Pneumothorax as a Complication of Radiation Therapy for Primary Lung Cancer

A case of spontaneous pneumothorax complicating irradiation for bronchogenic carcinoma is presented. Pneumothorax developed in a collapsed lung caused by a central bronchogenic carcinoma. The cause is presumably secondary to either a bronchopleural fistula by tumour or sudden expansion of the lung following irradiation. Various tumours of the lung have been associated with spontaneous pneumothorax, including metastatic osteogenic sarcoma 12 , eosinophilic granuloma 4 , teratoma 11 , other metastatic sarcomas 3 , lymphoma following radiation therapy 8 , and primary bronchogenic carcinomas 1,2,3,5,6,7,9,10 . We have encountered a case of spontaneous pneumothorax complicating irradiation for bronchogenic carcinoma. To our knowledge, this is the first report in the English radiologic literature, and the second, in the English literature, of a case of spontaneous pneumothorax following radiation therapy for proven bronchogenic carcinoma.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/75343/1/j.1440-1673.1976.tb02589.x.pd

Dose reduction to normal tissues as compared to the gross tumor by using intensity modulated radiotherapy in thoracic malignancies

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) is a powerful tool, which might go a long way in reducing radiation doses to critical structures and thereby reduce long term morbidities. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the impact of IMRT in reducing the dose to the critical normal tissues while maintaining the desired dose to the volume of interest for thoracic malignancies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: During the period January 2002 to March 2004, 12 patients of various sites of malignancies in the thoracic region were treated using physical intensity modulator based IMRT. Plans of these patients treated with IMRT were analyzed using dose volume histograms. RESULTS: An average dose reduction of the mean values by 73% to the heart, 69% to the right lung and 74% to the left lung, with respect to the GTV could be achieved with IMRT. The 2 year disease free survival was 59% and 2 year overall survival was 59%. The average number of IMRT fields used was 6. CONCLUSION: IMRT with inverse planning enabled us to achieve desired dose distribution, due to its ability to provide sharp dose gradients at the junction of tumor and the adjacent critical organs

Embolia pulmonar decorrente de coriocarcinoma metastático com apresentação atípica Pulmonary embolism resulting from metastatic choriocarcinoma with atypical presentation: report of a case

É apresentado o caso de uma paciente de 36 anos, com coriocarcinoma metastático pulmonar com apresentação clínica e radiológica atípica. O achado de hipertensão pulmonar indicou a possibilidade de tromboembolia pulmonar; todavia, o diagnóstico definitivo e causa da embolia pulmonar foram dados na autópsia. Discutem-se as formas de apresentação das metástases do coriocarcinoma, sua repercussão e o período de latência que pode existir até evidenciar a neoplasia.<br>A case is presented of a 36 year-old woman, with metastatic lung choriocarcinoma with atypical clinical and radiological presentation. The finding of pulmonary hypertension indicated the possibility of pulmonary thromboembolism, still, the definitive diagnosis and cause of pulmonary embolism were done in the autopsy. The authors discuss the manners of choriocarcinoma metastasis presentation, its repercussions and the latent period which may exist until it presents evidence of neoplasm