Hughes-Stovin syndrome: a case report and review of the literature.

A young man presented with prolonged pyrexia, recurrent optic neuritis, thrombophlebitis and bilateral pulmonary artery aneurysms with thrombus formation. The life-threatening hemoptysis necessitated mechanical ventilatory support and emergency left lower lobectomy. Systemic corticosteroids conferred clinical improvement and reduction of the remaining right pulmonary artery aneurysm. The patient eventually succumbed to sudden massive hemoptysis. This report underscores the unpredictable nature of this syndrome and emphasises the need for aggressive surgical intervention of pulmonary artery aneurysms in Hughes-Stovin syndrome.

Histologic types, staging, resectability, and smoking among Thai patients with lung cancer.

AIM: To examine the prevalence of cigarette smoking, histological types, staging at presentation and resectability among Thai patients with lung cancer. SETTING: A 500-bed referral cardiothoracic centre. METHOD: Prospective study with pre-defined outcome data, from January to December 1996. RESULTS: A total of 349 patients were histologically proved to have lung cancer. The mean age was 60 years (SD 12.5). There were 264 males and 85 females. 269 patients (77%) were smokers. Percentage of histopathologic types were 39 per cent adenocarcinoma, 30 per cent squamous cell carcinoma, 20 per cent undifferentiated cell carcinoma, and 11 per cent small cell carcinoma. The association with smoking is stronger in squamous cell carcinoma and small cell carcinoma and weaker in adenocarcinoma. Most patients (82%) were in advanced stages, stage 3B and 4.18 per cent of the patients were in stages eligible for surgery, i.e. stage 1, 2 and 3A. However, only 9.7 per cent of the patients were operable and 9.1 per cent were resectable. CONCLUSIONS: On reaching the diagnosis, most patients with lung cancer were in advanced stages of the disease, rendering a low resectability. The results emphasise the need for early diagnostic intervention in patients presenting with lung mass. Furthermore, preventive measures including a campaign against cigarette smoking, research into other possible aetiological factors should be more encouraged.

Video thoracoscopic lung biopsy in diffuse interstitial lung diseases.

The present study examined the use of video thoracoscopic lung biopsy (VTLB) in diffuse interstitial lung disease, in comparison with open lung biopsy (OLB). Twenty and fifteen patients underwent VTLB and OLB, respectively, from 1987 to 1997 at the Central Chest Hospital, Thailand. Data in mean (SD). The mean age was 39 years in both groups. VTLB yielded equivalent size of lung tissues, 4.7 (2.32) cm3, and was as diagnostically useful as OLB. Estimated blood loss, 60 (37) mls, and length of pleural drainage, 2.8 (0.5) days, were comparable in either technique. As OLB had been in practice for decades, it took shorter operative time, 64 (11) mins, than VTLB, 105 (30) mins, (p = 0.005). Both VTLB and OLB approaches were safe and not associated with major postoperative complications.