Percutaneous cryosurgery was performed successfully in two patients with hypervascular renal tumours. Cryo-immunological activity was assumed to have contributed to the temporary improvement in their condition. These results suggest that percutaneous cryosurgery might be useful as minimally invasive treatment in a limited number of patients with advanced renal carcinoma.

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is associated with the development of cancer in the stomach, but both positive and negative associations were reported with colorectal neoplasia. We sought to determine whether H. pylori is associated with colon neoplasia in Japanese population. We examined 332 patients who underwent routine high-resolution total colonoscopy and serologic testing for IgG antibodies agonist H. pylori. Subjects who received cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors or previous eradication therapy and those with borderline titer levels were excluded from data analysis (n 5 27). Seronegative control subjects were from the same study population to maximize the representativeness. There were no significant differences in age and gender between the 2 patient groups. A significant increase in the incidence of adenomatous polyps (p < 0.0001) and decrease in normal colonoscopic findings (p < 0.0005) were observed in seropositive patients than those seronegative. Our study indicates an etiological link of H. pylori infection to colorectal neoplasia and the need of routine colonoscopy in seropositive patients. ' 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

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Summary:Management of post-transplant complications caused by severe adenoviral infection remains a major therapeutic challenge. A 17-year-old male who had undergone bone marrow transplantation for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia developed complete anuria following hemorrhagic cystitis 34 days after the transplant procedure. The computed tomogram scan revealed bilateral hydronephrosis, indicating acute renal failure because of obstructive uropathy. The emergency procedure of percutaneous nephrostomy caused massive bleeding in the left kidney, which eventually required a nephrectomy. Adenovirus-positive severe necrotizing tubulointerstitial nephritis was the histopathological diagnosis. Post-transplant acute renal failure because of hydronephrosis, which could be complicated by adenovirusinduced renal parenchymal disease, is of great concern and may cause significant problems with interventional treatment.

We report the first case (to our knowledge) of malignant melanoma of amelanotic type arising from the mucosa of the middle ear. An 81-year-old man who presented with right hearing loss was diagnosed as having otitis media with effusion at an otolarygology clinic. Despite subsequent treatment, he developed otorrhea and otalgia. Furthermore, a granular mass was found in the pars flaccida of the tympanic membrane. A biopsy of the mass was performed, and the findings were suggestive of malignant melanoma. The disease was already in an advanced stage, because metastases were noted in the patient's lungs and liver. Although chemohormonal therapy was performed and was slightly effective in reducing the primary tumor, the patient died of acute renal failure. Autopsy confirmed the diagnosis of amelanotic melanoma of the middle ear.