Clinical Factors to Predict Difficult Ureter during Ureteroscopic Lithotripsy.

Objective: To identify risk factors for difficult ureters during ureteroscopic lithotripsy and to determine the appropriate indications for preoperative stenting. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 156 ureteroscopic procedures for upper urinary tract stones after excluding those with preoperative stenting or percutaneous nephrostomy. Traceability of the ureter was assessed by two urologists. Traceability was defined as positive if either or both urologists discerned the ureter in all slices on preoperative plain computed tomography. Patients' backgrounds were compared between the nondifficult ureter and difficult ureter groups. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to evaluate the relationships between difficult ureters and other clinical factors. Results: Of 156 patients, 31 (19.9%) were classified into the difficult ureter group. The positive traceability was higher in the nondifficult ureter group (48.3% vs. 83.2%, P < 0.001). The major axis was smaller in the difficult ureter group than in the nondifficult ureter group (8.8 ± 3.9 mm vs. 10.9 ± 4.5 mm, P < 0.018). A major axis <8 mm (odds ratio: 4.495, 95% confidence interval: 1.791-11.278, and P=0.001), negative traceability (odds ratio: 7.565, 95% confidence interval: 2.693-21.248, and P < 0.001), smoking status (odds ratio: 3.196, 95% confidence interval: 1.164-8.773, and P=0.024), and absence of diabetes mellitus (odds ratio: 5.813, 95% confidence interval: 1.121-30.142, and P=0.036) were identified as independent predictors of difficult ureters on multivariate logistic regression analysis. Conclusion: Patients with smaller stones, negative traceability, ongoing tobacco consumption, and absence of diabetes mellitus were at higher risk of difficult ureters. In these patients, preoperative stenting may be considered.

[EFFICACY OF SCHEDULED INTRAVENOUS OR ORAL ACETAMINOPHEN ADMINISTRATION AFTER ROBOTIC-ASSISTED LAPAROSCOPIC RADICAL PROSTATECTOMY].

(Purpose) To determine the efficacy of scheduled intravenous or oral acetaminophen administration after robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RARP) in our hospital. (Subjects and methods) We retrospectively analyzed 173 patients who underwent RARP at our hospital between April 2019 and December 2020. The patients were divided into three groups (A, B, and C) according to the use of postoperative analgesia. Group A patients were administered acetaminophen only when needed. Group B patients were administered intravenous acetaminophen every 6 h from the day of surgery to postoperative day 2. Group C patients were prescribed oral acetaminophen from 3 to 7 days postoperatively in addition to being administered intravenous acetaminophen (similar to group B). Multivariate analysis was performed to determine whether scheduled intravenous or oral acetaminophen administration reduced unscheduled analgesic use. (Results) There were 110, 33, and 30 patients in groups A, B, and C, respectively. Significant differences in lymph node dissection rates were observed between groups A and B (70.9% vs 36.4%; P=0.001) and groups A and C (70.9% vs 33.3%; P< 0.001); furthermore, significant differences in the frequency of preoperative androgen blockade therapy were observed between groups A and C (20% vs 3.3%; P=0.029). Logistic regression analysis showed that only scheduled intravenous and oral administration of acetaminophen on postoperative days 0 to 2 was an independent factor for postoperative pain (group A vs group B: OR=0.127; 0.046-0.355; P< 0.001 and group A vs group C: OR=0.133; 0.046-0.390; P< 0.001). On postoperative days 3 to 7, there was no significant difference in the unscheduled use of analgesics between groups A and B. Only 1 of the 30 group C patients received unscheduled analgesia. (Conclusions) Scheduled intravenous or oral administration of acetaminophen may reduce unscheduled analgesic use after RARP.

[A CASE OF DISSEMINATED INTRAVASCULAR COAGULATION CAUSED BY ADVANCED PROSTATE CANCER].

The 79 years old man was referred to our department due to high value of serum prostate specific antigen (39.54 ng/ml). The magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated diffuse low signal at his prostate. Bone scintigraphy revealed multiple metastatic lesion. Needle biopsy was performed for definite diagnosis. Systemic purpura showed after prostate needle biopsy although he had noticed local purpura at his back before the examination. He was diagnosed as disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) syndrome due to advanced prostate cancer. Treatment with anti-DIC therapy, blood transfusion, subcutaneous injection of degarelix acetate settled the DIC. Abiraterone hydrochloride and prednisolone was added as we confirmed Gleason score5+4 in the pathological examination. He has been alive for 15 months after diagnosis without desease progression.

[A CASE OF PELVIC CONGESTION SYNDROME SUCCESSFULLY TREATED WITH ENDOVASCULAR THERAPY].

An 84-year-old woman was referred for lower abdominal pain lasting more than six months. Computed tomography showed a left ovarian varicose vein and a peri-uterine venous plexus. Due to suspected pelvic congestion syndrome, left ovarian venography and left ovarian embolization were performed. Blood flowed back through the dilated left ovarian vein and through the uterine venous plexus to the right ovarian vein. Embolization of the left ovarian vein with a sclerosing agent resulted in the disappearance of the venous congestion. Preoperative Visual Analogue Scale was 7, which decreased to 3 after the operation. As a result, improvements in QOL were recognized. Although pelvic congestion syndrome is a treatable disease, its recognition as a urological disease is low. Here, we have reported a case of pelvic congestion syndrome in which symptoms improved with treatment and have discussed its pathophysiology and treatment.

[A Case of Primary Angiosarcoma of the Ureter].

Angiosarcoma is a very rare tumor. The malignancy is high grade and the prognosis is extremely poor. A 51-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with the main complaint of asymptomatic macroscopic hematuria. Since right ureteral cancer was suspected by the imaging examination, laparoscopic right total nephroureterectomy was planned. However, strong adhesion was found between the tumor and the surrounding tissue, and the tumor could not be completely resected from the distal ureter. Pathological diagnosis was primary ureteral angiosarcoma, and staging was right middle ureteral angiosarcoma T3N0M0. However, since surgical findings strongly suspected that the peeled surface was positive, adjuvant radiation therapy was added. He is alive without disease recurrence at one year and eight months after surgery.

[A Case of Renal Cell Carcinoma Recurrence in the Ureteral Stump, 8 Years after Radical Nephrectomy].

A 62-year-old woman underwent laparoscopic radial nephrectomy for the left renal cell carcinoma in September 2008. In July2016, the patient developed asymptomatic gross hematuria. Computed tomography (CT) revealed the enlargement of the left ureteral stump and an 11mm nodule in the superior lobe of the right lung. Since [F-18] fluoro-D-glucose-positron emission tomography-CT FDG PET-CT demonstrated a lung tumor, we decided to perform right upper lobectomybyvideo-assisted thoracoscopic surgeryin September. The patient was diagnosed with metastatic renal cell carcinoma. We then removed the left ureteral stump and performed partial cystectomy in November. A pathological examination revealed that the tumor was metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma invading the muscle layer. Two months later, the patient developed gross hematuria again. Cystoscopy revealed a 1cm tumor around the scar of partial cystectomy. Transurethral resection was performed, and a pathological examination revealed metastatic renal cell carcinoma. We herein report this case of renal cell carcinoma in which recurrence occurred in the ureteral stump, 8 years after radical nephrectomy.

Measurement of serum isoform [-2]proPSA derivatives shows superior accuracy to magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis of prostate cancer in patients with a total prostate-specific antigen level of 2-10 ng/ml.

OBJECTIVE: More accurate diagnostic procedures for prostate cancer are needed to avoid unnecessary biopsy due to the low specificity of prostate-specific antigen (PSA). Recent studies showed that the percentage of serum isoform [-2]proPSA (p2PSA) to free PSA (%p2PSA), the Prostate Health Index (PHI) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were more accurate than PSA. The aim of this study was to test the accuracy of %p2PSA, PHI and MRI in discriminating patients with and without prostate cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The subjects were 50 consecutive men with a PSA level of 2.0-10.0 ng/ml, who underwent prostate biopsy from October 2012 to July 2014. These patients underwent multiparametric MRI before biopsy, and their serum samples were measured for PSA, free PSA and p2PSA. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of PHI, %p2PSA and MRI were compared with PSA in the diagnosis of biopsy-confirmed prostate cancer. RESULTS: In a univariate analysis, %p2PSA [area under the curve (AUC): 0.811] and PHI (AUC 0.795) were more accurate than MRI (AUC: 0.583) and PSA (AUC: 0.554) for prostate cancer detection. At 60% sensitivity, the specificity of PHI (76.5%) was higher than that of MRI (52.9%). For significant cancer detection, %p2PSA (AUC: 0.745), PHI (AUC: 0.791) and MRI (AUC: 0.739) were marginally more accurate than PSA (AUC: 0.696). At 85% sensitivity, the specificity of MRI (62.1%) was higher than that of PHI (34.5%). CONCLUSION: PHI and %p2PSA can be used for screening the general population and MRI can be used for detection of significant cancer in patients suspected, from screening tests, of having prostate cancer.

Bilateral renal lymphoma: rapid recovery from an acute kidney injury after open renal biopsy.

Renal lymphoma as an initial lesion is relatively rare. Bilateral renal lymphoma frequently presents as acute kidney injury. With systematic chemotherapy for the lymphoma, patients usually recover their kidney function. However, in the case we describe here, the patient's kidney function recovered greatly after an open renal biopsy. Here, we review and discuss this unique case.