Encrusted Ureteral Stent Retrieval Using Flexible Ureteroscopy with a Ho: YAG Laser

A 23-year-old female had bilateral ureteral stents placed due to bilateral renal stones and hydronephrosis. The bilateral ureteral stents were changed every 3 months. A kidney ureter bladder (KUB) film showed left encrustation along the ureteral stent thus necessitating removal; however, the ureteral stent could not be removed cystoscopically. The ureteral stent was, therefore, extracted using flexible ureteroscopy (URS) with a holmium (Ho): yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) laser

Identification of novel mast cell genes by serial analysis of gene expression in cord blood-derived mast cells

AbstractThe gene expression profile of human cord blood-derived mast cells (MCs) was investigated using serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE). A total of 22 914 tags, representing 9181 unique transcripts, were sequenced. By selecting tags that were detected more frequently in MCs than in other tissues, genes characteristic of MCs were enriched. Reverse transcription-PCR and the high-density oligonucleotide array hybridization confirmed the validity of our SAGE result. About 70% of the selected genes were previously uncharacterized. Northern blot analysis showed the MC-specific expression of selected genes. This inventory will be useful to identify novel genes with important functions in MCs

Effectiveness of an erbium-doped:yttrium, aluminum and garnet laser for treatment of peri-implant disease : clinical, microbiological, and biochemical marker analyses

The effectiveness of an erbium-doped: yttrium, aluminum and garnet (Er: YAG) laser (EYL) for the treatment of peri-implant disease (PID) remains unclear. The aim of this study was to compare non-surgical EYL therapy for PID with locally delivered minocycline hydrochloride (MC) ointment therapy by evaluating clinical, microbiological, and biochemical markers. Thirty-seven patients with PID were randomly assigned to either the EYL group (n = 18) or the MC group (n = 19). The clinical, microbiological, and biochemical markers at baseline and at 1 and 3 months after treatment were compared between the two groups. Subgingival plaque and peri-implant crevicular fluid (PICF) were collected from the diseased pockets. In the EYL group, probing pocket depth (PPD) was significantly decreased after treatment when compared with baseline. On the other hand, in the MC group, there was no significant decrease in PPD after treatment. Specific bacteria associated with PID were not determined. The counts of both Gram-positive and -negative species did not significantly decrease in the EYL group at 3 months after treatment. In the MC group, the counts of almost all bacterial species were significantly decreased after treatment. Biochemical marker analysis of PICF revealed significantly lower levels of metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 in the EYL group, as compared with the MC group at 3 months after treatment (p= 0.009). Non-surgical therapy with an EYL for PID was clinically effective, with decreased MMP-9 levels in PICF, which may lead to reduced peri-implant tissue destruction

Effects of the acute and chronic restraint stresses on the central histaminergic neuron system of Fischer rat

pdf Title: Effects of the acute and chronic restraint stresses on the central histaminergic neuron syste

Neuroendocrine Carcinoma of the Bladder

The case was a 67-year-old male who visited our hospital with a major complaint of macroscopic hematuria. A bladder tumor was found. When a transurethral resection of the bladder tumor was performed, the histopathological diagnosis was neuroendocrine bladder cancer. After chemotherapy with cisplatin and etoposide a partial shrinkage of the tumor was observed; however, the patient expired 7 months after the first visit

Gallbladder Metastasis from Renal Cell Carcinoma

A 73-year-old female was operated with radical nephrectomy and cholecystectomy for renal cell carcinoma and suspected gallstones after 9 courses of sunitinib treatment. Gallbladder specimen showed gallbladder metastasis originating from the renal cell carcinoma. Gallbladder metastasis from renal cell carcinoma is rare. Here, we discuss a case of gallbladder metastasis from renal cell carcinoma

Primary Synovial Sarcoma of the Kidney

The case was a 40-year-old female. She visited a local doctor with a chief complaint of right side abdominal pain. A right kidney tumor measuring 10 cm in diameter was observed in an abdominal Computed Tomography (CT) scan. Based on the CT image, the possibility of angiomiolipoma (AML) could not be ruled out, but a high maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of 7.8 was observed in a Positron Emission Tomography CT (PET-CT) scan and there was a possibility of malignancy. We therefore performed a transperitoneal right radial nephrectomy. Although adhesion of the tumor to the duodenum and the inferior vena cava was observed, it was possible to perform an excision. The tumor accounted for a large proportion of the excised kidney; the surrounding areas had taken on a cyst-like structure, and the interior comprised grayish brittle tissue exhibiting solid growth. Histologically, gland-like and cyst-like structures composed of cylindrical cuboidal cells and mainly characterized by the solid growth of short fusiform-shaped and oval-shaped basophilic cells were observed, and we believed it was a synovial sarcoma. There were no malignant findings in the adrenal gland. There have been approximately 30 reported cases around the world of synovial sarcoma that developed in the kidney, and we herein report this case with bibliographic considerations

Ureteral Stent Retrieval Using the Crochet Hook Technique in Females

INTRODUCTION: We developed a method for ureteral stent removal in female patients that requires no cystoscopy or fluoroscopic guidance using a crochet hook. In addition, we also investigated the success rate, complications and pain associated with this procedure. METHODS: A total of 40 female patients (56 stents) underwent the removal of ureteral stents. All procedures were carried out with the patients either under anesthesia, conscious sedation, or analgesic suppositories as deemed appropriate for each procedure including Shock Wave Lithotripsy (SWL), Ureteroscopy (URS), Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy (PCNL), and ureteral stent removal. At the time of these procedures, fluoroscopy and/or cystoscopy were prepared, but they were not used unless we failed to successfully remove the ureteral stent using the crochet hook. In addition, matched controls (comprising 50 stents) which were removed by standard ureteral stent removal using cystoscopy were used for comparison purposes. RESULTS: A total of 47 of the 56 stents (83.9%) were successfully removed. In addition, 47 of 52 (90.4%) were successfully removed except for two migrated stents and two heavily encrusted stents which could not be removed using cystoscopy. Ureteral stent removal using the crochet hook technique was unsuccessful in nine patients, including two encrustations and two migrations. Concerning pain, ureteral stent removal using the crochet hook technique showed a lower visual analogue pain scale (VAPS) score than for the standard technique using cystoscopy. CONCLUSIONS: Ureteral stent removal using a crochet hook is considered to be easy, safe, and cost effective. This technique is also easy to learn and is therefore considered to be suitable for use on an outpatient basis

Prospective identification, isolation, and systemic transplantation of multipotent mesenchymal stem cells in murine bone marrow

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are defined as cells that undergo sustained in vitro growth and can give rise to multiple mesenchymal lineages. Because MSCs have only been isolated from tissue in culture, the equivalent cells have not been identified in vivo and little is known about their physiological roles or even their exact tissue location. In this study, we used phenotypic, morphological, and functional criteria to identify and prospectively isolate a subset of MSCs (PDGFRα+Sca-1+CD45−TER119−) from adult mouse bone marrow. Individual MSCs generated colonies at a high frequency and could differentiate into hematopoietic niche cells, osteoblasts, and adipocytes after in vivo transplantation. Naive MSCs resided in the perivascular region in a quiescent state. This study provides the useful method needed to identify MSCs as defined in vivo entities