Parosteal osteosarcoma with high-grade transformation and lung metastasis after 12 years: a rare presentation.

Parosteal osteosarcoma represents a low-grade, well-differentiated type of cortical surface osteosarcoma with a relatively better prognosis. Systemic metastasis is rare overall and occurs in 10-15% of patients only. Delayed recurrences (>5 years) of parosteal osteosarcoma are even rarer and only few isolated case reports of local recurrence with systemic metastasis occurring beyond 10 years exist in the literature. We present here a case of femoral parosteal osteosarcoma, successfully treated previously, that recurred with high-grade transformation locally and with lung metastasis after 12 years. The patient was managed by lung wedge resection followed by type A1 rotationplasty. Histopathology report confirmed evidence of high-grade transformation (de-differentiation) both locally and at the metastatic site, in view of strong CDK4 and MDM2 nuclear immuno-expression. The present report highlights the importance of long-term follow-up, even for a seemingly less aggressive osteosarcoma variant with identification of a novel pattern of lung metastasis.

Single-centre Indian case series using X or cross bar for Nuss procedure in pectus excavatum.

The modified Nuss procedure using two bars lying parallel or non-intersecting is use to correct pectus excavatum with varying degrees of patient satisfaction. This bar placement has its limitation for certain pectus excavatum morphology where the deformity is deep and focal or located below the subxiphoid. We have altered our bar placement so that bars intersects in an X or cross manner for such pectus morphology. We describe the X or cross bar placement and its specific indications based on morphology in a series of five patients from February 2019 until December 2019 with symmetrical focal deformity along the xiphisternum and asymmetric deformity below the xiphoid. The operating time varied from 90 to 120 min. There was no significant postoperative morbidity. They are on follow-up with period ranging from 4 to 15 months from the day of surgery. Early results show the X or cross bar Nuss procedure can be safely performed to achieve a desired long-term morphological correction of symmetric deep focal xiphisternal defects or asymmetric deformity below the xiphoid.

A giant mediastinal thymolipoma: a rare pathological entity.

Thymolipoma is a rarely seen benign pathological entity of anterior mediastinum and constitutes of around 2-7% of thymic tumors. They usually present as soft tissue mass composed of mature adipose tissue and thymic tissue, which are clinically silent most of the time, i.e., the reason they reach to a larger dimension before diagnosis. Preoperaative diagnosis is always challenging for the thymolipoma. We wish to report a case of the soft tissue mass of anterior mediastinum in a young male, which on surgical exploration and final histopathological examination was diagnosed as thymolipoma.

Is There a Role for a Needle Thoracoscopic Pleural Biopsy under Local Anesthesia for Pleural Effusions?

BACKGROUND: A closed pleural biopsy is commonly performed for diagnosing patients exhibiting pleural effusion if prior thoracentesis is not diagnostic. However, the diagnostic yield of such biopsies is unsatisfactory. Instead, a thoracoscopic pleural biopsy is more useful and less painful. METHODS: We compared the diagnostic yield of needle thoracoscopic pleural biopsy performed under local anesthesia with that of closed pleural biopsy. Sixty-seven patients with pleural effusion were randomized into groups A and B. Group A patients were subjected to closed pleural biopsies, and group B patients were subjected to pleural biopsies performed using needle thoracoscopy under local anesthesia. RESULTS: The diagnostic yields and complication rates of the two groups were compared. The diagnostic yield was 55.6% in group A and 93.5% in group B (p<0.05). Procedure-related complications developed in seven group A patients but not in any group B patients. Of the seven complications, five were pneumothorax and two were vasovagal syncope. CONCLUSION: Needle thoracoscopic pleural biopsy under local anesthesia is a simple and safe procedure that has a high diagnostic yield. This procedure is recommended as a useful diagnostic modality if prior thoracentesis is non-diagnostic.