Neoadjuvant chemotherapy: a new criterion for selection of candidate patients for surgery of low tumour burden metastases from malignant melanoma?

BACKGROUND: Surgery of limited metastatic lesions from malignant melanoma can achieve long-term remission and better survival than chemotherapy. Existing criteria for selection of candidate patients for this surgery do not seem sufficient to avoid useless excisions. OBJECTIVES: To test use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy as a new criterion in this setting. METHODS: All patients who underwent thoracic surgery for one or two lung metastases from melanoma during 1999-2007 were included in the study. Demographic and medical data were collected and analysed. Several possible prognostic factors were evaluated based on the overall survival curves. RESULTS: Thirteen patients were included in this retrospective study. All but two patients had no evidence of disease after surgery. Ten patients received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Six responded (absence of progression) and four had progressive disease. Response to chemotherapy and no evidence of disease after surgery were predictive of long-term survival. CONCLUSIONS: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy can be considered as a new criterion for better selection of candidate patients for lung metastasis surgical resection. This would also avoid useless surgical procedures in rapidly progressive disease and give information on the chemosensibility of the metastatic disease. This study needs further confirmation, particularly with chemotherapy regimens that have demonstrated better objective responses.

[When should respiratory physicians consider lung transplantation for their patients? Inscription criteria for the national waiting list]. / Quand le pneumologue doit-il envisager la greffe pulmonaire pour un de ses patients?

INTRODUCTION: Placing a patient on the national lung transplant waiting list remains a difficult matter, and is more a question of timing than selection of the candidate according to disease-specific criteria. BACKGROUND: The listing criteria for cystic fibrosis are FEV1 less than 30% of the predicted value, hypoxaemia with a PaO2 less than 55 mm Hg and hypercapnia with a PaCO2 over 50 mm Hg. The rate of decline of FEV1, increasing antibiotic requirements and life threatening complications can all accelerate the listing procedure. For primary pulmonary hypertension the criteria are persistent dyspnoea, NYHA grade III or IVA, despite epoprostenol treatment and a 6 minute walk test of less than 250 metres. Sarcoidosis, lymphangioleiomyomatosis, histiocytosis X and connective tissue diseases are rare indications for which the listing criteria are similar to those for the more usual respiratory diseases. VIEWPOINTS: Further therapeutic advances, increased numbers of available organs and changes in the allocation rules will necessitate periodical updates of these selection and listing criteria. CONCLUSION: The optimal time for placing lung transplantation patients who have been referred early in the course of their disease on the waiting list will be determined by clinical experience and individual patient follow-up.

[Massive haemoptysis: management and treatment. What is the role of surgery?]. / L'hémoptysie massive: prise en charge et traitement. Quelle est la place de la chirurgie?

OBJECTIVE: To define the role of interventional radiology and surgery respectively, in the treatment of massive haemoptysis. GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS: For the management of massive haemoptysis in non-terminal pathologies an intensive care facility and a multi-disciplinary team are necessary. It is of paramount importance to identify rapidly the pulmonary or bronchial source of the bleeding. CT scanning and bronchoscopy are essential to localise the bleeding and determine its cause. Initial management. An attempt to control the initial bleeding to allow localisation of its origin and determine the treatment. TREATMENT: Bronchial or systemic embolisation and surgery are the only effective medium and long-term treatments. Embolisation achieves excellent results in bleeding from bronchial or parietal systemic arteries prior to surgery and may be the only technique possible in the presence of major co-morbidity. Surgery is necessary in the case of failure, in certain specific conditions, and in the case pulmonary artery haemorrhage from a proximal lesion. Various surgical techniques are available depending on the type of lesion encountered and the facilities for post-operative care. Emergency surgery carries a high risk and deferred surgery gives better results. CONCLUSION: The management of massive haemoptysis should be multi-disciplinary. Intensive care, respiratory and radiological diagnosis, Surgical management and interventional radiology should be combined to improve the prognosis of this grave condition. Pulmonary arterial haemorrhage from a necrotic tumour constitutes a surgical emergency and should be operated on without delay.

Liposarcoma of the pleural cavity. An exceptional tumour.

Primitive liposarcomas of the pleura are exceptional tumours. We report a new case of primitive liposarcoma of the pleura revealed by chest pains in a 50 year old man. Computed tomography showed a large fat density mass in the left pleural cavity. Surgical resection was performed, completed with adjuvant radiotherapy. Few reports are available in the literary world. We present our case, review previously reported cases and discuss treatment.

[Plea in favour of external cervicotomy approach of Zenker's diverticulum: 73 cases reported]. / Plaidoyer pour un abord externe par cervicotomie du diverticule de Zenker: à propos de 73 cas.

INTRODUCTION: Zenker's diverticulum can be treated surgically or endoscopically. The aim of this study was to assess results of surgical approach with cervicotomy and diverticulectomy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively studied the data of 73 patients (50 men and 23 women; mean age, 69 ans; extrêmes: 43-98) consecutively operated on for a Zenker's diverticulum between 1987 and 2000. Surgical procedure included diverticulectomy associated with a large myotomy and oesophageal calibration. Both early and long-term results were compared with those of published series of patients treated by stapled esophagodiverticulostomy. RESULTS: Clinical manifestations were: dysphagia (97%), regurgitations (76%), aspirations (45%), weight loss (28%), lung infection (21%), or halitosis (3%). No patient died postoperatively. The early morbidity rate was 4% (3 patients). The mean delay for return of oral feeding and the mean length of hospital stay were respectively 6 and 8 days. At follow-up (mean follow-up, 6 years; extremes: 3 months-13 years), 72 patients (99%) were satisfied and 1 patient felt partially improved. Analysis of published results of series of endoscopic treatment revealed shorter lengths of hospital stay but less favourable long-term results. CONCLUSIONS: Early morbidity of surgical treatment of Zenker's diverticulum is low. Long term functional results could be better after surgical diverticulectomy with myotomy than after endoscopic stapled esophagodiverticulostomy.

Diffusion of oral and intravenous 400 mg once-daily moxifloxacin into lung tissue at pharmacokinetic steady-state.

The degree of penetration of an antibiotic into the infection site is an important factor for its therapeutic efficacy, particularly in respiratory tract infections. In the present study, we examined the lung tissue diffusion of moxifloxacin at a dose of 400 mg administered intravenously or orally once-daily, and the results were correlated to microbiological data to estimate the clinical efficacy of moxifloxacin in lower community-acquired respiratory infections. This was a prospective, randomized, parallel-group trial, open-label, single-center study. Patients undergoing lung surgery for bronchial cancer which necessitates the removal of an anatomical piece of lung tissue were randomized into twelve treatment groups, dependent upon the time of surgery and the moxifloxacin formulation, i.v. or oral, administered. During surgery, one blood sample was taken at the time of tissue collection to determine moxifloxacin plasma concentration. At the same time, tissue samples were taken by pulmonary exeresis. A validated new high performance liquid chromatography assay was used to determine moxifloxacin concentrations in plasma and lung tissue. A total of 49 patients (25 for i.v. administration, 24 for oral administration, 44 men and 5 women, mean age, 61 years, mean body weight, 72 kg, mean creatinine clearance was 84 ml/min/1.73 m2) were enrolled. The mean +/- SD steady-state moxifloxacin ratios between lung and plasma concentrations were respectively: 3.53 +/- 1.89 and 4.36 +/- 1.48 for i.v. and oral administration. The mean steady-state moxifloxacin maximal lung concentrations (Cmax) were respectively 12.37 microg/g and 16.21 microg/g for i.v. and oral administration. Moxifloxacin both intravenously and orally exhibits high penetration in lung tissue, with tissue concentrations far above the MIC90s for most of the susceptible pathogens commonly involved, thus underlining its suitability for the treatment of community-acquired, lower respiratory tract infections.

Detection of circulating cells expressing chromogranin A gene transcripts in patients with lung neuroendocrine carcinoma.

High grade lung neuroendocrine carcinomas, like small and large cell neuroendocrine carcinomas, pose therapeutic problems. Most initially respond to chemotherapeutic agents, but early relapses are frequent and are resistant to the presently available treatments. Our study reports for the first time the development and evaluation of a test for detecting the presence of circulating tumour cells by measuring chromogranin A gene transcripts with reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Southern blotting. The test is specific and sensitive (detection of 10 cancer cells/ml blood), and only minimally invasive. Positivity is statistically correlated to high grade neuroendocrine carcinomas and to a poor prognosis with a 3-fold higher lethal risk. The test now needs to be assessed for its usefulness as a tool in the initial staging procedures and follow-up by comparison with the recent immunoradiometric assay (RIA) for detection of chromogranin A in the serum.

[Thoracoplasty: the current role]. / La toracoplastica: il ruolo attuale.

The Authors report a retrospective analysis of 29 patients who underwent thoracoplasty between 1990 and 1999. The mean follow-up period was 30 months. The median age was 55 years. The peri-operative mortality rate was 6.8%. The control of space obliteration, space infection and closure of the bronchopleural fistula was achieved in 27 patients. This article also discusses surgical history of thoracoplasty, technique adopted and its current application.

[Solitary fibrous thoracic tumor: a rare tumor with unpredictable course]. / Tumeur fibreuse solitaire de la plèvre.

A 68-year-old woman presented chest pain and exercise-induced dypnea for one year. Diagnosis was a thoracic solitary fibrous tumor. These tumors are very rare. Clinical outcome is generally good except in 13% of the cases with a malignant component. Complete surgical resection is required.

[Mortality from iatrogenic esophageal perforations is high: experience of 54 treated cases]. / La mortalité des perforations instrumentales de l'oesophage est élevée: expérience de 54 cas traités.

OBJECTIVE: To underline the severity of instrumental esophageal perforations and to discuss their management. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Data from patients treated for instrumental esophageal perforation were collected retrospectively from 1980 to 1995 then prospectively since 1995 to 2000. RESULTS: Fifty-four patients were treated for instrumental perforations. Perforation occurred after exploratory endoscopy (n = 24), endoscopic dilation (n = 13), attempted tracheal intubation (n = 5), foreign body extraction (n = 5), treatment of esophageal varices (n = 4), trans-esophageal echocardiography (n = 2), and duodenal prosthesis implantation (n = 1). Clinical manifestations were immediate in 18 cases and delayed in all others, with an interval before treatment ranging from 2 hours to 45 days (mean = 70 hours). All patients were operated after large spectrum antibiotherapy and intensive care, except 3 who were treated medically due to their poor general condition. Fourteen (26%) patients died, including the 3 non-operated ones. CONCLUSION: Instrumental esophageal perforations are associated with a high mortality, probably due to the poor general condition of the patients. Diagnosis of these perforations is often delayed. A good experience of endoscopic maneuveurs and adequate post-endoscopic monitoring could allow earlier surgical treatment with lower mortality.

Esophageal perforation: life threatening complication of endotracheal intubation.

OBJECTIVE: To raise awareness of this complication of tracheal intubation, to emphasize the gravity due to delayed diagnosis, and to advocate a surgical treatment. METHODS: Between April 1980 and January 2000, 97 patients were treated for esophageal perforation in our department. We reviewed the cases of perforation occurring after attempted tracheal intubation. Each case is presented. Discussion is focused on diagnosis and treatment. RESULTS: Esophageal perforation occurred after attempted endotracheal intubation in five cases among 58 iatrogenic perforations. There were four women and one man (mean age 72 years). In all cases, it was for a planned operation. Intubation was performed by a single lumen tube in three cases and a double lumen tube in two cases. Presenting symptoms were acute in one case and insidious in four cases. Free interval before diagnosis and treatment was long in all but one case, with an average of 179 h (range 5--432). Two patients suffered from septic shock when they were transferred. All patients were operated on. Two patients died. CONCLUSION: Post intubation esophageal perforation is one of the most life threatening esophageal perforation. Delayed diagnosis is the first cause of gravity. Prevention of this complication begins with recognition of a potentially difficult intubation. Good outcome follows from rapid diagnosis and early surgical treatment.

[Thymectomy in myasthenia gravis. A series of 68 patients]. / Timectomia per miastenia gravis. Una serie di 68 pazienti.

Since January 1988 to December 1998, by the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Haut-Lévêque Hospital, University of Bordeaux, 68 consecutive patients were operated for myasthenia gravis. The aim of our study was to evaluate the results obtained in a group of patients who underwent a thymectomy for myasthenia gravis, in order to contribute for the determination of the prognostic factors which can influence the post-operative course. This series consists on 68 patients. Females were predominant, 41 patients (60.2%) versus 27 males (39.7%). The age extended between 15 and 80 years, average of 45.2 years. The follow-up concerned 52 patients (76.4%); out of there, 8 are in complete remission (15.3%), 31 (59.6%) are in a phase of clinical improvement, 11 patients did not benefit from thymectomy (21.1%), 1 patient died immediately after the surgical operation, I patient died some years after the surgical operation for another reason. In conclusion the thymectomy is a beneficial procedure for myasthenia gravis patients.

Pharmacokinetic population study to describe cefepime lung concentrations.

Pharmacokinetic parameters of cefepime in 2 g plasma and lung tissue bid over 3 days to achieve the steady-state was studied in 16 patients (15 male, one female) subjected to lung surgery for bronchial epithelioma. The aims of this study were firstly to quantify cefepime lung diffusion with cefepime lung concentrations in comparison with cefepime serum concentrations, and secondly to estimate population pharmacokinetic parameters of cefepime in lung tissue using NONMEM. The mean characteristics of patients were: age, 60 years (range, 51-69 years), weight, 73 kg (range, 62-87 kg) and creatinine clearance, 77 ml/min (range, 62-92 ml/min). Both serum sample (two per patient) and lung sample (one per patient) cefepime concentrations were analysed by HPLC with UV detection. Five groups were made according to the time of sampling after the last cefepime intravenous infusion at the fifth infusion: 0.5 h (n=2), 2 h (n=5), 4 h (n=3), 8 h (n=3) and 12 h (n=3). The cefepime concentration ratio between lung and serum was calculated for each group and statistical analysis show no significant difference between groups. The mean concentration ratio between lung and serum was 101% (range, 70-130%). To explain this observation a two-compartment pharmacokinetic model with a population approach was used to describe pharmacokinetic parameters of cefepime both in lung and in serum. Serum was assimilated at the central compartment and lung was the peripheral compartment. NONMEM was used to estimate the mean and the variance of the pharmacokinetic parameters. Central volume of distribution (V(d)), steady-state volume of distribution (V(ss)), central clearance (CL) and transfer constants (K(cp)) from serum to lung and (K(pc)) from lung to serum were estimated. Central elimination half-life t(1/2Kbeta)was extrapolated from elimination constant beta. Results were: V(d)= 15.62 +/- 2.56 l, V(ss)= 17.58 +/- 2.58 l, CL = 3.65 +/- 1.25 l/h, beta = 0.234 h(-1), t(1/2beta)= 2.96 hours, K(cp)= 12.25 +/- 8.56 h(-1)and K(pc)= 0.242 +/- 0.085 h(-1). The results show that cefepime diffusion in lung occurs quickly without lagtime and in similar concentrations to that in serum.

[Esophageal perforation during transesophageal echocardiography]. / Perforation oesophagienne au décours de l'échocardiographie transoesophagienne.

Known for its reliability, transoesophageal echocardiography is an investigation which is increasingly used in cardiology, cardiac surgery and intensive care units. It is a semi-invasive investigation of which oesophageal perforation is a very rare but serious complication. Two cases of oesophageal perforation after transoesophageal echocardiography are reported out of a series of 87 oesophageal perforations treated between January 1981 and February 1999. In both cases, transoesophageal echocardiography was performed in conscious patients without known pre-existing oesophageal pathology. The presentations were acute. Both patients underwent emergency surgery. One patient is alive and the other one died one month after a second operation related to the perforation. Nine cases of oesophageal perforation have been reported after transoesophageal echocardiography. The pathogenesis, means of prevention and treatment of oesophageal perforation are discussed.

Determination of moxifloxacin (BAY 12-8039) in plasma and lung tissue by high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection using a fully automated extraction method with a new polymeric cartridge.

The aim of this study was to develop a high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) assay for the determination of moxifloxacin in human plasma and lung tissue. The assay was based on HPLC with a Supelcosil ABZ+ column and ultraviolet detection set at a wavelength of 296 nm. The extraction procedure was characterized by a fully automated liquid-solid extraction using an OASIS column for the solid phase. The assay has been found to be linear and validated over the concentration range 3.2 to 0.025 microg/ml for moxifloxacin in plasma and from 16 to 0.25 microg/g for moxifloxacin in lung tissue. In future, the assay will support the pharmacokinetic study of the penetration of moxifloxacin in human lung tissue.

Conservative treatment for postintubation tracheobronchial rupture.

BACKGROUND: Postintubation tracheobronchial rupture is usually responsible for unstable intraoperative or postoperative conditions, and its management is discussed. We insist on conservative treatment as a viable alternative after late diagnosis of postintubation tracheobronchial rupture. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study including 14 consecutive patients treated between April 1981 and July 1998. RESULTS: Twelve tracheobronchial ruptures occurred after intubation for general surgery and two after thoracic surgery. In all cases, the tear consisted of a linear laceration of the posterior membranous wall of the tracheobronchial tree ranging from 2 to 6 cm. One death occurred in a very weak patient unfit to undergo a redo operation for surgical repair. Seven patients were treated conservatively and cured without sequelae. Six patients underwent surgical repair, of whom 2 were diagnosed and repaired intraoperatively. CONCLUSIONS: Aggressive surgical repair is not always mandatory after delayed diagnosis of iatrogenic tracheobronchial rupture. Conservative treatment must often be considered, except after lung resection.

[A case of extraskeletal Ewing's sarcoma of the thoracic wall]. / A proposito di un caso di sarcoma extraosseo di Ewing della parete toracica.

The Authors report a case of extraskeletal Ewing's sarcoma of thoracic wall in a 15-year-old sport-man, who complained about pain in the left upper extremity. The diagnosis was performed by radiology (ultrasound study, TC, RM) and pre-operative needle-aspiration biopsy. The patient was treated by neoadjuvant chemotherapy, wide surgical resection and, then, radiotherapy. Neither local recurrence nor metastases have developed for 8 months.