown to be a safe non-surgical approach and a useful method of treating renal cysts.

MR angiography of renal cell carcinoma

Seventeen patients with renal cell carcinoma were studied to evaluate the usefulness of gradient echo (fast low-angle shot), time-of-flight magnetic resonance (MR) angiography under breath-holding. By reconstruction of the data of consecutive coronal scans of the abdomen, in all 17 patients with renal cell carcinoma, MR angiography can delineate the abdominal aorta, inferior vena cava and renal arteries and veins simultaneously without any contrast materials. Our present study suggested that MR angiography is a useful imaging method for preoperatively assessing spacial vascular structures of the abdomen of patients with renal cell carcinoma.

[Usefulness of MR angiography in renal tumor]

MR angiography using a gradient-echo, pulse sequence FLASH (fast, low-angle shot) method during breath-hold with a "MAGNETOM H-15" scanner (1.5 Tesla; Siemens Medical System) was performed on 27 patients with renal tumor at our clinic between February 20, 1990 and September 30, 1991 and we studied to evaluate its usefulness. Of these 27 patients, 22 patients including one patient under hemodialysis treatment had renal cell carcinoma and one patient had oncocytoma pathologically proven from the excised specimens. The remaining four patients including two patients associated with inferior vena caval tumor thrombus were clinically diagnosed as renal cell carcinoma based on the result of imaging examinations such as excretory urography, ultrasonography, computed tomography and conventional angiography. However, they could not be operated on because their tumors were too advanced. By reconstruction of the data of consecutive coronal scans of the abdomen with Maximum Intensity Projection (MIP), the MR angiography could in all cases delineate abdominal blood vessels such as the abdominal aorta, inferior vena cava and renal arteries and veins simultaneously without any intravenous contract materials. Our present study revealed that MR angiography has some advantages, especially with regard to preoperative angiographic information about the abdomen of patients with renal tumor. That is, MR angiography can delineate many kinds of arteries and veins of the abdomen simultaneously and in a broader range, as well as it can be performed on the patients with hypersensitivity to iodinated contrast materials or renal insufficiency in a usual fashion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Clinical experience of urological surgery of the patients with hemostatic disorder or hemolytic disease]

This report deals with clinical experience of urologic surgery of patients with hemostatic disorder or hemolytic disease. In the past 5 years from May 1986, 14 operations were conducted in our clinic on 13 patients, consisting of 4 with von Willebrand disease (vWd), 1 with hemophilia B, 4 who had warfarin administration, 3 with essential thrombocythemia and 2 with spherocytosis. Almost all patients were treated hematologically before the urological operations. Except in 1 case, the post-operative course was favorable and under hematologic control. Massive bleeding in 1 case was obviously attributable to over-dosage of warfarin. It is difficult to determine the optimal dose of warfarin under an unstable hemostatic condition during the operation and recovery periods. However, it is possible to carry out urologic surgery for these patients under appropriate hematologic control, and ESWL was safely performed without medical treatment on 3 patients; 1 with vWd, 1 treated with warfarin and 1 with spherocytosis.

[A case of retroperitoneal venous aneurysm]

A case of retroperitoneal venous aneurysm is reported. A 73-year-old woman was referred to us with the chief complaint of left abdominal mass. A giant abdominal mass was palpable and diagnostic imaging examination including ultrasound tomography, excretory pyelography, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and angiography revealed a giant cystic mass encircled by calcification in the left retroperitoneal space. Operation for this cystic mass was performed under the preoperative diagnosis of a giant left renal cyst. During operation the mass was located between the left kidney and the left adrenal gland. Because it was difficult to separate the mass from the left kidney the mass was removed with the left kidney. The extirpated tumor measured 15.5 x 15.0 x 9.5 cm and contained old blood clots and red-yellow colored fluid. A histological examination revealed that the tumor wall was composed of smooth muscle and elastic fibers. Therefore, pathological diagnosis was retroperitoneal venous aneurysm. Retroperitoneal venous aneurysm is very rare. To our knowledge, this is the 8th case of retroperitoneal venous aneurysm reported in Japan.

[Influences of bacteria within stones on ESWL treatment]

On 26 patients with upper urinary stones treated by extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL), the influences of the bacteria within the stones on the inflammatory complications, especially on urinary tract infection, after the ESWL treatment, were studied. The constituents of the stones obtained from these 26 patients consisted of the mixed stone of calcium oxalate and calcium phosphate (10 patients), calcium oxalate alone (2 patients), calcium phosphate alone (1 patient) and uric acid (1 patient). Of these 26 stones including no infection stones such as struvite and carbonate apatite, 5 stones (19.2%) had bacteria within the stone. Although no patients had severe inflammatory complications after ESWL treatments, the fact that the patient group having bacteria within the stones had a significantly elevated body temperature at one day after ESWL treatment compared to that on the preoperative day (P < 0.01) suggests that we should take into consideration the bacteria within non-infection stones as one of the risk factors of inflammatory complications after ESWL treatment.

[Transitional cell carcinoma of the ureter with inverted proliferation: a case report]

A case of transitional cell carcinoma of the ureter with inverted proliferation is presented. A 74-year-old man with the chief complaint of asymptomatic macrohematuria was referred for a suspicion of a ureteral tumor. Excretory urography demonstrated a filling defect with a round smooth contour in the right lower ureter. Urine cytology was negative for malignant cells. No bladder tumor was noted by cystoscopic examination. Under the clinical diagnosis of a right ureteral tumor, right total nephroureterectomy was performed. The gross specimen contained a 2.0 x 1.0 cm, polypoid, pedunculated and smooth-surfaced tumor. The pathological diagnosis was transitional cell carcinoma with inverted proliferation G2 much greater than G1. Malignant tumor with inverted proliferation in the ureter is very rare. In Japan, 8 cases of transitional cell carcinoma with inverted proliferation in the ureter, including our case, are reviewed.

[Adrenal myelolipoma associated with Cushing's syndrome: a case report]

A 42-year-old woman was referred to our hospital for evaluation of severe hypertension. A right adrenal tumor was revealed by CT scan, and the elevation of cortisol and u-17OHCS was found. We made a diagnosis of adrenal adenoma with Cushing's syndrome and performed right adrenalectomy. However, a small myelolipoma (1.5 mm in diameter) was found beside the cortical adenoma by histopathological examination. Adrenal myelolipoma is not a rare disease now, because it is easily-detected as an incidental by CT scan. The present case of adrenal myelolipoma, however, is interesting and uncommon in its connection with functioning cortical adenoma. Only 3 cases have been previously reported so far in English and Japanese publications. We discuss the etiology of adrenal myelolipoma, and suggest that myelolipoma would develop in the course of regressive or necrotic degeneration of cortical cells by hormonal disorders, stress, circulatory disturbance or other unknown factors.

[Primary carcinoma in situ of the upper urinary tract: a case report]

A case of primary carcinoma in situ of the upper urinary tract in a 72-year-old woman is reported. The patient who complained of left lower abdominal pain was referred for a suspicion of left ureteral stone. An excretory pyelogram showed mild left ureteral stricuture at the level of L3, but a stone was not detected in the ureter at the same level. Cytology of voided urine was positive for malignant cells several times. Cystoscopic examination revealed no abnormality in the bladder. Retrograde left pyelogram demonstrated the ureteral stricture and no lesions either of stone or tumor in the ureter. However malignant cells were detected cytologically in the left ureteral catheteral urine. Left total nephroureterectomy with the bladder cuff was carried out under the preoperative diagnosis of carcinoma in situ of the upper urinary tract. Macroscopically, the wall of the ureter at the stenotic level had induration without apparent tumor mass. The pathological diagnosis was transitional cell carcinoma in situ from the renal pelvis to the mid-ureter. The primary carcinoma in situ of the upper urinary tract is rare. To our knowledge, this case is the 26th case reported in the Japanese literature.

[Desmoid tumor of the abdominal wall preoperatively suspected as urachal tumor: a case report]

A case of desmoid tumor of the abdominal wall which was preoperatively suspected as urachal tumor is presented. The patient was a 56-year-old man, who was referred to our clinic for further examination of the mass detected incidentally in the ventral region of the urinary bladder by computed tomography. Ultrasonography showed that the mass had a heterogenous and hypoechogenic content. An urachal tumor was suspected and surgery was performed to remove the tumor. During the operation we found that the tumor was completely separated from the urinary bladder and that it had originated from the left rectus abdominal muscle. The pathological diagnosis was desmoid tumor of the abdominal wall. Since urachal tumor has no characteristic findings on the imaging examinations, it is difficult to differentiate desmoid tumor of the lower abdominal wall from urachal tumor, preoperatively.

[Renal arteriovenous fistula detected 25 years after nephrolithotomy: a case report]

We report a case of intrarenal arteriovenous fistula (AVF) with macroscopic hematuria detected after nephrolithotomy performed 25 years previously. The present case, successfully treated by transcatheter embolization with steel coils, is the eighth case of postnephrolithotomy AVF reported in English and Japanese literatures. The necessity of renal arteriography in patients with postoperative massive hematuria is stressed.

[A case of testicular torsion in a neonate]

A case of testicular torsion in a neonate is reported. A two-day-old boy with an abnormal hard mass in the right scrotum was referred to us. Right testicular torsion was suspected and operation was performed at 13 days after birth. During the operation extra-vaginal torsion of the right spermatic cord was revealed. The right testis appeared extensively necrotic, and right orchiectomy was selected. Histological examination revealed massively coagulo-necrotic testicular structure. To our knowledge, this is the 56th case of testicular torsion in a neonate reported in Japan. We discussed the onset, laterality, form, direction, angle and treatment of the torsion.

[Adrenal adenoma with bilateral testicular Leydig cell tumor: a case report]

A case of left adrenal adenoma with bilateral testicular Leydig cell tumor in a 38-year-old man is reported. He had received bilateral orchiectomy for testicular Leydig cell tumor at the age of 37. After operation computed tomography revealed left adrenal mass and aldosterone-secreting adrenal tumor was suspected. Left adrenalectomy was performed and histopathological diagnosis was adrenocortical adenoma. Serum ACTH, aldosterone and plasma renin activity were still high after operation. The adrenal cortex and gonads are of common embryologic origin and the histologic pattern may overlap. Examination of the adrenal gland is necessary for the patient with a testicular Leydig cell tumor.

[Clinical application of EDAP LT-01 PLUS on extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy for urolithiasis]

With EDAP LT-01 PLUS, a new extracorporeal shock wave lithotriptor which generates shock waves by 320 ceramic elements activated by the piezoelectric effect and which was produced to be used for the treatments of both urolithiasis and gall bladder stones, we performed extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) on 37 patients with urolithiasis between November 22, 1989 and July 31, 1990. Thirty seven target stones of 37 patients were located in the renal calyx (11 cases), renal pelvis (3 cases), UPJ (6 cases), renal calyx and pelvis (1 case), renal calyx and UPJ (1 case), renal calyx and upper ureter (1 case), upper ureter (9 cases), middle ureter (1 case), and lower ureter (4 cases). None of the patients needed anesthesia. The average number of treatments per case was 2.9 and the average total times of treatment per case was 196 minutes. The overall stone-free rate one month after the last ESWL treatment was 54.1% (20/37), and no patients had any major side-effects. Judging from our present clinical application, we concluded that EDAP LT-01 PLUS is a useful extracorporeal shock wave lithotriptor for urolithiasis.

[Benign hemorrhagic renal cyst: a case report]

A case of benign hemorrhagic renal cyst in a 64-year-old man is reported. The patient was admitted to our hospital for further evaluation of left upper abdominal mass. CT scan and ultrasonic sonography showed a left giant renal cystic mass. The characteristic findings were thick and irregular wall and heterogeneous contents of the cystic mass. Selective renal arteriography showed a hypervascular area in a part of the cyst wall and hemorrhagic cyst was suspected by MR imaging. The presence of a malignant tumor in the cyst wall was suspected, and radical nephrectomy was performed. The specimen measured 18 x 12 x 8 cm and weighed 1,170 g. The cyst contained bloody fluid and a hemorrhagic degenerating mass. Pathohistological examination showed no evidence of malignant tumor at any site of the cyst wall.

[A case of retroperitoneal Hodgkin's disease with dysuria]

A case of retroperitoneal Hodgkin's disease with dysuria is reported. A 56-year-old man visited our hospital with the complaints of dysuria and lower abdominal mass. On physical examination, an unmovable hard smooth mass of fist size was palpable in the lower abdomen and prostate was slightly swelling by rectal digital examination. Excretory urography demonstrated medial deviation of left lower ureter and bladder deformity. Retrograde urethrocystography showed deviation and compression of prostatic urethra. On CT, tumors were composed of several round masses, which surrounded the left common iliac artery on angiography. Surgical extirpation was carried out and histological examination revealed Hodgkin's disease. As postoperative treatment, chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide, adriamycin, vincristine and prednisolone was performed, and 30 months after the operation the patient was asymptomatic.

[Primary carcinoma in situ of the ureter: a case report]

A case of primary carcinoma in situ of the ureter in a 77-year-old man is reported. The patient had been to another hospital with right flank pain and macroscopic hematuria. Ultrasound sonogram showed right hydronephrosis. An excretory urogram showed right hydronephrosis and stenosis of right ureter. He was referred to our hospital for further evaluation and treatment. Retrograde pyelogram demonstrated a right ureteral stricture at the level of S1-2, but no space occupying lesion was detected in the ureter. Cytology of voided urine was negative for malignant cells and no other abnormal findings were present. Probe laparotomy was performed under the preoperative diagnosis of ureteral stricture. During the operation, frozen section examination of the stenotic ureter showed carcinoma in situ and so we performed right total nephroureterectomy with a bladder cuff. Pathologic diagnosis was primary carcinoma in situ of the right ureter. The patient has been doing well for six months postoperatively with no evidence of recurrent or metastatic disease.

[Clinical application of Sonolith 3000 type on extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy for renal and ureteral stones]

With Sonolith 3000, a new extracorporeal shock wave lithotriptor, we performed extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) on 34 patients with upper urinary stones, including 5 patients with target stones of this clinical application in both sides. The 39 target stones in the 34 patients were located in the renal calyx (13 cases), renal pelvis (14 cases), renal calyx and pelvis (1 case), renal pelvis and ureter (1 case), and upper ureter (10 cases). The ultrasound-aiming system gave a satisfactory imaging of the target stones in 94.9% of cases (37/39 cases). During the ESWL treatment, 32 patients (94.2%) did not need anesthesia, but 2 patients (5.9%) needed epidural anesthesia because of intolerable pain and/or terror of pain. The average number of treatments per case was 2.08, and the average dose of shock waves per treatment was 3,691.1. The stone-free rate on the 14th, 42nd and 90th days after the last ESWL treatment were 28.2% (11/39), 51.3% (20/39) and 64.1% (25/39), respectively. Out of 39 cases, 31 cases (79.5%) were either stone-free or had only sand-like residual stones on the 90th day. Most cases had minimal side effects, such as transient macroscopic hematuria (100.0%), skin eruption (50.0%) and back pain (41.2%), but one case needed a 1,200 ml transfusion because of perirenal hematoma immediately after 1st session of ESWL treatment with 2,300 shock waves (13 kv). The serum total bilirubin level on 1st day after the last session of ESWL treatment was significantly increased when compared with the preoperative level, but the level was not significantly increased after the 1st session.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[A case of nephrogenic adenoma in the female urethral diverticulum]

A case of nephrogenic adenoma in the female urethral diverticulum is reported. A 39-year-old woman visited our hospital with the chief complaint of perineal pain. Observation of her perineum and transvaginal digital examination revealed urethral diverticulum, and then diverticulectomy was performed. Histological diagnosis was urethral diverticulum associated with nephrogenic adenoma. In Japan, this is the 1st report of nephrogenic adenoma arising in the female urethral diverticulum. We reviewed 305 cases of nephrogenic adenoma of the urinary tract in the English and Japanese literature.

[Urolithiasis--changes in its treatment in the traditional surgical management]

Surgical treatments for urolithiasis in the upper urinary tract are reviewed on the basis of operation statistics at the Department of Urology, Osaka University Hospital for the past 30 years from 1957 to 1986. Open surgery was applied for 1,624 patients with urolithiasis in the kidney and ureter during this period. These operations accounted for 14.4% of the 11,300 cases of urological surgery at our department. Types and frequency of operations for urolithiasis were as follows: ureterolithotomies 697 cases (6.2%), pyelolithotomies including extended pyelotomy 376 cases (3.3%), nephrolithotomies 294 cases (2.6%), partial nephrectomies 132 cases (1.2%) and nephrectomies 125 cases (1.1%).