Renal cell carcinoma detected in a cadaveric donor after orthotopic liver and contralateral renal transplantation in two recipients: four-year follow-up.

BACKGROUND: Although rare, renal cell carcinoma has been found during renal recovery for cadaveric organ transplantation. Previously, we reported this incidence to be 0.9%. In one cadaveric donor, the liver and left kidney had been transplanted before the discovery of renal cell carcinoma (T1) in the right kidney. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of two patients who had received cadaveric allografts from a donor with a known renal cell carcinoma. RESULTS: Both patients have been followed for 4 years with blood chemistries and chest x-ray every 3 months for year 1, every 4 months for years 2 and 3, and every 6 months thereafter. They also underwent allograft ultrasound every 6 months and an annual CT scan of the abdomen. Both patients have shown no evidence of metastatic disease throughout their follow-up. DISCUSSION: In the rare instance that a patient receives an organ from a cadaveric donor with a known renal cell carcinoma, it is mandatory to follow these patients closely observing for both allograft recurrence and metastatic disease.

Tensile strength of cadaveric fascia lata compared to small intestinal submucosa using suture pull through analysis.

PURPOSE: The modified pubovaginal sling has become popular as first line treatment for stress urinary incontinence. With the increasing use of cadaveric fascia as a sling material, widespread shortages are prevalent, hence limiting its availability. The increased morbidity with the use of synthetic sling materials and autologous fascia has stimulated investigation of other sling materials. We evaluated the tensile strength of 4 suture types, and compared tensile strength of cadaveric fascia lata to porcine small intestinal submucosa using suture pull through analysis to assess their efficacy and durability for use in anti-incontinence procedures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Suture breaking load was determined using 2 and 1-zero polypropylene suture, and 2 and 1-zero polyglactin suture. Freeze dried gamma irradiated human fascia lata and freeze-dried small intestinal submucosa were evaluated. Suture was fixed to sling material using the cross fold technique. Mean suture breakage and suture pull through were determined using a tensionometer by measuring the load applied to the sling/suture system. Statistical analysis was performed. RESULTS: Mean suture breakage load was greatest with 1-zero polyglactin (8.10 pounds) and least with 2-zero polypropylene (3.68 pounds). Mean suture breakage strength was similar for 1-zero polypropylene and 2-zero polyglactin at 5.26 and 5.40 pounds, respectively. Mean suture pull through load using 1-zero polypropylene suture and the cross fold technique was 5.64 pounds for cadaveric fascia and 2.74 pounds for small intestinal submucosa (p <0.0001). Maximum load was limited by the suture strength when using cadaveric fascia, whereas, maximum load was limited in small intestinal submucosa by its inherent tensile strength. However, using a new technique for suture fixation to the small intestinal submucosa, we were able to increase significantly mean suture pull through load to 3.36 pounds (p = 0.008). Additionally, with this new technique small intestinal submucosa allowed gross stretching before suture pull through that was not seen with cadaveric fascia. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the current standard use of 1-zero polypropylene suture for pubovaginal sling fixation, our data suggest that 1-zero polyglactin suture is the strongest, and its use with pubovaginal sling fixation warrants further investigation. Using the cross fold technique and 1-zero polypropylene suture, tensile strength was greatest with cadaveric fascia compared to small intestinal submucosa. Although small intestinal submucosa was not as strong as cadaveric fascia, our persuasive preliminary data suggest that further investigation is warranted in the use of small intestinal submucosa and other suture fixation techniques, and its observed stretch capacity. Hence, with further studies small intestinal submucosa may remain a viable option for pubovaginal sling material.

The incidence and implications of renal cell carcinoma in cadaveric renal transplants at the time of organ recovery.

BACKGROUND: With the exception of primary central nervous system tumors, organ recovery is no longer considered from donors with known malignancy. Because intrathoracic and intraabdominal organs are usually recovered before the kidneys, we examined the incidence of renal cell carcinoma in cadaveric donor kidneys at the time of organ recovery. This would establish the theoretical risk of transplanting donor organs from a patient with a known renal malignancy. METHODS: In cooperation with the Louisiana Organ Procurement Agency, we reviewed the records of all patients who were cadaveric kidney donors in the state of Louisiana between September 1991 and October 1997. Information was reviewed and analyzed on donor age, sex, race, past medical/surgical history, cause of death, and the findings at the time of organ recovery. RESULTS: A total of 553 consecutive cadaveric donors were identified, with 1106 kidneys recovered. Of the 553 cadaveric donors, 5 (0.9%) were noted to have an incidental renal cell carcinoma. All tumors were identified in separate donors; that is, none of the tumors were bilateral. None of the five donors had documented symptoms referable to their urinary tract. All tumors were either T1 or T2 by the tumor, node, metastasis classification system, and no evidence of nodal or distant metastatic disease was present. In one case, the contralateral kidney, heart, and liver were transplanted before the tumor was identified. In the remaining four cases, all organs (renal and nonrenal) were discarded. CONCLUSIONS: Renal cell carcinoma is rarely found during renal recovery from a cadaveric donor. However, because the kidneys are usually recovered after the intrathoracic and intraabdominal organs, careful palpation of the kidneys and exploration of any abnormalities is mandated to avoid transplanting any organs from a donor with a known renal malignancy.

Renal cell carcinoma in an intrathoracic kidney: radiographic findings and surgical considerations.

Ectopic intrathoracic kidney is a rare phenomenon and is usually an incidental finding on a chest radiograph. Of all intrathoracic kidneys, congenital ectopia is most often shown, with a traumatic etiology occurring much less frequently. We report a case of an ectopic intrathoracic kidney with associated renal cell carcinoma. Management, which was based on current treatment recommendations for isolated renal masses, consisted of radical nephrectomy. The patient has been without evidence of disease recurrence for 36 months after surgery.

Seminal vesicle abscess due to tuberculosis: role of tissue culture in making the diagnosis.

Abscess formation involving the seminal vesicle occurs rarely. We report a case of seminal vesicle abscess due to tuberculosis. Urine and fluid cultures and histologic examination of the prostate were negative for mycobacteria. The cause of the abscess was confirmed only after tissue cultures were done.

Clinical characteristics and biopsy specimen features in African-American and white men without prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND: The reported incidence of prostate cancer is higher among African-American men than among white men. We conducted a study of African-American and white men without prostate cancer to determine whether clinical and histologic findings might be associated with racial differences in serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels. METHODS: From January 1990 through March 1997, 493 (59.5%) of 829 African-American men and 736 (74.1%) of 993 white men who had elevated serum PSA levels (> or = 4.0 ng/mL) and/or abnormal digital rectal examinations and who underwent transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsies were found to be without prostate cancer. Also reviewed were patients' age and race, indication for biopsy, histologic features of the prostate biopsy specimen, ultrasound-measured prostate volume, PSA density (i.e., the PSA level divided by the prostate volume), and (in some cases) serum testosterone levels. RESULTS: Among these men without prostate cancer, there were no statistically significant differences by race in the ages of the patients, their prostate volumes, or their serum testosterone levels; however, the mean serum PSA levels and PSA densities were significantly higher in African-American men than in white men (two-sided P values of .00003 and .000009, respectively). A higher proportion of African-American men than white men had inflammation in their prostate biopsy specimen, and men of both races with prostate inflammation had higher PSA values than those without inflammation. African-American men without inflammation had higher PSA values than white men without inflammation. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, African-American men without histologic evidence of prostate cancer had significantly higher PSA levels and PSA densities than similarly aged white men. This finding was not accounted for by racial differences in patients' age, serum testosterone level, or prostate volume.

Penetrating trauma to the male external genitalia.

BACKGROUND: We report on 40 patients with penetrating trauma to the external genitalia. Initial evaluation and management, operative findings, and treatment outcomes are reviewed. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of all patients presenting to our facility with penetrating trauma to the external genitalia since 1988. RESULTS: Of the 40 patients reviewed, 22 sustained isolated scrotal trauma, 10 sustained isolated penile trauma, and 8 had both scrotal and penile injuries. Twenty-nine of the 30 men with scrotal injuries underwent surgical exploration, and 21 of these were found to have injuries to the spermatic cord or testes (in 2 patients, bilateral injuries were noted). The testicular salvage rate was 35%. Penile trauma occurred in 18 patients. Eight corporal injuries and four urethral injuries were managed with debridement and primary repair. Erection and normal voiding was present in all men undergoing reconstruction who returned for follow-up. Thirty-eight percent of tested patients were positive for hepatitis B, C, or both. More than 60% of tested patients were legally intoxicated at the time of injury. Injuries separate from genitourinary trauma were identified in 72% of the men. CONCLUSION: Early surgical exploration with conservative debridement and primary repair of injured structures is recommended for most men who sustain penetrating injuries to the external genitalia. Selected patients with superficial injuries can be managed nonoperatively, but delayed wound complications are not uncommon. Although universal precautions are recommended for all patients, the high prevalence of hepatitis B and C in this group reemphasizes their importance. Long-term follow-up in this largely young, mobile, indigent population was poor.

Influence of hepatic function on serum levels of prostate specific antigen.

PURPOSE: Recent studies have suggested that the primary site of metabolism for prostate specific antigen (PSA) is the liver. We evaluated men undergoing liver transplantation to determine whether chronic hepatic insufficiency affected serum PSA levels and whether improved hepatic function altered serum PSA levels. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ten men with a mean age of 46 years (range 23 to 67) undergoing liver transplantation were evaluated. Liver function tests, including serum bilirubin, serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase and serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase, as well as serum PSA were determined 1 day before and a mean of 12.6 months (range 4 to 18) after transplantation. RESULTS: Serum bilirubin and serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase declined significantly after liver transplantation. There was no difference in mean serum PSA levels before and after liver transplantation. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that severe hepatic dysfunction does not significantly alter the serum concentration of PSA. These data, combined with recent investigations demonstrating an intrahepatic mechanism for PSA elimination, suggest that the liver has a significant reserve to metabolize the relatively small quantities of PSA in the circulation.

Prostate cancer metastatic only to the penis.

Prostate cancer metastatic to the penis is rare. We describe a patient who had a painful nodule in the corpora cavernosa during adjuvant radiotherapy after radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer. Biopsy of the nodule revealed a poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. Immunohistochemical staining for prostate-specific antigen confirmed a prostatic origin for the neoplasm. The lesion to the penis was treated with radiation therapy in conjunction with androgen deprivation therapy. The penile pain completely resolved, and the patient remains alive, 30 months after initiation of therapy.

Testicular microlithiasis as a predictor of intratubular germ cell neoplasia.

Sonographically detected testicular microlithiasis is an uncommon condition, which in recent years has been demonstrated with increased prevalence in patients with testicular tumors. We report a case of a 31-year-old man with left testicular carcinoma and right intratubular germ cell neoplasia diagnosed by biopsy of the right testis at the time of left radical orchiectomy. In this case, preoperative ultrasound revealed right testicular microlithiasis, signaling the presence of intratubular germ cell neoplasia. We propose ultrasound as a noninvasive tool for selecting patients for testicular biopsy.

Ultrasound diagnosis of filarial funiculoepididymitis.

Genital presentation of filarial disease is not uncommon in endemic areas of the world. Acute, febrile illness involving the epididymis and spermatic cord (funiculoepididymitis) is one of many such presentations. With an internationally mobile society, physicians today, even in nonendemic areas, may encounter patients with filarial infestations. We report the first case of presumptive diagnosis of this disease using scrotal ultrasound.

Cellular PSA in benign and malignant prostate.

To determine the relationship of carcinoma of the prostate and cellular production of prostate-specific antigen, cytosol levels of PSA were measured in benign and malignant fresh prostate tissue harvested from radical prostatectomy specimens. Wedge biopsies were taken from benign (N = 21) and malignant (N = 74) prostate tissue and were immediately fixed in liquid nitrogen, and then homogenized and differentially centrifuged, and the cytosol fractions extracted. The remaining specimen was sent for routine pathologic assessment. The Hybritech methodology was used to measure the cytosol PSA and standard protein analysis was used for cytosol protein (CP) measurement. There was a significantly greater concentration of PSA in malignant tissue (P = 0.046). Also, when benign and malignant tissue were available from a single prostate (N = 17), these differences in cytosol PSA were even greater (P = 0.002). In addition, there was no significant difference when serum PSAs from the malignant tissue were ranked according to Gleason score and placed into three different histologic grades (i.e., Gleason scores 2-4, 5-6, and 7-10).

Techniques for bypassing and stenting ureteral obstructions.

The advent of current endourological equipment and combined cystoscopic fluoroscopy allows the urologist to divert and/or stent the majority of benign and malignant ureteral obstructions in either a retrograde or antegrade fashion. We report on our recent experience in managing 105 obstructed renal units to formulate a troubleshooting endourological algorithm for bypassing and stenting ureteral obstructions. The methods described allow for safe and successful stent diversion in the majority of patients with ureteral obstruction requiring initial or primary endourological management. The algorithm presents alternative techniques for bypassing and stenting ureteral obstructions.

Evaluation of the current incidence of nodal metastasis from prostate cancer.

To determine the influences of transrectal ultrasonography, prostate-specific antigen (PSA), and heightened public awareness of prostate cancer stage at diagnosis, we prospectively evaluated our most recent 173 patients who had a pelvic lymphadenectomy from 1987 to 1991. All patients had clinically localized prostate cancer and underwent bilateral limited pelvic lymph node dissections (N = 173); 19 (10.7%) were found to have nodal metastasis. Pathologic tumor stage and grade information was available for 168 patients who had a simultaneous radical prostatectomy. Clinical T-stage data revealed that only one patient had a T3 lesion. Pathologic T stage showed 7.1% to be T1a (12/168), 4.1% to be T1b (7/168), 13.7% to be T2a (23/168), 34.5% to be T2b (58/168), and 40.5% to be T3 lesions (68/168). Metastatic nodal involvement was not seen in any T1a, T1b, or T2a lesions. A Gleason's score of less than 5 lesions was predictive of no nodal metastasis. The clinical stage was upstaged pathologically in none of the T1a, 16.7% of the clinical T1b, 75% of the T2a, and 73% of the T2b lesions. With regard to serum PSA, 27% of those patients with a level > 20 ng/ml had nodal metastasis (6/22) in this series. Although an elevated PSA was not predictive of tumor nodal metastasis, no patient with a normal PSA had nodal metastasis. Although the distribution of pathologic T stages is similar to that reported in the literature, our low incidence of nodal metastasis may suggest that prostate cancer is being diagnosed earlier.

Anatomic, functional, and pathologic changes from internal ureteral stent placement.

The anatomic, hydrodynamic, functional, and pathologic changes associated with unilateral internal ureteral stenting were evaluated in 20 female canines. Selective glomerular filtration rates (GFR) were measured with technetium 99m diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA) renal scans (N = 14) prior to and several weeks after unilateral internal stent placement. Cystometry and cystography were done at weekly intervals to determine if reflux occurred and to measure the intravesical pressure to produce this reflux (N = 16). Ureteral lumenal capacities of mid 6-cm ureteral segments of stented and unstented ureters were compared. The mid-ureteral lumenal volumes were three times greater in the stented ureters (p < 0.002). There were no significant differences in the selective GFR before and after stenting. Low-pressure vesicoureteral reflux occurred at a mean intravesical pressure of 13.7 cm of water and was present in 84.6 percent (11/13) of the canines whose stents did not migrate or obstruct from encrustation. There were no significant alterations in serum chemistries or blood counts. Fluoroscopic imaging also showed ineffective ureteral peristalsis. This study confirms that internal ureteral stents cause vesicoureteral reflux and significant lumenal dilation without altering renal function.