Cryosurgery for lung cancer: clinical results and technical aspects.
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Lung carcinoma is the most frequently diagnosed malignancy in the world, with the incidence increasing through the 20th century. Presentation may be as a tumor mass primarily obstructing the central bronchial lumen, or a mass infiltrating lung tissue. Cryosurgery can be used as a method of palliative treatment for both these endobronchial and extrabronchial presentations. The aim of this study is two-fold: to present data relating to our extensive experience in treating obstructing endobronchial tumors and to present our initial results of direct cryosurgery to infiltrating lung tumor masses. During a nine-year period, 521 consecutive patients (male:female ratio 1.8:1) with a mean age of 67.9 years who had advanced obstructive tracheobronchial malignant tumors underwent cryosurgery with a mean of 2.4 treatments per patient. Hemoptysis, cough, dyspnoea and chest pain improved by at least one class in 76.4%, 69.0%, 59.25% and 42.6% (p<0.01) of symptomatic patients respectively. Quality of life studies showed that the mean Karnofsky score improved from 60 +/- 7 to 75 +/- 8 and the mean WHO score from 3.04 +/- 0.7 to 2.20 +/- 0.56. There were 7 (1.2%) in-hospital deaths, and 2-year survival was 15.9%. Direct cryosurgery to carcinoma of the lung was performed on 15 patients at exploratory thoracotomy. Results showed an increase in FEV1 from 1.80 +/- 0.6 liters to 1.95 +/- 0.8 (8.3%) liters and in FVC from 2.50 +/- 0.8 to 2.68 +/- 0.8 liters (7.2%). The Karnofsky score improved from 68 +/- 9 to 78 +/- 10 and the WHO score from 2.63 +/- 0.81 to 2.38 +/- 0.78 (9.6%). Major symptoms including cough, dyspnoea, and hemoptysis were assessed and showed improvement in 77.8%, 66.7%, and 100% (p<0.01) of symptomatic patients respectively. Patients were followed for a mean period of 18 months (range 4-84 months). Median survival from the date of surgery (Kaplan-Meier, 95%Cl) was 11.6 (6.8 to 18.2) months, range 1 to 84 months. Cryosurgery provides a safe and effective method for the palliation of advanced central bronchial obstructive tumors, and compares favorably with other methods in terms of safety, cost, and complications. Initial experience suggests that similar palliation may be achieved by cryosurgery applied to advanced parenchymal tumor masses. (+info)
Bilateral pulmonary aneurysm in Behcet's disease (a case report).
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While investigating a chest opacity in Behcet's disease possibility of pulmonary aneurysm should be considered. Contrast enhanced CT is a safe diagnostic method which is useful in confirming or excluding the presence of an aneurysm in such cases. We report here the first case of bilateral pulmonary aneurysms in Behcet's disease. (+info)
Major haemoptysis in children with cystic fibrosis: a 20-year retrospective study.
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BACKGROUND: Major haemoptysis occurs in approximately 1% of children with cystic fibrosis (CF). This report describes management and follow-up of these children at a tertiary centre in Australia. METHODS: Retrospective review of medical records from 1980-1999. RESULTS: Fifty-one children (45% female) had major haemoptysis (102 episodes). Mean age at first episode was 15 years (range 7-19) and mean FEV(1) was 56% predicted (range 14-98). Massive life-threatening haemoptysis was not confined to those with severe lung disease (FEV1 < 50% predicted). Bronchial artery embolisation (BAE) was more likely to be the initial treatment for those with massive haemoptysis and chronic recurrent bleeding tended to be treated conservatively (P = 0.01). Overall, 52 BAE were performed in 28 children with an immediate success rate of 98%; 13 children (46%) had repeated BAE. Four patients died as a direct result of severe haemoptysis. Mean follow-up was 54 months (range 0.5-183). Median survival time (Kaplan-Meier estimate) after first haemoptysis was 70 months, with a significantly longer survival for male patients independent of age (RR 3.8; 95% CI 1.7-8.8; P = 0.001). Median survival time following initial treatment with BAE was longer (103 months) compared to conservative treatment (52 months, P = 0.09). CONCLUSIONS: Massive haemoptysis was unrelated to the severity of lung disease and was more likely to be treated with embolisation. BAE was highly effective, however, 46% of the children required re-embolisation at some time, which is similar to the recurrence risk for major hemoptysis treated conservatively on longer term follow-up. (+info)
Bronchial to subclavian shunt in a CF patient. A potential pitfall for embolization.
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Bronchial artery embolization is a well accepted and widely used technique in the management of massive haemoptysis in cystic fibrosis (CF). It can be a complex procedure requiring a deep knowledge of the bronchial artery anatomy including the possible bronchial anastomoses. We report a case of complex vascular anatomy of the left bronchial artery with multiple anastomoses with the ipsilateral subclavian artery as cause of non-attempted embolization. (+info)
Acute respiratory failure with gross hemoptysis in a patient with lymphangioleiomyomatosis as part of tuberous sclerosis complex.
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A 29-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with a 7-day history of elevated temperature to 39.5 degrees C associated with headache and nausea. She had been diagnosed with tuberous sclerosis complex 10 years earlier. Her unconsciousness progressed, and she was diagnosed as having aseptic meningoencephalitis. The next day, she had a generalized seizure with severe hemoptysis, and she suddenly fell into severe respiratory failure (PaO2/FiO2 = 76.9). Transbronchial lung biopsy revealed the findings of lymphangioleiomyomatosis. It was suggested that neurogenic pulmonary edema accompanied with venous flow obstruction by lymphangioleiomyomatosis lesions resulted in diffuse pulmonary hemorrhage with resultant gross hemoptysis accelerating to severe hypoxemia. (+info)
Massive pulmonary artery thrombosis with haemoptysis in adults with Eisenmenger's syndrome: a clinical dilemma.
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Although the frequency of haemoptysis in Eisenmenger's syndrome is well recognised, the high prevalence of pulmonary artery thrombus has been newly appreciated through the growing use of non-invasive imaging. Three patients with Eisenmenger's syndrome with haemoptysis are reported who underwent computed tomography pulmonary angiography and cardiovascular magnetic resonance. Each patient was found to have aneurysmal dilatation of the right pulmonary artery with large laminar thrombus. These cases illustrate a rising clinical problem in this special population-that is, how to treat and prevent large pulmonary artery thrombosis in the setting of haemoptysis. The authors discuss their approach to these cases and the known literature. (+info)
Two hundred and fifty-eight cases of hemoptysis treated by injection of vitamin K3 into Chize point.
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Injection of vitamin K3 into Chize (LU 5) was used from 1980 to 1992 in 258 inpatients suffering from diseases of the respiratory system accompanied with hemoptysis. As a result, the effective rate was 83% for mild hemoptysis and 72.1% for moderate hemoptysis in the treatment group, as compared to 48.5% and 45.2% respectively in control group A, and to 83.8% and 75% in control group B. There was a significant difference between the treatment group and control group A (P < 0.01). However, the effective rate was only 31.8% for severe hemoptysis in the treatment group, as compared to 81.3% in control group B with a significant difference. It is therefor concluded that injection of vitamin K3 into Chize is a good therapy for mild or moderate hemoptysis but not for severe cases. (+info)
Intrapulmonary cystic benign teratoma: a case report and review of the literature.
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We describe a 41-year-old woman with a short history of retrosternal chest pain and non-productive cough due to a benign intrapulmonary teratoma originating from the left upper lobe. The clinical, CT features of this rare tumor are presented and the relevant literature is discussed. (+info)