Experience with extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy of upper urinary tract stones

The first 121 cases of upper urinary tract stone treated by extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) at our clinic were analyzed. Three months after ESWL, 78% of the patients became stone free, and 17% of the patients had residual stone fragments which were less than 5 mm in diameter and considered passable. The success rate was therefore about 94.6%. No severe side effects were observed, although temporary elevations in serum creatinine phosphokinase, lactate dehydrogenase, glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase, aldolase and total bilirubin occurred. These results indicated that ESWL was a safe and effective procedure for upper urinary tract stones.     

A clinical study on urethral recurrence observed after cystectomy

A clinical study was made on 108 male patients who underwent cystectomy. The posterior urethra and partial anterior urethra were removed in 47 cases, half of the perpendicular urethra was removed in 13 cases and the anterior urethra up to the fossa navicularis was removed in 48 cases. Out of 60 cases without urethrectomy, urethral recurrence was observed in 13 cases (21.7%), while no recurrence was observed in the cases treated with urethrectomy. The average period of time from cystectomy to urethral recurrence was 24.7 months (11-39 months). Urethral cancer of such early stages as pIa and pIb were found in 3 and 6 cases, respectively. Stage pT2 was found in 4 cases. Grade 1 cancer was found in 3 cases, grade 2, in 5 cases, and 3 in 5 cases. The proximal end of the perpendicular urethra was found to be the most frequent site for recurrence with 11 cases exhibiting recurrence at this location and 2 cases at the mid-portion of the perpendicular urethra. Many cases exhibited multiple recurrence of tumor of visually grayish, velvety and non-papillary type which was histologically all transitional cell carcinoma. Bladder tumor with higher grade tended to cause urethral cancer recurrence with higher grade. Bladder tumors at multiple locations from the trigone to the lateral and posterior walls tended to cause recurrence in the urethra (p less than 0.05). Of all the cases, 10 cases underwent urethrectomy and 2 cases penectomy. 12 cases received chemotherapy and 5 cases radiation therapy as postoperative adjuvant treatments.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Wavelength difference limit for binocular color fusion

The wavelength difference limit Δλ below which a complete color fusion takes place was investigated for the fields of 10° and 2° arc of visual angle by inputting stimuli of different wavelengths and of the same brightness into the respective eyes. The limit varied from 15 nm to 100 nm depending upon the wavelength employed with two minima, when plotted along the spectrum, exhibiting a saw wave shape of Δ?λ curve. The results were interpreted according to two ways: the color difference hypothesis and the opponent-colors theory. The former assumes the fusion limit to be determined by the color difference introduced between two eyes, and the latter hypothesizes the binocular fusion to cease whenever mutually opponent color components, such as red and green, are perceived in the respective eyes.     

Mathematical analysis on several factors of X-ray pictures to define osteoporosis

The morphological informations retrieved from X-ray pictures were investigated to clarify the relationship among themselves by multidimensional analysis. We studied the X-ray pictures of the dorsal and lumbar spines from 147 male subjects aged 22–87 years, and 286 female subjects aged 18–102 years. We picked up seven morphological items from X-ray pictures as informations and two attributable items of sex and age. The result calculated by quantification IV presented the similar quality of five items which were global judgment, spinal score, deformity of vertebral body, calcification of abdominal aorta, and sex. By using quantification I, global judgment could be explained by four items which were spinal score, deformity of vertebral body, osteophyte, and age. The result calculated by quantification III showed also the similar quality of four items which were global judgment, spinal score, deformity of vertebral body, and age except osteophyte which had a different character. The different character of osteophyte could discern each subject of old age into two groups by quantification III, one with osteophyte and the other without osteophyte. The expected values of global judgment of osteoporosis by quantification I were well correlated with not only spinal scores and deformity of vertebral bodies but also with ages.     

Treatment of periodic depression with carbamazepine

A case of periodic depression treated prophylactically with carbamazepine for over 10 years is reported. Recurrence of depressive episode was completely inhibited during the carbamazepine treatment and depressive relapses occurred 2 to 4 months after the discontinuation of carbamazepine treatment. No notable side effect was found during the treatment.     

Neoadjuvant therapy with imatinib mesilate for gastrointestinal stromal tumor of the stomach before subsequent successful surgical resection

A 65-year-old man is presented here with a huge mass of 13 cm in diameter in the left upper abdomen. Histopathologic assessment of endoscopic forceps biopsy revealed a c-kit positive gastrointestinal storomal tumor (GIST) of the stomach. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) showed a direct invasion to the pancreas. Imatinib mesilate was administered as neoadjuvant therapy according to the NCCN Guidelines. Imatinib mesilate therapy was stopped within 2 weeks because of adverse events such as Grade 2 of facial edema and dizziness. However, no hematological adverse event was shown. After three months of treatment (relative dose intensity was 87.5%), CT revealed a reduction in tumor diameter of 35.6% and showed no longer a direct invasion to the pancreas. The radical operation was considered feasible and partial gastrectomy was performed. The tumor was well encapsulated and radical surgery was possible without rupture. Adjuvant therapy was not performed. The patient has now been in good health without a recurrence for three months after the surgery.