Publications by authors named "Ilias Karapantzos"

Trachea stenosis is observed either in benign or malignant situations. In cancer malignancy a tumor might obstruct the central airway in three different ways. Again granuloma tissue is usually observed after intubation or stent placement in order to manage a benign malformation of the trachea.

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Article Synopsis
  • Lung cancer is often diagnosed at an advanced stage despite the availability of new diagnostic tools.
  • It is widely recognized that smoking and environmental factors contribute to lung cancer risk, but previous radiation therapy is also a significant factor.
  • A specific case is discussed where a patient developed lung and laryngeal cancer 20 years after receiving radiation therapy for Hodgkin lymphoma.
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Multiple primary malignant neoplasms (MPMN) is an uncommon phenomenon, while the diagnosis of such conditions is very significant. Considering that the strategy of the treatment is determined by the histological type of the tumor, practitioners should be alert in order to avoid malpractices in cases of multiple metachronous or synchronous malignancies. In this article we report two rare cases of MPMN.

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Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death after prostate cancer for males and breast cancer for females. There are novel therapies in the past five years such as; tyrosine kinase inhibitors and most recently in the last two years immunotherapy. Immunotherapy is currently being investigated if it can be administered alone or in combination.

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Due to the severity of the primary disease in patients with lung cancer, quality of life (QoL) is often overlooked. Factors that form QoL should be taken in consideration when planning the appropriate treatment and determining therapy targets, because of the increasing frequency of bone metastasis leading to high levels of pain. Purpose of this study is to assess quality of life in patients with lung cancer, before and after treatment combined with zoledronic acid.

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Nowadays we have novel equipment for lung cancer diagnosis, however; due to lack of symptoms, lung cancer is still diagnosed at a late stage. Currently we have the following therapies for non-small cell lung cancer: a) non-specific cytotoxic agents, b) targeted therapies and c) immunotherapy. Each therapy has its own advantages and adverse effects.

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Nowadays we use novel diagnostic equipment for lung cancer. Bronchoscopy was the tip of the arrow for diagnosis, however; ultrasound systems have brought a revolution. We have the radial-endobronchial ultrasound for peripheral lesions and the convex probe endobronchial ultrasound for central lesions.

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Lung cancer is still diagnosed at a late stage in most lung cancer patients. Regarding Non-small Cell lung cancer there are novel therapies such as; tyrosine kinase inhibitors and immunotherapy. Currently we have two immunotherapies that can be used either as first-line treatment or second line treatment; pembrolizumab and nivolumab.

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Benign tracheal stenosis is situation that occurs usually after stress is applied to a certain area in the trachea during the intubation of a patient or inflammation caused during an infection. In the current case report we will present a 65-year-old man with a benign tracheal stenosis due to a 15-day intubation with a high pressure and low volume intubation tube. Current methodology was applied in his case with an excellent result with a 1-year follow up.

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Situs inversus totalis (SIT) is a rare clinical entity which is characterized by a complete reverse anatomy of the thoracic cage and abdomen. There are a few reports of patients with SIT and lung cancer. The number of the cases that have been treated surgically is also very small.

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Percutaneous tracheostomy is a minimally invasive operation performed in patients, in order to provide an air passage through the windpipe. A rare cause of severe bleeding during such operation is the injury of the thyroidea-ima artery. This case report presents a patient with hemorrhage after thyroidea-ima injury during percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy.

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Ovarian cancer is known to be the first cause of death of gynecological malignancy in Europe and United States. Skin metastases consist of an unusual event during the course of ovarian carcinoma and occur in 2-3.5% of the patients.

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We present a case of a 56-year-old female, with a familial history of breast, lung and brain cancer, which revealed a breast tumor, located in the upper outer quadrant of the left breast. During the routinely staging examinations, a 15 cm intrathoracic tumor was found in the upper left mediastinum, penetrating the pericardium and a smaller tumor, in the left side of parietal pleura. Core biopsies from both lesions, revealed a lobular carcinoma of the breast classic type, grade II (e-cadherin-, ER+, PR+, Her-2-, Ki-67 10%) and a B3 thymoma (CK19+, CD5+) penetrating the pericardium and the left lung.

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Currently interventional bronchoscopy is used for debulking, desobstruction and airway patency stabilization. The interventional techniques are being used for both benign and malignant cases. There are two types of stents that are currently being used, silicon and self-expandable metallic.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study evaluates the effectiveness of combining oximetry with four questionnaires to identify obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) compared to traditional polysomnography (PSG).
  • The research involved 204 patients, revealing that the Stop Bang questionnaire had the highest sensitivity but low specificity, while the Epworth Sleepiness Scale had better specificity and positive predictive values.
  • Oximetry is useful for identifying severe OSAHS, but it does not enhance the diagnostic accuracy for mild and moderate cases, indicating that PSG remains necessary for thorough assessment.
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Until few years ago non-specific cytotoxic agents were considered the tip of the arrow as first line treatment for lung cancer. However; age > 75 was considered a major drawback for this kind of therapy. Few exceptions were made by doctors based on the performance status of the patient.

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Jugular veins bring deoxygenated blood from the head back to the heart. There are two sets of external and internal veins. The external jugular vein receives the greater part of the blood from the cranium and the deep parts of the face.

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Metastases from melanoma have a very poor prognosis for the patient. Single metastatic lesions in the sternum due to melanoma are extremely rare. A rare case of a presternal mass in a 56-year-old patient who had undergone excision for malignant melanoma is presented.

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Background: EBUS guided trans-bronchial biopsy became routine in diagnosis of peripheral pulmonary lesions (PPL). Suction catheter-biopsy is a technique for obtaining a tissue sample from peripheral lung parenchyma. Aim of this study was to evaluate diagnostic efficiency, feasibility and safety of EBUS guided suction catheter-biopsy (SCB) in comparison to trans-bronchial biopsy (TBB) in diagnosis of PPL.

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Background: The purpose of this study is to review the anatomic characteristics of internal thoracic artery (ITA) and its branches, in order to pursue the extension of its utilization and avoid intraoperative and postoperative complications.

Methods: The study was carried out on anterior chest walls obtained during routine autopsies of 50 specimens (30 male, 20 female). Macroscopic and microscopic dissection was performed and the following were studied: origin, length and termination of ITA, size and distance from the sternum, and types of branches.

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Background: Hyperhidrosis is defined as excessive sweating beyond the physiologic needs of a person. Palmar hyperhidrosis in the adolescent period may have an impact on school work and may cause psychological problems. Thoracoscopic sympathectomy is now used routinely to treat patients with disabling primary hyperhidrosis or facial blushing.

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Article Synopsis
  • * There are two main types of pneumothorax: primary (occurring without a clear cause) and secondary (related to existing lung issues).
  • * A more severe form, called "tension pneumothorax," can occur when damaged tissue creates a one-way valve, leading to a dangerous increase in chest air pressure.
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A chest tube is a flexible plastic tube that is inserted through the chest wall and into the pleural space or mediastinum. It is used to remove air in the case of pneumothorax or fluid such as in the case of pleural effusion, blood, chyle, or pus when empyema occurs from the intrathoracic space. It is also known as a Bülau drain or an intercostal catheter.

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A pacemaker (PM) (or artificial PM, so as not to be confused with the heart's natural PM) is a medical device that uses electrical impulses, delivered by electrodes contracting the heart muscles, to regulate the beating of the heart. The primary purpose of this device is to maintain an adequate heart rate, either because the heart's natural PM is not fast enough, or there is a block in the heart's electrical conduction system. Modern PMs are externally programmable and allow the cardiologist to select the optimum pacing modes for individual patients.

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