LETTER: The Effect of Mental Disorders on Caregiver Workforce Participation: The Hidden Societal Cost.

No abstract.

Does the Hikikomori Syndrome of Social Withdrawal Exist in Denmark? A Research Request.

Hikikomori, a severe form of social withdrawal, has long been examined in Japan. Hikikomori-like incidents have also lately been described in many other countries but not in Denmark or any other Scandinavian country thus far. The reason for this is unknown.

Comparison of surgical outcomes after robotic assisted thoracic surgery, video-assisted thoracic surgery and open resection of thymoma.

Background: Thymomas are the most common neoplasm in the anterior mediastinum. Surgical resection of thymomas remains the only curative treatment depending on the stage of the disease. Conventional resection has been performed through open surgery.

New Chest Drainage Unit with Integrated CO-Detector Demonstrates False Air Leak.

Background: Postoperative observed air leakage does not always originate from parenchymal defects but may arise from defects in the chest drainage unit, connections or reverse airflow in water seals. We investigated such false air leakage using a new chest drainage unit with a built-in CO2-detector and an electronic chest drainage unit.

Methods: Two types of chest drainage units were tested in a simple porcine model: A well-known electronic chest drainage unit and a new chest drainage unit with integrated CO2-detector.

Electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy as an adjunct diagnostic tool in the Danish lung cancer diagnostic pathway: an initial retrospective single centre series.

Background: The performance of electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy (ENB) is reported with substantial variation, which may question its clinical usefulness. However, ENB may hold its true value when used as an additional minimal invasive diagnostic option before potential surgery in selected diagnostically challenging patients where traditional diagnostic methods have failed. We evaluated the safety and performance of ENB when used as an adjunct diagnostic tool in the Danish lung cancer diagnostic pathway (DLCDP) and its ability to reduce surgical diagnostic procedures.

A Newly Developed Chest Drainage Unit with an Integrated CO2 Detector.

Purpose: Postoperative air leakage does not always originate from parenchymal defects. In some cases, it may arise from defects in the chest drainage unit itself or connections, or from reverse airflow in water seals. The aim of the present study was to test a new chest drainage unit in the clinic, where an integrated CO2-sensitive colour indicator helps to distinguish false air leakage from true air leakage.

Short-term outcomes after minimally invasive oesophagectomy.

Introduction: Minimally invasive oesophagectomy (MIO) has gained increasing popularity. This study reports the results of the first patients operated using this technique at our department.

Methods: All procedures were prospectively registered in a database.

Subcarinal Lymph Nodes Should be Dissected in All Lobectomies for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer-Regardless of Primary Tumor Location.

Background: Mediastinal staging is of paramount importance for planning of treatment in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Single institution reports recently claimed that subcarinal lymph node dissection during resection of upper lobe NSCLC could be spared. We used a complete national lung cancer registry to investigate patterns of unsuspected mediastinal lymph node involvement after lobectomy.

Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration is a sensitive method to evaluate patients who should not undergo pulmonary metastasectomy†.

Objectives: Pulmonary metastasectomy is considered an effective treatment in selected patients with extrapulmonary cancer and oligometastatic disease. We know that the presence of mediastinal lymph node metastases reduces survival significantly, but the mediastinum is rarely evaluated before metastasectomy in these patients. We prospectively evaluated how endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) could identify metastases to the mediastinal lymph nodes in patients referred for pulmonary metastasectomy.

Thoracoscopic or open surgery for pulmonary metastasectomy: an observer blinded study.

Background: Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) resection of pulmonary metastases has long been questioned because radiologically undetected parenchymal lesions may be missed when bimanual palpation is restricted to the portholes. Technology, however, has improved and advanced VATS resections are now performed routinely worldwide. This prompted us to conduct a prospective observer-blinded study on pulmonary metastasectomy.

[Primary benign schwanomma in trachea].

We report a rare case of a primary schwanomma in trachea causing airway symptoms in a 78-year-old male. Benign tracheal tumours are often misdiagnosed as asthma or chronic lung disease and should be considered in patients who present with symptoms as upper airway obstruction and haemoptysis. In this case story the patient was treated with endoscopic resection of the tumour.

Boerhaave's syndrome and tension pneumothorax secondary to Norovirus induced forceful emesis.

Boerhaave's syndrome or spontaneous esophageal perforation is a rare condition, with high mortality. We describe a case of Boerhaave's syndrome presenting with tension pneumothorax. The patient was infected with Norovirus and developed Boerhaave's syndrome, initially thought to be gastroenteritis but later developing with tension pneumothorax, and mediastinitis caused by esophageal perforation.

When should large benign tumours in posterior mediastinum be resected?

Benign tumours in the posterior mediastinum are often asymptomatic until they reach a considerable size. Technically it is easier to remove the tumour when it is small, but these patients are often asymptomatic and therefore the tumours are rarely found before the patients become symptomatic. During 2010 three patients underwent resection of large benign tumours in the posterior mediastinum with a diameter more than 10 centimetres.