[PENILE STRANGULATION CAUSED BY A METALLIC RING SUCCESSFULLY TREATED BY PENILE PUNCTURE PLUS BLOOD REMOVAL INSTEAD OF DESTROYING THE RING].

A 63-year-old man visited our hospital with a complaint of penile swelling caused by metallic ring entrapment in the penis. He had put the ring around his penis 4 hours prior and was subsequently unable to remove it. We attempted to remove the ring using a ring cutter but that was unsuccessful. We then inserted two 18 G needles into the corpus cavernosum through the glans penis and removed blood by manual compression according to a technique called the "string method." The swelling gradually decreased, and we successfully removed the ring without destroying it. The total duration of strangulation was about 5 hours. The patient was subsequently discharged after ensuring he had no urinary difficulties. No complications were observed during the follow-up period.In almost all penile strangulation cases caused by hard objects, such as metallic rings, reported in Japan, the objects were typically destroyed and penile puncture and blood removal, as was performed in our case, was rare. Although penile puncture and blood removal is not commonly performed in Japan, this technique can be performed quickly and inexpensively in the emergency room and should be considered an initial treatment for penile strangulation caused by hard objects.

Flow-induced Shear Stress Confers Resistance to Carboplatin in an Adherent Three-Dimensional Model for Ovarian Cancer: A Role for EGFR-Targeted Photoimmunotherapy Informed by Physical Stress.

A key reason for the persistently grim statistics associated with metastatic ovarian cancer is resistance to conventional agents, including platinum-based chemotherapies. A major source of treatment failure is the high degree of genetic and molecular heterogeneity, which results from significant underlying genomic instability, as well as stromal and physical cues in the microenvironment. Ovarian cancer commonly disseminates via transcoelomic routes to distant sites, which is associated with the frequent production of malignant ascites, as well as the poorest prognosis. In addition to providing a cell and protein-rich environment for cancer growth and progression, ascitic fluid also confers physical stress on tumors. An understudied area in ovarian cancer research is the impact of fluid shear stress on treatment failure. Here, we investigate the effect of fluid shear stress on response to platinum-based chemotherapy and the modulation of molecular pathways associated with aggressive disease in a perfusion model for adherent 3D ovarian cancer nodules. Resistance to carboplatin is observed under flow with a concomitant increase in the expression and activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) as well as downstream signaling members mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MEK) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK). The uptake of platinum by the 3D ovarian cancer nodules was significantly higher in flow cultures compared to static cultures. A downregulation of phospho-focal adhesion kinase (p-FAK), vinculin, and phospho-paxillin was observed following carboplatin treatment in both flow and static cultures. Interestingly, low-dose anti-EGFR photoimmunotherapy (PIT), a targeted photochemical modality, was found to be equally effective in ovarian tumors grown under flow and static conditions. These findings highlight the need to further develop PIT-based combinations that target the EGFR, and sensitize ovarian cancers to chemotherapy in the context of flow-induced shear stress.

Malignant fibrous histiocytoma arising from the renal capsule and gene mutation screening: A case report.

Malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) is an aggressive soft tissue sarcoma. Renal MFH is rare and information about its molecular characterization is limited. We present here the case of a 77-year-old man who was incidentally found to have a huge right renal mass on computed tomography. Radical nephrectomy was performed. Pathological diagnosis was MFH arising from the renal capsule. We used Ion AmpliSeq Cancer Hotspot Panel version 2 primers to perform gene mutation screening. We detected 13 mutations in 11 hotspot oncogenes (CSF1R, FGFR3, KDR, APC, PDGFRA, TP53, FLT3, ERBB4, KIT, STK11, RET), but these were not matched to driver mutations.

STAT3 inhibition by WP1066 suppresses the growth and invasiveness of bladder cancer cells.

Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) regulates the expression of genes mediating cell survival, proliferation and angiogenesis and is aberrantly activated in various types of malignancies, including bladder cancer. We examined whether it could be a novel therapeutic target for bladder cancer using the STAT3 inhibitor WP1066. In T24 and UMUC-3 bladder cancer cells, 5 µM WP1066 prevented the phosphorylation of STAT3 and 2.5 µM WP1066 decreased cell survival and proliferation significantly (P<0.01). WP1066 also induced apoptosis accompanied by the suppression of the expression of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL in T24 cells. Moreover, the covered area in a wound and the number of cells invading through a Matrigel chamber decreased significantly (P<0.01) when cells were treated with WP1066. The activities of MMP-2 and MMP-9 were also decreased by treatment with 10 µM WP1066. Our results revealed that using WP1066 to inhibit the STAT3 signaling pathway suppressed the viability and invasiveness of bladder cancer cells effectively and could be a novel therapeutic strategy against bladder cancer.

[A CASE OF METASTATIC BLADDER UROTHELIAL CARCINOMA WHOSE DISEASE WAS CONTROLLED FOR A RELATIVE LONG PERIOD BY MULTIDISCIPLINARY TREATMENT INCLUDING RADIATION TO A LUNG METASTASIS AND MULTIPLE COURSES OF CHEMOTHERAPY].

A 67-year-old woman complained of urinary frequency and gross hematuria. She was referred to our hospital with the diagnosis of bladder tumor. Transurethral resection of the bladder tumor (TURBT) was performed and pathological diagnosis was urothelial carcinoma (G2>G3) with muscular invasion. Because she hoped bladder preservation therapy, she received two courses of M-VAC (methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin and cisplatin) therapy, one course of arterial infusion chemotherapy, and chemoradiotherapy with cisplatin. After those therapies she underwent 4 times of TURBT and two courses intravesical BCG therapy. However, solitary lung metastasis appeared 19 months after the initial TURBT. Multidisciplinary treatments including 25 courses of various multiagent chemotherapies, radiation therapy to the lung metastasis and surgical resection of a urethral recurrence were performed. Although a localized radiation pneumonitis was developed, the lung metastasis appeared to be controlled for 26 months after the radiation therapy to the lung. Bilateral ureteral and renal pelvic tumors appeared after the radiation therapy. Severe bleeding was occurred from renal pelvic tumors several times and she needed the hospital stay 2 times. Active bleeding stopped after the administration of chemotherapy each time. Although she died of occlusive jaundice due to the liver metastasis, she had been alive due to the multidisciplinary treatment for 67 months after lung metastasis appearance with relatively good performance status.

Clinical significance of p21-activated kinase 1 expression level in patients with upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: The p21-activated kinase serine/threonine kinases have been outlined as the main cytoskeletal remolding regulators. The same holds true for cell proliferation and motility. They additionally have a part in cellular invasion and carcinogenesis, but the effect of p21-activated kinase 1 expression on the progression of upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma remains unclear. Therefore, we assessed the relation of p21-activated kinase 1 positivity level to clinicopathological features in patients with upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma. METHODS: Immunohistochemical staining was performed using formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded specimens, which were all from 124 patients with upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma. The determination of staining level was based on the intensity of the staining along with portion of cells stained. Correlation of p21-activated kinase 1 positivity with clinicopathological parameters, including disease-specific or extravesical-recurrence-free survival, was evaluated. RESULTS: Statistically significant association was observed between moderate or more than moderate p21-activated kinase 1 positivity and higher tumor grade, pathological T stage, lymphovascular invasion, history of adjuvant chemotherapy and extravesical recurrence. Positivity for p21-activated kinase 1 had a significant association with shortened disease-specific survival in a multivariate analysis among clinicopathological parameters. Strongly positive p21-activated kinase 1 expression was also one of the independent factors for shortened extravesical-recurrence-free survival time in N0M0 upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma patients in another multivariate analysis as well as histology and lymphovascular invasion (P = 0.0304, hazard ratio = 4.425). CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that our findings can help us continue a careful follow-up for upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma patients with high p21-activated kinase 1 expression in surgical specimens.

[Segmental infarction of the testis diagnosed by MRI: a case report].

A 42 year-old male presented with right scrotal pain. Ultrasonography and color Doppler sonography revealed a segmental hypoechoic lesion with absent blood flow in the upper part of the right testis. MRI showed a well-defined avascular lesion with rim enhancement suggesting segmental infarction of the right testis. Scrotal pain was improved with conservative treatment, after which MRI revealed a reduction. Segmental infarction of the testis is extremely rare and is difficult to distinguish from testicular torsion and testicular tumor. MRI of the acute scrotum is considered to be important for avoiding unnecessary surgical treatment.

[Clinical experience of 52 patients undergoing laparoscopic radical prostatectomy].

Perioperative results and oncological and functional results were evaluated for 52 patients who underwent laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP). Median operative time was 341 minutes and median blood loss was 828 ml. The intraoperative complications were hemorrhage exceeding 3,000 ml (five cases), ureteral injury (two cases), and rectal injury (one case). The median day of catheter removal was postoperative day 7. Postoperative complications were temporal arrhythmia, mild hydronephrosis, port site hernia, urethral stricture, and a giant lymphocele. When surgical results were compared between the firsthalf cases and second-half cases who were operated on by a single surgeon, median operative time and intraoperative hemorrhage did not differ significantly between the two halves but the day of catheter removal after LRP was significantly earlier for the second-half group. The pathological stage was pT3 in 41.2% of the patients and the negative surgical margin rate was 62.7%. The 3-year PSA-failure-free survival rate was 64. 1%. Pad-free status (0-1 pad/day) was achieved in 84.4% of the patients. Erectile function was preserved in 58.3% of patients undergoing nerve-sparing LRP. Although the complication rate and the quality of operative procedures gradually improved, efforts to improve the oncological and functional outcomes of LRP must continue.

[A case of labial adhesion in a reproductive woman].

A 21-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with a complaint of voiding-difficulty and urinary retention. On examination, the labia was found to be extensively fused with a pinhole opening in the center of adhesion from which urine discharged. The fusion was separated surginally under the diagnosis of labial adhesion. Labial adhesions generally occur in children or post-menopausal women, but are extremely rare in reproductive women. This is the sixth case of labial adhesion in a reproductive woman reported in Japan.

[Oral mucosa graft urethroplasty for complicated urethral strictures].

OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the efficacy and outcome of one-stage oral mucosa graft urethroplasty, which is currently the procedure of choice for treating lengthy and complicated urethral strictures not amenable to excision and primary end-to-end anastomosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Seven patients 33 to 74 years old (mean age = 53.7) underwent one-stage oral mucosa graft urethroplasty for a stricture in either the bulbar urethra (four patients), penile urethra (two patients), or pan-anterior urethra (one patient). Three of the strictures were due to trauma, one was due to inflammation, and one was due to a failed hypospadia repair. The other two were iatrogenic. All patients had previously undergone either internal urethrotomy or repeated urethral dilation. Three patients received a tube graft, three received a ventral onlay, and one received a dorsal onlay. A free graft of oral mucosa was harvested from the inside of each patient's left cheek, and if necessary to obtain a sufficient length, the harvest was extended to include mucosa from the lower lip and the right cheek. The graft lengths ranged from 2.5 to 12 cm (mean = 4.6 cm). A urethral catheter was left in place for 3 weeks postoperatively. RESULTS: While no severe complications at the donor site were observed during follow-up periods ranging from 3 to 55 months (mean = 14 months), two patients who had received a tube graft developed distal anastomotic ring strictures that were managed by internal urethrotomy. The other five required no postoperative urological procedure even though one who had received a ventral onlay developed a penoscrotal fistula. CONCLUSION: Oral mucosa is an ideal urethral graft, and oral mucosa graft urethroplasty is an effective procedure for repairing complicated urethral strictures involving long portions of the urethra.

[Severe hypoglycemia after resection of adrenal pheochromocytoma: a case report].

A 55-year-old female presented with subarachnoid hemorrhage and was admitted to the department of neurosurgery. Because she had severe hypertension, systemic evaluation was performed. Computed tomography showed a right adrenal tumor which was suspected to be a pheochromocytoma because catecholamine levels were very high in both serum and 24-hour urine. She did not awaken from anesthesia after laparoscopic adrenalectomy and laboratory tests showed that her blood sugar concentration was 33 mg/dl. This hypoglycemia was controlled by continuous infusion of a 50% glucose solution at 40 ml/h and she became conscious the next morning. We gradually decreased the amount of glucose infused and stopped the infusion on postoperative day 4. The tumor was pathologically diagnosed as a pheochromocytoma.

[A case of leiomyosarcoma in a huge bladder diverticulum].

A 68-year-old man was admitted to our hospital for investigation of dysuria and palpable lower abdominal mass. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a huge bladder diverticulum tumor which infiltrated the mesentery and abdominal wall with multiple lymph node swelling in the pelvis. The tumor was partially resected by a transurethral approach and was histologically diagnosed as malignant neoplasm with marked necrosis. The patients underwent partial cystectomy with dissection of the mesentery and ileum. Pathological examination showed the tumor to be a leiomyosarcoma with mesentery infiltration. The patient had local recurrence with pulmonary metastasis two weeks after the operation and died 39 days after the operation. This is the third case of leiomyosarcoma of the diverticulum of urinary bladder reported in Japan.

[A case of a dramatic recovery of hypertensive hemorrhage in the mid-pons].

A 50-year-old female who had a past history of non-treated hypertension, demonstrated a coma on arrival. CT revealed a high density lesion measuring 23 mm in transverse diameter and 15 mm in height at the ventral mid pons without breaking into a fourth ventricle or extending to the midbrain. She required mechanical ventilation support. Her consciousness improved on the 2nd hospital day. She showed tetra-plegia, which was especially dominant on her right side. Her symptoms gradually improved until she could stand and she was eventually discharged on the 41st hospital day. At 90 days after the initial presentation, an enhanced head MRI showed the absorption of the hematoma and no existence of any vascular malformation was observed. We herein report a case who dramatically recovered from a hypertensive pontine hemorrhage, despite the fact that she demonstrated several risk factors for a poor prognosis. The fact that the size of the hematoma was not so huge, and the location of the hematoma spared both the ascending reticular activating system and the nuclei, may explain the favorable outcome in this case.