Clinical Analysis of the Operative Results of the Type A Aortic Dissection according to the Location of the Intimal Tear / 대한흉부외과학회지

BACKGROUND: The location of intimal tear can vary in type A acute aortic dissection. The aim of this study was to assess the operative result according to the intimal tear site. MATERIAL AND METHOD: From January, 1995 to May, 2003, 18 patients underwent surgery for acute type A aortic dissection. The patients were classified according to the intimal tear site. In Group I (n=11), the intimal tear site was located within the ascending aorta, in Group II (n=7), the intimal tear site was located in the aortic arch, descending aorta, or intramural hematoma only. All clinical data were analyzed retrospectively. RESULT: In Group I, the operative time, cardiopulmonary bypass time, aorta cross clamp time and circulatory arrest time were 381.5+/-81.0 min, 223.5+/-42.5 min, 146.4+/-34.8 min and 36.5+/-17.4 min, respectively; and in group II, 461.7+/-54.0 min, 252.5+/-45.3 min, 162.5+/-45.3 min and 47.0+/-14.4 min respectively. All of those were greater in group II. The overall hospital mortality rate was 27.8% (5/18) and was significantly higher in Group II (57.1%)(p=0.003) compared to that in Group I (9.1%). The causes of death were hemorrhage (n=1) in group I and hemorrhage (n=2), multiple organ failure (n=1), and rupture of abdominal aorta (n=1) in group II. CONCLUSION: Surgical treatment of acute type A aortic dissection with intimal tear in the ascending aorta results in an acceptable mortality rate, but in patients with intimal tear in the aortic arch or descending aorta, the operative mortality still remains high when only ascending aorta replacement was performed. In these circumstances, in order to improve surgical results, efforts to include the intimal tear site in the operative procedure will be needed.

Spontaneous Hemothorax in a Patient with Posterior Mediastinal Neurilemmoma: A case report / 대한흉부외과학회지

Neurogenic tumors are common in posterior mediastinal tumors. In most cases, tumors were accidentally showed on simple chest X-ray. In some cases, they were presented by symptoms which were induced by nerve compression or airway compression. But as in our case, neurogenic tumor with spontaneous hemothorax is very rare. A 45-year-old man admitted to emergency room of other hospital because of acute right chest pain and dyspnea. A chest X-ray showed a right pleural effusion. Hemothorax was diagnosed after closed thoracostomy. Following chest CT showed posterior mediastinal mass. The patient was transferred to our hospital. T spine MRI showed dumbbell shaped mass. Diagostic impression was neurogenic tumor. The pathologic result was neurilemmoma after surgical resection.

Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis Invaded to Thoracic Vertebra in a Immunocompetent Host: A case report / 대한흉부외과학회지

Pulmonary aspergillosis is the most common disease of fungal infection and has lower infectivity. Pulmonary aspergillosis is classified by aspergilloma, bronchopulmonary aspergillosis, necrotic and invasive aspergillosis. Invasive aspergillosis is found in immune compromised host, immunosuppressive treatment after organ transplantation, anticancerous chemotherapy, blood abnormality, AIDS patients etc. We reported a case of invasive aspergillosis in an immunocompetent host, with review of literatures.

Renal Leiomyosarcoma with an Extension of the Tumor Thrombi into the IVC and the RA: One of case / 대한흉부외과학회지

There has been an improvement in the prognosis of tumor thrombi invading the inferior vena cava(IVC) and the right atrium(RA) of renal cell carcinoma with radical nephrectomy and tumor thrombectomy with the aid of cardiopulmonary bypass in the last 10 years. A 30 year old woman was diagnosed with right renal tumor with tumor thrombi invading the right renal vein and the IVC above the right renal vein to the RA. She received radical nephrectomy and removal of tumor thrombi in the infrarenal IVC under hypothermic total circulatory arrest using the cardiopulmonary bypass. The tumor recurred 12 months after the initial operation, she received a second operation for tumor removal from the retroperitoneum, suprarenal IVC, and RA. She died 11 months after the second operation due to lung metastases and recurred hepatic vein tumor extended to the RA and right ventricle.