Asymptomatic Left Ventricular Myxoma in a 12-Year-Old Male.

Cardiac myxoma is the most common cardiac tumor in patients of all ages; the majority are encountered as single left atrial tumors. Left ventricular myxomas are exceedingly rare, having been recorded in a small number of case reports involving children worldwide. We report a case of a left ventricular myxoma with left ventricular outflow tract obstruction in a previously healthy, asymptomatic adolescent black male. Transthoracic echocardiograms revealed a single, large (2.5 × 5-cm), lobulated, mobile mass within the left ventricular cavity that oscillated into the outflow tract, thereby causing moderate obstruction during systole. Advanced images delineated the location and tissue composition of the mass, characterizing it as a myxoma. Complete surgical excision of the mass was accomplished via aortotomy. Gross examination and histology confirmed the diagnosis of myxoma.

Intralobar pulmonary sequestration in adults: three case reports.

Pulmonary sequestration is a relatively rare entity comprising a small portion of all congenital pulmonary malformations. Varying clinical techniques have been utilized to manage this disease process including abstaining from surgical intervention, endovascular procedures and operative approaches. We reviewed three case reports with varying presentations, each of which had a favorable outcome with definitive surgical treatment. In conclusion, we recommend that resection should continue to be the standard of care in both adolescent and adult patients with this disease process.

Utility of frozen-section analysis of sentinel lymph node biopsy specimens for melanoma in surgical decision making.

BACKGROUND: Debate exists whether frozen-section analysis of sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) for melanoma is an accurate method to detect disease that has metastasized to the lymph nodes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the utility of intraoperative frozen section for SLNs in melanoma. METHODS: We reviewed 133 patients (271 nodes) who underwent SLN biopsy with frozen section for melanoma between April 2003 and September 2007. Frozen-section diagnosis was compared with final diagnosis to determine concordance between intraoperative and postsurgical diagnosis. RESULTS: A total of 11 nodes (8% of patients) were found to have metastatic disease. All patients underwent lymph node dissections at the time of SLN biopsy. No false-positive SLNs were found on frozen section. The false-negative rate for SLN biopsy frozen section was 8% (1 of 133 patients). CONCLUSIONS: Intraoperative frozen section can be an accurate and reliable tool in the right setting for analysis of sentinel nodes in cutaneous melanoma and deserves further study.