[Cervical Trachea Injury Caused by Suicide Attempt:Report of a Case].

Traumatic tracheal injuries are rare, but life-threatening. A 20-year-old man who became recluse stabbed in his neck by a kitchin knife for the purpose of suicide and was transferred to our hospital. He had stabbed wound about 8 cm in length in his anterior neck. No injury of lung, esophagus, cervical vessels was seen by cervical and chest enhanced computed tomography (CT). Emergency surgery was performed. Exploration of his neck revealed almost all of cartilage of trachea was cut in the hight just caudal to cricoid cartilage. The membranous portion of trachea was not injured. The cartilage of trachea was sutured. He was extubated on the 6th postoperative day and discharged on the 35th postoperative day. No injuries to his cervical vessels or esophagus must have contributed to his good postoperative course.j.

Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery Using Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation for Intractable Pneumothorax.

Intractable pneumothorax with poor lung function that has received multiple conservative treatments may occur. Case 1 was a 70-year-old woman with aspergilloma who was admitted for pneumothorax. Case 2 was a 68-year-old man with acute exacerbation of interstitial pneumonia who developed pneumothorax. In both cases, multiple conservative therapies were administered, but the leak continued; thus, operations using veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) were planned. By video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS), we obtained the optimal surgical field by lung collapse. We removed many blood clots that were used for pleurodesis, ligated the bulla in case 1, and covered the leak point with strengthening agents in case 2. For cases of intractable pneumothorax, lung collapse by ECMO is advantageous because we can check details and leak points even in blood clots or in poor condition of the lung, and we can maneuver the lung in poor condition with a clear surgical field.

Combination treatment with antibiotics and surgical lung resection for Mycobacterium abscessus pulmonary infection in a breast cancer patient.

A 51-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital because of pneumonia after chemotherapy with doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide for left breast cancer. The patient was diagnosed with Mycobacterium abscessus pulmonary infection by the detection of M. abscessus complex (MABC) in sputum cultures. However, MABC is intrinsically resistant to most of the antibacterial agents, and MABC pulmonary disease outcomes with modern antibiotic treatment are currently the worst among all mycobacterial species. We herein report the successful treatment of M. abscessus pulmonary infection by a combination treatment with antibiotics and surgical lung resection.

Comparison of medium-term survival outcomes between robot-assisted thoracoscopic surgery and video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery in treating primary lung cancer.

OBJECTIVES: Robot-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (RATS) for primary lung cancer has been spreading rapidly in Japan. While RATS has various technical advantages over video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS), the quality of surgery from an oncologic viewpoint must be maintained, and the evaluation of medium- to long-term survival outcomes is momentous. METHODS: This study included 299 patients with primary lung cancer (VATS, n = 246; RATS, n = 53) who underwent lobectomy and mediastinal lymph node dissection at our hospital. We reviewed and compared perioperative factors, the number of dissected lymph nodes, and postoperative recurrence between the VATS and RATS groups. We also compared the postoperative survival rates among 98 patients (49 patients in each group) whose background factors were adjusted by propensity score matching (PSM). RESULTS: After PSM, a significant difference was found in the total operative time between the two groups (p < 0.01); however, no difference was found between the RATS console time and VATS total operative time (p = 0.68). Postoperative recurrence was not significantly different between the groups (VATS, 14%; RATS, 6%; p = 0.18). The 3-year recurrence-free survival rate was not significantly different between the groups (VATS, 91.7%; RATS, 91.2%; p = 0.21). CONCLUSIONS: RATS had promising survival results, which were similar to those of VATS even after PSM. Further case series and longer observation periods are needed to determine what technical benefits of RATS may affect the prognosis of lung cancer.

Usefulness of Preoperative 18F-FDG PET/CT for Patients with Thymic Epithelial Tumors.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between preoperative FDG-PET parameters and the World Health Organization (WHO) classification or Masaoka staging system of thymic epithelial tumors. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 32 patients with histologically proven thymic epithelial tumors who underwent FDG-PET/CT before surgical resection. FDG-PET parameters, including the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), metabolic tumor volume (MTV), and total lesion glycolytic activity (TLG), were measured. These PET parameters were compared in the Masaoka staging system and WHO classification. A receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis was performed to identify the cut-off values of PET parameters for the accurate differentiation of early and advanced stages in the Masaoka staging system. RESULTS: There were 17 low-risk thymomas (1 type A, 9 type AB, and 7 type B1), 8 high-risk thymomas (4 type B2 and 4 type B3), and 7 thymic carcinomas (7 squamous cell carcinoma). Their Masaoka stages were as follows: 24 in the early stage (stages I and II) and 8 in the advanced stage (stage III). Regarding the WHO classification, only SUVmax showed a significant difference (P < 0.05). In the Masaoka stage, all PET parameters were significantly higher in the advanced stage than in the early stage (P < 0.05). In the ROC analysis to predict the early and advanced stages in thymic epithelial tumors, the area under the curve was the highest for TLG among the PET parameters examined and the cut-off value of TLG for discriminating the early from advanced stage with maximal sensitivity and specificity was 30.735. CONCLUSION: Although volumetric PET parameters, such as MTV and TLG, did not correlate with the WHO classification, a significant correlation was observed between SUVmax and the WHO classification. In the Masaoka staging system, volumetric PET parameters may achieve more precise staging than SUVmax.

[Robot-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery for Lung Cancer].

In addition to conventional video-assisted thoracic surgery(VATS)as minimallyinvasive surgeryfor lung cancer, medical insurance system of robot-assisted thoracoscopic surgery(RATS)byusing da Vinci Surgical System®(DVSS)is just adapted from this spring. Although VATS is widelydiffused in clinical practice, it is recommended as grade C1(considerable)in the latest lung cancer medical guideline. On the other hand, it has been noticed that RATS is attractive and expected to cover the disadvantages of conventional VATS. In the comparison of both VATS and RATS lobectomyfor lung cancer, theyhave been reported to be comparable in safetyand efficacy, but RATS is superior at the viewpoint of good operabilityand faster learning curve. However, high costs and the longer operative time in RATS are of a concern. Experience of RATS is still in the initial phase, however from now on RATS is graduallyinfiltrating and expected to demonstrate the improvement of perioperative outcome. Especially, manyinstitutes have just began to introduce robotic surgeryin general thoracic field after the adaption of medical insurance. So, safetyand sure spread of RATS is an urgent and important issue in our field. Of course, while coexisting with VATS, it is important to verifythe efficacyof RATS.

Cushing's syndrome caused by ACTH-producing thymic typical carcinoid with local invasion and regional lymph node metastasis: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Ectopic ACTH-producing thymic carcinoid tumors are rare, but often behave aggressively with local invasion and distant metastasis. We herein report a case of ACTH-producing thymic typical carcinoid tumor with lymph node metastasis treated by surgery and postoperative radiation therapy. CASE PRESENTATION: A 61-year-old woman was admitted to be evaluated for hypoglycemia and hypokalemia. Laboratory data revealed elevation of serum cortisol and ACTH levels. Overnight administration of 8 mg dexamethasone did not suppress plasma ACTH. Chest CT demonstrated a tumor of 30 mm in diameter and enlargement of the lymph node at the anterior mediastinum. Ectopic ACTH syndrome was suspected and total thymectomy and lymph node dissection were performed. The histopathological examination indicated typical carcinoid tumor and mediastinal lymph node metastasis, and immunohistochemical staining was positive for ACTH. The plasma ACTH level decreased immediately after surgery. She received postoperative radiation therapy of 60 Gy. CONCLUSION: Ectopic ACTH-producing thymic typical carcinoid tumors are rare, and it is important to consider this disease and perform appropriate treatment.

Clinical Significance of Subcellular Localization of Maspin in Patients with Pathological Stage IA Lung Adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Maspin is a tumor-suppressor protein and its prognostic value in lung adenocarcinoma has been reported. However, little is known about the clinical impact of subcellular localization of maspin in early-stage lung adenocarcinoma. We aimed to evaluate the clinical significance of subcellular localization of maspin in patients with pathological stage (p-stage) IA lung adenocarcinoma categorized by the new eighth edition TNM classification. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We immunohistochemically analyzed 181 tissue samples from p-stage IA1 (n=37), IA2 (n=92) and IA3 (n=52) lung adenocarcinomas using antibody for maspin. RESULTS: The 181 cases fell into five predominant subtypes: lepidic (n=32), acinar (n=97), papillary (n=30), solid (n=20) and micropapillary (n=2). The frequencies of maspin staining were: cytoplasmic-only in 24.9%; pancellular (nuclear and cytoplasmic) in 8.8%; nuclear-only in 0.6%; no staining in 65.7%. Cytoplasmic-only staining significantly correlated with high pathological T-classification (p=0.039), lymphatic invasion (p=0.002) and poorer tumor differentiation (p=0.002). The patients were followed-up for 12-151 months (median=74 months), and the cytoplasmic-only staining significantly correlated with shorter disease-free survival (DFS) (p=0.034) and disease-specific survival (DSS) (p=0.036) by log-rank tests. In Cox's multivariate analysis, lymphatic invasion had the most significant effect on shorter DFS and DSS. CONCLUSION: The expression of maspin in the cytoplasm alone could be useful for predicting unfavorable prognoses in patients with p-stage IA lung adenocarcinoma.

Podoplanin expression in cancer-associated fibroblasts predicts unfavourable prognosis in patients with pathological stage IA lung adenocarcinoma.

AIMS: Podoplanin expression in cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) has been proposed as an unfavourable indicator in squamous cell carcinoma of the lung, but little is known about its clinical significance in early-stage lung adenocarcinoma. We evaluated the prognostic impact of podoplanin expression in patients with pathological stage (p-stage) IA lung adenocarcinoma as categorised by the 8th edition of the tumour-node-metastasis classification for lung cancer. METHODS AND RESULTS: Immunohistochemical analyses using anti-podoplanin antibody were performed on resected specimens from 158 patients with p-stage IA lung adenocarcinoma. When more than 10% of cancer cells or CAFs showed immunoreactivity with podoplanin, the specimens were classified as podoplanin-positive. Podoplanin-positive status in cancer cells (n = 8) was not correlated with clinicopathological factors or with patient prognosis. Podoplanin-positive status in CAFs (n = 41) was correlated significantly with poorer tumour differentiation (P < 0.001), the presence of lymphatic invasion (P < 0.001) and high-grade (solid and/or micropapillary) components constituting ≥1% of the entire tumour (P < 0.001). The log-rank test showed that podoplanin-positive status in CAFs was associated significantly with shorter disease-free survival (DFS) (P < 0.001) and disease-specific survival (P = 0.015). In Cox's multivariate analysis, podoplanin-positive status in CAFs had the most significant effect on shorter DFS [hazard ratio (HR) = 4.411, P = 0.004], followed by the presence of high-grade components (HR = 3.581, P = 0.013). CONCLUSIONS: Podoplanin expression in CAFs could be an independent predictor of increased risk of recurrence in patients with p-stage IA lung adenocarcinoma.

Initial Results of Robotic Surgery for Primary Lung Cancer: Feasibility, Safety and Learning Curve.

BACKGROUND: At the end of 2016, robot-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (RATS) was still not covered by Japanese national health insurance. Therefore, few institutions in Japan perform RATS and even fewer have reported procedures as they occurred earlier. So, we decided to focus on the initial results of RATS for primary lung cancer. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 44 patients who underwent RATS for primary lung cancer from January 2011 to August 2016. After mastering the initial procedure, we introduced a completely portal robotic pulmonary resection procedure using a carbon dioxide insufflation system. Cases were divided into 2 groups: the early period (20 cases) and the later period (24 cases). RESULTS: There was no case of conversion to video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery or thoracotomy. In the 44 cases of primary lung cancer, median operating time was 239.5 min, console time was 179 min, blood loss was 10 mL, drainage period was 2 days, morbidity of Grade 2 or more (Clavien-Dindo classification) was 18.2%, morbidity of Grade 3 or more was only 4.6%, and there was no 30-day mortality. Median operating and console times were significantly shorter in the later period (215 min and 159.5 min, respectively) than in the initial period (300.5 min and 228 min, respectively). Median blood loss was significantly lower in the later period (5 mL) than in the initial period (50 mL). Five-year overall and disease-free survival rates were 100% and 88.9%, respectively. CONCLUSION: RATS for primary lung cancer is feasible and safe, has a faster learning curve, and provides satisfactory. Studies with longer follow-ups and larger numbers of cases are necessary.

Clinicopathological Characteristics of Lung Adenocarcinoma with Unexpected Lymph Node Metastasis.

PURPOSE: The objective is to demonstrate the clinicopathological characteristics of patients with unexpected node-positive lung adenocarcinoma and to analyze predictive factors of unexpected disease. METHODS: We reviewed 225 patients with lung adenocarcinoma who underwent curative-intent operation between January 2008 and December 2014. Unexpected node-positive diseases were defined as cases with hilar or mediastinal lymph nodes metastasis in spite of both negative significant enlargement of lymph nodes on preoperative chest computed tomography (CT) and negative fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake in lymph nodes on preoperative positron emission tomography (PET)/CT. We retrospectively analyzed clinical features of these patients and evaluated associated factors for unexpected diseases. RESULTS: There were 41 patients (18%) with unexpected node-positive disease, consisting of 16 (39%) unexpected pN1 and 25 (61%) unexpected pN2 diseases. The most common predominant subtype was papillary (22 patients; 54%), and 17 patients (41%) had micropapillary component in the tumors. Younger age (p <0.01), left side (p <0.01), larger tumor size (p <0.01), and having a micropapillary component (p <0.01) were significant associated factors of unexpected diseases in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: Histological findings of the primary tumor are often important because they can provide predictive information for lymph nodes status. Having a micropapillary component was one of the significant predictors of unexpected node-positive diseases.

[Two Surgical Cases of Müllerian Cyst Arising From the Posterior Mediastinum].

We experienced 2 cases of Müllerian cyst. Case 1 was a 48-year-old woman with a paravertebral cystic tumor. The tumor grew from 23 to 31 mm in diameter for the 3 years. She underwent video-assisted thoracic surgery(VATS) for the excision of the tumor. Case 2 was a 40-year-old woman with a paravertebral cystic tumor, who underwent VATS. The Histological finding showed that the tumors of both cases were the cysts lined by non-stratified cuboidal to columnar epithelium and epithelial cells were positive in the nucleus with estrogen receptor immunohistochemically. The resected cysts were finally diagnosed as Müllerian cyst. Twenty four published cases of Müllerian cyst were reported before, including symptomatic and growing cases. There were some reports of malignant transformation in cases of pelvic origin.

Simplified comorbidity score for elderly patients undergoing thoracoscopic surgery for lung cancer.

PURPOSE: We investigated the efficiency of the Simplified Comorbidity Score (SCS) for predicting postoperative complications and prognosis in elderly patients undergoing video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for lung cancer. METHODS: We reviewed 216 patients aged 75 years or older, who underwent pulmonary resection by VATS for lung cancer between January, 2005 and December, 2012. The SCS assigns different scores to patients' comorbidities; namely, smoking (n = 7); diabetes mellitus (n = 5); renal insufficiency (n = 4); and respiratory, neoplastic, and cardiovascular comorbidities or alcoholism (n = 1 each). Patients were divided into a high SCS group (SCS ≥ 9; n = 154) and a low SCS group (<9; n = 62), for a comparative analysis of differences in perioperative factors and prognoses. RESULTS: Limited resection was more frequent in the high SCS group (58 %) than in the low SCS group (40 %; P = 0.02). Postoperative complications were more frequent in the high SCS group (45 %) than in the low SCS group (15 %; P < 0.01). A logistic regression analysis revealed that a high SCS was significantly predictive of postoperative complications (odds ratio 2.7; P = 0.02). The 5-year overall survival rate was 79 % for the low SCS group and 52 % for the high SCS group (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The SCS can predict the likelihood of postoperative complications and prognosis of elderly patients with VATS-treated lung cancers.

Podoplanin Expression in Cancer-associated Fibroblasts Predicts Poor Prognosis in Patients with Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Lung.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Podoplanin is a candidate cancer stem cell marker in squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Several studies have reported the prognostic value of podoplanin expression in tumor cells in lung SCC but few have focused on its expression in cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). The aim of this study was to analyze the prognostic significance of podoplanin expression, with special reference to the expression pattern in both tumor cells and CAFs. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Immunohistochemical analyses using anti-podoplanin antibody were performed on 126 resected specimens of lung SCC. When more than 10% of tumor cells or CAFs showed immunoreactivity with podoplanin levels as strong as those of the positive controls, the specimens were classified as a podoplanin-positive. RESULTS: Podoplanin-positive status in tumor cells (n=54) was correlated with a lower incidence of lymphatic invasion (p=0.031) but there were no significant differences in disease-free survival (DFS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) by the log-rank test. Podoplanin-positive status in CAFs (n=41) was correlated with more advanced stage (p=0.008), higher frequency of pleural invasion (p=0.002) and both shorter DFS (p=0.006) and DSS (p=0.006). In Cox's multivariate analysis, podoplanin-positive status in CAFs was an independent negative prognostic factor for DFS (p=0.027) and DSS (p=0.027). CONCLUSION: Podoplanin expression in CAFs might be an independent unfavorable prognostic indicator in patients with lung SCC, irrespective of the expression status of tumor cells.

Distribution and Prevalence of Locoregional Recurrence after Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery for Primary Lung Cancer.

Background The aim of this study is to evaluate cases with locoregional recurrence after video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for primary lung cancer. Methods We reviewed 248 patients with primary lung cancer who underwent lobectomy or segmentectomy with mediastinal lymph node dissection by VATS between January 2005 and December 2011. Locoregional recurrence is defined as per its occurrence in (1) bronchial stump or lung parenchymal cut end, (2) ipsilateral pleura, and (3) ipsilateral hilar and mediastinal lymph nodes, and we analyzed recurrence rate and significant associated factors for locoregional recurrence by logistic regression analysis. Results There were 47 cases of postoperative recurrence, which consisted of 26 distant, 6 locoregional and distant, and 15 locoregional recurrences. The locoregional recurrence rate was 6.0%. Of the 15 locoregional recurrence cases, there were two cases of bronchial stump and lung parenchyma cut end (0.4%), five cases of ipsilateral pleura (2.0%), and eight cases of ipsilateral hilar and mediastinal lymph nodes (3.2%). Pleural and lymphovascular invasion and advanced stages were significant associated factors in univariate analysis. Multivariate analysis revealed that advanced stages were only a significant associated factor for locoregional recurrence (p < 0.01, odds ratio: 3.3). Conclusion Although locoregional recurrence rates of our surgical treatments for primary lung cancer by VATS might be acceptable, we should explore more effective modalities against pathologically proven local advanced lung cancer for preventing not only distant but also locoregional recurrences.

[Current status and future prospects of robotic surgery for lung cancer].

As the use of robotic surgery has widely spread, its usefulness in the field of general thoracic surgery needs to be verified. The biggest advantage of robotic surgery is the remarkably free movement of joint-equipped robotic forceps under 3-dimensional high vision. An accurate operation makes complex procedures straightforward and may overcome the disadvantages of previous thoracoscopic surgery. Robotic surgery for lung cancer has been safely introduced, and the initial results have been favorable. While still at the stage of clinical research, it is expected to be useful in hilar exposure, lymph node dissection, and suturing of lung parenchyma or bronchus. We considered robotic surgery for lung cancer surgery because of its ability to facilitate both thoracotomy and minimally invasive video-assisted thoracic surgery. Robotic thoracic surgery has not been sufficiently examined for its usefulness, and other major issues such as safety management, education, and significant cost need to be addressed. However, it may become an extension of thoracoscopic surgery, and studies showing its usefulness for primary lung cancer have been increasing. Two urgent issues are its use in advanced medical care and national heal th insurance coverage.

Excellent prognosis of lepidic-predominant lung adenocarcinoma: low incidence of lymphatic vessel invasion as a key factor.

AIM: To clarify the prognostic value of predominant histological subtypes for small-sized lung adenocarcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty-four specimens of resected invasive lung adenocarcinoma less than 20 mm in diameter with no lymph node metastasis were studied. These specimens were microscopically classified into predominant histological subtypes (21 lepidic, 16 acinar, 24 papillary, and three solid) according to the International association for the study of lung cancer/American thoracic society/European respiratory society adenocarcinoma classification. The relationships between tumor relapse and predominant histological subtypes were statistically analyzed. In addition the relationships between several pathological factors and predominant histological subtypes were statistically assessed. RESULTS: Kaplan-Meier relapse-free curves showed a five-year relapse-free rate of 100% in 64 patients with lepidic-predominant adenocarcinoma, compared with a rate of 73.7% (p=0.035 by log rank test) in patients with non-lepidic-predominant adenocarcinoma (papillary, acinar, and solid). The only statistically significant pathological factor between lepidic-predominant and non-lepidic-predominant histological subtypes was lymphatic vessel invasion as assessed by logistic regression analysis. CONCLUSION: In small-sized lung adenocarcinoma, lepidic-predominant histological subtype is the best prognostic factor, and a low incidence of lymphatic vessel invasion in the histological subtype is a key factor for an excellent prognosis.

Desmoid tumor requiring differentiation from port-site relapse after surgery for lung cancer.

Thoracoscopic left lower lobectomy with lymph node dissection for lung cancer was performed in a 76-year-old man. The diagnosis was pT2aN2M0 adenocarcinoma. Sixteen months after surgery, CT revealed a pleural tumor measuring 38 mm at the surgical port wound. CT-guided biopsy revealed fibroma. However, the tumor size increased 4 months after biopsy, and surgery was performed. An intraoperative diagnosis revealed benign fibroma. Thoracoscopic tumorectomy was conducted. The pathological diagnosis was desmoid tumor. As the margins of the resected specimen were positive, radiotherapy was performed. During the 16-month follow-up period, there has been no relapse. Pleural desmoid tumors must be differentiated from port-site relapse.

Thymic metastasis of breast cancer 22 years after surgery: a case report.

We report a rare case of thymic metastasis of breast cancer. A 68-year-old woman, who had undergone surgery for cancer in her right breast and had been free of recurrence for 22 years, was noted to have an abnormal shadow on a chest X-ray at a regular medical checkup. Further workup, including chest CT, revealed a 22 × 18-mm mass in the anterior mediastinum. Fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose-PET showed increased fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose uptake that was highly suggestive of thymoma. Thoracoscopic thymothymectomy was performed. The tumor had invaded the pericardium, which was also resected. A small nodule was found in the right lung, and it was also resected. The intraoperative frozen-section diagnosis was breast cancer metastasis to the thymus and lung. The pathological diagnosis was luminal A solid tubular carcinoma (strongly estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor positive, HER2 negative) with an MIB-1 index of less than 5%. After surgery, the patient was treated with an aromatase inhibitor. As of August 2013, she has been free of recurrence for more than 36 months. It is extremely rare for breast cancer to metastasize to the thymus more than 20 years after surgery.