[Topical fibrinolysis with streptokinase in coagulated hemothorax]. / Lokální fibrinolýza koagulovaného hemotoraxu streptokinázou.

Local fibrinolysis using streptokinase was used in two patients with an organizing extensive haemothorax. In both patients the coagula were dissolved and the pleural cavity was effectively evacuated by means of a drain without the necessity of an extensive surgical intervention. The authors did not record any side-reactions to the local administration of streptokinase. In the authors' opinion proper timing is important for achieving a satisfactory effect of local fibrinolysis. Fibrinolysis cannot be used in case of clinical signs of proceeding haemorrhage or closely after its termination.

Bronchial carcinoid tumors: long-term outcome after surgery.

The objective of the present study was to evaluate clinical condition and results of surgical treatment of patients with typical and atypical bronchial carcinoids. The study was based on retrospective analysis of a total of 96 patients (mean age 47.3 year, age range 21-76, 44 men and women 52), who were surgically treated for bronchial carcinoid between 1985-2001. We assessed symptomatology of the disease, type of surgical intervention, tumor histology and staging, and postoperative 5-year and 10 year survival rates. The main sign of disease was respiratory inflammation. The carcinoid syndrome was not found in any patient. Most patients (n=68) were operated for central form of the tumor. The micromorphological tumor diagnosis was established prior to surgery in 76.5% patients with the central form of carcinoid. Surgical treatment included lobectomy (n=49), bronchoplastic procedure (n=14), sleeve lobectomy (n=9), atypical resection and segmentectomy (n=11), pneumonectomy (n=7) and tumor enucleation (n=5). Histological analysis revealed typical carcinoid in 77 cases (80.2%) and atypical carcinoid in 19 (19.8%). Lymph nodes (N1 and/or N2) were examined by histology in 84 patients and lymph node metastases were found in 13 (19.4%) of 67 patients with typical carcinoid and in 5 cases (29.4%) of 17 with atypical carcinoid. In the postoperative period on patient died from embolism to the arteria pulmonalis. Postoperative complications (atelectasis, prolonged air leak, bronchopleural fistula) were observed in 11.4% of patients. Tumor relapse occurred only in two patients with typical carcinoid. Postoperative 5-year and 10-year rates amounted to 98.6% and 87.3%, respectively, in typical carcinoid 94.5% and 73.5% in atypical carcinoid. The survival rates of patients with typical and atypical bronchial carcinoids were not significantly different (p>0.05). The surgical management is the treatment of choice in bronchial carcinoids. Results of this study indicate that the 5-year survival in patients with either histological type of bronchial carcinoid is excellent and the prognosis of operated patients is very good even in the case of regional lymph nodes infiltration by the tumors.

[Surgical treatment of pulmonary aspergilloma and its complications]. / Chirurgická lécba plicního aspergilomu a její komplikace.

The authors present an account of their experience with the surgical treatment of 44 patients with pulmonary aspergilloma who were treated at the Clinic of Pneumology and Thoracic Surgery of the Third Medical Faculty Charles University in Prague during 1957-1999. The diagnosis of the disease before surgery was made in 39 patients (88.6%), in five patients it was established only after histological examination following resection of the lung. The presence of an aspergilloma was observed most frequently in a TB cavern (n = 30) and in bronchiectatic cavities (n = 9) with the most frequent localization in the upper pulmonary lobes (n = 38) and prevalence on the right side (n = 23). The most frequent symptom of the disease was haemoptysis (n = 39). All patients with the established diagnosis were treated before surgery by antimycotics. Treatment was however not successful and therefore the patients were indicated for surgery. The preoperative diagnosis of aspergilloma was based on X-ray or CT examination, serological examination (positive in 92.8%) and cultivation of sputum (positive in 58.9%). The most frequent surgical operation was lobectomy (n = 20), segmentectomy (n = 9), atypical resection (n = 8), pneumonectomy (n = 3); cavernostomy was performed in four patients. The most serious postoperative complication was a bronchopleural fistula with subsequent empyema (n = 2). During the postoperative period three patients died from respiratory failure associated with bronchopneumonia (6.8%). The authors recommend, based on their own experience, an active approach in patients with pulmonary aspergilloma and consider surgery as the main therapeutic method.