Trocar vs. Seldinger small bore pleural drains: does the technique influence the outcomes? A prospective single-centre study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to compare two positioning techniques of 12-French (Fr) thoracic drains in terms of efficacy, safety, and patient comfort. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This is a prospective, non-randomized, competitive, non-inferiority study comparing the Seldinger vs. Trocar technique. The primary endpoint was an analysis of the factors that led to unsuccessful drainage positioning. Between the two groups, clinical variables, procedure times, pain, and complications were compared. RESULTS: Seventy-two patients were enrolled in group 1 (Seldinger) and 45 in group 2 (Trocar). The mean procedural time was 7.93±3.02 min vs. 7.09±3.67 min, respectively (p: 0.33). The mean VAS for procedural pain was 2.22±1.47 vs. 2.80±1.88, p: 0.07, and the mean at day 2 was 3.6±1.2 in the SBWGD group vs. 2.7±1.1 in the Unico Group (p: 0.04). There was no difference in terms of complications, residual effusion, and pneumothorax at the first post-procedural chest X-ray. Four days after the procedure, the drain removal rate was 11.6% in group 1 vs. 25% in group 2 p: 0.063). The chest tube was removed after a mean period of 8.87±7.20 days after resolution of pleural effusion or tube dislodgement (7 cases in group 1 vs. 11 in group 2, p: 0.053). CONCLUSIONS: The two techniques resulted in comparable pain and complication rates. Both drains are well-tolerated and efficient at draining pleural effusion, with very low rates of complications and failure. We recommend inserting a longer tube for patients who require chest drainage for an extended period of time.

A huge esophageal Schwannoma occurring in a Caucasian young male: a case report.

OBJECTIVE: Gastrointestinal schwannomas are rare benign mesenchymal tumors originating from Schwann cells, the nerve sheath belonging to the Auerbach's plexus or, less frequently, to Meisser's plexus. The esophagus is the least common site accounting for less than 2% of all esophageal tumors, and the upper to mid portion is usually involved. Esophageal schwannomas affect more frequently middle-aged Asian women. The most common symptom is dysphagia. Diagnosis requires histological and immunohistochemical studies and the standard of care is surgical resection. CASE REPORT: We present the case of a 22-year-old Caucasian male who was admitted to our hospital for progressive dysphagia and acute chest pain. An EGDS showed an elongated bulging of the lower esophagus with signs of a subcentimetric mucosal erosion. A CT-scan showed a lower esophageal ectasia and a huge postero-lateral wall mass measuring 37x28x70 mm. An endoscopic ultrasonography showed a hypoechoic heterogeneous mass with multiple anechoic areas and a fine needle biopsy was performed. Histological examination showed tissue made up of spindle cells with mild eosinophilic cytoplasm and rare nuclear atypia, which were intensively and diffusely positive for the S100 protein on immunohistochemical studies thus allowing pre-operative diagnosis of "ancient" schwannoma. after a multidisciplinary discussion, the patient underwent a surgical resection. Since the tumor had a transmural extension, a subtotal esophagectomy was performed to achieve complete resection with negative margins. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first case of a young Caucasian male patient with an "ancient" schwannoma of the lower esophagus, a benign but locally advanced lesion treated by subtotal esophagectomy.