[Congenital Pulmonary Airway Malformation Diagnosed in Adulthood].

Congenital pulmonary airway malformation diagnosed in adulthood is very rare. A 54-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with complaints of abnormal chest shadow. Computed tomography( CT) demonstrated multiple cysts, mass lesions, and consolidation in left lower lobe. Bronchofiber scopy could not establish the diagnose. Left lower lobectomy was performed for diagnosis and treatment. Pathologically the lesion was diagnosed as congenital pulmonary airway malformation.

[Surgical Treatment for Lung Cancer Associated with Hypertrophic Pulmonary Osteoarthropathy].

Hypertrophic pulmonary osteoarthropathy( HPO) is a rare paraneoplastic manifestation of lung cancer that causes joint pain, joint swelling, and limited range of motion. Two surgical cases of lung cancer with HPO are presented. Case1:A 43-year-old female was referred to our department with a diagnosis of cStage ⅡB left hilar lung cancer. She had difficulty in walking due to arthralgia caused by HPO. Left pneumonectomy was performed and the arthralgia disappeared on the first postoperative day. The patient is being well after surgery without relapse of joint symptoms. Case2:The patient was a 65-year-old male with cStage ⅡA right lung cancer. The symptoms of HPO appeared after he was found to have lung cancer. After right upper lobectomy, the arthralgia disappeared on the first postoperative day. Currently, he is receiving adjuvant chemotherapy, without relapse of joint symptoms.

[Long-term Relapse-free Survival after Gefitinib Treatment Followed by Salvage Surgery for Postoperative Recurrence of Non-small Cell Lung Cancer:Report of a Case].

We present a case of a 54-year-old woman who had been performed video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) right upper lobectomy for stageⅡB adenocarcinoma. The patient had the recurrence of multiple lung metastases at 12 months after the surgery and was administrated gefitinib. The lung metastases disappeared at 3 months after the administration of gefitinib. A single metastasis in the left lower lung appearance again and VATS wedge left lung resection as salvage surgery was performed in postoperative 82 months. After salvage surgery, the patient has been followed up without additional treatment and is alive recurrence-free at 19 months.

[Anterior Mediastinal Cholesterin Granuloma Associated with Bilateral Pleurisy and Pericarditis].

The patient was a 41-year-old man. He was diagnosed with pleurisy and came to our hospital. The pleural effusion and pleurisy remained even after administration of sufficient doses of antibiotics. A thorough examination revealed an anterior mediastinal tumor. Six months later, pericarditis also developed. Autoimmune diseases, infections, and malignant diseases were suspected, but a definitive diagnosis could not be made. In order to confirm the diagnosis, anterior mediastinal tumor resection and pleural biopsy were performed. The anterior mediastinal tumor was diagnosed as cholesterin granuloma pathollogically. Cholesterin granuloma is a granuloma formed by deposition of cholesterin crystals and cholesterin granuloma occurring in the mediastinum is extremely rare.

[Assessment of Computed Tomography Sagittal Images for Early Diagnosis of Pulmonary Torsion after Lung Resection].

The incidence of postoperative pulmonary torsion is not frequent but it has a high mortality rate once it occurs, and prompt diagnosis and treatment are required. From past reports, it is considered effective to point out disruption of pulmonary blood flow by contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) examination for diagnosis. However, the comparison of pre- and post-operative plain CT images is considered to be useful in diagnosing lung torsion, and postoperative CT lung window setting sagittal images were examined in three cases of postoperative lung torsion. Results indicate that pulmonary torsion of the middle lobe after right lower lobectomy and the middle lobe after right upper lobectomy can be diagnosed by the present method.

[Ingenuity for Completion of Thoracoscopic Pulmonary Resection after Esophageal Cancer Treatment].

In recent years, with the improvement of diagnostic techniques and treatment outcomes, the number of lung cancer cases after esophageal cancer treatment has been increasing. In general, severe adhesions are expected in the right lung, during lung resection after esophageal cancer surgery. In this study, we reviewed intraoperative findings of lung resection with respect to the influence of different treatment methods for esophageal cancer, the site of adhesion formation for each lobe, and the techniques and precautions for lung resection. There were no difficulty in the left upper major segmentectomy. During the left lower lobectomy, the inflammation around the inferior pulmonary vein was noted. The adhesions between the reconstructed gastric tube and the inferior pulmonary vein were found during the right lower lobectomy. During the right upper lobectomy, severe adhesions between the lung and the superior vena cava as well as the gastric tube in the posterior mediastinum were observed, which should be paid much attention.

Plasma mycophenolic acid concentration and the clinical outcome after lung transplantation.

BACKGROUND: The therapeutic drug monitoring of mycophenolic acid (MPA) has been investigated for renal and heart transplantations; however, its usefulness in lung transplantation is unclear. METHODS: The MPA area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) was calculated in 59 adult lung transplant recipients. The MPA AUC0-12 s were compared among the three groups determined by the presence of adverse events (no events, infection, and chronic lung allograft dysfunction [CLAD]). Next, MPA AUC0-12 thresholds for the adverse events were identified by receiver operating characteristic analysis. Cumulative occurrence rate of the adverse events was compared between two groups (adequate and inadequate groups) according to the thresholds. RESULTS: The MPA AUC0-12 s in the no event, infection, and CLAD groups were 30.3 ± 6.5, 36.8 ± 10.7, and 20.6 ± 9.6 µg·h/mL, respectively (P = .0027), while the tacrolimus trough levels were similarly controlled in the groups. The thresholds of MPA AUC0-12 for the occurrence of infection and CLAD were 40.5 and 22.8 µg·h/mL, respectively. The cumulative occurrence rate of adverse events of adequate group (15.3%) was significantly lower than that of inadequate group (56.0%) (P = .0050). CONCLUSIONS: The MPA AUC0-12 may affect the occurrence of adverse events in lung transplant recipients.

[Thoracic Surgery for Patients with Pulmonary Dysfunction].

Pulmonary dysfunction with lung cancer has been shown a major postoperative risk factor in patients undergoing thoracic surgery. Preoperative physiological assessment according to guideline by American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) or European Respiratory Society( ERS)/European Society of Thoracic Surgeons (ESTS) is important to select patients due to evaluate the risk of lung resection for a lung cancer patient. Moreover, for lung cancer patients undergoing thoracic surgery with pulmonary dysfunction, circulatory function evaluation is important in addition to preoperative respiratory management and rehabilitation. Thoracic surgery for patients with pulmonary dyfunction should be selected to assess preoperative pulmonary function and to predict postoperative complications.

[Schloffer Tumor that Appeared and Increased 40 Months after Resection of Lung Cancer and was Suspected of Recurrence of Pleural Dissemination].

The case is a 50-year-old woman. Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) left upper division segmentectomy was performed for adenocarcinoma through a postero-lateral incision. The pathological result was stage ⅠA. A chest computed tomography (CT) examination 40 months after the operation revealed a nodule in contact with the left 6th rib. A recurrence due to pleural dissemination was suspected in the PET/CT examination, but the possibility of reactive granulation was also considered. Two months later, chest CT reexamination showed an enlargement of the nodule, and reoperation was performed. A fibrous structure that appears to be a silk thread for closing chest at the 1st operation was found on the chest wall. The pathological examination revealed chronic suppurative pleuritis and organizing pneumonia without malignancy, leading to a diagnosis of Schloffer tumor.

[Experience with Pulmonary Resection under Thoracoscopic Surgery for Lung Cancer Patient with Abnormal Left A4b+5 and A8+9 Branching].

The case was a 56-year-old man. A nodular shadow of the left upper lobe was found in the chest computed tomography, and a diagnosis of adenocarcinoma was obtained by bronchoscopy. Preoperative 3-dimensional computed tomography (3D-CT) angiography indicated an extremely rare pulmonary artery bifurcation abnormality in which A4b+5 and A8+9 bifurcate from the left main pulmonary artery. Thoracoscopic left upper lobectomy and lymph node dissection were performed. Pathological diagnosis was adenocarcinoma with pStage I B. The mediastinal basal pulmonary artery is extremely rare, and to our knowledge, the bifurcation pattern of this case has not been reported elsewhere. The 3D-CT angiography was useful to detect the anatomical vascular abnormalities of the pulmonary artery before surgery, for the safe performance of the thoracoscopic surgery.

Renal Epithelioid Angiomyolipoma Undergoing Aggressive Clinical Outcome: The MDM2 Expression in Tumor Cells of Two Cases.

Epithelioid angiomyolipoma (EAML) has been known as a potentially malignant tumor which occasionally recur and/or metastasize to other organs, and clinically and pathologically recognized as distinct entity. However, the mechanisms of recurrence and/or metastasis (recurrence/metastasis) has still remained unknown. Here, we report two cases of renal EAML associated with recurrence/metastasis, and three cases of EAML in kidney or liver without recurrence/metastasis. According to the previous histological predictive models of EAML, the primary tumor was classified as low risk group in one of the cases with recurrence/metastasis in spite of its malignant behavior. Therefore, we considered that further investigation about the mechanisms of recurrence/metastasis in EAML is required for a malignancy prediction. We focused on some cell-cycle modulators, including mouse double minute 2 homolog (MDM2), which is ubiquitin ligase well-known to promote malignant behaviors by p53 ubiquitination and degradation, and also other cellular processes including genomic instability and epithelial-mesenchymal transition in p53-independent manners in various human malignancies. Immunohistochemical evaluation revealed that MDM2 protein expression increased stepwise throughout every steps of metastasis/recurrence in both cases, although it was negative in primary tumors. In conclusion, this is the first study demonstrating that MDM2 could play an important role in the molecular mechanisms of recurrence/metastasis of EAML. Further analyses focusing on MDM2 pathway could contribute to the identification of novel prognostic factors and/or therapeutic targets in EAML patients.

[Successful Multidisciplinary Treatment Accomplished by Collaboration of Multiple Clinical Departments for Synchronous Quadruple Cancer].

A 60-year-old man consulted a clinic complains of sore throat. Squamous cell carcinoma of the hypopharynx and adenocarcinoma of the stomach were pointed out and he was refered to our hospital. As a result of detailed systemic examination, squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus and squamous cell carcinoma of the right lung were also pointed out, which led to a diagnosis of synchronous quadruple cancer. On the basis of discussions among multiple clinical departments, systemic chemotherapy with cisplatin(CDDP), fluorouracil (5-FU) and docetaxel(DTX) was preceded locolegional therapies. After that, complete thoracoscopic right lower lobectomy and then a laparoscopic distal gastrectomy was performed. Radiation therapy was applied for hypopharyngeal cancer. Finally, endoscopic submucosal dissection for esophageal cancer was performed. Twenty months have passed since the last treatment, the patient is alive with a relapse-free condition.

Successful complete thoracoscopic resection of costal osteochondroma: A case report.

Osteochondroma rarely occurs in the ribs; therefore, the treatment is not standardized. There are few studies of resection via complete thoracoscopic surgery (CTS), although video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery with mini-thoracotomy has been reported. Herein, we report a case of costal osteochondroma managed with CTS. A 23-year-old woman presented to our hospital due to left chest pain. Chest computed tomography revealed a bone-like structure protruding into the thoracic cavity from the left fourth rib. Thus, surgery was performed to obtain a definitive diagnosis and provide appropriate treatment. The tumor was resected from the base at the border of the normal bone via CTS using three 5.5-mm ports. A pathological diagnosis of costal osteochondroma was made. The patient had an uneventful clinical course and did not present with a recurrence 1 year after surgery. Therefore, CTS can be a good approach for cases with slim and stalked costal osteochondroma.

The nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 activator oltipraz attenuates chronic hypoxia-induced cardiopulmonary alterations in mice.

Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a key regulator that activates many antioxidant enzymes. Oxidative stress, which accumulates in diseased lungs associated with pulmonary hypertension (PH), is thought to be responsible for the progression of cardiopulmonary changes. To test whether Nrf2 activation would exert therapeutic efficacy against cardiopulmonary changes in a hypoxia-induced PH model, wild-type (WT) and Nrf2-deficient mice as well as Kelch-like ECH associating protein 1 (Keap1) (negative regulator of Nrf2) knockdown mutant mice were exposed to hypobaric hypoxia for 3 weeks. This chronic hypoxia exacerbated right ventricular systolic pressure, right ventricular hypertrophy (RVH), and pulmonary vascular remodeling in the WT mice. These pathological changes were associated with aberrant accumulation of Tenascin-C, a disease-indicative extracellular glycoprotein. Simultaneous administration of oltipraz, a potent Nrf2 activator, significantly attenuated RVH and pulmonary vascular remodeling and concomitantly ameliorated Tenascin-C accumulation in the hypoxic mice. Hypoxia-exposed Nrf2-deficient mice developed more pronounced RVH than WT mice, whereas hypoxia-exposed Keap1-knockdown mice showed less RVH and pulmonary vascular remodeling than WT mice, underscoring the beneficial potency of Nrf2 activity against PH. We also demonstrated that expression of the Nrf2-regulated antioxidant enzymes was decreased in a patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease associated with PH. The decreased antioxidant enzymes may underlie the pathogenesis of cardiopulmonary changes in the patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and PH. The pharmacologically or genetically induced Nrf2 activity clearly decreased RVH and pulmonary vascular remodeling in the hypoxic PH model. The efficacy of oltipraz highlights a promising therapeutic potency of Nrf2 activators for the prevention of PH in patients with hypoxemic lung disease.

Development of Paraneoplastic Neuromyelitis Optica after Lung Resection in a Patient with Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Neurological paraneoplastic syndrome is a relatively rare condition in patients with malignant tumors. Recently, it has been reported that anti-Aquaporin 4 (AQP4) antibody is highly specific for neuromyelitis optica. The patient was a 76-year-old man. He underwent right upper lobectomy for squamous cell carcinoma of the lung. Although the immediate postoperative course was uneventful, neurological symptoms became apparent from postoperative day (POD) 4. Magnetic resonance imaging showed longitudinally extended edematous lesions in the spinal cord, and a cerebrospinal fluid examination was positive for anti-AQP4 antibody, leading to the diagnosis of paraneoplastic neuromyelitis optica. Despite multiple rounds of steroid pulse therapy and plasma exchange, the neurological symptoms worsened and the patient died on POD 46. The development of neuromyelitis optica in the early postoperative period could be related to the influence of surgical stress or epidural anesthesia.

Persistent fecal occult blood due to the small intestinal metastasis of pleomorphic lung carcinoma.

The gastrointestinal tract is one of the locations that lung cancers cause metastasis. A 70-year-old male underwent right lower lobectomy while presenting fecal occult blood with a preoperative colonoscopy showing colon polyps as the cause. The pathological diagnosis was pleomorphic carcinoma of the lung, with stage pT3N0M0. Seven months after the lung surgery, the patient presented with sudden-onset abdominal pain and severe anemia. Computed tomography scanning revealed a large mass in the abdominal cavity, and subsequent intestinal endoscopy demonstrated jejunum tumors. Partial jejunum resection was successfully performed. The patient developed multiple peritoneal nodules suggesting metastatic tumors but well responded to an immune checkpoint inhibitor. It can be challenging to diagnose gastrointestinal metastasis in routine radiography; therefore, endoscopic examination, including the small intestine, might be an important option when a lung cancer patient with advanced clinical stage presents with abdominal symptoms, including fecal occult blood.

[Coexistence of sarcoidosis and thymic carcinoid].

We report a case of coexistence of sarcoidosis and thymic carcinoid. A 57-year-old man was pointed out the anterior mediastinal tumor when his generator of pacemaker was exchanged. The tumor was diagnosed as atypical carcinoid by percutaneous needle biopsy. Chest computed tomography (CT) revealed the mediastinal and right hilar lymphadenopathy. Preoperative transbronchial aspiration cytology revealed no malignancy and extirpation of the anterior mediastinal tumor was carried out together with left diagraphmatic nerve and pericardium. The histopathological examination of the pretracheal lymph node was sarcoidosis. Postoperative radiation was performed because the thymic carcinoid invaded the pericardium. The right hilar lymph node was enlarged after the radiation. Five months later, follow-up chest CT showed reduction of the right lymph node. He has been alive without recurrence of the thymic carcinoid for 3 years. Simultaneous occurrence of sarcoidosis and thymic carcinoid is extremely rare. Assessment of mediastinal lymph node is difficult either preoperatively and postoperatively. Histological confirmation of the lymph node and careful follow-up are necessary.

Correlation between preoperative 18F-FDG PET/CT findings and postoperative short-term prognosis in lung cancer patients with idiopathic interstitial pneumonia after lung resection.

BACKGROUND: The present study aimed to investigate the correlation between preoperative 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-d-glucose (18F-FDG) PET/CT findings and short-term survival in lung cancer patients with idiopathic interstitial pneumonia (IIP). METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the data of 425 patients who underwent lung resection for non-small cell lung cancer without preoperative radiation therapy between November 2012 and October 2017. The maximum SUV (SUVmax) in the IIP area except the lung cancer site was measured in each patient. RESULTS: Thirty-one of the 425 patients (7.3%) showed findings of IIP in chest CT. Five of the 31 patients (16.1%) developed acute exacerbation (AE) after lung resection (AE+ group). Twenty-six of the 31 patients (83.9%) did not develop AE (AE- group). In the AE+ group, 18F-FDG SUVmax in the IIP area was significantly higher (1.9 ± 0.6 vs. 2.7 ± 0.7, p = 0.02) compared with that in the AE- group. The receiver operating characteristic analysis identified an SUVmax threshold score of 2.55 (p = 0.02) for AE. There was no 90-day mortality in the patients with SUVmax < 2.55 (n = 25). On the other hand, the 90-day mortality rate in patients with SUVmax ≥ 2.55 (n = 6) was 33.3% (2 patients). CONCLUSIONS: 18F-FDG PET/CT may predict AE after lung resection and could be related to short-term survival in lung cancer patients with IIP. Further investigations are needed to improve the prognosis in patients with high SUVmax in the IIP area.

[Experience of a vascular stent placement under bronchoscopy for a severe airway stenosis like a pinhole].

The patient was a 32-year-old woman. She suffered repeated hemoptysis due to a congenital right pulmonary artery deficiency and underwent right pneumonectomy at 19 years of age. Immediately after the operation, postpneumonectomy syndrome appeared. The left main bronchus was compressed and almost obstructed, and so metallic stent was urgently installed. However, she subsequently suffered from repeated stenosis due to granulation and repeated obstructive pneumonia. She underwent 7 stent installations, laser therapy, low dose radiotherapy, and ballooning to treat her airway stenosis. However, her left main bronchus gradually became a severe stenosis like a pinhole. When she admitted to our hospital due to obstructive pneumonia last time, it was impossible to install usual airway stents because of extreme kinking of airway and severe stenosis. Therefore, a vascular stent for iliac artery was chosen to treat her airway stenosis and the stent was placed to regain good patency. As a result of the treatment, she had immediate relief of symptoms and survived obstructive pneumonia.