Giant Pseudoaneurysmof Ascending Aorta complicating Recurrent Mediastinitis after Cardiac Surgery / 대한흉부외과학회지

A 30 years old female patient was diagnosed valvular heart disease and double valve replacement was ndertaken. After operation, mediastinitis developed and we had done continuous mediastinal irrigation and had used IV antibiotics for 3 weeks. During outpatient follow-up, infection signs developed, so she readmitted and was reoperated because CT revealed mediastinal abscess. No infected material was observed at the operation. Infection signs continued for 3 weeks. Chest CT revealed giant pseudoaneurysm of ascending aorta. We resected the pseudoaneurysm and performed an aortoplasty with bovine pericardium under deep hypothermia and total circulatroy arrest. She recovered well and was discharged without any complication.

Retrospective Study for Morbidity and Mortality after Major Lung Resection / 대한흉부외과학회지

BACKGROUND: A retrospectiye study was done for understanding morbidity and mortality after major lung resection. MATERIAL AND METHOD: From June 1994 to August 1998, 203 patients received major lung resections for various causes. There were 142 males and 62 females with a mean age of 47.5 years. Initial complains were cough in 47.8%, sputum in 33.0%, hemoptysis or blood-tinged sputum in 23.2%, dyspnea in 18.2%, chest pain in 15.3%, weight loss in 10.8%, fever and chill in 4.9%. There were no complaints in 5.9% of the total patients. The underlying diseases were lung tumor(102 cases/50.2%), bronchectasis(28 cases/13.8%), aspergillosis(24 cases/1.8%), tuberculosis(20 cases/9.9%) and others (29 cases/66.5%) and pneumonectomy(68 cases/33.5%). The postoperative complications were classified as : empyema, BPF, respiratory problem, persistent air leakage over 7 days, arrhythmia, ventilator applied over 24 hours, bleeding, wound infection and chylothorax. The postlobectomy complications were revealed as follow: empyema(3.7%), BPF(2.2%), respiratory problem(5.2%), persistent air leakage over 7days(8.9%), arrhythmia(2.2%), ventilator applied over 24 hours(2.2%), bleeding(1.5%), wound infection(2.9%), chylothorax(0.7%). The postpneumonectomy complications were revealed as follow : empyema(5.9%), BPF (5.9%), respiratory problem(17.6%), persistent air leakage over 7days(0%), arrhythmia(5.4%), ventialtor apply over 24 hours(7.4%), bleeding (7.4%), wound infection(2.9%) and chylothorax(1.5%). Reoperation was done in 8 cases (4.0%). There were 5.8% operative mortalities in pneumonectomy and 0.7% in lobectomy.

Angiogenic Responce to Transmyocardial Mechanical Reveascularization ( TMMR ) with Polymer Myocardial Stent / 대한흉부외과학회지

BACKGROUND: Transmyocardial laser revascularization(TMLR) for revascularizing ischemic myocardium in patients was originally based on the assumption that laser channels remain their patency much longer. But recent studies show that laser channels did not remain open and that TMLR could achieve treatment benefits without long-term channel patency. The angiongencesis is currently thought to be induced by non-specific inflammatory response to mechanical tissue injury. This study is to evaluate hypothesis that various transmyocaridal mechanical revascularization(TMMR) may induce the angiogenic responses similar to that seen with TMLR, and transmyocaridal polymer stent revascularization(TMSR), the polymer stent in the myocardial tissue is hydrolyzed in 2 weeks, may enhance the non-specific inflammatory reaction resulting angiogenesis. Furthermore, polymer myocaridal stent channels remain long-term patency. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Eight domestic pigs underwent ligation of the proximal circumflex artery, and 2 weeks later they were randomized to undergo transmycardial acupunctural revascularization (TMPR, Group I) of the left lateral wall with 18-G needle(n=2), to undergo transmyocardial (TMDR, Group II) with industrial 2mm steel drill(n=2), to undergo transmyocardial polymer stent revascularization (TMSR, Group III) after drilling the infarcted myocardium(n=2), the stent is poly(lactic acid-co-glycolic acid), which is self-degradated in the myocardium, and to a control group the ischemic zone was unterated(n=2). All the pigs were sacrificed after 4 weeks TMMR. Sections from the ischemic zone were submitted for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) ELISA and histology. RESULT: There were makedly increase in the VEGF immunoassay in the ischemic zone of the TMMR group compared to the ischemic zone of the control group(control: each 30.85 and 43.15pg/mg protein, TMPR: each 44.14 and 68.61 pg/mg protein, TMDR: each 65.92 and 78.65 pg/mg protein, TMSR: each 177.39 and 168.87 pg/mg protein). TMSR channels caused greatest VEGF expression than channels made by other group and the polymer stent channels remained vacuole after 4 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: Transmyocardial polymer stent revascularization promoted the most angiogenci response by the VEGF immunoassay, although our study did not show the statistical significancy. The channels remained but the flow patency was not verified. Transmyocardial polymer stent revascularization (TMSR) is desirable in future experimental trials and in view of the significant cost implications comparable to that of laser.

Lymphangioma of the Chest Wall / 대한흉부외과학회지

Lymphangioma(or cystic hygroma) of the chest wall is rare case. We experienced one such case in a 16-year-old girl who complained of a large recurrent mass on her right upper post erolateral chest wall which had developed several years ago. The diagnosis was made following a physical examination, chest magnetic resonance imaging(MRI), and radio isotope (RI) lymphangiogrphy and was confirmed by a histopathological examination. We performed total excision of the lesion followed by a repeated sclerosing therapy with intralesional injection of Vibramycin.