Extensive human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) genomic DNA in the renal tubular epithelium early after renal transplantation: Relationship with HCMV DNAemia and long-term graft function.

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection is associated with a series of direct and indirect effects following renal transplantation. However, the presence of HCMV in the kidney and its relationship with acute rejection and long-term graft function remain to be fully elucidated. Sixty-two biopsies derived from 30 renal transplant recipients with signs of clinical rejection were analyzed for HCMV using a sensitive in situ DNA hybridization method.

Final outcomes of patients with low-risk prostate cancer suitable for active surveillance but treated surgically.

Objective: To study the outcomes of a contemporary cohort of patients referred from around the UK with low-risk prostate cancer consistent with the UK National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidelines for active surveillance but who were treated with laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP) in a single surgeon series.

Patients And Methods: From 1080 consecutive patients who underwent LRP between March 2000 and April 2008, 549 patients (51%) had low preoperative risk disease (PSA level <10 ng/mL, clinical stage < or =T2a and biopsy Gleason score < or =6). The pathological outcomes of these 549 patients as well as a subgroup of 74 patients with preoperative prediction of 'insignificant' disease were assessed.

The accuracy of transrectal ultrasonography supplemented with computer-aided ultrasonography for detecting small prostate cancers.

Objective: To determine the extent to which computer-aided ultrasonography of the prostate (HistoScanning, Advanced Medical Diagnostics, Waterloo, Belgium) can identify tumour foci that correspond to a volume of >or=0.50 mL.

Patients And Methods: Between September 2004 and February 2006, 29 men were HistoScanned before scheduled radical prostatectomy.

Bayesian belief network for the Gleason patterns in prostatic adenocarcinoma: development of a diagnostic decision support system for educational purposes.

Objective: To develop a Bayesian belief network (BBN) for Gleason grading of prostate adenocarcinoma.

Study Design: A shallow network was developed for Gleason grading with open-tree topology, with a root node containing 5 subjective diagnostic alternatives and 8 first-level descendant nodes for diagnostic features. Features or diagnostic clues of the descendant nodes were based on architecture of Gleason patterns.

Liver tumours due to endometriosis and endometrial stromal sarcoma.

Background: Endometriosis can occur in unusual sites, liver involvement being first described in 1986. Extra-uterine malignant transformation in endometriosis has been reported, occurring mainly in the ovary. Liver involvement with endometrial stromal sarcoma (ESS) has not been previously reported.

A study of Gleason score interpretation in different groups of UK pathologists; techniques for improving reproducibility.

Aims: To test the effectiveness of a teaching resource (a decision tree with diagnostic criteria based on published literature) in improving the proficiency of Gleason grading of prostatic cancer by general pathologists.

Methods: A decision tree with diagnostic criteria was developed by a panel of urological pathologists during a reproducibility study. Twenty-four general histopathologists tested this teaching resource.

A UK-based investigation of inter- and intra-observer reproducibility of Gleason grading of prostatic biopsies.

Aims: The frequency of prostatic core biopsies to detect cancer has been increasing with more widespread prostate specific antigen (PSA) testing. Gleason score has important implications for patient management but morphological reproducibility data for British practice are limited. Using literature-based criteria nine uropathologists took part in a reproducibility study.

The importance of age, fludarabine, and total body irradiation in the incidence and severity of chronic renal failure after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation.

Nonmalignant late effects, including chronic renal failure (CRF), impair the quality of life of long-term survivors after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. One of the major risk factors is the use of total body irradiation (TBI) in the preparative regimen; TBI is currently fractionated in an attempt to reduce toxicity. We analyzed 241 patients who had TBI-based preparative regimens for allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation.

Vesicocervical fistula: rare complication of cesarean section demonstrated by magnetic resonance imaging.

We report a rare complication of cesarean section in a 46-year-old woman presenting with incontinence. The patient was noted at cystoscopy to have a lesion on the posterior wall of the bladder. Histologic examination of the biopsied lesion demonstrated endocervical tissue, and subsequent magnetic resonance imaging revealed a vesicocervical fistula.

Transjugular kidney biopsy.

Background: Most previous studies demonstrating the feasibility of transjugular kidney biopsy have used a modified Colapinto aspiration biopsy needle. We present 25 high-risk patients, with contraindications to percutaneous renal biopsy, who underwent transjugular kidney biopsy using a transvenous side-cut needle. This technique is easier to learn and can be performed by an interventional radiologist with transjugular liver biopsy experience and equipment.

Rare case of primary lymphoma of the prostate: giving the patient the benefit of the doubt.

One third of non-Hodgkin lymphomas are extranodal, however it is uncommon for the lower urinary tract to be involved. We present an unusual case of a low-grade primary lymphoma affecting the prostate, which responded well to radical radiotherapy.

Scleromyxoedema-like changes in four renal dialysis patients.

We describe four renal dialysis patients from our hospital who, over a 6-month period, developed erythematous, thickened, indurated dermal plaques. The plaques were limited to the limbs and in three patients there were associated flexion contractures. The clinical features most resembled scleromyxoedema.

An investigation into the spatial relationship between prostate intraepithelial neoplasia and cancer.

The distribution of high grade prostate intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) and cancer was analysed in 18 separate areas from 89 radical prostatectomy specimens that had been sectioned and digitally imaged. When the occurrence of each type of pathology was summated a predilection was demonstrated for both pathologies in the apex of the prostate and a linear relationship was found between the frequency of cancer and high grade PIN (r(2)=0.744, P<0.

Testicular seminoma presenting 22 years after treatment for extra-gonadal germ-cell tumour.

We report an interesting case of testicular seminoma in a 57-year-old man who had received treatment for a pulmonary extra-gonadal seminoma 22 years previously. This case indicates that patients with extra-gonadal germ-cell tumours should either be followed up for life or, if discharged, should be informed of the potential risk of developing testicular tumour in the future and advised of the need for regular self-testicular examination.

Endothelin is an important determinant of renal function in a rat model of acute liver and renal failure.

Background And Aims: Renal failure occurs in approximately 55% of patients with acute liver failure. We have previously shown that plasma endothelin 1 concentrations are elevated in patients with acute liver failure and the hepatorenal syndrome. There are few reported satisfactory animal models of liver failure together with functional renal failure.

Pure small cell carcinoma of the prostate.

Pure small cell carcinoma of the prostate is a rare anaplastic tumour. This report presents the clinicopathological findings of two patients presenting with this disease. Immunohistochemistry was positive for protein gene product 9.