Hitoshi Nishikawa

Use of a vessel sealing system versus conventional electrocautery for lung parenchymal resection: a comparison of the clinicopathological outcomes in porcine lungs

PurposeLigaSure, a vessel sealing system, has been shown to have excellent hemostatic properties; however, its use for lung parenchymal resection has been limited. We herein examined the hemostatic properties and potential for inducing histological lung injury of the LigaSure system in non-anatomic pulmonary resection to estimate the feasibility of its clinical application.MethodsNon-anatomic pulmonary wedge resections of the right cranial, middle, and caudal lobes were performed in four pigs using the LigaSure system (Group A) or electrocautery (Group B). In each resection, the resection time, blood loss, and weight of the resected lung were measured. The thermal effect on the lung tissue was examined by means of intraoperative thermography and histology.ResultsA total of 12 lung wedge resections were performed in each group. For an equivalent length of operation and weight of the resected lung parenchyma, Group A showed significantly lower blood loss and lower maximum and minimum temperatures of the lung tissue, as assessed by thermography, than Group B. The degree of thermal injury as estimated by a histological examination was lower in Group A than in Group B.ConclusionOur study suggests that the LigaSure system may be superior to conventional electrocautery, indicating its clinical usefulness for non-anatomic pulmonary resection.

Detection of airway ischaemic damage after lung transplantation by using autofluorescence imaging bronchoscopy

OBJECTIVES Airway complications related to ischaemia are a major cause of morbidity after lung transplantation. Early detection of airway ischaemia and optimal management of the anastomotic site could reduce the risk of airway complications. Autofluorescence imaging (AFI) bronchoscopy has been increasingly recognized as an effective technique for detecting abnormal mucosal thickening. The aim of this study was to investigate whether AFI bronchoscopy can facilitate the detection of airway ischaemic damage in lung transplant patients. METHODS Twenty Landrace pigs were used to create a tracheal autotransplantation model. A four-ring length of trachea was excised and implanted orthotopically. The tracheal autograft was observed on postoperative days 0, 2, 4 and 7 with AFI bronchoscopy. The extent and origin of graft autofluorescence were examined using histology and measured according to fluorescence intensity. RESULTS The lesions on the tracheal autografts appeared as bright green fluorescence on AFI bronchoscopy. On confocal fluorescence microscopy, high-intensity green fluorescence was observed in the elastin fibre layer of the submucosa. The fluorescence intensity of elastin was significantly higher in the graft showing fluorescence than the graft that did not show fluorescence and that at the control site. CONCLUSIONS Bright green fluorescence was seen in an elastin fibre layer in the submucosa, which was likely a result of epithelial sloughing. There is a close relationship between the bright green fluorescence pattern observed using AFI bronchoscopy and airway ischaemic damage. We conclude that AFI bronchoscopy may detect airway ischaemic damage after lung transplantation.

Pneumocephalus and Chylothorax Complicating Vertebrectomy for Lung Cancer

Pneumocephalus is a rare, but potentially fatal complication of thoracic surgery. We describe a case of successful management of pneumocephalus complicated by persistent chylothorax developing after en bloc partial vertebrectomy performed after induction chemoradiotherapy for lung cancer invading the spine. Surgical treatment should be considered for pneumocephalus complicated by any condition requiring persistent chest drainage.

Metastatic pulmonary leiomyosarcoma presenting with a long disease-free interval: Report of a case

The prognosis in patients with retroperitoneal leiomyosarcoma and its distant metastasis is poor. We herein present an extremely rare case of an 83-year-old woman with a pulmonary metastasis from retroperitoneal leiomyosarcoma. The disease-free interval between the resection of the primary tumor and the diagnosis of metastasis was longer than 23 years. She was successfully treated with a video-assisted thoracic surgery lobectomy.

Hemangioma in the anterior mediastinum

Anterior mediastinal hemangiomas are very rare neoplasms in mediastinal tumors. A 58-year-old woman was revealed to have a mass measuring 4 x 3 cm in size in the anterior mediastinum with calcification on computed tomography. It was initially suspected to be a thymoma. We performed tumor extirpation in November 1998. The tumor was close to the thymus and slightly adhered to the superior vena cava, ascending aorta and right phrenic nerve, however, it did not invade any surrounding organs. Histopathologically, it was diagnosed to be a venous type hemangioma composed of vessels covered by smooth muscle and a cavernous type hemangioma composed of dilated vessels covered by one layer of endothelial cells.