Application of pedicled greater omentum flap tamponade combined with laparoscopic fenestration in diaphragmatic hepatic cyst.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy and clinical application advantage of omental tamponade with vascular pedicle combined with Laparoscopic fenestration for the treatment of diaphragmatic hepatic cyst. METHODS: A total of 56 patients with diaphragmatic hepatic cysts underwent laparoscopic surgery in a single tertiary academic medical center from January 2010 to October 2020, including 21 patients (non-omental group) underwent laparoscopic fenestration of liver cysts, and 36 patients underwent laparoscopic liver cyst fenestration combined with vascular pedicle omentum tamponade (omental group). The general conditions and follow-up results of the two groups were compared and annalyzed. RESULTS: The operation time of the omental group was longer than that of the non-omental group (P = 1.358E-4). There was no significant difference in postoperative complications, postoperative laboratory values and hospital costs (P>0.05). The length of hospital stay in omental group was shorter than that in non-omental group (P = 0.034). In the omental group, recurrence occurred in 1 of 35 patients (4.65%) who were followeded up 12 months after surgery. In the non-omental group, of the 21 patients followed, 3 patients (14.28%) recurred 6 months after surgery, and 8 patients (38.10%) recurred 12 months after surgery. CONCLUSION: It is an effective method to prevent the recurrence of diaphragmatic hepatic cyst after laparoscopic fenestration by packing the cyst with vascularized omentum.

Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery is a safe and effective method to treat intrathoracic unicentric Castleman's disease.

BACKGROUND: Castleman's disease (CD) is a rare non-clonal lymphadenopathy. Application of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATs) in intrathoracic unicentric Castleman's disease (UCD) is rarely reported. This study is aimed to clarify the role of VATs for diagnosis and treatment in intrathoracic UCD. METHODS: The authors reviewed and identified patients who had received a histologic diagnosis of CD through VATs at our hospital from January2010 to June 2018. Clinical and radiologic variables, histopathology, type of approach, complications, and long-term effect were analyzed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of VATs. RESULTS: A total of 10 patients were included in this study, with 8 hyaline vascular type and 2 plasma cell type. The mean maximum diameter of the lesions was 4.66 cm. Nine cases underwent complete surgical excision by VATs, and 1 case was converted to thoracotomy. All patients had no postoperative complications. With a median follow-up of 5 years (range: 1-9 years), no tumor recurrence was found in 9 patients receiving complete tumor resection, and 1 patient with incomplete tumor resection remained symptom free without clinical or radiographic progression. CONCLUSIONS: VATs is an alternative, minimally invasive technique for the diagnosis and treatment in patients with intrathoracic UCD.

Understanding Respiratory Restrictions as a Function of the Scoliotic Spinal Curve in Thoracic Insufficiency Syndrome: A 4D Dynamic MR Imaging Study.

BACKGROUND: Over the past 100 years, many procedures have been developed for correcting restrictive thoracic deformities which cause thoracic insufficiency syndrome. However, none of them have been assessed by a robust metric incorporating thoracic dynamics. In this paper, we investigate the relationship between radiographic spinal curve and lung volumes derived from thoracic dynamic magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI). Our central hypothesis is that different anteroposterior major spinal curve types induce different restrictions on the left and right lungs and their dynamics. METHODS: Retrospectively, we included 25 consecutive patients with thoracic insufficiency syndrome (14 neuromuscular, 7 congenital, 4 other) who underwent vertical expandable prosthetic titanium rib surgery and received preimplantation and postimplantation thoracic dMRI for clinical care. We measured thoracic and lumbar major curves by the Cobb measurement method from anteroposterior radiographs and classified the curves as per Scoliosis Research Society (SRS)-defined curve types. From 4D dMRI images, we derived static volumes and tidal volumes of left and right lung, along with left and right chest wall and left and right diaphragm tidal volumes (excursions), and analyzed their association with curve type and major curve angles. RESULTS: Thoracic and lumbar major curve angles ranged from 0 to 136 and 0 to 116 degrees, respectively. A dramatic postoperative increase in chest wall and diaphragmatic excursion was seen qualitatively. All components of volume increased postoperatively by up to 533%, with a mean of 70%. As the major curve, main thoracic curve (MTC) was associated with higher tidal volumes (effect size range: 0.7 to 1.0) than thoracolumbar curve (TLC) in preoperative and postoperative situation. Neither MTC nor TLC showed any meaningful correlation between volumes and major curve angles preoperatively or postoperatively. Moderate correlations (0.65) were observed for specific conditions like volumes at end-inspiration or end-expiration. CONCLUSIONS: The relationships between component tidal volumes and the spinal curve type are complex and are beyond intuitive reasoning and guessing. TLC has a much greater influence on restricting chest wall and diaphragm tidal volumes than MTC. Major curve angles are not indicative of passive resting volumes or tidal volumes. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level II-diagnostic.

Paravertebral Block Versus Intercostal Nerve Block in Non-Intubated Uniportal Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery: A Randomised Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Non-intubated uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) has been reported to be safe and feasible for patients with various thoracic diseases, including those who have respiratory dysfunction. This study examined the anaesthetic and analgesic sparing effects of either paravertebral block or intercostal nerve block on the non-intubated technique with spontaneous ventilation in patients under general anaesthesia (GA) using a supraglottic airway device. The primary aim was to compare the anaesthetic sparing effect of paravertebral block versus intercostal nerve block in non-intubated GA with airway support via a supraglottic airway device during VATS surgery. The secondary aim was to compare the recovery characters and postoperative outcomes of the patients. METHODS: The study included 105 patients with American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status II-III who had video-assisted thoracoscopy without endotracheal intubation and using a laryngeal airway. The patients were divided into three groups; each group consisted of 35 patients. Group I (35 patients): control group received only GA. Group 2 (35 patients): received a single-shot paravertebral block before induction of the GA. Group 3 (35 patients): received thoracoscopic intercostal block infiltration after induction of anaesthesia from the third to the eighth intercostal nerve block, in addition to intrathoracic vagal block. Heart rate, mean arterial pressure (MAP), and oxygen saturation were recorded before induction of GA (T0), after induction of GA (T1), 20 minutes later (T2), and before the end of the surgical procedure (T3). RESULTS: Heart rate was significantly lower in Groups 2 and 3 compared with Group 1, and lower in Group 2 compared with Group 3. The MAP was significantly lower in Groups 2 and 3 compared with Group 1, and there was no significant difference between Groups 2 and 3. Oxygen saturation was significantly higher in Group 2 and in Group 3 compared with Group 1 and there was no significance difference between Groups 2 and 3. Expiratory fraction of sevoflurane (Ef sevo) was significantly lower in Groups 2 and 3 compared with Group 1, with no difference between Group 2 and 3. Groups 2 and 3 had lower fentanyl requirements, time to spontaneous eye movement, time to spontaneous arm movement, time to purposeful movement, and time to laryngeal mask removal than Group 1. CONCLUSIONS: Regional anaesthesia by either preoperative paravertebral block or thoracoscopic intercostal nerve block with ipsilateral vagal block provided an anaesthetic sparing effect, guided by lower Ef sevo concentration, with comparable bi-spectral index in patients undergoing uniportal thoracoscopic surgery.

Thoracic splenosis: Case report of a symptomatic case.

Thoracic splenosis is the autotransplantation of splenic tissue in the left thoracic cavity as a result of a splenic injury. This rare pathology is usually asymptomatic and may be discovered on incidental imaging, but the diagnosis often requires invasive procedures such as surgery in order to eliminate a neoplasic origin. We report a rare symptomatic case of a 39-year-old man presenting with chest pain and multiple nodules revealed on a computed tomography scan. The patient underwent a surgical exploration and the pathological studies concluded to a thoracic splenosis. Indeed, the previous medical history of the patient revealed a left thoraco-abdominal traumatism during childhood. The aim of this paper is to emphasize that the diagnosis can now be performed using only imaging techniques such as technetium-99 sulfur colloid or labelled heat-denatured red blood cell scintigraphy to avoid unnecessary invasive procedures including thoracotomy.

Complete resections of giant thorax masses and experienced difficulties.

INTRODUCTION: Thoracic giant masses do not have a clear definition. In some publications, giant thoracic mass definition is used in tumors whose long axis is> 10 cm and in other publications covering more than 50% of the hemithorax. In this study, demographic data of patients with a massive resectable giant thoracic mass and the difficulties and experiences experienced in the peroperative process were reviewed with a general perspective. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 14 giant intrathoracic masses operated at the department of Thoracic Surgery, School of Medicine, Ankara University were included in the study. The masses occupying more than half of the hemithorax and mediastinal lesions with a long axis of 15 cm or larger radiologically were included and evaluated. RESULT: 9 (64.3%) of our patients were male and 9 (35.7%) were female. The average age was 49.2 ± 17.1(between18-68). The tumor localizations of our patients were determined as 9 (64.2%) hemithorax and 5 (35.8%) mediastinal. When the radiological and intraoperative dimensions were examined separately, it was observed that the mean of long axis of CT image is average 18 ± 3.8 cm (between 12 cm and 26 cm), and the mean of long axis of specimen is average 18.14 ± 3.6 cm (between 15 cm and 23 cm). The heaviest mass was average 844 ± 473 g (350 g-2204 g). CONCLUSIONS: The surgical maneuvers and hence the excision of giant masses become difficult to operate due to the narrow localization of the masses and the frequent invasions of adjacent vascular structures and nerve tissues. However, complete resection of these slowly growing and generally encapsulated masses can provide the cure.

Mesenchymal hamartoma of the chest wall in a 10-year-old girl mimicking malignancy: a case report.

We herein report a rare case of mesenchymal hamartoma of the chest wall in a 10-year-old girl. She complained of chest pain and was diagnosed with a large chest wall tumor originating from the left fourth rib. Malignancy such as osteosarcoma or chondrosarcoma could not be ruled out with imaging studies. Therefore, we performed a core needle biopsy assisted by thoracoscopy, which revealed no malignancy. Therefore, extended resection with chest wall reconstruction was unnecessary, and thoracoscopy-assisted tumor excision with only the removal of the involved fourth rib was performed without chest wall reconstruction. The postoperative course was satisfactory with no thoracic deformity and no recurrence.

Site-specific Surgical Site Infection Rates for Rib-based Distraction.

BACKGROUND: Implantable rib-based distraction devices have revolutionized the treatment of children with early onset scoliosis and thoracic insufficiency syndrome. Unfortunately, the need for multiple skin incisions and repeated surgeries in a fragile patient population creates considerable infection risk. In order to assess rates of infection for different incision locations and potential risk factors, we generated a prospectively collected database of patients treated with rib-based distraction devices. METHODS: We analyzed a cohort of patients with thoracic insufficiency syndrome from various etiologies that our institution treated with rib-based distraction devices from 2013 to 2016. Surgery type (implantation, expansion, revision/removal), and surgeon adjudicated surgical site infection (SSI) were collected. For this study, we developed a novel, rib-based distraction device surgical site labeling system in which incisions could be labeled as either proximal or distal surgical exposure areas. Treating surgeons documented the operative site, procedure, and SSI site in real-time. RESULTS: A total of 166 unique patients underwent 670 procedures during the study period, producing 1537 evaluable surgical sites; 1299 proximal and 238 distal. Patients were 6.81±4.0 years of age on average. Forty-seven procedures documented SSIs (7.0%), while 40 (24.1%) patients experienced an infection. Analysis showed significant variation in the rate of infection between implantation, and expansion, and revision procedures, with implantation procedures having the highest infection rate at 13.1% (P<0.01). Infections occurred more frequently at distal sites than proximal ones (P=0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Our novel, surgeon-entered, prospective quality improvement database has identified distal surgical sites as being at higher risk for SSI than proximal ones. Further, rib-based distraction device implantation procedures were identified as being at a greater risk for SSI than expansion or revision procedures. We believe this data can lead to improved prevention measures, anticipatory guidance, and patient care. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level II-prognostic study.

Perioperative implications of thoracic decortications: a retrospective cohort study.

PURPOSE: An increasing number of thoracic decortications have been performed in Manitoba, from five in 2007 to 45 in 2014. The primary objective of this study was to define the epidemiology of decortications in Manitoba. The secondary objective was to compare patients who underwent decortication due to primary infectious vs non-infectious etiology with respect to their perioperative outcomes. METHODS: Data for this cohort study were extracted from consecutive charts of all adult patients who underwent a decortication in Manitoba from 2007-2014 inclusive. RESULTS: One hundred ninety-two patients underwent a decortication. The most frequent disease processes resulting in a decortication were pneumonia (60%), trauma (13%), malignancy (8%), and procedural complications (5%). The number of decortications due to complications of pneumonia rose at the greatest rate, from three cases in 2007 to 29 cases in 2014. Performing a decortication for an infectious vs a non-infectious etiology was associated with a higher rate of the composite postoperative outcome of myocardial infarction, acute kidney injury, need of vasopressors for > 12 hr, and mechanical ventilation for > 48 hr (44.4% vs 24.2%, respectively; relative risk, 1.83; 95% confidence interval, 1.1 to 2.9; P = 0.01). CONCLUSION: There has been a ninefold increase in decortications over an eight-year period. Potential causes include an increase in the incidence of pneumonia, increased organism virulence, host changes, and changes in practice patterns. Patients undergoing decortication for infectious causes had an increased risk for adverse perioperative outcomes. Anesthesiologists need to be aware of the high perioperative morbidity of these patients and the potential need for postoperative admission to an intensive care unit.

The Role of Plastic Surgery at an Academic Medical Center in the United States.

BACKGROUND: Plastic surgery may have traditionally been labelled as a "less essential" service at many academic medical centers in the United States. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the role of the plastic surgery team as a valuable service at an academic medical center. METHODS: We performed a 10-year retrospective case review of a single plastic surgeon's case log at 2 academic medical institutions, each with an active plastic surgery training program. Plastic surgical procedures performed in combination with other services and surgical management of complications from nonplastic surgical procedures was evaluated. Plastic surgical procedures performed for all types of reconstruction as a primary service, including breast reconstruction were excluded. The role of the plastic surgery service was evaluated to identify the types of assistance provided, which primary services were involved and what the most common procedures performed were for each service. RESULTS: The type of assistance provided by the plastic surgery service was divided into 2 common categories. The first type involved a concurrent or combined surgical case where the procedure required plastic surgery's participation. The second group included management of complications that occurred on another service, which then required assistance by the plastic surgery team. A total of thirteen primary services were identified as benefitting from involvement with plastic surgery. The most commonly performed reconstructive procedures provided for each service were identified. CONCLUSIONS: The plastic surgery team provides invaluable support to other services in a tertiary teaching hospital. Its input allows for more complex surgical procedures to be performed safely and for complications of surgery to be managed successfully. Clearly, plastic surgery plays a critical role at academic medical centers in the United States.

Impact of Nonvascular Thoracic MR Imaging on the Clinical Decision Making of Thoracic Surgeons: A 2-year Prospective Study.

Purpose To determine the impact of nonvascular thoracic magnetic resonance (MR) imaging on the clinical decision making and diagnostic certainty of thoracic surgeons. Materials and Methods Seven thoracic surgeons at Massachusetts General Hospital, an academic quaternary referral hospital, participated in this 2-year, prospective, institution review board-approved, HIPAA-compliant pre- and post-MR imaging survey study after completing a one-time demographic survey. Between July 16, 2013, and July 13, 2015, each time a thoracic surgeon ordered a nonvascular thoracic MR imaging study via radiology order entry, he or she was sent a link to the pre-test survey that ascertained the clinical rationale for MR imaging, the clinical management plan if MR imaging was not an option, and pre-test diagnostic certainty. Upon completion of the MR imaging report, the surgeon was sent a link to the post-test survey assessing if/how MR imaging changed clinical management, the surgeon's comfort with the clinical management plan, and post-test diagnostic certainty. Data were analyzed with Student t, Wilcoxon, and McNemar tests. Results A total of 99 pre- and post-test surveys were completed. Most MR imaging studies (64 of 99 [65%]) were requested because of indeterminate computed tomographic findings. The use of MR imaging significantly reduced the number of planned surgical interventions (P < .001), modified the surgical approach in 54% (14 of 26) of surgical cases, and increased surgeon comfort with the patient management plan in 95% (94 of 99) of cases. Increased diagnostic certainty as a result of MR imaging was highly significant (P < .0001). In 21% (21 of 99) of cases, definitive MR imaging results warranted no further follow-up or clinical care. Conclusion In appropriate cases, assessment with nonvascular thoracic MR imaging substantially affects the clinical decision making and diagnostic certainty of thoracic surgeons. (©) RSNA, 2016 Online supplemental material is available for this article. An earlier incorrect version of this article appeared online. This article was corrected on May 2, 2016.

[Hourglass Transmural Lipoma;Report of a Case].

This case report describes a 73-year-old male with an hourglass-type transmural lipoma who was referred because of an abnormal chest shadow. Computed tomography showed a well-defined fatty mass within the intra-and extra-thorax at the right 3rd intercostal portion. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a high-intensity mass that had the same signal level as fat tissue. Therefore, the tumor was diagnosed as an hourglass transmural lipoma. Tumor resection was performed with video-assisted thoracic surgery, and 3rd intercostal muscle tissue approximately 1cm from the tumor border was also resected. The tumor was 6.5×4.5×3.0 cm in size, and histologically diagnosed as an intramuscular lipoma-infiltrating type, without malignancy. Since infiltrating types of intramuscular lipoma often cause recurrence without malignant appearance, tumor specimens require careful examination. Thoracoscopic surgery was useful to determine the excision line from the intra-thorax, for complete resection of the hourglass tumor.

[Re-operations in thoracic surgery]. / Povtornye operatsii v khirurgii grudi.

AIM: To optimize the outcomes of reoperations for postoperative complications in patients with thoracic diseases and injuries. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study enrolled 1258 patients with different thoracic diseases and injuries. Postoperatively 58 (4.6%) patients underwent re-thoracotomy and 15 (1.1%) patients - video-assisted interventions for any complications. Indications for re-operations were intrapleural bleeding, bronchial stump failure, esophagogastrostomy insufficiency, prolonged air leak through the drains due to unsealed lung parenchyma, clotted hemothorax. Postoperative complications were observed in 16 patients after re-thoracotomy (including 14 deaths), while only 1 patient died after VATS surgery. CONCLUSION: Early diagnosis and rational surgical approach are key for successful surgical treatment of early postoperative complications in thoracic surgery.

Non-vascular experimental and clinical applications of advanced bipolar radiofrequency thermofusion technology in the thorax and abdomen: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Advanced bipolar radiofrequency (RF) energy-based devices are increasingly used for non-vascular tissue sealing, transection and anastomosis. Although the potential to further develop this technology is clear, the limitations of commercially available devices are poorly understood. This systematic review examines the current utilisation of advanced bipolar RF fusion technology for non-vascular applications in thoracic and abdominal tissues and organs. METHODS: Medline, Embase, Web of Science and Cochrane library databases were searched. Studies examining the non-vascular application of advanced bipolar RF technology in the abdomen and thorax were assessed. Measurement of seal sufficiency and the extent of tissue injury induced by bipolar RF energy application were the main outcomes of interest. RESULTS: Forty-six animal and human studies conducted in and ex vivo across a range of tissue types, met the inclusion criteria. The diversity of study protocols together with the heterogeneity of their outcomes prevented pooled analysis. However, the experimental animal studies assessed suggest that bipolar RF fusion devices are capable of effectively sealing most tissue types with the notable exception of large caliber bronchi (>4 mm) and bile ducts, where the rate of seal failure was unacceptably high. Human studies were additionally found to predominantly use bipolar RF technology as a means of parenchymal and ductal occlusion. A similar trend was seen amongst animal studies with only a handful of papers examining bipolar RF energy use for (bowel) anastomosis. CONCLUSION: Bipolar RF fusion devices are capable of safely sealing a variety of thoracic and anterior abdominal tissues with an injury and leakage profile comparable to established technologies. Although thermal monitoring is increasingly sophisticated and multimodal, consistent real time tracking of a multitude of parameters is necessary in order to expand RF fusion technology utilisation to complete an array of tasks such as vessel ligation, ductal obliteration and anastomosis in the open and laparoscopic environments.

Surgical management of major intrathoracic hemorrhage resulting from high-risk transvenous pacemaker/defibrillator lead extraction.

A method, based on well-established trauma principles, is described for surgical management of serious intrathoracic bleeding complications that can occur during the extraction of pacemaker or defibrillator leads. Using this method, four patients who experienced rapid hemodynamic deterioration due to traumatic injury of the superior vena cava and its tributaries during defibrillator lead extraction underwent successful surgical repair. Perioperative preparation for high-risk lead extractions, management of major bleeding complications, and surgical repair techniques are discussed. Major bleeding complications can be managed effectively with this strategy leading to excellent overall success rates for extractions without mortality.

Vitamin D Deficiency in Children Undergoing Vertical Expandable Prosthetic Titanium Rib Treatment.

BACKGROUND: Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent in the pediatric population and multiple risk factors have been identified. Low vitamin D levels can result in poor bone mineralization and have been associated with a significantly higher risk of forearm fracture in children. Vitamin D deficiency has also been associated with pediatric critical illness. The purpose of this study was to determine whether children undergoing vertical expandable prosthetic titanium rib (VEPTR) treatment have low vitamin D levels. METHODS: Patients undergoing VEPTR treatment at a single institution were prospectively enrolled (VEPTR). All patients either had a diagnosis of thoracic insufficiency syndrome (TIS), or were at risk of developing TIS secondary to progressive scoliosis or chest wall deformity. Exclusion criteria were patients with rickets and patients receiving vitamin D supplementation at the time of VEPTR insertion. A group of healthy children who presented with fractures during the winter season were used as controls (FX). Vitamin D status and risk factors for vitamin D deficiency were evaluated. Vitamin D deficiency was defined as serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OH-D) <20 ng/mL and vitamin D insufficiency as serum 25-OH-D between 20 and 29 ng/mL. RESULTS: Twenty-eight VEPTR and 25 FX patients were compared. The average age was 8.6 years in the VEPTR group and 9.1 years in the FX group. Twenty VEPTR patients (71%) and 19 FX patients (76%) demonstrated low vitamin D levels. The average 25-OH-D level was 27.3 ng/mL in the VEPTR group and 25.4 ng/mL in the FX group. Patient characteristics and vitamin D levels were similar between the groups. No association was found between vitamin D status and sex, race, obesity, or multivitamin use. CONCLUSIONS: Low vitamin D levels are common in children undergoing VEPTR treatment. In our series, the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in this patient population was similar to reported rates in the general pediatric population. Vitamin D status should be routinely monitored in children undergoing VEPTR treatment and supplementation should be initiated if necessary.

[Actual respiratory technologies in thoracic surgery: traditional problems and innovative solutions].

The problem of efficient gas exchange maintenance is always actual in anesthetic management of thoracic surgery and determines the selection of appropriate method of anesthesia. The article presents an experience of anesthesia during operations on lungs, trachea, bronchi and mediastinal structures performed from 1963 to 2015. Current concept of safety and efficacy of anesthetic management in thoracic surgery is presented. The role of actual current respiratory technologies and methods of anesthesia per se to maximize the efficiency of gas exchange in all stages of thoracicsurgery is emphasized. Absolute coherence of anesthesiologist and surgeon based on correct interaction is the most important condition of successful surgery. Effectiveness of special respiratory technologies for thoracic surgery associated with one-lung ventilation and prolonged wide dissection of airways is described. The research results and pathophysiological rationale for the use of special respiratory technologies including different variants of differentiated independent lung ventilation especially important for patients with concomitant cardiorespiratory pathology are presented. We reported experience of effective gas exchange maintenance in reconstructive surgery of trachea and main bronchi including traditional mechanical ventilation with "shunt-breath" system, use of jet high-frequency ventilation and relatively new respiratory technology such as flow apnoeic oxygenation.

Thoracic endometriosis-related pneumothorax distinguished from primary spontaneous pneumothorax in females.

PURPOSE: Thoracic endometriosis-related pneumothorax (TERP) is a secondary condition specific for females, but in a clinical setting, TERP often is difficult to distinguish from primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) based on a relationship between the dates of pneumothorax and menstruation. The purpose of this study was to clarify the clinical features of TERP compared with PSP. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical and histopathological files of female patients with pneumothorax who underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery in the Pneumothorax Research Center during the 6-year period from January 2005 to December 2010. We analyzed the clinical differences between TERP and PSP. RESULTS: The study included a total of 393 female patients with spontaneous pneumothorax, of whom 92 (23.4 %) were diagnosed as having TERP and 33.6 % (132/393) as having PSP. We identified four factors (right-sided pneumothorax, history of pelvic endometriosis, age ≥31 years, and no smoking history) that were statistically significant for predicting TERP and assigned 6, 5, 4, and 3 points, respectively, to establish a scoring system with a calculated score from 0 to 18. The cutoff values of a calculated score ≥12 yielded the highest positive predictive value (86 %; 95 % confidence interval (CI) 81.5-90.5 %) for TERP and negative predictive value (95.2 %; 95 % CI 92.3-98 %) for PSP. CONCLUSIONS: TERP has several distinct clinical features from PSP. Our scoring system consists of only four clinical variables that are easily obtainable and enables us to suspect TERP in female patients with pneumothorax.

Intrathoracic fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva.

Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva is an extremely rare disease that is usually seen in the form of sporadic cases and seems to be localized outside of the thoracic cavity. Inflammation and trauma are accused in the etiology, and too many diagnostic mistakes are done. The disease, which may present genetic transmission and has not a definitive treatment, was seen as an intrathoracic mass for the first time. Intrathoracic mass was excised, and the cure was achieved in our patient, who was defined to be sporadic as a result of familial screening.