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Pulmonary artery intimal sarcoma has very poor prognosis, for which radical resection may be difficult. A 68-year-old man with pulmonary artery intimal sarcoma underwent bilateral pulmonary artery resection and replacement. At 31 months postoperatively, recurrence occurred at the anastomotic site of the right pulmonary artery. Therefore, he underwent right upper lobectomy and combined resection and reconstruction of the right pulmonary artery. The tumor was removed, while preserving the lungs as much as possible. He is still alive 42 months after the initial surgery.

Objective: Although collateral lymphatic vessels are known to develop in patients with lymphedema, little is known about their significance. In this study, we investigated truncal collateral lymphatic drainage pathways in patients with lower limb lymphedema using indocyanine green (ICG) lymphography. Methods: The ICG fluorescence images and clinical characteristics of 80 consecutive patients (160 lower limbs) with secondary leg lymphedema who underwent ICG lymphography between September 2020 and September 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. Results: Seven patients were identified to have a truncal collateral lymphatic drainage pathway starting in the lateral abdomen and running in the direction of the ipsilateral axillary lymph nodes. These patients had particularly severe symptoms of lymphedema around the thigh or abdominal region or had genital lymphedema. Conclusions: A truncal collateral lymphatic drainage pathway may be associated with severe lower limb lymphedema, particularly if involving the genitals.

The incidence of cystic lymphatic malformation (CL) in an extremity is very rare. CL can be a cause of lymphedema in a lower limb. The most effective treatment for CL is sclerotherapy or excision; however, these treatments have the potential to cause fibrosis and obliteration of ruptured lymphatic vessels, which impairs lymphatic drainage and increases the risk of lymphedema. Lymphaticovenular anastomosis (LVA) combined with sclerotherapy may be a minimally invasive treatment option for CL in a lower limb. In this report, we describe a patient with CL complicated by lymphedema in a lower extremity, who we treated using LVA and ethanol sclerotherapy with satisfactory results. The patient was a 60-year-old man with a CL measuring 16 cm in diameter in the thigh region above the knee with lower limb lymphedema. The percentage of excess volume of the affected lower leg was 24.7%, preoperatively. Combined treatment using LVA with sclerotherapy was performed under general anesthesia. At 2 years after surgery, the reduction of excess volume of affected lower leg between preoperative and postoperative was 85.4%. In our previous report, the same combination therapy was used to treat CL and prevent lymphedema; however, in the present case, it was used to treat CL and lymphedema at one stage. LVA combined with sclerotherapy is a complementary minimally invasive treatment for CL accompanied by lymphedema.

Lymphoceles result from either trauma to the lymphatic vessels or after vein graft harvest, which occurs in 10% to 16% of patients. When a lymphocele persists despite conservative treatment, patients can experience undue distress. We have reported the case of successful treatment using lymphatic venous anastomosis (LVA) of an intractable lymphocele that had been refractory to conservative treatment, including stretch bandaging, drainage, and local injection for 2 years after great saphenous vein harvest. The lymphocele resolved shortly after the LVA without any adverse effects. LVA can be a useful and minimally invasive alternative treatment of lymphocele after harvesting the great saphenous vein.

Summary:. Several treatment options, including sclerotherapy and surgical excision, are available for the management of cystic lymphangioma. Lymphaticovenular anastomosis (LVA) has recently garnered attention in the field of microsurgery as a minimally invasive surgical reconstruction strategy. Combined treatment using surgical excision and LVA for large or persistent cystic lymphatic malformations has been reported but can be very invasive. This case report describes use of a combination of LVA and sclerotherapy to treat cystic lymphatic malformations with satisfactory results. This combination could be a complementary minimally invasive treatment for extensive cystic lymphatic malformations. The patient was an 18-year-old woman with a cystic lymphangioma from the axilla to the subclavicular area beneath pectoralis major and pectoralis minor. The size was a diameter of 12 cm and a maximum depth of 8 cm. The cystic lymphangioma was managed by combined treatment of LVA and ethanol sclerotherapy. The patient had subsequent resolution of the lymphangioma without any symptoms of lymphedema or recurrence. LVA is thought to be a less invasive treatment option when the lymphatics flowing into a cyst are detectable or can be targeted. However, this is not always the case, especially if the cyst is large, persistent, or infected. Combination of LVA with sclerotherapy is a relatively less invasive method with closure of the dead space using sclerotherapy without further exacerbation or occurrence of lymphedema. Therefore, combined treatment using LVA with sclerotherapy can be a complementary minimally invasive treatment option for a large or persistent lymphocele.

We describe a dementia patient with comorbid recurrent cellulitis and lymphedema in the left lower limb who was treated successfully for recurrent cellulitis by lymphaticovenular anastomosis (LVA). The patient, an 83-year-old woman, suffered from recurrent cellulitis three times a year on average for 15 years. Compression therapy was impossible because of dementia. After LVA, there has been no recurrence of cellulitis for 2 years.It is difficult to administer decongestive lymphatic therapy in some patients, such as patients with dementia. LVA is a promising treatment for recurrent cellulitis in a dementia patient with lymphedema.

Summary:. Rheumatoid lymphedema is a rare but severely disabling condition caused by reduced lymphatic drainage. Most treatment methods are conservative and may lead to the exacerbation of lymphedema. Lymphatic venous anastomosis (LVA) is an effective treatment for lymphedema after surgery involving the lymphatic system, such as lymph node dissection for cancer treatment. LVA has not been used to treat rheumatoid lymphedema. We present a case of rheumatoid lymphedema treated with surgical procedures, including LVA. Following LVA, objective and subjective symptom relief was noted, along with decreased swelling and pain in the affected area. The postoperative course was uneventful. LVA for the treatment of rheumatoid lymphedema may provide definitive clinical improvements.

Here, we report a case of lung cancer with preoperatively predicted invasion to the parietal pleura on dynamic chest radiography (DCR). An 82-year-old patient was referred for staging of a right lung tumor. Preoperative DCR revealed invasion or adhesion of the tumor to the chest wall, and intraoperative findings revealed invasion of the tumor to the parietal pleura. DCR provides objective and quantifiable information, including diaphragmatic movement, pulmonary ventilation, and circulation, as well as tumor invasion or adhesion and is less invasive compared to 3-dimensional chest computed tomography or cine magnetic resonance imaging. This study was our initial attempt at performing a quantitative assessment using DCR.

When reconstructing a congenital floating thumb, we describe two children in whom preservation of all five digits is achieved through successful transfer of a thoracodorsal artery perforator (TAP) flap and vascularized scapula. Key words: Chimera flap, congenital anomaly, floating thumb, hand, thumb

Background:. Although patients with obesity-induced lymphedema can be treated by weight loss therapy, they find it difficult to lose the required amount of weight. The aims of this study were to clarify the characteristics of the lymphatic vessels in patients with obesity-induced lymphedema and to determine the feasibility and efficacy of lymphovenous anastomosis (LVA) in these patients. Methods:. Twenty-two patients (44 edematous lower limbs) with a body mass index (BMI) >35 kg/m2 (obese group) and 91 patients with lymphedema (141 edematous lower limbs) and BMI