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We present five cases of tuberculous prostatitis. In all cases this was an incidental histologic finding after transurethral prostatectomy. The patients were all treated with an antituberculous drug regimen. A literature review of this rare condition is included.

The aim of our study was to investigate the accuracy and sensitivity of ultrasound in detecting urethral strictures. Between 1992 and 1994, 117 patients with stricture of the anterior urethra were evaluated by retrograde urethrography, ultrasonography and urethroscopy.

Complications from angiomyolipomas are rare but often severe depending on the size and content of the angiomyolipoma. In this study, we describe 10 cases from 63 patients with renal angiomyolipomas in whom computed tomography revealed the following complications: compression of pyelocalyceal system in three cases, intratumoral bleeding in two cases, rupture in four cases with subcapsular, perirenal, or pararenal hematoma and extensive intrarenal/parapelvic hematoma, cystic degeneration in one case.

Complications from angiomyolipomas are rare but often severe depending on the size and content of the angiomyolipoma. In this study, we describe 10 cases from 63 patients with renal angiomyolipomas in whom computed tomography revealed the following complications: compression of pyelocalyceal system in three cases, intratumoral bleeding in two cases, rupture in four cases with subcapsular, perirenal, or pararenal hematoma and extensive intrarenal/parapelvic hematoma, cystic degeneration in one case.

The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility to perform bilateral ureteroscopy in one session and to determine the procedure's indications and complication rate. Twenty-one patients underwent bilateral ureteroscopy in one session. Eighteen patients had bilateral lithiasis of the lower ureteral third, three patients had unexplained haematuria and one had unexplained bilateral hydronephrosis. The rigid ureteroscope was used in cases with stones and the flexible one in cases with haematuria and hydronephrosis. Ureteral catheters were placed in all patients. The overall stone-free rate was 83.3%. The procedure failed to confirm a diagnosis in 2 patients with unexplained haematuria. Follow-up included IVU and retrograde cystogram 3 months after the procedure and a renal scan one year later. No major complication was observed. It is concluded that bilateral ureteroscopy in one session can be performed safely in selected patients. The method does not yield major complications and saves patients from a second procedure and a second anaesthesia.

We present a very rare case of gigantic hydrocalycosis which was caused by an obstructed stone. It was so large that it displaced the rest kidney into the contralateral lumbar fossa giving the appearance of a crossed ectopic kidney. © 1995 Akadémiai Kiadó.

The study aimed to assess the methods of urinary drainage in patients requiring renal transplantation in whom the native lower urinary tract was unsuitable. Twenty-one patients had a transplant into an abnormal urinary tract. Eight of them into a cystoplasty, 8 into an ileal conduit and 5 had a cutaneous ureterostomy. All patients transplanted into an ileal conduit (mean follow-up 4.6 years) and into a cutaneous ureterostomy (mean follow-up 3.2 years) have had a satisfactory outcome. Five of 8 patients transplanted into a cystoplasty have had a satisfactory outcome, 2 patients suffered graft loss due to rejection and 1 developed necrosis of cystoplasty following transplantation. In terms of graft survival, excellent results in the medium term were obtained for transplantation with an ileal conduit or cutaneous ureterostomy. Cystoplasty was less successful but was not the direct cause of graft loss in any patient and as such is as safe a technique in patients with end-stage renal failure so long as care is taken to avoid the vascular pedicle at the time of transplantation.

A study of 4,247 shockwave lithotripsy treatment was performed to identify and analyze the risk factors for the development of post-extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy hematomas. The Dornier HM-3 and HM-4 lithotriptors were used. We recognized 23 hematomas in 23 patients (0.54%). Various factors were examined to identify the certain predisposing risk factors. There was no correlation of sex, age, stone number, stone size, stone location, number of shock waves and voltage used with the occurrence rate of hematoma. We found that patients with pre-existing hypertension and especially those with poor control of it had a significantly increased incidence of perinephric hematoma.

We report our early experience with a new device for endoscopic stone disintegration: the Swiss lithoclast. This device was used to treat 200 patients with stones in kidney, ureter, and bladder. Its effectiveness was 100% when the stone could be approached irrespective of size or composition, and no complication was encountered.

This paper presents eight patients with lithiasis of the lower third of the ureter that were treated by extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL). All the procedures were performed with a Dornier HM4 lithotriptor in the sitting position. In all cases clinical signs of stimulation of the obturator nerve were presented. Because of the continuing movement of the patient and the possibility of damage to the obturator nerve, the lithotripsy was interrupted in the sitting position and was performed successfully with patients in the prone position. One possible explanation for the above phenomenon is that the increased abdominal pressure in the sitting position pushes the ureter with the stone towards the side walls of the pelvis and the obturator nerve. In this way, both obturator nerve and stone were included either in the zone of the high concentration of the shock waves, or in the secondary focal point, with the final result of stimulation of the nerve. By placing the patient into the prone position, the abdominal pressure is reduced, the ureter moves towards the center line, the obturator nerve gets away from the shock waves and the ESWL is completed freely without stimulation of the nerve. © 1995 Akadémiai Kiadó.

A rare case of multilocular primary renal cell carcinoma (two sites in each kidney) in a 48-year-old woman is presented. The preoperative diagnosis was based on the computerized tomography findings. The patient underwent bilateral total nephrectomy and subsequently maintained renal dialysis. © 1994 Akadémiai Kiadó.

Serum selenium levels of 160 healthy Greeks were determined by Zeeman-effect background-corrected atomic absorption spectrometry. Mean value for 101 men (70.7 +/- 16.2 mu g/L) tended to be higher, but not statistically significant, compared to the mean value for 59 women (64.9 +/- 14.7 mu g/L). When the subjects were divided into various age groups there appeared to be some increase as a function of age. Compared to the extensive literature data on serum Se levels for various countries healthy Creeks proved to be at the lower concentration range. The scarce, but conflicting literature data on serum Se values for Greeks is discussed.

As it is known, paraplegic and quadriplegic patients are at an increased risk for urolithiasis. We have studied the effectiveness of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) in 15 patients with spinal cord dysfunction who were treated in our ESWL unit. A total of 23 treatments were performed. The number of shock waves ranged between 1500 and 3000 per treatment. Only 1 and 3 patients were stone-free at one-month and 3-month follow-up, respectively. Ten of 15 patients with long-term follow-up of 6 to 20 months were stone-free. The remaining 5 patients with residual fragments had staghorn calculi or stones larger than 2.5cm. We conclude that ESWL is an effective and well tolerated method for this population but the fragment clearance is delayed and below that for unselected patients. © 1994 Akadémiai Kiadó.