Nobuhiro Ono

Lung Abscess Caused by Paecilomyces lilacinus

We report the case of a 57-year-old man who was referred to our department for further investigation of an abnormal chest shadow. Radiography on admission demonstrated a coin lesion in the right hilum. To make a final diagnosis, right middle lobectomy was performed and the mass was revealed to be a fungal abscess. Further examination confirmed that the fungus was Paecilomyces lilacinus. This is the first reported case of lung abscess caused by P. lilacinus in an otherwise healthy person.

A case of thymoma protruding into the superior vena cava through the thymic vein

We describe an unusual case of an invasive thymoma protruding into the superior vena cava and left brachiocephalic vein through the thymic veins in a 64-year-old patient. The tumor was resected with a bypass of the right brachiocephalic vein and right atrium. Although this type of growth form is rare for an invasive thymoma, this case suggests that in surgical procedures for thymomas, meticulous examination of the thymic veins is necessary to avoid leaving residual tumor.

Surgical management of pulmonary aspergilloma. Role of single-stage cavernostomy with muscle transposition.

OBJECTIVE We reviewed the outcome of the patients with aspergilloma who were treated surgically. METHODS Between July 1991 and October 1996, 11 patients with pulmonary aspergilloma underwent surgery. One underwent sequential bilateral tboracotomy and two underwent re-operation. The total number of operations was 14. Surgical procedures consisted of 5 cavernostomies with muscle transposition, 3 cavernostomies with muscle transposition and thoracoplasty, 1 lobectomy 1 pneumonectomy, 1 segmentectomy and 3 partial resections. RESULTS Morbidity and mortality rates were 28.6% and 7.1%, respectively Two patients who underwent cavernostomy and muscle transposition experienced a relapse of aspergilloma 19 and 29 months after the operation, respectively, but both successfully underwent re-operation, including cavernostomy. Both are free of symptoms 28 and 30 months after re-operation, respectively. All survivors except for one who died of multiple organ failure remain free of symptoms 14 to 60 months after the most recent operation. CONCLUSION Our experience was not a controlled trial and two relapsed cases had undergone cavernostomy, our series may suggest that single-stage cavernostomy with muscle transposition is a viable surgical option for patients with pulmonary aspergilloma.

Primary Bronchopulmonary Fibrosarcoma: Report of a Case

We herein report a case of primary bronchopulmonary fibrosarcoma in a 70-year-old man. The patient was referred to our hospital for investigation of hemosputum and an abnormal shadow. On admission, chest radiograph and computed tomography scan showed a mass lesion in right S3 and an infiltrative shadow in the right upper lobe. Transbronchial biopsy specimens showed findings of malignancy, and adenocarcinoma was suspected. A right pneumonectomy was performed, and pathologic examination confirmed a diagnosis of fibrosarcoma. The patient had an uneventful recovery and no sign of recurrence has been found in the year since his operation, although strict follow-up is essential.

Expression of adult T-cell leukemiaderived factor in bronchoalveolar lavage cells after canine lung transplantation

Lung transplantation is now an accepted therapeutic option for patients with end-stage lung disease, and an early diagnosis of rejection is essential in the management of these patients. Adult T-cell leukemia-derived factor (ADF), known as a human homolog of thioredoxin, has been shown to be induced by a variety of stresses. In this study we examined ADF expression in lung tissues and bronchoalveolar lavage cells after canine lung transplantation to determine whether it could be induced by allogenic stimulations and could be used to diagnose early rejection. Allotransplantations were performed in adult mongrel dogs, and immunosuppression was performed from the day of operation to the fifth postoperative day. No immunosuppressant was given from the sixth to the tenth postoperative days. Animals were put to death on the tenth postoperative day. Bronchoalveolar lavage was performed on the fifth and tenth postoperative days, and the lavage cells and lung tissues were examined immunohistochemically with anti-ADF antibody. The grades of rejection were as follows: grade 1 in two animals, grade 2 in three animals, and grade 3 in two animals. The percentages of ADF high-producer cells in bronchoalveolar lavage cells on the fifth and tenth postoperative days were 4.29% +/- 2.65% and 26.6% +/- 3.99%, respectively (p < 0.01). The percentages of ADF high-producer cells in normal healthy dogs and in those with grade 1, grade 2, and grade 3 rejection were 3.00% +/- 1.64%, 20.5% +/- 9.00%, 25.5% +/- 6.06%, and 34.5% +/- 6.50%, respectively. The percentage in each rejection group was significantly higher than that in normal healthy dogs (p < 0.05). These results suggest that examination of bronchoalveolar lavage cells with ADF staining may be useful in the early diagnosis of rejection.