An unusual case of a posterior mediastinal myelolipoma in a patient with mediterranean anemia

A 34-year-old male was admitted at our Department for back pain and a right paravertebral mass at the chest x-ray. His medical history was positive for beta-thalassemia major with normal routinely blood tests. A contrast-enhanced chest computed-tomography showed a 26 x 15 mm right solid paravertebral round-shaped lesion at T8-T9 levels, with a small inner component of adipose tissue (Panel A). Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance-imaging showed irregular low signal intensity in long TR sequences, with mild enhancement after contrast administration (Panel B, Panel C). Surgical excision of the lesion by means of video-assisted thoracic surgery was scheduled for both definitive diagnosis and therapeutic purpose. Histopathologic examination revealed the presence of adipocytes mixed with mature hematopoietic cells (Panel D). Differential diagnosis included mediastinal myelolipoma (MM) and extramedullary hematopoiesis (EH). In fact, both of them are composed of fat and hematopoietic tissue. Mediterranean anemia is a common finding in patients with EH. However, the presence of a single capsulated tumor and the absence of abnormal hematopoietic cells led to a final diagnosis of MM. The patient is currently alive without recurrence 23 months after surgery. Myelolipoma is a benign tumor usually arising in adrenal glands. Less than 50 cases of MM have been described in the literature to date. Many Authors currently support the role of a triggering condition (both metabolic, infectious and neoplastic), which might be responsible for the growth of ectopic adrenal or hematopoietic tissue. Patient's history, radiologic, and pathologic features must all be taken into due consideration in differential diagnosis between MM and EH

Isolated tension pneumoperitoneum following endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration complicated by cardiac peri-arrest: A case report

Transbronchial needle aspiration under endobronchial ultrasound guidance (EBUS-TBNA) is recommended for the diagnosis and staging of lung cancer. Major complications following EBUS-TBNA are uncommon. We report a case of isolated tension pneumoperitoneum following EBUS-TBNA under deep sedation in an 80-year-old male patient affected by a right hilar mass suspicious for lung cancer. At the end of the procedure, the patient suddenly manifested desaturation, severe bradycardia and hypotension, and abdominal distension. After resuscitation, in the suspect of intraperitoneal free air, needle decompression led to respiratory and hemodynamic improvement. A total body CT-scan showed isolated pneumoperitoneum without signs of gastrointestinal perforation, confirmed by a subsequent upper digestive contrast study. The patient recovered well without the need of surgical exploration. Isolated tension pneumoperitoneum can be an exceptional complication of EBUS-TBNA; a conservative treatment can avoid unnecessary surgery in the absence of peritonism

Therapeutic strategy for tracheal chondrosarcoma: report of two cases

Primary chondrosarcoma of the trachea is an extremely rare tumor. We report two cases of tracheal chondrosarcoma describing the role of surgical and conservative treatment. Endoscopic treatment with rigid bronchoscopy was performed in both patients to restore airway patency and obtain histological specimens for diagnosis. One of the patients subsequently underwent successful tracheal resection and reconstruction. The other patient, who had a contraindication to surgical treatment due to associated diseases underwent iterative endoscopic LASER treatment and is alive three years after the first diagnosis. Surgical treatment remains the treatment of choice of tracheal chondrosarcoma. When surgery is contraindicated endoscopic treatment may allow relatively longterm survival due to the slow growth of these tumors

Erratum to nodal management and upstaging of disease. Initial results from the Italian VATS Lobectomy Registry

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.21037/jtd.2017.06.12.]

Mortality and pulmonary complications in patients undergoing surgery with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection: an international cohort study

Background: The impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on postoperative recovery needs to be understood to inform clinical decision making during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. This study reports 30-day mortality and pulmonary complication rates in patients with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods: This international, multicentre, cohort study at 235 hospitals in 24 countries included all patients undergoing surgery who had SARS-CoV-2 infection confirmed within 7 days before or 30 days after surgery. The primary outcome measure was 30-day postoperative mortality and was assessed in all enrolled patients. The main secondary outcome measure was pulmonary complications, defined as pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, or unexpected postoperative ventilation. Findings: This analysis includes 1128 patients who had surgery between Jan 1 and March 31, 2020, of whom 835 (74·0%) had emergency surgery and 280 (24·8%) had elective surgery. SARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed preoperatively in 294 (26·1%) patients. 30-day mortality was 23·8% (268 of 1128). Pulmonary complications occurred in 577 (51·2%) of 1128 patients; 30-day mortality in these patients was 38·0% (219 of 577), accounting for 81·7% (219 of 268) of all deaths. In adjusted analyses, 30-day mortality was associated with male sex (odds ratio 1·75 [95% CI 1·28–2·40], p\textless0·0001), age 70 years or older versus younger than 70 years (2·30 [1·65–3·22], p\textless0·0001), American Society of Anesthesiologists grades 3–5 versus grades 1–2 (2·35 [1·57–3·53], p\textless0·0001), malignant versus benign or obstetric diagnosis (1·55 [1·01–2·39], p=0·046), emergency versus elective surgery (1·67 [1·06–2·63], p=0·026), and major versus minor surgery (1·52 [1·01–2·31], p=0·047). Interpretation: Postoperative pulmonary complications occur in half of patients with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection and are associated with high mortality. Thresholds for surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic should be higher than during normal practice, particularly in men aged 70 years and older. Consideration should be given for postponing non-urgent procedures and promoting non-operative treatment to delay or avoid the need for surgery. Funding: National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland, Bowel and Cancer Research, Bowel Disease Research Foundation, Association of Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeons, British Association of Surgical Oncology, British Gynaecological Cancer Society, European Society of Coloproctology, NIHR Academy, Sarcoma UK, Vascular Society for Great Britain and Ireland, and Yorkshire Cancer Research

Large-ring cyclodextrins: physical chemical characterization and potential use in drug delivery

Investigation of physico-chemical properties of delta-, epsilon- and iota-cyclodextrins by means of thermal analysis (DSC and TG) supported by X-Ray powder diffraction has been done. Studies on dehydration-rehydration behaviour demonstrated that dehydrated delta-cyclodextrin may transform under controlled humidity conditions to a heptahydrate and dehydrated epsilon-cyclodextrin to an amorphous form, while the dehydrated iota-cyclodextrin reverted to the starting nonhydrate crystal form