Adenosquamous carcinoma of the lung in a patient with complete situs inversus.

We present a rare case of adenosquamous carcinoma of the lung in a patient with complete situs inversus. The patient was a 76-year-old woman with the chief complaint of hemosputum. Chest X-ray and computed tomography (CT) scans of the thorax showed a mirror image of the organs and vessels and revealed a tumor 3.5 cm in diameter, in the left lower lung field. She was referred and admitted to KKR Hokuriku Hospital, Kanazawa, Japan to undergo surgery. Bronchoscopy showed a mirror image of the usual arrangement of the bronchi, and 5 segmental branches in the left lower bronchi. During surgery, care was exercised when intubation with the Univent bronchial tube for one-lung ventilation. On thoracotomy, the gross appearance of the left lung and the arrangement of the pulmonary vessels and the bronchi corresponded to those normally found on the right side. We were successful in performing a left lower lobectomy. Postoperative diagnosis confirmed an adenosquamous carcinoma with localized pleural dissemination as p-t4n1m0, stage IIIa. Preoperative imaging, including CT, bronchoscopy, and angiographic examination of the patient, will be useful for prevention of vascular or bronchial injury during surgery in patients with complete situs inversus undergoing lung resection. Possible vascular or bronchial anomalies should always be taken into consideration while operating on these patients.

Advanced lung cancer invading the left atrium, treated with pneumonectomy combined with left atrium resection under cardiopulmonary bypass.

A 68-year-old man presented with a chief complaint being a cough. Based on a bronchoscopic biopsy, it was diagnosed at a nearby clinic as an advanced left lung cancer, and he was referred to our hospital. Chest computed tomography (CT) scans demonstrated a giant mass of the left lower lobe, 14 × 12 cm in size, which appeared to have invaded the left atrium (LA). The operation was started with double vena cava cannulation via the right internal jugular vein and the right femoral vein as well as arterial cannulation via the right femoral artery. The patient underwent left pneumonectomy combined with LA resection using cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), without aortic clamping, through left posterolateral thoracotomy under hypothermia (32 °C). The tumor-invaded LA was resected in a 3.5 × 3.0 cm area, with vascular clamping, and the stump was closed with 3-0 Prolene sutures. The surgical margin was free of tumor cells, and the duration of CPB was 28 minutes. The patient was smoothly weaned from CPB. His postoperative course was uneventful, and he received 2 courses of adjuvant chemotherapy. For a combined resection of the LA, it is safer to use CPB than simple vascular clamping, since the latter involves the risk of dislocation. If CPB is used, the tension of the LA is removed by blood extraction into the bypass, and bradycardia is induced by a reduction of body temperature, probably reducing the risk of clamp dislocation. Even when clamp dislocation or bleeding resulting from injury of the LA wall unfortunately takes place during surgery, these events can be dealt with appropriately during the use of CPB.

Modification of the surgical procedure to enable the complete resection of lung cancer with carcinomatous pleuritis.

Carcinomatous pleuritis, accompanied by pleural dissemination or malignant pleural effusion, is listed as one of the factors limiting adequate surgical treatment. It is relatively easy to peel the parietal pleura of the chest wall and mediastinum during a pleuropneumonectomy, but it is quite difficult to peel the parietal pleura of the diaphragm. A pleuropneumonectomy was conducted with the combined resection of the pericardium and all layers of the diaphragm without opening of the peritoneum through a posterolateral subcostal approach. This approach thus made it possible to perform a complete resection of the diaphragm relatively easily in a reliable manner, and also contributed to a more thorough resection of pleural dissemination without a second thoracotomy.

Single incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) using cross hand technique.

Single incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) was developed as a less invasive surgical procedure, but it remains difficult because of its specific skills and left-right reversal of the instruments. Such a difference makes manipulating endoscopic instruments more challenging and increases the risk. In this study, we introduce the cross hand technique allowing the surgeon to manipulate instruments with intuitive movement.

Intractable lung abscess successfully treated with cavernostomy and free omental plombage using microvascular surgery.

A 68-year-old man, complaining of fever and puriform sputum, was referred to our hospital. A giant abscess was detected in the upper lobe of the right lung. Percutaneous drainage of a lung abscess was carried out. When the pus collected was cultured, Candida was 1+ and Escherichia coli was 2+. Later, it became difficult to control the abscess by drainage, and cavernostomy was selected. The contents of the abscess cavity were removed, and the cavity was opened, followed by exchange of gauze every day. For 14 months after cavernostomy, once-weekly gauze exchange was continued at the outpatient clinic to clean the abscess cavity. Finally, the abscess was filled with a free greater omentum flap, accompanied by microvascular anastomosis. In this way, the intractable lung abscess was successfully cured. Conventionally, surgical treatment, particularly cavernostomy, has been applied only to limited cases when dealing with a lung abscess. Our experience with the present case suggests that surgical treatment, including cavernostomy as one option, should also be considered when dealing with lung abscesses resisting medical treatment and causing compromised respiratory function. To enable maximum utilization of the greater omental flap, which is available in only a limited amount, it seems useful to prepare and graft a free omental flap making use of microvascular surgery.

Total esophago-gastrectomy followed by composite reconstruction with retrosternal pedicled jejunum and antethoracic-free jejunal autograft: a case report.

The patient was a 72-year-old man. He received a detailed gastrointestinal examination because of severe anemia. Early multiple esophageal cancers (affecting 3 sites of the esophagus) and advanced gastric cancer were detected. The patient was scheduled to undergo surgical treatment (esophagectomy and total gastrectomy). This operation would be followed by reconstruction with a pedicled jejunum via the antethoracic route. During the operation, however, the mesentery was found to be thick and short, and the anteroposterior dimension of the patient's body was longer than normal. For these reasons, reconstruction with a pedicled jejunum alone via the antethoracic route was judged to be impossible. We then tried composite reconstruction with a pedicled jejunum and free jejunal autograft via the ante-thoracic route. With this method, the pedicled jejunum was not long enough to allow safe anastomosis of both ends of the intestine. To resolve this difficulty, we raised the pedicled jejunum via the retrosternal route to reduce the needed distance for raising, and the free jejunal autograft before the chest wall was guided to a location behind the sternum at the 3rd intercostal level, followed by anastomosis. In this way, we achieved reconstruction while avoiding tension to the reconstructed intestine. Composite reconstruction using the pedicled jejunum and free jejunal autograft is useful as a means of reconstruction of the esophagus when the stomach affected by disease cannot be used for reconstruction, since this method is expected to reduce the tension to the anastomosed area and ensure good blood supply. Our technique is useful when the intestine to be raised is not long enough for composite reconstruction via the antethoracic route.

Solitary fibrous tumor in the pelvic cavity with hypoglycemia: report of a case.

A case of solitary fibrous tumor (SFT) in the pelvic cavity with hypoglycemia is reported. The patient was a 60-year-old man who was referred to our hospital for a closer examination of hypoglycemia. Computed tomography demonstrated a mass, measuring 14 x 9 cm in size, in the pelvic cavity. Magnetic resonance imaging showed the mass to have a low signal intensity on T1-weighted images and a high intensity on T2-weighted images. Laparotomy revealed no peritoneal dissemination nor lymph node metastasis. An en bloc excision of the tumor was performed with a good recovery, and the hypoglycemia disappeared. Histologically, the tumor was composed of spindle-shaped and oval cells in sarcoma, based on a moderate mitotic rate and cellularity. Immunohistochemically, the tumor was positive for CD34 and negative for keratin, alpha-smooth muscle actin, desmin, S100 protein, c-kit protein, and epithelial membrane antigen. Based on these findings, the tumor was diagnosed to be malignant SFT in the pelvic cavity.