Kouji Negi

Primary Cardiac Sarcoma

Two case reports of primary cardiac sarcoma, which is uncommon, are presented. The first case, a 38-year-old male, complained of chest tightness. Chest roentgenograms showed enlargement of the cardiac shadow and left pleural effusion. Transthoracic echocardiography and chest magnetic resonance imaging showed a tumor in the right atrium, and pericardial effusion. The tumor involved the right atrial wall and interatrial septum, and was partially resected. Pathohistological examination revealed angiosarcoma. He died 1 month later. The second case, a 19-year-old male complained of dyspnea and orthopnea. Chest roentgenograms showed pulmonary congestion. Transthoracic echocardiography showed a large mobile mass in the left atrium. An emergency operation was performed and the tumor was totally resected. Pathohistological examination demonstrated leiomyosarcoma. The postoperative course was uneventful, but the tumor rapidly recurred. Second and third operations were performed at intervals of 2 months. After the third operation, he was treated with radiotherapy. Local recurrence was not found but multiple distant metastases were found 2 months after completion of radiation therapy.

Terminal warm blood cardioplegia improves the recovery of myocardial electrical activity. A retrospective and comparative study.

OBJECTIVE The effect of terminal warm blood cardioplegia was analyzed in 191 patients undergoing either coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) or prosthetic heart valve replacement between Jan. 1990 and Dec. 1995. METHODS Patients were subdivided into 3 historical cohorts based on the method of myocardial protection: Group A (n = 106), multidose cold crystalloid glucose-potassium cardioplegia, alone; Group B (n = 37), cold crystalloid glucose-potassium cardioplegia plus terminal warm blood cardioplegia, Group C (n = 48), cardioplegia induction with cold crystalloid glucose-potassium cardioplegia, maintenance with multidose cold blood cardioplegia, and terminal warm blood cardioplegia. RESULTS Of patients undergoing CABG, 5.6% of group A, 70.4% of group B, and 86.7% of group C spontaneously resumed sinus rhythm after aortic declamping, as did 9.1% of group A, 60.0% of group B, and 55.6% of group C of patients undergoing prosthetic heart valve replacement. The incidence of spontaneous recovery was significantly better in groups B and C than in group A (p < 0.05). Over 90% of patients without terminal warm blood cardioplegia developed ventricular fibrillation or tachycardia requiring electrical cardioversion (p < 0.05). Postoperatively, patients without terminal warm blood cardioplegia required temporary epicardial pacing more frequently than those with terminal warm blood cardioplegia (p < 0.05). In patients undergoing prosthetic heart valve replacement, groups B and C, the incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation was significantly lower than in group A. CONCLUSION Terminal warm blood cardioplegia thus promoted better postoperative electrophysiological cardiac recovery.

Disruption in the intrathoracic trachea due to blunt trauma

Intrathoracic tracheal disruption by blunt trauma is rare and potentially life threatening. Here report 3 cases of intrathoracic tracheal disruption due to blunt trauma. Two cases, each 43 year old, involved an unrestrained male driver who suffered a head-on crash, while the other, 63 year old, involved a male who suffered compression. Chest roentgenograms on admission showed remarkable deep cervical and mediastinal emphysema in Cases 1 and 2 and mediastinal emphysema alone in Case 3. Bronchoscopy revealed disruption in the trachea. Primary repair was performed through a right posterolateral thoracotomy in Cases 1 and 3 and through a median sternotomy in Case 2. In all cases the postoperative course was uneventful.

A Case of Left Completion Pneumonectomy for Recurrent Lung Cancer and Left Main Bronchial Stenosis Due to Postoperative Pulmonary Torsion.

症例は68歳の女性.1990年9月25日原発性肺癌で左上葉切除+R2a郭清を施行した.高分化腺癌で, p-stage I (TIN0M0) であった.術後化学療法 (VP-16, CDDP) を施行した.1991年7月頃より呼吸困難・喘鳴が出現した.胸部CTと気管支鏡検査で左上葉切断部の中枢側の左主気管支の狭窄を認めたが, 再発は認めなかった.経過観察中狭窄による症状が進行した.1994年2月22日の胸部単純X線写真で残存下葉に腫瘤陰影を認め, CT下針生検で再発性肺癌が疑われた.他臓器転移は認めなかった.左主気管支狭窄を考慮し, 4月26日左残存肺全摘術を施行した.左主気管支は上方に偏位し, 時計方向に約90度捻転し, 狭窄は上葉支断端部の中枢側にあり, 内径は3mmであった.再発性肺癌であった.術後呼吸困難は消失し, PSは1であった.左残存肺全摘術後3年7ヵ月で全身転移のため死亡した.