Immediate improvement of a persistent cough after tumor embolization for renal cell carcinoma--a rare manifestation of paraneoplastic syndrome.

We report an interesting case of a patient with renal cell carcinoma who developed a refractory cough, which immediately resolved after tumor embolization. Patient's symptoms including low-grade fever, weight loss, and abnormal laboratory results also improved shortly after subsequent nephrectomy. The clinical manifestations of the patient are most likely representing paraneoplastic syndrome secondary to renal cell carcinoma.

[A basic study of the interstitial laser prostatectomy using pulsed holmium: yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Ho:YAG) laser].

Background: To develop a new procedure for laser prostatectomy through a biopsy needle, we evaluated the efficacy of interstitial laser irradiation with a pulsed Ho:YAG laser (lambda: 2.1 microns) in the normal canine prostate.

Methods: Pathological studies were performed up to 6 months after interstitial laser irradiation in 26 mongrel dogs (15.

[The advantage of a thin flexible ureteroscope with a new real-time processing system].

To observe the upper urinary tract more clearly with a thin flexible endoscope, we developed a novel real-time processing system. This system enhances the parts of the dark cladding around the core by individual strong brightness of each image fiber. The upper urinary tract in eight patients was examined using a thin flexible endoscope with this system at retrograde pyelography or at urological operation.

[The prevention method of inadvertent irradiation during laser stone fragmentation by the fiber-optic radiometry analysis].

To minimize urothelial tissue injuries by inadvertent laser irradiation during the laser stone fragmentation, we developed a novel fiber-optic analysis system which is able to distinguish the urothelial tissues from urinary stones. The reflection mode of the pulsed photo-thermal radiometry (PPTR) was employed for non-destructive tissue characterization. We developed the first fiber-optic PPTR system using chalcogenide infrared glass fibers as a transmission line.