Triangle target principle for the placement of trocars during video-assisted thoracic surgery.

OBJECTIVE: The baseball-diamond principle is generally used for trocar placement during video-assisted thoracic surgery; however, we are unable to treat all peripheral lung lesions using this principle. Therefore, we have developed another method for determining trocar placement based on a modification of the conventional principle. We have termed this method the triangle target principle. This report describes the instrument positioning that we now use for many video-assisted thoracic surgical procedures. METHODS: We position 3 trocars in an equilateral triangle, with the target lesion at the apex. One vertex of the base becomes the site of the first trocar placement for introduction of the thoracoscopic camera. Another vertex of the base becomes the site for the second trocar for forceps or the endoscopic stapler. The third trocar is for forceps and is inserted to create the vicinity of target lesion. Four types of the triangle target principle were developed according to sites of the target lesion. RESULTS: Between January 2000 and December 2002, we used this principle for 161 patients who underwent video-assisted thoracic surgery and all intrathoracic lesions were accessible except in 3 patients requiring intraoperative modifications. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that video-assisted thoracic surgery by this principle is more effective and easier than the conventional principle to treat intrathoracic disease.     

Differential mechanism of retention of Cu-pyruvaldehyde-bis(N4-methylthiosemicarbazone) (Cu-PTSM) by brain and tumor: A novel radiopharmaceutical for positron emission tomography imaging

The reductive retention of⁶²Cu-PTSM was comparatively studied in the brain and Ehrlich ascites tumor cells by electron spin resonance spectrometry and nonradioactive Cu-PTSM. In the brain, only the mitochondrial fraction showed the ability to reduce Cu-PTSM, and the other subcellular fractions did not. In contrast, the cytosolic fraction of Ehrlich ascites tumor cells was the specific site of Cu-PTSM reduction. It was therefore considered that the retention of Cu-PTSM in the brain is closely related to mitochondrial reduction, most probably involving the mitochondrial electron transport system.     

Experimental study on choline acetyltransferase activity measurement for brachial plexus injury

We studied choline acetyltransferase (CAT) activity in a rat model of brachial plexus injury. In experiment 1, we found that the CAT activity was remarkably high in the anterior roots and low in the posterior roots. In experiment 2, nerve root segments were extracted and examined for CAT activity in the root avulsion group (group A) and the plexus severance group (group B). CAT activity decreased day by day in group A, reaching about 1/20 of the normal 5 days postoperatively. By contrast, in group B activity decreased only slightly, and even at 90 days postoperatively was about 6,000 cpm (one-half normal level). As a result, CAT activity enabled us to distinghish postganglionic from preganglionic injury of the cervical roots. Furthermore, it was a useful adjunct for minimizing nerve loss in intercostal nerve transfer, distinguishing motor and sensory branches of the intercostal nerve, and evaluating the motor nerve activity. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Surgical results of performing R4 gastrectomy for gastric cancer located in the upper third of the stomach

Because gastric cancers located in the upper third of the stomach are difficult to detect at an early stage, the surgical results remain poor. We performed R4 gastrectomy as a radical procedure for 25 patients, involving complete resection of the latero-aortic and interaorticovenous lymph modes above and below the left renal vein, in combination with the ordinary R2 or R3 gastrectomy (the R4 group). These patients were compared with 156 others who underwent R2 gastrectomy alone (the R2 group). There were no significant differences in operation time, blood loss, or the incidence of complications between the two groups; however, when the survival rates of the patients with tumors invading beyond the subserosa were compared, the 5-year survival rate was found to be significantly higher in the R4 group than in the R2 group. Furthermore, in patients with para-aortic nodal involvement, a significant survival advantage was observed in the R4 group, as compared with the R2 group. These results suggest that the R4 gastrectomy is a rational approach for patients with advanced gastric cancer located in the upper third of the stomach.     

Antiepileptic effects of inhibitors of nitric oxide synthase examined in pentylenetetrazol-induced seizures in rats

The effects of intraperitoneal and methyl ester, specific inhibitors of nitric oxide (NO) synthase, were examined on the pentylenetetrazol (PTZ)-induced seizures in rats. The incidence and latency for the onset of myoclonic jerks, clonic seizures, and tonic generalized extension were observed as specific parameters among PTZ-induced seizures. Both drugs preferentially suppressed the tonic generalized extension and prolonged the latency for the onset of each parameter, suggesting NO has a significant effect on the PTZ-induced seizure.     

Primary malignant melanoma of the rectum: Report of a case

We describe herein a rare case of primary malignant melanoma of the rectum in an 85-year-old woman. The patient presented with intermittent rectal bleeding, and a colonoscopy revealed an ulcerated polypoid mass in the rectum, located 5 cm from the anal verge. The lesion was histologically characterized by solid growths of small round cells with scanty cytoplasm and prominent nucleoli. Although no melanin pigment was found in the tumor cells, they were immunohistochemically positive for HMB-45, a monoclonal antibody highly specific for malignant melanoma. Thus, HMB-45 proved very useful to establish a diagnosis of amelanotic malignant melanoma of the rectum.     

Chest wall implantation of lung cancer at the drainage tube site: Report of a case

We report herein the case of a 70-year-old man in whom a chest wall implantation of adenocarcinoma of the lung at the drainage tube site was found 4 months after a right lower lobectomy with mediastinal lymph node dissection had been performed for adenocarcinoma of the right lower lobe. The lesion was successfully treated by tumor extirpation. We believe that tumor seeding to the chest wall occurred at the time of thoracotomy. To prevent such tumor seeding, the pleural cavity should be washed out routinely with a massive volume of physiological saline solution prior to closure of the chest wall.     

The efficacy of fluconazole in treating prosthetic valve endocarditis caused byCandida glabrata: Report of a case

A case of active prosthetic valve infective endocarditis (PVE) due toCandida glabrata was successfully treated by the systemic administration of fluconazole. A 66-year-old Japanese man with infective endocarditis of unknown etiology underwent aortic and mitral valve replacement to treat severe aortic and mitral regurgitation associated with multiple organ failure. Postsurgical cultures of arterial blood were repeatedly positive forC. glabrata, and therefore fluconazole was administered either intravenously or orally at a dose of 400 mg/day for 46 days. During that time the signs of inflammation including fever such as an elevated white blood cell count and the presence of C-reactive protein (CRP) all improved while the blood cultures became negative. Fluconazole is thus considered to be effective in treating PVE caused byC. glabrata. When administering this treatment, it is also important to monitor the patient's renal and liver function.     

Cardioprotective Effect of Succinate Against Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury

(Received for publication on Sept. 12, 1996; accepted on May 12, 1997)     

A new quality control method based on a moving average of "latent reference values" selected from patients' daily test results

The average of normals(AON) method is a quality control(QC) method that uses measured values of patients' samples instead of QC samples. Because this method is easily affected by fluctuations in the patient population and is insensitive to short-term changes in test values, we developed an alternative method based on the moving average(MA) of latent reference values(LRVs) which are the test results of patients whose other related test results are all within reference intervals. We evaluate the new methodology(MALRV) using seven commonly measured biochemical tests. The LRV of each test were selected with reference to four other items that had the highest coincidences of abnormality. The optimum amount of data needed to compute the MA is determined as that making the coefficient of variation(CV) of the consecutive MA over a study period less than 5.0%. The MALRV is computed each time a new LRV is encountered to monitor quality status continuously. The MALRV CV was within 5.0% when sample sizes were between 20 and 110. When shift and trend simulations were performed with the patient data, the corresponding alterations were detected. MALRV is a useful measure for detecting short-term alterations in patient test results, supplementing the conventional QC chart method.