Eosinophilic cystitis presenting as urinary retention.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the incidence, etiology, diagnosis, therapy and results in patients with eosinophilic cystitis (EC), with special attention to patients with urinary retention as presenting symptom. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between 1988 and 1999, 3 patients with EC were diagnosed. One patient presented with urinary retention, without other symptoms. All patients were evaluated for symptoms, urine culture, hematology including cell differentiation, blood chemistry, cystoscopy and intravenous urography. The international literature was reviewed for incidence, etiological factors, diagnostic procedures, therapies and outcome of EC presenting with urinary retention. RESULTS: Two male patients presented with pain, frequency of micturition and nocturia. One female patient presented with urinary retention. One patient had an urinary tract infection. One patient showed eosinophilia of the peripheral blood. Intravenous urography revealed hydroureteronephrosis in 2 patients (1 unilateral and 1 bilateral). Cystoscopy showed tumor-like lesions in 2 patients. Therapy consisted of oral or intravesical corticosteroids or transurethral resection of the lesions. All patients were cured. A review of the literature revealed that 14 patients with EC (10%) presented with urinary retention; the majority (79%) being children and women. All patients returned to normal miction following therapy. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical presentation of EC is varied. When the lesion is located at or near the bladder neck, it may present as urinary retention. In children and women with urinary retention, EC must be considered in the differential diagnosis. Corticosteroids are the mainstay of efficient therapy.

Increasing osteopathic manipulative treatment skills and confidence through mastery learning.

Several recent studies document the declining use of osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) in clinical practice. In this article, the authors contend that developing new teaching materials based on the mastery learning approach can augment time-tested methods of teaching OMT and help to stop or reverse this decline. The Spencer technique for shoulder manipulation is used to demonstrate the development and evaluation of OMT mastery learning materials. These materials could be developed as part of a progressive teaching sequence requiring increasing diagnostic acumen, palpatory skill, and therapeutic subtlety. Such a program could be used throughout osteopathic medical training and for continuing medical education to increase skills and confidence in the use of OMT.

Decrease of serum testosterone by cyproterone acetate accompanied by an unexpected increase of calcitonin secretion capacity.

The interaction between testosterone and calcitonin secretion capacity was studied in 9 patients with prostatic cancer. Treatment with the antiandrogenic agent cyproterone acetate resulted in an expected decrease in serum testosterone but an unexpected and unexplained increase in calcitonin secretion capacity. The previous statement that a positive correlation between sex hormones and calcitonin secretion capacity can be recognized probably requires revision. This unexpected effect of cyproterone acetate had possible additive beneficial advantages for treatment, such as bone mass sparing and its analgesic effect.