[Successful complete androgen blockade (CAB) therapy for prostatic cancer detected from multiple lung metastases: a case report]

Prostatic cancer is rarely diagnosed by detection of lung metastases. We report a case of prostatic cancer in a 73-year-old man detected by abnormalities in chest X-ray and serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) level. He was initially admitted to our hospital due to elevation of PSA level. On the first transperineal prostatic needle biopsy, prostatic cancer was not detected and he was followed. Seven months after the first biopsy, chest X-ray revealed multiple abnormal nodules in the lung fields bilaterally and PSA level was again elevated. A second prostatic biopsy and whole-body examination were performed, and he was diagnosed with moderately differentiated prostatic adenocarcinoma with multiple lung metastases. Complete androgen blockade therapy was performed immediately. Two months after the beginning of treatment, PSA level was normalized and the multiple lung metastases had completely disappeared. There has been no evidence of recurrence or PSA relapse 24 months after detection of the prostatic cancer. This is the 26th case of prostatic cancer diagnosed in Japan following detection of multiple lung metastases.

[A case of bilateral renal cell carcinoma showing a rapid course of death in a long-term hemodialysis patient due to polycystic kidney]

A case of bilateral renal cell carcinoma in a 42-year-old polycystic kidney male is reported. He had been treated with hemodialysis for 22 years. An abnormal small mass was found in one of the left renal cystic lesions by screening ultrasonography and CT scan at the 19th year of the hemodialysis. Left radical nephrectomy was performed and the histological diagnosis was a renal cell carcinoma (RCC). There was no evidence of recurrence and metastasis, however, he presented with asymptomatic macrohematuria two years after the operation. CT scan demonstrated the rapidly progressing right renal tumor and multiple para-aortic lymph node swelling. Right nephrectomy and lymphadenectomy were performed and pathological examination showed the advanced RCC with multiple lymph node metastasis. Eleven months after the second operation followed by interferon therapy. he died of multiorgan metastasis of the RCC. This is the first bilateral RCC case in polycystic kidney patient treated with hemodialysis in Japan.

[Postoperative complications after Mainz pouch construction--with emphasis on measures to deal with narrowing of the duct aperture]

Thirty patients underwent Mainz pouch construction between December 1992 and January 1998. The post-operative observation period varied from 6 to 57 months (average, 38.5 months). A mechanism to ensure urinary continence was provided in 24 cases, while formation of a nipple valve by intussusception of the ileum with seromuscular stripping and submucosally embedded in situ appendix was performed in 6 cases. An umbilical stoma was adopted in all cases. Late-phase complications included 3 cases of hydronephrosis requiring treatment. Efferent limb of the stoma was observed in 8 cases, 6 of which were attributable to mild constriction of the stoma at the site of anastomosis of the navel cavity. In those cases in which stomal stricture occurred, difficulty in withdrawing urine was eliminated by providing a fistula stopper. Although few clinical methods to deal with stomal stricture have been reported, we found the fistula stopper to be useful providing good external appearance and patients' quality of life.

[A clinical study of the changes of bone lesions after parathyroidectomy in patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism]

We evaluated the changes of the bone lesions and their relative bone findings before and after parathyroidectomy in 23 patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism. Before the operation, all patients had bone and/or joint pain. In radiographic findings, subperiosteal bone resorption of the hand and a salt and pepper coloration of the skull were observed in all patients. Rugger jersey spine and the disappearance of the lamina dura were observed in about 90% of the patients. The bone mineral contents measured by single photon absorptiometry and digital image processing method had decreased in all of the patients compared with the mean values in sex- and age-matched controls. After the operation, the bone and/or joint pain had disappeared excluding three patients with recurrent hyperparathyroidism. The bone changes of the hand and the skull had improved in about 90% of the patients. However, the improvement rate was low in the vertebral and dental bone changes. The bone mineral contents increased significantly compared with the preoperative values. In recurrent cases, transient increase of the bone mineral contents was observed postoperatively. However, their values, were decreased gradually with the elevation of parathyroid hormone level. The evaluation of the bone lesions before and after parathyroidectomy not only indicates the effectiveness of the operation but also illustrates the function of the autotransplanted parathyroid tissues. We conclude that regular examination of the bone lesions after parathyroidectomy, paying attention to recurrent hyperparathyroidism and/or graft function, is mandatory.

[Clinical study of parathyroidectomy of secondary hyperparathyroidism in patients with chronic renal failure]

We performed parathyroidectomy for renal osteodystrophy due to secondary hyperparathyroidism on 16 patients with chronic renal failure who were refractory to medical management; subtotal parathyroidectomy on one patient and total parathyroidectomy with autotransplantation on 15 patients. Postoperative clinical improvement, i.e., bone and/or joint pain, pruritus and radiographic signs of renal osteodystrophy, was marked. After the operation, serum calcium decreased rapidly and adequate calcium replacement therapy was necessary. The levels of intact parathyroid hormone decreased rapidly and serum concentration of alkaline phosphatase gradually decreased for a few months postoperatively. Recurrence was diagnosed in one patient, who underwent excision of the transplanted parathyroid tissue. Osteomalasia due to hypoparathyroidism was not seen clinically in this series. In preoperative image diagnosis, ultrasonotomogram (US) showed the highest detective rate of the enlarged parathyroid glands. However, combination of US, computerized tomography and 99mTcO4(-)-201T1C1 scintigram can be recommended as a localizing diagnostic method for compensating the disadvantages of each method. Clinical results after parathyroidectomy for secondary hyperparathyroidism are considered to be good. However, long-term followup is mandatory for early detection of persistent hyperparathyroidism or hypoparathyroidism.

[Ultrasonographic study on kidneys in patients with acute renal failure]

Ultrasonotomograms of 22 kidneys were obtained in 11 patients with renal-acute renal failure (renal-ARF). The underlying diseases of renal-ARF were acute tubular necrosis in 8 patients and acute on-set chronic glomerulonephritis in 3 patients. They were treated by hemodialysis in 10 patients and intermittent peritoneal dialysis in 1 patient. Ultrasonic measurement of the size of kidneys revealed that the thickness (anterior-posterior diameter) and the ratio of thickness to length (T/L) were greater in patients with ARF than in those with chronic renal failure and normal renal function. The patients with a low value of T/L (under 0.60) had a significantly greater urine volume than those with high a value of T/L (0.60 or more). The sonographic features of renal-ARF kidneys were marked increase in parenchymal echogenicity and appearance of hypoechoic swollen renal pyramids with sharpness of the corticomedullary border. In the course of ARF, these sonographic changes gradually disappeared when the patients had recovered from ARF. However, the prognosis was poor in patients with severer sonographic findings. We believe that repeated ultrasonic examination of the kidneys in patients with renal-ARF is useful for not only differential diagnosis of post-renal urinary obstruction but evaluating the course of ARF.

[Ultrasonographic study on kidneys in patients with chronic renal failure. Part I. Ultrasonic measurement of renal size and analysis of renal ultrasonotomograms]

Ultrasonograms of 546 kidneys were obtained in 280 patients undergoing chronic dialysis. Dialysed kidneys could be detected in 529 of the 546 kidneys (96.9%) by ultrasonic examination. The ultrasonic diagnoses on dialysed kidneys were contracted kidney in 313 kidneys (59.2%) and acquired cystic disease of the kidney in 107 kidneys (20.2%). Ultrasonic measurement of the size of kidney (length and thickness) revealed that the kidneys in patients with chronic renal failure were much smaller than normal ones. But the kidneys in patients undergoing dialysis for more than 8 years gradually increased in size with incidence of acquired renal cysts. The kidneys in patients with diabetic nephropathy were greater in length and thickness than those with chronic glomerulonephritis. Sonographic features of dialysed kidneys were unclear renal imaging, unidentified central echoes, cortico-medulla + border and increased parenchymal echogenicity. Irregularity of the renal contour had a tendency to increase in number with incidence of cysts in long-term dialysis patients. The ultrasonograms of the kidneys with diabetic nephropathy showed fewer changes than normal ones. No major complication of the kidney was detected in the present study. However, two retroperitoneal hematomas and one renal cell carcinoma developed within two years after this examination. We believe that regular screening of the kidneys by ultrasonic examination is mandatory in patients on chronic dialysis for early diagnosis and treatment of these complications.

[Ultrasonographic study on kidneys in patients with chronic renal failure. Part II. Acquired cystic disease of the kidneys]

Ultrasonic examination of the kidney was performed on 280 patients undergoing chronic dialysis. Acquired cystic disease of the kidney (ACDK) was detected in 107 of 529 kidneys (20.2%). This paper presents an analysis of ultrasonotomograms of ACDK. Ultrasonic measurement of the size of ACDK was 72.5 +/- 15.2 mm in length and 41.7 +/- 9.8 mm in thickness. The size of ACDK was significantly greater than that of contracted kidneys by ultrasonographic diagnosis. With regard to sex distinction the length and thickness of ACDK were significantly greater in males than in females. As for laboratory data, patients with ACDK showed significantly higher values of red blood cell count, hematocrit and serum creatinine concentration compared with contracted kidneys. Prolongation of the dialysis peirod increased the incidence of ACDK. The size of ACDK showed a tendency to increase with duration of dialysis. However, no correlation was noted statistically between the incidence of ACDK and duration of dialysis and between the size of ACDK and duration of dialysis. There was a significantly lower incidence of ACDK in patients with diabetic nephropathy than those with chronic glomerulonephritis. A sonographic feature of ACDK is irregularity of the renal contour because of cystic transformation. Renal imaging, identification of the corticomedullary border, identification of the central echoes and increased parenchymal echogenicity were similar to other dialyzed kidneys. The main complications of ACDK are hemorrhage and tumor formation. We observed two retroperitoneal hematomas and one renal cell carcinoma developed within two years after this examination. The incidence of complications of ACDK was 5.1 per cent. We believe that patients with ACDK should be watched carefully by regular ultrasonic examination for early diagnosis and treatment of these complications.

[A clinical study of 33 cases of renal pelvic and ureteral tumors]

Thirty-three cases of primary renal pelvic and/or ureteral tumors, i.e., 14 renal pelvic tumors, 14 ureteral tumors and 5 renal pelvic and ureteral tumors, treated at our hospital between November, 1976 and August, 1987 are reviewed retrospectively. Tumor occurred on the right side in 18 cases, left side in 14 cases and bilateral in one case. The patients ranged in age from 33 to 77 years (average 65.7 years), the sex ratio was 4.5:1 with male predominance over female. The most frequent symptoms were gross hematuria in 22 cases (67%). Interval from onset of initial symptoms to first visit within one month for 23 cases (70%). The major findings of excretory urograms were non-visualizing kidney in 18 cases (55%) and filling defect in 12 cases (36%). Positive urinary cytology was obtained in 18 cases (55%). Operative therapy was performed in all cases, namely, total nephroureterectomy with partial cystectomy in 21 cases (64%) and nephrectomy with transurethral ureterectomy in 7 cases (21%). Histopathologically, all cases but one case of squamous cell carcinoma were transitional cell carcinoma. Subsequent bladder tumors were found in 10 cases (30%). The overall survival rate at 1, 3 and 5 years were 84%, 68% and 61%, respectively by Kaplan-Meier method. In this series, grade and stage of tumor were the most influential factors for prognosis.

[A case of advanced penile cancer treated with multimodal therapy--combination with tensor fascia lata myocutaneous flap]

A 40-year-old male with advanced penile cancer, whose left inguinal node was ulcerated at the time of initial presentation, underwent multimodal therapy. Four cycles of chemotherapy were given from September 20, 1984 to February 8, 1985. Partial penectomy and left ilioinguinal lymphadenectomy with removal of left groin ejaculation were performed on February 20, 1985, followed by right ilioinguinal lymphadenectomy on March 20, 1985. The skin defect of the left groin was covered with tensor fascia lata myocutaneous flap. The patient is alive with no evidence of disease 30 months after the surgery.

[Management of endourological technics with upper urinary tract diseases except urolithiasis]

Fifteen patients with stricture of upper urinary tract and 4 patients suspected of having upper tract carcinoma were managed with endourological (percutaneous or transurethral) techniques. The strictures were treated with various dilation catheters and the optical urethrotome. Eleven cases (73.3%) were successfully treated and satisfactory urinary passage was attained. The 4 patients suspected of having upper tract neoplasms were diagnosed accurately with endoscopy, 2 patients had transitional cell carcinoma of renal pelvis and the others had benign ureteral polyps. The endourological technique was a useful method for the treatment of ureteral stenosis and the diagnosis of upper tract neoplasm except for the treatment of urolithiasis. This technique will become useful tool in urology.

[A clinical experience of upper urinary tract disease using an endourological technic]

Fifty-three patients with upper urinary tract disease were treated by using endourological technique between July, 1986 and July, 1987; percutaneous nephrolithotripsy (PNL) in 26 cases, transurethral ureterolithotripsy (TUL) in 11 cases, endopyelotomy for ureteropelvic obstruction in 3 cases, dilation of ureteral stenosis in 3 cases and percutaneous nephrostomy in 10 cases. The stones could be successfully removed in 24 cases (92%) of PNL and 10 cases (91%) of TUL. No severe complications were seen in this series. The many reports of PNL and TUL were investigated in detail, but other endourological approach will need further long-term followup.

[Squamous cell carcinoma of renal pelvis: a case report and review of the Japanese literature]

Squamous cell carcinoma of renal pelvis is relatively rare and its prognosis is very poor. A 72-year-old man was introduced to our institute because of macroscopic hematuria. He had no history of urolithiasis or urinary tract infection. Excretory urography showed a nonfunctioning right kidney. Cytologic examination of urine was positive for malignant cell from squamous cell carcinoma. Preoperative diagnosis was made as right renal pelvic tumor, but it appeared to be renal tumor on the roentgenogram. Right radical nephrectomy and transurethral ureterectomy was performed. Radiation therapy was done after operation. Pathological diagnosis was squamous cell carcinoma of renal pelvis extensively infiltrating to the renal parenchyma. The patient is alive with no recurrence or metastasis for eight months after operation. Statistical analysis was made on 136 cases of squamous cell carcinoma of renal pelvis reported in the Japanese literature including our case, and this disease is also briefly reviewed.

[Clinical study of ofloxacin (OFLX) on urinary tract infections]

Fifty-three patients with urinary tract infections (UTI) were treated with Ofloxacin, a new oral synthetic antimicrobial agent, and its clinical efficacy was studied. Ofloxacin (600 mg/day) was administered to 35 patients with acute simple cystitis for more than three days, and to 17 patients with complicated UTI for more than five days except a case in which the treatment was interrupted for side effects. Acute simple cystitis: In ten cases meeting the criteria of UTI committee, overall effectiveness rate was 100%. All of the 26 strains isolated from 26 patients disappeared after the treatment. In all of acute simple cystitis cases, 94.3% were evaluated as excellent or as moderate by attending doctors. Complicated UTI: In 11 cases treated during five or seven days, 63.6% of patients showed improvement on pyuria. Seven out of nine strains isolated from seven patients disappeared. However, two strains of P. aeruginosa and P. cepacia persisted after the treatment. In all of the complicated UTI cases, 38.9% of patients were evaluated as excellent or as moderate by attending doctors. Some slight side effects were observed in four out of 53 cases. This study showed that Ofloxacin is effective against urinary tract infections.

[Study of levels of latamoxef in prostatic tissue and bladder mucosal tissue]

The concentration of Latamoxef (LMOX) in the serum, prostatic tissue and bladder mucosal tissue of 20 patients with benign prostatic hypertrophy and bladder cancer was measured after intravenous infusion of 1 g or 2 g of LMOX. Serum, prostatic tissue and bladder mucosal tissue levels of LMOX responded satisfactorily to the dose of LMOX. The bladder mucosal tissue level was higher than the prostatic tissue levels. Judging from the inhibitory concentration of LMOX (MIC 80), the concentration was sufficiently effective against infections caused by gram-negative, gram-positive and anaerobic bacilli.

[A case of bladder amyloidosis]

Herein we report a case of bladder amyloidosis treated successfully with TUR & DMSO bladder instillation. A diagnosis was made by a biopsy of the bladder epithelium. Amyloid fibrils were confirmed in the biopsy specimen with polarization and electron-microscopy. The patient was treated with TUR. The residual lesion had disappeared with DMSO bladder instillations for 4 months (12X) without side effects after TUR. Thus DMSO bladder instillation with surgical resection seems to be an excellent therapy for bladder amyloidosis.

[A case of eosinophilic cystitis with retroperitoneal neurinoma]

A 63-year-old female visited our department, complaining of miction pain. She had several episodes of urinary occult blood. Urinalysis included a small number of red cells, white cells and bacilli. Physical examination revealed a fist-sized mass of her right flank. Cystoscopic examination showed a botryoid tumor with multiple erythematous raised plaques. Biopsy was reported as massive infiltration of eosinophiles in submucosal layer of the bladder, i.e. eosinophilic cystitis. Antibiotics were effective for the improvement of urine findings and symptoms within a week. IVP and CT revealed the abdominal mass as a retroperitoneal tumor with cystic degeneration, and the tumor was resected. Pathological diagnosis was benign neurinoma. Both eosinophilic cystitis and retroperitoneal neurinoma are rare, and the concurrent occurrence of these two diseases has not been reported. Recent studies have suggested that eosinophilic cystitis may occur more frequently than suspected, and may be overlooked clinically and microscopically. This uncommon form of cystitis should be considered in the differential diagnosis especially when the patient has unexplained episodes of bladder symptoms and hematuria.

[Transfer of ceftizoxime into serum and prostatic tissue]

Serum and prostatic tissue levels of Ceftizoxime (CZX) were measured in 37 patients with benign prostatic hypertrophy after intravenous infusion of 0.5 g or 1 g or 2 g of CZX. The prostatic tissue level of CZX was sufficient for the treatment of prostatic infection. Serum and prostatic tissue levels of CZX were maintained satisfactorily by the dose of CZX. Neither the weight of extracted prostatic tissue nor the renal function of the patient was correlated to the tissue level of CZX.

[A case of hydrometrocolpos with left renal agenesis]

Herein we report a case of hydrometrocolpos with left renal agenesis of a four-month-old girl. The hydrometrocolpos due to a transverse septum of the vagina and left renal agenesis were confirmed by laparotomy. The transverse septum was incised and cured successfully by the abdominoperineal approach. We have collected 21 cases of hydrometrocolpos with or without urinary tract malformations including our case in the Japanese literature and discussed its etiology and treatments.

[Synchronous tumors in right renal pelvis and left ureter]

Bilateral synchronous urothelial tumors in the upper urinary tract seem to be rare. To our knowledge, only 34 cases have been reported previously. A 77-year-old-man with the chief complaint of macrohematuria was admitted. Clinical investigations showed left ureteral and right renal pelvic tumors. Resection of the wall of the right renal pelvis and partial ureterectomy and its reanastomosis in the left ureter were done. Pathologic examination revealed that the right renal pelvic tumor was transitional cell carcinoma (G.2, pTlb), and the left ureteral tumor was invasive metaplastic epidermoid carcinoma. The patient is alive with no recurrence or metastasis 1 year after the operation. We reviewed all the reports of bilateral synchronous tumors we could find and discussed the histological findings and treatments reported.

[The use of dimethyl sulfoxide in the treatment of intractable urinary frequency]

Intravesical instillation of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) was used in the treatment of patients with intractable urinary frequency due to chronic prostatitis, chronic cystitis, tuberculous contracted bladder and interstitial cystitis. Before the application of this therapy, all 4 patients were examined carefully to rule out cases of acute infectious diseases of the urinary tract, active urinary tuberculosis, neurogenic bladder and carcinoma in situ of the bladder. Three of the four patients achieved an excellent response both subjectively and objectively. In the United States, intravesical instillation of DMSO had already been established as the specific method in the treatment of interstitial cystitis and no side effects have been reported so far. Therefore, we recommend the use of intravesical instillation of DMSO more commonly in various forms of intractable urinary frequency.

[Therapeutic effect of Robaveron tablet (KN-7) on urinary disturbance by benign prostatic hypertrophy]

Therapeutic effect of Robaveron tablet (KN-7) was studied on 101 patients with urinary disturbance accompanied by benign prostatic hypertrophy. Robaveron tablet, which contains 20 mg of a swine prostatic extract per tablet, was administered 6 tablets daily for 3 weeks in principle. Evaluation of drug efficacy was based on residual urine, cystometric findings, urethral pressure profile, uroflowmetry and subjective symptoms. Remarkable decrease of residual urine was observed at all stages of Guyon classification, in parallel with increases of cystometric pressure amplitude and average flow rate. Rate of residual urine reduction rose in proportion to the higher stage or bulkier volume of residual urine. Improvements of subjective symptoms were also obtained. The overall effectiveness, rated slightly improved or better was 76.8%. Side effects were seen at a low rate of 3.9%, and there were no abnormal changes directly due to the drug in clinical laboratory tests. These results indicate that Robaveron tablets act on the detrusor muscle and contribute to improve the depressed voiding efficiency and incidental symptoms of the subjects.

[Surgical resection in pulmonary metastases of genitourinary cancers]

Four patients (2 with renal cell carcinoma, 1 with testicular embryonal carcinoma, 1 with testicular seminoma) underwent surgical resection for pulmonary metastases. Three patients except one with renal cell carcinoma are still alive without disease at 1, 2.3 and 2.3 years, respectively. Surgical resection of metastatic pulmonary sarcoma or carcinoma is now the accepted method of treatment. As chemo- and radio-therapy are often ineffective for metastatic genitourinary cancers, our current policy is to employ surgical treatment provided that the operability is assessed carefully.

[Comparative double-blind trial of KN-7 tablet and Robaveron injection in the treatment of neurogenic bladder]

The clinical effectiveness, safety and usefulness of KN-7 tablet as a new oral application of the prostatic extract, on urinary dysfunction of neurogenic bladder were compared with those of Robaveron injection by the double-blind test method. In the study, 2 tablets t.i.d. and a shot of intramuscular injection 1 ml a day were given successively for 3 weeks. A total of 233 cases were reported from 37 facilities belonging to the KN-7 Clinical Research Group. Some of them were excluded or dropped out. The number of cases used for analysing the effectiveness, safety and usefulness were 214, 232 and 215, respectively. There was no bias between the two groups with a significant homogeneity in the background. In the overall clinical effectiveness, the effective rate including excellent, moderate and slightly effective was 76.9% with KN-7 and 77.4% with Robaveron. In the clinical usefulness, the rate of usefulness of slightly useful or above was 75.0% with KN-7 and 75.7% with Robaveron. There was no significant difference between the two groups in the clinical effective and useful rates at a significant level of 5%. Side effects were observed in 1 of the 114 (0.9%) patients given KN-7 and 8 of the 118 (6.8%) patients given Robaveron. The incidence of adverse reactions with KN-7 was significantly lower than that with Robaveron. Based on the results, it was concluded that KN-7 tablets, 2 tablets t.i.d., would be as effective and useful as a Robaveron injection 1 ml daily and safer than the latter in the treatment of neurogenic bladder.

[Therapeutic effect of Robaveron tablet (KN-7) on neurogenic bladder]

Therapeutic effect of Robaveron Tablet (KN-7) was studied on 128 patients suffering from neurogenic bladder. Robaveron Tablet was administered 6 tablets daily for 3 weeks. The effect was evaluated by the residual urine, subjective symptoms, cystometric findings, urethral pressure profile and uroflowmetry. Remarkable decrease of residual urine was observed regardless of position of injury. The pressure amplitude defined as the difference between the maximum voiding pressure and the maximum resting pressure increased on any group of neurogenic bladder. The effectiveness, rated as moderately improved or better was 76.9% for brain disorders, 58.3% for upper motor neuron lesion and 75.7% for lower motor neuron lesion of spinal injuries, 58.3% for peripheral nervous injuries and 100% for others. No remarkable abnormality was observed in the results of side effects or clinical laboratory tests.