Spontaneous haemoptysis as a late complication of plombage in a tuberculosis patient.

The endemic spread of tuberculosis after World War II and the deficiency of appropriate antituberculous drugs had led to a renaissance of the surgical tuberculosis therapy until the early 1950s. Late complications of plombage performed decades before are rare and are mainly related to infection and/or migration of the inserted foreign material and are scarcely recognized today. We report on a 73-year-old male patient, who was admitted to the emergency room of our hospital with acute massive haemoptysis for four days. On physical examination the patient presented with decreased breath sounds over the left lung and an old left-sided thoracotomy scar. Radiological findings and bronchoscopy revealed an empyema and a fistula as late complications 53 years after collapse therapy with insertion of a plombage for the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis. The endobronchial nylon threads in the left bronchial tree and the fistula ending in the left lower bronchus confirmed our diagnosis. The patient was successfully treated by resection of the affected lower lobe. The present casuistic demonstrates a rare cause of spontaneous haemoptysis: late complications after extrapleural pneumolysis and plombage for cavitary tuberculosis over 50 years after the initial operation.

[Delayed complications after extrapleural pneumonolysis for lung tuberculosis]. / Spätkomplikationen nach extrapleuraler Pneumolyse wegen Lungentuberkulose.

The epidemic spread of tuberculosis after World War II and the deficiency of appropriate antituberculotic drugs led to a renaissance of surgical procedure such as plombage thoracoplasty, initiated in 1891 by Tuffier. Especially in Germany the insertion of paraffin and polyethylene was used in order to achieve an extrapleural pneumothorax in order to collapse the tuberculous cavities in the upper lobes. Due to a high rate of early complications and the assumed cancerogenicity, in a considerable number of cases the material was removed soon after its deployment. In some cases with the filling remaining in place, 30-40 years later infections and/or neoplasms occurred. From 1985 to 1996 in two centers of thoracic surgery 13 patients underwent procedures for removal of filling material. The patients suffered from infections (n = 11), malignant lymphoma associated with infection of the plombage (n = 1) and bronchial carcinoma (n = 1). Technically, we performed the thoracoplasty described by Schede (n = 9). Schede's thoracoplasty in combination with a muscle flap repair (n = 1) or partial resection of the thoracic wall (n = 1), an empyemectomy (n = 1), and an en-bloc pleuropneumonectomy (n = 1). All patients suffered from multiple underlying diseases (COPD, coronary heart disease, diabetes mellitus). However, apart from beside two procedure related deaths (pulmonary embolism n = 1, pneumonia complicated by multi-organ failure n = 1) no other major complications were observed. The plombage material in the case of malignant lymphoma is probably carcinogenic in relation to the time of exposure and should be removed in all cases.

Long-term complications of extraperiosteal plombage.

BACKGROUND: As soon as complications due to migration of extraperiosteal plombage material had been documented, early removal became the rule. Some patients who have escaped this rule may still present with long-term complications. METHODS: Since 1980, 14 patients aged 54 +/- 10 years were admitted 28 +/- 11 years after collapse therapy. Eight presented with signs of infection, 4 with hemoptysis, and 2 with periscapular pain. Vascular erosion, suspected in 3 patients, was demonstrated with angiograms in 1. RESULTS: Ablation of the material was combined with excision of the devitalized ribs in 13 patients. Femorofemoral bypass was used in 2 patients for repair of an aortic erosion. Single ablation of subcutaneously migrated material was performed in a poor-risk patient. Operative bleeding was moderate except in 2 patients; 1 of them died intraoperatively during repair of an aortic erosion. A second patient died postoperatively with a massive pulmonary embolus on day 11. Infection was diagnosed in 8 patients (Mycobacterium tuberculosis, 4; and pyogens, 4). Operative outcome was satisfactory in all 12 operative survivors. A single patient presented with an infected apical space at 1 year and underwent complementary resection of the first rib. CONCLUSIONS: We recommend routine ablation of any residual plombage material whenever operative risk is acceptable because of the high incidence of spontaneous complications.

Surgical treatment of complications 45 years after extraperiosteal pneumonolysis and plombage using acrylic resin balls for cavitary pulmonary tuberculosis.

An infected axillary sinus tract discharged balls made of an acrylic resin consisting essentially of polymerized methyl methacrylate (Lucite) 45 years following performance of an extraperiosteal pneumonolysis and Lucite ball plombage for collapse therapy of right upper lobe cavitary tuberculosis. Surgical extraction of the balls was performed, followed by a partial decortication of the lung and intrathoracic transposition of a pectoralis major muscle flap to fill the residual pleural space. Primary healing was attained, and the patient is well 1 1/2 years after surgery.

Derrame pleural neoplásico (DPN): normatización para su tratamiento / Neoplasic pleural effusion: treatment guide

El derrame pleural neoplásico es una manifestación de enfermedad avanzada y su tratamiento debe dirigirse a mejorar la calidad de vida con baja morbilidad. Se expone la conducta seguida utilizando un flujograma terapéutico para la indicación del sellamiento pleural con tetraciclinas o pleurectomia. Se trataron 32 pacientes con derrame y sintomatología invalidante, en 29 se realizó pleurodesis con tetraciclina con un 97// de respuestas. La hipertemia (28//) y el dolor (24//) fueron complicaciones más frecuentes. En los 3 restantes se efectuó pleurectomía y no recidivó el derrame, pero dos se complicaron (infección de herida y defecto de reexpansión). La supervivencia media fue de 9,2 meses

Derrame pleural neoplásico (DPN): normatización para su tratamiento / Neoplasic pleural effusion: treatment guide

El derrame pleural neoplásico es una manifestación de enfermedad avanzada y su tratamiento debe dirigirse a mejorar la calidad de vida con baja morbilidad. Se expone la conducta seguida utilizando un flujograma terapéutico para la indicación del sellamiento pleural con tetraciclinas o pleurectomia. Se trataron 32 pacientes con derrame y sintomatología invalidante, en 29 se realizó pleurodesis con tetraciclina con un 97// de respuestas. La hipertemia (28//) y el dolor (24//) fueron complicaciones más frecuentes. En los 3 restantes se efectuó pleurectomía y no recidivó el derrame, pero dos se complicaron (infección de herida y defecto de reexpansión). La supervivencia media fue de 9,2 meses

[Postoperative re-expansion causing unilateral pulmonary edema]. / Oedème pulmonaire unilatéral de réexpansion postopératoire.

A case of re-expansion pulmonary oedema is reported. A 7-year-old girl, after having been operated on for a lung tumour, had a postoperative haemothorax combined with atelectasis of the left upper lobe. After she had recovered from the first dose of chemotherapy, the thoracotomy wound was reopened to remove the partially organised and lysed haemothorax, as well as the very thickened pleura. The patient developed clinical signs of pulmonary oedema very shortly after the end of the anaesthetic (tachypnoea, cyanosis, a decrease in oxygen saturation when FIO2 < 1, pink frothy secretions in the endotracheal tube). End-inspiratory crepitations became audible in the left lung field only. The chest film showed left-sided diffuse nodular alveolar opacities. The girl was again ventilated, with + 5 cmH2O positive end-expiratory pressure. She was extubated 36 h later, and discharged a few days later without any sequela. This case was the first to be described in a child after pleural surgery. The death rate, estimated from a literature survey, is about 20%.

[Repeated radical operations after surgical interventions in diseases of the lungs and pleura]. / Povtornye radikal'nye operatsii posle vmeshatel'stva po povodu zabolevanii legkikh i plevry.

The article elucidates the authors' experience with 144 repeated radical operations on lungs and pleura (89 out of them were resections of lungs). Recovery was achieved in 89,4% of patients subjected to a repeated resection of lung. Lethal outcomes were in 7% of cases.

[Malignant immunoblastic lymphoma under a pneumolytic scar in pleural empyema]. / Malignes immunoblastisches Lymphom unter einer Pneumolysenschwarte mit Pleuraempyem.

It is reported on a case in which a 51-year-old man 28 years after the pneumolytic treatment of a pulmonary tuberculosis developed a thoracic empyema under the existing pneumolysis scar. On account of the considerable scar formation in the region of the right hemithorax the thoracotomy was carried out for the purpose of decortication. Histologically a malignant immunoblastic lymphoma was verified in the area of the old scar.

Bronchoextrapleural fistula after extrapleural pneumonolysis.

This case illustrates the development of a bronchoextrapleural fistula 40 years after extrapleural pneumonolysis with placement of a paraffin pack. The various diagnostic possibilities in the presence of such a radiographic presentation are reviewed.