Primary malignant melanoma: a rare cause of mediastinal mass

A case of primary malignant melanoma in the mediastinum presenting as recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy is reported. Tissue biopsy at mediastinotomy yielded a diagnosis of malignant melanoma. The mass was fixed to the left aspect of the trachea and to the upper border of the left main bronchus and could not be removed surgically. Further extensive clinical and radiological investigations revealed no evidence of tumor elsewhere in the body.     

Bilateral sleeve lobectomy for metachronous multiple primary lung cancer

In a patient with metachronous multiple primary lung cancer, bilateral lobectomy was performed, using bronchoplastic procedures. This case may be one of very few such cases reported in the literature. A 56-year-old man with squamous cell carcinoma was surgically treated for lung cancer. At the first operation, right upper lobectomy with wedge resection of the right main bronchus was performed, as the tumor occupied the orifice of the right main bronchus. Six months later, re-operation for stricture at the anastomotic line was done because of granulation. By means of sleeve resection of the strictured right main bronchus, the airway was reconstructed. The patient remained well for five years, then a similar cancer at the orifice of the left lower lobe and bulging into the left main bronchus became evident. Left lower sleeve lobectomy was done for the second primary cancer. The postoperative course was uneventful and he is well with no signs of recurrence 6 years and 10 months after the first operation and 19 months after the second sleeve lobectomy     

Bilateral sleeve lobectomy for metachronous multiple primary lung cancer

In a patient with metachronous multiple primary lung cancer, bilateral lobectomy was performed, using bronchoplastic procedures. This case may be one of very few such cases reported in the literature. A 56-year-old man with squamous cell carcinoma was surgically treated for lung cancer. At the first operation, right upper lobectomy with wedge resection of the right main bronchus was performed, as the tumor occupied the orifice of the right main bronchus. Six months later, re-operation for stricture at the anastomotic line was done because of granulation. By means of sleeve resection of the strictured right main bronchus, the airway was reconstructed. The patient remained well for five years, then a similar cancer at the orifice of the left lower lobe and bulging into the left main bronchus became evident. Left lower sleeve lobectomy was done for the second primary cancer. The postoperative course was uneventful and he is well with no signs of recurrence 6 years and 10 months after the first operation and 19 months after the second sleeve lobectomy.     

A case of congenital esophago-bronchial fistula communicated between esophageal diverticulum and left main bronchus in the adult--a review of 47 cases in the Japanese literature]

We experienced a successful repair of congenital esophago-bronchial fistula communicated between esophageal diverticulum and left main bronchus in adult case. The patient was a 60-year-old female. She had much wet cough on taking meals since 10 years ago. At the mass screening, a esophago-bronchial fistula was detected by upper GI series. Barium esophagography revealed a fistula between esophageal diverticulum and left main bronchus. The resection of diverticulum and fistula were undergone. In the operation, there exited no adhesion or inflammation around the fistula, therefore it was easy to isorate from the surrounding tissues. This case was categorized as Brainbridge type I esophago-bronchial fistula communicated to left main bronchus. Forty-six cases of congenital esophago-bronchial fistula with diverticulum were reported in Japan, but no cases which communicated with left main bronchus were reported. Then it is assumed that this is the first case in Japan.     

Simultaneous Stapling of Pulmonary Vein and Bronchus in Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery Lobectomy

We present the case of a 66-year-old female who had undergone pulmonary wedge resection for diagnosis and followed by a radical lobectomy for the treatment of the primary lung cancer. We performed a left upper lobectomy through Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery (VATS), we successfully adapted simultaneous stapling technique to division of both pulmonary vein and lobar bronchus which were densely adhered each other because of the previous surgery.     

Carinal resection and reconstruction for recurrent lung cancer

A patient with a recurrent tumor in the trachea adjacent to the right main bronchus was treated by surgical resection 19 months after undergoing surgery for the primary cancer. The patient had previously undergone right upper lobectomy for T1N0M0 stage I squamous cell carcinoma. A carinal resection was performed which included 4 rings of the trachea, 2 rings of the righ main bronchus, and 1 ring of the left main bronchus. Reconstruction consisted of an end-to-end anastomosis of the trachea and left main bronchus, and an end-to-side anastomosis of the right and left main bronchi. The postoperative course was uneventful, and at present the patient is healthy 12 months following reoperation.     

Successful surgical treatment of a posttransplantation bronchovascular fistula involving the pulmonary vein

Bronchovascular fistula is a rare complication after lung transplantation, which usually has a fatal outcome. We describe the case of successful surgical treatment of bronchovascular fistula of the left upper pulmonary vein and the left main bronchus.     

Right bronchial intubation using a left-sided double-lumen tube in a patient with situs inversus

A 74-year-old man was scheduled for resection of a pulmonary tumor in the left upper lobe. He had asymptomatic complete situs inversus, and therefore his left lung had three lobes whereas his right lung had two. Since the tumor had been growing through the left upper bronchus into the left main bronchus, it seemed that the use of a bronchial blocker in the left bronchus should be avoided. A 37-Fr left-sided double-lumen tube was rotated in the opposite direction (clockwise) and advanced easily into the right (anatomically left) main bronchus under fiberoptic guidance. One lung ventilation during the operation was performed successfully and there was no postoperative airway complication. Several ways of achieving one lung ventilation in patients with situs inversus are discussed in this report. The use of a bronchial blocker should be considered first-choice, but sometimes its use is inappropriate as in this case. Commercially available double-lumen tubes are not intended for use in cases of situs inversus. If a double-lumen tube is desired, intentional right bronchial insertion of a left-sided double-lumen tube seems to be an easy and reliable option.     

Bilateral sleeve upper lobectomy for metachronous squamous cell carcinoma of the lung; report of a case

A 67-year-old man admitted to our hospital complaining cough. Bronchoscopic findings showed tumor at inlet of the left upper bronchus. Left upper sleeve lobectomy was performed. Six years 6 months later, he admitted to our hospital. Bronchoscopic findings showed tumor at inlet of the right upper bronchus. Right upper sleeve lobectomy was performed. He received radiation therapy, and discharged from the hospital 2 months after the operation. It is quite a rare case that the tumor lesions, to which bronchoplasty need to be applied, develop at 2 separate locations. This case proves that sleeve lobectomy can be applied to 2 separate locations successfully.     

Congenital bronchial atresia treated with video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery; report of a case

We report an adult case of congenital lobar emphysema due to bronchial atresia. A 24-year-old man was referred to our department because of cough and fever. A chest roentgenogram on admission showed multiple cystic shadows in the left lower lung field. Chest computed tomography (CT) demonstrated multiple cysts with neveau and scattered infiltration in the left lingual segment and lower lobe. Surgical treatment was scheduled because of no improvement of the chest lesions. The interlobar fissure was not found between the upper and the lower lobes, but between the upper and the lingual divisions. Additionally, the lingual bronchus was not bifurcated from the upper bronchus, but from the lower bronchus. As inflammatory changes were extended to the lingual division and the lower lobe, a left lingual segmentectomy and a lower lobectomy with video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery were performed. His postoperative course was uneventful and he was discharged at the seventh day after surgery.     

Resection of the entire left mainstem bronchus for an inflammatory pseudotumor

We present the case of a 16-year-old white girl with a history of recurrent postobstructive pneumonia. Chest roentgenogram, chest computed tomography, and bronchoscopy revealed a mass in the left mainstem bronchus with an exophytic component. Multiple bronchoscopic biopsies confirmed the mass to be an inflammatory pseudotumor. After failing months of medical therapy with systemic steroids as well as several laser ablations, the tumor was removed through a left thoracotomy with resection of the entire left mainstem bronchus and reimplantation of the left upper and lower lobe into the trachea without complication or recurrence after 1 year.     

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma in a young man treated by bronchoplasty

A 17-year-old man in whom mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the left upper lobe bronchus was successfully treated by bronchoplasty. The patient has been suffered from relapsing respiratory infections over the past 2 years. Bronchoscopic examination revealed a tumor at the orifice of the left upper lobe bronchus. Thus, left upper sleeve lobectomy was carried out. The tumor was 18 x 15 x 14 mm in size and obstructed left upper bronchus with mucoid impaction peripherally. Hystological examination confirmed a diagnosis of low grade malignant mucoepidermoid carcinoma without lymph node metastasis. The patient has been well and free from recurrence for 4 years postoperatively.     

Successful lingular segmentectomy using bronchoplasty in a patient with early hilar second primary lung carcinoma

A 71-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with a small protrusive lesion at the lingular orifice of the left upper bronchus. He had undergone a right lower lobectomy and mediastinal dissection for lung carcinoma (large cell carcinoma, pT1N0M0) 14 months earlier. Early hilar squamous cell carcinoma was diagnosed by chest radiograph, CT and transbronchial biopsy. We performed a lingular segmentectomy with wedge resection of the left upper bronchus and N 1 lymph node dissection. The tumor was histopathologically diagnosed as early hilar second primary lung carcinoma. The patient's postoperative course was uncomplicated. At present, he is alive with good respiratory condition and without any evidence of recurrence. Segmentectomy is appropriate for a patient with contralateral second primary lung carcinoma as well as a patient with early hilar lung carcinoma. Bronchoplasty seems to increase the likelihood that such a patient will be a candidate for segmentectomy.     

Lobar torsion complicating bilateral lung transplantation.

We report a case of left lower lobe torsion in a patient who had undergone bilateral lung transplantation for alpha(1)-antitrypsin deficiency. The patient experienced acute pulmonary hypertension and hypoxemia on post-operative Day 3 and the chest X-ray showed bilateral alveolar infiltrates and a new focal consolidation of the left lower lobe. Fiberoptic bronchoscopy showed complete obstruction of the left lower lobe bronchus and abnormal rotation of the left upper lobe bronchus suggesting torsion, which was confirmed by pulmonary angiography and ultimately at thoracotomy. The possibility of acute lobar torsion should be considered in lung transplant recipients who demonstrate evidence of acute respiratory insufficiency in the early post-operative period.     

Left upper division sleeve segmentectomy for early stage squamous cell carcinoma of the segmental bronchus: report of two cases.

Early hilar lung cancer is rare. It is usually curable if properly diagnosed and treated. We recently encountered two cases of early stage squamous cell carcinoma of the left upper division bronchus, which responded well to left upper division sleeve segmentectomy. Case 1 was a 74-year-old man, a heavy smoker, who was referred to our hospital after sputum cytology had resulted in a positive diagnosis while receiving inpatient care for heart failure at another hospital. Bronchoscopy revealed a thickened tumor at the spur between left B(1+2) and B(3). Squamous cell carcinoma was diagnosed by forceps biopsy via bronchoscopy. Left upper division sleeve segmentectomy with lymph node dissection was performed. Since the bronchi to be anastomosed to each other were greatly different in diameter, telescoped anastomosis was used. His postoperative course was uneventful, and he continues to show good respiratory condition, without any evidence of recurrence 25 months after surgery. Case 2 was a 60-year-old man, a heavy smoker, who was identified by sputum cytology as needing detailed examination during a mass screening of high-risk groups for early detection of lung carcinoma. Bronchoscopy revealed a nodular tumor at the orifice of the left upper division bronchus. Squamous cell carcinoma was diagnosed by forceps biopsy via bronchoscopy. Left upper division sleeve segmentectomy with lymph node dissection was performed. During surgery for this case, the lingular bronchus was dissected obliquely to make its cross-section wide enough to match the diameter of the left upper lobe bronchus to which the former was anastomosed. His postoperative course was uneventful, and he shows good respiratory condition, without any evidence of recurrence five months after surgery. The pathological stage was TisN0M0 (stage 0) in both patients, and their tumors were confirmed as early hilar lung cancer. Sleeve segmentectomy, aimed at radical resection of cancer while preserving lung function, can serve as a standard procedure for surgical treatment of cases of early hilar lung cancer confined to the segmental bronchi.     

Left upper lobe bronchus reimplantation for nonpenetrating thoracic trauma

Trauma to the tracheobronchial tree has been diagnosed and treated with increasing frequency over the last several decades. However, most reports have dealt with management of injuries to the trachea and main stem bronchi, as approximately 80% of blunt tracheobronchial injuries occur within this area. With few exceptions, injury to the lobar bronchi has resulted in thoracotomy and lobectomy. We describe a patient with an injury to the left upper lobe bronchus who presented with delayed obstruction of the airway by fibrogranulation tissue. A successful segmental resection of the bronchial occlusion with reimplantation was performed, thereby preserving the patient's otherwise normal left upper lobe. This case demonstrates that resection and reimplantation of an injured lobar bronchus are feasible, even in a delayed setting.     

Transverse syndrome as the dominant feature of solitary cervical plasmocytoma with dissemination

STUDY DESIGN: A case report of transverse syndrome secondary to compression from an intravertebral plasmocytoma. OBJECTIVES: To report a rare case of cervical cord compression. SETTING: Vienna, Austria. CASE REPORT: A 47-year-old man presented with pain over the left scapula and subsequent development of pain and sensory disturbance. Investigations showed that the entire C7 vertebra was affected by a plasmocytoma. Decompression was carried out but no stabilisation of the spinal column was performed. Seven days after surgery the patient became paraplegic. Chemotherapy produced no improvement. CONCLUSION: Transverse syndrome may be a dominant feature of plasmocytoma and may resolve after immediate decompression but may recur if the spinal column is not stabilised.     

Bronchial rupture with a left-sided polyvinylchloride double-lumen tube

Bronchial rupture after intubation with a double-lumen endobronchial tube has been infrequently reported. Overinflation of the bronchial cuff was speculated to be a frequent cause of the bronchial damage. We report the case of a 78-year-old woman with non-small cell carcinoma of the right upper lobe. Her trachea and left main-stem bronchus were intubated with a left-sided polyvinylchloride (PVC) double-lumen endobronchial tube (Broncho-Cath(R) 37 Fr, Mallinckrodth Medical, Athlone, Ireland). She underwent an uneventful right upper lobectomy. At the end of the resection, the surgeons noticed the herniating cuff from the ruptured left main-stem bronchus. Laceration was repaired. Subsequent course of the patient was uneventful: she developed neither bronchial leak nor mediastinitis. Ten days later the patients was discharged home in a satisfactory condition. Factors that seem to increase the risk of injury by a double-lumen tube are discussed.     

Pulmonary cavernous hemangioma

We report a rare case of pulmonary cavernous hemangioma in a 54-year-old man. A computed tomographic scan of the chest showed an ill-defined mass measuring 4 × 3 cm at the angle of the left upper lobe bronchus and the lower lobe bronchus. Surgical resection was performed to obtain a definitive diagnosis. Postoperative histological examination revealed an encapsulated mass comprising large dilated vessels lined with squamous endothelium and filled with blood, which led to the diagnosis of pulmonary cavernous hemangioma. A total of 23 cases including the present case reported in the English-language and Japanese literature were reviewed.     

An anomalous segmental vein of the left upper lobe of the lung: preoperative identification by three-dimensional computed tomography pulmonary angiography

A number of variations in the pulmonary arteries and veins have been documented, and the information is very important for performing a safe lung resection. This report describes a case of an anomalous segmental vein of the left upper lobe of the lung. The patient was a 75-year old male who was suspected to have lung cancer in the left upper lobe. A contrast-enhanced computed tomography showed a vessel behind the left lower bronchus. A three-dimensional computed tomography angiography demonstrated that it was an anomalous vein for the apicoposterior segment of the left upper lobe of the lung, draining into the left inferior pulmonary vein. The aberrant vein was readily identified during surgery and was divided without injury, and a left upper lobectomy was successfully performed. Aberrant pulmonary veins for the superior segment of the right upper lobe of the lung are rarely observed, and the same kind of anomaly on the left side has not been reported.