Social factors associated with pulmonary hydatid cyst in Aegean, Turkey.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary hydatid cysts are caused by larval forms of the tapeworm Echinococcus granulosus. Hydatid disease, which is endemic in Turkey, is an important health problem in agricultural and stockbreeding areas where there are insufficient environmental health and preventive medicine services. Previous studies on this topic reported that hydatid disease was frequently associated with stockbreeding in rural areas. OBJECTIVES: In this retrospective clinical study, it is aimed to evaluate the social factors associated with pulmonary hydatid cyst in the Aegean region of Turkey. METHODS: Seventy-one pulmonary hydatid cyst cases reported between 1998 and 2010 in four hospitals in the Aegean region for which data were available on social and lifestyle factors were reviewed. RESULTS: In contrast to expectations, we found that pulmonary hydatid disease in the Aegean region was associated with city rather than rural life and with occupations other than stockbreeding. CONCLUSION: The findings are attributed to the presence of uncontrolled dogs in the city and urban environmental pollution. The offices of the public administration have a responsibility to inform citizens about the control of street animals, environmental health, and food hygiene.

Comparison of clinical and pathological tumor, node and metastasis staging of lung cancer: 15-year experience with 530 patients.

AIM: The prognosis of patients with lung cancer depends on early diagnosis and accurate staging. The present staging system for lung cancer is tumor (T), node (N), and metastasis (M) staging (TNM). We compared the accuracy of preoperative (clinical) and postoperative (pathological) TNM staging of lung cancer in this study and emphasized the preoperative mediastinoscopy is useful in selected patients. METHODS: We performed a retrospective comparison of the clinical and pathological TNM staging of 530 patients with lung cancer treated surgically. The preoperative clinical TNM staging of all patients was based on physical examination, radiological investigations and bronchoscopy. Mediastinoscopy was used routinely for all patients with an indication since 2000. RESULTS: We found the agreement between clinical and pathological TNM staging to be only 46.4%. The comparison between clinical and pathological TNM staging was 6.2-5.3% at stage Ia, 37.9%-36% at stage Ib, 0.7-0.9% at stage IIa, 23-25% at stage IIb, 27.1-16.2% at stage IIIa, and 3.2-14% at stage IIIb respectively. The frequency rates of the different clinical and pathologic stages were 6.2% and 5.3%, for stage Ia, 37.9% and 36% for stage Ib, 0.7% and 0.9% for stage IIa, 23% and 25% for stage IIb, 27.1% and 16.2% for stage IIIa, 3.2% and 14% for stage IIIb respectively. CONCLUSION: We compared the clinical and pathological staging in patients with non small cell lung cancer submitted to surgical treatment to identify the causes of any discordance. The clinical TNM and staging based on computerized tomography was found to be inaccurate.

[Functional results of surgical treatment of bronchiectasis in a developing country]. / Resultados funcionales del tratamiento quirúrgico de las bronquiectasias en un país en vías de desarrollo.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of bronchiectasis has decreased significantly over recent decades in developed countries. However, resection for bronchiectasis still plays an important part in thoracic surgery practice in developing countries such as Turkey. This study was designed to evaluate the outcomes of surgical treatment for bronchiectasis, particularly in aspects related to the effects on functional well-being. PATIENTS AND METHOD: From January 1995 through December 2003, operations for bronchiectasis were performed in 81 patients. Demographic features, type of resection, and operative morbidity and mortality were evaluated. The outcomes related to overall "social" or nonpulmonary functional status were classified and compared according to a scale constructed to assess patients' well-being preoperatively and at the 6th postoperative month. RESULTS: The mean age was 24.4 years and 47 patients (58%) were male. Surgical treatment was lobectomy in 37 (45%), pneumonectomy in 10 (12%), segmentectomy in 13 (16%), and lobectomy plus segmentectomy in 22 (27%) of the operations. Complete resection of disease was achieved in 69 patients (85%). There was no operative mortality. The rate of morbidity was 18.3%. Improvement to a functional status of excellent was observed in 81.7% and improvement to a status of good was seen in 12.7% of patients; 5.6% experienced no change. The results of complete resection were significantly better than those of incomplete resection (P=.0015). CONCLUSION: Functional results of surgical treatment for bronchiectasis in this series suggest that the outcomes are favorable and promising, particularly in selected patients with sufficient pulmonary reserves and localized disease who are suitable for complete resection.

Resultados funcionales del tratamiento quirúrgico de las bronquiectasias en un país en vías de desarrollo / Functional results of surgical treatment of bronchiectasis in a developing country

Objetivo: La prevalencia de las bronquiectasias ha disminuido significativamente durante los últimos decenios en los países desarrollados. Sin embargo, la resección quirúrgica de las bronquiectasias desempeña todavía un papel importante en la práctica de la cirugía torácica en los países en vías de desarrollo como Turquía. El presente estudio se ha diseñado para evaluar los resultados obtenidos con el tratamiento quirúrgico de las bronquiectasias, especialmente en lo que se refiere a sus efectos sobre el bienestar funcional de los pacientes. Pacientes y método: Entre enero de 1995 y diciembre de 2003 recibieron tratamiento quirúrgico debido a bronquiectasias 81 pacientes. Se evaluaron las características demográficas, el tipo de resección quirúrgica y la morbilidad y mortalidad operatorias. Los resultados relativos al nivel funcional global "social" o extrapulmonar se clasificaron y compararon con una escala creada para determinar el grado de bienestar de los pacientes antes de la intervención y a los 6 meses. Resultados: La edad media de los pacientes era de 24,4 años y 47 (58%) eran de sexo masculino. El tratamiento quirúrgico consistió en lobectomía en 37 (45%), neumonectomía en 10 (12%), segmentectomía en 13 (16%) y la combinación de lobectomía y segmentectomía en 22 (27%) de las intervenciones quirúrgicas. La resección completa se llevó a cabo en 69 pacientes (85%). No se produjo ningún fallecimiento a consecuencia de la cirugía. La tasa de morbilidad fue del 18,3%. Se observó mejoría hasta un estado funcional excelente en el 81,7% de los pacientes, así como mejoría hasta un estado funcional bueno en el 12,7%; en el 5,6% no se observaron cambios. Los resultados obtenidos con la resección completa fueron significativamente mejores que los conseguidos con la resección incompleta (p = 0,0015). Conclusión: Los resultados funcionales del tratamiento quirúrgico de las bronquiectasias obtenidos en esta serie de pacientes son favorables y prometedores, especialmente en pacientes seleccionados con una reserva pulmonar suficiente y con un proceso patológico localizado en quienes es posible la resección completa

Background: The prevalence of bronchiectasis has decreased significantly over recent decades in developed countries. However, resection for bronchiectasis still plays an important part in thoracic surgery practice in developing countries such as Turkey. This study was designed to evaluate the outcomes of surgical treatment for bronchiectasis, particularly in aspects related to the effects on functional well-being. Patients and method: From January 1995 through December 2003, operations for bronchiectasis were performed in 81 patients. Demographic features, type of resection, and operative morbidity and mortality were evaluated. The outcomes related to overall "social" or nonpulmonary functional status were classified and compared according to a scale constructed to assess patients' well-being preoperatively and at the 6th postoperative month. Results: The mean age was 24.4 years and 47 patients (58%) were male. Surgical treatment was lobectomy in 37 (45%), pneumonectomy in 10 (12%), segmentectomy in 13 (16%), and lobectomy plus segmentectomy in 22 (27%) of the operations. Complete resection of disease was achieved in 69 patients (85%). There was no operative mortality. The rate of morbidity was 18.3%. Improvement to a functional status of excellent was observed in 81.7% and improvement to a status of good was seen in 12.7% of patients; 5.6% experienced no change. The results of complete resection were significantly better than those of incomplete resection (P=.0015). Conclusion: Functional results of surgical treatment for bronchiectasis in this series suggest that the outcomes are favorable and promising, particularly in selected patients with sufficient pulmonary reserves and localized disease who are suitable for complete resection

[Thoracic trauma: analysis of 987 cases]. / Gögüs travmalari: 987 olgunun analizi.

In Izmir Chest Diseases and Thoracic Surgery Training Hospital, Department of 1st Thoracic Surgery, between 1988 and 1998, 987 patients who were treated for their chest trauma were retrospectively reviewed in regard to their age, sex, cause of trauma, associated organ injuries, treatment modality, complication rate and mortality. In 710 (72%) cases of chest injuries were related to blunt trauma and 277 (28%) patients sustained penetrating trauma. 402 (41%) patients underwent tube thoracostomy only. While majority of patients (553 pts, 56%) were managed conservatively, only 32 (3%) underwent thoracotomy. Complication rate in our series was 4.6% and the most frequently atelectasis was seen. 13 patients died due to trauma related causes (mortality: 1.3%). There was no difference between blunt and penetrating trauma patients in view of morbidity and mortality rates (p = 0.29 and p = 0.10, respectively). Mean hospital stay among all patients was 9.6 +/- 8.6 days. This period was 10.0 +/- 8.5 days in blunt trauma group, and 8.4 +/- 8.6 days in penetrating trauma group. However this difference has reached statistical significance at a p value of 0.0068.

Atypically located pericardial cysts.

Pericardial cysts are generally recognized when they present in a cardiophrenic angle, but may not be suspected when they occur elsewhere in the thorax. To highlight the unusual localisations of pericardial cysts, we represent two patients with cysts of which one was adjacent to the left pulmonary hilum and the other was located in the subpulmonary region. The clinicians should take into consideration this entity in the differential diagnosis of cystic lesions of the mediastinum.

An unusual pulmonary perforation case after chest tube placement.

Pulmonary laceration is an uncommon complication of tube thoracostomy technique that is expected vigorous clinically and may be fatal. In this study, we report a case of pulmonary laceration owing to a tube thoracostomy, with no clinical signs, and detected incidentally on thorax computed tomography.

Fibro-osseous lesion of rib.

A 3 x 4 cm homogeneous opacity was incidentally detected over the first rib at routine chest radiography. Radionuclide bone scan identified a hot spot, not excluding malignancy and excision of the rib revealed fibro-osseous lesion. A review of the literature showed 12 cases of this extremely rare lesion.

Bronchogenic cysts: clinicopathological presentation and treatment.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the preoperative and operative presentations of one paediatric and 30 adult patients with bronchogenic cyst of the mediastinum (n = 11) and lung (n = 20). At initial presentation, six patients were asymptomatic and 25 were symptomatic. The mean age of asymptomatic and symptomatic patients was 25 and 33 yrs, respectively. Six patients presented with complications, including superior vena cava syndrome, tracheal compression, pneumothorax, pleurisy and pneumonia. Two patients who were asymptomatic when initially observed eventually needed surgery because of the development of symptoms or enlargement of the cyst size. In one patient, the cyst was not seen on the chest radiograph but appeared as a lobulated nodule of 2 cm diameter in a chest computerized tomography (CT) scan. Operative difficulties were encountered in 13 patients, all of whom were symptomatic preoperatively. In conclusion, life-threatening complications occurred in these patients. Despite various diagnostic studies, definitive tissue diagnosis was established only by means of surgical excision. The frequency of operative difficulties in symptomatic cysts was higher than those of asymptomatic cysts. Surgery may be considered as the treatment of choice even when the cyst is asymptomatic, since complications are not uncommon.