Lymph Node Dissection in Thymoma: Is it worth it?

OBJECTIVES: Lymph node dissection (LND) and nodal metastases in thymomas remain controversial and understudied. The aim of our study was to evaluate the incidence of nodal metastasis and the short term outcomes of systematic LND in thymomas. MATERIAL AND METHODS: From December 2017 to September 2020, we performed 54 LND conducted according to the International Thymic Malignancy Interest Group (ITMIG) lymph node map. This group was compared to a historical control group of 55 patients who underwent surgery in our center from January 2015 to November 2017. RESULTS: LND was performed in 72 % and in 5 % of the cases in the study cohort group and historical control group, respectively. The number of lymph nodes retrieved was significantly higher in the study cohort group (3.89 per patient vs. 1.62, p = 0.0021). In the whole population studied, nodal metastases were found in 3 patients (2.8 % of all patients) with 5.6 % in the cohort study group vs. 0 % in the control group (p = 0.12). Patients with nodal metastasis had larger tumors (> 7 cm), and a higher histology grade (B2 and B3). There was a trend towards higher risk of laryngeal nerve palsy in the cohort study group (9.3 % vs. 1.8 %, p = 0.11). CONCLUSION: Systematic LND increases the number of lymph node harvested and detects more lymph node metastases, which remains infrequent in thymomas. The impact of LND and the true prognostic significance of lymph node metastases remains controversial. Given the potential complications, LND or sampling should not be perfomed in small, encapsulated and low grade thymomas.

Lung cancer surgical treatment after solid organ transplantation: A single center 30-year experience.

OBJECTIVES: Solid organ transplantation is an accepted treatment for end-stage organ failure. Long-lasting immunosuppressive therapy may increase the risk ofde novo malignancies in transplant recipients. Increased risk of bronchogenic carcinoma in this population is controversial but prolonged transplant recipients' survival (obtained in modern transplantation era) may increase the need for lung cancer surgical resection in immunosuppressed patients. Our aim was to assess morbidity, mortality and long-term survival after lung cancer surgical treatment in this population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In an observational study, the medical charts of all consecutive patients who had undergone surgical treatment for lung cancer after solid organ transplantation were reviewed. These medical records were extracted from the University of Lyon (France) Transplantation database and Thoracic Surgery database. From 1986-2016, 61 patients underwent a surgical treatment for lung cancer after solid organ transplantation. RESULTS: The surgical procedures consisted of 52 lobectomies, 7 pneumonectomies and 2 wedge-resections. 90-day post-operative complications, most of which were pneumonias, affected 31 patients (50.8 %). 90-day postoperative mortality was 9.8 %. Overall survival was 40.6 % at 5 years and 18 % at 10 years. CONCLUSION: Despite a higher rate of infectious complications and 90-day postoperative mortality, surgical treatment for lung cancer must be offered to these patients as it offers a chance to cure earlier- stage disease. Long-term survival rate is satisfactory and similar to that of the general population. In transplant recipients with former smoking history, close follow-up is mandatory to increase early lung cancer diagnosis.

Impact of comorbidities and delay in diagnosis in elderly patients with pulmonary hypertension.

Patient age at diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension is steadily increasing. The present study sought to analyse clinical characteristics, time to diagnosis and prognosis of pulmonary hypertension in elderly and very elderly patients. A study was conducted in a French regional referral centre for pulmonary hypertension. All consecutive patients diagnosed with pre-capillary pulmonary hypertension were included and categorised according to age: <65 years ("young"), 65-74 years ("elderly") and ≥75 years ("very elderly"). Over a 4-year period, 248 patients were included: 101 (40.7%) were young, 82 (33.1%) were elderly and 65 (26.2%) were very elderly. The median age at diagnosis among the total population was 68 years. Compared with young patients, elderly and very elderly patients had a longer time to diagnosis (7±48, 9±21 and 16±32 months, respectively; p<0.001). Patients ≥75 years also more often had group 4 pulmonary hypertension. The median overall survival was 46±1.4 months, but was only 37±4.9 months in elderly patients and 28±4.7 months in very elderly patients. Survival from the first symptoms and survival adjusted to comorbidity was similar across age groups. Patient age should be taken into account when diagnosing pulmonary hypertension as it is associated with a specific clinical profile and a worse prognosis. The difference in prognosis is likely to be related to a delay in diagnosis and a greater number of comorbidities.

Safety of right heart catheterization for pulmonary hypertension in very elderly patients.

Right heart catheterization (RHC) is the reference test in diagnosing pulmonary hypertension (PH). The increasing age of patients at the time of diagnosis raises the issue of the morbidity of this invasive test in elderly individuals. We hypothesized that the morbidity associated with RHC would be increased in elderly patients and highlight differences in hemodynamic characteristics compared to younger patients. A retrospective study was conducted in a regional referral center for PH. Data for all consecutive RHCs performed during the study period were analyzed. Over a five-year period, 1060 RHCs were performed. Of the patients, 228 (21.5%) were aged ≥75 years and 832 (78.5%) were aged <75 years. Duration of the procedure and site of puncture did not differ according to age group (all P > 0.05). Nine procedures (0.9%) led to complications: three (1.3%) in patients aged >75 years and six (0.7%) in younger patients aged ( P = 0.5). Eight were local vascular injuries, directly related to a femoral vein puncture ( P < 0.001). Pulmonary arterial pressure and cardiac output were lower in patients aged >75 years than in younger patients ( P = 0.001). RHC may be performed regardless of patient age. The rate of RHC complications is not increased in individuals aged >75 years. As most complications were related to femoral vein puncture, this route should be avoided whenever possible.

Interstitial pneumonia with autoimmune features: Clinical, radiologic, and histological characteristics and outcome in a series of 57 patients.

BACKGROUND: Interstitial pneumonia with autoimmune features (IPAF) has recently been defined by an international Taskforce to characterize interstitial lung disease associated with systemic manifestations limited to subtle serological and clinical autoimmune abnormalities and not fulfilling the international criteria for the diagnosis of a given connective tissue disease. OBJECTIVE: to report on a series of patients with IPAF, and to compare their outcome to that of a cohort of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). METHODS: Retrospective analysis of consecutive patients in a single institution over a 3-year period. RESULTS: Out of 778 consecutive patients with interstitial lung disease, 55% had idiopathic interstitial pneumonia (including 20.1% with IPF), 21.5% had connective tissue disease, and 7.3% had IPAF. Patients (49% of females) had a mean FVC of 64% and a mean DLco of 49%. Serologic criteria for IPAF were the most frequent (93%), followed by "morphologic" criteria (79%), and clinical criteria (47%). Fifty three percent of patients had a NSIP pattern on CT. Nailfold capillaroscopy found giant capillaries in 13/30 patients tested (23%). No significant was found in overall survival between patients with IPAF and those with IPF. CONCLUSION: The recently defined criteria for IPAF are fulfilled by a significant proportion of patients referred for interstitial lung disease. As compared to those with IPF, patients with IPAF are more frequently females, have distinctive characteristics, have relatively frequent abnormalities at nailfold capillaroscopy, with no difference in age or in overall survival. Prospective studies are needed to guide the management of IPAF.