A structured workshop to improve the quality of resident discharge summaries.

Background: Poor communication at hospital discharge can increase the risk of adverse events. The hospital discharge summary is the most common tool for detailing events related to hospitalization in preparation for postdischarge follow-up, yet deficiencies in discharge summaries have been widely reported. Resident physicians are expected to dictate discharge summaries but receive little formal training in this arena.

Mixed clinicopathologic behavior of a solitary mesothelioma.

A large solitary mesothelioma was found to exhibit malignant features microscopically, but benign characteristics grossly, including a surgically curative resection. The mixed behavior of this tumor supports the evolving understanding of mesotheliomas as progeny of multipotential subserosal cells with capabilities of differentiating into several tissue types with varying degrees of anaplasia.

Spontaneous regression of squamous cell lung carcinoma with adrenal metastasis.

A 61-year-old man was found to have squamous cell carcinoma of the left hilum with metastasis to the left adrenal gland documented by needle aspiration. About two years later, the primary tumor is not detectable, and the adrenal gland is of normal size on follow-up computerized tomography. To our knowledge, this is the first documented case of spontaneous regression of squamous cell carcinoma of the lung with adrenal metastasis.

Surgical treatment of H-type tracheoesophageal fistula diagnosed in an adult.

A new method is described for the repair of a congenital tracheoesophageal fistula in an adult. This technique uses a fiberoptic bronchoscope and passes a flexible vascular guidewire across the tracheoesophageal fistula. This maneuver then simplifies the intraoperative identification of the tracheoesophageal fistula, which is exposed and repaired through a left transcervical approach.