Pathologically confirmed spontaneous regression of small cell lung cancer after computed tomography-guided percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy followed by surgery.

BACKGROUND: Spontaneous regression of malignant tumors is a rare phenomenon, especially in primary lung cancer. The underlying mechanisms remain unclear, but they may often involve immunological mechanisms. CASE PRESENTATION: In January 2020, a 78-year-old female underwent examination during follow-up of interstitial pneumonia. Chest X-ray and computed tomography (CT) scan revealed a 1.2 × 1.2 cm nodule in the left lower lobe. Based on CT-guided percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy (PTNB), it was diagnosed as small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Immunohistochemical staining showed that tumor cells were positive for CD56, synaptophysin, and chromogranin A. Twenty-three days after the CT-guided PTNB, repeat CT scan showed that the tumor size regressed to 0.6 × 0.6 cm. The tumor showed positive uptake in fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)-CT. The maximum standardized uptake value of the nodule was 2.24. PET-CT and enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of the brain showed no distant or lymph node metastasis. The patient's preoperative disease was diagnosed as cT1aN0M0, stageIA1, SCLC. In March 2020, she underwent left lower lobectomy and mediastinal lymph node dissection. Pathological examination of the resected specimen showed that the small tumor cells were dense with a high nucleus to cytoplasm ratio, and the morphological diagnosis was small cell carcinoma. The resected tumor size regressed to 0.05 × 0.02 cm, and no lymph node metastasis was observed. Because it was extremely small, immunohistochemical staining could not be conducted. Active fibrosis and inflammation were present around the tumor. Finally, the patient was pathologically diagnosed as SCLC pT1miN0M0, stage IA1. The patient is alive without recurrence 23 months after surgery with no adjuvant therapy. CONCLUSIONS: We present a rare surgical case of pathologically confirmed spontaneous regression of SCLC after CT-guided PTNB. Although spontaneous regression is extremely rare, we should recognize this phenomenon.

Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for pleuroperitoneal communication.

Here we report the cases of five patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) who developed hydrothorax because of pleuroperitoneal communication. Preoperative computed tomography (CT) peritoneography revealed penetrated sites on the diaphragm in all patients. All patients underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS), and a dialysate containing indigo carmine was injected intraperitoneally through a CAPD catheter to confirm the fistula. In all patients, a thinned bleb was found at the center of the diaphragmatic tendon consistent with that noted on preoperative CT peritoneography. The bleb was resected using a surgical stapler in four patients, and the pleuroperitoneal communication did not recur. However, in one patient, the bleb was only covered with reinforcement agents and the hydrothorax recurred after CAPD. This study demonstrates that VATS treatment for pleuroperitoneal communication is safe and effective but that lesion resection would be more useful for preventing hydrothorax recurrence in patients undergoing CAPD.

Removal of hematoma due to massive hemoptysis after transbronchial biopsy: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Massive hemoptysis is a life-threatening complication after transbronchial biopsy (TBB). Reports on massive hemoptysis occurring several days after TBB are scarce. CASE PRESENTATION: A 62-year-old man presented with massive hemoptysis and was admitted to hospital as an emergency on the eighth day after TBB. On the 12th day after TBB, computed tomography showed complete atelectasis of the right middle and lower lobes. The patient underwent emergent right upper lobectomy. The right upper lobe bronchus was separated with a scalpel, the hematoma was pulled out with forceps, and the bronchus subsequently sutured shut. The patient was discharged from the hospital uneventfully. CONCLUSIONS: We experienced a case of massive hemoptysis on the eighth day after TBB, which required emergency surgery due to persistent bleeding into the airway and airway obstruction during follow-up. Postoperative pneumonia and atelectasis could be prevented by manual removal of the residual hematoma.

＜Editors' Choice＞ Learning curve of robotic lobectomy for lung malignancies by certified thoracic surgeons.

Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) has become widespread in the last 20 years, followed by robot-assisted thoracic surgery (RATS). Few studies compared the learning curve between RATS lobectomy and conventional VATS. This study included 79 RATS lobectomy cases performed in our hospital from November 2015 to October 2019. To estimate the required number for learning, the cumulative sum method, which is to plot a value obtained by sequentially accumulating a difference from a mean value was applied. As a result, the median total operative time and the median console time for all cases were 167 minutes and 138 minutes, respectively. Firstly, for our team, 28 cases were estimated to be required for learning curve for RATS lobectomy. For individual, each surgeon might be learned in only 5 to 6 cases. By contrast, the number of cases for learning VATS lobectomy which was underwent by a 'single' surgeon from 2009 was estimated to be 35 cases. The time to dock from start operation (median 14 minutes) reached plateau in 18 cases, but the time after rollout was median of 18 minutes and there was no significant change from the beginning. In conclusion, RATS lobectomy might be a technique that could be learned in a small number of cases compared to VATS. The results of this study might be helpful for certified surgeons who tried to get started with RATS and for establishing a learning program.

Tractotomy using the Penrose drain guide for deep lung injury caused by chest drainage: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary tractotomy effectively treats deep pulmonary penetrating injuries; however, it requires the accurate insertion of forceps or a stapler into the wound tract. This report describes a case of tractotomy using the Penrose drain guide for a deep lung injury caused by chest drainage. CASE PRESENTATION: A 75-year-old man suffered multiple rib fractures and hemothorax. After admission, chest tube drainage was performed because the patient's respiratory condition deteriorated due to increased right pleural effusion. However, as the chest tube was stabbing into the right upper lobe, a pulmonary tractotomy was performed to treat the injury. Cutting the visceral pleura just over the tip of the chest tube caused the tube to completely penetrate the lung. A Penrose drain tube was fixed to the chest tube, which was then removed. The Penrose drain tube completely penetrated the lung and was coupled to the anvil side of the stapler to guide it smoothly into the wound tract. After stapling left the wound tract open, selective suture ligation of the damaged vessel and bronchioles was performed. CONCLUSIONS: Although the indications for tractotomy using the Penrose drain guide are limited, we believe that this technique can be useful in patients with deep stabbing or penetrating lung injuries with rod- or tube-shaped foreign body remnants.

Left Upper Lobe Trisegmentectomy After Pulmonary Endarterectomy.

Major pulmonary resection has been successfully performed after pulmonary endarterectomy for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension in a few cases. A pulmonary nodule was detected in a 68-year-old man with a diagnosis of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension. After pulmonary hypertension was resolved with pulmonary endarterectomy, left upper lobe trisegmentectomy was performed for small lung cancer. Dissection of the pulmonary artery was carefully performed with a possibility of a fragile state on the arterial wall due to previous pulmonary endarterectomy. Pathologically, the arterial media with an uneven thickness was exposed to the vascular lumen in the resected pulmonary artery.

Left brachiocephalic vein aneurysm: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Aneurysm of the left brachiocephalic vein is a very rare clinical disease and only 40 cases have been reported so far. CASE PRESENTATION: The patient was a 61-year-old woman with no related medical history. She underwent CT to investigate the cause of a cough and a mass was noted in the anterior mediastinum. Dynamic computed tomography with contrast medium injected into the left basilic vein demonstrated the venous aneurysm with blood flow to the left brachiocephalic vein. The patient had no symptoms, but because of the risk of pulmonary infarction and aneurysm rupture, the aneurysm was surgically resected. A median sternotomy was a reasonable approach because of the fragility of the venous aneurysm wall with little working space in the anterior mediastinum. CONCLUSIONS: We diagnosed an aneurysm of the left brachiocephalic vein on preoperative imaging and excised it through a median sternotomy. The venous wall was thin and fragile in some areas and so this approach was appropriate in view of the possibility of intraoperative injury.

Differential impacts of postoperative complications on patients' survival in completely resected non-small-cell lung cancer.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of inflammatory respiratory complications on long-term survival in patients with resected non-small cell lung cancer. We defined inflammatory respiratory complications to include the following six conditions: pneumonia, empyema, bronchial fistula, respiratory dysfunction, acute interstitial pneumonia, and atelectasis. METHODS: Part of the National Clinical Database was linked to our prospective database from 2014 to 2017. Linkage was achieved for 866 patients. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to evaluate the overall, relapse-free, and cancer-related survival. The Cox proportional hazard model was used to analyze the impact of each complication. RESULTS: Of the 736 patients included in the study, 149 had complications. The 5-year overall and cancer-specific survival rates were significantly lower in patients with inflammatory respiratory complications. The Cox proportional hazard model showed that the inflammatory respiratory complications had a significant impact on overall survival (hazard ratio 2.48, 95% confidence interval 1.41-4.38) but not air leak (hazard ratio 1.38, 95% confidence interval 0.70-2.70). CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows the differential impact of each complication on the survival of patients with non-small cell lung cancer. The presence of inflammatory respiratory complications was the only predictor of poor overall survival.

Prognostic factors of stage I thymic epithelial tumors.

OBJECTIVE: According to the tumor-node-metastasis classification for thymic malignancies, the proportion of patients diagnosed with stage I is expected to increase significantly. However, whether those patients have homogenous clinicopathological features and survival has not been fully evaluated. METHODS: We reviewed 153 consecutive patients with stage I thymic epithelial tumors (133 thymomas, 15 thymic carcinomas, and 5 neuroendocrine tumors) who underwent complete resection at our institution between 2001 and 2016 and evaluated the prognostic significance of their clinicopathological factors. RESULTS: The stage I patients accounted for 78% of all thymic epithelial tumors. The 5-year overall survival and recurrence-free survival rates of the 153 patients were 94% and 80%, respectively. The patients with the histology of thymic carcinoma or neuroendocrine tumor and with a tumor larger than 5.0 cm showed significantly worse recurrence-free survival in multivariate analysis (p = 0.027 and 0.038, respectively). Only the tumor size was revealed as a significant prognostic factor for recurrence-free survival when limited in the 133 cases of thymoma (p = 0.048). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with large tumors showed significantly worse recurrence-free survival than those with small tumors both in stage I thymic epithelial tumors and thymomas.

Well-differentiated fetal adenocarcinoma of the lung: positron emission tomography features and diagnostic difficulties in frozen section analysis-a case report.

BACKGROUND: Well-differentiated fetal adenocarcinoma (WDFA) of the lung is a rare disease that resembles fetal lung tubules. Most of previous reports concerning WDFA have focused on histological features, while there are few reports describing radiological features. In addition, there are no reports evaluating the difficulty of intraoperative diagnosis of WDFA with frozen section. We report a case of WDFA and review the radiological features of WDFA including the findings of F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) and assess the difficulty of intraoperative diagnosis with frozen section. CASE PRESENTATION: A chest radiography performed in a 20-year-old female revealed a mass in the hilum of the right lung. Computed tomography revealed a well-defined mass measuring 3.5 × 3.0 cm in diameter in the right upper lobe, whereas PET showed a high accumulation of FDG. The most likely diagnosis was clinical T2aN0M0 stage 1B non-small cell lung cancer. A right S3 segmentectomy was performed via thoracotomy, and a benign tumor that was possibly an adenoma was intraoperatively diagnosed based on frozen section analysis. The mass was a solid tumor measuring 2.9 × 2.5 cm in diameter. Microscopically, the tumor comprised abundant glands with single or double layers of nonciliated cells and bronchial structures resembling a fetal lung. Rounded morules of polygonal cells were frequently observed. Immunohistochemistry revealed that nuclei and cytoplasm of the tumor cell were positive for ß-catenin. Finally, the postoperative pathological diagnosis was well-differentiated fetal adenocarcinoma of the lung, and completion right upper lobectomy and mediastinal lymph node dissection were conducted 1 month after the initial segmentectomy. No residual tumor or lymph node metastasis was identified, and the final pathological stage was pT1cN0M0 stage 1A3. The patient did not wish to receive any adjuvant therapy. At the 1-year follow-up, no evidence of recurrence was noted. CONCLUSIONS: Here, we report a rare case of well-differentiated fetal adenocarcinoma of the lung that was difficult to diagnose based on radiological evaluations including FDG-PET and intraoperative diagnosis using frozen section analysis.

Current trends in thoracic surgery.

Thoracic surgery has evolved drastically in recent years. Although thoracic surgeons mainly deal with tumorous lesion in the lungs, mediastinum, and pleura, they also perform lung transplantation surgery in patients with end-stage lung disease. Herein, we introduce various major current topics in thoracic surgery. Minimally invasive surgical procedures include robot-assisted thoracic surgery and uniportal video-assisted thoracic surgery. Novel techniques for sublobar resection include virtual-assisted lung mapping, image-guided video-assisted thoracic surgery, and segmentectomy using indocyanine green. Three-dimensional (3D) computed tomography (CT) simulation consists of surgeon-friendly 3D-CT image analysis systems and new-generation, dynamic 3D-CT imaging systems. Updates in cadaveric lung transplantation include use of marginal donors, including donation after circulatory death, and ex vivo lung perfusion for such donors. Topics in living donor lobar lung transplantation include size matching, donor issues, and new surgical techniques. During routine clinical practice, thoracic surgeons encounter various pivotal topics related to thoracic surgery, which are described in this report.

[Traumatic Cardiac Injury due to Striking at Epigastric Fossa;Report of a Case].

Blunt chest trauma can cause life-threatening condition. We performed prompt drainage and operative repair for traumatic cardiac injury caused by striking at epigastric fossa. Close monitoring should be needed even for blunt chest trauma due to assault.

Local application of olprinone for promotion of peripheral nerve regeneration.

BACKGROUND: Olprinone was applied locally to the sciatic nerves of rats, and nerve regeneration activity was examined in relation to heat shock protein (HSP)27 expression. METHODS: Adult rat sciatic nerves were locally exposed to olprinone, physiological saline, or a mixture of saline and HCl and underwent crush injury. HSP27 protein levels were assessed by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. Nerve regeneration was assessed by sciatic function index (SFI) and by morphological evaluation. RESULTS: Olprinone was detected in ipsilateral L4-L6 dorsal root ganglion (DRG) and sciatic nerve proximal to the site of crush injury. Western blot analysis of the DRG 24 h postsurgery and the sciatic nerve 7 days postsurgery showed a marked increase in HSP27 protein levels in the olprinone-treated group. Immunohistochemical analysis was consistent with the Western blot analysis. SFI was significantly better for the olprinone-treated group than for either the saline- or HCl-treated groups at 7, 22, and 25 days, respectively, after application. The packing density and the number of myelinated axons 21 days after the crush injury in the olprinone-treated group were significantly greater in comparison to the other groups. CONCLUSION: The local application of olprinone to the sciatic nerve increases HSP27 protein levels in DRG in the early stage and in the sciatic nerve 1 week thereafter. The results from this crush model indicate that increasing levels of HSP27 appear to result in therapeutic effects.