SF6 is a useful expander for post-pneumonectomy syndrome in the long-term course: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Post-pneumonectomy syndrome (PPS) is a rare but serious condition that can occur after pneumonectomy. It is characterized by a mediastinal shift towards the vacated hemithorax, which can potentially lead to respiratory failure. The management of PPS poses a clinical challenge, especially in the context of the limited availability of certain therapeutic devices due to regulatory restrictions in Japan. CASE PRESENTATION: A 36-year-old female with stage IB non-small cell lung cancer underwent left pneumonectomy. Approximately 2 years later, she developed dyspnea. After consulting with our hospital, subsequent imaging revealed an extreme mediastinal shift causing bronchial obstruction. Emergency thoracotomy and subsequent sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) injections were successfully used to manage her condition. Over the course of follow-up, the interval between SF6 injections was extended from 3 to 11 months, indicating an improvement in the intrathoracic condition. CONCLUSIONS: This case illustrates the efficacy of SF6 gas in treating PPS and in reducing the frequency of medical interventions. SF6 gas administration is safe and effective for the treatment of patients with PPS.

Intraoperative cone-beam computed tomography to secure the surgical margin in pulmonary wedge resection for indistinct intrapulmonary lesions.

Objective: The objective of this study was to use cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) for intraoperative imaging of a pulmonary wedge resection line that contributes to securing the required surgical margin in patients undergoing thoracoscopic surgery for indistinct intrapulmonary lesions. Methods: Data of 16 consecutive patients with potentially impalpable intrapulmonary lesions were retrospectively reviewed. Preoperatively, we simulated a rhomboidal cut line on the surface of a 3-dimensional lung model with reference to multiplanar reconstruction computed tomography images. Intraoperatively, we imaged the rhomboid on the real lung surface using trial and error adjustment with CBCT. Wedge resection was performed thoracoscopically by stapling along the outline of the rhomboid. Results: The mean consolidation diameter and mean distance between the tumor and the visceral pleura were 2 mm and 11 mm, respectively. In all cases, we only performed single CBCT scanning to localize the rhomboid on the real lung surface. The mean radiological distance between the approximate location and the correct location was 8 mm (range, 0-34 mm). Wedge resection was successful with a mean surgical margin of 11 mm (range, 7-16 mm), without conversion to anatomical resection or open conversion. This simulation was also helpful for planning port placement for the use of an autostapler. Conclusions: We established a novel procedure for imaging the cut line on the lung surface with intraoperative CBCT, which facilitated the performance of wedge resection with the required surgical margin in patients with potentially impalpable intrapulmonary small lesions. Our method might be beneficial for patients and surgeons because it can be applied without preoperative intervention.

Pleurography (thoracography) for pleural fistulas: A case series.

BACKGROUND: Pleurography (PG) has been described previously but has not gained popularity. PG can determine the exact air leak points in the lung, which is important for treating pneumothorax and pleural fistulas. We believe that the usefulness of PG should be reassessed, and here we describe the method, air leak detection rate, and common complications. METHODS: From the 1210 cases of pleural fistulas that were treated at our institution between March 2015 and October 2018, 275 patients with recurrent primary pneumothorax or secondary spontaneous pneumothorax were selected for this study. PG was performed in 127 patients with persistent air leakage during exhalation. In addition, 35 patients with postoperative complications of air leakage persisting for 7 days or longer were included. RESULTS: Air leak points were detected in 119 patients (73%), in the apex of the lung in 65 cases, in the basal segment in 13 cases, and in the middle lobe or lingular segment in 9 cases. There were 8 cases of hilar lesions, 12 cases of S6 lesions, 8 cases of upper lobe lesions other than apex, and 4 cases of upper mediastinal lesions. Complications within 30 days were observed in 10 cases (6.2%), with 8 grade 2 cases involving fever, 1 grade 3 case involving infection, and one grade 1 case with abdominal distension. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of grade ≥3 adverse events after PG was 0.6%, which is considered acceptable. Our findings suggest that PG is a safe examination method to identify air leaks before surgery for pleural fistulas.

Targeted Therapy Followed by Cytotoxic Chemotherapy in Preoperative Patients With Locally Advanced Lung Adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Although oncogene-targeted therapy is a first-line treatment for advanced, unresectable lung adenocarcinoma harboring a target gene mutation, its effect on potentially resectable, locally advanced lung adenocarcinoma remains unclear. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Ten patients with clinically diagnosed stage III lung adenocarcinoma harboring a target gene mutation were enrolled in the current feasibility study of targeted therapy followed by cytotoxic chemotherapy (platinum and pemetrexed) before radical surgery. RESULTS: Complete resection was accomplished in all nine patients who went on to surgery (one patient refused surgery), and all of these patients recovered without major postoperative complications. Overall, almost all of the patients who underwent surgery remain disease-free after a median follow-up of 22 months since the initial treatment, with only one patient dying of recurrence. CONCLUSION: Radical surgery after the sequential use of cytostatic and cytotoxic drugs resulted in a favorable short-term outcome.

Expression of Bone Morphogenetic Protein-7 Significantly Correlates With Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Progression and Prognosis: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Bone morphogenetic protein-7 (BMP-7) is a signaling molecule belonging to the transforming growth factor-ß superfamily. Recent studies have demonstrated that BMP-7 is expressed in various human cancers and plays an important role in the progression of their cancers. The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinicopathologic and prognostic impact of BMP-7 expression in clinical samples of non-small cell lung cancer. METHODS: This study enrolled 160 patients with non-small cell lung cancer who underwent complete resection. Expression of BMP-7 in cancer tissue was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Correlations between expression of BMP-7 and clinicopathologic factors and prognosis were analyzed. RESULTS: In non-small cell lung cancer, BMP-7 expression was identified not only in cell membranes but also in the cytoplasm of cancer cells. Expression of BMP-7 correlated with p-T (P = .047), N factor (P = .013), and p-stage (P = .046). Overall survival rate was significantly lower in the BMP-7-positive group than in the BMP-7-negative group (P = .004). Multivariate analysis indicated that BMP-7 expression was one of the independent prognosis factors of overall survival (P = .021). Furthermore, among patients with postoperative recurrence (n = 58), the BMP-7-positive group (n = 29) had a significantly poorer prognosis than the BMP-7-negative group (n = 29) (P = .012). CONCLUSIONS: Expression of BMP-7 in non-small cell lung cancer was correlated with clinicopathologic factors and poorer prognosis. BMP-7 expression may be a useful predictor of aggressive activity of tumor behavior and postoperative outcome of patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

Crucial role of angiography in the surgical planning of a pulmonary artery aneurysm.

A 46-year-old woman was found to have an aneurysm of the superior segmental pulmonary artery in the right lower lung lobe on computed tomography images. Moreover, angiography revealed dilated bronchial arteries flowing into the aneurysm with neovascularization, and the contrast medium was partially pooled in the basal segment of the same lobe. The patient's hemoptysis could not be controlled by an interventional radiology procedure. Therefore, lobectomy was carried out instead of aneurysmectomy. There has been no recurrence for 4 years after surgery. We considered that that angiographic information allowed for the most appropriate operation in this case.