False-positive pregnancy test associated with gonadoblastoma.

Gonadoblastomas are known to be hormonally active tumors that occur in streak or dysgenetic gonads of patients with intersex abnormalities. Several reports document their ability to produce beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), but none have documented an elevated peripheral serum beta-HCG. We report on the case of a patient with pure gonadal dysgenesis with XY karyotype who was found to have an elevated peripheral serum beta-HCG after a positive pregnancy test. Knowledge of gonadoblastoma's potential to elevate serum beta-HCG levels may prevent unnecessary searches for other causes.

Radical prostatectomy in patients with indwelling inflatable penile prosthesis.

Patients with impotence who have undergone placement of an inflatable penile prosthesis (IPP) and then subsequently are diagnosed with carcinoma of the prostate (CaP) present a surgical dilemma. We performed radical retropubic prostatectomy on 3 patients with clinically localized CaP and an indwelling IPP. At laparotomy all 3 patients had the IPP reservoir relocated to facilitate dissection. In each case the reservoir was relocated to the left hypogastrium within the extraperitoneal space without disrupting the vacuum tubing system. There were no complications related to IPP, no IPP was injured, and each IPP was reactivated successfully 6 weeks after surgery.

Transurethral biopsy of the prostate for persistently elevated or increasing prostate specific antigen following multiple negative transrectal biopsies.

PURPOSE: Treatment of the patient with persistently elevated prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels after pathologically negative transrectal or manually directed prostate needle biopsy is unclear. We retrospectively evaluated the use of transurethral biopsy of the prostate as an adjunctive study for the diagnosis of prostate cancer in these patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From January 1993 through February 1996, 71 patients underwent transurethral biopsy in conjunction with repeat prostatic needle biopsy for a persistently elevated PSA (greater than 4 ng./ml.) after previously negative needle biopsy. All patients had at least 1 previous ultrasound guided sextant prostatic needle biopsy (mean 1.85, range 1 to 7) with or without manually directed biopsies. Following negative prostatic needle biopsy these patients subsequently underwent a minimum of a 4-quadrant transurethral sampling of the prostatic fossa followed by repeat sextant prostatic needle biopsy. A subset of patients underwent sampling of the anterior prostatic tissue or transition zone using transrectal ultrasound guided prostatic needle biopsy at transurethral biopsy. RESULTS: Of the 71 patients with elevated PSA (mean 16.2 ng./ml., range 4.2 to 171) 17 (24%) had prostate cancer on the repeat prostatic needle biopsy. Both patients who had prostate cancer on the transurethral biopsy specimens also had prostate cancer on the repeat prostatic needle biopsy specimens. A total of 68 patients had benign prostatic tissue and 1 had high grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia on transurethral biopsy specimens. Of 19 patients with high grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia on the initial prostatic needle biopsy, transurethral biopsy specimens revealed no prostate cancer or prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia. Repeat prostatic needle biopsy in these patients with high grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia revealed prostate cancer in 6 and high grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia in 4. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with persistently elevated or increasing serum PSA after a previously negative prostatic needle biopsy, transurethral biopsy is not a useful adjunct in diagnosing prostate cancer. In this high risk group of patients transurethral biopsy adds little or no diagnostic value to prostatic needle biopsy even in those with high grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia.

Sequential penile ultrasound monitoring of patients treated with chronic intracavernous prostaglandin E1.

OBJECTIVES: Clinical outcome studies of prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) have shown a markedly decreased rate of palpable fibrosis and plaque formation. In this prospective study we investigate the potential of this agent to produce subclinical fibrotic changes. METHODS: Real-time high-resolution ultrasound scanning of the corpora was performed using a 7.5 to 10 MHz linear array transducer in 80 men on initiation of treatment with self-administered PGE1 and at quarterly intervals during the course of following (3 to 28 months). The dorsal portion of the penile shaft was scanned in the transverse and sagittal planes from base to glans for a side by side comparison of the cavernosal tissue, evaluating local abnormalities of tissue echogenicity. RESULTS: Palpable lesions were not detected in any men on quarterly follow-up examination. Thirteen (16.5%) men developed new echogenic foci not present on pretreatment scanning at the following locations: proximal corpus cavernosum, subcutaneous tissues, and corpus spongiosum. These changes were observed both as single and multiple lesions ranging in size from 1 to 10 mm. The presence of these findings was independent of the etiology of impotence, dose frequency, and duration of intracavernous therapy. CONCLUSIONS: The significance of these subclinical changes is unknown but their low incidence should be recognized when considering long-term intracavernous therapy.

Testicular cancer in blacks. A multicenter experience.

BACKGROUND: The rarity of testis tumor in black patients has made the study of a large series difficult. Much of the epidemiologic and clinical information regarding this neoplasm in this population is in dispute, including data on incidence, prognosis, histologic distribution, age and stage at presentation, and side distribution. METHODS: A retrospective review of 66 blacks with testicular tumors from seven military medical centers was performed. RESULTS: Similar results were found for blacks with testis tumor to those of the general testis cancer population regarding prognosis, side distribution, and age of onset for nonseminoma and interstitial tumors. There is a slight increase in the expected number of interstitial tumors in blacks, but the distribution between seminoma and nonseminoma is similar to the general population. The mean age of presentation for seminoma in blacks was younger than that of the general testis cancer population. For testis tumor treated at the same institution, there was an increased delay of diagnosis in blacks compared with whites. The number of new cases of testicular cancer between 1979 and 1991 at one major center was increased for whites but not for blacks. The availability of cisplatin-based combination chemotherapy has resulted in an improved prognosis for blacks, as has already been demonstrated for white populations. CONCLUSIONS: Testis tumor in blacks behaves similarly to testis tumor in the general population except that in blacks there are more interstitial tumors and the mean age of presentation for seminoma is younger. Further, there is an increased delay in diagnosis for blacks compared with whites, but the incidence of this tumor in this population does not appear to be increasing. Cisplatin-based chemotherapy has significantly improved survival in this population.