Regulatory mechanisms of haptoglobin on particulate matter-induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in bronchial epithelial cells.

Background: It has been proposed that repeated exposure of bronchial epithelial cells to atmospheric particulate matter (PM) could disrupt airway epithelial integrity and lead to epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and ultimately airway remodeling. The molecular mechanisms underlying PM-related bronchial epithelial EMT have not yet been elucidated. The aim of this research is to clarify the molecular mechanism of EMT upon PM exposure.

Collision tumor of the cecum and ileocecal valve composed of mucinous adenocarcinoma and neuroendocrine tumor: a case report.

Background: Collision tumors of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract are thought to be uncommon, with those of the colon being rare with very few cases reported in current literature. There are three proposed theories regarding the etiology of collision tumors currently, including the "double primaries", the "biclonal malignant transformation", and the "tumor-to-tumor carcinogenesis" theories. Prognosis of collision tumors remains unclear.

Surgical Treatment of Spontaneous Superficial Temporal Artery Arteriovenous Malformation: A Case Report.

BACKGROUND An arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is an abnormal connection between an artery and a vein, bypassing the capillary network. An AVM of the superficial temporal artery (STA) can occur after trauma, iatrogenic injury, infection, or spontaneously. Spontaneous, or iatrogenic, presentations of STA AVM are thought to be rare, with very few reported cases.

Transsternal Approach for Broncho-Pleural Fistula Closure After Right Pneumonectomy.

Broncho-pleural fistula (BPF) is an abnormal communication between the bronchial lumen and the pleural space that typically occurs postoperatively. Surgical intervention is typically needed to patch the fistula; however, current literature lacks a gold standard for which treatment to use. With a high mortality rate, there is a clear urgency for quick and successful intervention.

Primary repair of complete Achilles tear augmented with amnion allograft wrap in college basketball player with a history of contralateral Achilles rupture: a case report.

Background: The Achilles tendon is the thickest tendon in the human body and is responsible for plantar flexion with muscle contraction. It is able to withstand tensile loads as large as ten times the body's weight or greater at times of peak stress on the tendon. Due to the repetitive and massive stress inflicted on the Achilles tendon, it is prone to injuries, especially in running and jumping athletes.

Simultaneous minimally invasive uniportal atrial septal defect repair and pulmonary lobectomy: a case report.

Background: Combination of non-oncological pulmonary and cardiac conditions is common entity in modern thoracic surgery, allowing concurrent surgical correction. Multiple publications in the literature address the success of simultaneous interventions for combined conditions, however almost all are performed with an open approach.

Case Description: A 49-year-old male with past medical history significant for bronchiectasis, complicated by fibrosis of the middle lobe, presented with dyspnea, recurrent hemoptysis, and nonproductive cough.

Sliding Inguinal Bladder Hernia: An Open and Minimally Invasive Robotic-Assisted Repair.

Inguinal hernia repair, although a common procedure, can present in complicated ways such as a sliding inguinal bladder hernia (IBH). This rare type of hernia can alter a patient's quality of life by obstructing urination, requiring manual scrotal compression to fully empty the bladder, and lead to devastating complications such as hydronephrosis and kidney failure. Treatment is typically by open inguinal hernia repair with manual bladder reduction, but this method poses risks of iatrogenic injury to the bladder.

Robotic Transgastric Reconstruction of the Double Lumen Esophagus.

Double lumen esophagus is an extremely rare condition, developing in most cases as a complication of antireflux procedures or gastroesophageal reflux itself secondary to the severe inflammatory process in and around the lower esophagus. We describe a case of iatrogenic double lumen esophagus after multiple previous Nissen fundoplications for chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease. There is no standard surgical intervention for the management of this complication.

Minimally Invasive Diaphragm Plication for Acquired Unilateral Diaphragm Paralysis: A Systematic Review.

Diaphragm paralysis is a relatively uncommon entity that can be both congenital and acquired in nature. While commonly asymptomatic, it can also cause a significant decrease in pulmonary function and reserve, particularly in patients with underlying pulmonary diseases. Our aim was to summarize the current literature regarding the minimally invasive techniques used in the surgical correction of acquired diaphragm paralysis via traditional and robotic minimally invasive approaches.

Complex anterior chest wall reconstruction after extensive oncologic resections: a narrative review.

Objective: This report serves to showcase four cases of rare, malignant primary neoplasms of the anterior chest wall [chondrosarcoma and basal cell carcinoma (BCC)] that thoracic surgeons may encounter, and different approaches to complex reconstruction that may be necessary following resection.

Background: Approximately 60% of the anterior chest wall neoplasms are malignant. The most common types of primary sternal tumors are chondrosarcoma and osteosarcoma.

Sit-ups and emergency abdominal surgery: a rare case of intestinal volvulus and resultant chylous ascites incited by abdominal exercises.

Chylous ascites is a unique phenomenon defined in the literature by ascitic fluid with a triglyceride content >200 mg/dl. This rather rare entity can be associated with a number of different pathologies related to abnormalities within the lymphatic system. This case report serves to demonstrate an intestinal volvulus and resultant chylous ascites found on exploratory laparotomy in an otherwise healthy individual who participated in routine, extreme abdominal exercises.

Surgical management of rare benign tumors of the sternum.

Primary benign tumors of the sternum are an exceedingly rare entity. Surgical techniques regarding intervention for these lesions are not clearly defined in the literature given their scarcity. Operative techniques include en-bloc resection of the tumor, and this has proven to be successful in preventing local recurrence despite benign nature of the lesion.

A Stepwise Approach for Postlobectomy Bronchopleural Fistula.

Although rare, bronchopleural fistula (BPF) following anatomic lung resection is a serious complication associated with high rates of mortality (25%-71%). Risk factors for BPF include surgical approach, neoadjuvant therapy, diabetes mellitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. As neoadjuvant treatment is increasingly being administered to patients with locally advanced lung cancer, and as more patients are being diagnosed with lung cancer at an older age-elderly patients present with a higher index of multiple comorbidities-the incidence of BPF among patients undergoing anatomic resection for lung cancer is expected to increase.

Currarino-Silverman syndrome: diagnosis and treatment of rare chest wall deformity, a case series.

Background: Currarino-Silverman (CS) syndrome is an extremely rare congenital deformity of the anterior chest wall. The syndrome is often combined with congenital heart defects and spinal abnormalities. As of currently, there is a lack of definite description in the literature about this type of pectus deformity.

Functional NMDA receptors are expressed by human pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells.

N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors are widely expressed in the central nervous system. However, their presence and function at extraneuronal sites is less well characterized. In the present study, we examined the expression of NMDA receptor subunit mRNA and protein in human pulmonary artery (HPA) by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR), immunohistochemistry and immunoblotting.

mTORC1 activation in lung mesenchyme drives sex- and age-dependent pulmonary structure and function decline.

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a rare fatal cystic lung disease due to bi-allelic inactivating mutations in tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC1/TSC2) genes coding for suppressors of the mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1). The origin of LAM cells is still unknown. Here, we profile a LAM lung compared to an age- and sex-matched healthy control lung as a hypothesis-generating approach to identify cell subtypes that are specific to LAM.

[Epinephros metastasis of colorectal cancer complicated by tumor thrombosis of inferior vena cava].

Metastasis of colorectal cancer (CRC) in an adrenal gland develops in 1.8% of cases (in synchrony or in metachrony) for patients with liver metastatic lesion and aggravates for certain prognosis for long-term survival. There are no data concerning colorectal metastasis in an adrenal gland with tumor thrombosis of inferior vena cava (IVC) in world-wide literature.