Malignant mesothelioma in situ diagnosed by methylthioadenosine phosphorylase loss and homozygous deletion of CDKN2A: a case report.

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), associated with unfavorable outcomes, is closely associated with asbestos exposure. Early detection and treatment are critical to prolong survival of patients with MPM because of the rapid progression and resistance to treatment. The recently defined malignant mesothelioma in situ (MIS) has been gaining increasing attention with advances in genome-based methods including fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) as well as immunohistochemistry.

[Giant Cell Tumor of the Rib;Report of a Case].

We report a rare case of giant cell tumor of the rib. A 33-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of a recently appearing mass and pain in the right chest wall. Chest computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed a heterogeneous mass of 8-cm in diameter arising from and destroying the right 7th rib.

[Three cases of spontaneous pneumothorax by ruptured paravertebral gourd-shaped bullae].

We reported 3 elderly patients with right pneumothorax caused by ruptured paravertebral gourdshaped bullae. Two patients showed the characteristic symptom of air leakage of this type of pneumothorax, which decreased in the supine position, but increased in the sitting position. Chest computed tomography imaging showed bullae spreading in the space of the azygoesophageal recess.

[Surgery for benign schwannoma arising at the thoracic apex].

It is difficult to determine surgical approaches for treating a tumor arising at the thoracic outlet. Here we report a case of benign schwannoma arising at the thoracic apex, in which both pleural and cervical approaches were adopted. Chest radiographs of a 58-year-old male at the medical checkup in 2009 showed a tumor shadow in the right apical region that was increasing since 2003.

[Evaluation of the relation between the depth of left double-lumen endobronchial tube and the patient's height--comparison between patients over 20 years of age and those under 19 years].

Background: In adult patients, there is a strong correlation between the appropriate depth of insertion of a left double-lumen endobronchial tube (DLT) and height. However, for patients with the same height, we noted the tendency of the depth of insertion being about 1 cm shorter for patients under 19 years of age compared to that for those over 20 years.

Methods: We compared the depth of insertion between patients over 20 years and those under 19 years.

Empyema necessitatis into the retroperitoneal space.

Empyema necessitatis is a rare complication of tuberculous empyema. We present a very rare case of empyema necessitatis into the retroperitoneal space through the diaphragm. The fistula between the thoracic empyema cavity and the retroperitoneal abscess was clearly identified by magnetic resonance imaging.