Preoperative nutritional counselling in patients undergoing oesophagectomy.

BACKGROUND: Patients undergoing surgery for oesophageal cancer are at high risk of malnutrition due to pathology and neoadjuvent therapy. This study sought to determine if oesophageal cancer patients undergoing oesophagectomy achieve superior clinical outcomes when preoperative nutritional counselling is performed. METHODS: Oesophageal cancer patients undergoing oesophagectomy were retrospectively divided into cohorts based on those who received (n = 48) and did not receive (n = 58) preoperative nutritional counselling. We compared weight loss, length of stay, 30-day readmission related to nutrition or feeding tube problems, and 90-day mortality. RESULTS: Per cent weight loss was less in patients who received preoperative nutritional counselling. There was a trend toward decreased mean length of stay and there were fewer readmissions for feeding tube-related complications in patients who received counselling. CONCLUSIONS: Nutritional counselling before surgery may lead to decreased weight loss and reduced readmissions for feeding tube-related complications in patients with oesophageal cancer undergoing oesophagectomy.

A rare case of chordoma presenting as a Pancoast tumor.

The notochord is the defining structure of all chordate embryos. It is a midline structure ventral to the ectoderm, neural plates, and neural arch. Remnants of the notochord ultimately give rise to the nucleus pulposus. The function of the notochord is to organize the surrounding structures. Chordoma is a rare malignant bone tumor arising from remnants of the notochord. These tumors are indolent and can present as incidental or locally advanced involving adjacent structures. These tumors typically present at the skull base and sacral spine but more rarely can be seen on the cervical and thoracic spine. Rare cases of chordoma invading the brachial plexus have been recorded. Surgical resection is the mainstay of treatment for chordomas. We would like to discuss a novel presentation of a chordoma as a Pancoast tumor, and aim to highlight the clinical importance of accurate diagnosis and planning therapy along with poor prognosis of incomplete surgical resection.

Treatment of sternoclavicular joint osteomyelitis with debridement and delayed resection with muscle flap coverage improves outcomes.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of various treatment options for sternoclavicular joint osteomyelitis. We evaluated patients with a diagnosis of sternoclavicular joint osteomyelitis, treated at our hospital from 2002 to 2012. Four treatment options were compared. Three out of twelve patients were successfully cured with antibiotics alone (25%). Debridement with or without negative pressure therapy was successful for one of three patients (33%). Simultaneous debridement, bone resection, and muscle flap coverage of the acquired defect successfully treated one of two patients (50%). Debridement with delayed bone resection and muscle flap coverage was successful in five of five patients (100%). Osteomyelitis of the sternoclavicular joint is a rare disease that has become more prevalent in recent years and can be associated with increasing use of long-term indwelling catheters. Initial debridement with delayed bone resection and pectoralis major muscle flap coverage can effectively treat sternoclavicular joint osteomyelitis.

Acute shingles after resection of thoracic schwannoma.

Herpes zoster is relatively uncommon after surgery in immunocompetent patients. To our knowledge, there have been no reports of herpes zoster after the resection of a thoracic schwannoma. We report the case of a 48-year-old woman in whom acute shingles developed after the video-assisted thoracic surgical resection of a posterior mediastinal schwannoma adjacent to the 4th thoracic vertebral body. The patient recovered after receiving timely antiviral therapy. Rash and pain are common in patients who have wound infections and contact dermatitis after surgery, so the possible reactivation of varicella virus might not be prominent in the surgeon's mind. This case serves as a reminder that viral infections such as shingles should be considered in the differential diagnosis of postoperative erythema and pain.