Surgical treatment of primary aortojejunal fistula.

Introduction: Primary aortoenteric fistula is a rare clinical situation with a high mortality rate. One should suspect that condition when an abdominal aortic aneurysm is known to be present. We describe the case of a 60 year old man who presented with upper gastrointestinal bleeding as the first and sole manifestation of an abdominal aortic aneurysm, due to the rupture of the aneurysm in the jejunum.

"Near total" pneumonectomy: Is it feasible?

Introduction: There are various procedures for treating lung cancer. Segmentectomy, wedge excision, lobectomy (including bilobectomy) and pneumonectomy are the operations used to resect malignant lung tumors. We describe an operation of near total pneumonectomy for the first time in the literature.

Pericardial window procedures: Implications on left ventricular function.

Introduction: Pericardial window procedures are generally designed to relieve pericardial fluid pressure on the heart, in cases of cardiac tamponade, and to restore the hemodynamic stability of the patient. Rarely, however, may acute left ventricular failure develop after creation of a pericardial window.

Presentation Of Case: We describe a patient in whom that complication developed.

A rare case of a giant cavernous lymphangioma of the chest wall and axilla in an adult patient.

Introduction: Lymphangiomas are benign lesions that are most commonly encountered in the neck of small infants, but are quite uncommon in the adult population. Their removal can be quite difficult, when they reach enormous dimensions or they develop in critical locations. Complete resection is curative, but incomplete resections entail the risk of relapse.

Left main bronchus foreign body masquerading as diaphragmatic hernia in an adult patient.

Objective: Foreign body aspiration is quite uncommon in the adults. It can be a life-threatening situation and it often requires a high index of suspicion, because the diagnosis can be obscure.

Presentation Of Case: We present a case of food aspiration by a 31-year old female patient, masquerading as diaphragmatic hernia, for the first time in the literature.

Successful pleurodesis for refractory chylothorax due to chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Introduction: Chylothorax is a very rare complication of chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Presentation Of Case: We describe the case of an 83-year old woman with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, complicated by recurrent chylothorax and ultimately treated by pleurodesis with bleomycin.

Discussion: There are several options for management of patients presenting with chylothorax due to chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Simultaneous bilateral carotid endarterectomy under local anesthesia.

A 75-year-old man with bilateral carotid stenosis and severe coronary artery disease underwent successful simultaneous bilateral carotid endarterectomy under local anesthesia. A few days later, coronary artery bypass grafting was performed with no complications.