Massive intraoperative pulmonary embolism.

Intraoperative massive pulmonary embolism is extremely rare. We describe such a case in a patient treated for a prolonged period preoperatively with intravenous heparin after an acute myocardial infarction and unsuccessful attempt at angioplasty, emphasizing that the problem should be borne in mind to facilitate expeditious and appropriate management. A clue to the diagnosis is interruption of venous return that is not due to a kink in the cannulae.     

Septic coronary embolism

This report describes a case of a 31-year-old woman with mitral valve endocarditis complicated by a septic embolus to a coronary artery.     

Left main coronary embolism

This is a case of a 58-year-old female with a history of mitral regurgitation who had undergone mitral valve repair and was readmitted in cardiogenic shock with pericardial effusion, and then developed an anterior ST-elevation myocardial infarction. Coronary angiography revealed an embolus in the left main artery which was treated with rheolytic thrombectomy. This represents an uncommon cause of acute myocardial infarction.     

Surgically treated cases of mixed hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma

The mixed type of combined hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma is particularly rare. Hepatic resection was performed for two patients with mixed hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma. In case 1, a 55-year-old Japanese man was found to have a hepatic tumor on ultrasonography. Since ultrasonically-guided needle biopsy revealed that the tumor was poorly differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma, the patient underwent a limited hepatic resection. Histologic and immunohistochemical examination revealed that the tumor had elements of both hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma. Six months after surgery, the patient died of systemic recurrences. In case 2, a 58-year-old man was found by ultrasonography to have a hepatic tumor occupying the entire right hepatic lobe. Computed tomography revealed that the tumor had a portal tumor thrombus. The diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma was made because of a markedly elevated serum alpha-fetoprotein concentration, and a right hepatic lobectomy was performed. Histologic and immunohistochemical examination confirmed that the lesion was mixed hepatocellular and cholangiocellular carcinoma. The patient died of multiple recurrent tumors in the remnant liver 3 months after surgery. Surgical control of mixed hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma is difficult.     

Surgically treated oropharyngeal cancer: risk factors and tumor characteristics

Purpose

To assess risk factors of patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma in the Munich area of Southern Germany in relation to human papillomavirus (HPV) association of the tumors. To demonstrate differences in tumor characteristics and their impact on adjuvant treatment.

Methods

Between November 2010 and July 2013, patients were prospectively interviewed for risk factors before they underwent surgical resection of their tumors. HPV association was evaluated by p16 immunohistochemistry; tumor characteristics and type of adjuvant treatment were recorded. Follow-up data were collected after a median follow-up of 12.1 month.

Results

In contrast to many recent studies, we could not detect any difference in overall age and age at sexual debut between p16-positive and p16-negative patients. P16-negative patients are characterized by a more intensive tobacco and alcohol use, a more abusive way of consumption, less nonoral and less oral sex partners. P16-positive patients had a significantly higher risk of lymph node metastases, but nevertheless a significant lower risk to recur or to die. No difference in the incidence of synchronous second primary tumors was seen. P16-positive patients generally received a more aggressive adjuvant treatment because of more frequently involved lymph nodes.

Conclusion

Lifestyle risk factors such as smoking, drinking, and sexual habits were independent from age, but showed marked differences between the p16-positive and p16-negative group. Since p16-positive patients were treated more aggressively, it is not possible to distinguish whether the better outcome of HPV-positive patients is a result of less aggressive cancers or more aggressive treatment. With regard to the ongoing debate about treatment deintensification, we should keep in mind that the survival of HPV-positive cancer patients is not 100 %.     

Fatal intraoperative pulmonary embolism from a hepatic hydatid cyst

A 43-yr-old woman was operated for recurring hydatid cysts of the liver. One of the cysts was located in segment 8 adjacent to both inferior vena cava and right hepatic vein. During the operation, after application of traction on the liver the patient suddenly went into cardiac arrest. After applying open heart massage a Trendelenburg operation was performed, revealing a massive embolus of echinococcal material into the paracentral branches of the pulmonary artery. Resuscitation was unsuccessful. In the literature only four similar cases have been described. The conclusions from these deaths are that an adequate incision is mandatory, no traction on the liver should be necessary, and total vascular exclusion of the liver before cyst drainage and extracorporal bypass are necessary. Interventional techniques should be avoided.     

冠状动脉栓塞的研究进展

冠状动脉缺血相关疾病是目前全球重大的公共健康问题,非阻塞性冠状动脉心肌缺血日益受到人们的关注。冠状动脉栓塞是心肌缺血少见而重要的机制,其病因涵盖范围广泛,临床表现可千差万别,治疗方案各不相同,且既往研究相对较少,缺乏准确的发病率和预后相关流行病学资料、统一的诊断标准和治疗方案。随着近年研究的深入,越来越多的冠状动脉栓塞病例报道或队列研究加深了我们对冠状动脉栓塞疾病的认识。本文将对冠状动脉栓塞的定义、流行病学、病因、临床特征、诊断及治疗进行综述。     

Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty of coronary artery embolism

A 35-yr-old woman with known valvular heart disease presented with acute myocardial infarction. Angiography demonstrated a totally occluded distal left anterior descending coronary artery. Though initially successful, angioplasty ultimately failed to maintain arterial patency, leaving a more distal total occlusion after several balloon inflations. In spite of this, PTCA possibly provided a more localized infarction via a peripheral mobilization of the embolus.     

Acute myocardial infarction caused by a septic coronary embolism diagnosed and treated with a thrombectomy catheter

Acute myocardial infarctions are common in bacteraemia but are seldom diagnosed during life. A 64 year old man with severe chest pain who had fever for several days due to possible bacteraemia was shown by ECG and echocardiography to have possible lateral infarction. Immediate coronary angiography showed possible thrombus in the left circumflex artery, which was treated by thrombectomy catheter. Bacterial thrombus was removed and was verified by histological examination. A stent was implanted without complications. Acute myocardial infarction caused by septic embolism is usually fatal; however, thrombectomy may be useful in these cases.     

Successful treatment of intraoperative pulmonarytumor embolism from renal cell carcinoma

Summary During left nephrectomy in a 35-year-old woman with a left renal cell carcinoma extending into the inferior vena cava (IVC) and right atrium, cardiac arrest occurred. Immediate transesophageal echocardiography demonstrated that the event was caused by a pulmonary tumor embolism. Emergent cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) was established and the tumors in the pulmonary arteries were successfully removed. The left nephrectomy was completed. The patient recovered in the intensive care unit without any neurological deficit. A postoperative pulmonary perfusion scintigram showed no defect in the pulmonary circulation. Transesophageal echocardiography was useful for making a rapid diagnosis of an intraoperative pulmonary embolism originating from a tumor of the IVC or right atrium.     

Myocardial damage following coronary air embolism during coronary angiography

Coronary air embolism may go unnoticed or cause chest pain, electrocardiogram changes, and myocardial damage; it may mimic coronary spasm [1,2]. We report a patient who sustained subendocardial myocardial infarction following intracoronary injection of air.