Intrapleural rupture of an pulmonary arteriovenous fistula]

We describe a case of intrapleural rupture of pulmonary arteriovenous fistula and review is such cases previously reported in Japan. A 57-year-old woman was admitted with a sudden onset of right chest pain. Chest radiograph on admission showed right pleural effusion. Thoracentesis revealed hemothorax and subsequently the patient complained of dizziness and went into shock. Chest CT scan revealed a well-defined nodule with a continuous enlarged vessel. Enhanced CT findings suggested a diagnosis of pulmonary arteriovenous fistula projecting into the intrapleural space from the right lower lung. Partial resection of the right lower lung was performed and the histological study confirmed the final diagnosis.     

Rupture of a giant saccular aneurysm of coronary arteriovenous fistulas

A 58-year-old Japanese woman was admitted to our hospital because of chest pain. A continuous murmur was detected at the left parasternal area. Electrocardiogram showed ST elevation in leads V2, V3 and V4. Chest computed tomography and echocardiography demonstrated pericardial effusion and a large mass which was adjacent to the pulmonary artery. An abnormal blood flow was detected in the mass by Doppler echocardiography. Coronary angiography confirmed that the mass was a giant aneurysm of coronary arteriovenous fistula arising from both the left and right coronary arteries. This patient had no symptoms until rupture of the fistula. Rupture of a coronary arteriovenous fistula is very rare but can be a cause of chest pain and pericardial effusion.     

A case of spontaneous pneumothorax due to metastasis of urinary bladder carcinoma to the lung

We reported a case of spontaneous pneumothorax associated with pulmonary metastasis of urinary bladder carcinoma. A 73-year-old male patient complaining of chest pain and dyspnea was admitted, who had undergone transurethral resection of the urinary bladder carcinoma and diagnosis of inactive pulmonary tuberculosis based on the chest X-ray film finding one year previously. On admission, chest X-ray film showed right pneumothorax, and the re-expanded chest X-ray film revealed a cystic lesion in the right upper lung field adjacent to the anterior chest wall, corresponding to the previous pulmonary lesion. Three months later, right thoracotomy was performed because of relapse accompanying by profuse air-leakage. There was a pleural fistula on the surface of the cystic lesion and necrotic tissue in it. Drainage bronchi were involved by surrounding tumorous tissue. Histological examination of the specimen from the cyst wall disclosed metastasis of transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder. The probable mechanism of the spontaneous pneumothorax probable consisted of stenosis of the right B3 bronchus caused by the metastatic tumor produced a check valve mechanism leading to cystic lesion, the rupture of which caused the spontaneous pneumothorax.     

A case of tuberculous aneurysm of the aorta

We reported a rare case of tuberculous aneurysm of the aorta managed successfully with urgent surgical therapy. A 35-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital complaining of fatigue and hemoptysis. Laboratory tests showed severe anemia, slight liver dysfunction, elevated level of C-reactive protein, and negative syphilis serologies. The chest roentgenogram revealed widening of right upper mediastinum, two nodular shadows in right middle lobe, and left-sided infiltration shadow with pleural effusion. The pleural effusion was bloody and its level of adenosine deaminase was normal. Culture of pleural effusion specimen remained negative. A computed tomography scans of the chest revealed an aortic aneurysm on the aortic hiatus. Rapid increase in pleural effusion was followed by hemothorax a few hours later. After operation, she received antituberculosis therapy. Histopathologically, the resected lung showed inflammatory process including granulation of giant cells and epithelioid cells. The specimens of the aortic aneurysm revealed rupture of whole layer of aortic wall and inflammatory cell infiltrations. These findings suggested that the case to be a tuberculous aneurysm of the aorta. Therefore, we diagnosed the case as the rupture of tuberculous aneurysm of the aorta.     

Pleural effusion due to the ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome

Ovulation induction is a treatment that aimed to increase the pregnancy probability by increasing the follicular grow up and maturation. The most frequent complication is ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). Pleural effusion and abdominal ascites accumulation is frequently accompany this syndrome. A young patient receiving ovulation induction therapy was admitted to our department with sudden chest pain and dyspnea. Exudative pleural effusion was determined in the right and we suggest that pleural effusion was accumulated due to OHSS because of the presence of abdominal ascites, hemoconcentration, recent application of ovulation induction therapy and elimination of other causative factors for pleural effusion. The disappearance of pleural effusion spontaneously in a week support our idea. We reviewed the literature about the pleural effusion due to ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. In the differential diagnosis of pleural effusion in young female patients, the accumulation of pleural effusion due to the recent ovulation induction story should be kept in mind which is especially important in the differential diagnosis of pulmonary embolism.     

Clinical investigation of pulmonary dirofilariasis with unusual abnormalities on chest roentgenograms

The authors recently encountered three cases of pulmonary dirofilariasis with unusual abnormalities on chest roentgenograms. In case 1, with right upper and lower lobe masses and right pleural effusion, the right lower lobe mass and pleural effusion spontaneously disappeared one month after admission. In case 2, chest roentgenograms and chest CT scanning revealed a small mass with cavity formation. In case 3, with a right lower lobe mass and pleural effusion, steroid therapy resulted in disappearance of the mass and a remarkable reduction of pleural effusion. Human pulmonary dirofilariasis is a rare disease. In Japan, only 32, including our cases, have been reported in the literature of pulmonary dirofilariasis with unusual abnormalities on chest roentgenograms. The literature was reviewed.     

A case of Mycobacterium intracellulare pleurisy without active lung lesion

Pleural effusion without occurrence of active pulmonary lesion due to nontuberculous mycobacteria is extremely rare. We report a case of Mycobacterium intracellulare pleurisy in an 84-year-old woman. The patient was admitted to a nearby hospital because of dyspnea. Massive right pleural effusion was observed on chest roentgenogram. Bacteriological examinations, smear and culture of the sputum or pleural effusion were negative. First we thought pleurisy was caused by M. tuberculosis as pleural effusion showed predominant lymphocyte count and high adenosine deaminase level. However, M. intracellulare was identified by the polymerase chain reaction method from pleural effusion. Based on clinical findings and laboratory data, we suspected pleurisy was due to M. intracellulare infection. Clarithromycin, kanamycin, rifampicin and ethambutol were administered. After four months of treatment pleural effusion disappeared without accompanying the active pulmonary lesion. Therefore, we diagnosed this case as pleurisy without pulmonary lesion due to M. intracellulare.     

以胸腔积液为首诊的肺栓塞19例临床分析

目的分析以胸腔积液为首诊的肺栓塞患者的临床特点,增强对症状不典型肺栓塞的认识,降低误诊率。方法回顾性分析19例以胸腔积液为首要临床表现的肺栓塞患者的临床特点。结果 71例肺栓塞患者中19例出现胸腔积液,占26.76%;大量胸腔积液1例,中量2例,少量16例;双侧胸腔积液2例,单侧胸腔积液17例,其中右侧8例,左侧9例;3例行胸腔穿刺胸水常规化验均为渗出性胸水。结论胸腔积液是肺栓塞的非典型、非特异性临床表现,临床上要提高警惕,及时完善D-二聚体检测,CT肺动脉造影检查,以提高确诊率。     

A case of tuberculous pleurisy developing contralateral effusion during anti-tuberculosis chemotherapy

A 55-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital because of chest pain, fever, and right pleural effusion that was exudative and lymphocyte-dominant with a high level of adenosine deaminase (ADA). Since her blood QuantiFERON-TB 3G test (QFT) was positive, she was diagnosed with tuberculous pleurisy. After initiation of anti-tuberculosis chemotherapy with isoniazid, rifampicin, ethambutol, and pyrazinamide, her symptoms improved. Later, liquid culture of the pleural effusion turned positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. On the 18th day of treatment, her chest X-ray and computed tomography exhibited pleural effusion in a moderate amount in the left thorax, with subsiding pleural effusion in the right thorax. Thoracocentesis demonstrated that the left thorax effusion was also exudative and lymphocyte-dominant, with elevated QFT response and high ADA concentration, suggesting tuberculous pleurisy. Mycobacterium tuberculosis was detected in the culture of a left pleural biopsy specimen obtained by thoracoscopy. We assumed that the left pleural effusion was due to paradoxical worsening because (1) on admission no effusion or lung parenchymal lesion was detected in the left hemithorax, (2) on the 14th day of treatment she was afebrile without pleural effusion on both sides, and (3) the bacilli were sensitive to the drugs she had been taking regularly. We performed drainage of the left effusion and continued the same anti-tuberculosis drugs, which led to the elimination of all her symptoms and of the pleural effusion on both sides. In conclusion, paradoxical worsening should be included in the differential diagnosis when contralateral pleural effusion is detected during the treatment of tuberculosis.     

A case of pulmonary Mycobacterium gordonae infection with pleural effusion]

A 65-year-old woman, treated with prednisolone (5 mg daily) for rheumatoid arthritis, visited our hospital because of right chest pain. Chest CT showed small nodular shadows in the right lung accompanied with right pleural effusion. A pulmonary Mycobacterium gordonae infection was diagnosed, since M. gordonae was identified twice from her sputum. She was treated with rifampicin, ethambutol and streptomycin for two months, and then streptomycin was replaced with clarithromycin. Three months after the initial treatment, M. gordonae was eradicated from her sputum. Pleural puncture revealed bloody, exudative, lymphocytotic pleural effusion, but no malignant cells were identified. Although pathological diagnosis by thoracoscopic pleural biopsy could not be performed, it is likely that the pleural effusion was associated with the pulmonary M. gordonae infection in the present case.     

A case of pulmonary sarcoidosis with pneumothorax and pleural effusion after improvement of pulmonary impairment]

A 23-year-old man was admitted to our hospital for a complete medical evaluation of abnormal pulmonary shadows found on a chest radiograph during his annual check-up. Chest radiography and chest CT showed a diffuse spread of micronodules in both lung fields and mediastinal lymphadenopathy. A transbronchial lung biopsy demonstrated evidence of noncaseating epithelioid cell granuloma with multinucleated giant cells, and a diagnosis of sarcoidosis was made. The pulmonary shadows improved without therapy. Twenty months later, the patient was readmitted to the hospital because of chest pain and dyspnea. Pneumothorax appeared on the right in a chest radiograph, but subsided after drainage therapy, and two weeks later, a right side pleural effusion was seen. We determined that the pleura was involved in the sarcoidosis, and the patient was treated with oral prednisolone 20 mg daily. The pleural effusion gradually subsided. This is the first reported case in Japan of pulmonary sarcoidosis with pneumothorax and pleural effusion after improvement of pulmonary impairment.     

Anaerobic bacillus pyothorax with the production of gas and severe mediastinal shift]

A 62-year-old man was admitted with the complaints of chronic sputum, dyspnea, and general weakness. Chest X-ray and computed tomographic films disclosed severe mediastinal shift and left lung collapse due to the accumulation of fluid and gas in the left pleural space. A puncture of the thoracic cavity yielded a milk-coffee-like purulent pleural effusion with stool odor, suggesting pyothorax with pneumothorax or broncho-pleural fistula. Chest tube drainage was performed. The elimination of gas was transient; subsequently, no air leaks were observed during deep breathing, suggesting the absence of pneumothorax and broncho-pleural fistula. An anaerobic culture of pleural effusion was prepared and a Bacteroides species was isolated. These clinical findings indicated that the intrathoracic gas could have been produced by anaerobic bacilli. Systemic antibiotic chemotherapy with chest tube drainage achieved recovery. The production of gas in focal lesions is one noted symptom of anaerobic bacillus infection. However, to our knowledge, cases of anaerobic bacillus pyothorax generating large volumes of intrathoracic gas are rare.     

Pancreatic pleural effusion accompanied by bronchopleural fistula]

In recent years, chronic massive pleural effusions have been increasingly recognized as a serious complication of pancreatitis. We describe the third reported case of a pancreatic pleural effusion accompanied by bronchopleural fistula. A 49-year-old man suffering from chronic alcohol-related pancreatitis was admitted to our hospital complaining of cough and shortness of breath. A chest x-ray film disclosed a large right pleural effusion with an air-fluid level. Ultrasonography and computed tomography of the upper abdomen demonstrated a giant pancreatic pseudocyst in the pancreatic tail and a fistulous tract reaching into the posterior mediastinum via the esophageal hiatus. Thoracentesis revealed sterile hemorrhagic fluid with markedly elevated amylase activity of 20,955 IU/l (pancreatic isozyme, 100%) and no malignant cells. A diagnosis of pancreatic pleural effusion was made. The therapy for pancreatic internal fistula is somewhat controversial. We employed conservative therapy, including hyperalimentation and chest tube drainage that successfully decreased the pleural effusion and closed the fistulous tract. Nonetheless, we were still troubled by a continuous air-leak via the drainage tube. Pleurodesis confirmed the tentative diagnosis of bronchopleural fistula and successfully stopped the air-leak. No re-accumulation of pleural effusion has been seen for 2 years. We concluded that pancreatic enzyme-rich effusions, if long-standing, may be complicated by bronchopleural fistula, thus underscoring the need for urgent drainage and initially conservative management.     

A case of Mycobacterium avium pulmonary disease accompanied with pleural effusion

Nontuberculous mycobacterial infection is seldom complicated with pleural involvement. We report a very rare case of M. avium pulmonary disease accompanied with pleural effusion. A 76-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of cough and low-grade fever. A chest radiograph and computed tomograph showed centrilobular nodules in the right middle lobe and left lingula, and right pleural effusion. The patient had had a right spontaneous pneumothorax 50 days before his admission. The sputum smear was negative for acid fast bacilli. The smear of pleural effusion was positive for acid fast bacilli, the level of adenosine deaminase in the effusion was markedly elevated, and pleural effusion was positive for M. avium as assessed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The pleural biopsy specimen showed fibrous change without granuloma, while the transbronchial biopsy specimen showed noncaseous epithelioid granulomas. We considered that the pneumothorax was caused by the spread of pulmonary M. avium infection to the visceral pleura with its perforation.     

Metastatic renal cell carcinoma presenting as multiple pleural tumours

A 66-year-old man was admitted with dyspnoea. Chest X-ray and chest computed tomography (CT) demonstrated a left-sided pleural effusion and multiple tumours, suggesting malignant mesothelioma in the left pleural space, but there were no pulmonary lesions. However, abdominal CT revealed a right renal tumour. An ultrasonography-guided needle biopsy of the pleural mass provided evidence of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The pleural lesions dramatically decreased in size following right radical nephrectomy and subsequent interferon-alpha treatment. While the thorax is a frequently affected site of RCC, sole pleural metastases are rare and are often secondary to lung involvement. Batson's plexus, a network of vertebral valve-less veins with multiple connections, is likely responsible for the contralateral pleural metastases of RCC.     

肺萎陷与气胸鉴别方法初探

目的探讨鉴别肺萎陷与气胸的方法。方法5名肺癌患者,其中合并气胸3例。合并右胸腔积液1例,合并以积液为主右液气胸1例。合并胸腔积液患者先行闭式胸腔引流术加负压抽完胸液后,影像学检查尚见气胸,进行闭式胸腔引流抽气却未见气体抽出,合并气胸者进行闭式胸腔引流抽气亦未见气体抽出。所有患者在CT引导下,将含有10ml气体的注射器穿刺进入胸腔,见气体吸人胸腔。结果考虑5例患者存在肺萎陷。结论肺萎陷与气胸的鉴别方法：胸部影像学示气胸,行闭式胸腔引流术抽气未见气体抽出,可在CT引导下将含有10ml气体的注射器穿刺进入胸腔,见气体吸入胸腔者,考虑存在肺萎陷。     

A case of cervical and mediastinal lymph nodes tuberculosis, tuberculous pleurisy, spinal caries and cold abscess in the anterior chest wall

A 61-year-old woman with schizophrenia that had been treated in a psychiatric hospital was admitted to our hospital because of subileus and back pain. Though subileus was improved, she had a sudden attack of fever 7 days later and developed right pleural effusion, a cold abscess in the anterior chest wall and swelling of a thumb-sized right cervical lymph node which broke through the skin. We made a diagnosis of cervical and mediastinal lymph nodes tuberculosis, tuberculous pleurisy, spinal caries and cold abscess in the anterior chest wall due to the biopsy findings of the specimen taken from the cervical lymph node, examination of pleural effusion, chest CT, bacteriological examination of the cold abscess and spinal MRI. We started chemotherapy with the antituberculous drugs (HRSZ) and symptoms except back pain improved. She complained of paresis of the both lower extremities, which completely paralyzed 8 months later in spite of continued chemotherapy. Thereafter her paralysis was gradually improved and she was able to walk by herself after 12 months chemotherapy.     

Aortopulmonary Artery Fistula: Ruptured Aneurysm of the Distal Aortic Arch into the Pulmonary Artery

Aortopulmonary artery fistula is uncommon, but the clinical outcome is often lethal. A 76‐year‐old man with a history of acute thoracic aortic dissection 6 years previously was admitted with dyspnea. A chest x‐ray showed pleural effusion and pulmonary congestion. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed preserved systolic function, but continuous and abnormal flow from the distal aortic arch into the pulmonary artery (PA). Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in the Doppler color‐flow mode demonstrated a left‐to‐right shunt between a large distal aortic arch aneurysm and the left PA via an aortopulmonary fistula and a pressure gradient across the shunt of 56 mmHg. Contrast‐enhanced computed tomography showed that the aneurysm compressed the PA. Aortography also revealed a large distal aortic arch aneurysm and almost simultaneous contrast enhancement of the aorta and the PA. Right‐heart catheterization showed a significant increase in oxygen saturation between the right ventricle and the PA. A left‐to‐right shunt due to a distal aortic arch aneurysm rupturing into the left PA was diagnosed based on these findings. TEE was very helpful in confirming the presence and precise location of the fistula.     

Successful Transcatheter Arterial Embolization for Hemothorax from a Spontaneous Rupture of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Metastasis to the Chest Wall in an Elderly Patient

An 87-year-old man with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) presented with right-sided chest pain. Computed tomography revealed right bloody pleural effusion and an extravasation from an arterially enhanced mass in the right seventh posterior intercostal space. These findings indicated hemothorax from a rupture of HCC metastasis to the chest wall. Angiography of the intercostal arteries confirmed a hypervascular tumor, and transcatheter arterial embolization resulted in hemostasis. He was discharged with palliative care and remains alive after 9 months. Although hemothorax represents an unusual, life-threatening complication of HCC, our case suggests that transcatheter treatment can achieve hemostasis and a favorable survival even in elderly patients.     

Eosinophilic pleural effusion by dirofilariasis]

A 44-year-old man visited our hospital because of right chest pain. Pleural effusion in the right lung was detected on a chest radiograph. A chest CT scan demonstrated no abnormal lesions in either lung field, but passive atelectasis due to the pleural effusion was present. Since many eosinophils were found in the exudative pleural effusion, a parasitic infection was suspected. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay test led to a diagnosis of eosinophilic pleural effusion by dirofilariasis. Pleural effusion disappeared spontaneously and the level of anti-Dirofilaria immitis antibody decreased. Continued careful observation is necessary in such cases.