Malignant Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor of Esophagus: A case report / 대한흉부외과학회지

Stromal tumors of the gastrointestinal tract, especially of the esophagus, are rare. We had a case of malignant gastrointestinal stromal tumor(GIST) of the esophagus. A 46 years old woman was admitted for abnormal mass shadow in the chest radiograph. The mass was originated from the lower thoracic esophagus, and compressed the right lower pulmonary vein and the inferior vena cava. We removed the tumor externally without injuring of the esophageal mucosa via right posterolateral thoracotomy. The tumor was positive for CD 34 and CD 117, and diagnosed malignant GIST of the esophagus.

Thrombolytic Therapy for Thrombosis of Prosthetic Mitral Valve: A Case Report / 대한흉부외과학회지

Prosthetic valve thrombosis(PVT) may be a life-threatening complication requiring prompt intervention. This is a case report of thrombolytic therapy for thrombosis of prosthetic mitral valve. A 47 year-old male admitted to the emergency room for abrupt onset of dyspnea. He had undergone mitral valve replacement(On-X valve, 29mm) for mitral stenosis 8 months ago. The patient's international normalized ratio(INR) on admission was 1.09. The mechanical clicks were muffled and rales were heard in both lung fields. A transesophageal echocardiography(TEE) revealed prosthetic valve thrombosis with increased transvalvular pressure gradient(34 mmHg). The patient's condition needed to intubation for mechanical ventilation due to hemodynamic compromise, however his wife and relatives refused the surgical intervention due to financial problems. The patient was transferred to the cardiac care unit and we decided to perform thrombolytic therapy. A bolus of 1,500,000 IU of urokinase was given, followed by a drip of 1,500,000 IU for 1 hour. The patient did not improved hemodynamically; therefore, we gave 100 mg of tissue plasminogen activator(t-PA) for over 2 hours. During that time mechanical clicks were audible and hemodynamics of the patient improved progressively. A TEE showed disappearance of thrombus and decreased pressure gradient(1.7 mmHg) after 6 hours of thrombolytic therapy. The patient was recovered without any neurologic sequale and was discharged with administration of warfarin.

Thrombolytic Therapy for Thrombosis of Prosthetic Mitral Valve: A Case Report / 대한흉부외과학회지

Prosthetic valve thrombosis(PVT) may be a life-threatening complication requiring prompt intervention. This is a case report of thrombolytic therapy for thrombosis of prosthetic mitral valve. A 47 year-old male admitted to the emergency room for abrupt onset of dyspnea. He had undergone mitral valve replacement(On-X valve, 29mm) for mitral stenosis 8 months ago. The patient's international normalized ratio(INR) on admission was 1.09. The mechanical clicks were muffled and rales were heard in both lung fields. A transesophageal echocardiography(TEE) revealed prosthetic valve thrombosis with increased transvalvular pressure gradient(34 mmHg). The patient's condition needed to intubation for mechanical ventilation due to hemodynamic compromise, however his wife and relatives refused the surgical intervention due to financial problems. The patient was transferred to the cardiac care unit and we decided to perform thrombolytic therapy. A bolus of 1,500,000 IU of urokinase was given, followed by a drip of 1,500,000 IU for 1 hour. The patient did not improved hemodynamically; therefore, we gave 100 mg of tissue plasminogen activator(t-PA) for over 2 hours. During that time mechanical clicks were audible and hemodynamics of the patient improved progressively. A TEE showed disappearance of thrombus and decreased pressure gradient(1.7 mmHg) after 6 hours of thrombolytic therapy. The patient was recovered without any neurologic sequale and was discharged with administration of warfarin.

Surgical Treatment of Renal Cell Carcinoma with IVC Tumor Extension Using Deep Hypothermic Circulatory Arrest: A Case Report / 대한흉부외과학회지

A 64-year-old man was admitted for gross hematuria. Preoperative study revealed right renal cell carcinoma with inferior vena cava(IVC) tumor thrombus. Right radical nephrectomy was performed, and deep hypothermic circulatory arrest(DHCA) with retrograde cerebral perfusion(RCP) was used for extraction of tumor thrombus in the IVC. The thrombus originated from the right kidney, which extended the orifice of the gonadal vein in the left renal vein laterally, the hepatic vein superiorly, and 3 cm below the right renal vein inferiorly. The thrombus was removed completely without caval wall injury under DHCA with RCP, and the postoperative course was uneventful. He received immunotherapy with interferon, and followed up without any surgical problem.

Pulmonary Arteriovenous Fistula presented by Brain Abscess: A case report / 대한흉부외과학회지

Pulmonary arteriovenous malformations(PAVM) are uncommon diseases. Brain abscesses could be a rare and devastating complication of PAVM. Central nervous complaints may be the first manifestations of PAVM. We report a case of PAVM presented by brain abscess, which was treated by craniotomy.

Intrathoracic Migration of Steinmann Pin / 대한흉부외과학회지

Migration of Steinmann pins into the thoracic cavity is uncommon, but when occurs it can bring devasting consequences. A Sixty-year-old woman had pinning of the right humerus surgical neck fracture. She was not followed up after discharge. Two years later, a chest x-ray film and chest CT showed that the pin had migrated to the right hemithorax. The migrated pins were removed with right anterolateral thoracotomy incision without any difficulties.