Anatomical variation of sympathetic ganglia in R4+R5 sympathicotomy for primary palmar axillary hyperhidrosis.

Background: R4+R5 sympathicotomy is one of the standard surgical treatments for primary palmar axillary hyperhidrosis (PAH), but the reported outcomes vary. Anatomical variation of sympathetic ganglia is hypothesized to be a cause for this phenomenon. The sympathetic ganglia could be visualized via near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent thoracoscopy, we utilize this novel technique to observe the anatomical variation of sympathetic ganglia T3 and T4 and investigate its relationship with surgical outcomes. Methods: This is a prospective multi-center cohort study. All patients received intravenous indocyanine green (ICG) infusion 24 hours preoperatively. Anatomical variation of sympathetic ganglia T3 and T4 was observed via fluorescent thoracoscopy. Standard R4+R5 sympathicotomy was performed regardless of anatomical variation. Patients were followed up for the therapeutic outcome. Results: One hundred and sixty-two patients in total were enrolled in this study and 134 patients with bilateral clearly visualized thoracic sympathetic ganglia (TSG) were included. The success rate of fluorescent imaging of thoracic sympathetic ganglion was 82.7%. The T3 ganglion was shifted downward on 32 sides (11.9%) and no upward-shifted ganglion was identified. The T4 ganglion was shifted downward on 52 sides (19.4%) and no upward-shifted ganglion was identified. All patients underwent R4+R5 sympathicotomy and no perioperative death or severe complication occurred. The total improvement rates on palmar sweating at short-term and long-term follow-up were 98.1% and 95.1%, respectively. There were significant differences between T3 normal and T3 variation subgroups both in short-term (P=0.049) and long-term (P=0.032) follow-ups. The total improvement rates on axillary sweating at short-term and long-term follow-ups were 97.0% and 89.6%, respectively. No significant difference was found between T4 normal and T4 variation subgroups both in short-term and long-term follow-ups. No significant difference was found between normal and variation subgroups on the degree of compensatory hyperhidrosis (CH). Conclusions: NIR fluorescent thoracoscopy provides clear identification of anatomical variations of sympathetic ganglia during R4+R5 sympathicotomy. The improvement of palmar sweating was significantly affected by anatomical variation of T3 sympathetic ganglia.

AI-based chest CT semantic segmentation algorithm enables semi-automated lung cancer surgery planning by recognizing anatomical variants of pulmonary vessels.

Background: The recognition of anatomical variants is essential in preoperative planning for lung cancer surgery. Although three-dimensional (3-D) reconstruction provided an intuitive demonstration of the anatomical structure, the recognition process remains fully manual. To render a semiautomated approach for surgery planning, we developed an artificial intelligence (AI)-based chest CT semantic segmentation algorithm that recognizes pulmonary vessels on lobular or segmental levels. Hereby, we present a retrospective validation of the algorithm comparing surgeons' performance. Methods: The semantic segmentation algorithm to be validated was trained on non-contrast CT scans from a single center. A retrospective pilot study was performed. An independent validation dataset was constituted by an arbitrary selection from patients who underwent lobectomy or segmentectomy in three institutions during Apr. 2020 to Jun. 2021. The golden standard of anatomical variants of each enrolled case was obtained via expert surgeons' judgments based on chest CT, 3-D reconstruction, and surgical observation. The performance of the algorithm is compared against the performance of two junior thoracic surgery attendings based on chest CT. Results: A total of 27 cases were included in this study. The overall case-wise accuracy of the AI model was 82.8% in pulmonary vessels compared to 78.8% and 77.0% for the two surgeons, respectively. Segmental artery accuracy was 79.7%, 73.6%, and 72.7%; lobular vein accuracy was 96.3%, 96.3%, and 92.6% by the AI model and two surgeons, respectively. No statistical significance was found. In subgroup analysis, the anatomic structure-wise analysis of the AI algorithm showed a significant difference in accuracies between different lobes (p = 0.012). Higher AI accuracy in the right-upper lobe (RUL) and left-lower lobe (LLL) arteries was shown. A trend of better performance in non-contrast CT was also detected. Most recognition errors by the algorithm were the misclassification of LA1+2 and LA3. Radiological parameters did not exhibit a significant impact on the performance of both AI and surgeons. Conclusion: The semantic segmentation algorithm achieves the recognition of the segmental pulmonary artery and the lobular pulmonary vein. The performance of the model approximates that of junior thoracic surgery attendings. Our work provides a novel semiautomated surgery planning approach that is potentially beneficial to lung cancer patients.

Chinese expert consensus on the surgical treatment of primary palmar hyperhidrosis (2021 version).

ABSTRACT: Primary palmar hyperhidrosis (PPH) is a pathologic condition of excessive sweating on hands that has adverse impacts on patients' social activity, professional life, and psychological state. Endoscopic thoracic sympathicotomy (ETS) is by far the treatment choice for PPH with the most stable and durable curative effects, but special attention should be given to the side effects of the surgery, especially compensatory hyperhidrosis (CH). This consensus is the second version of the Chinese Expert Consensus on the Surgical Treatment of PPH by the China Expert Committee on Palmar Hyperhidrosis (CECPH), which was published 10 years ago. This consensus emphasizes the need for special attention and careful assessment of the patients' feelings, as well as their emotional and mental state, and emphasizes that distress due to palmar sweating and the desire for treatment are prerequisites for diagnosis. It also provides a more nuanced delineation of CH and reviews all new attempts to prevent and treat this side effect. New evidence of the epidemiology, pathogenesis of PPH, and indications for surgery were also assessed or recommended.

A fully automated noncontrast CT 3-D reconstruction algorithm enabled accurate anatomical demonstration for lung segmentectomy.

BACKGROUND: Three-dimensional reconstruction of chest computerized tomography (CT) excels in intuitively demonstrating anatomical patterns for pulmonary segmentectomy. However, current methods are labor-intensive and rely on contrast CT. We hereby present a novel fully automated reconstruction algorithm based on noncontrast CT and assess its performance both independently and in combination with surgeons. METHODS: A retrospective pilot study was performed. Patients between May 2020 to August 2020 who underwent segmentectomy in our single institution were enrolled. Noncontrast CTs were used for reconstruction. In the first part of the study, the accuracy of the demonstration of anatomical variants by either automated or manual reconstruction algorithm were compared to surgical observation, respectively. In the second part of the study, we tested the accuracy of the identification of anatomical variants by four independent attendees who reviewed 3-D reconstruction in combination with CT scans. RESULTS: A total of 20 cases were enrolled in this study. All segments were represented in this study with two left S1-3, two left S4 + 5, one left S6, five left basal segmentectomies, one right S1, three right S2, 1 right S2b + 3a, one right S3, two right S6 and two right basal segmentectomies. The median time consumption for the automated reconstruction was 280 (205-324) s. Accurate vessel and bronchial detection were achieved in 85% by the AI approach and 80% by Mimics, p = 1.00. The accuracy of vessel classification was 80 and 95% by AI and manual approaches, respectively, p = 0.34. In real-world application, the accuracy of the identification of anatomical variant by thoracic surgeons was 85% by AI+CT, and the median time consumption was 2 (1-3) min. CONCLUSIONS: The AI reconstruction algorithm overcame defects of traditional methods and is valuable in surgical planning for segmentectomy. With the AI reconstruction, surgeons may achieve high identification accuracy of anatomical patterns in a short time frame.

Surgical effect and prognostic factors of myasthenia gravis with thymomas.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the surgical effect and prognostic factors of extended thymectomy for myasthenia gravis (MG) patients with thymomas. METHODS: Patients with MG with thymomas who underwent extended thymectomy at Peking University People's Hospital and Beijing Hospital between January 2010 and December 2018 were retrospectively enrolled. Patients were followed up by telephone or outpatient record review . Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 19.0. RESULTS: A total of 194 patients were included in this study. According to the Osserman classification, there were 56 type I, 52 type IIa, 67 type IIb, 14 type III, and five type IV. Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) thymectomies were performed in 137 patients, and transthymectomies in 57 patients. The average operation time was 136.6 ± 46.5 minutes, average blood loss was 129.3 ± 287.4 mL, and average postoperative stay was 8.3 ± 7.4 days. A total of 170 patients (87.6%) were successfully followed up. The median follow-up period was 45 months, and the five-year overall survival (OS) rate was 81.9%. Cox regression analysis demonstrated that age, Masaoka stage, and recurrence were prognostic factors of OS. Tumor recurrence tended to occur in patients with Masaoka stage III + IV, and age was a protective factor. A total of 20 patients experienced postoperative myasthenic crisis (POMC). Univariate analysis indicated that presence of bulbar symptoms, surgical procedure, and blood loss were risk factors for POMC, but multivariate analysis only indicated the presence of bulbar symptoms as an independent risk factor. A total of 162 patients were evaluated for post intervention MG status. A total of 55 patients achieved complete stable remission; the overall effective rate was 84.5%. Older patients and those with B-type thymomas had a lower probability of achieving complete stable remission. Efficacy was similar in patients who underwent VATS or the transsternal procedure. CONCLUSIONS: Age, Masaoka stage, and recurrence were prognostic factors of OS. Presence of bulbar symptoms was an independent risk factor for POMC. Age and World Health Organization classification influence the postoperative effect of MG. KEY POINTS: Significant findings of the study Age, Masaoka stage, and recurrence were prognostic factors of OS for MG with thymomas. The presence of bulbar symptoms was an independent risk factor for POMC. Age and World Health Organization classification may influence the postoperative effect of MG. What this study adds Our study had a relatively large sample size of MG patients with thymomas only. We emphasize the analysis of the postoperative effect of MG and overall survival for these patients, which is a complement to previous studies.

Video-assisted thoracoscopic thymectomy is feasible for large thymomas: a propensity-matched comparison.

OBJECTIVES: Video-assisted thoracoscopic thymectomy is becoming the preferable approach for early-stage thymoma. However, large thymomas are still recognized as a relative contraindication due to the possible risk of incomplete resection or capsular disruption. Thus, the aim of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of video-assisted thoracoscopic thymectomy for large thymomas. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with Masaoka stage I-IV thymoma between April 2001 and December 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. All patients were divided into 2 groups: thymoma <5.0 cm (group A) and thymoma ≥5.0 cm (group B). Propensity score matching analysis was performed to compare postoperative results. Recurrence-free survival and overall survival were compared for oncological evaluation. RESULTS: A total of 346 patients were included in this study. In the propensity score matching analysis, 126 patients were included both in group A and group B. There was no significant difference between these 2 groups in terms of the R0 resection rate (95.2% vs 94.4%, P = 1.000), conversion rate (1.6% vs 3.2%, P = 0.684), operation time (119.4 ± 48.4 vs 139.1 ± 46.6 min, P = 0.955), blood loss (93.2 ± 231.7 vs 100.5 ± 149.3 ml, P = 0.649), duration of chest drainage (2.7 ± 1.6 vs 2.8 ± 2.0 days, P = 0.184), length of hospitalization (5.0 ± 3.9 vs 5.2 ± 2.9 days, P = 0.628) or postoperative complications (5.9% vs 8.5%, P = 0.068). There was no significant difference between these 2 groups in terms of the overall survival (P = 0.271) and recurrence-free survival (P = 0.288). CONCLUSIONS: Video-assisted thoracoscopic thymectomy is a safe and effective approach for large thymomas (≥5 cm) with comparable surgical and oncological results.

A long-term evaluation of postoperative moist hands after R4/R4+5 sympathectomy for primary palmar hyperhidrosis.

BACKGROUND: Thoracoscopic R4 sympathectomy has been recommended as a safe and effective surgical treatment procedure for primary palmar hyperhidrosis (PPH). However, approximately half of patients presented postoperative moist hands (PMH), and recurrence occurred individually. Therefore, more thorough long-term results should be evaluated. METHODS: Between January 2005 and December 2014, 506 consecutive patients with palmar hyperhidrosis treated with either R4 or R4+5 were retrospectively reviewed and followed-up. RESULTS: A total of 451 patients (89.1%) completed the follow-up with an average follow-up time of 30.7±25.4 months. Palmar sweating completely ceased in 178 patients (39.5%), whereas 215 (47.7%) achieved greater than 50% improvement, 43 (9.5%) achieved 20-50% improvement. Fifteen individuals (3.3%) experienced recurrence. The frequency of individuals achieving 100% improvement was significantly higher in the group R4+5 than in the group R4 (60.9% vs. 27.8%, respectively; P<0.001). A total of 321 patients (71.2%) showed compensatory hyperhidrosis with 290 (64.3%) and 29 (6.4%) experiencing mild or moderate types respectively. Two individuals (0.4%) suffered from severe type. The incidence of compensatory hyperhidrosis in the group R4+5 was significantly lower than the group R4 (63.8% vs. 73.7%, respectively; P=0.037). Regarding satisfaction, 345 (76.5%) and 83 (18.4%) patients were highly satisfied and partially satisfied with their surgical results, respectively. Six patients (1.3%) were dissatisfied, and 17 (3.8%) expressed regret for surgery. CONCLUSIONS: PMH occurred in over half of patients after R4 or R4+5 sympathectomy, but most of these patients were satisfied with the surgical results. R4+5 appears to be a better option for palmar hyperhidrosis with lower incidence of PMH and compensatory hyperhidrosis.