No abstract available.

We reviewed 63 urolithiasis patients who were admitted to the Department of Urology, College of Medicine, Yonsei University during the period of 6 months from December, 1983 to May, 1984 to discover hyperparathyroidism in urolithiasis and to evaluate the relationship between PTH and urolithiasis. The following results were obtained. 1. Among 63 urolithiasis patients, there were 47 men and 16 women with a ratio of 2.9: 1 And peak age incidence of urolithiasis occurred in the third and fourth decades (68.3 %). 2. Urinary calculi occurred most commonly in the upper ureter (33.3%) and in decreasing order of frequency kidney and ureter (17.5 %), kidney (16.8 %). 3. In urolithiasis patients, elevated PTH level was found in 5 cases (7.9%) and hypercalciuria was found in 10 cases (15.9 %).And elevated PTH level with hypercalciuria was found in 2 cases(3.2%). 4. In urolithiasis patients, the range of serum calcium, phosphate, protein, albumin and urinaryphosphate, creatinine were within normal limit. And the range of TRP, TRCa were within normal limit, too. 5. Urolithiasis patients with elevated PTH had serum calcium level higher than urolithiasis patients with normal PTH and the difference of the values was statistically significant (P<0.01). But in serum calcium, phosphate, urinary phosphate, TRP and TRCa, the differences of the values between the elevated PTH group and normal PTH group were not statistically significant(p>0.01).
Calcium ; Creatinine ; Female ; Humans ; Hypercalciuria ; Hyperparathyroidism ; Incidence ; Kidney ; Male ; Parathyroid Hormone ; Ureter ; Urinary Calculi ; Urolithiasis* ; Urology

Prostate cancer is the fourth most common cancer in men worldwide. Its incidence and mortality vary widely between countries and ethnicities. In Korea, the incidence of prostate cancer was much lower than that in most westernized countries, but recently, it appears to be rapidly increasing steadily. Prostate cancer has now become the fifth most common cancer in men in Korea since the year 2002. The recent dramatic increase in incidence may be attributed to the growth of elderly population, a westernized diet in daily life style, and introduction of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening. The prevalence of latent prostate cancers is similar around the world, but the incidence of clinically manifest cancers differs, with Asians having the lowest rates of clinical prostate cancers. Diet may play a role in converting latent prostate cancer into clinically manifest one. Fat consumption, especially polyunsaturated fat, shows a strong positive correlation with prostate cancer incidence and mortality. The mortality rates for prostate cancer have been decreasing in many developed countries, thanks to early detection and improved treatment, while the mortality rates have been increasing in Korea. Since a significantly higher proportion of Korean prostate cancers exhibit poor differentiation, early diagnosis and appropriate treatment may be important.
Aged ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Developed Countries ; Diet ; Early Diagnosis ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Life Style ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Prevalence ; Prostate ; Prostate-Specific Antigen ; Prostatic Neoplasms

Testicular microlithiasis (TM) is an uncommon abnormality in which concentric laminated bodies are scattered throughout the testis within seminiferous tubules. The sonographic appearance of TM is characteristic. In a retrospective analysis of 281 testicular sonograms, TM were found in 7 cases (2.5%). The presence of TM was associated with the presence of acute epididymitis (n=3), varicocele (n =l), hydrocele (n =l), testicular tumor (n =l), and cryptorchidism (n =l). The pathogenesis of TM is still poorly understood and its clinical relevance is unclear. However, because TM may be associated with testicular tumor, we advocate careful evaluation and follow up of the testes when this abnormality is detected.
Cryptorchidism ; Epididymitis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Seminiferous Tubules ; Testis ; Ultrasonography ; Varicocele

PURPOSE: Adrenalectomy has traditionally been included as a component of the radical nephrectomy. However, its role remains controversial. We assessed the ipsilateral adrenal involvement in renal cell carcinoma to determine whether ipsilateral adrenalectomy during radical nephrectomy is essential. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The records of 77 patients undergoing radical nephrectomy with ipsilateral adrenalectomy for renal cell carcinoma were reviewed. Radiographic findings were subsequently compared to postoperative histopathological findings to assess the predictive value of tumor characteristics and imaging in determining adrenal involvement. RESULTS: Three patients (3.9%) had ipsilateral adrenal involvement. In one of these 3 patients, adrenal involvement was documented in preoperative CT scan. The other two, in whom there were no adrenal abnormalities in CT scan, showed renal vein thrombosis. All 3 patients had advanced stage (T3b or T4). Mean renal tumor size in patients with adrenal involvement was 13.7cm (8-24) compared to 5.9cm (1.5-18) in those without adrenal involvement. Two of 3 patients with adrenal involvement had the adrenal invasion by direct extension of tumor from the upper pole of the kidney and 1 patient by hematogenous metastasis. CONCLUSIONS: Adrenalectomy may not be needed to perform routinely in localized, early stage renal cell carcinoma (T1-2), particularly when CT is negative for adrenal involvement. In renal cell carcinoma with risk factors, such as high stage (T3-4), large tumor involving the upper pole and renal vein thrombus, adrenalectomy should be performed.
Adrenalectomy* ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell* ; Humans ; Kidney ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Nephrectomy* ; Renal Veins ; Risk Factors ; Thrombosis ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in United States and the fifth most common cancer in men in Korea. Although the majority of patients with metastatic prostate cancer initially respond to androgen deprivation therapy, almost all patients will eventually progress to develop castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Treatment options for CRPC remain limited. Prostate cancer was considered unresponsive to chemotherapy until the mid-1990s, when mitoxantrone combined with prednisone was shown to play a role in the palliative treatment of patients with CRPC. In 2004, two large randomized clinical trials demonstrated for the first time a small but significant survival advantage of docetaxel-based chemotherapy compared with mitoxantrone in patients with metastatic CRPC. Recently, cabazitaxel was shown to improve survival in patients with metastatic CRPC who progressed after docetaxel-based chemotherapy. Sipuleucel-T was also demonstrated to improve overall survival in patients with asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic metastatic CRPC. Along with mitoxantrone and docetaxel, cabazitaxel and sipuleucel-T are now approved for use in metastatic CRPC by the US Food and Drug Administration. There have been multiple early-phase clinical trials of various agents for the treatment of CRPC, and some are in phase III development. This review focuses on the key clinical trials of various treatment options of CRPC currently in use and under investigation.
Humans ; Imidazoles ; Immunotherapy ; Korea ; Male ; Mitoxantrone ; Molecular Targeted Therapy ; Nitro Compounds ; Palliative Care ; Prednisone ; Prostate ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; Taxoids ; Tissue Extracts ; United States ; United States Food and Drug Administration

STUDY DESIGN: This is a retrospective study analyzing 76 patients treated by decompression, pedicle screw instrumentatin and fusion for spondylolytic spondylolisthesis with symptomatic spinal stenosis. OBJECTIVES: This is to verify the advantages of adding posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) to the usual posterolateral fusion (PLF) with pedicle screw instrumentation. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Stabilization after decompression of spondylolytic spondy- lolisthsis is difficult due to insufficiency of fusion base, gap between the bases and incompetent anterior disc support. PLIF offers anterior support, reduction and a broad fusion base. METHODS: Forty patients were treated with PLF and 36 were treated with additional PLIF. They were compared for union, reductin of the deformity and clinical results. RESULTS: The patients were followed up for more than 2 years (mean: 4.6 years). Nonunion was observed in 3 PLF cases (7.5%) and none in PLIF. Reduction of slippage was 28.3% in PLF and 41.6% in PLIF (p < 0.05). In PLF group, 8 patients (20%) had recurrence of deformity with loss of reduction more than 50%. Hardware failures occurred in 2 with PLF. There was no major neurologic complications in both groups. Both groups had a few difference in the satisfactory results, but some difference in the excellent result by Kirkaldy-Willis criteria. Excellent result was 45% in PLF and 75% in PLIF. CONCLUSIONS: Addition of PLIF to PLF following a complete decompression and pedicle screw flxation is a recommendable procedure for the treatment of spondylolytic spondylolisthesis with spinal stenosis.
Congenital Abnormalities ; Decompression ; Humans ; Pedicle Screws ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Stenosis ; Spondylolisthesis

Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging was performed in 41 patients with compression fracture of the spine. MR images of 14 patients with acute spinal trauma (within recent 1 month), eight patients with chronic trauma (over 1 month), and 19 patients with malignant cause without history of trauma were analyzed, retrospectively. Low signal intencities on T1-weighted images and high signal intensities on T2-weighted images were noted in 86% (12/14) of patients with acute trauma, Iso-signal intensities on all pulse sequences were noted in 50%(4/8) of patients with chronic trauma. Low signal intensities on T1-weighted images and high signal intensities on T2-weighted images were noted in 100%(19/19) of patients with metastatic compression fracture. Contrast enhancement was observed in all the cases of acute trauma(4/4) and metastases(18/18), whereas only 20% (1/5) of chronic trauma showed enhancement. Fragmentation was seen in 35% (5/14) of patients with acute trauma, in 25%(2/8) with chronic trauma, and not seen in the patients with metastasis. In conclusion, acute traumatic compression fracture can not be differentiated from malignant cause by MR signal intensity or contrast enhancement, but chronic compression fracture can be distinguished from metasasis. Fragmentation may suggest traumatic compression fracture. So MRI could be a useful method in differentiating the benign compression fractures from the pathologic ones caused by malignancy.
Fractures, Compression* ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Methods ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Retrospective Studies ; Spine

The relationship between Sertoli cells and germ cells in varicocele remains controversial. To study this relationship in varicocele, seminiferous tubular changes were observed in pubertal rats according to the length of time after induction of the varicocele and the interval between induction and repair of the varicocele. As the length of time of the varicocele increased, accumulation of lipid inclusions within the Sertoli cell cytoplasm appeared first and then premature sloughing of the early spermatids appeared. Lastly, decrease in testicular weight and mean seminiferous tubular diameter (MSTD) together with decrease in the number of late spermatids were observed. Inter-Sertoli cell junctions were preserved unrelated to the duration of the varicocele. When Sertoli cell changes were reversed after varicocele repair, premature sloughing of the early spermatids was not observed. The testicular weight, MSTD and number of late spermatids were significantly increased compared to controls. When Sertoli cell changes were not fully reversed after varicocele repair, premature sloughing of the early spermatids was still observed. The testicular weight, MSTD and number of late spermatids were not significantly increased compared to controls. These results suggest that the blood-testis barrier remains intact in varicocele. The Sertoli cell is the primary intratubular site of alteration leading secondarily to spermatogenic disruption in varicocele. Changes in the Sertoli cell cause premature sloughing of the early spermatids and affect maximally the spermatid Stage.
Animals ; Blood-Testis Barrier ; Cytoplasm ; Germ Cells* ; Intercellular Junctions ; Rats* ; Sertoli Cells ; Spermatids ; Varicocele*

Neurilemmoma is a neoplasm arising from Schwann cells. It is usually solitary and may be benign or malignant, solid or cystic, encapsulated or diffuse. It rarely occurs in the retroperitoneum. We report one case of retroperitoneal neurilemmoma with review of the literatures.
Neurilemmoma* ; Schwann Cells