Peripartum cardiomyopathy: A systematic review of the literature.

Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a rare cause of heart failure. It is defined as cardiomyopathy that develops in the last month of pregnancy or within 5 months of the postpartum period without an identifiable cause. We conducted a systematic review of literature of prospective studies with a focus on echocardiographic and long-term clinical outcomes in PPCM.

Cryosurgery for the treatment of benign tracheo-bronchial lesions.

Although cryosurgery has been shown to be effective in managing advanced malignant bronchial tumours, there is very little in the literature describing its use with benign lesions. In this study, we retrospectively assessed the effectiveness of cryosurgery in the management of non-malignant endobronchial lesions. Between 1995 and 1999, 20 patients with benign tumours and non-neoplastic lesions of the tracheo-bronchial tree were treated with endobronchial cryosurgery.

Malignant pleural mesothelioma: outcome of limited surgical management.

This study presents data on limited surgical management of malignant pleural mesothelioma. We reviewed retrospectively 70 cases of the disease managed surgically over a 10 year period. Fifteen patients received only diagnostic direct pleural biopsy, 40 had video-assisted thoracoscopic, pleural biopsy and talc pleurodesis while 15 patients underwent thoracotomy and pleurectomy for disease confined to the pleura.

Quality of life survey and palliative care in lung cancer patients.

Aim. In patients with advanced and/or inoperable bronchial tumors, methods of palliative care such as radiotherapy, chemotherapy, brachytherapy and cryotherapy, singly and/or in combination, aiming at extending the survival time and improving the quality of life, were examined. Methods.

Cryosurgery for malignant endobronchial tumors: analysis of outcome.

Study Objectives: More than 80% of patients with lung cancer are unsuitable for curative surgical treatment. Palliative relief of symptoms, often caused by airway obstruction, is very important. Endobronchial cryosurgery is used for destruction of intraluminal tumors.