Surgical treatment of the malignant mediastinal tumors--with special reference to prosthetic reconstruction of superior vena cava

Sixteen patients with the malignant mediastinal tumors compromising the superior vena cava (SVC) and brachiocephalic veins (BCV) were treated from April 1974 to March 1987. SVC reconstruction by prosthesis combined with or without tumor resection were performed in 6 cases and removal of the tumor with partial resection of SVC and right BCV in one case. Two patients died within one month and two patients survived over 5 years postoperatively. Tumor resection, removal of the right lung and SVC wall, and patch angioplasty were performed in one patient who died three and one half months postoperatively. Resection of the tumor and left BCV were performed in 4 patients. Segmentally resected left BCV was reconstructed with interposed graft in two, prosthesis was implanted between left BCV and right atrium in one and no venous reconstruction was attempted in one. Three patients are alive and one patient died six and one half years after operation. Exploratory mediastinotomy was carried out in 3 cases and radiation therapy alone in one case. All but one patients died within one year after diagnosis. Though the long term results of the surgical treatment for malignant mediastinal tumor was not satisfactory, extensive resection of the tumor was worth attempting, as the patency rate of the prosthetic venous reconstruction was improved.     

Surgical treatment of malignant melanoma of the skin with special reference to the vertical tumor diameter

The level of invasion of the primary tumor is a reliable criterion of prognosis for cutaneous melanoma. Hence it follows that a differential surgical treatment is possible especially in the clinical stage I. Primary treatment of malignant melanoma consists of three-dimensional excision. The width of excision is determinated by the microstage. The elective regional lymphadenectomy shows an apparant benefit for stage I melanoma with a level between 1.5 and 4.0 mm. The value of added treatments (radiotherapy, systemic, and local chemotherapy, immuntherapy) is still controversial, but should be considered in the future clinical and therapeutical research.     

Clinico-pathological study of meningiomas in childhood--with special reference to malignant meningiomas

Six cases of meningiomas which accounted for 3.6% out of 167 intracranial tumors in children were studied with clinico-pathological method. Four meningiomas located in the convexity, two meningiomas developed within the lateral ventricle. CT scan with contrast material showed homogeneous enhanced tumors in four cases. Heterogeneous enhanced tumors were observed in two malignant meningiomas. There was evidence of recurrence in three cases. Two of in these cases were malignant meningiomas. Three patients received postoperative radiotherapy. One case of malignant meningiomas died seven years after the first operation. Five cases are still alive. Macroscopically three cases had cyst formation. Four convexity meningiomas were attached to the dura matter. Three malignant meningiomas were ill-defined and invaded the normal brain tissue. One case of malignant meningiomas invaded the skull. Six meningiomas were classified histologically into two fibrous, one transitional and three malignant meningiomas according to the World Health Organization (WHO) classification of brain tumors. All cases were examined for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) using the immunohistochemical method. Two cases of malignant meningiomas demonstrated the positive reaction to GFAP. Four cases were negative. These findings suggest that malignant meningiomas grow invasively into the surrounding normal brain tissue.