Application of Hyperbaric Oxygen Reduce Oxidative Damage of Plasmatic Carbonyl Proteins and 8-OHdG by Activating Glutathion Peroxidase.

Background: It is postulated that application of hyperbaric oxygenation may induce the production of radicals after HBO. Higher oxygenation and transport of oxygen increase the mitochondrial energy turnover, whereas inner mitochondrial radical formation decreases.

Methods: Several markers of oxidative stress in healthy volunteers (n = 21), including plasma carbonyl proteins (CP), malondialdehyde (MDA), oxidized LDL (oxLDL), 8-hydroxy-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), and erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity are measured before, during, and after HBO.

Management of esophageal perforation in 120 consecutive patients: clinical impact of a structured treatment algorithm.

Introduction: The therapy of esophageal perforation is still challenging. The aim of this study was to assess the etiology, specific treatment, and outcome of esophageal disruption in order to generate an optimal therapeutic approach to improve patient's outcome.

Methods: We reviewed the cases of 120 consecutive patients with esophageal perforation treated within 10 years.

Multimodal therapy of malignant pleural mesothelioma: is the replacement of radical surgery imminent?

Objectives: Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) remains an aggressive thoracic malignancy associated with poor prognosis. There is no standard treatment regimen, and particularly, the impact of radical surgery remains controversial. The main goal of our retrospective single-centre study was to evaluate the surgical and non-surgical treatment modalities applied at our division regarding their effect on the patient's survival.

Individualized, multimodal palliative treatment of inoperable esophageal cancer: clinical impact of photodynamic therapy resulting in prolonged survival.

Background And Objective: In esophageal carcinoma palliative treatment is often required due to advanced tumor stage or patient-related factors. The main goal of our retrospective single center study was to evaluate the effect of an individualized multimodal palliative treatment, focusing on the efficacy of different treatment options.

Materials And Methods: Between 1999 and 2009, 640 patients suffering from esophageal carcinoma were referred to our division.

Severe hydrogen sulphide poisoning treated with 4-dimethylaminophenol and hyperbaric oxygen.

Unlabelled: INTRODUCTION Hydrogen sulphide (H2S) is a highly toxic gas which originates mainly during breakdown of organic matter under anaerobic conditions. After inhalation, H2S binds to mitochondrial respiratory enzymes preventing oxidative phosphorylation, thereby causing reversible inhibition of aerobic metabolism and cellular anoxia. The use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) for H2S poisoning remains controversial, but has a similar underlying rationale to that in carbon monoxide poisoning.

Traumatic pericardial rupture with cardiac herniation.

If undiagnosed, traumatic pericardial rupture with herniation of the heart may have fatal consequences. We report two cases of multiple trauma with pericardial rupture, which was missed in the preoperative diagnoses of both patients, in spite of suggestive signs on computed tomographic scans. One patient had unexplained, persistent hemodynamic instability; the second patient had cardiac arrest during laparotomy for minor hepatic laceration.

Self-expanding bifurcation stent for malignant esophagotracheobronchial fistula.

A 60-year-old man with esophageal carcinoma in the upper 3rd underwent palliative treatment including photodynamic therapy, brachytherapy, external beam irradiation, and esophageal stenting. He developed a symptomatic malignant esophagotracheo-bronchial fistula that could not be closed by telescope-stenting in the esophagus. Implantation of a self-expanding, covered metal, tracheal bifurcation stent by flexible bronchoscopy resulted in immediate closure of the fistula with an uneventful recovery.

Self-expandable covered metal tracheal type stent for sealing cervical anastomotic leak after esophagectomy and gastric pull-up: pitfalls and possibilities.

From January 2003 to June 2006, 6 patients with leakage of the cervical esophagogastrostomy after esophagectomy and gastric pull-up underwent endoscopic stenting using the self-expandable covered tracheal type device. Anastomotic healing was satisfactory. Stent extraction was performed after an average interval of 91 days.

Intrathoracic insertion of the VAC device in a case of pleural empyema 20 years after pneumonectomy.

We report a 72-year-old man suffering from pleural empyema after pneumonectomy due to nonsmall cell lung cancer 20 years previously. Insufficiency of the bronchial stump was ruled out by bronchoscopy and bronchography. Thoracic computed tomographic scan of the thorax detected an abscess located in the subcutaneous tissue of the right ventrolateral chest wall originating from severe pyogenic osteomyelitis of the fifth and sixth ribs.