The approach of scratch-imprint cytology: Is it an alternative to frozen section for intraoperative assessment of pulmonary lesions?

To address the diagnostic performance of scratch-imprint cytology (SIC), in this study we compared intraoperative diagnoses of pulmonary lesions between SIC and frozen section histology (FSH) for accuracy with respect to the final pathological diagnosis. We histologically divided 206 pulmonary lesions (resected surgically) into two groups (benign and malignant) and compared each intraoperative diagnosis by SIC and FSH with the final pathological diagnoses. We also examined the radiological existence of pure ground-glass opacity (GGO) nodules in each group. The diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy were 91.5%, 100%, 100%, 63.6%, and 92.6%, respectively for SIC, and 98.2%, 100%, 100%, 92.1% and 98.5%, respectively, for FSH. Thus, we concluded that diagnosis by SIC is reliable for malignancy, but not for benign lesions. All pure GGO nodules (19; 9.2%) were noninfectious and malignant with a high accuracy of FSH diagnosis (100%), in comparison with those of low accuracy with a SIC diagnosis (57.9%). SIC can be an appropriate intraoperative diagnostic tool where multiple cytotechnologists observe intraoperative SIC preparations scratched evenly across the whole lesion including the peripheral area of the mass.

A biosafety algorithm for the protection of pathology staff during intraoperative examinations of pulmonary lesions.

We aimed to propose a biosafety algorithm for the protection of pathology staff during intraoperative examinations of pulmonary lesions when working with cytological imprints and/or frozen sections for the intraoperative diagnosis of pulmonary lesions. We examined 148 pulmonary surgical tissues obtained intraoperatively for imprint cytology (IC) and for frozen sectioning and compared the diagnoses against the final pathological diagnoses. We analyzed concordance and non-concordance rates and then used the data to produce a biosafety algorithm. The diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy of scratch-IC were 91%, 100%, 100%, 50% and 92%, respectively, and those of frozen sectioning were 99%, 100%, 100%, 96% and 99%, respectively. Our data indicate that frozen sectioning is unnecessary if scratch-IC yields a 'malignant' diagnosis but recommended with a 'benign' diagnosis. When a scratch-IC preparation deemed inadequate for a diagnosis or an abscess, the pathologist must consult the surgeon concerning the possibility of granuloma with caseous necrosis and should ask the surgeon to be prepared for a frozen section. If granuloma with caseous necrosis is found in the frozen section, the pathologist must immediately communicate the information to entire staff and perform a PCR test before making a permanent section.

Two cases of interparietal inguinal hernias undergoing laparoscopic treatment: a case series.

Interparietal inguinal hernia, an exceedingly rare type of inguinal hernia in which the hernia sac anatomically lies between the tissue layers of the abdominal wall, is difficult to diagnose from physical findings. Given the few reports on interparietal inguinal hernias, this condition has remained fairly unrecognized. Herein, we report the successful imaging and laparoscopic diagnoses as well as repair of an interparietal inguinal hernia. Atypical physical findings and computed tomography data help in the diagnosis of an interparietal inguinal hernia. The laparoscopic approach is useful and feasible for both the diagnosis and treatment of interparietal inguinal hernia.

Determination of thymidine phosphorylase expression level facilitates recurrence risk stratification in stage II/III colorectal cancer following adjuvant chemotherapy with oral fluoropyrimidines.

The present study aimed to prospectively clarify the prognostic effect of the expression of several genes that are known to modulate 5-fluorouracil effects in 63 patients who underwent curative resection for stage II/III colorectal cancer following adjuvant chemotherapy with oral fluoropyrimidines between 2008 and 2012. Thymidine phosphorylase (TP) expression in primary tumours was significantly lower in the recurrence group compared with the no-recurrence group (P=0.03), whereas, expression levels of genes that encoded thymidylate synthase, dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase, folylpolyglutamate synthase, γ-glutamyl hydrolase and dihydrofolate reductase were not statistically different in tumours from the recurrence and no-recurrence groups. In the multivariate analysis using stepwise Cox proportional hazards regression, the following factors were significantly associated with shorter relapse-free survival following adjuvant chemotherapy with oral fluoropyrimidines: Venous invasion [present; hazard ratio (HR)=6.51; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.55-27.4; P=0.01), Tumour-Node-Metastasis stage (3b; HR=6.18; 95% CI: 1.36-28.2; P=0.02) and TP expression (low; HR=9.61; 95% CI: 1.81-51.0; P=0.04). Patients with two or more risk characteristics had significantly shorter 5-year relapse-free survival compared with patients with one or no risk characteristics (55.8 vs. 91.8%; log-rank P=0.0006). We concluded that low TP expression is an independent predictive factor for poor prognosis in colorectal cancer. Therefore, determining TP expression may help to improve recurrence risk stratification in patients with stage II/III colorectal cancer following adjuvant chemotherapy with oral fluoropyrimidines.

Dclk1 Inhibition Cancels 5-FU-induced Cell-cycle Arrest and Decreases Cell Survival in Colorectal Cancer.

BACKGROUND/AIM: 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is frequently used in colorectal cancer treatment, but with limited success. The aim of the present study was to explore the cytotoxic effects of 5-FU, in combination with inhibition of doublecortin-like kinase 1 (Dclk1), a tumor stem cell marker that regulates pro-survival signaling in colorectal cancer cells, in the human colon cancer cell line, COLO-320. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The effects of 5-FU treatment plus Dclk1 inhibition on the phosphorylation of checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1), cell cycle, DNA damage, apoptosis, and cell survival in COLO-320 cells were evaluated. RESULTS: Combined treatment with 5-FU and a Dclk1 inhibitor, LRRK2-IN-1 (LRRK), decreased 5-FU-induced phosphorylation of Chk1 and canceled 5-FU-induced cell-cycle arrest at the S phase. Combined treatment with 5-FU and LRRK failed to induce poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP-1) cleavage, but tended to decrease cell survival compared to individual treatment with 5-FU or LRRK. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that a combination of 5-FU and LRRK may be an effective, novel approach for colorectal cancer therapy.

L-shaped mini-sternotomy combined with videoscopic approach for thymoma with invasion of major veins.

It might be possible to remove thymic tumors with minimal invasion of the left brachiocephalic vein (BCV) using an advanced videoscopic technique; simple resection of this vessel can be achieved via such an approach. However, tumor invasion of the superior vena cava or right  BCV requires angioplasty or reconstruction, both of which are difficult to perform in videoscopic procedures. We report a case of invasive thymoma with localized invasion of the great vessels at the junction of the left BCV and superior vena cava. An L-shaped mini-sternotomy combined with a videoscopic approach allowed thymectomy with safe vesselplasty of the involved vessels.

Recurrence in regional pulmonary lymph nodes after surgery for isolated pulmonary metastasis from hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma occasionally metastasizes to extrahepatic organs, rarely to the mediastinal lymph nodes. We present the case of a 64-year-old man who presented with nodules in the upper and right lower lobes of the lung 4 years after undergoing resection of a hepatocellular carcinoma. We performed wedge resection of both lesions. Pathological examination showed that the lesion in the right upper lobe was non-small cell lung cancer and that in the right lower lobe hepatocellular carcinoma. We accordingly performed right upper lobectomy with lymph node dissection. Nine months later, enlarged subcarinal and segmental lymph nodes were detected and mediastinal lymph node metastases from the hepatocellular carcinoma diagnosed by transbronchial needle aspiration.

Lung metastasis of transitional cell cancer of the urothelium, with fungus ball-like shadows closely resembling aspergilloma: A case report and review of the literature.

The present study reports the case of a 67-year-old female patient who was initially diagnosed with pulmonary aspergilloma. This diagnosis was based on a chest computed tomography (CT) scan showing a cavitary lesion of 3.5 cm in diameter, with fungus ball-like shadows inside, and an air crescent sign in the right upper lung. At 63 years old, the patient was treated for transitional cell cancer of the urothelium (non-invasive, pT1N0M0) by total cystectomy, ileal conduit diversion and urostomy. For 4 years post-operatively, the patient was healthy and had no clinical symptoms, and the air crescent sign was not identified by chest CT until the patient had reached 67 years of age. However, a final diagnosis of lung metastasis of transitional cell cancer of the urothelium was histopathologically identified subsequent to video-assisted thoracic surgery. Although it is rare that transitional cell cancer moves to the lung and makes a cavitary lesion, a differential diagnosis of cancer is necessary, even when examining infected patients with air crescent signs that are characteristic of aspergilloma. The physician must be mindful of metastatic pulmonary tumors that closely resemble aspergillomas, not only in infectious diseases, but also in oncological practice. Primary surgical removal should be considered.

Planned pulmonary resection for metastatic pulmonary tumor with video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery using multidetector row angiography.

PURPOSE: For video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) on metastatic pulmonary tumors, wedge resection using an endo-stapler is the standard procedure in many institutions. However, this procedure can miss lesions or compromise surgical margins, particularly with small, deep lesions. The planned pulmonary resection in this study is a surgical method for pulmonary resection aimed at a previously assigned pulmonary area. We determine the pulmonary area for anatomical or nonanatomical resection before surgery on the basis of tumor location in relation to the anatomical distribution of pulmonary vessels. METHODS: Multidetector row computed tomography (MDCT) angiography contributed to preoperative planning for 12 patients with single (n = 11) or dual (n = 1) pulmonary metastases (diameter <3 cm) in the same lobe. RESULTS: Planned surgical procedures were nonanatomical stapling resection (partial resection) (n = 6) or segmentectomy (n = 6). One patient required conversion to lobectomy from segmentectomy, but all patients underwent curative pulmonary resection. CONCLUSION: Preoperative planning of VATS pulmonary resection using MDCT angiography allows reliable pulmonary resection for metastatic tumors.

Surgical risk of vessel injury: an unusual anatomical variant of the right medial basal segmental pulmonary artery.

Video-assisted right basal segmentectomy was successfully performed on a 72-year-old man with an anomalous pulmonary artery. Multidetector row angiography showed the A7 branch arising from the right main pulmonary artery proximal to the branches of the superior trunks, lying under the middle bronchus, and reaching segment S7. Metastatic tumor (diameter 7 mm) was identified in the periphery of this vessel. This anomaly appears to be rare but seems also to be easily overlooked and could cause serious vessel injury even for video-assisted thoracoscopic right lower lobectomy.

A ruptured mature teratoma in which follow-up computed tomography observation at short intervals was useful for a definitive diagnosis.

Rupture of mature mediastinal teratomas occasionally occurs, necessitating prompt surgical treatment. However, the clinical presentation of a ruptured teratoma can resemble that of pneumonia and/or pleuritis. We report a case of mediastinal teratoma rupture, in which follow-up computed tomography (CT) a short-interval after the first CT was useful for definitive diagnosis. The patient was a 29-year-old male who presented with chest pain. CT-revealed a fat-containing cystic tumor in the left anterior mediastinum and a small pleural effusion with consolidation of the lower lobe of the left lung. The diagnoses of pneumonia, pleuritis and teratoma rupture were considered, and antibiotic therapy was initiated to begin with. Eighteen hours later, a repeat CT-revealed an increase in the soft tissue area of the chest wall adjacent to the tumor, which led to the definitive diagnosis of ruptured teratoma, and immediate resection was performed. The histological diagnosis was a mature teratoma, and rupture was confirmed by the high lipase level in the pleural fluid. The patient's postoperative course was uneventful.

A case of surgically resected lung cancer in a patient with Kartagener's syndrome.

Kartagener's syndrome is a rare inherited disorder with a triology of symptoms (bronchiectasis, sinusitis and situs inversus) and is also associated with abnormalities of the cilia of the respiratory epithelium. Lung cancer arising in Kartagener's syndrome is very rare and to date only 5 cases have been reported in the English and Japanese literature. We report on a case of a 65-year-old Japanese male Kartagener's syndrome patient with squamous cell carcinoma of the lung. A left pneumonectomy was performed and no recurrence was found within 2 years.

A case of an elderly patient treated for descending necrotizing mediastinitis.

We report a case of descending necrotizing mediastinitis (DNM). DNM is a serious infection, and preventing death requires early diagnosis and draining of the infection focus. An 84-year-old man was admitted to our hospital complaining of a swollen neck and pain when swallowing. He had had a tooth extracted at a neighboring dental clinic 2 days previously. Cervicothoracic computed tomography (CT) scan demonstrated gas bubbles and unencapsulated abscesses in the cervical spaces and anterosuperior and posterior mediastinum, extending below the carina. He was diagnosed as DNM caused by odontogenic infection. Cervical drainage was performed, in addition to mediastinal drainage using video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS). Complications were sepsis, disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), and heart failure after surgery, but he recovered following intensive care. This was a lifesaving case of DNM for which mediastinal drainage was performed with VATS.

Importance of preoperative assessment of pulmonary venous anomaly for safe video-assisted lobectomy.

During the treatment of 86 patients with video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) anatomical resection (include segmentectomy) within the last two years, we have encountered five patients (5.8%) with anomalous venous returns. Anomalous returns included: 1) common trunk of the left pulmonary vein; 2) right middle pulmonary vein (V4) draining into the inferior pulmonary vein (IPV); 3) left lingular vein (V4+5) draining into the IPV; 4) right posterior pulmonary vein (V2) draining directly into the left atrium; and 5) left upper lobe vein draining into the left innominate vein. If a surgeon were to perform VATS lobectomy without paying attention to these anomalies according to the affected lobe, serious surgical complications might result. Multi-detector row angiography is useful for recognizing such anomalies before surgery and allow safe VATS lobectomy.