Thrombospondin-1 expression is strongly associated with prognostic tumor features in clear cell renal cell carcinoma and is an independent prognostic factor for cancer specific survival. Our findings revealed a significant correlation among p53, proliferation index, microvessel density and thrombospondin-1 expression, and indicate that thrombospondin-1 may have an impact on angiogenesis, proliferation and tumor aggressiveness in clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

In a questionnaire survey of urological departments in Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Norway, 20 episodes of perforation of continent urinary pouches were found to have occurred in 18 patients, representing an incidence of 1.5%. This complication occurred with ileal as well as colonic segments, without predilection. In one case there was perforation of an appendiceal outlet. Noticeable findings were (a) a long delay (median 10h) to treatment and (b) that investigational procedures such as enterocystography and enterocystoscopy were not commonly employed. Treatment of this potentially lethal complication was by oversewing the perforation, and there were no subsequent major complications. This complication should be strongly suspected if a patient with continent urinary reconstruction presents with acute abdominal pain.

A total of 42 evaluable patients 36-80 years old were treated with intracavernous injection of prostaglandin E1 for erectile dysfunction. They reported retrospectively via a questionnaire their long-term experience of this method. Twenty-four patients (57%) were after 46.9 months still using the technique, while 18 patients (43%) had abandoned the method after 21.4 months of use. No major complications were observed or reported.

ECOG PS, TNM stage, nuclear grade and tumour necrosis were found to be independent prognostic factors for survival.

A case of postcesarean vesico-uterine fistula in conjunction with a fibrous cord joining the anterior and posterior wall of the bladder is reported. The symptoms of menouria and amenorrhoea in the absence of urinary incontinence are explained by reference to the pressure gradients which normally exist in the bladder and the uterine cavity. The etiology, diagnosis and therapy of this and other reported cases are reviewed.