The pharmacokinetics of cefotaxime, a new semi-synthetic cephalosporin for injection, was studied in 30 subjects with various degrees of renal function after a single 1-gram intramuscular injection. Serum and urinary concentrations of cefotaxime and desacetyl cefotaxime were determined by high pressure liquid chromatography. The pharmacokinetic parameters of cefotaxime were obtained using a one-compartment open model. The mean serum half-life of the parent compound (cefotaxime), 0.87 h in normal subjects, was prolonged to 2.35 h in hemodialysis patients. There was a significant lineal correlation between the elimination rate constant of cefotaxime and creatinine clearance. The mean cumulative urinary recovery of the administered dose in the 24-hour urine was 51.7% as cefotaxime and 25 6% as desacetyl cefotaxime in normal subjects.

Despite improved diagnostic modalities for psoas abscesses, the optimum management strategy is not uniform. A 67-year-old man presented with bilateral psoas abscesses secondary to L1-L2 pyogenic discitis. On contrast-enhanced CT, the largest of these abscesses measured 13 × 14 × 33 mm on the right. The patient developed sepsis caused by Klebsiella pneumonia. There were no signs of improvement after 3 weeks of systematic antibiotic administration. We performed surgical drainage of bilateral psoas abscesses by retroperitoneoscopy. Intraoperative laparoscopic ultrasound was useful to determine abscess location in the muscles prior to drainage and confirm no residual abscesses after drainage. The patient was afebrile 3 days later, and his clinical symptoms resolved. Retroperitoneoscopic drainage may represent a feasible minimally invasive therapeutic option for psoas abscess, and intraoperative laparoscopic ultrasound has the potential to increase the safety and efficacy of this surgical procedure.

Biochemical analysis of renal cyst fluid was performed in 53 patients with simple renal cysts including 2 infected cases. The composition of noninfected cyst fluid tended to parallel that of serum. Additionally, the penetration of amikacin into cyst fluid was studied in 2 infected and in 11 noninfected patients following a single 200-mg intramuscular injection of amikacin. Drug levels in the fluid were below detection limit in the noninfected and approximately half or less of the serum values in the infected patients. These data may explain one of the reasons why infection of simple renal cysts is highly resistant to antimicrobial chemotherapy. The value of treatment by percutaneous aspiration and drainage of infected cysts is emphasized.

The treatment of sialolithiasis is discussed in this report. Generally, stones within the distal salivary duct are easily removed by transoral ductotomy, although proximal stones are usually treated by excision of the salivary gland and its duct. Since 1980, extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) has been in clinical use for the treatment of renal and gallbladder stones. We used this technique as a treatment for sialolithiasis. We undertook ESWL on 14 submandibular gland stone patients and 1 parotid gland stone patient, clinical symptoms such as pain and swelling disappeared without excision of the affected salivary gland. Stones larger than 10 mm seem to have a tendency to form Steinstrassen. Although computed tomography findings correlate with success in breaking up gallstones, they did not predict success for salivary stones. We conclude that sialolithiasis is treated successfully without adverse effects by ESWL in selected patients.

The elimination kinetics of cefotetan (YM09330), a new parenteral semisynthetic cephamycin derivative, were studied in eight healthy volunteers and 41 patients with renal insufficiency after the administration of a single 500-mg dose intravenously. Concentrations of cefotetan in serum and urine were determined by both bioassay and high-pressure liquid chromatography. The pharmacokinetic parameters for cefotetan were calculated on the basis of a two-compartment open model. Serum concentrations of cefotetan immediately after administration were approximately 180 ,ug/ml in all subjects regardless offunction; however, serum concentrations during the P-phase increased directly with the degree of renal impairment. The mean serum half-life during the p-phase was 3.0 h in normal subjects as compared with 13.1 h in hemodialysis patients. There was a linear correlation (P < 0.0001) between the elimination rate constant of cefotetan and creatinine clearance. The mean cumulative urinary recovery of cefotetan in the 24-h urine was 83.3% of the administered dose in normal subjects and decreased with reduced renal function.

We report a case of bile duct stones in which piezoelectric extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL) was highly effective for the clearance of stones. A 16-year-old girl, who had undergone excision of a choledochal cyst when she was 3 years old, presented a spiking fever and colic abdominal pain. Radiological investigations showed two large stones incarcerating to the proximal end of hepatico-jejunostomy anastomosis. Massive debris was also present in intrahepatic bile duct proximal to the anastomosis. She underwent piezoelectric ESWL with an EDAP LT02 lithotripter. An average of 40 min ESWL session was repeated at intervals of 2 or 3 days. Neither anesthetic nor sedative treatment was required. By the end of the sixth session, the stones incarcerated were fragmented and the debris in the intrahepatic bile duct was completely eliminated. We conclude that piezoelectric ESWL is a less invasive, effective and repeatable method, therefore, it could be a treatment of choice for bile duct stone formation after choledochal cyst excision.

Renal calculi in patients with renal angiomyolipomas are difficult to treat because of the hemorrhagic potential of these tumors. We describe the case of a 65-year-old man having tuberous sclerosis complex-associated multifocal renal angiomyolipomas with a large renal calculus. The patient presented with left flank dullness and a previous history of spontaneous angiomyolipoma rupture. Intravenous pyelography revealed a 43 × 16 mm calculus in the pelvis and lower calyx of the left kidney. The calculus was successfully removed by retrograde flexible ureterorenoscopy and holmium-YAG lithotripsy. Flexible ureterorenoscopy is an effective, minimally invasive therapy for patients at high risk of renal hemorrhage.

We report a case of acute aortic dissection leading to compression of the left renal vein (LRV), thereby resulting in the nutcracker phenomenon. A 49-year-old previously healthy woman presented with intermittent gross hematuria and mild left flank pain of five days' duration. Laboratory examinations were within normal limits, except for the elevated C-reactive protein. Cystoscopy revealed bleeding from the left ureteral orifice. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography demonstrated acute Type B aortic dissection and compression of LRV between the enlarged aorta and superior mesenteric artery with an associated dilatation of the left gonadal vein as a collateral circulation.