Primary pulmonary meningioma: a case report.

An asymptomatic 68-year-old woman, with a history of breast cancer 19 years ago, was unexpectedly found to have primary pulmonary meningioma during medical evaluation. This discovery is exceedingly rare, with only about 70 cases reported worldwide. Following uncomplicated surgical removal of the mass, the patient was discharged in good health on the third day after the procedure. Notably, initial analysis of a frozen tissue sample indicated hamartoma, but subsequent immune-histochemical pathological examination confirmed the presence of meningioma. Given the uncommon nature of this tumor, it is essential to report such cases to raise awareness about pulmonary meningioma as a potential cause of solitary lung nodules. This awareness can help prevent unnecessary chemotherapy or surgical interventions.

Removal of a large symptomatic retrocardiac mediastinal lipoma.

Large mediastinal lipomas are rare. Complete surgical resection can be difficult due to the intricate anatomy in the mediastinum. We report the case of a 75-year-old man with worsened retrosternal pressure, decline in performance and syncope episodes. Computed tomography revealed a large retrocardiac low-attenuated mediastinal lesion measuring 10 × 8 cm, compressing the left atrium and pulmonary veins bilaterally. Surgical exploration was achieved through a right anterolateral thoracotomy with a successful en bloc resection without any intraoperative complications. The total operation time was 185 min with a total blood loss of <250 ml. Stand-by extracorporeal life support was present throughout the procedure, but its use was not required. The postoperative course was uneventful. The pathological examination revealed a mature mediastinal lipoma without any evidence of malignancy. In the 12-month control the patient was completely free of symptoms and in a good general condition.

A rare posterior mediastinal mass: chordoma.

A 72-year-old female presented with 2 years of pro-gradient pain in the upper thoracic spine radiating to the left arm and leg. MRI revealed a 2.7 × 2.0 × 12 cm paravertebral mass at T2/T3, extending into the foraminal and epidural nerves with extensive dural sac contact in the left hemithorax. The removed tumour was surprisingly soft for a schwannoma or chordoma. However, after the surgery, histopathology revealed the presence of brachyury protein (T-box transcription factor T), which is characteristic of a chordoma. While chordomas are extremely rare, it is important that they are kept in mind for the differential diagnosis of a posterior mediastinal mass. Successful treatment can only be achieved through a complete en bloc resection. This can often be complex due to their location along the spine. This case report aims to highlight the features and treatment of this rare disease.

The significance of a 'T shaped' incision for resection of giant mediastinal tumors: a case report.

A 37-year-old male, with a 5-year history of liposarcoma of the right thigh, was incidentally diagnosed with two huge thoracic metastases following a fall. One of these masses, measuring 22 cm, was located in the right chest apex, adjacent to a second 20 cm mass situated in the anterior mediastinum, partially invading the left chest. The patient underwent surgical intervention for mass resection that commenced with a hemi-clamshell incision, but was then extended by completing the lower median sternotomy in order to create a T shaped incision. This type of incision provides ample access for large mediastinal tumors that extensively extend into one side of the thoracic cavity, encompass the anterior mediastinum, and partially reach into the opposite cavity. It enhances visualization, facilitates access to vital organs, allows for precise surgical maneuvers, minimizes the risk of inadvertent tissue damage, and enables thorough oncological resection.

Lung transplantation in children.

Lung transplantation is a well-established treatment for children facing advanced lung disease and pulmonary vascular disorders. However, organ shortage remains highest in children. For fitting the small chest of children, transplantation of downsized adult lungs, lobes, or even segments were successfully established. The worldwide median survival after pediatric lung transplantation is currently 5.7 years, while under consideration of age, underlying disease, and peri- and posttransplant center experience, median survival of more than 10 years is reported. Timing of referral for transplantation, ischemia-reperfusion injury, primary graft dysfunction, and acute and chronic rejection after transplantation remain the main challenges.

A Multicenter Retrospective Case-Control Study on Simple vs Extended Sleeve Lobectomies.

BACKGROUND: Sleeve resection is currently the gold standard procedure for centrally located non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Extended sleeve lobectomy (ESL) consists of an atypical bronchoplasty with resection of >1 lobe and carries several technical difficulties compared with simple sleeve lobectomy (SSL). Our study compared the outcomes of ESL and SSL for NSCLC. METHODS: This multicenter, retrospective, cohort study included 1314 patients who underwent ESL (155 patients) or SSL (1159 patients) between 2000 and 2018. The primary end points were 30-day and 90-day mortality, overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), and complications. RESULTS: No differences were found between the 2 groups in general characteristics and surgical and survival outcomes. In particular, there were no differences in early and late complication frequency, 30- and 90-day mortality, R status, recurrence, OS (54.26 ± 33.72 months vs 56.42 ± 32.85 months, P = .444), and DFS (46.05 ± 36.14 months vs 47.20 ± 35.78 months, P = .710). Mean tumor size was larger in the ESL group (4.72 ± 2.30 cm vs 3.81 ± 1.78 cm, P < .001). Stage IIIA was the most prevalent stage in ESL group (34.8%), whereas stage IIB was the most prevalent in SSL group (34.3%; P < .001). The multivariate analyses found nodal status was the only independent predictive factor for OS. CONCLUSIONS: ESL gives comparable short- and long-term outcomes to SSL. Appropriate preoperative staging and exclusion of metastases to mediastinal lymph nodes, as well as complete (R0) resection, are essential for good long-term outcomes.