Geriatric ureteropelvic junction obstruction: the possible role of an arteriosclerotic lower pole branch of renal artery: report of two cases.

An 83-year-old woman presented with left flank pain and high grade fever. After left ureteral catheterization and intensive chemotherapy with hemoperfusion, surgical exploration revealed the lower pole branches of the renal vessels were obstructing the ureteropelvic junction (UPJ), and dissection of the vessels released the obstruction. An 82-year-old man presented with right flank pain.

Does circulating erythropoietin reflect progression of IgA nephropathy? Comparison with urinary N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase.

Background: Recent reports describe that erythropoietin (Epo) is produced by peritubular interstitial fibroblast-like cells in response to a hypoxic stimulus. We studied serum Epo levels as a possible marker of tubulointerstitial damage in the progression of IgA nephropathy (IgAN), in comparison with urinary (u-) levels of N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG), which is mainly derived from proximal tubular cells and is used as a marker of tubular damage.

Methods: Thirty-eight patients with IgA nephropathy (IgAN) with relatively preserved renal function (serum creatinine: sCr, 0.

[Endoscopical reconstruction of traumatic urethral disruption with ureteral resectoscope: a case report].

A 19-year-old man sustained a fracture of the left ischial rami and disruption of the membranous urethra when a car hit him against a wall. A suprapubic tube was placed and was used for reconstruction of the disrupted urethra 3 months later. Eighty days after the injury, an 11.

Surgery for cholecystocholedocholithiasis in a patient with asymptomatic essential thrombocythemia: report of a case.

Essential thrombocythemia (ET) is a myeloproliferative disorder characterized by a remarkable increase in the platelet count and various clinical symptoms. The perioperative management of patients with ET has yet to be determined, especially when there are no clinical symptoms. We report herein the case of a woman with gallstones whose preoperative hematological data showed remarkable thrombocythemia, but her coagulation studies were normal.

[Intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guerin instillation for patients over 80 years old].

To study the efficacy and the safety of intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) therapy for very elderly patients with superficial bladder cancer, we retrospectively compared patients over 80 years old who had received BCG therapy at our department between 1991 and 1996 (Group A; 10 patients 11 courses), with those below 80 years old (Group B, 17 patients 18 courses). In these patients, skin test reactivity to purified protein derivative showed a significant negative correlation with age (p = 0.016).

[Combination therapy of daily intramuscular injection of interferon-alpha and oral administration of fluorouracil for advanced renal cell carcinoma].

Background: To achieve optimum drug delivery of Interferon-alpha in treatment of renal cell carcinoma, a regimen consisting of its daily intramuscular administration, in combination with oral fluorouracil, was designed and carried out. Its efficacy is examined retrospectively.

Methods: In our department 7 patients with disseminated renal cell carcinoma were treated with daily intramuscular injection of interferon-alpha (3 x 10(6) IU) and daily oral administration of fluorouracil.

Malignant fibrous histiocytoma of the stomach: report of two cases.

Malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) in the stomach is very rare, and only four cases have been reported. As a result, there is still little understanding of its clinical and pathological features. We recently experienced two cases of gastric MFH.

[A clinical study of 5 cases of acute eosinophilic pneumonia--the relationship between beginning to smoke and acute eosinophilic pneumonia].

We encountered 5 cases of acute eosinophilic pneumonia. All cases were young men who had recently begun smoking, and they showed an acute onset hypoxemia, diffuse shadows on chest X-ray, an elevation of eosinophils in the peripheral blood and broncho-alveolar lavage fluid, and rapid recovery. One of the 5 cases showed a re-elevation of eosinophils in the peripheral blood and broncho-alveolar lavage fluid after a smoking challenge test.

[Carinal resection for primary lung cancer--with special attention to a modified double-barrel method].

Carinal resection for primary lung cancer was clinically evaluated. Carinal resection was performed in 18 patients, 17 males and one female, with a mean age of 64 years. Nine patients underwent carinal reconstruction and the other 9 sleeve or wedge pneumonectomy.

[Renal artery embolism treated by selective intra-arterial infusion of tissue plasminogen activator: report of 2 cases].

Two cases of renal artery embolism treated by selective intra-arterial infusion of tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) are reported. A 74-year-old woman with atrial fibrillation presented with left flank pain of 54-hour duration. Selective renal angiography revealed embolic obstruction of multiple segmental arteries in the left kidney.

Primary signet ring cell adenocarcinoma of the prostate treated by radical prostatectomy after preoperative androgen deprivation.

We report a case of primary signet ring cell adenocarcinoma of the prostate gland in a 76-year-old man. Radical prostatectomy was performed 4 months after bilateral orchiectomy, which proved to be a successful preoperative androgen deprivation therapy. To date 3 years have passed with no clinical or serologic evidence of recurrent disease.

[A patient with psoriatic arthritis due to generalized pustular psoriasis (von Zumbusch type)].

Pustular psoriasis is a rare skin disease that is observed in about 1% of all patients with psoriasis. We encounted a patient with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) due to pustular psoriasis. The patient was a 31-year old male.

[Platelet aggregate formation in peripheral blood anti-coagulated with sodium heparin is facilitated by mixing].

Peripheral blood anti-coagulated with sodium heparin (25 U/ml) form 60 healthy volunteers invariably had a reduced platelet count, when whole blood was mixed in the presence of air. Smear findings similar to those observed in EDTA-induced pseudothrombocytopenia and the counteracting effect of prostaglandin E1 (1 microM) on thrombocytopenia suggest that this thrombocytopenia is due to platelet activation and aggregate formation. Mixing may activate platelets, because the extent of thrombocytopenia had a positive correlation with the air volume and mixing intensity.

An effective chemotherapy regimen for liver metastasis from retroperitoneal fibrosarcoma: report of a case.

Retroperitoneal fibrosarcoma is a rare disease that has proven difficult to treat due to its high incidence of postoperative local recurrence. We recently experienced a patient in whom retroperitoneal fibrosarcoma was followed by liver metastasis without local recurrence. A 34-year-old woman who initially presented with right upper quadrant pain was found to have a retroperitoneal tumor by diagnostic imaging techniques.

[The usefulness of mediastinoscopy for primary lung cancer].

The usefulness of mediastinoscopy for lung cancer was retrospectively evaluated for the aspect of prognosis. The subjects were 421 patients with primary lung cancer except exploratory thoracotomy. In the MD(+) group, there was no difference in prognosis between right and left sided thoracotomies, but in the MD(-) group there was a tendency for poorer prognosis in the left-sided thoracotomy (p < 0.

[A case of minocycline-induced pneumonitis with bronchial asthma].

We report a case of minocycline-induced pneumonitis. A 30-year-old woman was treated with minocycline for mycoplasma pneumonia of the right upper lobe. About 15 days after starting treatment, she developed a productive cough, stridor, and dyspnea.

[Studies of platelet aggregation in six cases of EDTA-dependent pseudothrombocytopenia].

Peripheral blood count was performed by a Coulter Model S Plus STKR on six pseudothrombocytopenia patients (age: 16-70, 2 men and 4 women) using three different anticoagulants. Treatment with ethylene diamine tetraacetate (EDTA, 1 mg/ml) or sodium heparin (25 U/ml) aggregated platelets, but sodium citrate (3.8%, 1:9) had no effect.

[Two probable cases of adult Williams-Campbell syndrome--advocation of Williams-Campbell-type bronchiectasis].

Williams-Campbell syndrome is a unique type of bronchiectasis which shows ballooning during expiration and collapse during inspiration. Its etiology is thought to be a congenital decrease in bronchial cartilage. We experienced two adult cases of Williams-Campbell syndrome.

The level of serum granulocyte colony-stimulating factor in cancer patients with leukocytosis.

The level of serum granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) obtained from patients with leukocytosis (greater than 10,000/microliters) between May 1989 and April 1991 was measured by enzyme immunoassay. Studied were 18 patients with malignant neoplasms (median age, 64 years) and 14 patients with hematologic disease (median age, 59 years). Increased serum G-CSF values ranging from 70 to 374 pg/ml were noted in 7 of 15 lung cancer cases, a case of malignant thymoma and a blastic crisis of chronic myelogenous leukemia.

[Norfloxacin-induced infectious mononucleosis (IM)-like syndrome with Stevens-Johnson syndrome].

A 77-year-old male who had suffered from an upper respiratory infection and had been given Norfloxacin (NFLX) on May 2, 1990, developed generalized erythema which did not subside with prednisolone. He was hospitalized on May 8, and Stevens-Johnson syndrome was diagnosed. The WBC was 115,400/microliter (Ly 61.

[A case of solitary bronchial papilloma and a review of the literature].

A case of solitary bronchial papilloma which is one of the rarest of pulmonary benign tumors is reported. A 25-year-old male was admitted to our hospital with an abnormal chest shadow. Bronchoscopy revealed a tumor at the orifice of left B6.

Hemodialysis rescued the mother in a case of severe chronic renal failure accompanied by perirenal hematoma due to HELLP syndrome.

We present a case of severe maternal renal failure, accompanied by HELLP syndrome (hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelet count). Since her renal function deteriorated in addition to the anemia and thrombocytopenia from 25 weeks' gestation, hemodialysis was performed three times a week. Unfortunately intra-uterine fetal death suddenly occurred at 30 weeks' gestation, and maternal right perirenal hematoma was diagnosed after delivery.

[Idiopathic enlargement of the right atrium with persistent superior vena cava].

A 69-year-old male, who had been found (during a routine roentgenogram of the chest at an annual check-up) to have cardiomegaly, had been asymptomatic until 63 years of age, when DOE and swelling of the legs appeared. He visited our hospital because these symptoms has become more severe. Physical examination revealed JVD, third heart sound and a grade 3 holosystolic murmur, hepatomegaly and edema in the lower legs.