Endourologic Treatment of the Upper Urinary Tract Obstruction in the Advanced Cancer Patients / 대한비뇨기과학회지

Palliative endourologic treatment was done in 94 cases for ureteral obstruction secondary to advanced malignancy The average survival was 4.2 months. The obstruction were caused by metastases or invasion of cancer in all patients. First we tried to insert a double J stent(STENT), when it failed percutaneous nephrostomy(PCN) was performed. Initially 16 patients were treated by STENT and 8 patients by PCN. The SIENT was changed 2.2 times on the average in all patients. 75% of the patients who had been treated by STENT experienced only one or two times of STENT changes before dying. Patency period of the STENT was 57.6 days on the average. The patency period was shorter in the patients who showed gross hematuria at the time of STENT insertion. Although survival was not so long, 60.6% patients were able to return to their homes. The endourologic management of the upper urinary tract obstruction will play a more important role and offer a better quality of life for end stage cancer patients.

A Case of Ganglioneuroma in Retroperitoneum / 대한비뇨기과학회지

Ganglioneuromas have their origin in neural crest and are found along the path of the sympathetic chain from the base of the skull to the pelvis, including the adrenal medulla. Clinically, ganglioneuromas may be incidentally found or detected secondarily by pressure effects on adjacent structures. Endocrine activity is rare among ganglioneuromas. Symptoms and signs such as hypertension, profuse perspiration, cutaneous flushing, rash, pallor, polyuria, and diarrhea are well documented. Recently we experienced a case of ganglioneuroma arising from the retroperitoneal sympathetic chains in a 46 year-old-female and, herein, report with review of the literatures.

Percutaneous Nephrostomy: Experience in 276 Cases / 대한비뇨기과학회지

Today, percutaneous nephrostomy and other related renal procedures are routine in most hospitals. This technique provides safe, rapid and direct access to the upper urinary tract for various diagnostic and therapeutic maneuvers. It has become a vital tool for the urologists who have been able to diagnose and treat ever more diverse pathologies of the urinary tract without open operation. Percutaneous nephrostomy was done on 276 cases with advanced malignancy and benign conditions during the period of March, 1985 to December, 1993. We were successful in using percutaneous nephrostomy as urinary diversion to ureteral obstruction or urinary leakage in 27l cases( 98% ). In four fifths of patients, obstruction was due to neoplasm, with the cervical cancer the leading cause. The post-nephrostomy complications were bleeding in 10 cases, enterocutaneous fistula in 4, perinephric abscess in 3 and sepsis in 1. Percutaneous nephrostomy proved to be ideally suited in condition of obstructive uropathy and urine leakage.

A Case of Brain Metastasis from Prostatic Adenocarcinoma Which Showed Remarkable Effect in Combined Chemotherapy / 대한비뇨기과학회지

The brain metastasis of prostatic carcinoma is rare and is distinguished by its poor prognosis in cases which are not surgically resectable. Herein we described a 72 year old male with brain metastasis from prostatic carcinoma, which regressed with chemotherapy. Pathological examination of a transrectal needle biopsy disclosed moderatedly differentiated adenocarcinoma of the prostate. Magnetic resonance imaging of brain demonstrated a brain tumor at the occipital lobe suspected to be a metastasis of prostatic carcinoma. The tumor could not be detected on the brain MRI after 3 months of chemotherapy.