An unusual case of hematuria caused by a foreign body in the bladder: US and radiologic findings.

The presence of a foreign body in the bladder or urethra is generally the result of autoerotic acts, psychiatric problems, or therapeutic interventions. It can cause hematuria, pain, and abscess formation, which may lead the patient to seek medical care, but the diagnosis is not always easy. This report describes a man who presented with several months' history of hematuria. Ultrasonography revealed a foreign body in the bladder, and the diagnosis was confirmed by abdominal radiography. The object, which was endoscopically removed, proved to be the ceramic sheath of an endoscopic resector that had been used 2 years earlier for transurethral resection of the prostate.

Combined treatment of invasive bladder carcinoma with transurethral resection, induction chemotherapy, and radical radiotherapy plus concomitant protracted infusion of cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil: a phase I study.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to define the maximum tolerated doses (MTDs) of cisplatin (CDDP) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) administered as protracted intravenous infusion (PVI) during hyperfractionated radiotherapy (HFRT) administered with organ-sparing intent to patients with infiltrating transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder (TCCB). METHODS: Twenty-five patients with T2-T4aNXM0 TCCB were enrolled in this study. After a complete transurethral resection, bladder mapping, and two cycles of induction chemotherapy, patients were submitted to HFRT and CDDP + 5-FU as concomitant PVI at escalating dose levels until MTDs were reached. Treatment efficacy was also evaluated, in terms of complete response (CR) rates and cystectomy free, disease free, and overall survival. RESULTS: Combined treatment was well tolerated. The recommended doses for Phase II studies of PVI chemotherapy and radiotherapy for patients with invasive bladder carcinoma are CDDP 5 mg/m2/day and 5-FU 220 mg/m2/day. Twenty-four patients were evaluable for response: 21 (87.5%) had CR and 3 PR. After a median follow-up of 31 months (range, 11-49 months), 18 of 21 patients with CRs (86%) were alive: 15 (71.4%) had tumor free bladder, of whom 3 had superficial recurrence successfully treated with endovesical therapy and 1 had distant metastases. Three patients were submitted to cystectomy, one for superficial recurrence and hematuria and two for invasive bladder recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: This study defines the MTDs of CDDP and 5-FU concomitantly administered with hyperfractionated radiotherapy. The low toxicity observed and the high CRs and bladder preservation rates deserve further study.

[Determination of the composition of renal calculi by x-ray spectrometry]. / Determinazione della composizione dei calcoli renali mediante l'impiego delle tecniche spettrometriche ai raggi X.

X-ray spectrophotometry shows undoubtful advantages versus conventional chemical methods employed in the analysis of kidney stones. In fact, it is possible to detect little crystals that are very important in the genesis and treatment of urinary calculosis.