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Journal of Thoracic Disease Oct 2022Accurate mediastinal staging of lung cancer patients is critical for determining appropriate treatment. Mediastinoscopy and endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS)-guided...
BACKGROUND
Accurate mediastinal staging of lung cancer patients is critical for determining appropriate treatment. Mediastinoscopy and endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS)-guided transbronchial needle aspiration are the most commonly utilized techniques. Limited data exist on training and practice trends among thoracic surgeons. We aimed to determine training and practice patterns and find whether there is a paradigm shift in mediastinal staging after the introduction of EBUS into practice among thoracic surgeons in the United States.
METHODS
28-question survey was constructed querying demographic, training, and practice patterns with mediastinoscopy and EBUS and was sent to practicing thoracic surgeons in the United States. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize quantitative data.
RESULTS
Ninety-eight responded with a 93% completion rate. Eighty-seven percent of respondents received training in EBUS and 70% perform EBUS routinely. All respondents believe EBUS should be incorporated into thoracic surgery training curriculums. Majority of those who prefer EBUS feel EBUS is safer than mediastinoscopy, allows access to lymph nodes stations or lesions inaccessible by mediastinoscopy and prefer EBUS to avoid re-do mediastinoscopy and in irradiated mediastinum. Majority of those who prefer mediastinoscopy reported they perform more accurate staging compared to EBUS, that mediastinoscopy is more accurate in diagnosing lymphoma or sarcoidosis and that frozen section can be done at the same interval as resection. Among surgeons who prefer EBUS, 94% biopsy 3 or more lymph node stations, 86% routinely biopsy hilar (N1) nodes while 8% never biopsy N1 nodes. Of surgeons who prefer mediastinoscopy. Ninety-seven percent biopsy 3 or more lymph node stations, only 27% routinely biopsy N1 nodes and 70% never biopsy N1 nodes.
CONCLUSIONS
EBUS is used frequently by thoracic surgeons in their practice for mediastinal staging. Methods of obtaining proficiency in EBUS widely varied among surgeons. In addition to mediastinoscopy, dedicated EBUS training should be incorporated into thoracic surgery training curriculums.
PubMed: 36389296
DOI: 10.21037/jtd-22-183 -
Surgery Journal (New York, N.Y.) Jan 2018While colonoscopy is generally regarded as a safe procedure, colonic perforation can occur and the risk of this is higher when interventional procedures are undertaken.... (Review)
Review
While colonoscopy is generally regarded as a safe procedure, colonic perforation can occur and the risk of this is higher when interventional procedures are undertaken. The presentation may be acute or delayed depending on the extent of the perforation. Extracolonic gas following colonic perforation can migrate to several body compartments that are embryologically related and it has previously been reported in the thorax, mediastinum, neck, scrotum, and lower limbs. This review discusses in detail the anatomical pathways that led to a rare case of widespread subcutaneous emphysema, bilateral pneumothoraces, pneumomediastinum, and mediastinal shift from colonic perforation during a diagnostic colonoscopy. This is further supported by a description of the radiological images.
PubMed: 29479562
DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1624563 -
Journal of Medical Case Reports Mar 2022Primitive neuroectodermal tumors are extremely rare and highly aggressive malignant small round cell tumors that arise from the primitive nerve cells of the nervous...
BACKGROUND
Primitive neuroectodermal tumors are extremely rare and highly aggressive malignant small round cell tumors that arise from the primitive nerve cells of the nervous system or outside it. These tumors share similar histology, immunohistologic characteristics, and cytogenetics with Ewing's sarcoma. Peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumors of the chest wall are rare malignant tumors seen in children and young adults.
CASE PRESENTATION
We report a rare case of peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumor in a 4-year-old Albanian girl with a mediastinal tumor and an unusual clinical presentation. She was initially treated for acute polyradiculoneuritis (Guillain-Barré syndrome) owing to pain, weakness in the lower limbs, and walking difficulty, as well as severe irritability. During the second week of treatment, the child began to experience dry cough, chest discomfort, and worsening dyspnea. Chest radiography, chest computed tomography, and contrast-enhanced computed tomography demonstrated a large mass in the right hemithorax that was derived from the posterior mediastinum with expansive growth in all directions and that shifted the mediastinal structures in the anterolateral left direction. Consequently, histopathology and immunohistochemical examination of the markers S-100, CD99, and Ki-67 showed that the tumor cells stained positively for S-100 and CD99. The proliferative index measured by Ki-67 was approximately 20%, which suggested primitive neuroectodermal tumor.
CONCLUSIONS
Even though other diseases, including leukemia, lymphoma, and neuroblastoma, may be accompanied by musculoskeletal manifestations in children, other solid tumors, such as peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumors, should be considered in the differential diagnosis in any child presenting with musculoskeletal symptoms.
Topics: Child; Child, Preschool; Female; Humans; Mediastinal Neoplasms; Mediastinum; Neuroectodermal Tumors, Primitive, Peripheral; Sarcoma, Ewing; Thoracic Wall; Young Adult
PubMed: 35354472
DOI: 10.1186/s13256-022-03354-2 -
Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine Sep 2022Regarding the pleural space after pneumonectomy for malignancy, a vast number of studies have assessed early drop in the fluid level, suggesting a broncho-pleural... (Review)
Review
Regarding the pleural space after pneumonectomy for malignancy, a vast number of studies have assessed early drop in the fluid level, suggesting a broncho-pleural fistula, but only a small number of studies reported on the abnormal increase in the fluid level-a potentially lethal complication. In the present study, the available databases worldwide were screened and 19 cases were retrieved, including 14 chylothorax and 3 hydrothorax cases, 1 pneumothorax and 1 haemothorax case. Tension chylothorax is caused by mediastinal lymph node dissection as an assumed risk in radical cancer surgery. For tensioned haemothorax, the cause has not been elucidated, although lymphatic stasis associated with deep venous thrombosis was suspected. Tensioned pneumothorax was caused by chest wall damage after extrapleural pneumonectomy combined with low aspiration pressure on the chest drain. No cause was determined for none of the tensioned hydrothorax-all 3 cases had the scenario of pericardial resection in addition to pneumonectomy in common. Tensioned space after pneumonectomy for cancer manifests as cardiac tamponade. Initial management is emergent decompression of the heart and mediastinum. Final management depends on the fluid type (chyle, transudate, air, blood) and the medical context of each case. Of the 19 cases, 12 required a major surgical procedure as the definitive management.
PubMed: 35978935
DOI: 10.3892/etm.2022.11485 -
Journal of Thoracic Disease Apr 2019Malignancy-associated secondary spontaneous pneumothorax (MSSP) poses significant challenges due to limited survival. By assessing risk factors associated with a MSSP...
BACKGROUND
Malignancy-associated secondary spontaneous pneumothorax (MSSP) poses significant challenges due to limited survival. By assessing risk factors associated with a MSSP recurrence, there is potential to identify patients who could benefit from early intervention intended to prevent recurrence.
METHODS
We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients with MSSP. The primary outcome was time to MSSP recurrence. We used a competing risk model to identify risk factors associated with MSSP recurrence.
RESULTS
A total of 2,532 patients were diagnosed with pneumothorax, with 114 having MSSP but only 96 were evaluable for the time-to-recurrence analysis. Of the 96 patients, 9 (9.4%) patients experienced recurrent MSSP, and 58 (60.4%) patients died during the study's follow-up period. The estimated cumulative incidence (CI) of MSSP considering death as a competing risk was 10.1% at 15 months. The univariable model identified the following covariates as associated with MSSP recurrence: mediastinal shift (HR 12.30, 95% CI: 3.44-43.91, P<0.001), distance from lung apex to thoracic cupola (HR 1.02, 95% CI: 1.00-1.03, P=0.003), and distance between visceral and chest wall at the hilum (HR 1.02, 95% CI: 1.00-1.03, P=0.026).
CONCLUSIONS
Although the incidence of MSSP recurrence was found to be low, clinical factors such as sarcoma, the associated mediastinal shift, greater distance from lung apex to thoracic cupola, greater distance between visceral and chest wall at the hilum were found to be risk factors for MSSP recurrence.
PubMed: 31179092
DOI: 10.21037/jtd.2019.03.35 -
The British Journal of Radiology Dec 2022Intrathoracic fat-containing lesions may arise in the mediastinum, lungs, pleura, or chest wall. While CT can be helpful in the detection and diagnosis of these lesions,... (Review)
Review
Intrathoracic fat-containing lesions may arise in the mediastinum, lungs, pleura, or chest wall. While CT can be helpful in the detection and diagnosis of these lesions, it can only do so if the lesions contain scopic fat. Furthermore, because CT cannot demonstrate microscopic or intravoxel fat, it can fail to identify and diagnose microscopic fat-containing lesions. MRI, employing spectral and chemical shift fat suppression techniques, can identify both macroscopic and microscopic fat, with resultant enhanced capability to diagnose these intrathoracic lesions non-invasively and without ionizing radiation. This paper aims to review the CT and MRI findings of fat-containing lesions of the chest and describes the fat-suppression techniques utilized in their assessment.
Topics: Humans; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Mediastinum; Thoracic Wall; Pleura
PubMed: 36125174
DOI: 10.1259/bjr.20220235 -
Radiotherapy and Oncology : Journal of... Oct 2022Image-guided radiotherapy using cone beam-CT (CBCT) images is used to evaluate patient anatomy and positioning before radiotherapy. In this study we analyzed and...
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Image-guided radiotherapy using cone beam-CT (CBCT) images is used to evaluate patient anatomy and positioning before radiotherapy. In this study we analyzed and optimized a traffic light protocol (TLP) used in lung cancer patients to identify patients requiring treatment adaptation.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
First, CBCT review requests of 243 lung cancer patients were retrospectively analyzed and divided into 6 pre-defined categories. Frequencies and follow-up actions were scored. Based on these results, the TLP was optimized and evaluated in the same way on 230 patients treated in 2018.
RESULTS
In the retrospective study, a total of 543 CBCT review requests were created during treatment in 193/243 patients due to changed anatomy of lung (24%), change of tumor volume (24%), review of match (18%), shift of the mediastinum (15%), shift of tumor (15%) and other (4%). The majority of requests (474, 87%) did not require further action. In 6% an adjustment of the match criteria sufficed; in 7% treatment plan adaptation was required. Plan adaptation was frequently seen in the categories changed anatomy of lung, change of tumor volume and shift of tumor outside the PTV. Shift of mediastinum outside PRV and shift of GTV outside CTV (but inside PTV) never required plan adaptation and were omitted to optimize the TLP, which reduced the CBCT review requests by 23%.
CONCLUSIONS
The original TLP selected patients that required a treatment adaptation, but with a high false positive rate. The optimized TLP reduced the amount of CBCT review requests, while still correctly identifying patients requiring adaptation.
Topics: Humans; Radiotherapy, Image-Guided; Retrospective Studies; Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted; Workflow; Lung Neoplasms; Cone-Beam Computed Tomography; Radiotherapy Dosage; Radiotherapy, Intensity-Modulated
PubMed: 36067908
DOI: 10.1016/j.radonc.2022.08.030 -
Paediatric Respiratory Reviews Mar 2021To develop a clinical guideline for structured assessment and uniform reporting of congenital lung abnormalities (CLA) on Computed Tomography (CT)-scans. (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVES
To develop a clinical guideline for structured assessment and uniform reporting of congenital lung abnormalities (CLA) on Computed Tomography (CT)-scans.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A systematic literature search was conducted for articles describing CT-scan abnormalities of congenital pulmonary airway malformation (CPAM), bronchopulmonary sequestration (BPS), congenital lobar emphysema (CLE) and bronchogenic cyst (BC). A structured report using objective features of CLA was developed after consensus between a pediatric pulmonologist, radiologist and surgeon.
RESULTS
Of 1581 articles identified, 158 remained after title-abstract screening by two independent reviewers. After assessing full-texts, we included 28 retrospective cohort-studies. Air-containing cysts and soft tissue masses are described in both CPAM and BPS while anomalous arterial blood supply is only found in BPS. Perilesional low-attenuation areas, atelectasis and mediastinal shift may be found in all aforementioned abnormalities and can also be seen in CLE as a cause of a hyperinflated lobe. We have developed a structured report, subdivided into five sections: Location & Extent, Airway, Lesion, Vascularization and Surrounding tissue.
CONCLUSIONS
CT-imaging findings in CLA are broad and nomenclature is variable. Overlap is seen between and within abnormalities, possibly due to definitions often being based on pathological findings, which is an unsuitable approach for CT imaging. We propose a structured assessment of CLA using objective radiological features and uniform nomenclature to improve reporting.
Topics: Child; Cystic Adenomatoid Malformation of Lung, Congenital; Humans; Lung; Pulmonary Atelectasis; Respiratory System Abnormalities; Retrospective Studies; Tomography, X-Ray Computed
PubMed: 32178987
DOI: 10.1016/j.prrv.2019.12.004 -
Journal of Thoracic Disease Jan 2023
PubMed: 36794129
DOI: 10.21037/jtd-22-1420 -
Pneumologie (Stuttgart, Germany) Jun 2020An 80-year old female was referred to our hospital with left internal carotid artery stenosis and a childhood history of hemoptysis.
HISTORY
An 80-year old female was referred to our hospital with left internal carotid artery stenosis and a childhood history of hemoptysis.
INVESTIGATIONS AND DIAGNOSIS
The ECG showed 2nd degree Mobitz atrio-ventricular block. The chest x-ray and computerized tomography identified a shift of the mediastinum and the heart to the left. The left lung was completely destroyed whilst the right lung was enlarged and crossed the midline. Pulmonary function tests revealed a moderate restrictive ventilation disorder. The diagnosis of autopneumonectomy was based on patient history together with radiological findings.
TREATMENT AND COURSE
A pacemaker was implanted with two stimulation electrodes via a left cephalic venous cutdown. A carotid endarterectomy was also performed without any complication.
CONCLUSION
After autopneumonectomy, postpneumonectomy like syndrome may occur in very rare cases, whereupon operative treatment is mandatory. Any respiratory infections should be treated with antibiotics. Pacemaker electrode placement via the subclavian vein is contraindicated due to the risk of a catastrophic pneumothorax.
Topics: Aged, 80 and over; Carotid Stenosis; Endarterectomy, Carotid; Female; Hemoptysis; Humans; Lung; Lung Diseases; Pacemaker, Artificial; Pneumonectomy; Respiratory Function Tests; Subclavian Vein; Treatment Outcome; Venous Cutdown
PubMed: 32557508
DOI: 10.1055/a-1148-8770