Cotton-derived oxidized cellulose in minimally invasive thoracic surgery: a clinicopathological study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to identify resorption, clinical performance, and safety of cotton-derived oxidized cellulose gauze applied as a hemostat in minimally invasive oncologic thoracic surgery. METHODS: This is a pilot prospective noncomparative observational human in vivo study. A piece of cotton-derived oxidized cellulose gauze measuring 5 × 20 cm was inserted into the subcarinal space of patients with potentially resectable lung carcinoma at the time of video-assisted mediastinoscopic lymphadenectomy and reexamined several days later for macroscopic and histologic evaluation at the time of subsequent lung resection. The primary endpoint was the local situation at the implantation site described by cellulose remnants, fluid collections, and adhesions. The secondary endpoint was safety, described by the number of adverse events and surgical reinterventions. RESULTS: Twenty-five consecutive eligible patients with potentially resectable lung carcinoma were included. The desired hemostatic effect was achieved in all cases. No adverse events were observed. At re-exploration 10.5 (5-28) days later, the cellulose gauze was found to lose its solid structure from the fifth day on. Remnants were last detected 14 days after insertion. The implantation site exhibited no inflammatory changes and a remarkable small amount of fluid collections and adhesions. CONCLUSIONS: Mediastinal application of cotton-derived oxidized cellulose is safe and effective. A piece of gauze measuring 5 × 20 cm seems to be absorbed completely within 15 days, thus precluding any interference with oncologic restaging and follow-up. The absence of relevant adhesions facilitates further surgical procedures. Larger comparative confirmatory studies are required. For large-scale resorption studies, our clinical model should be translated into a porcine model.

Fatal immune-mediated pancytopenia and a TRALI-like syndrome associated with high titers of recipient-type antibodies against donor-derived peripheral blood cells after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation following dose reduced conditioning.

Pancytopenia occurring after bone marrow transplantation is a rare complication. A 47 year old patient with progression of multiple myeloma after standard therapy received an allogeneic marrow graft from a matched unrelated donor. The non-myeloablative conditioning regimen consisted of fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin and total body irradiation. GVHD prophylaxis consisted of cyclosporine. Neutrophil engraftment was as expected and the patient was discharged without signs of acute GvHD. On day +34 the patient presented with clinical and laboratory findings consistent with severe pancytopenia. Antibodies against red cells, platelets, lymphocytes and granulocytes were detected in extremely high titers. Immune-mediated pancytopenia was refractory on multiple immunosuppressive treatment strategies. Proliferation of polyclonal plasma cells of recipient-type that was documented postmortem, was most likely responsible for excessive antibody formation.