The role of epidermal growth factor (EGF) and its receptor (EGFR) in the pathogenesis and progression of various malignant tumors has long been known, but there is still disagreement concerning ...prognostic significance of EGFR expression in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (CCRCC). The present study was designed to analyze more objectively the protein EGFR expression in CCRCC and to compare its value with EGFR gene copy number changes and clinicopathologic characteristics including patient survival.
The protein EGFR expression was analyzed immunohistochemically on 94 CCRCC, and gene copy number alterations of EGFR by FISH analysis on 41 CCRCC selected according to distinct membrane EGFR staining.
Membrane EGFR expression in tumor cells was heterogeneous with respect to the proportion of positive cells and staining intensity. FISH analysis did not reveal EGFR gene amplification, while polysomy of chromosome 7 found in 41% was associated with higher EGFR membrane expression. Moreover, EGFR overexpression was associated with a higher nuclear grade, larger tumor size and shorter patient's survival, while there was no connection with pathological stage.
In conclusion, the protein expression of EGFR had an impact on prognosis in patients with CCRCC, while an increased copy number of chromosome 7 could be the possible reason for EGFR protein overexpression in the absence of gene amplification.
Peritoneal dialysis (PD) catheter placement is usually performed using general or local anesthesia. We present our PD catheter placement experience using an ultrasound-guided transversus abdominis ...plane (TAP) block, which is a regional anesthesia technique.
In this study, we analyzed 33 patients from our center with ESRD who underwent PD catheter placement using a TAP block between June 2011 and April 2014.
The TAP block was successful for 29/33 (87.9%) patients. Four patients (12.1%) had pain at the incision site and required general anesthesia. There were no anesthesia-, surgery- or catheter-related complications.
ESRD patients have a substantial number of comorbidities that can be negatively influenced by general anesthesia. Because regional anesthesia has no systemic effect, this procedure could be recommended for this group of patients. A TAP block is an effective, safe method and can be used as the principal anesthesia technique for PD catheter placement.
Summary
Background
Bladder outlet obstruction is an uncommon condition in women. Primary bladder neck obstruction is one of the functional causes of bladder outlet obstruction. We evaluated surgical ...treatment in our patients with primary bladder neck obstruction.
Patients and methods
We retrospectively evaluated the medical data of 47 female patients from the Department of Urology who underwent transurethral incision of the bladder neck from January 2000 to December 2012. All patients underwent transurethral bladder neck incision at the vesical neck and proximal urethra at the 5- and 7-o’clock positions. We compared symptoms and urodynamic parameters before and after the operation.
Results
Out of 47 female patients who underwent the operation, primary bladder neck obstruction was diagnosed in 42. The mean age was 44.3 ± 16.8 (range: 21–78) years. The postoperative maximal flow rates were significantly increased (20.6 ± 3.9 vs. 7.6 ± 3.2 mL/s,
P
< 0.0001), and the postvoid residual urine was decreased (31.3 ± 7.8 vs. 132.1 ± 22.24 mL,
P
= 0.0002) compared with preoperative findings. Improvement was evident in most patients (83.3 %). A repeat operation had to be performed in seven patients (16.7 %). Operative therapy failed in one patient (2.4 %).
Discussion and conclusions
The diagnosis of primary bladder neck obstruction in women is based on typical symptoms, uroflowmetry and multichannel urodynamics, including electromyography. Videourodynamics is obligatory in doubtful cases. Transurethral bladder neck incision is an effective therapy for female patients with primary bladder neck obstruction, and if necessary, a second procedure can be safely performed.
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prognostic value of the local NK cell count in patients with recurrent non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer.
The archival paraffin-embedded primary ...tumor specimens were derived from retrospectively-selected patients, who were treated between 1996 and 2001 for bladder cancer. The study group consisted of 46 patients who developed recurrent disease during their first two post-operative years. The control group consisted of 27 patients who did not develop recurrent disease during their first two post-operative years. Specimens were assessed immunohistochemically with standard "ABC" technique. The frequency of NK cells was expressed as total number, estimated for each tumor by counting the positive NK cells in 10 high-power representative fields. Statistical analysis was done using Kruskal-Wallis test.
Patients with recurrent non-muscle invasive bladder cancer in general have significantly higher values of stromal NK cell count than the control group. Patients with single tumor and smaller tumors show a statistically significant difference in NK cell count between study and control group. There also exists a statistically significant difference in stromal NK cell count in patients with clinical stage Ta tumor.
Our results confirm an association of the bladder wall NK cell count in bladder cancer patients with the natural history of disease. Further well-performed, reproducible, large, prospective investigation stratified by clinical parameters, such as tumor number and diameter, is needed to display the true value of this marker in the clinical work-up of bladder cancer patients.
Limfocele su jedna od češćih kirurških komplikacija transplantacije bubrega. Retrospektivno smo analizirali bolesnike s transplantiranim bubregom u našem centru u kojih su dijagnosticirane limfocele. ...Tijekom 39 godina učinili smo 922 transplantacije bubrega, a limfocele su dijagnosticirane u 45 (4,9%) bolesnika. Limfocele smo liječili na sljedeći način: perkutana drenaža s instilacijom povidon-jodida u 36 (80%) bolesnika, perkutana drenaža s instilacijom tetraciklina u jednog (2,2%), perkutana aspiracija u četiri (8,9%) i kirurško liječenje u četiri (8,9%) bolesnika. U četiri (8,9%) bolesnika s recidivom sekundarni postupak bio je uspješan. Ukupno smo otvorenim kirurškim zahvatom liječili pet (11,1%) bolesnika, a laparoskopski četiri (8,9%) bolesnika. Perkutana drenaža limfocele, s instilacijom sklerozirajućeg sredstva ili bez instilacije, je metoda izbora u liječenju limfocele. Laparoskopska fenestracija limfocela je alternativa perkutanoj drenaži, posebno kod recidiva.
Wünderlich syndrome (WS) is a urological emergency characterized by retroperitoneal hemorrhage. In most cases, bleeding occurs from a renal angiomyolipoma (AML) and may be the first manifestation of ...the disease. We report a female patient with bilateral WS due to the metachronous rupture of renal AMLs. Because the patient was stable and the tumor was not malignant, treatment was conservative. Follow-up revealed the full recovery of kidney function and the resolution of the hematoma.
Summary
Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) mostly develop from the neural crest cells but a few arise from neuroectoderm. They are common in the lungs and gastrointestinal tract but rare in the ...genitourinary tract. A 78-year-old man with no family history of malignant or hereditary diseases presented with a 3-month history of a rapidly growing asymptomatic scrotal nodule and swelling in the groin. He had a negative history of sexually transmitted disease and of trauma, fungal infection or chronic irritation in the scrotal area; there was no history of radiotherapy or exposure to chemicals or arsenic. Both the scrotal and groin lesions were excised with a minimum of 1.2 cm of normal skin. Examination of the specimen revealed a confined poorly differentiated large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma with a metastasis to the inguinal lymph nodes. Three months after the excision we found a local recurrence. The recurrent tumor revealed tumor tissue concurrent with the primary lesion. To the best of our knowledge, there have been no previously published case reports on neuroendocrine tumor of the scrotum.
Voiding dysfunction is frequently seen in the early posttransplant period. Among other causes, this condition can arise due to bladder outlet obstruction. Primary bladder neck obstruction (PBNO) is a ...possible but very rare cause of bladder outlet obstruction. We present the case of a 52-year-old woman who, after kidney transplantation, presented with PBNO. The diagnosis was established based on symptoms, uroflowmetry, and multichannel urodynamics with electromyography. The transurethral incision of the bladder neck was made at the 5- and 7-o’clock position. After the operation, the maximal flow rate was significantly increased, and postvoid residual urine was decreased compared to the preoperative findings. The patient was followed for 5 years, and her voiding improvement is persistent. This is the first reported case of PBNO treated with a transurethral incision of the bladder neck in a posttransplantation female patient.
We present a case of necrotizing vasculitis with the testicle as the isolated affected organ. A 25-year-old man, pretreated for epididymo-orchitis, presented with a presumed testicular neoplasm. ...Radical orchiectomy was performed and diagnosis of necrotizing vasculitis was established. In the absence of any other sign of systemic disease, the diagnosis of isolated necrotizing vasculitis of the testis was confirmed. Two years after the operation, the patient showed no symptoms of systemic disease.
Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common malignant tumor of the kidney. The major goal of imaging techniques is to correctly differentiate between benign and malignant renal lesions. We present ...the cases of six patients with renal masses that were interpreted completely differently based on ultrasound (US) and computerized tomography (CT) findings.From January 1st, 2008 to March 1st, 2014, 307 patients from our center underwent nephrectomy for RCC. In all patients US and CT were performed before the operation.In six patients, the US indicated a focal, solid renal lesion that was interpreted by CT as a cystic lesion (Bosniak II-III). Because discrepancies were evident, renal biopsies were performed. The biopsies revealed RCC in the six patients, all of whom underwent subsequent nephrectomy. All of the patients were confirmed to have macroscopically solid RCC without any cystic components.In most cases, CT is the most accurate diagnostic technique for the clinical diagnostic classification of renal masses. In cases where US characterizes a renal lesion as solid, despite CT findings of a cystic lesion, kidney biopsies are recommended. The 6 cases reported here support our belief that, in diagnostic processes of RCC, these techniques should be complementary used.
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