Guillain-Barré Syndrome Following Lung Adenocarcinoma Surgery: A Case Report and Literature Review.

BACKGROUND Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) is a rare immune-mediated peripheral nerve disorder. Among non-infectious factors, surgery has been identified as a potential trigger of the disease. This report presents the case of a 74-year-old man who developed GBS 15 days after a right lower lobectomy for lung adenocarcinoma. CASE REPORT We present a case of a patient who was a former smoker who underwent uniportal video-assisted (U-VATS) right lower lobectomy for localized lung adenocarcinoma. Fifteen days after surgery, he exhibited bilateral lower-limb weakness, widespread paresthesia, and postural instability. Comprehensive diagnostic workup, including clinical assessment, serological tests, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis, and nerve conduction studies (NCS), confirmed the diagnosis. Notably, CSF analysis revealed albumin-cytological dissociation, with albumin 453.2 mg/L, protein 757 mg/L, glucose 67 mg/dl, 3 white blood cells (WBC)/uL, and polymorphonucleates (PMN) 33%. NCS demonstrated motor and sensory abnormalities. Prompt administration of intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG) 2 g/kg daily for 5 days resulted in complete recovery within 3 months. CONCLUSIONS This case emphasizes the importance of prompt recognition and management of GBS as a postoperative complication. Neurological examination, neuroimaging, and electrophysiological studies are essential for accurate diagnosis. IVIG therapy remains a cornerstone in GBS management, with favorable outcomes observed in this case. Enhanced awareness among clinicians about the potential association between surgery and GBS is vital to prevent more serious complications and ensure optimal patient management. Further research is crucial to determine the precise pathogenesis and mechanisms of GBS following lung surgery.

Right tracheal sleeve pneumonectomy with VV-ECMO assistance for non-small cell lung cancer through anterior thoracotomy: a single centre experience.

For a long time, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) arising less than 2 cm distal to the carina has been usually considered unresectable and incurable with a radical or extended resection because of surgical technical difficulty and airway management. Recently, the introduction of more advanced surgical techniques, often including the use of extracorporeal life support (ECLS), has allowed us to extend the limits of conventional surgery, increasing the rate of complete surgical resection. ECLS also overcomes the limitation of conventional ventilation during complex tracheo-bronchial reconstruction, avoiding the presence of disturbing lines or tubes that obstruct the operative field during a challenging surgery. In this article, we share our experience in performing right tracheal sleeve pneumonectomy with veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO) in three cases by anterior right thoracotomy, reporting our tips and tricks.

Prognostic significance of uncertain resection for metastasis in the highest mediastinal lymph node after surgery for clinical N0 non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer defined types of surgical resection and considered the positivity of the highest mediastinal lymph node resected a parameter of "uncertain resection" (R-u). We investigated the metastases in the highest mediastinal lymph node, defined as the lowest numerically numbered station among those resected. We aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of R-u compared with R0. Materials and methods: We selected 550 patients with non-small cell lung cancer at clinical Stage I, IIA, IIB (T3N0M0), or IIIA (T4N0M0) undergoing lobectomy and systematic lymphadenectomy between 2015 and 2020. The R-u group included patients with positive highest mediastinal resected lymph node. Results: In the groups of patients with mediastinal lymph node metastasis, we defined 31 as R-u (45.6%, 31/68). The incidence of metastases in the highest lymph node was related to the pN2 subgroups (p < 0.001) and the type of lymphadenectomy performed (p < 0.001). The survival analysis compared R0 and R-u: 3-year disease-free survival was 69.0% and 20.0%, respectively, and 3-year overall survival was 78.0% and 40.0%, respectively. The recurrence rate was 29.7% in R0 and 71.0% in R-u (p-value < 0.001), and the mortality rate was 18.9% and 51.6%, respectively (p-value < 0.001). R-u variable showed a tendency to be a significant prognostic factor for disease-free survival and overall survival (hazard ratio: 4.6 and 4.5, respectively, p-value < 0.001). Conclusions: The presence of metastasis in the highest mediastinal lymph node removed seems to be an independent prognostic factor for mortality and recurrence. The finding of these metastases represents the margin of cancer dissemination at the time of surgery, so it could imply metastasis into the N3 node or distant metastasis.

Non-Lobe Specific Metastases in Occult N2 after Lobectomy for Clinical N0 Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

OBJECTIVES: Non-small cell lung cancer can spread into lobe specific stations and non-lobe-specific mediastinal lymph nodes. We evaluated frequency and features of non-lobe specific nodal metastases, focusing especially on the prognostic value of only non-lobe specific N2-metastases after lobectomy. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of 550 patients with non-small cell lung cancer with clinical N0, undergoing lobectomy and systematic or lobe specific node dissection. We evaluated disease free and overall survival rates using Kaplan-Meier method and significance was tested by log-rank test. RESULT: Occult N2 disease was detected in 68 patients (8.1%), 26 of them (38.2%) had metastases in non-lobe specific stations. Comparing patients with lobe and non-lobe specific lymph node metastases, 3-years DFS rate was 44.4% vs. 20.0% (p-value = 0.009), while 3-years OS rate was 87.3% vs. 26.7% (p-value <0.001). Among patients with non-lobe specific metastases 16 of them (61.5%) had only non-lobe specific metastases, the remaining 10 patients (38.5%) had metastatic lymph node at the same time in non-lobe specific station but also in lobe-specific stations. Comparing post-operative survival between patients with only non-lobe specific metastases and synchronous lobe and non-lobe specific metastases, 3-years DFS rate was 12.5% vs. 41.3% respectively (p-value = 0.03), and 3-years OS rate was 12.5% vs 76.7% (p-value = 0.002). CONCLUSION: In patients with occult N2 disease, the finding of a metastatic lymph node in a non-lobe specific station relates with significant lower survival rate. The subset of patients who presented only non-lobe specific node metastases showed a significant lower survival rate compared to the remaining occult N2.

Multifactorial Evaluation following Cytoreductive Surgery for Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma in Patients with High Symptom-Burden.

Mesothelioma has a scant prognosis and a great impact on symptoms and the quality of life. Pleurectomy/decortication and extrapleural pneumonectomy are the two cytoreductive surgical strategies, with different invasiveness, but achieving similar oncological results. Hereafter, the two surgical procedures effects on symptoms and the quality of life are compared in a high symptom-burden population. Between 2003 and 2017, 55 consecutive patients underwent pleurectomy/decortication (n = 26) or extrapleural pneumonectomy (n = 29), both followed by adjuvant chemo-radiotherapy. Cardio-pulmonary function, symptoms and the quality of life (Short-Form-36 and St.George's questionnaires) were evaluated pre- and 3-, 6-, 12- and 24-months postoperatively. Extrapleural pneumonectomy demonstrated lower pain at 12 months but a higher decrement of forced vital capacity at 24 months than pleurectomy/decortication. Both procedures revealed a 3-months improvement of many symptoms and the quality of life determinants. Improvement in physical, social and pain-related measured parameters lasted for a longer time-spawn in the extrapleural pneumonectomy group. No differences were found in chemotherapy compliance and survival between groups. Age-at-presentation (p = 0.02) and non-epitheliod histology (p = 0.10) were the only significant prognosticators. Surgery, despite poor survival results, improved symptoms and the quality of life in patients with mesothelioma with high symptom-burden at diagnosis. Therefore, extrapleural pneumonectomy demonstrated the most durable effects.

Uniportal video-assisted thoracic surgery approach for simultaneous lung cancer and thymic carcinoma: Case report and literature review.

Thymic carcinoma is an epithelial tumor derived from thymic epithelial cells. Thymic tumors may be associated with other simultaneous and/or metachronous extra-thymic tumors (e.g., lung cancer). Here, we report a case of simultaneous surgical management of lung and mediastinal neoplasm together with a review of the literature. During radiological follow-up for prostate and colorectal cancer, an 82-year-old man was diagnosed with lung cancer with simultaneous mediastinal suspected neoplasm. Both were surgically removed with a single intervention performed via a uniportal video-assisted thoracic surgery (uni-VATS) approach. The literature emphasizes how extra-thymic cancer can be diagnosed before, concurrently and consecutively with thymic neoplasia. The surgical treatment of such simultaneous cancer is challenging. We succeeded in the excision of both neoplasia with a mini-invasive surgical technique. This report highlights the feasibility of uniportal VATS in a patient with very unusual clinical and oncological history.

Focus on the pulmonary involvement and genetic patterns in Birt-Hogg-Dubè syndrome: Literature review.

INTRODUCTION: Brit-Hogg-Dubé syndrome (BHD) is a rare disorder that is estimated to affects about 600 families in the World. The disease-causing mutations is on FLCN gene which codes for folliculin. This protein has a role in different organs as skin, kidney and lung, thanks to the interaction with type I and II cadherins, RhoA activity and the regulation of AMPK, mTORC1 pathways and cell adhesion. The aim of our study is to focus on the manifestation of the syndrome, especially the pulmonary involvement, then on genetical analysis and on the available treatments. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We collected 15 previous studies where we found medical history information, clinical manifestations, radiological and histological diagnosis and genetical analysis. RESULTS: The prevalence of pneumothorax in patients with BHD syndrome was about 65%, but the lung involvement with multiple small cysts, localized especially in the lower part, was 85%. The prevalence of renal involvement in BHD patients ranged from 6.5% to 34%, while skin lesions ranged from 11% to 50%. More than 150 FLCN germline has been described, though the mutation in exon 11 is the most frequently detected, especially among Caucasian population. CONCLUSIONS: BHD syndrome is rare and usually the first manifestations appear in early age. In patients with these clinical and radiological characteristics we suggest taking a careful medical history, though the diagnosis of BHD syndrome should be confirmed with the analysis of FLCN gene.