Development and Validation of a Preoperative Nomogram for Endoscopic Management Decision Making in Upper Urinary Tract Urothelial Carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to develop and validate a preoperative nomogram that predicts low-grade, non-muscle invasive upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma (LG-NMI UTUC), thereby aiding in the accurate selection of endoscopic management (EM) candidates. METHODS: This was a retrospective study that included 454 patients who underwent radical surgery (Cohort 1 and Cohort 2), and 26 patients who received EM (Cohort 3). Utilizing a multivariate logistic regression model, a nomogram predicting LG-NMI UTUC was developed based on data from Cohort 1. The nomogram's accuracy was compared with conventional European Association of Urology (EAU) and National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) models. External validation was performed using Cohort 2 data, and the nomogram's prognostic value was evaluated via disease progression metrics in Cohort 3. RESULTS: In Cohort 1, multivariate analyses highlighted the absence of invasive disease on imaging (odds ratio [OR] 7.04; p = 0.011), absence of hydronephrosis (OR 2.06; p = 0.027), papillary architecture (OR 24.9; p < 0.001), and lack of high-grade urine cytology (OR 0.22; p < 0.001) as independent predictive factors for LG-NMI disease. The nomogram outperformed the two conventional models in predictive accuracy (0.869 vs. 0.759-0.821) and exhibited a higher net benefit in decision curve analysis. The model's clinical efficacy was corroborated in Cohort 2. Moreover, the nomogram stratified disease progression-free survival rates in Cohort 3. CONCLUSION: Our nomogram ( https://kmur.shinyapps.io/UTUC_URS/ ) accurately predicts LG-NMI UTUC, thereby identifying suitable candidates for EM. Additionally, the model serves as a useful tool for prognostic stratification in patients undergoing EM.

Deep learning-based predictions of clear and eosinophilic phenotypes in clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

We have recently shown that histological phenotypes focusing on clear and eosinophilic cytoplasm in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) correlated with prognosis and the response to angiogenesis inhibition and checkpoint blockade. This study aims to objectively show the diagnostic utility of clear or eosinophilic phenotypes of ccRCC by developing an artificial intelligence (AI) model using the TCGA-ccRCC dataset and to demonstrate if the clear or eosinophilic predicted phenotypes correlate with pathological factors and gene signatures associated with angiogenesis and cancer immunity. Before the development of the AI model, histological evaluation using hematoxylin and eosin whole-slide images of the TCGA-ccRCC cohort (n = 435) was performed by a urologic pathologist. The AI model was developed as follows. First, the highest-grade area on each whole slide image was captured for image processing. Second, the selected regions were cropped into tiles. Third, the AI model was trained using transfer learning on a deep convolutional neural network, and clear or eosinophilic predictions were scaled as AI scores. Next, we verified the AI model using a validation cohort (n = 95). Finally, we evaluated the accuracy of the prognostic predictions of the AI model and revealed that the AI model detected clear and eosinophilic phenotypes with high accuracy. The AI model stratified the patients' outcomes, and the predicted eosinophilic phenotypes correlated with adverse clinicopathological characteristics and high immune-related gene signatures. In conclusion, the AI-based histologic subclassification accurately predicted clear or eosinophilic phenotypes of ccRCC, allowing for consistently reproducible stratification for prognostic and therapeutic stratification.

CD155 immunohistochemical expression in upper tract urothelial carcinoma predicts poor prognosis.

A novel immune checkpoint, CD155/T-cell immunoreceptor with Ig and ITIM domains, has been recognized as a new therapeutic target in addition to conventional immune checkpoints, such as anti-programmed cell death protein 1/programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1), for urothelial carcinoma (UC). Fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) is considered another new therapeutic target for UC. As FGFR3-mutant UC may be associated with decreased T-cell infiltration, FGFR3 inhibition may facilitate lymphocyte invasion into the tumor microenvironment. Although a combined effect of immune checkpoint inhibitors and FGFR inhibition is expected, the combined expression profiles of CD155, PD-L1 and FGFR3 have not been evaluated in upper tract UC (UTUC). The present study aimed to investigate the association between CD155 expression and clinicopathological factors in 208 patients with UTUC undergoing radical nephroureterectomy. Furthermore, the expression profiles of CD155, PD-L1 and FGFR3 were compared. Immunohistochemical analysis was performed using tissue microarray specimens and survival analyses were performed using the Kaplan-Meier method and the Cox proportional hazards model. High immunohistochemical expression of CD155 was observed in 177 patients (85.1%) and it was associated with advanced pathological stage and lymphovascular invasion. The survival rate was lower among patients with tumors exhibiting high CD155 expression than among those with tumors with low CD155 expression. In addition, multivariate survival analysis revealed that high CD155 expression was an independent prognostic factor for recurrence (hazard ratio=7.32, 95% CI=1.01-53.35, P=0.049). FGFR3 and immune checkpoint signaling molecules, such as CD155 and PD-L1, had a weak negative correlation. The present results indicated that the expression of CD155 is a useful marker for predicting the recurrence of UTUC. In addition, the immunohistochemical expression profiles of CD155, PD-L1 and FGFR3 may further the understanding of the role of FGFR-targeted therapies in immunotherapy for UTUC.

Histologic-Based Tumor-Associated Immune Cells Status in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma Correlates with Gene Signatures Related to Cancer Immunity and Clinical Outcomes.

The three-tier immunophenotype (desert, excluded, and inflamed) and the four-tier immunophenotype (cold, immunosuppressed, excluded, and hot) have been linked to prognosis and immunotherapy response. This study aims to evaluate whether immunophenotypes of clear cell renal cell carcinoma, identified on hematoxylin and eosin-stained slides, correlate with gene expression signatures related to cancer immunity, and clinical outcomes. We evaluated tumor-associated immune cells (TAICs) status using three methodologies: three-tier immunophenotype based on the location of TAICs, four-tier immunophenotype considering both the location and degree of TAICs and inflammation score focusing only on the degree of TAICs, using a localized clear cell renal cell carcinoma cohort (n = 436) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)-KIRC cohort (n = 162). We evaluated the association of the TAICs status assessed by three methodologies with CD8 and PD-L1 immunohistochemistry and immune gene expression signatures by TCGA RNA-sequencing data. All three methodologies correlated with immunohistochemical and immune gene expression signatures. The inflammation score and the four-tier immunophenotype showed similarly higher accuracy in predicting recurrence-free survival and overall survival compared to the three-tier immunophenotype. In conclusion, a simple histologic assessment of TIACs may predict clinical outcomes and immunotherapy responses.

PBRM1 Immunohistochemical Expression Profile Correlates with Histomorphological Features and Endothelial Expression of Tumor Vasculature for Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Loss of the polybromo-1 (PBRM1) protein has been expected as a possible biomarker for clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). There is little knowledge about how PBRM1 immunohistochemical expression correlates with the histomorphological features of ccRCC and the endothelial expression of tumor vasculature. The present study evaluates the association of architectural patterns with the PBRM1 expression of cancer cells using a cohort of 425 patients with nonmetastatic ccRCC. Furthermore, we separately assessed the PBRM1 expression of the endothelial cells and evaluated the correlation between the expression of cancer cells and endothelial cells. PBRM1 loss in cancer cells was observed in 148 (34.8%) patients. In the correlation analysis between architectural patterns and PBRM1 expression, macrocyst/microcystic, tubular/acinar, and compact/small nested were positively correlated with PBRM1 expression, whereas alveolar/large nested, thick trabecular/insular, papillary/pseudopapillary, solid sheets, and sarcomatoid/rhabdoid were negatively correlated with PBRM1 expression. PBRM1 expression in vascular endothelial cells correlated with the expression of cancer cells (correlation coefficient = 0.834, p < 0.001). PBRM1 loss in both cancer and endothelial cells was associated with a lower recurrence-free survival rate (p < 0.001). Our PBRM1 expression profile indicated that PBRM1 expression in both cancer and endothelial cells may be regulated in an orchestrated manner.

[A Case of Retroperitoneal Bronchogenic Cyst Diagnosed by Fluorescence in situ Hybridization].

A 50-year-old woman was referred to our hospital for consultation for a suspected left adrenal tumor detected by ultrasonography during a health check. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed a 4.7×3.4 cm tumor in the retroperitoneal space near the adrenal gland. The patient subsequently underwent laparoscopic tumor resection. Using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), the resected tumor was diagnosed as a retroperitoneal bronchial cyst. Here we present a case of a definitive diagnosis of a retroperitoneal bronchial cyst using FISH, and review the cases of retroperitoneal bronchial cyst in the literature.

Development and validation of a vascularity-based architectural classification for clear cell renal cell carcinoma: correlation with conventional pathological prognostic factors, gene expression patterns, and clinical outcomes.

The prognostic significance of an architectural grading system for clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) has recently been demonstrated. The present study aimed to establish a vascularity-based architectural classification using the cohort of 436 patients with localized ccRCC who underwent extirpative surgery and correlated the findings with conventional pathologic factors, gene expression, and prognosis. First, we assessed architectural patterns in the highest-grade area on hematoxylin and eosin-stained slides, then separately evaluated our surrogate score for vascularity. We grouped nine architectural patterns into three categories based on the vascular network score. "Vascularity-based architectural classification" was defined: category 1: characterized by enrichment of the vascular network, including compact/small nested, macrocyst/microcystic, and tubular/acinar patterns; category 2: characterized by a widely spaced-out vascular network, including alveolar/large nested, thick trabecular/insular, papillary/pseudopapillary patterns; category 3: characterized by scattered vascularity without a vascular network, including solid sheets, rhabdoid and sarcomatoid patterns. Adverse pathological prognostic factors such as TNM stage, WHO/ISUP grade, and necrosis were significantly associated with category 3, followed by category 2 (all p < 0.001). We successfully validated the classification using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cohort (n = 162), and RNA-sequencing data available from TCGA showed that the angiogenesis gene signature was significantly enriched in category 1 compared to categories 2 and 3, whereas the immune gene signature was significantly enriched in category 3 compared to categories 1 and 2. In univariate analysis, vascularity-based architectural classification showed the best accuracy in pathological prognostic factors for predicting recurrence-free survival (c-index = 0.786). The predictive accuracy of our model which integrated WHO/ISUP grade, necrosis, TNM stage, and vascularity-based architectural classification was greater than conventional risk models (c-index = 0.871 vs. 0.755-0.843). Our findings suggest that the vascularity-based architectural classification is prognostically useful and may help stratify patients appropriately for management based on their likelihood of post-surgical recurrence.

Eosinophilic features in clear cell renal cell carcinoma correlate with outcomes of immune checkpoint and angiogenesis blockade.

BACKGROUND: Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) displays heterogeneity in appearance-a distinctive pale clear to eosinophilic cytoplasm; however, little is known about the underlying mechanisms and clinical implications. We investigated the role of these eosinophilic features in ccRCC on oncological outcomes and response to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). METHODS: One-hundred and thirty-eight ccRCC cases undergoing radical surgery (cohort 1) and 54 metastatic ccRCC cases receiving either TKIs or ICIs (cohort 2) were included. After histological evaluation, all cases were divided into three phenotypes based on the eosinophilic features at the highest-grade area: clear, mixed, or eosinophilic type. Gene expression and immunohistochemical analyses were performed to explore the potential mechanisms of these phenotypes in cohort 1. Further, the association of the three phenotypes with the best objective response to TKI or ICI, clinical benefit (complete/partial response or stable disease), and overall survival (OS) was assessed in cohort 2. RESULTS: The clear type was significantly associated with increased hypoxia as well as angiogenesis gene signatures compared with the eosinophilic type. Gene signatures and protein expression related to effector T cell and immune checkpoint molecules were elevated to a greater extent in the eosinophilic type, followed by the mixed and clear types. The mixed and eosinophilic types exhibited greater PBRM1-negativity and increased prevalence of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition gene signature than the clear type. In the mixed/eosinophilic types of cohort 2, significant clinical benefit was observed in the ICI therapy group versus the TKI therapy group (p=0.035), and TKI therapy vs ICI therapy was an independent factor for worse prognosis of OS (HR 3.236; p=0.012). CONCLUSION: The histological phenotype based on the eosinophilic features, which are linked to major immunological mechanisms of ccRCC, was significantly correlated with therapeutic efficacy.

PD-L1 Expression and Clinicopathological Factors in Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Comparison of Antibody Clone 73-10 With Clone 28-8.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Expression of programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) is associated with poor prognosis in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Although a new antibody clone for immunohistochemical assay, 73-10, has shown greater sensitivity than other assays (28-8, 22C3, SP142, and SP263) in non-small cell lung cancer, PD-L1 expression using 73-10 has never been assessed in RCC. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the association of clinicopathological factors with PD-L1 expression detected by clone 73-10 and compare it with that detected by 28-8. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Tissue microarray samples from 582 patients who underwent radical or partial nephrectomy for RCC were immunohistochemically assessed using clones 73-10 and 28-8. RESULTS: The positivity for PD-L1 expression in RCC by 73-10 was higher than that of 28-8 and significantly associated with worse pathological factors and a higher risk of cancer-specific mortality. CONCLUSION: Positivity for PD-L1 expression by 73-10, as compared to 28-8, was associated with worse clinicopathological factors and prognosis for patients with RCC.

Predictors of postoperative recurrence in patients with non-metastatic pT3a renal cell carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the effect of patterns of extrarenal tumor extension with other pathological factors on postoperative recurrence in patients with non-metastatic pT3a renal cell carcinoma. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 587 non-metastatic renal cell carcinoma patients who underwent radical surgery between 2006 and 2017 at Kansai Medical University Hospital, Hirakata, Osaka, Japan. We extracted a subset of 114 patients with pT3a of predominant histological types: 93 with clear cell renal cell carcinoma (81.6%), 13 with unclassified renal cell carcinoma (11.4%), six with chromophobe renal cell carcinoma (5.3%) and two with papillary renal cell carcinoma. The primary end-point was recurrence-free survival. The Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards model were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Of the 114 patients with pT3a renal cell carcinoma, 42 patients (36.8%) experienced recurrence. Multivariate analysis showed that perinephric fat invasion (hazard ratio 2.36, P = 0.009), sarcomatoid or rhabdoid component (hazard ratio 2.88, P = 0.022) and necrosis (hazard ratio 2.34, P = 0.030) were independent factors for recurrence-free survival. The high-risk pT3a group, which had more than two independent predictors, had poor prognosis. Recurrence-free survival of the high-risk pT3a group and the pT3b or greater group were similar (median recurrence-free survival 23.0 and 10.8 months, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Perinephric fat invasion, sarcomatoid or rhabdoid component and necrosis are independent predictors of recurrence-free survival in patients with pT3a-predominant renal cell carcinoma. Patients with more than two of these predictors have poor oncological outcomes. These findings will aid in risk stratification for predicting recurrence and provide prognostic information for patient counseling.

Association of intraductal carcinoma of the prostate detected by initial histological specimen and neuroendocrine prostate cancer: A report of three cases.

We present three cases of neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC) and histologically investigate the association of intraductal carcinoma of the prostate (IDC-P) and NEPC. Case 1 was a 76-year-old man who had NEPC identified by repeated biopsy specimens when his prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level became elevated 8 years after the initiation of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). Case 2 was a 70-year-old man who had NEPC detected when multiple bone metastases were found 3 years after the initiation of ADT. Case 3 was a 70-year-old man who was diagnosed with NEPC based on histological examination of transurethral resected specimens. The histological findings in these three cases showed mixed neuroendocrine carcinoma-acinar adenocarcinoma with various proportions of both components. In all three cases, the neuroendocrine carcinoma components were positive for synaptophysin and chromogranin A, whereas the adenocarcinoma components were positive for PSA and NKX3.1. When we retrospectively reviewed the initial hematoxylin and eosin-stained slides, IDC-P was detected in all three cases. Furthermore, we collected nine additional cases of NEPC and found that all six cases with initial biopsy specimens available had an IDC-P component. Detecting IDC-P on initial histological specimens of the prostate may predict transformation to NEPC.

Integration of NRP1, RGS5, and FOXM1 expression, and tumour necrosis, as a postoperative prognostic classifier based on molecular subtypes of clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

Molecular mechanisms of progression of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) have been proven with recent genomic or transcriptional analyses. However, it is still difficult to apply these analyses to daily clinical practice owing to economical and practical issues. Here, we established a pathology-based, postoperative prognostic classification based on the well-validated transcriptional classifier, ClearCode34, in ccRCC. A total of 342 cases with available tissue were identified and randomly allocated into a discovery cohort (n = 138) and a validation cohort (n = 204). Levels of mRNA were quantified using a nCounter Digital Analyzer, and the ccA/ccB subtypes were determined. Histological and immunohistochemistry (IHC) analyses were subsequently performed to establish a pathology-based classification based on the mRNA levels. Finally, the prognostic ability of the new classifier was evaluated in both the discovery and validation cohorts. Of 138 cases in the discovery cohort, 78 (56.5%) and 60 (43.5%) were assigned to the ccA and ccB subtypes, respectively. Proangiogenic genes, neuropilin 1 (NRP1) and regulator of G protein signalling 5 (RGS5), were especially overexpressed in all ccRCC samples and were enriched in ccA-assigned tumours. Histologically, tumour necrosis and the sarcomatoid feature were associated with the ccB subtype. In IHC analyses, expression of NRP1, RGS5, and forkhead box M1 (FOXM1), an epithelial-mesenchymal transition-related factor, significantly correlated with the ccA/ccB subtypes. Combining these three IHC factors and tumour necrosis, we developed the IHC/histology-based classifier, which showed good concordance with the ClearCode34 classifier with an accuracy of 0.80. The established classification significantly stratified relapse-free, cancer-specific, and overall survival rates in both the discovery and validation cohorts. The novel molecular pathology classifier integrating NRP1, RGS5, FOXM1, and tumour necrosis may enable the stratification of oncological outcomes for patients with ccRCC undergoing resection surgery.

Comprehensive pathological assessment of histological subtypes, molecular subtypes based on immunohistochemistry, and tumor-associated immune cell status in muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

Molecular assessments of muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) have yielded several molecular categorizations associated with basal and luminal subtypes or tumor-associated immune cell status (TAICs). However, the histological relationships among histological subtypes, molecular subtypes, and TAICs and their clinical implications remain unclear. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the histological associations among these factors and their clinicopathological outcomes. We retrospectively analyzed 106 patients with MIBC who underwent radical cystectomy. The histological subtypes and TAICs were evaluated with hematoxylin and eosin staining, while the basal and luminal molecular subtypes were determined by immunohistochemical expression of cytokeratin (CK) 5/6, CK14, CK20, GATA3 and uroplakin II. Urothelial carcinoma with squamous differentiation and the sarcomatoid variant were highly associated with the basal subtype (P < 0.001 and P = 0.04, respectively). Additionally, high TAICs were significantly correlated with the basal subtype (P < 0.001). Although there was no significant difference in the cancer-specific survival (CSS) rate between molecular subtypes (P = 0.295), TAICs significantly discriminated CSS rates (P < 0.001). Furthermore, the combination of molecular subtypes and TAICs significantly stratified cancer-specific mortality rates. In conclusion, a comprehensive pathological evaluation of histological subtypes, molecular subtypes, and TAICs is feasible and can influence the oncological outcome.

The SSPN Score, a Novel Scoring System Incorporating PBRM1 Expression, Predicts Postoperative Recurrence for Patients with Non-metastatic Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The loss of PBRM1 expression (as identified by immunohistochemistry) is associated with a high risk of postoperative recurrence for patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). The authors developed a scoring system to predict recurrence based on clinicopathologic factors incorporating PBRM1 expression. METHODS: This study retrospectively reviewed 479 ccRCC patients who underwent radical surgery between 2006 and 2017. The study extracted a subset of 389 non-metastatic ccRCC patients for whom relevant clinicopathologic factors were available. The primary end point was recurrence-free survival (RFS). The Kaplan-Meier method and the Cox proportional hazards model were used for statistical analysis. Leibovich score, SSIGN score, and University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Integrated Staging System were included as conventional prediction models. RESULTS: Of the 389 patients, 53 (13.6%) experienced recurrence during a median period of 61 months. Multivariable analyses showed that that the independent factors for RFS were ≥ pT3 (hazard ratio [HR] 3.64; P < 0.001), sarcomatoid or rhabdoid component (HR 3.29; P = 0.005), PBRM1 negativity (HR 3.39; P = 0.001), and necrosis (HR 3.60; P < 0.001). A scoring system calculated with these factors, named the SSPN (stage, sarcomatoid, PBRM1 expression, and necrosis) score, showed significant differences in RFS among the following four groups; low-risk group (0 factors), intermediate-risk group (1 factor), high-risk group (2 to 3 factors), and very high-risk group (4 factors) (P < 0.001). The authors' model also showed a greater predictive accuracy for 5-year RFS than the conventional models (0.841 vs 0.747-0.792). CONCLUSIONS: The SSPN score, which integrates clinicopathologic findings and PBRM1 expression, can accurately predict postoperative recurrence for patients with non-metastatic ccRCC after radical surgery.

[Granulomatous Prostatitis : Three Cases Report].

Case 1 : A 65-year-old man visited withfrequent urination and dysuria. Pyuria and bacteriuria were observed and prostate specific antigen (PSA) was elevated to 5.69 ng/ml. Prostate cancer and urinary tract infection were suspected. A antibiotics were administered and prostate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed. Massive prostate cancer was strongly suspected from the MRI findings and prostate needle biopsy was performed. The pathological examination revealed nonspecific granulomatous prostatitis. Case 2 : A 69-year-old man visited withfrequent urination. Urinalysis was normal and PSA was elevated to 4.52 ng/ml. Diffuse prostate cancer was suspected from the MRI findings and prostate needle biopsy was performed. Pathological findings were similar to those in case 1. Case 3 : A 61-year-old man presented withno urinary symptoms. Urinalysis was normal and PSA was elevated to 11.64 ng/ml. Medical history was renal pelvic cancer and bladder cancer. He had undergone a transurethral resection of the bladder tumor (TURBT) and intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) immunotherapy. Prostate cancer was suspected from the MRI findings and prostate needle biopsy was performed. Pathological findings were granulomatous prostatitis. In these three cases, the structure of these prostate capsules was preserved although extensive prostate cancer was suspected from the findings of MRI T2-weighted and diffusion weighted images. Although histopathologic examination is mandatory for differential diagnosis between granulomatous prostatitis and diffuse prostate cancer, prostate MRI may help to distinguish these diseases.

[Improvement in Hyperglysemia Following Unilateral Adrenalectomy for ACTH-Independent Macronodular Adrenal Hyperplasia (AIMAH) : A Case Report].

Adrenal corticotropin (ACTH) -independent macronodular adrenal hyperplasia (AIMAH) is a rare cause of Cushing's syndrome. Bilateral adrenalectomy is the treatment of choice, but lifetime steroid replacement is essential. Here we report a case of AIMAH whose hyperglycemia was improved following unilateral adrenalectomy. A 42-year-old woman with serious intellectual disability and intractable epilepsy presented with polydipsia. Casual blood glucose and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) were 322 mg/dl and 8.5%, respectively. The cortisol level was high and ACTH level was low. Abdominal computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed unsuspected macronodular enlargement of bilateral adrenal glands (left 8 cm, right 4 cm in maximal diameter) and she was diagnosed with AIMAH. Both adrenal glands showed intense 131 I-adosterol accumulation predominantly in the left side and left-unilateral laparoscopic adrenalectomy was performed. Both insulin and oral antidiabetic drugs could be cancelled postoperatively, and HbA1c decreased to 5.7%. Steroid was not replaced but she never experienced adrenal crisis. We conclude that unilateral adrenalectomy is a safe and effective treatment for certain cases of AIMAH.

Impact of elemental diet on early recovery after laparoscopic colectomy: findings of a randomized controlled trial.

PURPOSE: An amino acid-containing elemental diet (ED) does not require digestion for nutritional absorption, making it a good option for patients with gastrointestinal malabsorption. We conducted a randomized trial to confirm that perioperative ED enhanced the recovery of patients undergoing laparoscopic colectomy. METHODS: Patients in the intervention arm received commercially available ED from the day prior to surgery until postoperative day (POD) 3, whereas patients in the control group received a conventional perioperative diet program. To verify the endpoints, "estimated minimum length of stay in hospital after surgery" (emLOS) was defined as the number of days necessary to reach all the five criteria; namely, "sufficient oral intake", "sufficient pain control", "withdrawal of intravenous alimentation", "no abnormal findings in routine examinations", and "no rise in fever". RESULTS: A total of 102 patients were randomized, 94 of whom were analyzed (ED 45, control 49). There was no morbidity or mortality. Shorter emLOS (POD 4 vs. POD 7; p = 0.018), earlier resumption of sufficient oral intake (POD 3 vs. POD 4; p = 0.034) and faster recovery to defecation (2.2 vs. 3.1 days; p = 0.005) were observed in the ED group vs. the control group. CONCLUSIONS: The perioperative ingestion of ED by patients undergoing laparoscopic colectomy is safe and can reduce the postoperative hospital stay by supporting the acceleration of oral intake.