[Recrudescent prostate cancer with a low serum PSA level and a high serum CEA level treated with docetaxel : a case report].

A 63-year-old man was hospitalized with an increased serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) level (72 ng/ml). A prostate biopsy was performed, and histological examinations indicated moderately and poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma with positive staining for carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). The patient was diagnosed as having prostate cancer (clinical stage : T3bN0M0) and received radiotherapy and hormonal therapy. Five years after the diagnosis, the serum CEA level increased to 153.8 ng/dl, and the patient complained of abdominal pain. His serum PSA level remained normal (<0.1 ng/dl). Computed topography indicated multiple bone metastasis and the involvement of multiple lymph glands. A biopsy of a cervical lymph gland revealed poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma with positive staining for CEA. Gastrointestinal examination showed no evidence of abnormality. The diagnosis of metastatic prostate cancer was made, and docetaxel (60-70 mg/m2) was administered. Eight courses of docetaxel therapy led to an approximately 20% reduction in lymph volume, and the serum CEA level decreased. However, liver metastases developed 12 months later, and the patient died at 18 months after the diagnosis of metastatic prostate cancer with a high serum CEA level. We encountered a case of recrudescence of prostate cancer positive for CEA with a low serum PSA level and report the effect of docetaxel therapy for atypical prostatic carcinoma.

[Seminal vesicle cyst associated with ipsilateral renal dysplasia and vena cava malformation : a case report].

We report a rare case of seminal vesicle cyst associated with ipsilateral renal dysplasia and vena cava malformation. A 76-year-old man was hospitalized because of difficulty in urination. We diagnosed benign prostate hyperplasia with vesical diverticulum and administered medication that was found to improve urination. However, positron emission tomography-computed tomography showed a large mass in the pelvic region ; therefore, additional examinations were performed. Urethrocystography showed a filling defect in the bladder. Computed tomography revealed the absence of the right kidney and the presence of a double vena cava and a large seminal vesicle cyst on the same side. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a cystic ectopic ureter associated with the seminal vesicle cyst. Therefore, we diagnosed the patient with a seminal vesicle cyst associated with ipsilateral renal dysplasia and performed cyst puncture. The patient is currently free from urinary symptoms at 12 months after surgery.

Evaluation of brittleness of porcelain fused to pure titanium by fracture toughness, hardness and fracture energy.

To elucidate the cause of brittleness of porcelain fused to pure titanium (PFPT) which leads to chipping and cracking similar to that of conventional porcelain in clinical use, fracture toughness KIc, hardness (Hv and Hk) and fracture energy gamma reflecting the bonding energy of atoms were evaluated. In KIc there were no differences between PFPT and conventional porcelain, nor for Hv and Hk, but for the gamma of PFPT calculated from the KIc and the Young modulus measured by the resonance method there was less than that of conventional porcelain. These results indicate that mechanical properties such as KIc and hardness cannot always substantiate the brittleness of PFPT experienced in practical use. However, a comparatively small gamma of PFPT may suggest a fatigue crack growth as a more likely phenomenon as it occurs more easily than the conventional one in oral.