Modern view on the problem of acute pleural empyema surgical treatment.

OBJECTIVE: Aim: data study on the results of treatment of acute non-specific purulent-destructive pleura diseases with the purpose of further improvement of its results on the basis of improvement of diagnostics, identification of factors of disease prognosis and by implementing differential tactics of surgical treatment with the use of minimally invasive interventions. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Materials and Methods: We have studied modern literary sources on the topic of current trends in the treatment of acute pleural empyema and its complications. The studied material is summarized and presented in the form of a literature review in this article. CONCLUSION: Conclusions: These issues cannot be considered to be completely solved and require further study. Everything mentioned above dictates the search of new effective methods of the treatment of the mentioned pathology and proves the relevance of the theme. The outlined information highlights the necessity of improvement of surgical tactics in patients with pleural empyema.

Occult solitary fibrous tumour of the pleura presenting as recurrent spontaneous pneumothorax.

A woman in her 30s, non-smoker, presented at the emergency department two times because of spontaneous pneumothorax. The first episode was treated with small bore catheter drainage, while during the second episode-occurring only 1 week later-thoracoscopic talcage was attempted. The postoperative course was characterised by slow clinical and radiological resolution, and recurrence 3 days after discharge. Eventually, multiportal video-assisted thoracoscopic exploration identified an interfissural solid mass. Resection and further work-up revealed the diagnosis of 'low-risk' solitary fibrous tumour (SFT) stage pT1N0M0. The interdisciplinary tumour board advised no adjuvant therapy. A CT thorax was scheduled in 1 year for follow-up. The patient was discharged without complications and has had no recurrences of pneumothorax at 6 months of follow-up. This report shows that SFT can easily be missed on initial presentation and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of pneumothorax, especially when frequently recurring.

Foreign Glass Bodies in Pleura and Pancreas: Systematic Review for Entry Hypotheses and Treatment Options in an Unresolved Case.

BACKGROUND: Foreign bodies within the pleura and pancreas are infrequent, and the approaches to their treatment still a subject of debate. There is limited knowledge particularly regarding glass foreign bodies. METHODS: We present a case involving large glass splinters in the pleura and pancreas, with an unknown entry point. In addition, a systematic review was conducted to explore entry hypotheses and management options. RESULTS: In addition to our case, our review uncovered eight incidents of intrapleural glass, and another eight cases of glass in other intrathoracic areas. The fragments entered the body through impalement (81%), migrated through the diaphragm after impalement (6%), or caused transesophageal perforation (19%) following ingestion. Eight instances of glass inside the abdominal cavity were documented, with seven resulting from impalement injuries and one from transintestinal migration. There were no recorded instances of glass being discovered within the pancreas. Among the 41 nonglass intrapancreatic foreign bodies found, sewing needles (34%) and fish bones (46%) were the most common; following ingestion, they had migrated through either a transgastric or transduodenal perforation. In all these cases, how the foreign bodies were introduced was often poorly recalled by the patient. Many nonglass foreign bodies tend to become encapsulated by fibrous tissue, rendering them inert, though this is less common with glass. Glass has been reported to migrate through various tissues and cavities, sometimes with a significant delay spanning even decades. There are cases of intrapleural migration of glass causing hemothorax, pneumothorax, and heart and major blood vessels injury. For intrapleural glass fragment management, thoracoscopy proved to be effective in 5 reported cases, in addition to our patient. Most intrapancreatic nonglass foreign bodies tend to trigger pancreatitis and abscess formation, necessitating management ranging from laparoscopic procedures to subtotal pancreatectomy. There have been only four documented cases of intrapancreatic needles that remained asymptomatic with conservative management. There is no direct guidance from the existing literature regarding management of intrapancreatic glass foreign bodies. Consequently, our patient is under observation with regular follow-ups and has remained asymptomatic for the past 2 years. CONCLUSIONS: Glass foreign bodies in the pleura are rare, and our report of an intrapancreatic glass fragment is the first of its kind. Impalement is the most likely method of introduction. As glass has significant migration and an ensuing complication potential, preventive removal of intrapleural loose glass should be considered. However, intrapancreatic glass fragment management remains uncertain.

A Rare Presentation of Minimally Invasive Mesothelioma as a Large Tension Pneumothorax.

Development of mesothelioma is associated with asbestos exposure. Common presentations are with pleural-based plaques invading the chest wall and/or pleural effusion on chest imaging. The intent of this case report is to describe a rare presentation of mesothelioma, which presented atypically as a large tension pneumothorax. A 93-year-old male presented with a history of dyspnea that started after a coughing episode. On physical examination he was hemodynamically stable, but was hypoxic requiring 2L of supplemental oxygen. Computed tomography of the chest revealed a large right tension pneumothorax. A chest tube was placed and connected to suction (-20cmH20), but he continued to have an unresolving air leak over the following 2-week period. Upon video-assisted thoracotomy there were no blebs or adhesions seen. Right apical wedge resection and talc pleurodesis were performed. Pathologic examination revealed an atypical mesothelial cell proliferation with minimal, focal invasion into the pulmonary parenchyma. Tumor spread along the visceral pleura was thought to be the underlying cause of the pneumothorax. The surgical margins were uninvolved by the tumor, and the patient was later discharged home in stable condition. This was a rare presentation of what could best be described as minimally invasive mesothelioma arising in a background of probable mesothelioma in situ, which presented atypically as a large tension pneumothorax. This case highlighted the importance of establishing a pathologic diagnosis from pleural effusion cytology and/or pleural biopsy in persons presenting with spontaneous pneumothorax, and the difficulty in confirming a pathologic diagnosis of early mesothelial neoplasia.

A Novel Method for Thoracoscopic Overlap Esophagogastric Reconstruction With Pleural Closure following Minimally Invasive Ivor-Lewis Esophagectomy for Esophagogastric Junction Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Intrathoracic esophagogastric anastomosis following minimally invasive Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy is a technically demanding surgical technique that can result in serious intrathoracic infections when anastomotic leakage occurs. Herein, we report a novel side-overlap esophagogastric anastomosis with pleural closure for esophagogastric junction cancer. METHODS: The 3 key points of our novel technique were the following: (1) overlap esophagogastric anastomosis and closure of the entry hole were all performed using a linear stapler; (2) the pleura was closed to separate the anastomotic site from the thoracic cavity; and (3) the mediastinal drain was inserted transhiatally from the abdominal cavity. RESULTS: This modified anastomosis procedure was performed on 8 consecutive patients at our institution. The median overall/thoracoscopic operating time and estimated blood loss were 652.5/241.5 min and 89 mL, respectively. No mortality or serious postoperative complications occurred, and the median postoperative hospital stay was 22 days (range, 17 to 37 d). CONCLUSION: This novel thoracoscopic overlap esophagogastric reconstruction procedure with pleural closure is safe and feasible.

Uniportal thoracoscopic bullectomy with improved parietal pleurectomy for primary spontaneous pneumothorax.

INTRODUCTION: Parietal pleurectomy with bullectomy has been established as an effective method for preventing the recurrence of primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP). Our center introduced enhanced technical measures in uniportal thoracoscopic parietal pleurectomy with bullectomy for patients with PSP, aiming to document our initial experience and assess the procedure's effectiveness in preventing the recurrence of PSP. METHODS: We analyzed the clinical data of 86 patients with PSP who underwent the improved uniportal thoracoscopic parietal pleurectomy with bullectomy between July 2019 and August 2022. During the procedure, the parietal pleura above the second intercostal space was stripped but not removed. Instead, it was retained in the thoracic cavity using a piece of pedunculated pleura. Subsequently, the stumps of the lung were covered by the preserved parietal pleura. RESULTS: The results of the study showed that the mean operative time was 59.87 ± 16.93 min, and the postoperative drainage duration averaged 3.94 ± 2.17 days. The mean intraoperative blood loss was 24.33 ± 48.91 ml, and the mean postoperative drainage volume was 289.00 ± 170.03 ml. Prolonged air leakage for more than 5 days was observed in five patients (5.81%), but no other postoperative complications were recorded. During the follow-up, one patient (1.16%) experienced a recurrence of pneumothorax. CONCLUSIONS: The perioperative results of bullectomy with the improved pleurectomy technique are deemed satisfactory. The various technical steps attempted at our center are found to be feasible and safe, and they may contribute to reducing the rates of recurrence in PSP.

Anesthetic management of thoracotomy for massive intrathoracic solitary fibrous tumor of the pleura: a case report.

BACKGROUNDS: Solitary fibrous tumor of the pleura (SFTP) is a rare thoracic tumor and usually asymptomatic. Massive SFTP may affect adjacent organs and tissues including pulmonary vasculature, bronchus and heart. A thoracotomy for massive SFTP is necessary in severe case. Therefore, it is important for anesthesiologists to understand the condition of patients with massive SFTP and develop an appropriate anesthetic management strategy. A 76-year-old woman with massive SFTP presented to our clinical center and was evaluated as requiring thoracotomy. She received multidisciplinary cooperation treatment from the radiology, cardiac, thoracic surgery and anesthetic teams. The perioperative management of anesthesiologists played a crucial role in the great prognosis of this woman. CONCLUSIONS: This case report demonstrates the importance of comprehensive and meticulous perioperative management and provides guidance to the multidisciplinary team on the potential risk and the rational treatment strategy of patients with massive SFTP during the perioperative period.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs reduce pleural adhesion in human: evidence from redo surgery.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) reduced pleural adhesion in animal studies, but its effect on human had not been studied. A retrospective study was carried out for patients with solitary pulmonary nodules without a pre-operative tissue diagnosis positive for malignancy. The impact of the use of NSAIDs after stage one wedge resection was assessed by the degree of pleural adhesions encountered during second-stage, redo completion lobectomy. From April 2016 to March 2022, 50 consecutive patients meeting the inclusion criteria were included, and 44 patients were selected for analysis after exclusion (Treatment group with NSAID: N = 27; Control group without NSAID: N = 17). The preoperative characteristics and the final tumor pathologies were similar between the groups. The use of NSAID was significantly associated with lower risk of severe pleural adhesions and complete pleural symphysis (risk difference = -29%, p = 0.03). After controlling the effect of tumor size and chest drain duration, only the use of NSAID was statistically associated with the lowered risk of severe pleural adhesions and complete pleural symphysis. No statistically significant effects of NSAID on operative time (p = 0.86), blood loss (p = 0.72), and post-operative length of stay (p = 0.72) were demonstrated. In human, NSAIDs attenuated the formation of pleural adhesions after pleural disruptions. Physicians and surgeons should avoid the use of NSAIDs when pleural adhesion formation is the intended treatment outcome.

Bilateral Ultrasound-Guided Mid-Point Transverse Process to Pleura Block for Perioperative Analgesia in Pediatric Cardiac Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Study.

OBJECTIVE: Mid-point transverse process to pleura (MTP) block is a new regional analgesia technique. This study aimed to assess the perioperative analgesic effects of MTP block in children undergoing open-heart surgery. DESIGN: A single-center, randomized, double-blinded, controlled, superiority study. SETTING: At a University Children's Hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Fifty-two patients aged 2 to 10 years who underwent open-heart surgery. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were randomized to receive either bilateral MTP block or no block (control). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The primary outcome was fentanyl consumption in the first postoperative 24 hours. The secondary outcomes were intraoperative fentanyl consumption, modified objective pain score (MOPS) measured at 1, 4, 8, 16, and 24 hours after extubation, and the duration of stay in the intensive care unit (ICU). The mean (SD) postoperative fentanyl consumption (µg/kg) in the first 24 hours was significantly reduced in the MTP block group (4.4 ± 1.2) compared to the control group (6.0 ± 1.4, p < 0.001). The mean (SD) intraoperative fentanyl requirement (µg/ kg) was significantly reduced in the MTP block group (9.1 ± 1.9) compared to the control group (13.0 ± 2.1, p < 0.001). The MOPS was significantly reduced in the MTP block group compared to the control group at 1, 4, 8, and 16 hours after extubation but was comparable in both groups at 24 hours. The mean (SD) duration of ICU stay (hours) was significantly reduced in the MTP block group (25.0 ± 2.9) compared to the control group (30.7 ± 4.2, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Single-shot bilateral ultrasound-guided MTP block in children undergoing cardiac surgery reduced the mean fentanyl consumption in the first postoperative 24 hours, intraoperative fentanyl requirements, pain score at rest, time to extubation, and duration of ICU stay.

A novel approach to the lung apex avoiding dissection of severe pleural adhesions.

A 70-year-old man was incidentally diagnosed with left pneumothorax. Primary surgery via the caudal thoracic cavity found severe pleural adhesions causing narrowing of the tunnel leading to the lung apex. The point of air leakage was located at the lung apex beyond the tunnel. To stop the air leakage, fibrin glue was injected to the apex via the tunnel; however, leakage reoccurred postoperatively. Considering the lung injury, a novel approach for lung apex without adhesion dissection was chosen for secondary surgery. An axillary skin incision was made at the 2nd intercostal space, and extrapleural dissection proceeded toward the apex. After the pleural space was confirmed by the movement of pleural effusion, the parietal pleura was incised, and a bulla was exposed and resected. The presented procedure to reach the apex of the lung without adhesion dissection could be an option in cases with dense and extensive pleural adhesions.

13019Tension pyopneumothorax caused by Parvimonas micra: a case report.

Tension pyopneumothorax is a rare and life-threatening complication of pneumonia, lung abscess, and empyema, and immediate thoracic drainage or surgery is required. A 70-year-old man presented to another hospital 2 weeks after exacerbation of dyspnea and anorexia. Chest X-ray imaging revealed leftward deviation of the mediastinum, pleural effusion, and collapse of the right lung. The patient was referred to our hospital for surgical treatment. He underwent chest drainage immediately after the transfer. The patient's blood pressure was elevated after drainage. Chest X-ray imaging showed improvement in the mediastinal deviation, but expansion failure of the lung occurred. Debridement and parietal and visceral decortications were performed under thoracotomy. The thoracic cavity was irrigated using a pulse lavage irrigation system with 12,000 mL of saline. The patient underwent fibrinolytic therapy with intrathoracic urokinase postoperatively because of persistent high inflammatory marker levels and multilocular pleural effusion. Parvimonas micra was detected in the preoperative pleural fluid culture. He was discharged on postoperative day 22 and followed up as an outpatient afterwards. Two years have passed since the surgery, and there has been no recurrence of empyema. Decortication of the parietal and visceral pleura and irrigation using a pulse lavage irrigation system were effective.

Pleural abrasion versus apical pleurectomy for primary spontaneous pneumothorax: a systematic review and Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Surgical approach is the most effective treatment for primary spontaneous pneumothorax. The two most widely adopted surgical methods are mechanical abrasion and apical pleurectomy, in addition to bullectomy. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine which technique is superior in treating primary spontaneous pneumothorax. METHODS: PubMed, MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were searched for studies published between January 2000 to September 2022 comparing mechanical abrasion and apical pleurectomy for treatment of primary spontaneous pneumothorax. The primary outcome was pneumothorax recurrence. Secondary outcomes included post-operative chest tube duration, hospital length of stay, operative time and intra-operative of blood loss. RESULTS: Eight studies were eligible for inclusion involving 1,613 patients. There was no difference in the rate of pneumothorax recurrence between pleural abrasion and pleurectomy (RR: 1.34; 95% CI: 0.94 to 1.92). However, pleural abrasion led to shorter hospital length of stay (MD: -0.25; 95% CI: -0.51 to 0.00), post-operative chest tube duration (MD: -0.30; 95% CI: -0.56 to -0.03), operative time (MD: -13.00; 95% CI -15.07 to 10.92) and less surgical blood loss (MD: -17.77; 95% CI: -24.36 to -11.18). CONCLUSION: Pleural abrasion leads to less perioperative patient burden and shorter hospital length of stay without compromising the rate of pneumothorax recurrence when compared to pleurectomy. Thus, pleural abrasion is a reasonable first choice surgical procedure for management of primary spontaneous pneumothorax.

[Pulmonary Nodule Localization by Pleural Marking Using Virtual Thoracoscopic Imaging].

Percutaneous or transbronchial markings are performed to localize pulmonary nodules preoperatively. We present a novel intraoperative procedure that utilizes virtual thoracoscopic imaging-assisted pleural marking. In this procedure, a virtual thoracoscopic image is created preoperatively, and the coordinates of the pleural point above the tumor are determined. The pleural marker is intraoperatively placed on the coordinates, and dye is transferred to the visceral pleura with two lung ventilations. We present the specific procedures and countermeasures for cases when nodules are not palpable. Additionally, we present a comparison between the various methods of preoperative marking and this method.

The effect of polyglycolic acid sheet in preventing postoperative recurrent pneumothorax: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Primary spontaneous pneumothorax occasionally relapses, even after bullectomy; therefore, coverage of the bullectomy staple line for pleural reinforcement is common in Japan. However, the appropriate covering materials have not yet been determined. METHODS: This was a longitudinal prospective cohort study. Data were available for patients aged < 40 years with primary spontaneous pneumothorax who underwent their first thoracoscopic bullectomy between July 2015 and June 2021. We used oxidized regenerated cellulose (ORC) sheets from July 2015 to June 2018, and polyglycolic acid (PGA) sheets from July 2018 to June 2021. The postoperative recurrence-free survival rate was evaluated. The characteristics of the recurrent cases (radiographic, intraoperative, and pathological findings) were also evaluated. The extent of pleural adhesions was classified into the following three groups: none, medium, or extensive. RESULTS: A total of 187 patients were included in the study. There were 92 and 95 participants in the ORC and PGA sheet groups, respectively. The postoperative recurrence-free survival rates were significantly higher in the PGA sheet group than in the ORC sheet group (ORC group vs. PGA group, 82.9% vs. 95.4%, p = 0.031). In recurrent cases, there was a significant difference in terms of pleural adhesion (0.0% [12 of 12, none] vs. 100.0% [four of four, extensive], p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with ORC sheets, PGA sheets are an effective material for preventing early recurrence of primary spontaneous pneumothorax. Strong local pleural adhesions potentially contribute to decreasing recurrence.

Impact of Pleural Thickness on Occurrence of Postoperative Complications in Patients with Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma.

OBJECTIVES: The rates of postoperative mortality and morbidity are high in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). Therefore, it is important to identify variables that increase the risk of postoperative complications. Pleural thickness has recently been identified as a prognostic indicator in patients with MPM. The aim of this study was to investigate clinical variables, including pleural thickness, that contribute to postoperative complications in patients with MPM. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 47 patients who underwent surgical excision of MPM between 2005 and 2021 were enrolled in this study. Correlations between postoperative complications within 90 days of surgery and preoperative clinical factors were investigated. RESULTS: A total of 27 patients underwent extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP), and the remaining 20 underwent pleurectomy/decortication (P/D). Macroscopic complete resections were obtained in all but three patients. Of the 47 patients, 23 (49%) experienced postoperative complications of grade 3 or worse. The major complication in patients with EPP was respiratory failure (n = 6), whereas the major complication in patients with P/D was prolonged air leakage (n = 7). Univariate logistic regression analysis found a correlation between postoperative complications and age, surgical side, and pleural thickness, while multivariate logistic regression analysis found surgical side (p = 0.04, 95% Cl 1.10-21.71, OR 4.90) and pleural thickness (p = 0.03, 95% Cl 1.21-23.00, OR 5.26) to significantly influence the occurrence of postoperative complications. CONCLUSIONS: Pleural thickness has a significant effect on the occurrence of postoperative complications. Patients with thick pleura on the right side are at greater risk of postoperative complications.

Metachronous lesions in the orbit, retroperitoneum, and pleura of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Mucosa associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma of the orbit is rare, often indolent, but can recur, and spread to extra-nodal sites. Pleural and retroperitoneum recurrences of MALT lymphoma are rare. CASE: A 65-year-old man was referred to our hospital due to right pleural effusion and difficulty in breathing. He had a medical history of having undergone surgery for MALT lymphoma of the left orbit. A chest computed tomography (CT) scan showed right pleural thickness, pleural effusion, and a retroperitoneal mass, spreading from the muscular layer to the subcutaneous layer. The thickened pleural lesion was surgically biopsied and diagnosed as a recurrence of MALT lymphoma. CONCLUSION: Pleural effusion should be carefully examined and monitored for the possibility of recurrence in MALT lymphoma patients.

Optimization of pleural multisite anesthetic technique during CT-guide microwave ablation of peripheral lung malignancy for improving treatment tolerance.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect and safety of subpleural multisite anesthesia based on the area of thermal radiation during CT-guided lung malignancy microwave ablation (MWA) on the incidence of moderate or severe pain and the analgesic drug usage. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Consecutive patients with lung malignancies were retrospectively evaluated between January 2016 and December 2019. Patients undergoing CT-guided lung malignancy MWA were either given in the method of (a) standard subpleural puncture point anesthesia between January 2016 and June 2018 and (b) subpleural multisite anesthesia based on the area of thermal radiation between July 2018 and December 2019. The relationship between local anesthesia mode and moderate or severe pain, and pain medications usage was assessed by using multivariable logistic regression models. RESULTS: A total of 243 consecutive patients were included in the study. Moderate or severe pain occurred in 84 of 124 (67.7%) patients with subpleural puncture point anesthesia and in 20 of 119 (16.8%) patients with subpleural anesthesia in the area of thermal radiation (p=.001). The intravenous pain medication was required in 56 of 124 (45.2%) patients with subpleural puncture point anesthesia and in 9 of 119 (7.6%) patients with subpleural multisite anesthesia based on the area of thermal radiation (p=.001). Local anesthesia methods (p = 0.001), pleura-to-lesion distance (p=.02) and tumor size (p=.015) were independent risk factors for developing moderate or severe pain. There were no differences in adverse events and local tumor progression rate. CONCLUSIONS: Subpleural multisite anesthesia based on the area of thermal radiation for peripheral lung malignancy MWA can result in lower intraprocedural pain compared with the subpleural puncture point anesthesia. Thus, a subpleural multisite anesthesia technique may be most helpful when performing MWA of peripheral malignancy in patients who are not sedated with general or intravenous anesthesia.