Jan Fichtner

Nephron-sparing surgery of renal cell carcinoma with a normal opposite kidney: long-term outcome in 180 patients

OBJECTIVES To investigate the long-term outcome of an organ-saving approach for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) with a normal opposite kidney (elective indication). METHODS Since 1979, 180 patients have undergone nephron-sparing surgery at our institution for RCC in the presence of a normal contralateral kidney. The mean age was 56 years (range 23 to 83), and the mean follow-up was 4.7 years (maximum 14. 8). Most of these tumors were found incidentally, with a mean tumor diameter on ultrasound of 3.3 cm (range 1.0 to 8.6). RESULTS The postoperative course was unremarkable in 173 patients. Postoperative bleeding was encountered in 4 patients and urinary extravasation in an additional 3 patients. No surgical reintervention was necessary. One hundred seventy-five RCCs were pT1 and 5 were pT3a; 73 were grade 1, 100 grade 2, and 7 were grade 3. The mean tumor diameter (surgical specimen) was 3.2 cm (range 0.5 to 7). In 132 cases, the tumor was less than 4 cm and in 48 cases, greater than 4 cm. Three patients experienced local tumor recurrence (1.6%) during follow-up, and two others developed distant metastases. The 5-year tumor-specific survival rate was 98.0%. CONCLUSIONS Nephron-sparing surgery for RCC under an elective indication in selected patients offers excellent long-term survival and an acceptably low local tumor recurrence rate. These results support the concept of nephron-sparing surgery in the presence of a normal contralateral kidney.

NEPHRON SPARING SURGERY FOR CENTRAL RENAL TUMORS: EXPERIENCE WITH 33 CASES

PURPOSE Nephron sparing surgery is standard treatment for small, peripherally located renal cell carcinoma. In patients with a solitary kidney, bilateral tumors or impaired renal function nephron sparing surgery provides the only option to nephrectomy and subsequent hemodialysis or transplantation. We retrospectively investigated the value of nephron sparing surgery for centrally located renal cell carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS Between 1969 and 1997, 311 renal tumor enucleations were performed at our institution. The tumor was centrally located in 33 cases. The indication for enucleation was elective in 7 cases and imperative in 26, including bilateral tumor in 16 (metachronous in 9 and synchronous in 7), chronic renal failure in 4 and solitary kidney in 6. Four patients had metastasis at enucleation. RESULTS Convalescence was unremarkable in 28 cases. Hemorrhage occurred in 1 patient, a urinary fistula in 2 and a local abscess secondary to a urinary fistula in 1. One patient died postoperatively of heart failure. Average serum creatinine was 1.25, 1.63 and 1.33 mg./dl. preoperatively, at hospital discharge and at a mean followup of 33 months, respectively. Hemodialysis was necessary transiently during convalescence in 1 patient and permanently starting 6 years after enucleation in another. Definitive histology revealed oncocytoma in 4 cases and renal cell carcinoma in 29. Disease was stages pT1 to pT3 in 9, 18 and 2 cases, and grades 1 to 3 in 6, 18 and 5, respectively. Local recurrence developed in 2 patients. Mean followup was 5.2 years (range 0.3 to 16.7). At a mean followup of 6.2 years (range 0.7 to 16.7) 20 patients were free of disease. In addition to the patient who died postoperatively, 9 died of renal cell carcinoma at a mean of 1.6 years (range 0.3 to 5.3) and 3 died of other causes at 5, 11 and 12 years postoperatively, respectively. No patient who underwent elective enucleation died. CONCLUSIONS Nephron sparing surgery for centrally located kidney tumors is technically feasible and associated with an acceptable complication rate. Local tumor control is excellent, and the overall prognosis depends on contralateral disease and metastasis. Benign tumors may be diagnosed and removed without loss of the kidney. By avoiding hemodialysis quality of life is improved.

Follow-Up after Urinary Diversion

With modern forms of urinary diversion being widely employed during recent years, the awareness of possible complications and appropriate follow-up strategies gains rising importance and current follow-up strategies are reviewed herewith. Follow-up investigations after urinary diversion have to address possible surgical complications, metabolic changes as well as the risk of secondary malignancies in the incorporated bowel segments. The most important and possible deleterious surgical complication is upper tract dilation and obstruction following ureteroenteric anastomotic stenosis and occurs in 2–30% depending on the surgical technique and evaluated series. The most appropriate follow-up study to detect upper tract dilation is ultrasonography while the associated obstructional component can best be estimated by functional renographic studies (MAG3 renal scan). The significance of reflux associated with urinary diversion remains controversial although experimental studies and clinical observations suggest a risk of renal functional deterioration associated with reflux which is certainly true in ureterosigmoidostomy following pyelonephritic changes. Possible metabolic changes include hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis and problems related to malabsorption due to bowel resection and incorporation of bowel segments into the urinary tract. The incidence of hyperchloremic acidosis is related to the form of urinary diversion, being higher in continent forms than in incontinent diversions, while hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis is most frequently encountered in ureterosigmoidostomy. While acute complications of metabolic acidosis may encompass hyperventilation as well as severe changes of serum electrolytes and acid base balance leading to cardiac arrhythmias necessitating immediate hospital treatment with intravenous alkalinizing, chronic acidosis may lead to osteopenia through hypocalcemia and stimulation of osteoclastic activity. Metabolic acidosis can be best detected by regular blood gas analysis. To prevent these complications prophylactic administration of alkalinizing agents (e.g. potassium citrate) should be readily performed. Malabsorption of bile acid strongly correlates with the length of ileum resected and can induce both chologenic diarrhea and malabsorption of liposoluble vitamins (A, D, E, K). Vitamin B12 is exclusively absorbed in the distal ileum, serum levels therefore may be reduced following resection of distal ileum. This will not occur during the first 3–5 years following diversion because B12 deposits usually will last for this period. Later, however, serum levels of vitamin B12 should be checked annually while others favor routine substitution of this vitamin. The incidence of cancer occurring at the ureterointestinal anastomosis seems to be highest in patients with ureterosigmoidostomy varying between 2 and 29% with polypoid benign lesions being more frequent. The most common type of tumor is adenocarcinoma which has also been reported in colonic and ileal conduits as well as augmentation cystoplasty using either colon or ileum. Since the time interval between surgery and cancer occurrence is longer than 10 years, the newer forms of continent diversion theoretically also inherit the risk of tumor formation, which, however, has yet to be established because these diversions are only in wide use since 10 years. Currently, annual endoscopic controls are recommended in those patients with diversions where feces and urine are in contact with urothelium starting 5 years after surgery. Although formal guidelines for follow-up after urinary diversion have not yet been established by the working group on oncology of the German urological association, this paper suggests a follow-up strategy addressing surgical complications, metabolic changes and the risk of secondary malignancies.

URETHRAL RECURRENCE OF TRANSITIONAL CELL CARCINOMA IN A FEMALE PATIENT AFTER CYSTECTOMY AND ORTHOTOPIC ILEAL NEOBLADDER

A 63-year-old woman presented elsewhere with a unifocal pT1, G3 transitional cell carcinoma at the bladder base in 1995. She underwent urethral sparing cystectomy and ileal neobladder. Intraoperative frozen section from the proximal urethra did not demonstrate tumor involvement. Final histological examination revealed pT1, pN2, G3 transitional cell carcinoma. Adjuvant chemotherapy was not given. In 1998 the patient had symptoms of obstructive voiding due to a 3 3 3 cm. solid mass at the neobladder-urethra anastomosis (see figure). After 6 cycles of methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin and cisplatin and a transient tumor size reduction, the patient was referred to us for local tumor progression. Endoscopy identified a tumor at the neobladder-urethra anastomosis. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a 2.5 3 1 cm. tumor infiltrating the anterior vaginal wall. With a combined abdominovaginal approach complete removal of the tumor was accomplished, including removal of the introitus and vagina, lower third of the ileal neobladder and entire urethra. The ileal neobladder was converted to a continent cutaneous urinary diversion with umbilical stoma. Histopathological examination revealed poorly differentiated transitional cell carcinoma and tumor-free margins of resection. Two months later multiple hepatic metastases were diagnosed and the patient died 3 months later.

PROSTATOSYMPHYSEAL FISTULA AFTER TRANSURETHRAL RESECTION OF THE PROSTATE

The formation of a urethrosymphyseal fistula is a rare complication after transurethral resection of the prostate. It may develop secondary to previous radiation therapy of the pelvis. We describe a case of spontaneous fistula formation after transurethral resection of the prostate. CASE REPORT

Genetic Alterations at 13q14 May Correlate with Differences in the Biological Behavior of Prostate Cancer between Japanese and Caucasian Men

The incidence of prostate cancer and the resultant mortality rates in Japanese men are lower compared with the rates for Caucasians; however, the Gleason score at diagnosis is higher in Japanese men compared with Caucasians. Loss of 13q is one of the most common chromosomal alterations in prostate cancer. To elucidate the difference in the rate of loss of 13q between Japanese and Caucasian men, we examined the allelic imbalance (AI) on chromosome 13q in 32 Japanese and 39 German prostate cancer patients with a fluorescent polymerase chain reaction technique using 12 microsatellite markers. Benign and malignant histology was identified by a single pathologist and laser capture microdissection was used to gather cancer cells. Although there were no statistical differences in patient background characteristics, the frequency of AI at 13q14 (D13S1253) and at 13q21 (D13S166) was significantly higher in Japanese patients compared with German patients (p = 0.0128 and p = 0.0078, respectively). The frequency of AI at 13q14 was significantly higher in tumors with high Gleason scores (GS) compared with tumors with low GS (p = 0.0478). The present observations suggest that the frequency of genetic alterations at 13q14 may underlie differences in the biological behavior of prostate cancer between Japanese and Caucasian populations.

IODIDE MUMPS AFTER INTRAVENOUS AND ORAL ADMINISTRATION OF CONTRAST MEDIUM

A 70-year-old woman with a history of radical cystectomy and continent urinary diversion with a Mainz pouch I due to muscle invasive bladder carcinoma presented for a routine evaluation. Physical examination, electrocardiogram, chest x-ray and routine laboratory values showed no pathological findings. There was no history of salivary gland disease. Excretory urography was performed with 100 ml. nonionic contrast medium (iopromide) injected intravenously. Painless bilateral swelling of the submandibular glands developed 16 hours later without any dysphagia, dyspnea or other allergic reactions (see figure). After systemic treatment with an antihistamine and prednisolone the swelling resolved within 6 hours. One year later the same symptoms developed 12 hours after the oral administration of diatrizoate meglumine a watery contrast medium used for gastroenterological diagnosis. As in the initial episode, symptoms responded to anti-allergenic therapy. DISCUSSION

An Unusual Case of Ureteral Ectopia in the Seminal Vesicle: Diagnosis and Surgical Management

We report the case of a young man who presented with numerous episodes of ipsilateral epididymitis. Selected imaging studies with consideration of urogenital embryology lead to the rare diagnosis of a dysplastic kidney with ureteral ectopia in the seminal vesicle. After nephroureterectomy and vesiculectomy, convalescence was uneventful. No specific symptoms, equivocal diagnostic findings and the small number of patients limit the surgical experience in diseases of the seminal vesicle. Suprainguinal extravesical extirpation, however, appears to be an excellent operative approach in cases of unilateral seminal vesicle cysts.