What factors determine the survival of patients with an acute exacerbation of interstitial lung disease after lung cancer resection?

PURPOSES: Acute exacerbation of interstitial pneumonia (AEIP) is a leading cause of death after lung cancer resection in patients with interstitial lung disease. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 1763 patients with non-small cell lung cancer with a clinical diagnosis of interstitial lung disease (ILD) who underwent lung cancer resection between 2000 and 2009 at 61 hospitals in Japan. AEIP occurred in 164 of 1763 (9.3%) patients with a mortality rate of 43.9% (72/164). Univariate and multivariate analyses were carried out to identify possible risk factors of fatal AEIP. We then analyzed the 164 patients who developed postoperative AEIP and identified the preoperative and postoperative risk factors. RESULTS: A multivariate regression analysis identified that the sex, percent vital capacity, neoadjuvant radiation, preoperative history of AEIP, preoperative use of steroids, usual interstitial pneumonia pattern on CT, and surgical procedures were independent preoperative risk factors for death due to AEIP. ILD patients with emphysema somehow showed a lower risk of fatal AEIP than those without emphysema in this study. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed eight risk factors for fatal AEIP.

Smoking-induced radiation laryngeal necrosis after definitive radiotherapy alone for T1a glottic squamous cell carcinoma: A case report.

BACKGROUND: We report the case of a patient with smoking-induced radiation laryngeal necrosis (RLN) after undergoing definitive radiotherapy (RT) alone for T1a glottic squamous cell carcinoma. CASE: The patient was a 63-year-old man who had a history of heavy smoking. He quit smoking when he was diagnosed with glottic squamous cell carcinoma. The RT dose was 63 Gy, delivered in 28 fractions with the three-dimensional conventional RT technique for the larynx. After RT completion, the initial treatment response was complete response. He then underwent follow-up examinations. At 13 months after RT, the patient resumed smoking. At 2 months after resuming smoking, he had severe sore throat and hoarseness. Laryngoscopy revealed a large tumor in the glottis. Surgical excision was performed, and the patient was histologically diagnosed with RLN, as late toxicity without cancer recurrence. At 3 weeks postoperatively, the patient had dyspnea, and laryngoscopy revealed total laryngeal paralysis. Thus, he underwent an emergent tracheostomy. The administration of steroids affected RLN, and laryngeal paralysis gradually improved. CONCLUSIONS: This case suggests that smoking may have the potential to induce RLN after RT. Moreover, continuing smoking cessation is significantly important for patients with glottic cancer who receive RT. Rather than leaving smoking cessation up to the patient, it would be necessary for clinicians to actively intervene to help patients continue their effort to quit smoking.

Surgery of a nocardia lung abscess presenting as a tension pyopneumothorax.

While some cases of nocardial pneumonia develop secondary empyema, tension pyopneumothorax is a very rare and lethal complication. A 74-year-old man who exhibited thrombocytopenia during steroid therapy for autoimmune hepatitis, presented to our department with a nocardial tension pyopneumothorax. He underwent a left lower lobectomy after chest drainage, and was discharged without any complication other than reoperation to remove a postoperative hematoma.

Efficacy of Ramelteon for delirium after lung cancer surgery.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to evaluate the feasibility of Ramelteon for the prevention of delirium after lung cancer surgery in elderly patients. METHODS: Medical records of patients over 70 years old, who underwent anatomical pulmonary resection for lung cancer at our institution from January 2013 to December 2015, were reviewed. Patients treated in 2013 and 2014 were used as a control group. Ramelteon was administered daily for 7 days after surgery. The incidence of delirium was determined based on the Intensive Care Delirium Screening Checklist (ICDSC). Scores of ≥4 and 1-3 points were used for the diagnoses of delirium and a pre-delirious state, respectively. RESULTS: There were 24 patients in the Ramelteon group and 58 patients in the control group. ICDSC scores of ≥4 points were found for no patients in the Ramelteon group and 5 (9%) in the control group, whereas 21 (88%) and 49 (85%) patients, in the respective groups, had ICDSC scores of 0 points. The average incidence of events, associated with delirium, showed a trend of being lower in the Ramelteon group (0.25 ± 0.74 vs 1.58 ± 4.93, P = 0.061), and all events in the Ramelteon group occurred on the day of surgery. Thus, only one day was required for complete recovery from delirium in the Ramelteon group, whereas 8 days were needed in the control group. The peak delirious state occurred after 5 days in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Ramelteon is likely to reduce the incidence and intensity of delirium after surgery for lung cancer in elderly patients.

Aortico-pulmonary paraganglioma: case report and Japanese review.

Aortico-pulmonary paraganglioma (APPG) is a rare middle mediastinal tumor. We experienced a case of APPG in a 52-year-old man. Chest computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed a multi-cystic mass in the subaortic area. A left thoracotomy was performed without definitive preoperative diagnosis. The tumor was strongly adherent to the pericardium and the surrounding large vessels, but a complete resection was undertaken. Histological and immunohistochemical examination revealed that it was a malignant paraganglioma with a microscopically positive surgical margin. After radiotherapy of 50 Gy for the mediastinum, the patient almost recovered from his hoarseness by thyroplasty. We also reviewed nine Japanese cases of APPG reported previously. Though APPG is rare, we must consider that a middle mediastinal tumor may be APPG, and preoperative examination and preoperative planning are necessary to prevent massive bleeding and microscopic residual tumor.

[Clinical analysis of 10 cases of chest wall tuberculosis].

AIM/METHODS: A series of 10 cases of chest wall tuberculosis (man/woman=7/3, average age 62 +/- 17 years old) during past seven years were reviewed. RESULTS: Acid-fast bacillus was detected from an abscess in 60% by smear, 30% by culture, and 75% by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). It was characteristic that enhanced CT of abscess revealed a low density mass with peripheral enhancement, 'rim enhancement findings', in all cases. CT also showed ipsilateral pleural thickening in all cases, suggesting lymphogenous pathogenesis of chest wall lesions from tuberculous pleurisy. As for the treatment, antituberculosis chemotherapies were done in all cases. In addition, open drainage was done in 8 cases and curettage of abscess was performed in 5 cases. None of these ten cases had relapsed during the follow-up periods for 12 to 77 months. CONCLUSIONS: Chest wall tuberculosis is still important as a disorder of a chest wall mass requiring differential diagnosis. Contrasting CT is thought to be useful for the diagnosis. It should be emphasized that 50% of the cases had good outcome without curettage.

Simultaneous determination of carisoprodol and acetaminophen in an attempted suicide by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry with positive electrospray ionization.

An adult female ingested a considerable quantity of carisoprodol/acetaminophen tablets, which are not commercially available in Japan, in an attempt to commit suicide. Generally, because of lack of the appreciable ultraviolet absorbance or fluorescence, carisoprodol and its major metabolite meprobamate are determined by gas chromatography or gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Complicated derivatization is, however, necessary to that methodology. Thus, we investigated the derivatization-free, highly sensitive, and simultaneous determination of carisoprodol, meprobamate, and acetaminophen by means of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) with positive electrospray ionization. A semi-micro ODS column was used. Ammonium acetate solution (10mM) and acetonitrile were used as mobile phase at a flow rate of 150 microL/min using gradient elution. MS parameters were as follows: capillary voltage, 3.5 kV; cone voltage, +30 V; extractor voltage, 5 kV; and ion source temperature, 100 degrees C. Urine samples pretreated by Oasis HLB cartridge, or plasma samples deproteinized by adding ice-cold acetonitrile were analyzed by LC-MS. The limits of quantitation for each compound were as follows: 0.50 ng/mL for carisoprodol; 10 ng/mL for acetaminophen; and 1.0 ng/mL for meprobamate. In the present case, carisoprodol and acetaminophen were the only drugs detected. Meprobamate was also found as the metabolite of carisoprodol in both urine and plasma. The plasma levels of carisoprodol, acetaminophen, and meprobamate on arrival were 29.5, 245, and 46.7 microg/mL, respectively. These levels were extremely high compared with therapeutic plasma concentrations. Despite the high plasma concentrations of these drugs, which correspond to fatal levels, the patient survived.

Pneumonectomy for node-positive non-small cell lung cancer: can it be a treatment option for N2 disease?

OBJECTIVE: The feasibility of multimodality therapy in patients with node-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) requiring pneumonectomy and the role of pneumonectomy in N2 disease remain controversial. This study evaluated outcomes in patients with node-positive NSCLC undergoing pneumonectomy in a community hospital. METHODS: Perioperative and long-term outcomes of 37 patients with node-positive (pN1-2) NSCLC undergoing pneumonectomy from September 1994 to April 2010 as a clinical practice were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: Twenty patients received induction therapy, and 17 received preoperative chemoradiation (30-40 Gy). Fifteen patients and 22 patients underwent right and left pneumonectomy, respectively. A postoperative complication occurred in 8 patients. In-hospital mortality occurred in 1 patient. Induction therapy did not increase the operative risk including operative time, blood loss and postoperative complications. Nineteen patients were given a diagnosis of pN2. Although 7 bulky N2 patients and 10 multi-station N2 patients were included, 5-year overall survival was 34.3 % in pN1 and 28.0 % in pN2 (p = 0.998), respectively. Twenty-three patients received additional postoperative therapy. Five patients died within 3 months postoperatively due to distant metastases. Induction therapy and laterality did not influence survival. Extended resection, such as vagus nerve or chest wall resection, predicted an unfavorable outcome in multivariate analysis (Hazard ratio 2.81, p = 0.032). CONCLUSIONS: The safety and acceptable long-term outcome of pneumonectomy as a general clinical practice were shown for both pN1 and pN2 patients with various preoperative or postoperative therapies. Extended resection due to the extrapleural or extranodal involvement of tumor was an unfavorable prognostic factor.

Prognostic factors after complete resection of pN2 non-small cell lung cancer.

OBJECTIVES: This retrospective, multicenter study aimed to determine prognostic factors of completely resected pathologic N2 stage IIIA non-small cell cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: From 25 participating hospitals, 496 patients (325 men and 171 women; median age, 65 years) who underwent complete resection without preoperative treatment for pT1-3 N2 M0, stage IIIA NSCLC between 2000 and 2004 were enrolled. Lobectomy/bilobectomy was performed in 462 patients and pneumonectomy in 34. Some kind of adjuvant chemotherapy was administered to 296 patients. Survivals were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and prognostic factors were determined using the Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: Five-year overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were 44.8% and 24.2%, respectively. pT classification (hazard ratio (HR), pT1/pT2/pT3 = 1/1.32/2.03), single or multiple N2 metastases (HR, single/multiple = 1/1.36), and skip or nonskip N2 metastasis (HR, skip/nonskip = 1/1.30) were found to be independent prognostic factors for DFS. Sex (HR, female/male = 1/1.36), performance status (HR, PS-0/PS-1 = 1/1.37), tumor diameter (HR, 1.12 per 1-cm increase), pT-factor (HR, pT1/pT2/pT3 = 1/1.37/2.22), and extent of N2 metastasis (HR, localized/extended = 1/1.39) were shown to be independent prognostic factors for OS. CONCLUSIONS: We found that pT classification was a significant prognostic indicator for OS and DFS whereas tumor diameter, performance status, and sex were ones for OS. Single N2 metastasis and skip N2 metastasis were demonstrated as favorable prognostic factors for DFS, limited N2 metastasis was one for OS, and these should be considered as stratification factors for trial on adjuvant therapy.

Retrospective case series analysing the clinical data and treatment options of patients with a tubercular abscess of the chest wall.

The tubercular abscess of the chest wall remains one of the differential diagnoses of a chest wall tumour, and the management strategy is controversial. We reviewed the medical records of 22 patients treated at our institution. Two patients were managed by antitubercular medications alone; eight patients were managed by medication and open drainage. Five patients underwent open drainage with subsequent radical surgery at a constant interval of time, and the mean duration between open drainage and radical surgery was 9.8 weeks (range, 3-12). Seven patients underwent radical surgery without prior open drainage. Five patients required rib resections, and curettage of infected pleural peel was necessary in 5 patients. Antitubercular drugs were administered basically for more than 6 months regardless of surgical management, including for more than 1 month prior to radical surgery. Postoperative empyema was seen in 1 patient after radical surgery. The mean follow-up duration was 32.8 months (range, 3-100), and there was no recurrence. Complete resection of the tubercular abscess with sufficient antitubercular therapy resulted in a satisfactory outcome. Antitubercular therapy with or without open drainage can be a viable choice.

Atypical carcinoid of thymus associated with multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 1.

Thymic carcinoid associated with multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 1 (MEN-1) is a rare tumor. We report a case of MEN-1-related thymic carcinoid. The patient reported herein had already been diagnosed with MEN-1 and was found to have a mediastinal mass. She underwent thymectomy with partial resection of the left innominate vein and lung. Histological examination revealed atypical carcinoid with infiltration. MEN-1 gene mutation was detected by employing the direct nucleotide sequencing method. Postoperative 2-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography showed probable multiple metastases in the vertebrae and myocardium. However, she has been alive and asymptomatic for 2 years postoperatively. MEN-1-related thymic carcinoid is often insidious with a poor prognosis. We suggest chest computed tomography scan or magnetic resonance imaging for MEN-1 patients and serological or genetic screening for patients with thymic carcinoid to screen for MEN-1.