Management of malignant carinal involvement using 'side-by-side' method of bilateral self-expandable metallic stents.

Central airway obstruction caused by cancer requires urgent interventional pulmonology. Malignant main carinal involvement is one of the most challenging situations, usually treated by rigid bronchoscopic intervention under general anaesthesia. However, these patients tend to be in poor condition due to underlying malignancy.

Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio after four weeks of nivolumab administration as a predictive marker in patients with pretreated non-small-cell lung cancer.

Background: Although phase III trials have shown improved overall and progression-free survival (PFS) using nivolumab compared to docetaxel in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer, the progressive disease ratio of nivolumab is higher than docetaxel. Furthermore, nonconventional response patterns of nivolumab make it difficult to determine the time point for nivolumab discontinuation. Therefore, a method to detect non-responders to nivolumab at an early time point is crucial.

Improvement in Patient-Reported Outcomes and Forced Vital Capacity during Nintedanib Treatment of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive and incurable disease with limited overall survival. Nintedanib is a multikinase inhibitor, and its efficacy on IPF was demonstrated in phase III trials. However, a discrepancy exists between forced vital capacity (FVC) and patient-reported outcomes during nintedanib treatment.

Successful management of malignant carinal involvement by "side-by-side" method of self-expandable metallic stents followed by chemotherapy.

Bilateral self-expandable metallic stents may be useful in the management of malignant carinal involvement and may improve the performance status of patients. This strategy may allow patients with poor performance status to receive additional chemotherapy.

Successful treatment of limited-stage small-cell lung cancer in the right mainstem bronchus by a combination of chemotherapy and argon plasma coagulation.

The current standard-of-care treatment for patients with limited-stage small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is concurrent chemoradiotherapy for local and systemic control. However, standard-of-care treatment strategies have not been established for those with limited-stage SCLC who have a history of thoracic radiotherapy due to concerns with complications associated with radiation overdose. A 37-year-old male developed an aspergilloma in the postoperative left thoracic space after he was treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy for mediastinal type lung adenocarcionoma and subsequent left upper lobectomy for heterochronous dual adenocarcinoma.

"Lazarus response" of nivolumab in a frail patient with non-small-cell lung cancer.

Lung cancer has aggressive behaviour which often progresses rapidly with disseminated disease and leads to poor performance status (PS) in patients. Because cytotoxic chemotherapy is not recommended under these conditions, there are currently no alternative therapeutic options other than providing supportive care. Immune checkpoint inhibitors have been developed, but their efficacy and tolerability have not been fully investigated in patients with poor PS.

Osimertinib administration via nasogastric tube in an EGFR-T790M-positive patient with leptomeningeal metastases.

Patients with an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation are usually administered EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) as standard-of-care treatment. However, acquired resistance occurs between 9 and 13 months. The T790M-resistant mutations are the most common, and osimertinib has been found to be effective in treating EGFR-T790M-positive patients.

Bilateral self-expandable metallic stents for lung cancer involving the carina.

Central airway obstruction needs interventional pulmonology and malignant main carinal involvement is one of the most challenging scenarios requiring rigid bronchoscopic intervention under general anesthesia. However, these patients tend to be in poor condition for such interventions. A 91-year-old male patient with lung cancer accompanied by obstructive pneumonia underwent an Ultraflex self-expandable metallic stent placement in the right mainstem bronchus.

Long progression-free survival by pemetrexed continuation maintenance therapy following cisplatin-based chemotherapy in malignant pleural mesothelioma.

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is associated with a poor prognosis. The combination of cisplatin and pemetrexed has been established as a standard chemotherapy that confers a survival benefit. Because the regimen is sometimes hampered by the renal toxicity of cisplatin and no second-line chemotherapy has yet been established, the strategy of administering a higher total dose of pemetrexed to optimize the regimen could be promising.

Small cell carcinoma presenting with massive pleural spread mimicking malignant pleural mesothelioma.

Small cell carcinoma (SCC) predominantly spreading over the pleura is exceedingly rare and difficult to diagnose without proof of malignant effusion. A 65-year-old man presented with right pleural thickening and effusion and was diagnosed with SCC based on a thoracoscopic pleural biopsy. He received combined chemotherapy consisting of cisplatin and irinotecan hydrochloride, which resulted in a complete response.

Direct transbronchial administration of liposomal amphotericin B into a pulmonary aspergilloma.

Pulmonary aspergillomas usually occur in pre-existing lung cavities exhibiting local immunodeficiency. As pulmonary aspergillomas only partially touch the walls of the cavities containing them, they rarely come into contact with the bloodstream, which makes it difficult for antifungal agents to reach them. Although surgical treatment is the optimal strategy for curing the condition, most patients also have pulmonary complications such as tuberculosis and pulmonary fibrosis, which makes this strategy difficult.

Clinical significance of awake oscillatory ventilation in patients with heart failure and effects of open-heart surgery.

Background: Although sleep apnea has recently become a concern in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF), some patients with CHF exhibit characteristic oscillatory ventilation (OV) even when they are awake. We investigated the clinical significance of OV in patients with CHF, and effects of open-heart surgery on the OV.

Hypothesis: OV is an indicator of the severity of CHF, and this abnormal respiratory pattern improves with hemodynamic changes after open-heart surgery.

Solitary cystic brain metastasis of small-cell lung carcinoma controlled by a stereotactically inserted Ommaya reservoir.

Brain metastases are quite common during the management of lung carcinomas. Most are solid masses with necrosis and surrounding edema, whereas purely cystic lesions are uncommon and malignant cells creating the wall are usually resistant to radiotherapy, sometimes requiring neurosurgical strategies. Cystic brain metastases from small-cell lung carcinomas are exceedingly rare and neurosurgical operations are not suitable for those cases considering invisible micrometastases.

Superior vena cava syndrome caused by an intravascular thrombosis due to underlying prostate carcinoma.

Superior vena cava (SVC) syndrome is usually caused by malignant tumors or their lymph node metastases oppressing a SVC. However, we encountered a case of SVC syndrome that was caused by a thrombus in the SVC, which we considered as a manifestation of Trousseau's syndrome triggered by underlying prostate cancer. A 60-year-old man patient complained of facial swelling.

Comparison of myocardial perfusion by distal protection before and after primary stenting for acute myocardial infarction: angiographic and clinical results of a randomized controlled trial.

Objectives: To assess the myocardium-reperfusing effect of a distal protection device, GuardWire Plus (GuardWire Plus), in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

Background: Distal embolization may result in reduced myocardial perfusion, increasing the risk of non-Q-wave myocardial infarction and death. Distal protection devices may protect the microcirculation from embolic debris, improving short- and long-term clinical outcomes.

Effects of exercise training on left ventricular function evaluated by the Tei index in patients with myocardial infarction.

Background: This study investigated the influence of exercise training on left ventricular (LV) function in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) using a new index of cardiac function, the Tei index.

Methods And Results: The study enrolled 53 consecutive patients (36 males, 17 females; mean age: 65+/-10 years) with AMI. Exercise training was performed for 6 months; peak VO2 and the Tei index were measured at the start of the cardiac rehabilitation program and 1, 3, and 6 months later.

[Relationship between lung-to-heart uptake ratio of technetium-99m-tetrofosmin during exercise myocardial single photon emission computed tomographic imaging and the number of diseased coronary arteries in patients with effort angina pectoris without myocardial infarction].

Objectives: Increased lung uptake of thallium-201 in exercise myocardial perfusion imaging is a reliable marker of multivessel disease in patients with ischemic heart disease. This study investigated whether the lung-to-heart uptake ratio with techenetium-99m(99mTc)-tetrofosmin also provides valuable information to detect patients with multivessel disease.

Methods: Fifty-three consecutive patients (35 men, 18 women, mean age 66 +/- 11 years; single-vessel disease: 29, double-vessel disease: 16, triple-vessel disease: 8) with stable effort angina pectoris without prior myocardial infarction and 17 control subjects (12 men, 5 women, mean age 62 +/- 9 years) underwent exercise myocardial perfusion imaging with 99mTc-tetrofosmin and coronary angiography in January 2000 to December 2002.

Factors affecting ST depression during cardiopulmonary exercise testing in patients with mitral stenosis without significant coronary lesions.

Symptom-limited cardiopulmonary exercise testing was performed in 37 patients with mitral stenosis (MS) without significant coronary artery stenosis to evaluate factors affecting ST depression in exercise electrocardiograms. The degree of ST depression was not associated with gender or exercise tolerance. The incidence of significant ST depression was higher in the patients receiving than in those not receiving digitalis (P < 0.

Do the right precordial leads during exercise testing contribute to detection of coronary artery disease?

Background: It is still unknown whether or not the additional right precordial leads (RPL) during exercise testing contribute to detection of coronary artery disease (CAD).

Hypothesis: The aim of this study was to evaluate the RPL during exercise testing for the detection of CAD.

Methods: The study included 157 consecutive patients (116 men and 41 women, mean age 66 years) suspected of having CAD, who underwent conclusive treadmill exercise testing (heart rate reached at least 85% of the predicted maximum or positive electrocardiogram [ECG] changes were exhibited) and coronary angiography.

Detection of bladder hemangioma in a child by blood-pool scintigraphy.

Bladder hemangioma is a rare cause of gross hematuria. A 5-year-old boy was investigated for recurrent episodes of asymptomatic gross hematuria, but no abnormalities were found. Blood-pool scintigraphy using (99m)technetium-human serum albumin combined with diethylene triamine penta-acetic acid (DTPA) revealed an area of increased activity in the right side of the bladder, which was confirmed by cystoscopy as a bladder hemangioma.

Paradoxical regional myocardial uptake between 201Thallium and 123I-BMIPP SPECT in patients with cardiomyopathy.

The clinical significance of the paradoxical mismatched phenomenon between (201)Tl and (123)I-BMIPP is still unknown. We report two cases that revealed paradoxical regional myocardial uptake between two tracers in patients with cardiomyopathy. There may be abnormal myocardium in these patients where active transportation of (201)Tl is disturbed and passive transportation of (123)I-BMIPP is not disordered.

The incidence of discrepant regional myocardial uptake between 201 thallium and 123 I-BMIPP SPECT in patients with coronary heart disease.

Myocardial perfusion and fatty acid uptake at rest were assessed by SPECT with 201Tl (Tl) and 123I-BMIPP (BMIPP) in 50 consecutive patients with coronary heart disease. Discrepant regional myocardial uptake was observed in 19 patients and classified into the following two groups: mismatch (MM; Tl uptake > BMIPP uptake, n = 14, mean age, 66 years) and paradoxical mismatch (PM; Tl uptake < BMIPP uptake, n = 5, mean age, 68 years). In the MM group, 77% was single- or zero-vessel disease and the artery-perfused region in the mismatched area was almost always ischemia related.

Bilateral bipartite lunate: a case report.

A rare case of bilateral bipartite lunate is reported. Radiographs showed that the lunate was divided into palmar and dorsal parts. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging were used to differentiate this variant from lunate fracture.