Incomplete fracture of the pars interarticularis represents a stage of the evolution of a complete stress fracture. The direction of fracture propagation is consistent, and complete healing can be achieved in most cases with appropriate clinical management. CT best demonstrates fracture size and extent, and is the most appropriate modality for follow-up. MRI is limited in its ability to fully depict the cortical integrity of incomplete fractures of the pars, but the presence of marrow oedema on fat-saturated T2-weighted sequences is a useful means of detecting acute spondylolysis.
The survival of patients with prostate cancer and radiologically detectable lymph node enlargement has been studied prospectively over an 8-year period. Computed tomography in 108 patients presenting with symptoms, signs or biochemical results suggesting lymphatic spread revealed pelvic or abdominal node masses in 60 patients; in 29 (48%), the masses measured more than 4 cm and the maximum node diameter was 15 cm. Two-thirds of patients had advanced (T3/T4) tumour stage. Following treatment, actuarial survival in all 60 patients with nodal enlargement was 40% at 5 years. Within this group, survival in 22 patients with lymphadenopathy but negative bone scans at diagnosis was significantly better than that of 38 patients with both node and bone disease (70% vs 20% at 5 years). This improvement was related both to an apparent inability of certain tumours initially to progress and seed within bone and to a marked sensitivity of the node masses to subsequent hormonal manipulation. Primary tumour grade was proportionally similar in both groups. Unexpectedly, 6 of the 38 patients with combined disease obtained a complete remission after treatment. The reason for this heterogeneous biological behaviour remains unclear; but these observations underscore the importance of vigorous treatment in all patients with advanced lymph node disease.
In a series of 51 patients with prostate cancer and obstructive uropathy, unilateral or bilateral obstruction was identified in 22 (43%) and 29 (57%) respectively. This included a non-functioning kidney in 12 patients. In 86% of patients the T category was advanced. Bone metastases were present in 36 cases (71%); 19 patients (37%) had chronic retention. All patients with metastatic disease underwent hormonal manipulation and 43 underwent transurethral resection of the prostate. External beam radiotherapy, percutaneous nephrostomy and ureteric reimplantation were performed in 4, 5 and 1 patient respectively. Actuarial survival of all 51 patients was 57 and 25% at 2 and 5 years. Presentation with bilateral or non-function did not predict a worse prognosis in comparison with patients with unilateral hydroureteronephrosis. Raised alkaline phosphatase and prostatic acid phosphatase were of no prognostic value, while creatinine reached marginal significance. A positive bone scan and raised urea were strongly predictive of a poor outlook. It was concluded that prostate cancer and obstructive uropathy should not uniformly imply a terminal event, and interventional therapy is justified with a 25% 5-year survival rate.
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