Thoracic Trauma: Current Approach in Emergency Medicine.

Chest trauma is the leading cause of death in people under 40. It is estimated to cause around 140,000 deaths each year. The key aims are to reduce mortality and the impact of associated complications to expedite recovery and to restore patient's conditions.

Scrotal granulomatous aspergillosis in a dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius).

Background: This report describes a case of primary subcutaneous aspergillosis in a 7-year-old neutered male dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius).

Case Presentation: The animal developed a large nodular lesion in the right scrotum two years after surgical intervention for neutering. The mass had a firm consistency and was painful at palpation.

A simple technique to repair a hand fracture in a captive Siamang.

A 5-year-old female Siamang (Hylobates syndactilus) in captivity sustained a displaced closed fracture of the proximal phalanx of the middle digit, resulting in finger deformity and hand functional disability. Anatomical reduction and stabilization of the fracture were obtained surgically using two multifilament wire sutures. The primate had a successful functional recovery.

[Cardiac troponin-I elevations after thoracic surgery. Incidence and correlations with baseline clinical characteristics, C-reactive protein and perioperative parameters].

Introduction And Objectives: The exact incidence of cardiac troponin-I elevation after thoracic surgery and its correlation with other clinical parameters have not been fully described. The aims of this study were to determine the frequency of postoperative cardiac troponin-I elevation following lung or pleural surgery for suspected cancer, and to investigate correlations with baseline clinical characteristics, the C-reactive protein level, and perioperative parameters.

Methods: Fifty consecutive patients were enrolled in the study.

Personal experience in surgical management of pulmonary pleomorphic carcinoma.

Background: Pleomorphic carcinoma is a rare epithelial malignant tumor. Pulmonary pleomorphic carcinoma was introduced by the 1999 World Health Organization classification as a new peculiar type of lung carcinoma showing concurrent malignant epithelial and sarcomatoid spindle cell elements. Few reports describe its clinical behavior.

Assessment of outcomes in typical and atypical carcinoids according to latest WHO classification.

Background: Pulmonary carcinoid tumors represent a group of malignant neoplasms comprised of neuroendocrine cells. In 1999, the World Health Organization (W.H.

Surgical experience of 15 solitary benign fibrous tumor of the pleura.

Objective: The localized benign fibrous tumor of the pleura represents 8% of all benign pathologies of the chest and 10% of neoplasms of the pleura. The authors review the literature, and report on 15 cases of localized benign fibrous tumors of the pleura surgically treated over a period of 15 years to further knowledge of this pathology, its therapy and prognosis.

Methods: With respect to the well-known diffuse malignant mesothelioma, different etiopathogenesis, prognosis, and therapeutic approaches characterize the localized benign fibrous tumor of the pleura.

Personal experience in lung cancer sleeve lobectomy and sleeve pneumonectomy.

Background: Sleeve lobectomy (SL) and tracheal sleeve pneumonectomy (TSP) represent valuable alternative techniques to standard resections in the treatment of benign and malignant conditions of the airway and allow preservation of lung parenchyma.

Methods: Eighty-three sleeve lobectomies and 27 tracheal sleeve pneumonectomies have been performed for nonsmall cell lung cancer in the thoracic department of the University of Milan from 1979 to 1999. There were 46 upper right lobectomies, 11 upper and middle lobectomies, 18 upper left lobectomies, 8 lower left lobectomies, and 27 right pneumonectomies.