Priapism: an unusual complication of heparin therapy for sudden deafness.

Two cases of priapism occurring during heparin therapy for sudden hearing loss are reported. The association of anticoagulants and priapism is increasingly recognized. Literature studying possible mechanisms of the role of heparin in priapism is reviewed.

The use of self-retained ureteral stents in the management of urologic complications in renal transplant recipients.

Nineteen self-retaining ureteral stents were used to manage postoperative ureteral obstruction and fistulas in 12 renal transplant recipients. In 3 patients with ureteral obstruction and 2 with a fistula placement of the self-retaining stents for 4 to 6 weeks allowed the complication to resolve. In 3 patients with ureteral obstruction placement of the self-retaining stents allowed for stabilization of the condition and reduction of immunosuppression therapy before an open surgical repair. In 6 patients self-retaining ureteral stents were used to protect the high risk anastomosis done at an open surgical repair of a complication. Placement of a self-retaining ureteral stent may be the best choice in the early management of ureteral obstruction and fistulas in transplant recipients.

Transurethral urethrotomy under vision.

Transurethral urethrotomy under vision with the Sachse urethrotome is a new surgical procedure for the treatment of urethral strictures. The chief advantage of the urethrotome is the fact that the surgeon can cut strictures selectively and accurately under clear vision. The procedure is less painful than blind internal urethrotomy and less extensive cases can be done in the office with the patient under local anesthesia. We report on 36 cases with at least 6 months of followup. In 20 cases the strictures were distal to the prostate and the results were considered good in 16, improved in 3 and a failure in 1. The other 16 cases involved vesical neck contractures and all patients had good results. The technique for urethral strictures distal to the prostate and for vesical neck contractures is described and postoperative treatment is emphasized and discussed.

Results of large-caliber internal urethrotomy.

Thirty-five patients undergoing internal urethrotomy for urethral stricture disease were reviewed retrospectively. Eight patients had conventional urethrotomies (less than 36 F) while 27 had large-caliber urethrotomies (greater than 40 F). Large-caliber urethrotomy tends to give longer symptom-free intervals immediately postoperatively, but long-term results show little difference between the two groups.

Long-term ureteral replacement prosthesis.

A silicone rubber tube with bonded Dacron felt cuffs have been implanted in dogs as a ureteral replacement prosthesis. A one-way valve has also been developed to prevent reflux so the prosthesis may be put into the bladder. The prosthesis has been implanted for periods up to nine months. Although there are some problems associated with the prosthesis, most animals have maintained a normal serum creatinine, sterile urine, and a normal excretory urogram.

Gibbons ureteral stent in renal transplant recipients.

The Gibbons indwelling ureteral stent was used in 5 renal recipients. Early post-operative obstructions at the ureterovesical junction in 2 cases and 1 at the ureteroplevic junction were treated by placing the stent through an open cystostomy. Late strictures were treated in 2 patients by inserting the stent endoscopically. It was also used to stent a ureteroureterostomy. After removal of the stent in 2 of 3 patients, no further treatment of the obstriction was required. In the third case it provided time to allow the steroid dose to be lowered so definitive repair could be undertaken. One stent has remained patent for fourteen months. The Gibbons stent appears to be a valuable new tool in the treatment of post-transplant ureteral obstruction.

The adverse effect of high-dose steroids on renal autografts and homografts.

We observed that canine renal homografts preserved for 5 hours with hypothermic pulsatile perfusion to which large doses of methylprednisolone were added showed obliteration of glomerular capillary loops by eosinophilic proteinaceous material immediately after revascularization. The lesion progressed to focal necrosis at 24 hours and diffuse necrosis by 5 days. Urine formation was present 7.8 (+/- 3.2 S.D.) days in eight control kidneys not exposed to methylprednisolone, 5.8 (+/- 3.8 S.D.) in 11 organs perfused with 1.0 Gm. of methylprednisolone added, and 3.0 (+/- 2.9 S.D.) in eight with 2.0 Gm. of the drug in the standard cryoprecipitated canine plasma perfusate. Autografts treated with the larger dose also showed a similar but temporally more variable lesion. Two kidneys ceased functioning at 4 and 7 days, and six still were functioning at 14 days. Ninety-four percent of human renal homografts from living related donors were functioning at one month and 82 percent at one year in 88 patients who had rejection crises treated with one gram of methylprednisolone or less intravenously. In 32 human recipients of living related donor grafts receiving 40 mg. per kilogram of methylprednisolone intravenously from days one to 3 postoperatively and for rejection crises, 69 and 59 percent were functioning at one month and one year, respectively. From this data we conclude that exercise doses of methylprednisolone are inadvisable in renal transplantation.

Urethral hyperthermia: an alternative to urethrectomy.

Nine male dogs were subjected to cystoprostatectomy, ileal loop diversion, and urethral hyperthermia. Five of the 9 dogs survived six weeks. Three of the 5 surviving dogs had complete destruction of the urethral epithelium, and the other 2 dogs had 95 per cent and 50 per cent destruction with the proximal urethral end incompletely destroyed. Complete urethral destruction may have been obtained with resection of the proximal urethra postirrigation. The irrigation added no extra time to the surgical procedure and was accompanied by few complications. Complications may have been averted with a dorsal slit and meatotomy.

Adrenal myelolipoma.

A myelolipoma of the adrenal gland is reported. Diagnostic features include (1) hyperlucent mass on intravenous pyelography with renal displacement, (2) an avascular mass on arteriography and venography, (3) solid tissue mass on B-mode ultrasonography, and (4) no clinical or chemical evidence of adrenal hyperfunction.