Alaa Brik

Surgical outcome of pulmonary aspergilloma

INTRODUCTION Surgical resection offers the only realistic chance of permanent cure for pulmonary aspergilloma. This prospective study was designed to evaluate our indications and surgical outcome of pulmonary aspergilloma with analysis of postoperative complications. PATIENTS AND METHODS Between 2001 and 2008, 42 patients underwent surgical treatment for pulmonary aspergilloma at Zagazig University Hospital. The patients were divided into two groups, group A (simple aspergilloma) n=12 and group B (complex aspergilloma) n=30. RESULTS Group A consisted of eight male and four female patients with a mean age of 43+/-11.3 years. Group B consisted of 20 male and 10 female patients with a mean age of 46+/-12 years. The most common presentation and indication for surgery was hemoptysis (83.3%) in both groups. The common underlying lung diseases were tuberculosis (40.4%), bronchiectasis (33.3%) and lung abscess (11.9%). The common surgical procedure performed was lobectomy (85.7%), followed by pneumonectomy (6.7%), segmentectomy (8.3%), cavernoplasty (4.7%) and bilobectomy (6.7%). The postoperative mortality was 3.3% in group B only. Postoperative non-fatal complications occurred in 12 patients (28.5%) in both groups. The complications included prolonged air leak (2.3%), bleeding (4.7%), wound infection (2.3%), empyema (7.1%), bronchopleural fistula (2.3%) and one patient developed chylothorax after lobectomy (2.3%). The mean follow-up period was (25.5+/-17 months). The survival rate at 5 years was 91.6% and 83.3% in group A and group B respectively and there was no recurrence of disease or hemoptysis. CONCLUSION Surgical treatment of pulmonary aspergilloma is the most effective treatment; pulmonary resection is the treatment of choice when indicated and in unstable surgical patients, palliative procedures chosen in bad cardiopulmonary function.

Surgery for hemoptysis in various pulmonary tuberculous lesions: a prospective study

Hemoptysis due to pulmonary tuberculous lesions is a common cause of morbidity, and occasionally mortality. The aim of this study is to evaluate the surgical outcome of hemoptysis in patients with various tuberculous pulmonary lesions. A total of 45 cases who underwent surgical procedures for various pulmonary tuberculous lesions with hemoptysis were included in this study. Sixteen patients underwent surgical management within one week of the attack of hemoptysis (group A), the other 29 patients underwent surgery one week after the attack (group B). Hemoptysis was classified into minor, major and massive hemoptysis. Major and massive hemoptysis were the common presentation of group A and tuberculous cavities were the most common lung lesions in both groups (37.7%). Lobectomy was the main surgical procedure performed in both groups (51.1%). Bronchopleural fistula occurred in one case in each group after right pneumonectomy. There was one case (6.2%) of mortality in group A. Tuberculous cavity is the common pulmonary lesion which can result in major and massive hemoptysis, therefore, we recommend early surgical resection of tuberculous cavities to avoid life-threatening hemoptysis. Limited resection should be avoided to prevent recurrence.