Chang Hyun Kang

Prognostic factors for surgical resection in patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis

Although surgical lung resection could improve prognosis in some patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), there are no reports on the optimal candidates for this surgery. The aim of the present study was to elucidate the prognostic factors for surgery in patients with MDR-TB. Patients who underwent lung resection for the treatment of MDR-TB between March 1993 and December 2004 were included in the present study. Treatment failure was defined as greater than or equal to two of the five cultures recorded in the final 12 months of treatment being positive, any one of the final three cultures being positive, or the patient having died during treatment. The variables that affected treatment outcomes were identified through univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. In total, 79 patients with MDR-TB were included in the present study. The treatment outcomes of 22 (27.8%) patients were classified as failure. A body mass index <18.5 kg·m-2, primary resistance, resistance to ofloxacin and the presence of a cavitary lesion beyond the range of the surgical resection were associated with treatment failure. Low body mass index, primary resistance, resistance to ofloxacin and cavitary lesions beyond the range of resection are possible poor prognostic factors for surgical lung resection in multidrug-resistant tuberculosis patients.

Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Lobectomy in Children: Safety, Efficacy, and Risk Factors for Conversion to Thoracotomy

BACKGROUNDnVideo-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy in small children has not been widely performed because of difficulties in single-lung ventilation and surgical technique. This study assessed the feasibility, outcomes, and risk factors for conversion to thoracotomy of thoracoscopic lobectomy in children.nnnMETHODSnFrom 2005 to 2011, thoracoscopic lobectomy was tried in 50 consecutive pediatric patients. The median age was 3.2 years and the median body weight was 16 kg. Congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation (CCAM) (78%) and pulmonary sequestration (18%) were the most common diagnoses. Prenatal diagnosis by ultrasonography was made in 34% of patients (17 of 50), and a previous history of pneumonia was present in 46% (23 of 50). The most commonly used single-lung ventilation modality was endobronchial blocking by balloon catheter through a single-lumen endotracheal tube. The use of a stapler was minimized, with endoscopic clipping devices and energy-based cutting instruments used instead.nnnRESULTSnThoracoscopic lobectomy without conversion was accomplished in 82% of patients (41 of 50). There was no in-hospital mortality and 1 major morbidity (2%) with postoperative bleeding. Comparison with a group from an earlier period (∼2009) and a group from a later period (2010-2011) determined that thoracotomy conversion rates, mean operation times, and mean hospital days were 27% and 8%, 190±85 and 133±40 minutes, and 11.0±6.7 and 5.2±2.2 days, respectively. In univariate analysis, lower body weight (p=0.010), operations in the earlier period (p=0.040), single-lung ventilation failure (p=0.004), and a previous history of pneumonia (p<0.001) were related to conversion to thoracotomy. Multivariate analysis revealed a previous history of pneumonia to be the only independent risk factor for conversion to thoracotomy (p=0.0179).nnnCONCLUSIONSnThoracoscopic lobectomy in small children is a safe and effective treatment modality. Close cooperation with the anesthesiologist, use of adequate instruments, and selection of proper patients are important for the success of thoracoscopic lobectomy in small children. A previous history of pneumonia was an independent risk factor for conversion to thoracotomy.

Accuracy and predictive features of FDG-PET/CT and CT for diagnosis of lymph node metastasis of T1 non-small-cell lung cancer manifesting as a subsolid nodule

ObjectivesTo retrospectively evaluate the diagnostic accuracy and predictive features of F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/ computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) and CT in lymph node (LN) staging of T1 non-small-cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) manifesting as subsolid nodules.MethodsFrom January 2005 to May 2011, 160 patients with pathologically proven T1 subsolid NSCLCs with LN staging were included in this study. Diagnostic accuracies of FDG-PET/CT and CT for LN staging were evaluated. Maximum standardised uptake value (SUVmax) and CT features of primary tumours were evaluated to investigate predictive factors for LN metastasis.ResultsLN metastases were found in nine of the 160 patients (5.6%). No LN metastasis was present in patients with a solid proportion ≤50%. Sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of FDG-PET/CT for LN staging on a per-patient basis were 11.1%, 86.1% and 81.9%; those of CT were 11.1%, 96.7% and 91.9%. Among patients with a solid proportion >50%, there were significant differences in SUVmax, solid portion size, solid proportion and lesion location between patients with and without LN metastasis. Multivariate analysis revealed that higher SUVmax, a larger solid proportion and central location were independent predictors of LN metastasis.ConclusionsFDG-PET/CT adds little value to CT in the lymph node staging of T1 subsolid NSCLCs.Key Points• Lymph node (LN) metastases are important in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).• Positron emission tomography (PET) helps to stage solid NSCLCs.• FDG-PET/CT adds little to the LN staging of T1 subsolid NSCLCs.• No LN metastasis in patients with a solid proportion ≤50%.• LN metastasis is more common in solid and/or centrally sited tumours.

CT-Guided Percutaneous Transthoracic Localization of Pulmonary Nodules Prior to Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery Using Barium Suspension

Objective To describe our initial experience with CT-guided percutaneous barium marking for the localization of small pulmonary nodules prior to video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). Materials and Methods From October 2010 to April 2011, 10 consecutive patients (4 men and 6 women; mean age, 60 years) underwent CT-guided percutaneous barium marking for the localization of 10 small pulmonary nodules (mean size, 7.6 mm; range, 3-14 mm): 6 pure ground-glass nodules, 3 part-solid nodules, and 1 solid nodule. A 140% barium sulfate suspension (mean amount, 0.2 mL; range, 0.15-0.25 mL) was injected around the nodules with a 21-gauge needle. The technical details, surgical findings and pathologic features associated with barium localizations were evaluated. Results All nodules were marked within 3 mm (mean distance, 1.1 mm; range, 0-3 mm) from the barium ball (mean diameter, 9.6 mm; range, 8-16 mm) formed by the injected barium suspension. Pneumothorax occurred in two cases, for which one needed aspiration. However, there were no other complications. All barium balls were palpable during VATS and visible on intraoperative fluoroscopy, and were completely resected. Both the whitish barium balls and target nodules were identifiable in the frozen specimens. Pathology revealed one invasive adenocarcinoma, five adenocarcinoma-in-situ, two atypical adenomatous hyperplasias, and two benign lesions. In all cases, there were acute inflammations around the barium balls which did not hamper the histological diagnosis of the nodules. Conclusion CT-guided percutaneous barium marking can be an effective, convenient and safe pre-operative localization procedure prior to VATS, enabling accurate resection and diagnosis of small or faint pulmonary nodules.

Differences in the Expression Profiles of Excision Repair Crosscomplementation Group 1, X-Ray Repair Crosscomplementation Group 1, and βIII-Tubulin Between Primary Non-small Cell Lung Cancer and Metastatic Lymph Nodes and the Significance in Mid-Term Survival

Introduction: This study aimed to compare the expression profiles of excision repair crosscomplementation group 1 (ERCC1), x-ray repair crosscomplementation group 1 (XRCC1), and &bgr;III-tubulin between patients with primary non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and those with metastatic lymph nodes and to identify the prognostic significance of each chemotherapy resistance protein. Materials: Those who met the inclusion criteria were patients (1) with NSCLC, (2) with metastatic lymph nodes (N1 or N2), and (3) who underwent surgical resection followed by platinum-based adjuvant chemotherapy. A total of 82 patients were included in the study. The expression profile of each protein was evaluated by immunohistochemistry and compared according to tumor location. Results: The mean age of the patients was 57.5 ± 8.4 years. There were 30 N1 and 52 N2 patients. ERCC1 expression was upregulated in 55% and downregulated in 8% of metastatic lymph nodes, when compared with primary tumors (p < 0.05). XRCC1 was also upregulated in 56% and downregulated in 6% (p < 0.05). However, &bgr;III-tubulin was upregulated in 12% and downregulated in 45% of patients (p < 0.05). &bgr;III-tubulin expression in metastatic lymph nodes was greater in patients with adenocarcinoma than other cell types. Upregulation of ERCC1 in metastatic lymph nodes was a poor prognostic factor in N1 patients but not in N2 patients. Conclusions: Significant changes in the expression profile of each protein were observed in metastatic lymph nodes. The resistance protein-guided treatment should be performed after integrative interpretation of expression profiles of each protein in both primary and metastatic sites.

Role of Postoperative Radiotherapy After Curative Resection and Adjuvant Chemotherapy for Patients With Pathological Stage N2 Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer: A Propensity Score Matching Analysis

BACKGROUNDnThe objective of this study was to evaluate the role of postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) in the setting of adjuvant chemotherapy for pathological stage N2 (pN2) non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).nnnMATERIALS AND METHODSnA retrospective review of 219 consecutive pN2 NSCLC patients who underwent curative surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy was performed. Forty-one patients additionally received PORT. Propensity scores for PORT receipt were individually calculated and used for matching to compare the outcome between patients who did (+) and did not (-) receive PORT. One hundred eleven patients in the PORT (-) group and 38 patients in PORT (+) group were matched. Clinical and pathologic characteristics were well-balanced.nnnRESULTSnThe median follow-up duration was 48 months. In the matched patients, PORT resulted in a significantly lower crude locoregional relapse (43.2% vs. 23.7%; P = .032). Also, PORT was associated with improved locoregional control (LRC) rate (5-year LRC 63.7% vs. 48.6%; P = .036), but not distant metastasis-free survival, disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival. An exploratory subgroup analysis suggested a potential DFS benefit of PORT in patients with multiple station mediastinal lymph node metastases (5-year DFS, 43.2% vs. 16.6%; P = .037) and squamous cell carcinoma histology (5-year DFS, 70.1% vs. 23.3%; P = .011).nnnCONCLUSIONSnEven in the setting of adjuvant chemotherapy, PORT significantly increased LRC for patients with curatively resected pN2 NSCLC. Some subgroups appear to benefit from PORT in terms of DFS and LRC. Individualized strategies based on risk factors might be considered.

Impact of Parenchymal Tuberculosis Sequelae on Mediastinal Lymph Node Staging in Patients with Lung Cancer

Because tuberculous (TB) involvement of mediastinal lymph nodes (LN) could cause false positive results in nodal staging of lung cancer, we examined the accuracy of nodal staging in lung cancer patients with radiographic sequelae of healed TB. A total of 54 lung cancer patients with radiographic TB sequelae in the lung parenchyma ipsilateral to the resected lung, who had undergone at least ipsilateral 4- and 7-lymph node dissection after both chest computed tomography (CT) and fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography (PET)/CT were included for the analysis. The median age of 54 subjects was 66 yr and 48 were males. Calcified nodules and fibrotic changes were the most common forms of healed parenchymal pulmonary TB. Enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes (short diameter > 1 cm) were identified in 21 patients and positive mediastinal lymph nodes were identified using FDG-PET/CT in 19 patients. The overall sensitivity and specificity for mediastinal node metastasis were 60.0% and 69.2% with CT and 46.7% and 69.2% with FDG-PET/CT, respectively. In conclusion, the accuracy of nodal staging using CT or FDG-PET/CT might be low in lung cancer patients with parenchymal TB sequelae, because of inactive TB lymph nodes without viable TB bacilli.

Limited thymectomy as a potential alternative treatment option for early-stage thymoma: A multi-institutional propensity-matched study

OBJECTIVESnFor early-stage thymoma, complete thymectomy has classically been regarded as the standard treatment protocol. However, several studies have shown that limited thymectomy may be an alternative treatment option for thymoma. This study compared perioperative outcomes, survival, and recurrence rates between patients undergoing limited thymectomy and complete thymectomy.nnnMATERIALS AND METHODSnBetween January 2000 and December 2013, a total of 762 patients underwent thymectomy for stage I or II thymomas at four institutions participating in the Korean Association for Research on the Thymus. Patients were divided into two groups: limited thymectomy group (n=295) and complete thymectomy group (n=467). Comparative clinicopathological, surgical, and oncological features were reviewed retrospectively.nnnRESULTSnThe median follow-up time was 49 months (range: 0.2-189 months). A propensity score-matching analysis, based on seven variables (age, sex, surgical approach, tumor size, WHO histological type, Masaoka-Koga stage, and adjuvant radiotherapy), was performed using 141 patients selected from each group. The 5- and 10-year freedom-from-recurrence rates in the limited thymectomy group were 96.3% and 89.7%, respectively, and those in the complete thymectomy group were 97.0% and 85.0%, respectively. No significant differences in these rates were observed between groups (p=0.86). A multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that overall survival and freedom-from-recurrence rates did not significantly differ by surgery extent (p=0.27, 0.66, respectively). Perioperative outcomes were better in the limited thymectomy group.nnnCONCLUSIONnLimited thymectomy was not inferior to complete thymectomy with respect to recurrence, and had better perioperative outcomes. Limited thymectomy may be a viable treatment option for early-stage thymoma.

Thoracoscopic resection of solitary lung metastases evaluated by using thin-section chest computed tomography: is thoracoscopic surgery still a valid option?

ObjectiveThis study evaluated long-term outcomes of pulmonary metastasectomy for solitary lung metastases to clarify the role of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery in the selected population.MethodsWe retrospectively investigated oncologic results after the resection of solitary lung metastases guided by thin-section chest computed tomography scans in 105 patients. Pulmonary metastasectomy for solitary lung metastases was approached by thoracotomy (nxa0=xa043) and by thoracoscopy (nxa0=xa062).ResultsCompared to the thoracotomy group, the thoracoscopy group had a shorter hospital stay (pxa0<xa00.001) postoperatively. Intrathoracic recurrence developed in 11 (25.6xa0%) patients in the thoracotomy group and 15 (24.2xa0%) in the thoracoscopy group. 19 patients (18.1xa0%) underwent re-metastasectomy during the median 36-month (5–113) follow-up (pxa0=xa00.693). Re-metastasectomy was performed in 8 patients (18.6xa0%) in the thoracotomy group and in 11 patients (17.7xa0%) in the thoracoscopy group (pxa0=xa00.910). Overall survival was not significantly different between the two groups (pxa0=xa00.210). Intrathoracic recurrence was the only significant risk factor for overall survival (pxa0=xa00.036) in multivariate analysis.ConclusionsIn a highly selected group with solitary lung metastases, pulmonary metastasectomy by thoracotomy or thoracoscopy did not affect survival. There were comparable oncologic results from both surgeries when applied in solitary lung metastases from an extra-thoracic malignancy. Thoracoscopic metastasectomy is a promising option in small, solitary pulmonary metastases.

Serial improvement of quality metrics in pediatric thoracoscopic lobectomy for congenital lung malformation: an analysis of learning curve

AbstractBackgroundVideo-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) pulmonary resection in children is a technically demanding procedure that requires a relatively long learning period. This study aimed to evaluate the serial improvement of quality metrics according to case volume experience in pediatric VATS pulmonary resection of congenital lung malformation (CLM).n Methods VATS anatomical resection in CLM was attempted in 200 consecutive patients. The learning curve for the operative time was modeled by cumulative sum analysis. Quality metrics were used to measure technical achievement and efficiency outcomes.n Results The median operative time was 95xa0min. The median length of hospital stay and chest tube indwelling time was 4 and 2 days, respectively. The improvement of operation time was observed persistently until 200 cases. However, two cut-off points, the 50th case and 110th case, were identified in the learning curve for operative time, and the 110th case was the turning point for stable outcomes with short operation time. Significant reduction of length of hospital stay and chest tube indwelling time was observed after 50 cases (pu2009=u2009.002 and pu2009=u2009.021, respectively). The complication rate decreased but continued at a low rate for entire study period and the interval decrease was not statistically significant. Conversion rate decreased significantly (pu2009=u2009.001), and technically challenging procedures were performed more frequently in later cases.n Conclusions Improvements of quality metrics in operation time, conversion rate, length of hospital stay, and chest tube indwelling time were observed in proportion to case volume. Minimum experience of 50 is necessary for stable outcomes of pediatric VATS pulmonary resection.