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We examined the effectiveness of supplemental administration of flavoxate hydrochloride in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) whose nocturia was not adequately relieved by an alpha1-adrenoceptor blocker. Fifty-two patients who had two or more nocturnal micturition after administration of tamsulosin hydrochloride or naftopidil for 4 weeks or more received 400-600 mg of flavoxate hydrochloride in addition to an alpha1-adrenoceptor blocker for another 8-12 weeks. With supplemental administration of flavoxate hydrochloride, significant improvement was observed in the number of nocturnal micturition, total International Prostate Sympton Score, quality of life score and BPH impact index. No significant change was observed in the voided volume, Qmax, voiding time and residual urine volume. Supplemental administration of flavoxate hydrochloride is therefore effective for the improvement of nocturia and QOL in BPH patients resistant to an alpha1-adrenoceptor blocker.

Diagnosis of acute rejection (AR) is difficult during acute tubular necrosis (ATN), and a delay of rejection treatment could result in negative impacts on the renal transplant outcome. At our center, 68 cadaveric kidneys were transplanted during the past 7 years. The 1-, 3- and 5-year graft survival rates were 95.4%, 93.8% and 81.4%, respectively. After the transplants, 16 patients had immediate graft function (G-I), 51 patients experienced ATN for 12.0 +/- 9.3 days, and one patient had a non-functioning graft due to diffuse arteriolar thrombosis caused by DIC in the donor. During ATN, 41 patients had no rejection episodes (G-II) and 10 patients had ARs (G-III). Nine patients were treated with bolus steroid and one with steroid and OKT-3. Although scintigraphic and sonographic examinations were routinely employed, only the histopathological findings of needle biopsies were helpful for the diagnosis of AR during ATN. When the transplant outcome was compared, the serum creatinene level was highest in G-III and lowest in G-I (1.48 vs 1.06 mg/dl, p < 0.05). The posttransplant ATN period was also longer in G-III compared to G-II (23.9 vs 9.1 days, p < 0.005). The 5-year graft survival rate was 85.2% in G-I, 88.0% in G-II and 59.3% in G-III. We conclude that routine serial renal biopsies should be scheduled when ATN develops after the cadaveric renal transplant, since only the histopathological diagnosis is reliable during ATN.

Background: It is difficult to diagnose intermittent hydronephrosis and to decide the indication of surgical intervention. We investigated 23 cases of intermittent hydronephrosis., Methods: From 1978 to 1995, a total of 23 patients were diagnosed as intermittent hydronephrosis in our institution. We inspected their clinical features and treatment which had been performed to them., Results: Our study comprised 21 boys and 2 girls, whose mean age was 6 year old. Their chief complaint was intermittent flank pain (left: 21, right: 1, bilateral: 1) accompanied with gross hematuria (30%) and vomiting (39%). When they were asymptomatic, an excretory urogram revealed only mild pelvic dilatation without calyceal distension and kinking of ureteropelvic junction. Split renal function study by RI showed no difference between the affected side and the normal side except one case. When pelvic or calyceal enlargement was confirmed on ultrasonography while they were symptomatic, surgery was indicated. Surgery was performed in 17 cases (74%) including dismembered pyeloplasty in 14 cases, resection of aberrant vessel in 1, relocation of lower pole renal vessel in 1 and nephrectomy in 1. In surgical and histological view points, intrinsic stenosis was seen in 10 cases, extrinsic obstruction caused by aberrant vessels was seen in 4 and ureteral polyp was seen in 3 (bilateral polyp in 1 case)., Conclusion: They had no more symptoms after operation. Of 23 among followed up cases without surgery, we experienced 2 cases unexpectedly advancing irreversible hydronephrotic change after the last attack, 1 case of gradually progressing hydronephrotic change and 1 case of severe renal dysfunction after many attacks. Therefore intermittent hydronephrosis should be followed up carefully.

A 31-year-old man came to our hospital complaining of severe voiding pain. He had inserted a fishing line made of nylon into his urethra at the age of eighteen, which was unable to be taken out and had been left there for 13 years. Preoperative ultrasonogram showed severe bilateral hydronephrosis and the serum BUN and creatinine level were as high as 45.2 mg/dl and 4.8 mg/dl, respectively. A huge bladder stone was demonstrated in X-ray film, the patient was admitted and vesicolithotomy was performed. The size of the stone was 10.5 x 7.5 x 7.5 cm and the weight was 360 grams. The fishing line was found inside the stone and the length was over 3 meters. The serum BUN and creatinine level after the operation were still high as 28.4 mg/dl and 4.1 mg/dl, respectively, and they did not improve even after six months following.

One hundred and twenty three strains of Escherichia coli isolated from the urine of patients with urogenital infections and 55 strains isolated from the fecal samples of healthy individuals were assayed for 0 antigen and hemolysin production as virulence factors, and for pilus type and in vitro tests of adhesion to human exfoliated uroepithelial cells as colonization factors. The incidence of MS pili in Escherichia coli isolated from patients with acute uncomplicated cystitis, chronic complicated cystitis, acute uncomplicated pyelonephritis and acute prostatitis was 60.9%, 22.7%, 87.5%, 68.2% and 30.9%, respectively. The incidence of P pili was 69.7%, 51.2%, 62.5%, 54.5% and 25.5%, respectively. The strains showing haemolysin production had MS pili and P pili, which show strong virulence. MS pili strains and P pili strains isolated from the patients with acute uncomplicated cystitis and acute uncomplicated pyelonephritis adhered to human exfoliated uroepithelial cells well. Consequently, the pilus type might be the most significant colonization factor in uncomplicated urogenital infection which is shown by the normal defense mechanism in host side.

Vasopressin, a hormone secreted from the posterior lobe of the hypophysis, has endocrinological and antidiuretic effects; it contracts vessels and smooth muscles, especially intestinal smooth muscle. In the present study, we investigated the role of vasopressin (Pitressin: arginine-vasopressin) in elimination of intestinal gas on excretory urography reading. Sixty outpatients were randomly divided into six groups. In Group I, the routine procedure was employed, i.e. laxatives the previous night and NPO the morning of the examination. In Groups II to VI, different dose regimens were employed: 6 or 10 units of Pitressin was administered by subcutaneous injection 30 minutes prior to injection of a contrast medium, with or without NPO. Intestinal gas elimination was evaluated by X-ray films taken before and after injection of Pitressin. The efficacy was rated by four grades. There were no significant differences in the gas elimination or occurrence of side effects between any two groups. Younger patients seemed to respond quickly to Pitressin and good effects were obtained. These results indicate that the pretreatment for excretory urography with 6 units of Pitressin without NPO may be a safe and effective alternative method for elimination of intestinal gas, in particular for young patients.

Based on study of 274 cases of prostate cancer treated in our clinic, selection of patient for radical surgical treatment and choice of procedures were discussed. The radical surgical procedures experienced in our clinic were classified as 31 cases of radical prostatectomy, 4 cases of radical cystoprostatectomy and 7 cases of pelvic exenteration. The endocrine therapy was added to non curative cases postoperatively. In the radical prostatectomy group, the 5-year survival rate of patients with stage A and stage B prostatic adenocarcinoma were 100 and 93 per cent, respectively, and 5-year survival rate of patients who had stage C prostatic adenocarcinoma was 75 per cent. The 5-year survival rates of patients with stage C prostatic adenocarcinoma treated by radical cystoprostatectomy and pelvic exenteration were 50 per cent and 66 per cent, respectively. Cancer recurrence has not seen in the bladder in the patients with stage C prostatic adenocarcinoma treated by radical prostatectomy. Operation of urinary diversion had improved the quality of life. From this data, radical prostatectomy would be indicated for the treatment of patients with stage A, stage B and stage C prostatic adenocarcinoma.