[Unusually late presentation esophageal perforations and ruptures].

The aim of this study is to present the treatment modalities of unusual late esophageal perforations and ruptures. The reason for diagnostic delay was misinterpretation of pleural collection, overlooked sclerotherapy, foreign body extraction, and delayed recognition of the true origin of empyema after pneumonectomy. In all instances of transthoracic reinforced or temporary excluded primary repair were successful.

[Physiologic type reconstruction in upper gastrointestinal caustic strictures].

The authors discuss their experience in the surgical treatment of caustic stenosis in the upper gastrointestinal tract. They present operative solutions using isoperistaltic transverse colonic segment in oesophageal stenosis caused by gastric outlet obstruction, or when these two presented together. Further indications for the above were bronchial or tracheo-oesophageal fistulas and oesophageal perforation.

[Not Available].

Right-sided spontaneous oesophageal rupture developed two days after left pneumonectomy and vomiting. In this extremely rare emergency, we used a transhiatal approach for primary repair of the rupture, combined with right-sided pleural and mediastinal drainage, gastrostomy and feeding jejunostomy. The seven-day barium meal showed healing of the rupture.

[Solitary oesophageal metastasis of breast cancer after 17 years latency].

The authors discuss a case of a 63-year-old woman, who presented with dysphagia, 17 years after radical mastectomy for breast cancer. CT scan showed a juxta esophageal mediastinal tumour. A biopsy via right thoracotomy revealed a metastatic adenocarcinoma of the oesophageal wall from the previous breast carcinoma.

[Selective bowel decontamination].

Infective complications play major role in mortality of high risk patients demanding intensive care. Selective Bowel Decontamination prevents endogenous infections by reducing the number of potentially pathogen microbes (aerobic bacteria, fungi) in the oropharynx and gastrointestinal tract, saving anaerobic bacteria. It had been used 20 years ago for the first time.

[Emergency video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for intrathoracic foreign bodies].

The aim of this retrospective study is to highlight the advantages of video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) in the assessment of thoracic trauma. In the past 4 years 3 patients had intrapleural or intrapulmonary Kirschner needles which penetrated from the site of a previous humeroscapular osteosynthesis and one patient with a gunshot projectile and haemothorax in the left thorax. They were treated by VATS removal of intrathoracic foreign bodies.

Bilateral bronchial stenting and esophageal intubation for advanced bronchial carcinoma with esophageal invasion.

Successive bilateral bronchial stenting (Dumon type) and minimally invasive pull-through esophageal intubation for accompanying malignant bronchial and esophageal involvement was undertaken. External radiation and afterloading brachytherapy for localized endobronchial overgrowth was used. A 13-month survival was achieved using mainly out-patient facilities.

Late complications of coloesophagoplasty and long-term features of adaptation.

Objectives: Revisional surgery of late complications after 141 substernal by-pass operations (1962-1990), except three cases with isoperistaltic (except seven with anisoperistaltic) transverse colon grafts for caustic esophageal strictures, are presented. Long-term adaptation of the grafts was investigated with cineradiographical and histochemical methods.

Methods: Correction of the "pseudodiverticulum" of the proximal anastomosis as a complication of the standard by-pass procedure (in five patients) was achieved by closure of the esophagus below the anastomosis or by end-to-end reanastomosis.

Radicality and prognosis of surgical treatment of thoracal carcinoid tumors: a review of 152 operated cases.

Background: Experience of thoracal (bronchial and thymic) carcinoid tumors is discussed to add some remarkable diagnostic and therapeutic details for their treatment, based on a retrospective clinico-pathological analysis of 152 consecutive patients operated on at the Thoracic Surgery unit in Budapest between 1974 and 1988.

Methods: Prior to surgery 70 patients were symptom free, obstructive symptoms dominated in 65 patients, and hemoptysis occurred in 23 cases. In 68 patients a peripheral coin lesion was visible in radiographs and in 81 cases the tumor could be seen by bronchoscopy.

Surgical aspects of 175 mediastinal goiters.

Objective: Clinical picture and surgical management of 175 mediastinal goiters are discussed in this retrospective study.

Method: Between 1979 and 1996, 175 patients with intrathoracic goiters were operated on at the Thoracic Surgical Clinic in Budapest. The majority of the goiters were cervicomediastinal (n = 138, 79%), past the level of aortic arch, and the others were complete aberrant lesions (n = 37, 21 %).

Particular aspects and limits of palliation of secondary malignant esophageal strictures.

The value of palliative intubation in the secondary malignant stricture of the thoracic esophagus is discussed. One hundred and eleven patients with secondary involvement of the esophagus due to primary inoperable (in 64) or recurrent bronchial tumor (after lobectomy or pneumonectomy in 34) and mediastinal tumor (in 9) or metastases after mastectomy of breast cancer (in 4) underwent a limited invasive surgical intubation with a personally designed, composite tube in the past 15 years. The distal part of the tube is detachable, which allows insertion of the tube only into the esophagus.