Video-thoracoscopic enucleation of esophageal leiomyoma.

Background: Leiomyoma is the most common benign tumor of the esophagus. Surgical enucleation is indicated in case of symptoms or an unclear diagnosis, and open thoracotomy has long been the standard approach for this procedure. However, enucleation through video assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) has been developed as a preferred approach for most lesions in recent years.

Review: Diagnosis and treatment of primary spontaneous pneumothorax.

Primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) commonly occurs in tall, thin, adolescent men. Though the pathogenesis of PSP has been gradually uncovered, there is still a lack of consensus in the diagnostic approach and treatment strategies for this disorder. Herein, the literature is reviewed concerning mechanisms and personal clinical experience with PSP.

Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery in the treatment of patients with bullous emphysema.

Purpose: Surgical operation for bullous emphysema is indicated for patients with symptoms related to the compression of giant bullae (usually >30% of hemithorax) or other related complications, such as infection, rupture, or bleeding. Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) has been widely applied in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with intrathoracic diseases, including bullous emphysema.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively reviewed nine patients with symptomatic or complicated bullous emphysema, who were treated by bullectomy using VATS in the past two years.

Metastasis of gastric carcinoma to the thyroid and lung: a case report and review of literature.

Cancer metastasis to the thyroid is extremely rare. The more commonly reported primary sites for metastasis to the thyroid are the kidney, breast, lung, colon, esophagus, and uterus. Thyroid metastasis from the stomach has only been reported in three cases.

Second primary lung carcinoma in patients with first primary breast carcinoma: two case reports and review of the literature.

Introduction: Patients undergoing complete treatments of breast carcinoma can be found with pulmonary nodules during the follow up period. Either metastasis from breast carcinoma or second primary bronchogenic carcinoma should be considered as a possible diagnosis.

Case Presentations: Two female patients with ages of 66 and 64, underwent modified radical mastectomy for breast carcinoma 5 and 2 years ago, were found with single pulmonary nodule, 1.

Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for the treatment of hepatic hydrothorax: report of twelve cases.

Background: Hepatic hydrothorax is defined as a significant pleural effusion in patients with liver cirrhosis and without underlying cardiopulmonary diseases. Treatment of hepatic hydrothorax remains a challenge at present.

Methods: Herein we share our experiences in the treatment of 12 patients with hepatic hydrothorax by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS).

Value of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery in the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary tuberculoma: 53 cases analysis and review of literature.

Tuberculoma of the lung is one of manifestations in tuberculosis and usually presents as a solitary pulmonary nodule (SPN). It is difficult to differentiate tuberculoma from SPN by other benign or malignant diseases. At present, the crucial role of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) in diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary diseases has been well acknowledged.

Chest wall abscess due to Prevotella bivia.

Prevotella bivia is associated with pelvic inflammatory disease. A 77-year-old man developed a rapidly growing chest wall abscess due to P. bivia within days.

Double primary bronchogenic carcinoma of the lung and papillary thyroid carcinoma: a case report.

Introduction: Double primary bronchogenic carcinoma and papillary carcinoma of the thyroid are extremely rare. We describe the case of a patient who underwent surgical resection for these two cancers.

Case Presentation: A 56-year-old man presented to our hospital complaining of a cough with blood-tinged sputum.

Physician and nurse job climates in hospital-based emergency departments in Taiwan: management and implications.

This study evaluates how emergency physicians and nurses perceive their job climates in their hospital-based emergency departments (ED). In total, 208 emergency physicians and 234 emergency nurses were surveyed, applying a validated survey instrument covering the job facets of medical and nursing autonomy, professional accomplishments and outcomes, leadership, communication, management, hospital policies and regulations, and external health policy environments germane to emergency medicine. The findings reveal that the average satisfaction score for professional growth and accomplishments was ranked highest by emergency physicians, and job communication within EDs was ranked highest by emergency nurses.

Complicated parapneumonic effusion and empyema: pleural decortication and video-assisted thoracic surgery.

Complicated parapneumonic effusion or empyema, in which the fluid becomes more exudative, develops in 10% to 20% of patients with parapneumonic effusions. Early diagnosis and effective treatment strategies are required. New treatment strategies such as fibrinolytic therapy and decortication or debridement through video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery, have changed the choice of treatment for different stages of empyema or complicated pleural effusion.

Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for bilateral primary spontaneous pneumothorax.

Objective: To review our experience of the treatment of bilateral primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS).

Materials And Methods: Retrospective chart review was followed by an on-clinic or telephone interview. Patients were cared for by one thoracic surgeon in four medical centers or community hospitals in Northern and Central Taiwan.

Primary leiomyosarcoma of the nipple-areola complex: report of a case and review of literature.

Primary leiomyosarcoma of the nipple-areola complex is extremely rare. Less than ten such cases have been reported in English literature so far. Herein we describe a 52-year-old female presenting with a 1.

Breast metastasis from small cell lung carcinoma.

Breast metastases from extramammary neoplasms are very rare. We presented a 66 year-old female with metastasis of small cell lung carcinoma to the breast. She presented with consolidation over the left upper lobe of her lung undetermined after endobronchial or video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) biopsy, and this was treated effectively after antibiotic therapy at initial stage.

Extramedullary plasmacytoma (EMP): Report of a case manifested as a mediastinal mass and multiple pulmonary nodules and review of literature.

Background: Extramedullary plasmacytoma (EMP) is a rare plasma cell neoplasm of soft tissue without bone marrow involvement or other systemic characteristics of multiple myeloma

Case Presentation: A 42 year-old woman presented with intermittent dry cough of 10 months duration. Her breathing sound was slightly coarse without rales or rhonchi on auscultation. CT scan revealed a right anterior mediastinal shadow with multiple pulmonary nodular lesions.

A study on the personal traits and knowledge base of Taiwanese medical students following problem-based learning instructions.

Introduction: Problem-based learning (PBL), a pedagogic concept using a student-centred approach and problem-solving through small group discussions, has been adopted in varying degrees for years at all 11 medical institutes in Taiwan. Much evidence has shown that a number of factors can seriously affect student performance in PBL courses, such as the design of PBL scenarios, the tutors' character and students' attitudes and efforts.

Materials And Methods: The aim of this study was to examine how the personal characters or knowledge base of Taiwanese medical students influence their performance in a hybrid-PBL curriculum.

Pulmonary actinomycosis: a case undergoing resection through video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS).

Actinomycosis is an uncommon disease, which is usually manifested as cervicofacial infection and related to poor oral hygiene or compromised immune function. Pulmonary actinomycosis is rare, but its diagnosis is changing due to its variable presentation and the similarity in appearance to other intrapulmonary diseases. Here we report an 80-year-old man with a solitary pulmonary nodule over the left upper lobe.

Primary tuberculous infection of breast: experiences of surgical resection for aged patients and review of literature.

Primary mammary tuberculosis is a rare entity that usually occurs in female of reproductive age. Herein three such patients including two males with ages over 80 years, who underwent surgical resection, are reported. Fine needle biopsy failed to achieve specific diagnosis before surgical operation.

Effects of thermal preconditioning on the ischemia-reperfusion-induced acute lung injury in minipigs.

Lung ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury plays an important role in many clinical issues. A series of mechanisms after I/R has been uncovered after numerous related studies. Organ preconditioning (PC) is a process whereby a brief antecedent event, such as transient ischemia, oxidative stress, temperature change, or drug administration, bestows on an organ an early or delayed tolerance to further insults by the same or different stressors.

Experiences and benefits of positron emitted tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) combined with video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) in the diagnosis of Stage 1 sarcoidosis.

Background: The purpose of this study was to describe our experiences and analyze the benefits of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) combined with positron emitted tomography (PET)-computed tomography (CT) in the diagnosis of patients with early (Stage 1) sarcoidosis.

Methods: From 1995 to 2006, seven patients (two males, five females), with ages ranging from 26 to 58 years, were impressed with Stage 1 sarcoidosis (mediastinal or hilar lymph nodes involvements without lung involvement) by histological examination of intrathoracic lymph nodes (LNs) and/or lung parenchyma taken from VATS biopsy. Three of them received PET or PET-CT evaluation.

Video-assisted thoracic surgery for spontaneous haemopneumothorax.

Background And Objective: The aim of this study was to review the treatment options for spontaneous haemopneumothorax (SHP) by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS).

Methods: Records from 16 patients (14 male, age 16-38 years, mean age 26.1 years) with prominent SHP (blood loss over 400 cc in the first 24 h) undergoing VATS from July 1994 to December 2005 and treated by one thoracic surgeon in four medical centres or community hospitals of North and Mid-Taiwan were reviewed retrospectively.

Acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ALI/ARDS): the mechanism, present strategies and future perspectives of therapies.

Acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ALI/ARDS), which manifests as non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema, respiratory distress and hypoxemia, could be resulted from various processes that directly or indirectly injure the lung. Extensive investigations in experimental models and humans with ALI/ARDS have revealed many molecular mechanisms that offer therapeutic opportunities for cell or gene therapy. Herein the present strategies and future perspectives of the treatment for ALI/ARDS, include the ventilatory, pharmacological, as well as cell therapies.

Pulmonary carcinosarcoma: report of a case with review of the literature.

Pulmonary carcinosarcoma is a very rare tumor, and its prognosis is usually worse than pulmonary carcinoma. We present a case with gigantic carcinosarcoma (10 x 7.7 x 7.

A histone deacetylation-dependent mechanism for transcriptional repression of the gap junction gene cx43 in prostate cancer cells.

Background: The connexin 43 gene (cx43, GJA1) mediates gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC), which regulates tissue homeostasis. cx43 is frequently downregulated in prostate cancer. We investigated the role of a histone deacetylase (HDAC)-dependent mechanism in the transcriptional repression of cx43 in a panel of prostate cancer cells.