Risk factors for bronchopleural fistula after pneumonectomy: stump size does matter.

OBJECTIVE: Side- and sex-related differences were analysed to explain the occurrence of bronchopleural fistula (BPF) after pneumonectomy on the right-hand side in men. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Surgical pathology reports on 209 patients (15 with BPF) were retrospectively reviewed regarding sex, age, side, TNM stage, outer diameter of the resection margin (mm) and intrabronchial distance between tumour and resection margin (mm). Patients without macroscopic bronchial invasion were categorised as peripheral tumours. The t-test, U-test (Mann-Whitney) and cross-tabulation using the chi 2-test were performed for univariate statistical analysis. A logistic stepwise backwards regression model was used for multivariate analysis. RESULTS: Women were significantly younger than men, had a smaller resection margin and fewer central tumours. Stage 4 was overrepresented in women, stage 2 in men. On the right-hand side, the distance was significantly shorter, the resection margin longer and the patients younger. Fistula patients showed a longer resection margin and a shorter distance, men were dominant. Multivariate analysis only identified length of the resection margin as an independent risk factor for BPF (p = 0.024, OR 1.177 CI: 1.033 - 1.356). Gender and side significantly influenced the diameter of the resection margin (p = 0.00). CONCLUSION: The diameter of the bronchial stump is a major risk factor in the occurrence of post-pneumonectomy BPF, and explains the predominance of the male sex, the right-hand side and pneumonectomy. Where it exceeds 25 mm, prophylactic stump coverage with viable tissue should be performed.

Videothoracoscopic debridement of the postpneumonectomy space in empyema.

OBJECTIVE: Simple irrigation has proven to be an efficient method to treat postpneumonectomy empyema provided that bronchopleural fistula is not present or successfully closed. However, with this treatment modality, infected material inside the thoracic cavity is not removed and this can be a potential source of empyema recurrence if the patient's immune system is compromised. The removal of the infected material should result in a lower recurrence rate. METHODS: As soon as diagnosis of postpneumonectomy empyema was established, a chest tube drainage was inserted. A concomitant bronchopleural fistula was evaluated bronchoscopically. If the fistula was smaller than 3 mm, bronchoscopic sealing with fibrin glue (Tissucol, Immuno, Vienna) was initiated. Fistulas closed surgically were excluded from this analysis. The thoracic cavity was cleared of infected material by videothoracoscopy and bacteriological samples were taken. Immediately after operation antibiotic irrigation according to culture sensitivity was started via a single chest tube drainage twice a day. After instillation of antibiotics the drain was kept clamped for 3 h. Culture samples were obtained twice a week. Empyema was considered eradicated, if three subsequent cultures showed no bacterial growth. After drain removal the patients were kept in hospital for another week and observed for clinical signs of infection; WBC and CRP were controlled. RESULTS: Nine patients (five men, four women) between 55 and 72 years (mean 61, SD 6), all initially operated on for malignancy, were successfully treated with this regimen. In three cases a concomitant bronchopleural fistula was successfully closed before videothoracoscopy. The interval between primary operation and empyema was between 7 and 436 days (mean 93, SD 141). There was no postoperative mortality and no procedure related morbidity. Operating time ranged from 45 to 165 min (mean 92.7, SD 36.6), the suction volume (consisting of blood, debris and pus) was 300 to 1000 ml (mean 880, SD 600). Duration of thoracic drainage was 12-38 days (mean 22, SD 9), duration of hospital stay after videothoracoscopy 21-46 days (mean 29, SD 9). During the follow-up period of 204-1163 days (mean 645, SD 407) no recurrence of tumour or empyema was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Videothoracoscopic debridement of the postpneumonectomy space with postoperative antibiotic irrigation of the pleural space is an efficient method to treat postpneumonectomy empyema, provided that a concomitant bronchopleural fistula can be closed successfully. No early empyema or fistula recurrence were observed. However, late recurrence may occur many years after operation, therefore close follow-up is indicated.

Closure of bronchopleural fistula after pneumonectomy with a pedicled intercostal muscle flap.

OBJECTIVES: The value of the pedicled intercostal muscle flap for the closure of postpneumonectomy bronchopleural fistulas was studied retrospectively. METHODS: Bronchopleural fistula was suspected in case of fever, cough, putrid or haemorrhagic expectoration, in combination with a rise of WBC and CRP. Fistula diagnosis was established bronchoscopically. Two patients underwent an initial trial of bronchoscopic sealing, the rest were reoperated immediately after fistula diagnosis. Immediately after operation antibiotic irrigation according to culture sensitivity was started via a single chest tube drainage twice a day. After instillation of antibiotics the drain was kept clamped for 3 h. Culture samples were obtained twice a week. Empyema was considered eradicated, if three subsequent cultures showed no bacterial growth. After drain removal the patients were kept in hospital for another week and observed for clinical signs of infection, WBC and CRP were controlled. Age, side, sex, histology, TNM-stage, duration of hospital stay after fistula diagnosis (days), duration of treatment (defined as the duration of chest tube drainage in days after operation), total hospital stay (including the initial hospital stay for primary resection and the hospital stay for fistula treatment in case of readmission), fistula size (mm), interval (days) between primary operation and fistula formation, and bacteriology were recorded. RESULTS: Eight patients (seven male) were treated. Age ranged from 46 to 70 years (mean 57.86). Six fistulas were located on the right side. All patients had non small cell lung cancer. Interval ranged from 2 to 72 days (mean 26.9 days). Fistula size ranged from 1 to 7 mm (mean 3.43). Seven fistulas were successfully closed. Duration of treatment lasted from 15 to 28 days in those patients treated successfully (mean 17). Hospital stay ranged from 15 to 31 days (mean 24.4). In one patient the flap became necrotic, he was successfully treated with total thoracoplasty. One patient died on the 38th day after rethoracotomy due to aspiration pneumonia. At postmortem examination the bronchial stump was closed. CONCLUSION: The use of the pedicled intercostal muscular flap is an efficient method for the closure of bronchopleural fistula after pneumonectomy.

Glove perforation rate in open lung surgery.

OBJECTIVE: In open lung surgery the surgical access is encircled by the ribs, which should result in a high glove perforation rate compared with other surgical specialities. METHODS: Prospectively the surgeon, first and second assistant and the scrub nurse wore double standard latex gloves during 100 thoracotomies. Parameters recorded were: procedure performed, number of perforations, localization of perforation, the seniority of the surgeon, manoeuvre performed at the moment of perforation, immediate cause of perforation, operation time, performance of rib resection during thoracotomy and time of occurrence of the first three perforations. RESULTS: One thousand, six hundred and seventy-three gloves (902 outer, 771 inner) were tested. In 78 operations perforations occurred. There were 150 outer glove perforations (8.9%, 0-8, mean 1.23), 19 inner glove perforations (1.13%, 0-2, mean 0.19). Cutaneous blood exposure was prevented in 78% of all operations and in 87% of all perforations. The perforation rate for the surgeon, the scrub nurse, the first and the second assistant were 61.2, 40.4, 9.7 and 3.1% of all operations, respectively. Rib resection and a duration of more than 2 h resulted in a significant rise of glove perforation rate (P<0.05). The personal experience of the surgeon and the type of operation did not correlate with glove perforation. The immediate cause leading to perforation was named in only 17 cases (13.7%) and comprised contact with bone (seven), a needle stitch (seven) and a production flaw (three). Leaks were localized mostly on the first finger (18%),second finger, (39%) palm and dorsum of the hand (16%). The average occurrence of all first perforations was 38.7 min (range 3-190) after the beginning of surgery, the second after 63.2 min (range 10-195). Fifty-four first perforations (50.5%) were found during the first 30 min of the operation. CONCLUSIONS: The reported perforation rate of 78% lies in the highest range of reported perforation rates in different surgical specialities. Double gloving effectively prevented cutaneous blood exposure and thus should become a routine for the thoracic surgeon to prevent transmission of infectious diseases from the patient to the surgeon.

Endoscopic treatment of postoperative bronchopleural fistula: experience with 45 cases.

BACKGROUND: The value of bronchoscopic sealing of bronchopleural fistulas was studied retrospectively. METHODS: The cases of 45 patients seen between 1983 and 1996 with bronchopleural fistula after pneumonectomy (40 patients) or lobectomy (5 patients) were reviewed. Age, underlying disease, side, fistula size (millimeters) at initial bronchoscopy, survival (days) after endoscopic treatment, mode and number of endoscopic interventions, interval (days) between operation and fistula occurrence, and pathologic TNM stage in the case of malignancy were recorded. On the basis of the therapeutic outcome (cure, death, chronic empyema with closed fistula, or chronic empyema with open fistula) and the modality (successful sealing or bronchoscopic failure with subsequent surgical intervention), various groups were assessed and compared. RESULTS: Of 29 patients (64%) treated only endoscopically, 9 were cured. Seven patients had fistula closure, but persistent chronic empyema necessitated permanent drainage. In another 7 patients, the fistula remained open and also was controlled by permanent drainage. Six patients in this group died. The overall rate of fistula closure was 35.6% (16 patients), and recurrence occurred in 2 patients. Sixteen patients (35.6%) required surgical intervention because of increasing fistula size (8 patients), sepsis with refractory empyema (7), and fecal empyema (1 patient). Two patients in the surgical group died. Small fistulas (<3 mm) responded particularly well to primary endoscopic treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Bronchoscopic treatment of bronchopleural fistula appears an efficient alternative, especially when surgical intervention cannot be done because of the physical condition of the patient.

Natural history of bronchopleural fistula after pneumonectomy: a review of 96 cases.

BACKGROUND: Various therapeutic approaches to bronchopleural fistula have been reported. Its natural history, which may be key to the best therapeutic management, early detection, and possibly, prevention of fistula formation, has received little attention. METHODS: The cases of 96 patients with bronchopleural fistula after pneumonectomy seen over a 13-year period (1982 to 1995) were retrospectively analyzed. Cancer, TNM stage and histology, age, sex, side and size of the fistula at primary bronchoscopic diagnosis, time of occurrence after operation (days), cause of death, and survival after fistula formation (days) were analyzed. Management consisted of bronchoscopic closure with fibrin sealant or decalcified spongy calf bone or both, repeat thoracotomy with resection of the bronchial stump, thoracoplasty, or open window thoracostomy. RESULTS: Except for one instance, all total stump dehiscences occurred within 90 days after operation. Sixty-four patients (67%) died during the observation period; in 25, the cause of death was aspiration pneumonia. Only 2 patients who died of aspiration pneumonia had development of a fistula after 90 postoperative days. The aspiration rate dropped with increasing interval between operation and fistula occurrence (p = 0.000). Patient survival after fistula formation was positively correlated to this interval (p = 0.002). Successful fistula closure was achieved by surgical intervention in 21 patients and endoscopically in 11 patients. The overall postoperative mortality rate irrespective of treatment method was 31%. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of aspiration pneumonia declines sharply if bronchopleural fistula occurs more than 3 months after operation. Formation of fibrothorax apparently represents a natural protection against fistula formation and subsequent fatal aspiration pneumonia. Close follow-up during the first 3 postoperative months should detect bronchopleural fistula before aspiration occurs.

Prognostic factors of thymomas.

Thymomas are uncommon tumours. This study analyses the prognostic value of certain clinical variables and of two different histological classifications. Thirty cases were analysed; 24 were women and six men, with a mean age of 50 years (range 22-69). The pre-operative study included: clinical data (Masaoka's and Osserman's clinical classification); chest radiography; and computed axial tomography. Surgery was divided into three categories: total tumour resection, partial resection and biopsy alone. For the pathological study we followed Salyer-Eggleston and Marino-Müller classifications. Follow-up averaged 5.5 years (range: 2-11). As a statistical method we used Kaplan-Meier's survival curves and Cox's regression model. Eleven of the patients had associated myasthenia gravis, this being the most common clinical type. Age, sex, association with myasthenia gravis, surgical technique and Salyer-Eggleston's classification showed no prognostic value; conversely, clinical staging and Marino-Müller's classification had a high prognostic value. The first treatment that should be considered is surgery, with an attempt to perform total tumour resection. Myasthenia gravis did not modify the prognosis of the disease. The factors of greatest prognostic significance were clinical staging and Marino-Müller's histological classification.

Acute renal failure in the elderly 1975-1990.

Two hundred and forty-two elderly patients (> 65 years) with acute renal failure (ARF) treated at a predominantly medical intensive care unit between 1975 and 1990 were retrospectively analyzed for underlying diseases, severity of disease (as evaluated by the rate of ventilated patients, septicemia and APACHE II score, respectively), causes of ARF, acute and chronic risk factors for the development of ARF, complications during treatment and outcome. Overall mortality was 61%; 28 patients (12%) died in spite of resolution of ARF so actually, 49% of the patients died in ARF. Outcome was comparable to other age groups with overall mortality being 57% in patients < 18 years and 59% in those 19-65 years. Moreover, within the group of elderlies mortality did not increase with age and was 60% in those aged 65-68 and 54% in those aged > 80 years, respectively. The need for renal replacement therapy, plasma creatinine > 6 mg/dl, anuria, BUN > 120 mg/dl, ventilator dependency and the presence of septicemia all negatively affected outcome. During the years 1975 to 1990 mortality decreased from > 70% to < 50% (p < 0.02). This improvement of survival was seen in spite of an increase in the severity of disease (1975-1982: 20% ventilated patients, 24% with septicemia, 1983-1990 51% and 40%, respectively, p < 0.01). We conclude that age per se is not an important determinant of survival in patients with ARF and that prognosis has improved considerably during the last 15 years and this was seen in spite of an increase in the severity of disease. It is not justified to withhold therapy in elderly patients acquiring ARF.

Syndrome of intramedullary gunshot wound with incomplete neurologic deficit: case report.

A patient with a gunshot wound to the spinal cord with an incomplete neurologic deficit is presented. The neurologic examination revealed a combination of a central cord injury and the Brown-Séquard Syndrome. The authors suggest that the Brown-Séquard portion of the syndrome was caused by compression of tracts within the spinal cord caused by the mass of the bullet and the central cord injury was produced by the kinetic energy of the bullet during penetration into the spinal canal. They conclude that with incomplete neurologic lesions following gunshot wounds the bullet be removed.

[Study of brain edema by an infusion edema Model--the method and characteristics of the model].

In this report, we have described the way of making the infusion edema model, physiological changes of various parameters during this procedure, distribution of water content in white and gray matter and the light and electron microscopic findings of this edema model, for the further understanding of vasogenic edema of the brain. To make the infusion edema model, 25-G needle was stereotaxically inserted into the left frontal white matter of the cat brain. Through the polyethylene catheter with three way stop cock, this catheter was connected to the pressure transducer and slow infusion pump. By this way, we can monitor the pressure of infusing fluid into the white matter. Normal saline was infused with initial rate of 0.75 microliter/min for the first 2 hours. The inflow rate was increased to 1.5 microliter/min for the next one hour, and then changed to 3.0 microliters/min for maintenance inflow rate. The total amount of infused volume was 0.5 ml in this study. During making the infusion edema model, blood pressure and PaCO2 changed little. Intracranial pressure slightly increased from 5.8 to 15.1 mmHg. Pressure volume index (PVI) changed from 0.74 to 0.64, suggesting the changes of intracranial compliance. The water content measured by specific gravimetric technique showed nearly the same water contents and distribution of edema fluid in the white matter of the cat as in the cryogenic injury model. Pathological findings of this infusion edema model demonstrated that the infused liquid was accumulated in the extracellular space of white matter without damaging the tight junction, and endothelial cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Extracerebral leptomeningeal astrocytoma mimicking a meningioma.

A 49-year-old woman with a two-year history of headaches that became progressively more frequent was found on computerized tomographic scan to have a dense, enhancing right frontoparietal mass. The tumor mimicked a meningioma in that it indented the inner table of the skull, was well demarcated from the underlying brain, and microscopically lacked the fibrillated cell processes and background that characterize astrocytomas. The 80- to 100-A cytofilaments were sparse and seen in few cells. It was only by the immunoperoxidase stain for glial acidic protein that the diagnosis of an extra-axial leptomeningeal astrocytoma was established.