Nerve growth factor (NGF) has been found in the normal prostate of the Wistar rat and is regarded as an important prostatic mitogen. We have previously shown that chronic stress induced epithelial hyperplasia while sympathetic denervation caused atrophy in the male Wistar rat prostate. NGF may have been a contributing mechanism to the hyperplasia and atrophy response that was observed. The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression of NGF in the prostate of the male rat in response to chronic stress and denervation. Two weeks of restraint water-immersion stress were used to induce a chronic stress model in Wistar rats. Denervation of the peripheral sympathetic nerve was induced by 6-hydroxydopamine. The expression levels of NGF in the dissected prostate lobes were examined by immunohistochemistry. After 14 days of stress, proliferation of the epithelium in the ventral lobes was observed, whereas the dorsolateral lobes were almost unaffected. NGF immunoreactive protein was localized to the columnar secretory epithelium lines of the prostate tissue. Stress and denervation led to an increase in NGF expression in the ventral lobes. In conclusion, NGF was involved in the hyperplasia and atrophy in the prostate of the male rat in response to chronic stress and sympathetic denervation, and thus may be a contributing factor in the pathophysiology of the prostate.
Abstract. The present study reports the case of a patient who had undergone unsuccessful hormone therapy for ocular myasthenia gravis 14-years prior to the current presentation. The diagnosis of ocular myasthenia gravis was once again confirmed by a neostigmine test and repeat nerve stimulation study. Computed tomography scans in an external institution revealed a retroperitoneal cystic tumor with calcification above the left adrenal gland. The tumor was removed via a transperitoneal laparoscopic resection and was diagnosed as a mature cystic teratoma upon pathological examination. A teratoma is a common form of germ cell tumor, but primary teratomas of the retroperitoneum are quite rare in the adult population. Post-operative observation of the patient showed resolution of the ptosis and improved movement of the eyeballs. The potential mechanism was unclear, but the patient's teratoma was mature and may have contained myoid cells with antigenicity for anti-acetylcholine receptor (anti-AchR), as has been established in the thymus. Therefore, the anti-AchR antibody may have been involved.
Castleman's disease (CD) is an uncommon lymphoproliferative disorder, which mostly occurs in the chest and neck. Lesions originating in the pelvic retroperitoneum are rare. It is important to consider CD as a differential diagnosis when a pelvic lesion is found. The present study reports a unique case of CD in the pelvic retroperitoneum, where the tumor was demonstrated to have a highly vascular nature on CT scanning. The preoperative diagnosis was uncertain and a vascular-derived tumor was considered. Laparoscopic surgery was performed and the mass was completely resected along with regional lymphadenectomy. The pathological diagnosis was the hyaline vascular type of CD. The patient was free of recurrence after 1 year of follow-up. As the underlying etiology remains elusive and the differential diagnosis is challenging preoperatively, surgical excision is the preferred treatment strategy for this type of benign lesion.
Epithelioid angiomyolipoma (EAML) of the kidney is an uncommon neoplasm with malignant potential. It can occur sporadically or be associated with tuberous sclerosis. EAML is a monotypic variant of angiomyolipoma (AML), which is classified as neoplasm of the perivascular epithelioid cell or perivascular epithelioid cell tumor. Due to its epithelioid nature and paucity of fat components, unlike classic AML, which has abundant adipose tissue with characteristic features on CT scans, it is difficult to distinguish EAML from renal cell carcinoma and fat-poor AML on CT or MRI preoperatively, which may lead to misdiagnosis and unnecessary nephrectomy. The present report describes two cases of renal EAML, which were successfully treated by laparoscopic surgery. Preoperative diagnosis had not been achieved until surgery was performed and histological analysis was accomplished. No local recurrence or distal metastasis was observed during follow-up. Although the differential diagnosis was challenging preoperatively, a diagnosis of EAML should be considered and surgical excision was the preferred treatment strategy for the patients with localized tumors.
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