Young Jo Sa

Thoracic Air-leak Syndromes In Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Recipients with Graft-versus-Host Disease: A Possible Sign for Poor Response to Treatment and Poor Prognosis

Bronchiolitis obliterans (BO) or bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia (BOOP) is one of manifestations of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), a complication of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Recently there are reports about thoracic air-leakage syndrome (TALS), but real incidence, clinical course, and implications of TALS remain unclear. Retrospective review of 18 TALS patients among 2,177 patients who received allogeneic HSCT between January 2000 to July 2007 was done. Clinical manifestations, treatments, and outcomes of TALS were reviewed. The incidence of TALS was 0.83% (18/2,177). The onset of TALS was mean 425.9±417.8 days (60-1,825 days) after HSCT, and the duration was mean 16.3±21 days (2-90 days). The most common types of TALS were spontaneous pneumothroax (n=14), followed by subcutaneous emphysema (n=6), pneumomediastinum (n=5), interstitial emphysema (n=2), and pneumopericardium (n=1). TALS persisted in six patients, who died during the same hospitalization. The 12 patients recovered from TALS, but only 2 survived, while others died due to aggravation of GVHD. TALS may complicate BO/BOOP and be an initial manifestation of BO/BOOP. TALS is hard to be resolved, and even after the recovery, patients die because of aggravation of GVHD. We suggest specifically in HSCT patients, when once developed, TALS seems hard to be cured, and as a result, be related to high fatality.

Intractable hiccup accompanying pleural effusion: reversible clipping of an intrathoracic phrenic nerve.

Hiccup is usually a self-limiting condition, and can be treated with medications and physical maneuvers. However, hiccup episodes continuing for days or weeks can be incapacitating, and disturb work, sleep, and eating. Therefore, timely therapeutic intervention is needed to achieve early resolution of this treatable condition. We report on a successful phrenic nerve block for intractable hiccups, which consisted of thoracoscopic nerve clipping under general anesthesia and reversal under local anesthesia. This method has the advantage of assured diaphragmatic functional recovery while controlling intractable hiccups.

Recurrent cervical esophageal stenosis after colon conduit failure: use of myocutaneous flap.

A 53-year-old male developed cervical esophageal stenosis after esophageal bypass surgery using a right colon conduit. The esophageal bypass surgery was performed to treat multiple esophageal strictures resulting from corrosive ingestion three years prior to presentation. Although the patient underwent several endoscopic stricture dilatations after surgery, he continued to suffer from recurrent esophageal stenosis. We planned cervical patch esophagoplasty with a pedicled skin flap of sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle. Postoperative recovery was successful, and the patient could eat a solid meal without difficulty and has been well for 18 mo. SCM flap esophagoplasty is an easier and safer method of managing complicated and recurrent cervical esophageal strictures than other operations.

The Effect of Thoracosopic Thoracic Sympathetomy on Pulmonary Function and Bronchial Hyperresponsiveness

Background. Endoscopic thoracic sympathectic denervation (ESD) is a procedure used in primary hyperhidrosis and upper extremity ischemia. Bronchial tone is affected by the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems and bronchial asthma is associated with an imbalance between them. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of ESD on pulmonary function and bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR). Patients and methods. Fifty-eight patients with primary hyperhidrosis (n = 54) or upper limb ischemia (n = 4) were included. Spirometry and bronchial provocation test with methacholine was performed before and 4 weeks after ESD. Results. Forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) were significantly decreased early after ESD (from 4.67 ± 0.84 L and 4.36 ± 0.85 L to 4.12 ± 0.78 L and 3.84 ± 0.82 L, respectively), although no patient complained of an aggravation of respiratory symptoms. Twelve patients (21%) had a positive response to methacholine provocation preoperatively, and all remained positive post surgery. The provocative concentration of methacholine, which brought about a 20% decrease in the FEV1 in the patients, was not significantly changed after surgery (from 5.1 ± 4.3 to 4.6 ± 4.6). Of 46 patients who had a negative result for methacholine challenge preoperatively, 12 (26%) became positive after surgery. In terms of the level of sympathectomy, T3 sympathectomy significantly increased the ratio of patients exhibiting a positive response to methacholine (from 19% to 34%, respectively) (p < 0.005). Conclusions. Thoracic sympathectomy can adversely affect lung function early after surgery, although the clinical significance is uncertain. It may also exert an influence on the development of bronchial hyperresponsiveness, especially when performed at the T3 level.

Recurrent intractable hiccups treated by cervical phrenic nerve block under electromyography: report of a case

AbstractIntractable or persistent hiccups require intensive or invasive treatments. The use of a phrenic nerve block or destructive treatment for intractable hiccups has been reported to be a useful and discrete method that might be valuable to patients with this distressing problem and for whom diverse management efforts have failed. We herein report a successful treatment using a removable and adjustable ligature for the phrenic nerve in a patient with recurrent and intractable hiccups, which was employed under the guidance of electromyography.

Cholesterol Granuloma: A Rare Benign Rib Tumor

Rib tumors are uncommon, constituting only 5% to 10% of all bony neoplasms. Cholesterol granuloma is also rare and is described as inflammatory granulation that occurs in response to the deposition of cholesterol crystals. Cholesterol granulomas are found most commonly in the paranasal sinuses or temporal bones, but there are also rare reports of their occurrence in the peritoneum, parotid gland, lymph nodes, thyroglossal duct, kidney, liver, and spleen. Involvement of the ribs has rarely been described previously. We report a rare case of cholesterol granuloma involving the second rib of a 38-year-old-woman who presented with a slowly growing lesion of the anterior aspect of the chest.

Late-developing tongue adenoid cystic carcinoma after pulmonary metastasectomy: a case report

Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is a relatively rare epithelial tumor of the salivary glands that accounts for approximately 5 to 10% of all salivary gland neoplasms. The typical clinical and pathological findings of this tumor include slow indolent growth, common local recurrence, and late distant metastasis to lung, brain, bone, liver, thyroid, and spleen. We report a 52-year-old female patient who presented a tongue ACC, 27 months after successful pulmonary ACC resection.

Off-Pump Open Pulmonary Embolectomy for Patients with Major Pulmonary Embolism

Acute major pulmonary artery embolism (AMPE) requires rapid diagnosis and early intensive treatment to optimize patient outcomes. Most patients with AMPE and hemodynamic instability need open pulmonary embolectomy (OPE). We modified the technique of OPE to include a minimally invasive procedure without the use of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). From March 1988 to April 2006, we performed OPE on a total of 12 patients (21 sides) with AMPE. Seven patients (13 sides) underwent conventional OPE with CPB and 5 patients underwent off-pump OPE (OPPE), 4 (8 sides) with AMPE and 1 with catheter embolus with thrombosis. In patients who underwent conventional OPE, there was 1 hospital death in a patient with severe right ventricle dysfunction and 2 significant cases of airway bleeding. In patients who underwent OPPE, there was 1 case of minimal airway bleeding. Mean systolic pulmonary artery pressure in conventional OPE and OPPE patients, respectively, decreased from 50.3 +/- 14 mmHg and 35.4 +/- 6.6 mmHg pre-operatively to 41.7 +/- 20 and 28 +/- 3 mmHg postoperatively. During the long-term follow-up, there were 2 cancer-related deaths but no recurrence of PE. All surviving patients maintained functional class I (n = 10) or II (n = 1). Compared with conventional OPE, OPPE was effective for treating AMPE in our selected cases. Modification of conventional CPB and systemic full heparinization to minimal use of systemic heparinization without CPB may be helpful in treating selected patients with AMPE.

A clinical decision-making model for repeat surgical treatment of pectus Bar displacement: distance measurement after nuss procedure.

BackgroundBar displacement is one of the most common and serious complications after the Nuss procedure. However, measurements of and factors affecting bar displacement have not been reported. The objectives of this study were to develop a decision model to guide surgeons considering repeat treatment and to estimate optimal cut-off values to determine whether reoperation to correct bar displacement is warranted.MethodsFrom July 2011 to August 2013, ninety bars were inserted in 61 patients who underwent Nuss procedures for pectus excavatum. Group A did not need surgical intervention and Group B required reoperation for bar displacement. Bar position was measured as the distance from the posterior superior end of the sternal body to the upper border of the metal bar on lateral chest radiographs. The bar displacement index (BDI) was calculated using D0 - Dx / D0 x 100 (D0: bar position the day after surgery; Dx: minimal or maximal distance of bar position on the following postoperative days). The optimal cut-off values of BDI warranting reoperation were assessed on the basis of ROC curve analysis.ResultsOf the 61 patients, 32 had single bars inserted whereas 29 had parallel bars inserted. There was a significant difference in age (14.0 ± 7.5 vs. 23.3 ± 12.0, p = 0.0062), preoperative Haller index (HI) (4.0 ± 1.1 vs. 5.0 ± 1.0, p = 0.033), and postoperative HI (2.7 ± 0.4 vs. 3.2 ± 0.5 p = 0.006) between the two groups. The optimal cut-off value of BDI was 8.7.ConclusionsWe developed a BDI model for surgeons considering performing reoperation after Nuss procedure. The optimal cut-off value of BDI was 8.7. This model may help surgeons to decide objectively whether corrective surgery should be performed. The main factors affecting the relationship between bar displacement and reoperation were age and preoperative HI.

Comparison of a PGA Sheet with a Commercial ePTFE Sheet as a Staple-Line Reinforcement in Lung Surgery

To prevent prolonged air leakage after lung surgery, we developed a biodegradable polyglycolic acid (PGA) sheet and compared it with an expanded polytetrafluoethylene (ePTFE). Eighteen adult mongrel dogs were used in this experiment. The airway pressures at which air first leaked at the stapled resection margins were measured immediately after surgery in group I (N=5), 2 days after surgery in group II (N=5), and 7 days after surgery in group IIII (N=5), Based on the presence of SLR, there were 3 subgroups in each group: there was no SLR in subgroup a; ePTFE in subgroup b; PGA sheet in subgroup c. The histologic examination was performed 2 months after surgery (N=3). In group I, there was a significant difference in air leakage pressures (mm Hg) between no reinforcement and SLR. We observed the same results in group II and III with statistical significance. However, there was no significant difference between the reinforcement groups. The histologic findings demonstrated more severe adhesions and biodegradation in the dogs in which the PGA sheet was used. Our PGA sheet was considered a useful reinforcement material, because it had a similar threshold for air leakage with the ePTFE with excellent biodegradation.