Tuberculosis a disease that created and shaped thoracic surgery.

Today it is incredible to think that an infectious disease, Tuberculosis (TB) as the disease that shaped Thoracic Surgery. The history of TB has so far evolved similarities with that of the mythological Phoenix, where the resurgence of this never completely eradicated "Insidious Disease" has now re-emerged and brought new challenges to modern medicine that of multi drug resistance. The probability of success, in treating complicated multi-drug resistant (MDR) TB pushing us back to the pre-antibiotic era, now depends on several factors: (I) optimal antibiotic management; (II) patient compliance; (III) multi-disciplinary teamwork; (IV) experience in carrying out "not-routine" surgical procedures; and finally (V) ability to offer long term patient hospitalization, frequently months, without bureaucratic and economical problems.

Non-small cell lung cancer in surgically treated women.

Aim And Background: To determine whether female patients operated on for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have a survival advantage compared to male patients.

Methods And Study Design: We analyzed data from 1,426 prospectively collected patients submitted to lung resection for NSCLC between 1999 and 2008.

Results: Two groups, including 1,014 male and 412 female patients, were compared.

Pulmonary aspergilloma: clinical aspects and surgical treatment outcome.

Aspergillomas are fungal balls within lung cavities. The natural history is variable. Hemoptysis is a dangerous sequela.