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Purpose In several previous reports, it has been suggested that the androgen system is related to bladder carcinogenesis. In this study, to understand the mechanism underlying this relationship, we administered a LH-RH agonist depot (Leuprolide depot), a pure-antiandrogen (flutamide) or a 5 alpha-reductase inhibitor (finasteride) to the mice in the promotion state of bladder carcinogenesis by N-butul-N-(4-hydroxybutyl) nitrosamine (BBN). Materials and methods 177 C3H/He male mice were divided into 7 groups. All mice were treated with 0.05% BBN for 10 weeks and were maintained over the subsequent 12 weeks with the following treatments. Group 1 was a control group; in group 2, castration was performed at the 11th week; in group 3, finasteride was administered starting the 11th week; in group 4, a LH-RH agonist depot was administered starting the 11th week; in group 5, flutamide was administered starting the 11th week; in group 6, both finasteride and a LH-RH agonist depot were administered simultaneously starting the 11th week; and in group 7, both flutamide and a LH-RH agonist depot were administered simultaneously starting the 11th week. Results and conclusions (1) We confirmed that castration significantly suppressed bladder carcinogenesis. (2) Finasteride or flutamide administration as monotherapy had no effect on the results; however, the dosages of these drugs may have been too low, so we are planning a study with higher doses. (3) Conversely, the LH-RH agonist depot significantly promoted bladder carcinogenesis, we believe that the high levels of testosterone immediately after the administration were responsible for this promotion. (4) Simultaneous administration of flutamide suppressed this LH-RH induced promotion of carcinogenesis.

We examined nucleolar organizer region (NOR) indices on 13 bladder tumors on both squash-prepared specimens and paraffin embedded specimens stained by silver-colloid method. It was noted that; 1. The nuclear size was enlarged by squashing, 2. Aggregated NOR dots were dispersed, 3. Uniformity of microscopic phase of the dots was obtained, 4. Squash specimens had more precise countabilities than the paraffin embedded sections for avoidance of nuclear resection. NOR indices (mean +/- S.D.) of those bladder tumors on squash-preparation and paraffin section were 8.64 +/- 4.32 and 6.13 +/- 1.58, respectively, and the former showed good correlation with the tumor stage. When we prepare the squashed specimen from the surgically resected bladder tumor tissue, embedding and sectioning processes which are inevitable for preparation of paraffin embedded section, could be eliminated. Thus, squash-smear technique was considered to be better than the method using paraffin embedded section on the point of shorter duration of examination and accurate countability of the NOR dots.

Two cases of Fibroepithelial polyp in 47-and 74-year-old males complaining of gross hematuria are described. In the foreign literature, this polyp most commonly occurs in infancy and childhood in the first decade of life, but rarely occurs in aged male. Ten cases of this disease could be accumulated in the Japanese literatures, in which this polyp more commonly occurs in older generation compared with younger one. Urethral polyp should be considered in the differential diagnosis of gross hematuria.

From August, 1989 to December, 1992, 11,386 individuals consisting of 6,981 males and 4,405 females were examined in the general health check at Mito Saiseikai general hospital. Occult blood in dipstick urinalysis was detected in 190 of 6,981 males (2.7%) and 503 of 4,405 females (11.4%). Two renal cell carcinomas and ten bladder carcinomas were found out, but prostatic carcinoma could not be found out. None of these tumors were symptomatic. Two renal cell carcinomas, of which all patients had negative occult blood, were confirmed by computed tomography and angiography. Revealing the locally-confined tumor (Stage I) in the radiologic study, both tumors were resected with radical nephrectomy, and the pathological specimens showed pT2pNOpVO in both tumors. Of 10 bladder carcinomas seven transitional cell carcinomas, of which 6 patients had negative occult blood and one had positive occult blood, were confirmed by cystoscopy and TUR-BT. All of them were low-grade and low-stage tumors. Other three bladder carcinomas were detected by ultrasonography and cystoscopy, but these patient rejected TUR-BT. All of them had negative occult blood. We consider that the transabdominal ultrasonography is a very useful test for detecting the early stage of renal cancer and superficial bladder cancer. We recommend that transabdominal ultrasonography involving the kidney and the lower urinary tract should be performed in the general health check.

Nd:YAG laser irradiation and flexible cystoscopy were used in the outpatient management of 16 cases (21 sessions) with superficial bladder tumors. Irradiation of tumors was accomplished in all cases except 3 in which the visual field was affected by bleeding after the cup biopsy of tumors. Tumors at the bladder neck were easily irradiated through the flexible cystoscope. No tumor recurred at or near the previously irradiated site. This method provided a safe and cost-effective means to treat superficial bladder tumors in selected cases.

A 40-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with a fat-density extrarenal tumor and intrarenal nodules which were detected by ultrasonography (US) and CT scan obtained the general health check. After his admission, US, CT, MRI and angiography were performed. As the final diagnostic procedure, we performed a US-guided percutaneous needle biopsy of the extrarenal tumor, because this tumor was difficult to distinguish from liposarcoma and angiomyolipoma (AML). The pathological study revealed a well-differentiated liposarcoma, and the extrarenal tumor and the left kidney were removed en bloc. Pathologically, the tumor not only invaded into the renal parenchyma directly but also have metastasized independently to the intrarenal region. Postoperatively, he received a tumor dose of irradiation of 50 Gy. Liposarcoma arising in the perirenal space should be considered in the differential diagnosis of exophytic AML. If radiological studies can not confirm the appropriate diagnosis, we consider that biopsy of the tumor should be selected as an alternative diagnostic approach. And, we think that this is the first case report dealing with intrarenal metastases of liposarcoma.

A male aged 20 had been treated for anal and lower abdominal pain after ejaculation for about 2 years under the diagnosis of chronic prostatis. Because of worsening of the pain, he was admitted to our hospital in September 24, 1991. On the rectal examination, a cystic tumor was palbable on the left side of the prostate. The left kidney was not detected by IVP and ultrasonography. CT revealed two retrovesical cystic lesions in the left side. Cystourethroscopy showed an absence of ureteral orifice and ureteral ridge on the left side. Left uretero-seminal vesiculectomy was performed on October 3rd, under the diagnosis of an ectopic ureter entering into the seminal vesicle or ejaculatory duct. Histopathologically, the left ectopic ureter entering into the lower portion of the seminal vesicle or ejaculatory duct and the left renal agenesis were diagnosed. It was remarkable that ureteral epithelium was not transitional but columnar epithelium.

Histopathological comparison of clinical prostatic adenocarcinoma between Japan and the United States (US) has been made with retrospective analyses on 1,037 and 987 cases, respectively. All cases were histologically evaluated by the same pathologist (M.H.) without previous knowledge of clinical information according to application of the Japanese General Rules for Prostatic Cancer (JGRPC) based on the predominant degree of histological differentiation, the nuclear grading by WHO classification and the Gleason grading systems. The age distribution of the patients was slightly different among both groups. However, this difference appeared not to be essential, because there existed difference of the date on diagnosis between two groups. Even though considering this time difference on registration, much more cases from Japan had stage D disease. The observed incidence of the histological differentiation classified by JGRPC among over-all cases did not show significant difference, however, the incidence among the cases with same stage between two groups differed with some statistical significance. Much more cases from the US fell in well differentiated adenocarcinoma and frequency of moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma was higher in the Japanese even in the cases diagnosed at advanced stages. The observed incidence of nuclear grade 3 was also higher in the Japanese. Gleason primary and secondary grade 5 and score 9-10 appeared more frequently in the cases from Japan.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

It has been shown that molecular cytogenetics in interphase nuclei is applicable to paraffin embedded sections from formarin-fixed materials utilizing in situ hybridization (ISH). This allows precise identification of numerical abnormalities of chromosome in tumor cells without disruption of tumor morphology. Thirteen cases of bladder cancer and twenty six cases of prostate adenocarcinoma were evaluated for numerical aberrations of chromosome 1, 7, 10, 11, 17, 18, X and Y utilizing biotinylated probes specific for the alpha satellite region. In two cases from total prostatectomy, one case from total cystectomy and two cases from TUR-P specimen, hybridized chromosomes could not be detected in individual tumor cells. With respect to the appearance of the ISH signal, optical concentration and time for the digestion enzyme has to be established essentially. This technique can now be applied on the detection of biological activity in various types of urological cancer.

We investigated the effects of intravesical instillation of BCG Tokyo 172 strain on patients with superficial bladder cancer and CIS of the bladder for tumor ablation and prophylaxis. This is the first controlled multicenter study for governmental approval of BCG Tokyo 172 strain for the treatment of superficial bladder cancer and CIS of the bladder. One hundred-fifty-seven patients (125 with Ta or T1, and 32 with CIS) were treated by 80 mg of BCG diluted in 40 ml of saline, once a week for 8 weeks. The dose and interval adopted in this multicenter study was determined by the previous Phase II study conducted by the same Study Group. Out of 125 superficial tumor Ta, T1, 83 (66.4%) showed complete disappearance of the tumor (CR) and 26 (20.8%) partial disappearance (PR), and out of 32 CIS, 27 (84.4%) showed CR and 2 (6.3%) PR. Among those patients showing CR, and PR who were treated with additional TUR-Bt, 98 patients were randomised for a controlled study of prophylactic BCG instillation. Prophylactic treatment consisted of 40 mg of BCG diluted in 40 ml of saline, monthly for 12 months. Forty-two patients were assigned to the treatment group, whereas the remaining 56 to the control group without any prophylactic instillation. Three cases showed tumor recurrence during the prophylactic phase. Twenty-five cases could not be treated for the whole course of prophylactic instillation mainly due to bladder irritable symptoms. Recurrent free curves were compared till 1050 days after the initiation of the study. However, there was no significant difference between the two groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The effect of intravesical instillation of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) on bladder carcinogenesis was examined in mice. Experiment 1: Fifty-five female C3H/He mice were administered 0.05% N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxy-butyl) nitrosamine (BBN) in their drinking water for 8 weeks. In week 9 they were divided into two groups consisting of 25 mice each. Then, under nembutal anesthesia the first group was given weekly intravesical inatillations of 0.1 ml DMSO (minimum 99.0%) for 10 weeks. The second group received no treatment except anesthesia. All mice were killed 30 weeks after the begining of the experiment and their urinary bladder resected for histological examination. The incidence of bladder carcinoma was 93.7% (15.16) and 27.7% (6/22) in groups 1 and 2, respectively. These incidences differed significantly between the two groups. Experiment 2: One hundred and twenty female C3H/He mice were divided into two groups. The first group was given 0.05% BBN in their drinking water for 5 weeks and then tap water. The second group was not given BBN. In week 6, the first group was divided again into three groups (1, 2 and 3) consisting of 28, 26, and 27 mice, respectively. The second group was divided into groups 4 and 5 consisting of 21 and 18 mice, respectively. Under nembutar anaesthesia groups 1 and 4 received weekly intravesical instillation of 0.05 ml DMSO (minimum 99.0%) from weeks 6 to 13, Group 2 received weekly intravesical instillation of 0.05 ml distilled water from weeks 6 to 13. Groups 3 and 5 received no treatment except anesthesia.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

A cooperative study of combination of UFT (a compound of FT and Uracil) and human lymphoblastoid interferon (IFN-alpha) was conducted in the cases of metastatic renal cell cancer. IFN-alpha was administered over 3 times a week at a dose of 3 X 10(6) units in combination with UFT at a daily dose of 600 mg FT equivalent. Twenty-eight patients from 16 collaborating institutions were the subjects of the present study. The antitumor effects of the drugs were clinically evaluable in 25 cases according to the response criteria of Japan Society for Cancer Therapy. Complete responses and partial responses were observed in 3 and 2 cases, respectively, showing a response rate of 20 per cent. One complete responder had bone and liver metastases and has been alive for more than 2 years without any evidence of relapse. All of the other responders had lung metastasis. The survival durations of the other two complete responders were 716 days and 255 days. The two partial responders had been alive for more than 819 days and 471 days. The adverse effects of this combination therapy were minimal. Combination of a biological response modifier and a cancer chemotherapeutic agent seems to be a way to increase the treatment efficacy of renal cell cancer.

Fifteen patients with invasive bladder cancer were treated with selective intra-arterial cisplatin and external beam radiotherapy (30.6 Gy over 3 weeks) prior to a planned cystectomy. Cisplatin, in total 200 mg, was administered via bilateral internal iliac artery infusion during the course of radiotherapy. Seven patients were evaluated for local response. Partial response (PR) was revealed in 4, and minor response (MR) in 3. Ten patients received total cystectomy, and pathological effects by the criteria adipted by Japanese Urological Association and The Japanese Society of Pathology, were as follows: Ef. 3 in 1 case, Ef. 2 in 6. Ef. 1b in 1 and Ef. 1a in 2. Down staging was observed in 8 patients from the clinical to the pathological stage. Thirteen patients are alive for 21 months. Two patients have died (1 lung infarction, 1 pancreatic cancer). Though nausea and sciatica-like pain were observed in some cases, there was no severe systemic side effects such as bone marrow suppression and renal toxicity. From these results it is concluded that this therapeutic modality could be effective in the preoperative work-up of candidates for total cystectomy, and also that it could be useful in the treatment of patients in whom total cystectomy is contraindicated.

196 cases with vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) from multiple centers were analysed to examine the relationship between VUR and reflux nephropathy. The high correlation (p less than 0.01) was observed between reflux and renal scarring. Even in cases in whom VUR was not demonstrated at the time of testing, renal scarring of various degrees was recognized, suggesting either co-existed hypoplastic kidney or pre-existed infection. The renal scarring, but not VUR, had a significant correlation with proteinuria and hypertension. Retrospective analysis shows that the surgical treatment was closely related to the degree of renal scarring but not to the degree of reflux. Renal scarring progressed even when reflux did not become worse, which is probably accounted for by the presence of pyelonephritis. Although frequency of pyelonephritis decreased significantly (p less than 0.01) from 0.60 +/- 0.89 to 0.084 +/- 0.305 times/patient. year after anti-reflux surgery, renal scarring progressed in 13 kidneys (5.8%). Seven of the 13 kidneys became worse due to the surgical failure. The scar progression was recognized in the remaining six kidneys (three patients) including adult cases despite the successful surgical correction of reflux. Our study points to the urged need for a prospective clinical trial designed for the study of the pathological and clinical background of progressive renal failure in VUR.

Fourteen patients (age range 50-79 mean 64.2) with locally advanced bladder cancer or CIS have been treated with combination of selective intra-arterial infusion of adriamycin (ADM) and/or cisplatin (CDDP) and local hyperthermia, prior to planed surgical resection. The follow-up periods ranged from 33 to 70 months (median 52). Clinical staging was based on biopsy, CT, Echo, chest X-ray, bone scintigraphy, and IVP. The initial tumor stage was Tis in 1 patients, cT2 in 4, and cT3 in 9. Catheterization technique: with the patient in the prone position, the gluteal muscles were dissected to expose the inferior gluteal artery, then catheter was inserted. The tip was wedged in the internal iliac artery below the bifurcation of the superior gluteal artery. ADM 10-20 mg and/or CDDP 10-20 mg were infused once or twice a week, more than eight times during hyperthermia. The total dose of ADM and CDDP were 40-360 mg and 50-360 mg. Local bladder hyperthermia was achieved with a radiofrequency generator. Novatherm IH-500 (Inter-Nova Co. Ltd, Japan). Intravesical temperature was maintained over 40 degrees C for an hour. Surgical resection included total cystectomy (10 patients), partial cystectomy (3) and TUR (1). Of evaluable 8 patients, CR was obtained in 2 patients, PR in 4, NC in 1 and PD in 1. The survival rate (Kaplan Meier method) at 3 years was 71.4% (n = 9) and at 5 years, 62.5% (n = 4). Five patients died, but two of them died of other causes (traffic accident and spinal cord injury). Severe toxicity, consisting of bone marrow suppression (3) perineal erosion (3) and ischialgia (1), was well tolerated. In conclusion, our result suggests combination therapy of intra-arterial chemotherapy and local hyperthermia is safe with minimal systemic side effects, and may prolong survival with invasive bladder cancer.

In order to assess the potential nephrotoxicity of antibiotics, effects of these agents on rat kidney lysosomal membrane were investigated in various conditions. Antibiotics were given to Wistar rats for 5 successive days. After nephrectomy rat lysosomes were separated and their membrane stability was examined by measuring the activities of acid-phosphatase. In addition, after separation of lysosomes from normal untreated Wistar rats, antibiotics were added in the incubation system to assess the in vitro effect of antibiotics. Effects of renal ischemia and the lysosomal membrane stabilizer (cortisol) were also examined. Aminoglycosides antibiotics (streptomycin, kanamycin, gentamycin), doxytetracycline, chloramphenicol, and cephems (cephalothin, cephaloridine, ceftezol, latamoxef) were used for this purpose. It was clearly pointed out that aminoglycosides interfered with the lysosomal stability in vivo and in vitro. After a 60 minutes ischemia of the rat kidneys by clamping the renal arteries, effects of antibiotics on administration of 5 successive days on rat lysosomal stability were investigated. It was demonstrated that aminoglycosides also made the lysosomal membrane more unstable. Effects of the lysosomal stabilizer, cortisol, on rat kidney lysosomes were examined. Use of cortisol simultaneously with an antibiotic was more effective than that before and after it.

In order to evaluate the nephrotoxicity by antibiotics, effects of these agents were investigated in terms of protein synthesis and nucleic acid metabolism in the kidneys of Wistar rats. Aminoglycoside antibiotics (streptomycin, kanamycin, gentamycin), tetracycline (doxytetracycline), chloramphenicol, and cephems (cephalothin, cephaloridine, ceftezol, latamoxef) were used. These antibiotics were given to the rats for 5 successive days. On the 6th day 14C-6-orotic acid and 14C-1-leucine were administered intraperitoneally. Incorporation rates of these tracers into ribonucleic acid and protein fraction in rat kidney ribosomes (polysomes) were measured. Another experiment was undertaken in vitro by separating the polysome fraction from the rat kidneys. In vitro acellular protein synthesis using these polysomes was established. Effects of antibiotics on the incorporation rates of 14C-1-leucine were examined. Marked reduction of incorporation of these tracers into nucleic acid and protein in vivo and in vitro was induced by aminoglycoside antibiotics. These facts suggest that aminoglycoside antibiotics develop nephrotoxicity by interfering with the metabolism of ribosomal RNA and protein.

Urodynamic approach to the disorders of the urinary tract has been based on the knowledge of anatomy and neurophysiology of this abnormality. The development of this field included uroflowmetry, cystometry, urethral profilometry, and electromyogram of the external sphincter. In addition to these investigations new trends in urodynamic field were reviewed. With the advent of muscle biochemistry intra-renal urodynamics has been advocated. These researches would be expected to clarify the mechanism of intra-renal reflux. The another investigation was urophonography. When the urine passed through the posterior urethra the urethral sound occurred. The detecting, recording and analyzing systems were developed. This method would be entirely a new method of urodynamic study.

Therapy with proton beam is superior to that with photon beam in concentrating the dose within a lesion. Fifteen patients with urinary malignant tumors were treated by proton irradiation during the period from June, 1985 to March, 1989 at Particle Radiation Medical Center, University of Tsukuba. Four patients were with renal cell carcinoma, five with prostatic cancer and six with bladder cancer. Treatment results were assessed by change in tumor size either three or six months after the irradiation. In all the four cases with renal cell carcinoma, the tumor sizes were found to be unchanged without any enlargement. Of the five cases with prostatic cancer, two showed that the treatment was effective and the tumor sizes in the other three cases were found to be unchanged. In three of the six cases with bladder cancer the tumors disappeared while the treatment was found effective in two other and it did not cause any enlargement of the tumor in the remaining one. Although local control of the tumor was successful in all the cases, one patient with prostatic cancer and three with bladder cancer died of cancer. Various side effects, such as radiation cystitis, were observed. This prospective therapy is expected to replace the conventional photon therapy. However, some improvement is needed to make full use of the advantageous properties in dose distribution. Combination therapy with other general therapy is required for some cases.

In the last ten years 19 patients with urothelial cancer of the upper urinary tract underwent excision of the tumor with preservation of the ipsilateral kidney. Renal function was preserved well in all cases in 31 months of the mean follow up term. In the presence of a normal contralateral kidney, local tumor excision was done electively in 12 patients (5 lower portion of ureter, 5 low grade lesions, 2 high age), local recurrence developed 6-63 months after operation in 2 patients, and they underwent nephroureterectomy. 11 cases are alive with no evidence of disease and one is alive with contralateral renal pelvic cancer. Absolute indications for conservative surgery were solitary kidneys/non functioning contralateral kidney in 3 patients and bilateral tumor in 4 patients. Most tumors were high grade or high stage (6: grade 2,4: PT2). No one had local recurrence, but one had a metastasis to a lung, 4 were suffering from bladder cancer post-operatively. Three patients died from cancer 20-30 months after operation. Local excision of urothelial cancer should be considered not only for cases of contralateral damaged kidneys but also for low grade, low stage localized tumors. Precise preoperative evaluation of tumors using a ureteroenoscope should be made for the indication of the renal preservative operation.

The purpose of this study is to ascertain whether the urinary (turbulent) flow really causes the sounds during micturition in humans. For this purpose the artificial bladder and urethra, which were made of silicon rubber (3M Co. Minnesota, U.S.A.), were used. The manometric device was attached to the bladder to measure the intravesical pressure. Outside the bladder neck a prostate like protrusion surrounding the urethra was made. A microphone was attached to this protrusion to detect the sound. A recording system was also adopted. The bladder was filled with 200 ml of sterile eater. By pressurising the artificial bladder at 100 cmH2O, the water passed through the urethra. During this artificial voiding the sound detection was undertaken. At the same time uroflowmetry was also performed. It was demonstrated that sound spikes were recorded whenever water in the artificial bladder passed through the artificial urethra.

Recently we have developed an entirely new method of sonic detection of lower urinary tract disorders during micturition. This procedure was designated as "urophonography" and its recording as "urophonogram". Sixteen patients with prostatic cancer before and three months after anti-androgenic therapy and ten healthy male volunteers underwent urophonography. The urophonograms were classified into four types. Type 1 was characterized by its diamond shape, while Type 2 was characterized by its random sound spikes. Type 3 was a mixture of Types 1 and 2. Type 4 had few sound spikes. Analysis of these urophonograms also revealed that the frequencies of these urethral sounds belonged to the range from 0.4 to 1.5 KHz. The amplitude (power) of the sounds was in the range of 40-60 dB. Healthy volunteers belonged to Type 4. Prostatic cancer patients belonged to Types 1, 2 and 3 at 18.8, 68.8, nad 12.4%, respectively. After the treatment the percentages of Types 1, 2, 3, and 4 changed to 18.8, 50.0, 0, and 31.2%, respectively. Comparison of uroflowmetric parameters with urophonograms showed that Type 2 patients showed a lesser degree of micturition disturbances, evidenced by these parameters. It was considered that urophonograms were useful as urodynamic investigation.

A clinico-statistical study was made on 92 patients with renal cell carcinoma who visited us from January 1978 to November 1988. The results were as follows: 1. Seventy-eight patients were treated by radical nephrectomy, two patients by partial nephrectomy, and three patients were treated at other hospitals initially. Nine patients were underwent only conservative therapy. 3. Overall 1, 3, 5, and 10-year survival rates by Kaplan-Meier method were 81.8%, 58.0%, 55.3%, and 50.2%, respectively. 3. The 3-year survival rates according to clinical T-stage were 71.3% for 56 patients in T2, 66.8% for 16 patients in T3a, and 24.1% for 16 patients in T3b. A significant difference existed between patients in T3a and patients in T3b. It appears that the new TNM classification system is more accurate for prognosis of patients in stage T3 than that currently in use.

Recently we have developed an entirely new method of sonic detection of lower urinary tract disorders during micturition. The detection of these sounds was performed by a data catching and recording system, consisting of a detector, amplifier, and recorder. This procedure was designated as "urophonography" and its recording as "urophonogram". Twenty-five patients with BPH before and three months after suprapubic prostatectomy and 10 healthy male volunteers underwent urophonography. The urophonograms were classified into four types. Type 1 was characterized by its diamond shape, while Type 2 was characterized by its random sound spikes. Type 3 was a mixture of Types 1 and 2. Type 4 had only few sound spikes. Analysis of these urophonograms also revealed that the frequencies of these urethral sounds belonged to the range from 0.4 to 1.5 KHz. The amplitude (power) of the sounds was in the range of 40-60 dB. Healthy volunteers belonged to Type 4. BPH patients belonged to Types 1, 2 and 3 at equal frequency. Comparison of uroflowmetric parameters with urophonograms revealed that Type 3 patients with BPH showed a lesser degree of micturition disturbances, which was consistent with the weight of prostatic tumors surgically resected. Urophonography was undertaken before and after the treatment on these patients. It was clearly shown that the pattern of urophonograms shifted to normal (Type 4). It was considered that urophonograms were useful for urodynamic investigation.

From March 1978 to May 1987, 22 cases of primary adrenal tumors were examined by ultrasonography. The patients ranged in age from 21 to 79 years with an average of 42.6 year, including 11 cases of pheochromocytoma, 6 cases of primary aldosteronism, 4 cases of Cushing's syndrome and 1 case of ganglioneuroma. Visualization of tumors was successful in 19 of the 22 patients (86.4%). The detecting rate of right adrenal tumors was 100% (12/12), while the rate of the left was 80% (8/10). The sizes of detected adrenal tumors were larger than 10 mm on the right and larger than 20 mm on the left. Obesity and bowel gas degraded the image of left adrenal tumors, resulting in a lower detective rate of the tumors. The suprarenal area and small lesions were best demonstrated by a lateral intercostal approach using longitudinal scanning plane and by a right subcostal approach using transverse scanning plane. In pheochromocytoma, cystic lesions (echo free space) existed, and the fact that no cystic lesion in other adrenal tumors was helpful for diagnosis of pheochromocytoma. It is concluded that ultrasonography is a very useful method for diagnosis of adrenal tumors as an initial imaging procedure, because it is totally non-invasive, rapid and less expensive than all of the other techniques.