The Prognostic Role of the Number of Involved Structures in Thymic Epithelial Tumors: Results from the ESTS Database.

BACKGROUND: The role of the number of involved structures (NIS) in thymic epithelial tumors (TETs) has been investigated for inclusion in future staging systems, but large cohort results still are missing. This study aimed to analyze the prognostic role of NIS for patients included in the European Society of Thoracic Surgeons (ESTS) thymic database who underwent surgical resection. METHODS: Clinical and pathologic data of patients from the ESTS thymic database who underwent surgery for TET from January 2000 to July 2019 with infiltration of surrounding structures were reviewed and analyzed. Patients' clinical data, tumor characteristics, and NIS were collected and correlated with CSS using Kaplan-Meier curves. The log-rank test was used to assess differences between subgroups. A multivariable model was built using logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The final analysis was performed on 303 patients. Histology showed thymoma for 216 patients (71.3%) and NET/thymic carcinoma [TC]) for 87 patients (28.7%). The most frequently infiltrated structures were the pleura (198 cases, 65.3%) and the pericardium in (185 cases, 61.1%), whereas lung was involved in 96 cases (31.7%), great vessels in 74 cases (24.4%), and the phrenic nerve in 31 cases (10.2%). Multiple structures (range, 2-7) were involved in 183 cases (60.4%). Recurrence resulted in the death of 46 patients. The CSS mortality rate was 89% at 5 years and 82% at 10 years. In the univariable analysis, the favorable prognostic factors were neoadjuvant therapy, Masaoka stage 3, absence of metastases, absence of myasthenia gravis, complete resection, thymoma histology, and no more than two NIS. Patients with more than two NIS presented with a significantly worse CSS than patients with no more than two NIS (CSS 5- and 10-year rates: 9.5% and 83.5% vs 93.2% and 91.2%, respectively; p = 0.04). The negative independent prognostic factors confirmed by the multivariable analysis were incomplete resection (hazard ratio [HR] 2.543; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.010-6.407; p = 0.048) and more than two NIS (HR 1.395; 95% CI 1.021-1.905; p = 0.036). CONCLUSIONS: The study showed that more than two involved structures are a negative independent prognostic factor in infiltrative thymic epithelial tumors that could be used for prognostic stratification.

Online Survey Evaluation of Three Years of European Society of Thoracic Surgeons Educational Webinars as Part of The E-learning Platform.

BACKGROUND: E-learning has become an important tool in surgical education in the last decade. The European Society of Thoracic Surgeons launched its e-learning platform in 2013 and started its educational webinars series in 2018. The aim of this paper is to discuss the introduction, evolution and impact of the educational webinars within this e-learning platform. METHODS: Twenty-four English spoken webinars discussing different subdomains in general thoracic surgery (21 expert talks, 2 pro-con debates and 1 multidisciplinary case discussion) were analyzed. An online questionnaire on timing, quality and technical aspects of the webinars was sent to 3012 registrants. RESULTS: The webinars reached 3128 unique registrants from 76 countries worldwide. The mean number of registrants was 355 with 171 live attendees (48%) and 155 replay watchers (36%). Hundred and twenty-six attendees (13.1% of people who registered for at least 4 webinars) completed the questionnaire. Timing and duration of the webinars were rated "very good" to "excellent" in 78%, and the quality of the webinar content and the expertise of the webinar presenters were rated "very good" to "excellent" in 88% and 90%, respectively. The impact on knowledge and clinical practice was scored with a weighted average of 7.27 out of 10 and 6.79 out of 10, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The ESTS educational webinars were effective in delivering up-to-date knowledge to almost half of the countries around the globe. The impact of these events on knowledge and clinical practice were rated high. New e-learning tools should be added to the surgical educational curriculum.

An Overview of the Use of Anti-Angiogenic Agents in the Treatment of Thymic Epithelial Tumors.

Angiogenesis significantly influences the carcinogenesis of thymic epithelial tumors (TET). Both thymomas and thymic carcinoma (TC) overexpress VEGF-A and VEGFR-1 and -2. This review aims to provide an appraisal of the use of anti-angiogenics in the treatment of TET. The literature research identified 16 studies that were deemed eligible for further analysis. Seven studies assessed the clinical efficacy of sunitinib and five studies the use of apatinib and/or anlotinib. The multicenter Japanese phase II REMORA trial investigated the efficacy of lenvatinib, which is a multi-targeted inhibitor of VEGFR, FGFR, RET, c-Kit, and other kinases. The objective response rate was 38% (25.6-52%), which is the highest documented in TET that progressed after first-line chemotherapy. Anti-angiogenic agents may be useful in the treatment of TET, which are not amenable to curative treatment. Their toxicity profile seems to be acceptable. However, angiogenesis inhibitors do not appear to have a major influence on either thymomas or TC, although multikinase inhibitors may have some effect on TC. The current evidence suggests that the most active agent is lenvatinib, whereas sunitinib could be proposed as an acceptable second-line therapy for TC. Further research concerning the combination of immune checkpoint inhibitors with anti-angiogenic drugs is warranted.

VATS approach for pulmonary sclerosing pneumocytoma: a case report.

INTRODUCTION: Pulmonary Sclerosing Pneumocytoma (PSP) is a rare type of benign lung tumor usually encountered in middle-aged Asian women. The lesion is mostly found on routine chest x-rays. Though surgery is recognized as the recommended treatment, there is no consensus on the standard operative procedure for this tumor. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a case of a 48 year-old Caucasian woman who presented with a right para-hilar mass mimicking a hydatid cyst. After an unsuccessful initial treatment with oral Albendazole, and a steady growth over 10 years, the patient was programmed for surgical resection by video-thoracoscopic (VATS) approach. We were able to completely resect the tumor by VATS. Histopathological analysis suggested the diagnosis of Pulmonary Sclerosing Pneumocytoma. No further treatment was required and the patient was rapidly discharged. CONCLUSIONS: Pulmonary sclerosing pneumocytoma is a rare form of benign tumor that should be part of the differential diagnosis of lung lesions of unknown origin. Because of its well-defined encapsulated structure allowing total enucleation, VATS can be proposed as a less invasive alternative to classic thoracotomy.

Double right coronary artery: a plea for a standardized nomenclature.

BACKGROUND: Double coronary artery is a rare anomaly with just a few cases reported in the literature. This anomaly started being reported recently with the wide use of coronary angiography. Before the advent of advanced imaging and catheterization facilities most of the available data came from the work of anatomists. Two patients were recently operated in our department. In the first patient the preoperative coronary angiography showed two right coronary arteries. In the second patient a double ostium of the right coronary artery was encountered intraoperatively. We wanted to know the incidence of this anomaly and the available data in the literature. METHODS: A PubMed research was conducted by using the term 'double right coronary artery'. More than 50 case reports and small case series were identified. RESULTS: The review of the literature revealed a lot of controversy and debate. When using the term 'double right coronary artery' authors do not always refer to the same entity. Different definitions and classifications have proposed without, however, gaining wide acceptance. In fact, there is a lot of confusion in the literature and cases that are rather common are presented as being 'extremely rare'. CONCLUSIONS: Even though the real incidence could be over or underestimated due to variability in coronary angiography interpretation, clinicians must be aware of this entity in order to avoid troubleshooting during percutaneous coronary interventions and cardiac surgery. There is need for a close collaboration between interventional cardiologists, anatomists and cardiac surgeons in order to standardize the nomenclature.

Is surgical rib fixation in patients aged more than 65 years old associated with worse outcomes compared to younger patients? A retrospective single-center study.

BACKGROUND: There is no robust data regarding rib fixation in elderly patients. The aim of this study is to compare the postoperative outcomes of patients aged less and more than 65 years old. METHODS: Patients operated from January 2012 to December 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. The following data were collected: age, sex, comorbidities, smoking habit, Injury Severity Score (ISS), number of fractured ribs, indication for surgery, associated injuries, time from trauma to surgery, number of fixed ribs, intrathoracic injuries, duration of intubation, ICU stay, postoperative cardiopulmonary complications, blood transfusion, overall and 30-day mortality, length of stay. RESULTS: There was no difference regarding the ISS (p = 0.09), the number of rib fractures (p = 0.291), the indication for surgery, the number of fixed ribs (p = 0.819), the ICU stay (p = 0.096), the postoperative intubation duration (p = 0.059), the cardiopulmonary complications (p = 0.273) and perioperative blood transfusions (p = 0.34). Elderly patients presented more postoperative cognitive complications (p < 0.001). There was no difference in terms of overall mortality (p = 0.06) and 30-day mortality (p = 0.69). Elderly patients stayed longer in the hospital (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The outcomes of rib fixation in the elderly patients are comparable to younger patients. However, elderly patients experience more frequently postoperative cognitive complications and their hospitalizations are longer.

Pneumothorax and Pregnancy: A Systematic Review of the Current Literature and Proposal of Treatment Recommendations.

INTRODUCTION: Spontaneous pneumothorax occurs rarely during pregnancy with less than 100 cases reported in the English literature. There is no strong evidence concerning the treatment of spontaneous pneumothorax during pregnancy and labor. The aim of this study is to systematically review all the reported cases and to suggest recommendations for its diagnosis and treatment. METHODS: A PubMed research was conducted. The following data were collected: maternal age, gestation age (weeks), presence of underlying lung pathology, initial management, definitive management, obstetric outcome, and the complications for the mother and the fetus. RESULTS: Eighty-seven cases were identified. The mean maternal age was 27 years (standard deviation [SD] ± 6). The mean gestational age was 25 weeks (SD ± 11.4). In 37.9% of cases, there was no underlying lung disease. In the majority of cases (67.4%), the initial treatment was the placement of a chest tube. In 48% of cases, the pneumothorax was resolved with conservative treatment. Surgical therapy was performed either antepartum or postpartum. In 58.6% of cases, there was a vaginal delivery, spontaneous or instrumental. In three cases (3.4%), there were fetal complications. CONCLUSION: The analysis of the current literature provides low evidence, since there are only case reports and small case series. It is likely that the frequency of this condition is underestimated. However, this analysis permits to draw some conclusions concerning the timing of pneumothorax treatment, the operative strategy, and the mode of delivery to decrease the risk for the mother and the fetus.

Lipiodol lymphangiography as a treatment for refractory postoperative chylothorax: a case report.

Postoperative chylothorax is the most frequent cause of traumatic thoracic chyle leakage. Conservative treatment is primarily used to treat low flow rate chylothoraces and should be initiated as soon as the diagnosis has been made. In case of high flow rate chylothorax or failure of initial treatment, surgery and radiological treatment are indicated. Despite this fact, there is a lack of consensus regarding the best therapeutic option to choose. In the case reported herein, a postoperative chylothorax with a low flow chyle leakage which didn't respond to conservative treatment is demonstrated. We used lipiodol lymphangiography to determine the site of chyle leakage and to successfully treat our patient. Risk factors for non-response to conservative treatment are also discussed.

A Single-Center Experience of Osteosynthesis Material Infection after Rib Fixation for Blunt Trauma.

INTRODUCTION: There is no data regarding the incidence and treatment of deep infection affecting the surgical implants after rib fixation. The aim of this study is to share our experience in the management of infected material after surgical rib fixation. METHODS: The medical records of operated patients from January 2012 to December 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: Three patients out of 87 (3.44%) developed an infection. One patient was treated conservatively and two patients were operated for hardware removal. CONCLUSIONS: The lack of evidence prompts for the design of surgical databases to share experience and enhance available data.

Comparison of several methods for pain management after video-assisted thoracic surgery for pneumothorax: an observational study.

BACKGROUND: There is no defined gold standard for pain management after video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) for pneumothorax. In addition to systemic analgesia, various loco-regional analgesic techniques have been proposed but remain poorly evaluated in this context. We aimed to assess the analgesic efficacy of several of these techniques for the management of postoperative pain. METHODS: We conducted a monocentric prospective observational cohort study from February 2017 to April 2018 in patients suffering from spontaneous pneumothorax and scheduled for VATS (n = 59). Patients received systemic analgesia (i) alone (n = 15); (ii) combined with a continuous paravertebral block (n = 9); (iii) combined with a continuous serratus plane block (n = 19); or (iv) single-shot serratus plane block (n = 16) as decided by the attending physician. Pain scores and analgesic-related side effects were prospectively collected by an independent observer during the first postoperative 72 h. The primary endpoint criterion was the cumulative oral morphine consumption at the end of the third postoperative day. Statistical analysis used univariate and multivariate step-by-step forward logistic regression models to determine risk factors associated with the main criteria. RESULTS: Mean pain scores and morphine consumption were not significantly different between the 4 groups. In the multivariate analysis, the use of a continuous serratus plane block through a catheter was the only technique associated with a reduced incidence of high-dose oral morphine consumption (OR 0.09-95%CI [0.01-0.79], p = 0.03). CONCLUSION: This study suggests that serratus plane block combined with continuous infusion through a catheter may have some benefits, although further studies are needed to confirm these results and determine the true place of the serratus plane block in pain management after VATS for pneumothorax.

Postero-apical thoracic schwannoma with cervical extension resected by complete video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery.

Schwannomas or neurilemmomas are benign tumors developed from the peripheral nervous system. Complete video-assisted thoracic surgery (cVATS) has set itself over the years as the preferred approach for the removal of small mediastinal neurogenic tumors. However, in case of apical location, complete VATS seems challenging because of proximity with the subclavian artery and/or elements of the brachial plexus. In case of a cVATS procedure, some authors prefer enucleation instead of resection, with a higher risk of relapse. We present two cases of cVATS resection of thoracic apical schwannomas.

Mediastinal debulking for a T-cell leukaemia/lymphoma presenting with cardiac tamponade.

Anterior mediastinal masses are relatively uncommon and include a wide variety of lesions. Lymphomas account for 25% of anterior mediastinal masses. Lymphomas and other haematological malignancies are associated with pericardial effusion. There are also cases where a cardiac tamponade occurred. The aim of the case reported herein is to discuss the surgical approach and particularly the mediastinal debulking as an adjunct to systematic treatment for haematological diseases presenting as an anterior mediastinal mass responsible for a cardiac tamponade.

Treatment of solitary thyroid nodules according to size, preoperative fine-needle aspiration cytology and frozen section: a retrospective single centre study.

Background: In order to avoid unnecessary thyroidectomies, it is important to predict the nature of thyroid nodules the more accurately possible. The size of the nodule as a predictive factor for malignancy is very controversial. Another point of debate is the accuracy of preoperative fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) and frozen section (FS). The aim of our study is to correlate the nodule size with the final histological diagnosis and to estimate the accuracy of preoperative FNAC and FS. Methods: Retrospective study including 387 operated patients with ultrasound-detected solitary thyroid nodules from 01 January 2001 to 31 December 2013. The following data were collected: patient age and sex, nodule size, FNAC, FS and final histology results. Results: The odds ratio for malignancy within nodules <40 mm was 2.12 (95% CI: 1.104-4.084). The specificity of FNAC was 97.78% and the negative predictive value (NPV) was 97.78% for nodules ≥40 mm and 93.2% and 96.5% for nodules <40 mm, respectively. The observed specificity and NPV of FS ranged from 98% to 100% and from 87.4% to 98%, respectively. When combining FNAC and FS, the specificity and the NPV were 99% and 98%, respectively. Conclusions: The nodule size is not a predictive factor for thyroid cancer and therefore nodules ≥40 mm should not be routinely resected. A lege artis preparation and performance of FNAC along with an expertise on cytological interpretation can considerably diminish false-negative rate. FS can offer additional accuracy on FNAC results and should, therefore, be a part of patient treatment.

Mediastinal silicone lymphadenopathy revealed after thymectomy for autoimmune myasthenia gravis.

Breast reconstruction is a very popular surgical intervention performed either for cosmetic reasons or after oncological resections. Even though silicone is considered to be an inert material, there are side effects that have been reported, such as silicone lymphadenopathy. In the case reported herein, a silicone lymphadenopathy of the internal mammary and the anterior mediastinal lymph nodes were revealed after a thymectomy for autoimmune myasthenia gravis. Silicone lymphadenopathy should always be part of the differential diagnosis of enlarged lymph nodes, in patients with previous cosmetic or oncoplastic surgery with the use of silicone gel breast implants. Special attention should be paid in case of previous breast cancer in order to rule out metastasis.

Occurrence of thymic pathology in two families. Is familial screening justified?

The familial occurrence of thymic pathology, even though rare, is widely reported in the literature and mainly concerns cases of familial autoimmune myasthenia gravis. Other less frequent cases of familial occurrence of thymoma, thymic carcinoid and thymic hyperplasia have been described. It seems that the familial occurrence is poorly recorded and thus its prevalence is underestimated. We report two families whose members presented different forms of thymic pathology and discuss the necessity of screening programs in family members of patients presenting a thymic lesion.

Thymic pathology and cardiac myxomas: Coincidence or a closer relationship?

Myxomas are the most common benign cardiac tumors and are located more frequently in the left atrium. In the literature there are cases describing the coexistence of thymic tumors and cardiac myxomas. In the case reported herein, during the resection of a cardiac myxoma, an enlarged thymus gland was encountered and resected. The histological exam revealed a thymic hyperplasia. The aim of this case study is to assess the need of conducting further studies in order to identify a common histological pathway between thymic lesions and cardiac myxomas. The diagnosis of a cardiac myxoma could justify a further workup of the anterior mediastinum in order not to overlook a lesion of thymic origin.

Surgical treatment of thymic epithelial tumors: a narrative review.

Background and Objective: Thymic epithelial tumors (TETs) are scarce neoplasms of the prevascular mediastinum. Included in this diverse category of lesions are thymomas and thymic carcinomas (TCs). Surgery is the mainstay of treatment of tumors that are deemed resectable. However, up till now, optimal surgical access has been a subject of debate. The advent of new techniques, such as video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) and robotic-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (RATS), challenged the median sternotomy which was traditionally considered the access of choice. This review aims to demonstrate the current evidence concerning the surgical treatment of TET and to enlighten other controversial issues about surgery. Methods: PubMed research was conducted using the terms [surgery] AND [thymic epithelial tumors] OR [thymomas] and [surgical treatment] AND [thymic epithelial tumors] OR [thymomas]. Papers concerning pediatric cases and non-English literature papers were excluded. Individual case reports were also excluded. Key Content and Findings: Minimally invasive surgical techniques (MIST) such as VATS and RATS are increasingly applied in early-stage TET. Although numerous published studies have demonstrated better perioperative outcomes in early-stage TET, long-term follow-up data are still required to demonstrate the oncological equivalent of MIST to open surgery. Resection of stage III TET is more challenging. Thymectomy can be expanded en bloc to include the major vascular structures, lung, pleura, phrenic, or vagus nerve in these individuals. There is no agreement on the ideal surgical access and traditionally these patients underwent open sternotomy, sometimes combined with a thoracic access. Evidence concerning the treatment of stage IVA disease is mainly derived from retrospective case series which are highly heterogeneous in terms of the number of enrolled patients, histology, degree of pleural involvement, and timing of presentation. Conclusions: New techniques in the field of minimally invasive surgery are gaining acceptance for early-stage TET but longer follow-up periods are warranted to prove their oncological outcomes. On the contrary, these techniques should be used cautiously in case of locally advanced tumors. Surgeons must not forget that the main objective is the complete resection of the lesion, which is one major predictive factor for increased survival.

Immunotherapy and Targeted Therapies Efficacy in Thymic Epithelial Tumors: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Thymic epithelial tumors (TET) are rare neoplasms of the anterior mediastinum. Surgery is the mainstay treatment for resectable TET, whereas systemic treatments are reserved for unresectable and metastatic tumors. The development of new treatments, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) and targeted therapies, with promising results in other types of solid tumors, has led to the investigation of their potential efficacy in TET. The study of tumor microenvironments (TME) is another field of investigation that has gained the interest of researchers. Taking into account the complex structure of the thymus and its function in the development of immunity, researchers have focused on TME elements that could predict ICI efficacy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The primary objective of this systematic review was to investigate the efficacy of ICI in TET. Secondary objectives included the toxicity of ICI, the efficacy of targeted therapies in TET, and the evaluation of the elements of TME that may be predictive factors of ICI efficacy. A literature search was conducted in February 2023 using the Ovid Medline and SciVerse Scopus databases. RESULTS: 2944 abstracts were retrieved, of which 31 were retained for the systematic review. Five phase II and one retrospective study assessed ICI efficacy. The overall response rate (ORR) varied from 0% to 34%. Median progression-free survival (PFS) ranged from 3.8 to 8.6 months, being lower in thymic carcinoma (TC) (3.8-4.2 months). Median overall survival (OS) ranged from 14.1 to 35.4 months. Treatment-related adverse events occurred in 6.6% to 27.3% of patients. Sixteen studies assessed targeted therapies. The most active molecule was lenvatinib, with 38% ORR in patients with TC while no activity was detected for imatinib, erlotinib plus bevacizumab, and saracatinib. Ten studies assessed TME elements that could predict ICI efficacy. Four studies focused on the tumor-infiltrating immune cells suggesting improved outcomes in patients with TC and high tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte densities. Another study showed that CD8+, CD20+, and CD204+ tumor-infiltrating immune cells in cancer stroma might be prognostic biomarkers in TC. Another study identified the immune-related long non-coding RNAs as a predictor of response to ICI. Tumor mutational burden was identified as a predictive factor of ICI efficacy in one study. CONCLUSIONS: Despite study heterogeneity, this review shows that ICI could be a therapeutic option for selected patients with TET that are not amenable to curative radical treatment after first-line chemotherapy.