Contralateral spontaneous rupture of the esophagus following severe emesis after non-intubated pulmonary wedge resection.

BACKGROUND: Non-intubated thoracoscopic lung surgery has been reported to be technically feasible and safe. Spontaneous rupture of the esophagus, also known as Boerhaave's syndrome (BS), is rare after chest surgery. CASE PRESENTATION: A 60-year-old female non-smoker underwent non-intubated uniportal thoracoscopic wedge resection for a pulmonary nodule. Ultrasound-guided serratus anterior plane block was utilized for postoperative analgesia. However, the patient suffered from severe emesis, chest pain and dyspnea 6 h after the surgery. Emergency chest x-ray revealed right-sided hydropneumothorax. BS was diagnosed by chest tube drainage and computed tomography. Besides antibiotics and tube feeding, a naso-leakage drainage tube was inserted into the right thorax for pleural evacuation. Finally, the esophagus was healed 40d after the conservative treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Perioperative antiemetic therapy is an indispensable item of fast-track surgery. Moreover, BS should be kept in mind when the patients complain of chest distress following emesis after thoracic surgery.

Delayed complications following microwave ablation of lung tumours.

The majority of complications following microwave ablation (MWA) of lung tumours are immediately evident, however, delayed complications do occasionally occur. The radiologist plays a major role in identifying and in guiding the management of these complications. This pictorial essay explores the imaging appejmironce of several potentially life-threatening delayed complications of pulmonary MWA.

Pyopneumothorax secondary to Streptococcus milleri infection.

We report a case of a 46-year-old Malay woman with underlying hypothyroidism post thyroidectomy who presented with worsening breathlessness, orthopnoea, productive cough and left-sided pleuritic chest pain of 3 days duration. Chest X-ray on admission showed left-sided massive hydropneumothorax. Pleural tapping revealed empyema. A chest tube was inserted immediately. The culture of pleural fluid grew Streptococcus constellatus The patient was treated with antibiotics for a total of 6 weeks and underwent open thoracotomy and decortication during admission. Subsequently, her lung condition improved and there was no evidence of recurrence during follow-up.

Filarial hydropneumothorax: a strange journey.

Filarial infection can have varied manifestations, but hydropneumothorax at presentation has not yet been reported. A 28-year-old man presented to our hospital with heaviness of the left chest for the past 10 days, which was preceded by a sudden, short stabbing pain in the left chest after straining. Chest X-ray revealed left-sided hydropneumothorax. A peripheral blood picture revealed significant eosinophilia. A pleural fluid report also showed eosinophilia and a few motile microfilaria of Wuchereria bancrofti. Microfilaria was also documented in peripheral blood. There was no evidence of other organ system involvement. The patient was diagnosed with 'Filarial Hydropneumothorax'. After treatment with a temporary chest drain and oral diethylcarbamazine citrate, there was dramatic relief of symptoms and radiological improvement. The patient has been symptom free with no features of recurrence through 8 months of follow-up.

[A gastropleural fistula can be treated thoracoscopically].

Gastropleural fistula (GPF) is although uncommon a severe and sometimes fatal complication after prior thoracic surgery, trauma or malignancy. Standard therapy has often included major surgery such as laparotomia with gastrectomi. In this case report we present a patient with GPF who underwent thoracoscopia for closure of the fistula. To our knowledge this is the first report of its kind in the Danish and English literature. Thoracoscopic treatment of GPF may be associated with less morbidity and mortality, and should be considered as the initial procedure of choice.

[Intrapleural rupture of pulmonary hydatid cysts]. / La rupture intrapleurale des kystes hydatiques pulmonaires.

INTRODUCTION: Intrapleural rupture of pulmonary hydatid cyst (PHC) is a rare but dangerous complication. The purpose of this study was to report the characteristics of this form of thoracic hydatidosis and analyze the favoring factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between 1996 and 2011, 75 patients were operated in our department for PHC ruptured in the pleura (PHCP). The characteristics of this group were compared with those of a control group of 300 patients randomly selected from patients operated during the same period for PHC. RESULTS: PHCP patients were younger than controls (23 years old vs. 27,56) (P=0.03) with male predominance (70% vs. 46%) (P=0.01). The PHCP were often located in the lower lobes (64% vs. 48%) (P=0.03). Anatomic resections were more used in control group (P=0.03) whereas decortication and pleurectomy were more frequently in PHCP (P=0.001). CONCLUSION: Young age, male sex, and basal locations of PHC promote their rupture in the pleura. Surgical treatment of these cysts requires less anatomic resections but more decortication and pleurectomy.

Endobronchial Watanabe spigot embolisation in the treatment of bronchopleural fistula due to tuberculous empyema in intensive care unit.

Tuberculosis may be complicated with empyema and fistula in patients with cellular immune deficiency. The case presented was a 39-year-old male patient with diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis developed hydropneumothorax while taking steroid and immunosuppressive treatment and examination of pleural fluid revealed acid-fast bacilli. The patient was admitted to the intensive care unit due to respiratory failure and underwent bronchoscopic examination due to air leakage. The right middle lobe was obliterated by using an endobronchial Watanabe Spigot (EWS), and the amount of leakage decreased considerably after the procedure. On day 7, chest tube drainage was removed, and empyema was drained with a Pezzer drain. On day 50, upon the cessation of empyema drainage, spigots were removed with rigid and flexible bronchoscope. In conclusion, EWS use in the treatment of bronchopleural fistula is an effective, safe and a reversible procedure.

[Postpartum pneumomediastinum associated with subcutaneous emphysema: a case report]. / Pneumomédiastin et emphysème sous-cutané du post-partum : une nouvelle observation.

This case report refers to a 21-year-old primigravida, who complained of dyspnoea and was noticed to have unusual swelling of the face and neck after home delivery. A diagnosis of subcutaneous emphysema was made and this was confirmed with the chest X-ray. Pneumomediastinum and hydropneumothorax were also detected. Uneventful recovery over three days followed conservative management.

An unusual presentation of bronchial rupture.

Persistent hydropneumothorax was diagnosed in a 62-year-old female with a history of blunt trauma, although she was treated with chest tube and closed underwater seal drainage. Computed tomography and fiberoptic bronchoscopy findings were consistent with "fallen lung" syndrome. Fiberoptic bronchoscopy also found a cavitary lesion at the right tracheobronchial angle. Forceps biopsy of the cavitary lesion indicated bronchogenic carcinoma. Our final diagnosis was tracheobronchial complete rupture and fallen lung syndrome secondary to malignancy.

Tuberculosis-associated secondary pneumothorax: a retrospective study of 53 patients.

BACKGROUND: Pneumothorax is a well known complication of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB), particularly in patients with advanced TB. METHODS: At our national TB-referral hospital, we compared the medical records of 53 TB patients with pneumothorax and 106 TB patients without pneumothorax, seen in 2003 to 2008. We analyzed data on demographics; TB type (smear-positive, smear-negative, extrapulmonary); patient type (new patient, relapse, treatment default, treatment failure); clinical and radiological manifestations; surgeries; and outcomes. RESULTS: Of the 53 pneumothorax patients, 34 (64%) were male. The pneumothorax group's mean age was 34 y (range 14-76 y). Thirty-six (68%) of the pneumothorax patients were new TB cases (ie, TB undiagnosed before they presented with pneumothorax). Pneumothorax was not significantly associated with sex, smoking, or drug use. Pneumothorax was significantly more common in patients < 30 years old (P < .001). In terms of radiological manifestations, 20 pneumothorax patients (38%) had cavitary lesions, and pulmonary infiltration and effusion were present in 19 (36%) and 17 (32%) patients, respectively. Cavitary lesion was significantly more common among the pneumothorax patients (P = .006). Overall, 47 (89%) of the pneumothorax patients were relieved with chest-tube insertion; the other pneumothorax patients were only observed. CONCLUSIONS: In patients < 30 years old or with cavitary lesions, worsening of the patient's respiratory condition should prompt consideration of pneumothorax.

Negative pressure dressing for radiation-associated wound dehiscence after posterolateral thoracotomy.

Wound complications following surgical resection in patients treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy are common and can be a difficult problem to manage. Negative pressure dressing technology appears to be safe and effective in the treatment of radiation-associated wound complications and can be used in the outpatients clinic setting. The presented case demonstrates that negative pressure dressing also manages the hydropneumothorax as a result of the dehiscence of the thoracic wall.

Successful treatment with one-way endobronchial valve of large air-leakage complicating narrow-bore enteral feeding tube malposition.

Tracheopulmonary intubation is the most common misplacement site for narrow-bore feeding tube and it might be associated with severe pleuro-pulmonary complications. A 38-year-old female with a severe bilateral pneumonia and acute respiratory insufficiency was admitted in the ICU, intubated, and mechanically ventilated. Few hours after the insertion of a narrow-bore feeding tube the patient's oxygen saturation dropped with hypotension and tachycardia. A large left-side hydropneumothorax developed requiring a chest tube. Air-leakage was important and bronchoscopic implant of one-way endobronchial valve was accomplished. Immediate and substantial decrease of air-leakage was observed, and it completely stopped after 5 days; as soon as the patient was extubated. Endobrochial one-way valve, specifically designed for bronchoscopic lung volume reduction, resulted in being safe and effective to control a significant and prolonged air-leakage due to a malposition of a narrow-bore feeding tube.