Bertrand Grand

Bronchial Carcinoid Tumors Causing Cushing's Syndrome: More Aggressive Behavior and the Need for Early Diagnosis

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to revisit the characteristics and outcomes of adrenocorticotropin-secreting bronchial carcinoid tumor (BCT) responsible for Cushings syndrome (CS). METHODS We conducted a single-institution retrospective review of 14 patients who underwent pulmonary resection for BCT that presented as CS from October 1993 to November 2011. RESULTS The group consisted of 8 male patients (57%) and 6 female patients. The mean age was 40 years (range, 16-63 years). Three patients (21%) underwent unnecessary adrenalectomy or hypophysectomy, or both, before diagnosis of the main cause. The mean interval between clinical presentation and the chest operation was 33 months (range, 3-136 months). Operations included 12 lobectomies (86%), 1 segmentectomy, and 1 wedge excision. All patients underwent radical lymph node dissection. Histologic examination showed 11 typical carcinoids (79%) and 3 atypical carcinoids. Twelve patients were classified pT1 (86%) and 2 patients were classified pT3 because of the presence of 2 tumors in the same lobe. Lymph node metastases were found in 7 patients (50%) (3 pN1 and 4 pN2). The mean follow-up was 59 months (range, 3-174 months). No recurrence was observed. CONCLUSIONS Early detection of adrenocorticotropin-secreting BCTs is challenging. However, it avoids adrenalectomy and unnecessary hypophysectomy, limits the deleterious effects of chronic hypercortisolism, and reduces the risk of metastasis. The high prevalence of lymph node involvement confirms the aggressiveness of these tumors and justifies anatomic resection and radical lymph node dissection. Under these circumstances, the prognosis remains favorable, even in cases of N2 disease.

Lung Cancer Invading the Pericardium: Quantum of Lymph Nodes

BACKGROUND Lung cancer may invade the pericardium (T3) and the intrapericardial pulmonary veins and left atrium (T4). Our purpose was to analyze the characteristics of this invading process in search of the reasons explaining its poor prognosis. METHODS The clinical records of 4,668 patients who underwent surgery for lung cancer between January 1983 and December 2006 in two thoracic surgery centers were retrospectively reviewed. The epidemiology, pathology, and prognostic characteristics of the tumors invading the pericardium alone (T3) or with pulmonary veins and atrium (T4) were analyzed and compared with all other tumors. RESULTS There were 75 male and 16 female patients, with 85 pneumonectomies and 6 lobectomies that proved R0 in 59.3% of patients, and contained 69 squamous cell cancers, 11 adenocarcinomas, and 13 miscellaneous tumors; 12 were N0 (13.2%), 31 were N1 (34.1%), and 48 were N2 (52.8%). Pericardium alone was invaded in 32 patients (35.2%), and with pulmonary vein and atrium in 34 (37.3%) and 25 (27.5%), respectively. Patient characteristics were similar in each group. Five-year and 10-year survival rates were 15.1% and 10.4%, respectively. Frequency of pneumonectomy, R1-2 resection, and N1-2 involvement were significantly more important compared with noninvading tumors (p < 10(-6)). CONCLUSIONS Reports on T3 and T4 cancer with pericardial involvement are few, but also stress that pulmonary vein and left atrium invasion does not worsen the prognosis more than pericardial invasion alone. The rich pericardial lymph drainage might enhance the spread of tumor cells, explaining excessively high N1-N2 rates and pericardial invasion-related poor prognosis.

Multiple tuberculous aneurysms of the aorta

Tuberculous aneurysms of the aorta are quite rare, but are exceptional when found in multiple locations. We report the case of multiple tuberculous aortic aneurysms of the thoracic and abdominal aorta in a 19-year-old female discovered when she consulted for thrombocytopenic purpura. The treatment for both locations included prolonged antituberculous therapy and surgical resection with cryopreserved aortic allograft patch for the reconstruction.

Doege-Potter syndrome: hypoglycaemic coma in a 90-year old due to a solitary fibrous tumour

Solitary fibrous tumour of the pleura (SFTP) is a rare primary tumour of the pleura associated with 4% of cases with a paraneoplastic hypoglycaemia, termed Doege-Potter syndrome (DPS). We report a case of DPS presenting with severe coma in a 90-year-old woman. The cause was a malignant SFTP treated with surgical resection, from which the patient made a full recovery with prevention of recurrent hypoglycaemia. Surgical resection of the SFTP presenting with symptomatic hypoglycaemia should be considered even in elderly patients.

Paris Terrorist Attack on November 13, 2015 - Applying Wartime In-hospital Triage and Damage Control Strategies

of the scene: the teams are working in a scene that has not been secured, with possible presence of additional perpetrators. Personnel has to work using Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) due to that risk. Dealing with an injured perpetrator requires security checks, authorization of the security authorities on the scene, and moral dilemmas. Transportation times might be prolonged. This creates a unique environment that calls for specific on-scene protocols, as well as training of the personnel (staff and volunteers) to be able to successfully perform their tasks in this hostile environment. On-scene procedures, as well as unique procedures developed (eg, police escort to overcome traffic), and revised treatment protocols as result of lessons learned from incidents will be presented.

Mutational Diversity of Lung Cancer and Associated Lymph Nodes. An Exploratory Prospective Study of 4 Resected cIIIA-N2

Mutational heterogeneity could explain different metastatic patterns among IIIA-N2 lung cancer and influence prognosis. The identification of subclonal mutations using deep sequencing to evaluate the degree of molecular heterogeneity may improve IIIA-N2 classification. The aim of this prospective study was to assess mutational and immunohistochemical characteristics in primary tumours and involved lymph nodes (LN) in operated patients. Four patients operated for primary lung carcinoma and unisite N2 mediastinal involvement were consecutively selected. Samples (tumour and paired LN) were analysed for PD1, PD-L1 and CD8 immunostaining. Somatic mutation testing was performed by deep targeted next generation sequencing (NGS), with the AmpliSeq™ Colon and Lung Cancer Panel (LifeTechnology). A total of 9 primary lung cancer samples and 10 LN stations were analysed. For each cancer, we found 2 mutations, with allelic ratios from 3% to 72%. Mutational patterns were heterogeneous for 2 primary tumours. In 3 cases, mutations observed in the primary tumour were not found in LN metastases (ALK, FGFR3, MET). Inversely, in 1 case, a KRAS mutation was found in LN but not in the primary tumour. All primary tumours were found PD-L1 positive while CD8+ T cells infiltrate varied. In the different examined LN samples, PD-L1 expression, CD8+ and PD1+ T cells infiltrate were not similar to the primary tumour. This preliminary prospective study shows the diversity of intra-tumour and LN mutations using routinely-used targeted NGS, concerning both mutated gene and allelic ratio. Further studies are needed to evaluate its prognostic impact.