Uniportal thoracoscopic extended right apical segmentectomy with virtual-assisted lung mapping: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary extended segmentectomy is an optional surgical treatment for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer that helps to achieve optimal surgical margins. Here, we describe a challenging instance of extended segmentectomy via uniportal video-assisted thoracic surgery with virtual-assisted lung mapping, a preoperative bronchoscopic dye marking procedure. CASE PRESENTATION: A 72-year-old woman presented with two tumors that were clinically diagnosed as early-stage lung cancer; extended right apical segmentectomy was indicated. Because the tumors had appeared unidentifiable intraoperatively, we performed virtual-assisted lung mapping for tumor localization and delineation of the optimal resection area. Surgery was conducted through a single port. All virtual-assisted lung mapping markings were visible. After dissection of the apical vessels and bronchi, a putative intersegmental line was determined using collateral ventilation. Based on the putative intersegmental plane identified by collateral ventilation and the virtual-assisted lung mapping markings, the resection line was delineated. Extended apical segmentectomy along the resection line was successfully performed via uniportal video-assisted thoracic surgery. The postoperative course was uneventful. The pathological diagnosis was minimally invasive adenocarcinoma and adenocarcinoma in situ. CONCLUSIONS: Virtual-assisted lung mapping can help to achieve optimal extended segmentectomy via uniportal video-assisted thoracic surgery.

A case of pulmonary sclerosing pneumocytoma diagnosed preoperatively using transbronchial cryobiopsy.

BACKGROUND: The preoperative diagnosis of pulmonary sclerosing pneumocytoma (PSP) is complicated since PSP has several histological structural patterns in the same neoplasm; hence, it is sometimes pathologically misdiagnosed as adenocarcinoma or carcinoid. In recent years, with the prevalence of transbronchial cryobiopsy (TBLC), we are able to obtain larger specimens than previously. However, to date, there have been no reports describing PSP diagnosed using TBLC. CASE REPORTS: A 43-year-old man was referred to our hospital for an abnormal lesion in the left lung discovered on routine health examination. A computed tomography scan of the chest revealed a 14-mm heterogeneous round nodule with surrounding ground-glass opacity in the left lower lobe. The tumor size increased to 18 mm in three weeks, and he developed bloody sputum. TBLC was performed using radial endobronchial ultrasonography and fluoroscopy. An occlusion balloon and prophylactic epinephrine were used to prevent severe bleeding. Histologically, epithelioid cells with solid proliferation, various papillary lesions, and hemosiderin-laden histiocytes were observed. Immunohistochemical staining revealed the histiocytes positive for thyroid transcription factor-1 and vimentin, and the type II pneumocyte-like-cells positive for cytokeratin 7. The tumor was preoperatively diagnosed as a PSP; the patient underwent left basal segmentectomy and consequently, a final diagnosed of PSP was formulated. CONCLUSION: We report the first case of PSP preoperatively diagnosed using TBLC. Therefore, cryobiopsy could be beneficial in the preoperative diagnosis of PSP.

[A case of massive hepatocellular carcinoma producing various imaging patterns after long-term follow-up].

A 62-year-old man had been previously diagnosed as having a 7-cm liver tumor in segment 4 at another hospital, but did not pursue treatment. Twenty-nine months later, he was referred to our hospital suffering from jaundice. Abdominal computed tomography( CT) revealed a 13.5-cm tumor in the liver( S4) with early staining and isodensity in the portal and equilibrium phases. Because magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of this tumor showed central scarring in T2WI and uptake of EOB in the hepatocyte phase, focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) was included as a differential diagnosis. Alternatively, the signal decreased out of phase, suggesting a possibility of hepatocellular carcinoma( HCC). We performed extended left lobe resection because of tumor growth and exclusion of the bile duct. Histopathological examination revealed well and moderately differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma with various types of pathological patterns, including necrosis, fat, and scarring. The patient remains well at 12 months after this surgery with no signs of recurrence.

[Super-elderly colon cancer with peritoneal dissemination effectively treated with modified FOLFOX6 chemotherapy--report of a case].

We reported a case of super-elderly colon cancer with peritoneal dissemination effectively treated with modified FOLFOX6 chemotherapy. A 80-year-old woman was referred to our hospital for abdominal distension in January 2007. Abdominal CT showed peritoneal dissemination and colonoscopy revealed transverse colon cancer. The patient's performance status (PS) score was 3. She had pleural effusion on the left side and massive acsites. After the general condition was improved, operation was performed for sub-ileus in March, but it became a probe laparotomy for severe peritoneal dissemination. We tried modified FOLFOX6 chemotherapy from April. The patient's pleural effusion decreased after 3 courses of chemotherapy and we could remove the thoracic tube. Massive acsites observed in abdominal CT disappeared after 5 courses of chemotherapy. The patient did not suffer from sub-ileus after around 8 courses of chemotherapy and she could then take food. The patient's PS score became 1, and she was discharged in September. Two more courses of chemotherapy were given on as an outpatient basis. The chemotherapy was changed to S-1 on the patient's request in November. As of February 2008, the patient's PS score was 0, and she has been under treatment as an outpatient.