Calcification of bladder wall after intravesical mitomycin C therapy: a case report and review of literature

Bladder wall calcification is an under-reported adverse effect of intravesical mitomycin C therapy. We report our experience of a man who developed extensive bladder wall calcification within three weeks of being treated with just a single 40 mg dose of intravesical mitomycin C for non-muscle invasive, low-grade transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder. To date, only six other cases were reported in the scientific literature in English, all of which used higher doses of mitomycin and had a longer time to diagnosis than this case. We compared the salient points of this case with previously reported cases.

Repeat transurethral resection is still an essential tool in treating non-muscle invasive bladder cancer: the Western Australian experience

OBJECTIVES

To determine the rate of residual disease and under-staging after primary transurethral resection (TUR) of bladder tumors (TURBT) in tertiary hospitals in Western Australia.

METHODS

A retrospective study was performed evaluating all patients with TaHG (stage Ta, high-grade), T1LG (stage T1, low-grade) or T1HG (stage T1, high-grade) bladder cancer on primary TURBT conducted between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2017 at the four largest metropolitan public hospitals in Western Australia. Only patients who underwent repeat resection within 3 months from initial resection were included. Those with previous history of bladder cancer, incomplete follow-up data and visibly incomplete initial resection were excluded. Baseline patient demographics, macroscopic clearance at initial resection, and disease data at initial and repeat resections were recorded.

RESULTS

Sixty-seven patients with a median age of 71 years were included in this study. At initial resection, T1HG was the most common disease stage (64.2%) and detrusor muscle was present in 82.1% of initial resections. At repeat resection, 41.8% of cases had residual disease. The rate of upstaging to muscle-invasive bladder cancer was 3.0%. Patients treated by operators with five or less years of formal training did not have a significantly different rate of residual disease from patients treated by operators with more than five years of experience.

CONCLUSIONS

Repeat TUR should remain an essential practice due to high rates of residual disease and a small risk of tumor under-staging. The presence of detrusor muscle and macroscopic clearance should not be used as surrogates for adequacy of resection or consideration of avoiding a repeat TUR, even for TaHG disease.

A 3-Year Study of Predictive Factors for Positive and Negative Appendicectomies

Background: Early and accurate identification or exclusion of acute appendicitis is the key to avoid the morbidity of delayed treatment for true appendicitis or unnecessary appendicectomy, respectively. We aim (i) to identify potential predictive factors for positive and negative appendicectomies; and (ii) to analyse the use of ultrasound scans (US) and computed tomography (CT) scans for acute appendicitis. Materials and Methods: All appendicectomies that took place at our hospital from the 1st of January 2013 to the 31st of December 2015 were retrospectively recorded. Test results of potential predictive factors of acute appendicitis were recorded. Statistical analysis was performed using Fisher exact test, logistic regression analysis, sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values calculation. Results: 208 patients were included in this study. 184 patients had histologically proven acute appendicitis. The other 24 patients had either nonappendicitis pathology or normal appendix. Logistic regression analysis showed statistically significant associations between appendicitis and white cell count, neutrophil count, C-reactive protein, and bilirubin. Neutrophil count was the test with the highest sensitivity and negative predictive values, whereas bilirubin was the test with the highest specificity and positive predictive values (PPV). US and CT scans had high sensitivity and PPV for diagnosing appendicitis. Conclusions: No single test was sufficient to diagnose or exclude acute appendicitis by itself. Combining tests with high sensitivity (abnormal neutrophil count, and US and CT scans) and high specificity (raised bilirubin) may predict acute appendicitis more accurately.

Needle tract seeding following percutaneous biopsy of renal cell carcinoma

A 66-year-old man underwent computed tomography-guided needle biopsy of a suspicious renal mass. Two months later he underwent partial nephrectomy. Histology revealed a 30-mm clear cell renal cell carcinoma, up to Fuhrman grade 3. An area of the capsule was interrupted, which corresponded to a hemorrhagic area on the cortical surface. Under microscopy, this area showed a tongue of tumor tissue protruding through the renal capsule. A tumor deposit was found in the perinephric fat. These features suggest that tumor seeding may have occurred during the needle biopsy.

Orthotopic neobladder reconstruction

Orthotopic neobladder reconstruction is becoming an increasingly common urinary diversion following cystectomy for bladder cancer. This is in recognition of the potential benefits of neobladder surgery over creation of an ileal conduit related to quality of life (QoL), such as avoiding the need to form a stoma with its cosmetic, psychological and other potential complications. The PubMed database was searched using relevant search terms for articles published electronically between January 1994 and April 2014. Full-text articles in English or with English translation were assessed for relevance to the topic before being included in the review. Patients with neobladders have comparable or better post-operative sexual function than those with ileal conduits. They also have comparable QoL to those with ileal conduits. Orthotopic neobladder is a good alternative to ileal conduit in suitable patients who do not want a stoma and are motivated to comply with neobladder training. However, the selection of a neobladder as the urinary diversion of choice requires that patients have good renal and liver functions and are likely to be compliant with neobladder training. With benefits also come potential risks of neobladder formation. These include electrolyte abnormalities and nocturnal incontinence. This short review highlights current aspects of neobladder formation and its potential advantages.

Using mobile technology to overcome language barriers in medicine

Australia has a large migrant population with variable fluency in English. Interpreting services help ensure that healthcare services are delivered appropriately to these populations. However, the use of professional interpreters in hospitals is expensive. There are also issues with service availability and convenience. Mobile devices containing software with translating abilities have promising potential to improve communication between patients and hospital staff as an adjunct to professional interpreters. It is highly convenient and inexpensive. There are concerns about the accuracy of the interpretation done with such software and more research needs to be carried out to support or allay these concerns. For now, clinically important and medicolegal related interpretation should be undertaken by professional interpreters whereas less crucial tasks may be performed with the help of interpreting software on mobile devices.