Shape-Sensing Robotic-Assisted Bronchoscopy versus Computed Tomography-Guided Transthoracic Biopsy for the Evaluation of Subsolid Pulmonary Nodules.

INTRODUCTION: Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Subsolid nodules (SSN), including ground-glass nodules (GGNs) and part-solid nodules (PSNs), are slow-growing but have a higher risk for malignancy. Therefore, timely diagnosis is imperative. Shape-sensing robotic-assisted bronchoscopy (ssRAB) has emerged as reliable diagnostic procedure, but data on SSN and how ssRAB compares to other diagnostic interventions such as CT-guided transthoracic biopsy (CTTB) are scarce. In this study, we compared diagnostic yield of ssRAB versus CTTB for evaluating SSN. METHODS: A retrospective study of consecutive patients who underwent either ssRAB or CTTB for evaluating GGN and PSN with a solid component less than 6 mm from February 2020 to April 2023 at Mayo Clinic Florida and Rochester. Clinicodemographic information, nodule characteristics, diagnostic yield, and complications were compared between ssRAB and CTTB. RESULTS: A total of 66 nodules from 65 patients were evaluated: 37 PSN and 29 GGN. Median size of PSN solid component was 5 mm (IQR: 4.5, 6). Patients were divided into two groups: 27 in the ssRAB group and 38 in the CTTB group. Diagnostic yield was 85.7% for ssRAB and 89.5% for CTTB (p = 0.646). Sensitivity for malignancy was similar between ssRAB and CTTB (86.4% vs. 88.5%; p = 0.828), with no statistical difference. Complications were more frequent in CTTB with no significant difference (8 vs. 2; p = 0.135). CONCLUSION: Diagnostic yield for SSN was similarly high for ssRAB and CTTB, with ssRAB presenting less complications and allowing mediastinal staging within the same procedure.

Treatment of Postsurgical Chylothorax.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative chylothorax can be managed by any or all of observation, parenteral nutrition, surgical duct ligation, pleurodesis, or thoracic duct embolization. The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy of standard therapies, such as surgical duct ligation and observation, compared with newer treatment methods (thoracic duct embolization). METHODS: A prospectively maintained database at a single institution was used to identify and review patients with postoperative chylothorax from 2008 to 2015. RESULTS: Postoperative chylothorax occurred in 97 patients, including 54 men (56%). The median age was 61 years (range, 24 to 87 years). Thoracic duct leak followed esophagectomy in 46 patients (47%), pulmonary resection in 30 (31%), mediastinal mass resection in 7 (8%), and after other procedures in 15. Of 28 medically observed patients achieving resolution without intervention, the median peak chest tube output in 24 hours was 725 mL compared with 1,910 mL in the group that required intervention (p = 0.0001). Thoracic duct ligation was successful in 44 of 52 patients that proceeded to the operating room (85%). Of the 40 patients undergoing diagnostic lymphangiography, a leak was identified in 34 (85%), but the cisterna chyli could only be cannulated in 19 (48%) and was subsequently successful in 15 (38%). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with chylous chest tube outputs of 1,100 mL or more in 24 hours postoperatively should be considered for intervention. Intention-to-treat analysis shows surgical duct ligation is more effective than thoracic duct embolization, with the ability to cannulate the cisterna chyli being the limiting factor. Lymphangiography may help determine which patients are better treated with ligation or embolization.

Acetate supplementation attenuates lipopolysaccharide-induced neuroinflammation.

Glyceryl triacetate (GTA), a compound effective at increasing circulating and tissue levels of acetate was used to treat rats subjected to a continual 28 day intra-ventricular infusion of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). This model produces a neuroinflammatory injury characterized by global neuroglial activation and a decrease in choline acetyltransferase immunoreactivity in the basal forebrain. During the LPS infusion, rats were given a daily treatment of either water or GTA at a dose of 6 g/kg by oral gavage. In parallel experiments, free-CoA and acetyl-CoA levels were measured in microwave fixed brains and flash frozen heart, liver, kidney and muscle following a single oral dose of GTA. We found that a single oral dose of GTA significantly increased plasma acetate levels by 15 min and remained elevated for up to 4 h. At 30 min the acetyl-CoA levels in microwave-fixed brain and flash frozen heart and liver were increased at least 2.2-fold. The concentrations of brain acetyl-CoA was significantly increased between 30 and 45 min following treatment and remained elevated for up to 4 h. The concentration of free-CoA in brain was significantly decreased compared to controls at 240 min. Immunohistochemical and morphological analysis demonstrated that a daily treatment with GTA significantly reduced the percentage of reactive glial fibrillary acidic protein-positive astrocytes and activated CD11b-positive microglia by 40-50% in rats subjected to LPS-induced neuroinflammation. Further, in rats subjected to neuroinflammation, GTA significantly increased the number of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT)-positive cells by 40% in the basal forebrain compared to untreated controls. These data suggest that acetate supplementation increases intermediary short chain acetyl-CoA metabolism and that treatment is potentially anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective with regards to attenuating neuroglial activation and increasing ChAT immunoreactivity in this model.