Jens Eckardt

The value of mediastinal staging with endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration in patients with lung cancer

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the diagnostic yield, the learning curve and the safety of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle biopsy (EBUS-TBNA) in mediastinal staging of patients with lung cancer. METHODS Mediastinal staging was performed with EBUS-TBNA according to the Danish national guidelines in patients fulfilling one or more of the following criteria: (1) central tumour; (2) enlarged (>10 mm) mediastinal lymph nodes on computed tomography; or (3) positron emission tomography (PET)-positive mediastinal lymph nodes. The study period began in January 2006 when EBUS-TBNA was introduced in the department and ended in December 2007. All records were reviewed retrospectively. None of the four examiners had any previous experience with EBUS-TBNA or ultrasound when the study began. All examinations were performed under general anaesthesia. Patients without useful cytological material from the EBUS-TBNA were subjected to a supplementary standard cervical mediastinoscopy if the mediastinal lymph nodes were found to be enlarged (>10 mm), PET positive or if the examiner was insecure of the result of the EBUS-TBNA. Patients with mediastinal lymph node involvement, detected by EBUS-TBNA or standard cervical mediastinoscopy, were referred to oncological treatment, while those without mediastinal lymph node involvement underwent--if they were otherwise eligible for surgery--resection and systematic lymph node sampling either by thoracotomy or by video-assisted thoracoscopy. Final mediastinal staging was defined as positive if mediastinal lymph node involvement was detected by EBUS-TBNA, standard cervical mediastinoscopy or surgery, or defined as negative otherwise. RESULTS A total of 157 patients were included in the study. N2/N3 disease was found in 67 patients (42.6%). EBUS-TBNA missed the mediastinal spread in 10 patients. Five of the ten patients had lymph node metastases in station 5, 6 or 8--out of reach of EBUS-TBNA or standard cervical mediastinoscopy. EBUS-TBNA had a sensitivity of 0.85 (0.74-0.93) and a negative predictive value of 0.90 (0.82-0.95). No complications occurred from EBUS-TBNA. The number of supplementary standard cervical mediastinoscopies decreased significantly in the study period. CONCLUSION The results of this study suggest that staging of the mediastinum with EBUS-TBNA is safe and easy to learn--even without previous experience with ultrasound. The diagnostic yield of EBUS-TBNA is in accordance with the yield of standard cervical mediastinoscopy reported in the literature. We do not find any indications in the present study of the recommended necessity for mediastinoscopy in all EBUS-TBNA-negative patients.

Thoracoscopic Versus Open Pulmonary Metastasectomy: A Prospective, Sequentially Controlled Study

BACKGROUND Patients with limited metastatic disease in the lung may benefit from metastasectomy. Thoracotomy is considered the gold standard, and video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) is controversial because nonimaged nodules may be missed when bimanual palpation is restricted. Against guideline recommendations, metastasectomy with therapeutic intent is now performed by VATS by 40% of thoracic surgeons surveyed. The evidence base for optimal surgical approach is limited to case series and registries, and no comparative surgical studies were observer blinded. METHODS Patients considered eligible for pulmonary metastasectomy by VATS prospectively underwent high-definition VATS by one surgical team, followed by immediate thoracotomy with bimanual palpation and resection of all palpable nodules by a second surgical team during the same anesthesia. Both surgical teams were blinded during preoperative evaluation of CT scans and during surgery. Primary end points were number and histology of nodules detected. RESULTS During a 12-month period, 37 patients were included. Both surgical teams observed exactly 55 nodules suspicious of metastases on CT scans. Of these, 51 nodules were palpable during VATS (92%), and during subsequent thoracotomy 29 additional nodules were resected: Six (21%) were metastases, 19 (66%) were benign lesions, three (10%) were subpleural lymph nodes and one was a primary lung cancer. CONCLUSIONS Modern VATS technology is increasingly used for pulmonary metastasectomy with therapeutic intent, but several nonimaged, and therefore unexpected, nodules are frequently found during subsequent observer-blinded thoracotomy. A substantial proportion of these nodules are malignant, and, despite modern imaging and surgical technology, they would have been missed if VATS was used exclusively for metastasectomy with therapeutic intent.

Thoracoscopic or open surgery for pulmonary metastasectomy: an observer blinded study.

BACKGROUND Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) resection of pulmonary metastases has long been questioned because radiologically undetected parenchymal lesions may be missed when bimanual palpation is restricted to the portholes. Technology, however, has improved and advanced VATS resections are now performed routinely worldwide. This prompted us to conduct a prospective observer-blinded study on pulmonary metastasectomy. METHODS Eligible patients with oligometastatic pulmonary disease on computed tomography (CT) underwent high-definition VATS, with digital palpation by 1 surgical team and subsequent immediate thoracotomy during the same anesthesia by a different surgical team, with bimanual palpation and resection of all palpable nodules. Preoperative CT evaluations and surgical results were blinded. Primary endpoints were number and histopathology of detected nodules. RESULTS During a 3-year period 89 consecutive patients, with newly developed nodules suspicious of lung metastases from previous cancers in colon-rectum (n=59), kidney (n=15), and other malignancies (n=15) were included, with a total of 140 suspicious nodules visible on CT. During VATS, 122 nodules were palpable (87%). All nodules were identified during thoracotomy, where 67 additional and unexpected nodules were also identified; 22 were metastases (33%), 43 (64%) were benign lesions, and 2 (3%) were primary lung cancers. CONCLUSIONS In patients operated for nodules suspicious of lung metastases, a substantial number of additional nodules were detected during thoracotomy despite advancements in CT imaging and VATS technology. Many of these nodules were malignant and would have been missed if VATS was used exclusively. Consequently, we considered VATS inadequate if the intention is to resect all pulmonary metastases during surgery.

Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration of undiagnosed intrathoracic lesions

Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial fine-needle aspiration (EBUS-FNA) is a minimally invasive method used routinely for mediastinal staging of patients with lung cancer. We have used it in 135 consecutive patients with a radiologically suspicious intrathoracic lesion that remained undiagnosed despite bronchoscopy and CT-guided fine-needle aspiration (CT-FNA). There was no operative mortality or surgical complications. In 98 patients with a suspicious lesion in the lung parenchyma, adequate tissue was obtained in 83 patients (85%) and in 37 patients with enlarged lymph nodes or a mediastinal tumor adequate tissue was obtained in 35 cases (95%). However, a final diagnosis was only reached in 45% of the patients and further investigations led to malignancy in 13. We believe that EBUS-FNA represents a good alternative to more invasive diagnostic procedures when conventional methods fail, even though the diagnostic yield is lower compared with mediastinal staging in patients with known lung cancer. In almost half of the cases, EBUS-FNA provides the final diagnosis without exposing the patient to the risk of complications from more invasive procedures.

Boerhaave’s syndrome and tension pneumothorax secondary to Norovirus induced forceful emesis

Boerhaaves syndrome or spontaneous esophageal perforation is a rare condition, with high mortality. We describe a case of Boerhaaves syndrome presenting with tension pneumothorax. The patient was infected with Norovirus and developed Boerhaaves syndrome, initially thought to be gastroenteritis but later developing with tension pneumothorax, and mediastinitis caused by esophageal perforation. The patient was treated with thoracotomy with primary suture and oesophageal stent placement. He had a long period of recovery and was discharged after 98 days. Boerhaaves syndrome is often delayed and must be considered in any patient with respiratory symptoms and a recent history of vomiting.

Successful thrombolysis of major pulmonary embolism 5 days after lobectomy

Aggressive intravenous thrombolysis of pulmonary emboli after major thoracic surgery has rarely been reported and is controversial because of an assumed risk of fatal bleeding. We report a 62-year old female who underwent left upper lobectomy. Her postoperative course was complicated with symptomatic pulmonary embolism and on postoperative day 5 she was successfully treated with intravenous thrombolysis using alteplase (Actilyse(®)) without signs of bleeding. She was discharged from the hospital 12 days postoperatively.

[Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration for mediastinal staging of lung cancer and diagnosis of intrathoracic lesions]

Endobronchial ultrasound‐guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS) has been demonstrated to be a valuable minimally invasive procedure for mediastinal staging of patients with lung cancer, diagnosis of intrathoracic lesions, diagnosis of unknown lymphadenopathy and re‐staging the mediastinum following neoadjuvant chemotherapy for NSCLC.

Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration of lesions in mediastinum

BACKGROUND Lesions in mediastinum can represent malignancy and warrants further workup. Commonly a diagnosis is achieved by conventional bronchoscopy, transbronchial needle aspiration or CT guided fine needle aspiration, however a number of patients remain undiagnosed despite these common investigations METHODS During a period of 36 months 601 patients underwent EBUS at our institution. Two hundred ninety three patients had an established diagnosis of lung cancer and were referred to us for mediastinal staging. The remaining patients had a radiologically suspicious intrathoracic lesion of which 107 had an undiagnosed lesion in mediastinum. All patients had been investigated by previous chest CT and bronchoscopy including brush cytology but remained undiagnosed. RESULTS Of the 107 patients with undiagnosed lesions in the mediastinum 89 enlarged lymph nodes and 18 mediastinal tumours. Forty-eight of the 89 patients (54%) with enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes were diagnosed by EBUS of the remaining 41 patients 11 went on to more invasive methods. In patients with undiagnosed tumours in mediastinum we achieved a final diagnosis by EBUS in 14 of the 18 patients (78%) and 3 went on to more invasive methods. CONCLUSION EBUS provides a final diagnosis in 78% of patients with tumour in mediastinum and in more than half of patients with enlarged lymph nodes despite previous workup.

New anticoagulants emerge, how can we use them for acute pulmonary embolism?

A patient with acute pulmonary embolism (PE) is a challenge to the clinician because most treatments increase the risk for bleeding complications. Eighty percent of patients with PE have identifiable predisposing factors, while idiopathic or unprovoked PE was about 20% in the International Cooperative Pulmonary Embolism Registr y (ICOPER) (1). PE and deep vein thrombosis (DVT) share the same predisposing factors, where the strongest setting-related predisposing factor is major surgery (2) and therefore, PE is a well-known and feared complication following surgery with a mortality up to 50% for massive pulmonary embolism (3).

Metastasis in the subcarinal lymph node with unknown primary tumor

A 59‐year‐old man with previous anaplastic large cell T‐cell lymphoma stage 3A was admitted with an isolated positron emission tomography(PET)‐positive spot in a subcarinal lymph node. Diagnosis was achieved with endobronchial ultrasound‐guided fine‐needle aspiration demonstrating a well‐differentiated squamous cell carcinoma but no primary tumor was visible on PET‐computed tomography. Because of his previous lymphoma the patient was scheduled for mediastinoscopy where the diagnosis was confirmed. Subsequent gastroscopy was normal and a right‐sided thoracotomy showed no evidence of cancer elsewhere, only an inoperable metastasis in a subcarinal lymph node which infiltrated the trachea, esophagus and aorta. Such isolated squamous cell carcinoma in a subcarinal lymph node without a primary tumor despite invasive work‐up has not been reported before.