The diagnosis and surgical treatment for 56 cases with pulmonary and pleural aspergillosis / 中华外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To summarize the experience of diagnosis and surgical treatment for pulmonary and pleural aspergillosis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The clinical data of cases with pulmonary and pleural aspergillosis were analyzed retrospectively between September 1972 and June 2003. There were 53 cases with pulmonary aspergillosis and 3 cases with pleural aspergillosis. Aspergillus was found preoperatively in 8 patients by sputum culture (5 cases) or needle biopsy of the lung (2 cases) or fibro-bronchoscopic biopsy (1 case). All patients were treated with surgical procedures following X-ray film or CT scan.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Of 53 cases with pulmonary aspergillosis, 42 lobectomies, 3 segment-Pneumonectomies, and 8 wedge resections were performed. Of three cases with pleural aspergillosis following eliminating their diseased foci in residual pleural space, two underwent thoracoplasty, one underwent postoperative closed chest drainage for one and an half month with fluconazole injected into residual pleural space repeatedly for 1 month (200 mg/100 ml, 1 time per 2 or 3 days). No operative death and major postoperative complications occurred. None of the patients had recurrent symptoms at follow-up.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>We recommend aggressive surgical resection for pulmonary and pleural aspergillosis, and the surgical result is excellent.</p>

Value of serum-vascular endothelial growth factor in the differential diagnosis of solitary pulmonary nodule / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate serum-vascular endothelial growth factor (S-VEGF) in the differentiation of solitary pulmonary nodule (SPN).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Serum level of VEGF of 68 patients with SPN was measured by ELISA kit, and compared with the control group of 20 normal subjects. The nodules were diagnosed by operation and pathology.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The median level of S-VEGF was 42.5 (range from 10 to 170) pg/ml in the control, 44 (range from 18 to 360) pg/ml in benign nodule group and 75 (range from 18 to 890) pg/ml in lung cancer group, with significant difference observed between the nodule group and control (P < 0.01), and between the lung cancer group and the benign nodule group (P < 0.05), but not between the benign nodule group and the control. In addition, when S-VEGF in different pathologic types of the limited number of lung cancer patients were compared, no significant difference was observed.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>S-VEGF is valuable in the differential diagnosis of solitary pulmonary nodule. An elevated S-VEGF level >or= 100 pg/ml in patients with SPN may strongly speak for a malignant nodule. Operation is suggested.</p>