Radiofrequency ablation for non-small-cell lung cancer in a single-lung patient: case report and review of the literature.

Background: Radiofrequency thermal ablation is an alternative option to manage primary or metastatic lung malignancies. It is particular useful for unresectable lesions because of the disease's location, prior resection, or comorbidities. Patients presenting with a lung tumor that occurs in a single lung due to a prior pneumonectomy are difficult to manage with a curative intent due to the risk of complications after local treatment.

Mediastinal teratoma and trichoptysis.

We report the case of a 22-year-old woman suffering from mature mediastinal teratoma, revealed by trichoptysis, which is an exceptional, but pathognomonic symptom of intrathoracic teratomas. Only eight cases of trichoptysis are reported, none of them involved a mediastinal localization. We present the endoscopic and radiologic presentation, its surgical management, and histologic particularities.

[Surgical management of COPD distension].

Introduction: The impressive results seen when giant and compressing lung bullae are resected has inspired pneumonologists and thoracic surgeons to consider the possibility of applying a similar approach to the treatment of respiratory failure due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

State Of The Art: The major problem with this surgical indication lies in our ability to understand fully the pathophysiology of lesions and thus identify which emphysematous patients will have a response most similar to that achieved in purely bullous disease.

Perspectives: At the present time consideration should be given as to whether surgery is the only means of reducing pulmonary distension.

[Surgical management and outcomes of lung cancer in women - results from the Epithor database].

Introduction: Rates of lung cancer in women have been increasing continually for several years. The basic surgical management of this condition is the same in both sexes but a number of differences are apparent.

Methods: We analysed data entered onto the Epithor database between June 2002 and June 2006 concerning 8535 surgical resections performed in primary lung cancer.

Impact of induction treatment on postoperative complications in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer.

Introduction: A main drawback of neoadjuvant chemotherapy is that it may increase operative morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of chemotherapy on these complications.

Methods: Patient data were collected from the Epithor database.

Videothoracoscopic silver nitrate pleurodesis for primary spontaneous pneumothorax: an alternative to pleurectomy and pleural abrasion?

Background: The optimal surgical management of primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) is still controversial, especially in terms of the technique to be used. The aim of this paper was to report our experience of videothoracoscopic silver nitrate pleurodesis (VATSNP).

Methods: Between 1995 and 2004, all the medical records of the patients who had undergone silver nitrate videothoracoscopic pleurodesis (SNVTP) were reviewed.

Pulmonary angiomyolipoma.

Extrarenal angiomyolipoma are benign lesions that have rarely been described in the thorax. We present the clinical, radiographic, and pathologic findings of a pulmonary angiomyolipoma in a 63-year-old woman who had no diagnosis of tuberous sclerosis or lymphangioleiomyomatosis. We believe that this report is one of the first descriptions of angiomyolipoma of the lung.

Recurrent hyperparathyroidism: A sixth mediastinal parathyroid gland.

We present the case of a 71-year-old woman with recurrent hyperparathyroidism. She underwent first a subtotal resection of the parathyroid glands associated with subtotal thyroidectomy in the setting of primary hyperparathyroidism and multi nodular thyroid. Pathologic findings were consistent with hyperplasia and demonstrated a fifth parathyroid gland in the thyroid.

Expression of TTF-1 and cytokeratins in primary and secondary epithelial lung tumours: correlation with histological type and grade.

Aims: To assess cytokeratin (CK) and thyroid transcription factor (TTF)-1 expression in primary epithelial lung tumours by comparison with non-pulmonary carcinomas and to correlate it with their histological type and grade.

Methods And Results: Immunohistochemistry using antibodies against CKs 5/6, 7, 19, 20 and TTF-1 was applied to 165 primary and 37 secondary epithelial lung tumours. CK5/6 is a sensitive and specific marker of lung squamous carcinomas being positive in 100% of cases.

[Surgical management of emphysema].

Surgery is an important therapeutic option for emphysema patients with invalidating dyspnea and poor quality-of-life. Preoperative tests must determine the degree of functional impairment (dyspnea score, walking test, quality-of-life) and evaluate lesion reversibility (imaging, function tests, TLCO, blood gases, scintigraphy, right microcatheterism) and assess the patient's general health status. Besides lung transplantation, the only surgical alternative is resection which, depending on the type of parenchymal damage, can involve excision of bullae or volume reduction.

[Surgery of chest wall tumors].

The treatment of the chest wall tumors are based on the following principles. The surgery is the only curative treatment of the disease and the pain. The pre-operative assessment may find its beneficial only to eliminate the non surgical affections, to foresee the peroperative dangers and to prepare the reconstruction.

[Nodular bronchioloalveolar carcinoma at early stage].

Introduction: The aim of our study was to describe the main characteristics of bronchioloalveolar carcinoma (BAC) in the light of the latest WHO classification. The clinical, pathological and radiological features of 16 consecutive resected cases of early BAC (stage IA) were reviewed.

Methods: Retrospective pathology of 249 adenocarcinomas over a 32 months period.

Limited operation for severe multisegmental bilateral bronchiectasis.

Background: Some patients exhibiting severe multisegmental bilateral bronchiectasis are no longer improved with antibiotic treatment and drainage and, most of the time, operation is contraindicated. In our institution, limited operation has been offered to select patients for this indication. We report our data regarding the feasibility and utility of such a procedure.

Large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the lung: pathological study and clinical outcome of 18 resected cases.

Large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the lung (LCNEC) has been recently redefined by the World Health Organisation (WHO) classification but the appropriate treatment remains unclear. We reviewed 18 consecutive resected cases of LCNEC. Two pathologists assessed diagnosis by applying rigorously the last WHO criteria.

[Postpneumonectomy thoracic empyema and dosimetric CT scan. Report of two cases and review of the literature].

Following a pneumonectomy for cancer, the patients are classically observed by clinical examination and standard chest X-ray. However, torpid empyemas can be missed when they occur after the period of hospitalization and when they are not accompanied by a fever. At the time of postoperative radiotherapy, the dosimetric CT scan constitutes the first examination providing objective information of the endothoracic content.

[Asthmatic crisis and spontaneous rupture of the esophagus].

We report a case of spontaneous rupture of oesophagus revealed by a severe asthma attack, in a 78-year-old woman, with continuous dyspneic asthma treated with corticosteroids. We discuss the diagnostic difficulties in spontaneous oesophageal rupture, and emphasize the necessity for always looking for a triggering factor in case of severe attacks of asthma not responding to treatment.

[MRI study of the arterial ligament and the left pulmonary artery in the preoperative staging of left upper lobe bronchial cancers].

Purpose: To demonstrate that the ligamentum arteriosum is visible by precisely-oriented MRI. To demonstrate the predictive value of the ligament involvement for left upper lobe cancer surgery.

Material And Methods: Fifteen controls, age-matched with bronchial cancer patients, were studied to establish how the ligamentum arteriosum could best be visualized on MRI.

[Pulmonary artery hypertension in HIV seropositive drug addicts. Apropos of 10 cases].

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a classic complication associated with intravenous drug addiction. Various pathogenic mechanisms may be involved but HIV infection now appears to be the main etiologic factor. We report herein 10 case of PH occurred in HIV+ intravenous drug abusers.

Imaging of hyperparathyroidism: US, CT, MRI and MIBI scintigraphy.

Hyperparathyroidism is a rare condition although recently the incidence has increased, particularly the asymptomatic form, as a result of routine serum calcium measurements. A definitive diagnosis can be made using modern bio-assays giving direct measurements of parathormone (PTH). Various methods are currently available for pre-operative localisation of pathological parathyroid glands.

Pulmonary veno-occlusive disease in a HIV-infected intravenous drug abuser.

Pulmonary veno-occlusive disease (PVOD) is a rare cause of pulmonary hypertension. Its origin remains unknown but in some cases a viral aetiology has been suggested. Recently primary pulmonary hypertension has been increasingly observed in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, but only one case of pulmonary veno-occlusive disease has so far been described.

[Palliative percutaneous treatment under x-ray computed tomographic control of inoperable pulmonary aspergilloma. Apropos of 30 cases].

The authors report 30 cases of the percutaneous treatment of symptomatic pulmonary aspergilloma by injection of amphotericine paste in patients who were not considered to be operable. The treated aspergillomas had developed as a sequel to bacilliary infection and pulmonary fibrosis. Surgery was contraindicated in these patients on account of severe respiratory failure.

[Spontaneous hematoma of the thyroid gland: apropos of 2 cases].

Authors report two cases of spontaneous hematoma of the thyroid gland. Emergency surgery was performed on note of them. After reminding the role of different investigations, they discuss the interest of computed tomography to exclude extracranial carotid artery aneurysm.