The utility of EBUS-TBNA in the diagnosis of suspected intrathoracic recurrence after esophageal cancer surgery.

OBJECTIVES: Postoperative recurrences, especially anastomotic recurrence and regional lymph node recurrence were common in patients even with curative esophageal cancer surgery. Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration is an alternative to mediastinoscopy in patients with lung cancer and mediastinal lymphadenopathy. The aim of our study is to evaluate the utility of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration in postoperative patients suffered from esophageal malignancy. METHODS: All endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration cases performed between August 2015 and December 2018 in our center were all retrospective reviewed. The patients with enlarged mediastinal lymph node and/or unknown intrathoracic mass after esophageal cancer surgery were enrolled. Final diagnoses were determined by the result of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration, second surgery and/or clinical follow-up for at least 6 months. RESULTS: Overall 29 patients were included in the analysis with 30 lesions sampled. No endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration related complications were observed. In total, 22 of these (73.3%) had a diagnosis of tumor recurrence, whereas eight (26.7%) had a different diagnosis: two (6.7%) had a second primary malignancy and three (10.0%) had non-neoplastic diagnosis. Cases were false-negative in 3 (10.0%) out of 30 lesions. The overall sensitivity, negative predicted value and diagnostic accuracy were 88.9, 50.0 and 90.0%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Given its safety, low invasiveness, high sensitivity and diagnostic accuracy, endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration could be considered for mediastinal lymphadenopathy and intrathoracic masses of unknown origin in patients after radical esophageal cancer resection, and its strategic role in the management of these patients was confirmed.

Unilobar re-expansion pulmonary oedema following removal of a large intra-thoracic mass.

Re-expansion pulmonary oedema (RPE) is not so rare complication associated with sudden expansion of a collapsed lung. RPE has been most frequently reported following rapid drainage of a large pneumothorax or chronic pleural effusion. Development of RPE following removal of a large intrathoracic mass is not commonly recognised, though sporadic reports exist in the literature. RPE can be fatal, but early diagnosis with appropriate management usually leads to satisfactory outcomes. We report a case of RPE, which occurred following removal of a giant intra-thoracic mass and its subsequent management and outcome with a brief review of relevant literature.

Incidental finding of intrathoracic caudate lobe of the liver associated with an arterovenous malformation.

In this case report we describe an occasional finding of intrathoracic caudate lobe protruding through the diaphragm foramen in a 73-year-old woman who came to our attention for a screening for coronary artery disease, due to the presence of cardiovascular risk. The patient had no symptoms. The computed tomography showed, a circumscribed homogeneous soft tissue mass that protruding through the aortic diaphragmatic foramen that was as isodense as the liver. Moreover was revealed an abnormal artery emerging from the celiac tripod which, through the diaphragmatic foramen, ends in an inferior pulmonary vein creating an arteriovenous malformation.

Chondrosarcoma of the Rib: Atypical Presentation and Management.

Chondrosarcoma is an uncommon malignant tumor of the rib and can have an atypical presentation based on age, gender, and clinical manifestation with differential diagnosis of intrathoracic mass. Management is surgical as the tumor is resistant to chemoradiation. Access to chest wall reconstruction is limited in many low-income countries and forms a barrier to patient compliance. We report an atypical presentation and describe a simple, easy, and cost-effective chest wall reconstruction method for chondrosarcoma of the rib in any resource-constrained setting.

Le chondrosarcome est une tumeur maligne peu commune de la côte et peut avoir une présentation atypique en fonction de l'âge, du sexe et de la manifestation clinique avec un diagnostic différentiel de masse intrathoracique. La prise en charge est chirurgicale car la tumeur est résistante à la chimioradiation. L'accès à la reconstruction de la paroi thoracique est limité dans de nombreux pays à faible revenu et constitue un obstacle à l'adhésion des patients. Nous rapportons une présentation atypique et décrivons une méthode de reconstruction de la paroi thoracique simple, facile et rentable pour le chondrosarcome de la côte dans un contexte de ressources limitées.

A rare case of myxoid pleomorphic liposarcoma in an infant: A report.

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: MPL (myxoid pleomorphic liposarcoma) is an uncommon type of liposarcoma that affects mostly children and infants. Its aggressive behavior and tendency to recur warrant complete excision despite the challenges of troublesome locations. CASE PRESENTATION: A 12-month-old infant presented with an insidious onset of noisy breathing and respiratory distress not relieved by supplemental oxygen via face mask. Examination revealed dullness and decreased air entry on the left chest. Computed Tomographic (CT) scan showed a large solid mass occupying the left hemithorax and displacing the mediastinum to the right. Intraoperatively, a large solid mass arising from the left chest wall and attached to the fifth rib was seen. Histopathology of the resected mass showed myxoid pleomorphic liposarcoma which is non-reactive for MDM2 immunostain. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: Unlike other liposarcomas, myxoid pleomorphic liposarcoma occurs in children, commonly in the chest. CT scan is the preferred imaging modality. Treatment is by complete excision where possible. Molecular studies like Fluorescent in-situ Hybridization (FISH) and Immunohistochemistry (IHC) is used for confirmation. It has a high propensity to metastasize and recurrence is expected. Chemotherapy and irradiation following complete resection decrease the disease recurrence. CONCLUSION: Soft tissue malignancy must be considered in the differential diagnosis of a large intrathoracic tumor in an infant. FISH and IHC are essential for confirmation.

An intrathoracic mass behind severe immunodeficiency: a case report of Good's syndrome and large type AB thymoma.

A large solitary intrathoracic mass was identified in a patient with concurrent immunodeficiency. The patient was found to have a type AB thymoma and was diagnosed with Good's syndrome. A case report demonstrates the importance of timely surgical intervention for this rare syndrome.

Unusual cause of large intrathoracic mass in a young male of Bangladesh: A case report of giant intrathoracic lipoma & literature review.

INTRODUCTION: Lipoma in the thoracic cavity is very rare, unlike any subcutaneous lipoma, and can often grow very large without showing any symptoms. CASE: We report a 42-year-old man having giant intrathoracic lipoma which was found incidentally during routine checkup and the first documented case of the such type in Bangladesh. This benign tumor occupied almost the entire left hemithorax, and it was resected successfully by thoracotomy. The postoperative period was uneventful except for prolonged chest drain. Histological analysis confirmed intrathoracic lipoma. DISCUSSION: Usually, patients with intrathoracic lipoma are asymptomatic. But since lipomas can grow to a large size, they may cause symptoms due to the compression effect. Lipoma should be considered a differential diagnosis of asymptomatic large intrathoracic mass, and imaging is the best method for initial identification. CONCLUSION: As intrathoracic lipoma typically grows very slowly over years without any symptoms and signs, late diagnosis is common. Complete surgical extirpation is needed to prevent further recurrence.

Caval foramen hernia in a dog: Preoperative diagnosis and surgical treatment.

A 13-year-old, 5.6-kg castrated-male Maltese was presented for reverse sneezing. A dome-shaped round mass abutting diaphragm was incidentally found ventral to caudal vena cava, which had the same echogenicity and density as that of the liver during ultrasonography and computed tomography, showing isoattenuation with a contrast study. Vascular distribution was identified throughout the mass. A caval foramen hernia (CFH) was diagnosed tentatively, followed by a herniorrhaphy and splenectomy of the chronically congested spleen. The patient had been doing well for 5-month postoperative but died because of aspiration pneumonia. CFH is an extremely rare condition, requiring surgery due to compression of the vena cava. It should be considered as a differential diagnosis when intrathoracic, mass-like lesions are identified near the diaphragm.

Atypical carcinoid tumor of the lung: A rare entity.

Carcinoids account for approximately 2% of all lung tumors, and the atypical carcinoids (ACs) are much rarer than typical carcinoid. Here, we report a rare case of AC tumor of the lung. A 50-year-old female patient presented with left-sided chest pain for 1 year, cough for 6 months, and loss of appetite for 6 months. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography scan of the thorax revealed an ill-defined heterogeneously enhancing soft-tissue attenuation lesion in the mediastinum following which transthoracic biopsy was done. Histomorphology and immunohistochemistry were consistent with AC, a neuroendocrine tumor. Combination chemotherapy consisting of cisplatin and etoposide was administered as initial chemotherapy.

A rare intrathoracic mass: Accessory liver lobe.

A heterotopic, supradiaphragmatic liver tissue is an extremely rare entitiy. It is usually asymptomatic and is often detected incidentally. Herein, we report a female case who had coughinduced occasional back and chest pain and in whom an intrathoracic paravertebral mass was radiographically detected.

Curious case of primary pulmonary mucoepidermoid carcinoma.

Pulmonary mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) is an uncommon tumor constituting only 0.1% to 0.2% of all lung carcinoma. It is classified under "salivary gland type" tumors in the World Health Organization (WHO) classification of lung cancers. It generally carries a better prognosis than the more common small cell and nonsmall cell lung carcinomas. It is pathologically classified into high-grade and low-grade tumors. High-grade tumors are usually unresectable at presentation. However, surgery is the mainstay of treatment, which aims at surgically negative margins for a complete cure. In our patient, pulmonary MEC presented with intrathoracic mass with pericardial effusion. It came out to be low-grade neoplasm, which was treated with platinum-based doublet chemotherapy and responded well with near-total disappearance of tumor, like a vanishing lung tumor.

A Case Report of an Intrathoracic Mass Lesion Caused by Arcanobacterium haemolyticum that Required Exclusion of a Malignant Tumor Diagnosis.

A 57-year-old man with untreated diabetes mellitus was admitted to our hospital due to an intrathoracic mass lesion infiltrating the vertebral body and mediastinum. The mass was suspected to be invasive lung cancer; however, percutaneous needle biopsy revealed that the mass was inflammatory granulation tissue caused by an Arcanobacterium haemolyticum infection. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of an intrathoracic mass lesion caused by an A. haemolyticum infection. When an intrathoracic mass lesion is suspected, clinicians should consider possible infections that cause granulation tissue, such as A. haemolyticum. This is particularly important in immunocompromized hosts such as patients with diabetes.

An intra-thoracic follicular carcinoma of thyroid: An uncommon presentation.

Follicular carcinoma of thyroid is the second most common type of carcinoma of thyroid, and it may metastasize to bone, lung, brain, and skin. However, the initial presentation of follicular carcinoma of the thyroid as a large intrathoracic mass without any symptoms of thyroid gland enlargement and dysfunction is very rare. We hereby report a case of a 50-year-old male who presented with chief complaints of chest and low back pain. Preliminary evaluation led to the provisional diagnosis of left-sided intrathoracic mass with vertebral metastasis which was suspected to be a case of bronchogenic carcinoma with distant metastasis. Surprisingly, transthoracic biopsy and histopathology revealed metastasis from follicular carcinoma of thyroid. This prompted us for a retrograde evaluation for a primary thyroid malignancy for which an ultrasound and contrast enhanced computed tomography (CECT) of the neck was done which confirmed the presence of a solitary thyroid nodule. Ultrasonography-guided fine-needle aspiration cytology of the nodule revealed follicular carcinoma of thyroid. Histopathological evaluation subsequent to total thyroidectomy revealed follicular carcinoma thyroid, further confirming the diagnosis. The patient was then referred to Department of Nuclear Medicine and Radiotherapy for radionuclide ablation and chemotherapy. We chose to report this case because of its rare presentation as a large intrathoracic mass and the retrograde diagnosis of follicular carcinoma of thyroid. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of such a rare case.

Pericardial cyst: An unusual cause of chest pain.

Pericardial cysts are uncommon paracardiac lesions, usually located within the right cardiophrenic space. They usually do not cause symptoms and are detected by chance. Chest X-ray, echocardiography, and chest computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging are useful diagnostic tools. We report a case of a man with symptomatic pericardial cysts of unusual location, review the literature, and discuss the diagnostic approach and treatment options. .

The diagnostic efficacy and safety of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration as an initial diagnostic tool.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Real-time, convex probe endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is used for the staging of malignant mediastinal lymph nodes. We evaluated the diagnostic efficacy and safety of EBUS-TBNA when used as an initial diagnostic tool. METHODS: We retrospectively studied 56 patients who underwent EBUS-TBNA as an initial diagnostic tool between August 2010 and December 2011. Procedure purpose were classified into four categories: 1) intrathoracic masses adjacent to the central airway; 2) enlarged lymph nodes for concurrent diagnosis and staging in suspected malignancy; 3) enlarged lymph nodes in suspected malignancy cases with inability to perform percutaneous core needle biopsy (PCNB); and 4) solely mediastinal masses/lymph nodes in lieu of mediastinoscopy. RESULTS: The diagnostic accuracy of EBUS-TBNA regardless of procedure purpose was calculated to be 83.9%. Furthermore, the diagnostic accuracy of malignant disease was significantly higher than benign disease (93.9% vs. 70.6%, p < 0.001). The diagnostic accuracy of EBUS-TBNA for each disease is as follows: tuberculosis, 50%; sarcoidosis, 60%; aspergillosis, 100%; lung abscess, 100%; lung cancer, 93%; and lymphoma, 100%. There were minor complications in seven patients during the EBUS-TBNA procedure. The complications included mild hypoxia and bleeding. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, EBUS-TBNA is a useful initial diagnostic tool for both benign and malignant diseases. EBUS-TBAN is also a very safe procedure and less invasive compared to mediastinoscopy or PCNB.