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Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 disease 2019 (COVID-19) has rapidly spread worldwide since December 2019. An acute respiratory distress syndrome develops in a relevant rate of patients, who require hospitalization. Among them, a nonnegligible rate of 9.8% to 15.2% of patients requires tracheal intubation for invasive ventilation. We report the case of a pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema developing in a COVID-19 patient secondary to postintubation tracheal injury. The management of COVID-19 patients can be challenging due to the risk of disease transmission to caregivers and epidemic spread. We performed a bedside tracheal injury surgical repair, after failure of conservative management, with resolution of pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema and improvement of the patient's conditions., (© 2020 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Published by Elsevier.)

Although cystic fibrosis (CF) patients exhibit signs of endothelial perturbation, the functions of the cystic fibrosis conductance regulator (CFTR) in vascular endothelial cells (EC) are poorly defined. We sought to uncover biological activities of endothelial CFTR, relevant for vascular homeostasis and inflammation. We examined cells from human umbilical cords (HUVEC) and pulmonary artery isolated from non-cystic fibrosis (PAEC) and CF human lungs (CF-PAEC), under static conditions or physiological shear. CFTR activity, clearly detected in HUVEC and PAEC, was markedly reduced in CF-PAEC. CFTR blockade increased endothelial permeability to macromolecules and reduced trans‑endothelial electrical resistance (TEER). Consistent with this, CF-PAEC displayed lower TEER compared to PAEC. Under shear, CFTR blockade reduced VE-cadherin and p120 catenin membrane expression and triggered the formation of paxillin- and vinculin-enriched membrane blebs that evolved in shrinking of the cell body and disruption of cell-cell contacts. These changes were accompanied by enhanced release of microvesicles, which displayed reduced capability to stimulate proliferation in recipient EC. CFTR blockade also suppressed insulin-induced NO generation by EC, likely by inhibiting eNOS and AKT phosphorylation, whereas it enhanced IL-8 release. Remarkably, phosphodiesterase inhibitors in combination with a β 2 adrenergic receptor agonist corrected functional and morphological changes triggered by CFTR dysfunction in EC. Our results uncover regulatory functions of CFTR in EC, suggesting a physiological role of CFTR in the maintenance EC homeostasis and its involvement in pathogenetic aspects of CF. Moreover, our findings open avenues for novel pharmacology to control endothelial dysfunction and its consequences in CF., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Insertion, management, and withdrawal of chest tubes is part of the routine activity of thoracic surgeons. The selection of the chest tube and the strategy for each of these steps is usually built on knowledge, practice, experience, and judgment. The indication to insert a chest tube into the pleural cavity is the presence of air or fluid within it. Various types and sizes of chest tubes are now commercially available., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: In this study, we evaluated if surgical treatment and iterative operations could confer a survival advantage for patients with recurrent or repeated recurrences of thymoma., Methods: Between 1984 and 2014, 53 of 515 (10%) patients had recurrences after complete thymoma resection. Demographics, stage, treatment, and pathologic findings were statistically analyzed to identify survival prognostic factors., Results: Thirty-eight of 53 (72%) patients underwent resection of recurrent thymoma; 32 (84%) underwent complete resection. Fifteen (28%) patients did not undergo resection; 3 (20%) received chemotherapy alone, 10 (67%) received chemoradiotherapy, and 2 (13%) received supportive care. At univariate analysis, World Health Organization (WHO) AB + B1 histologic types (p < 0.0001), R0 resection (p < 0.0001), myasthenia gravis (MG) (p = 0.02), and adjuvant therapy after recurrence (p = 0.03) were significant prognostic factors. At multivariate analysis, complete resection (p = 0.0003) was the only significant prognostic factor. Among patients with repeated resections, those undergoing complete resection had better survival than did those undergoing incomplete resection or no operative procedure (p = 0.02). Seven patients are alive and free of disease, with a median survival of 115 months (70-161 months) and 149 months (61-201 months) from the first recurrence and from thymoma resection, respectively., Conclusions: Complete resection is a viable treatment option for selected patients with recurrent thymomas. In cases of technically resectable repeated recurrences, repeated operations should be considered., (Copyright © 2017 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Clinical benefits of bronchoscopic lung volume reduction with one-way endobronchial valves have been reported for heterogeneous emphysema after unilateral treatment. We assessed the potential role of contralateral treatment to prolong the benefits obtained with the first procedure., Methods: This was a retrospective multicenter study including consecutive patients with heterogeneous emphysema undergoing bronchoscopic valves deployment during the last 4 years. Patients were split into two groups depending on the procedure (unilateral versus bilateral). The intergroup differences were evaluated to assess the viability, effectiveness, and safety of the bilateral procedure., Results: Forty-nine patients were enrolled. Of these, 14 (28%) had a sequential bilateral procedure mainly due to loss of the clinical benefits obtained with the first treatment. A significant improvement of forced expiratory volume in 1 second (p < 0.05), forced vital capacity (p < 0.05), residual volume (p < 0.05), 6-minute walking test (p < 0.05), and St. George respiratory questionnaire (p < 0.02) was achieved after the second procedure. These results were maintained during follow-up. There was no significant difference regarding the changes of forced expiratory volume in 1 second (p = 0.4), forced vital capacity (p = 0.08), residual volume (p = 0.9), 6-minute walking test (p = 0.3), and St. George respiratory questionnaire (p = 0.1) between the bilateral and unilateral groups., Conclusions: A sequential bilateral approach seems to be a valid strategy to improve respiratory function in patients with bilateral heterogeneous emphysema who have lost the benefits obtained with the first procedure., (Copyright © 2016 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Carcinoid tumors are rare lung neoplasms. They may arise centrally or peripherally. For central lesions, bronchoplastic procedures, particularly sleeve resections, are safe and should be the reference for treatment when anatomically and oncologically indicated, independently from pulmonary function., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Circulating free DNA (cfDNA) is present in higher concentration in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients than in controls. This study was designed to assess the sensitivity and specificity of Agilent 2100 Bioanalyzer to identify patients with NSCLC and to compare it with quantitative RealTime-PCR (RT-qPCR) assay. 30 NSCLC patients and 26 controls were analyzed. The amount of cfDNA was determined both through quantitative RT-PCR targeting the human β-actin gene and by Agilent 2100 Bioanalyzer. Performances of the assays were calculated by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. The mean cfDNA concentration, obtained through the use of Agilent 2100 Bioanalyzer, in NSCLC patients (94.5 ng/mL) was almost twice the concentration detected in controls (42.8 ng/mL) as well as found by RT-qPCR (22.5 ng/mL vs 7.1 ng/mL, p<0.001). The area under curve of Agilent 2100 Bioanalyzer and RT-PCR showed that there are no statistically significant differences between these tests (p<0.92). This study shows that Agilent 2100 Bioanalyzer is an effective diagnostic tool to discriminate NSCLC patients from healthy individuals and suggests a new approach for early detection of NSCLC., (© 2013.)

Background: We compared morbidity, mortality, and oncological results of bronchial and/or vascular sleeve lobectomy (SL) with those of pneumonectomy (PN) after induction therapy for lung cancer., Methods: Between 1998 and 2011, 82 patients receiving induction therapy (chemo or chemo-radiotherapy) for non-small-cell-lung-cancer underwent sleeve lobectomy (n = 39) or pneumonectomy (n= 43). Only patients undergoing preoperative chemotherapy (39 in the SL group and 39 in the PN group) were included in the study. SL was bronchial in 21, vascular in 12, and broncho-vascular in six cases, respectively. Clinical stage before induction therapy was IIb in seven patients (1 in PN group; 6 in SL group), IIIa in 66 (36 in PN group; 30 in SL group), and IIIb in five patients (2 in PN group; 3 in SL group), respectively. N3 patients were not included in this series., Results: The rate of downstaged patients (pathological complete response and stage I-II) was 79.5% in the SL group and 53.8% in the PN group (p = 0.01).Postpneumonectomy mortality rate was 2.6 %. There was no postoperative mortality after SL. Complications occurred in 12 patients (30.8%) after PN and in 11 patients (28.2%) after SL (p = 0.6). Three-year and 5-year survival rates were 68 ± 3% and 64 ± 8% in the SL group; and 59.5 ± 5% and 34.5 ± 8% in the PN group (p = 0.02). The difference in terms of recurrence rate (locoregional and distant) between the two groups was not significant (p = 0.2)., Conclusions: SL represents a valid therapeutic option even after induction chemotherapy, providing better long-term survival than PN, with no increase of postoperative complications or recurrence rate. Pathological downstaging is a favorable prognostic factor.

Bronchial dilation is usually required to treat a number of disorders; the most frequent are complications after airway surgery, including lung transplantation, stenosis after radiotherapy, and compression by an extraluminal mass. The procedure is performed by forcing the tip of a rigid bronchoscope through the stenosis using barrels of increasing size; however, when there is a clear discrepancy between the caliber of the rigid instrument and the stenosis, the first step may be difficult. In such cases, we have successfully employed two types of old-fashioned esophageal dilators rescued from the armamentarium of our endoscopy unit.

Background: We evaluated the feasibility and short-term functional outcome after bronchoscopic lung-volume reduction performed with one-way valves in patients with severe heterogeneous emphysema., Methods: Thirteen patients entered this pilot study. Endobronchial one-way valves were placed in the segmental bronchi supplying the most hyperinflated parts of the emphysematous lungs to allow lung deflation, reduce lung volume, and alleviate symptoms. The valves and delivery catheter were inserted under intravenous anesthesia and spontaneous assisted ventilation, with visual control through a flexible bronchoscope. We performed unilateral bronchoscopic lung-volume reduction in 11 patients and staged bilateral procedures in 2. Preoperative median forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) was 0.75 L/s (22%), residual volume was 5.3 L (233%), total lung capacity, 7.9 L (123%); intrathoracic gas volume, 6.5 L (176%); and 6-minute walk test, 223 meters. All patients required supplemental oxygen at rest (1.4 L/min). The median preoperative Medical Research Council (MRC) scale dyspnea score was 4., Results: Six complications occurred in 3 patients: two bilateral and one contralateral pneumothorax, one pneumonia, and two episodes of bronchospasm. Functional results at 1 and 3 months showed a significant improvement in FEV1, residual volume, and 6-minute walk test; 43% of the patients were able to completely stop supplemental oxygen. The posttreatment MRC median dyspnea score at 1 and 3 months was 2. Bronchoscopic follow up at 1 and 3 months showed that the valves were correctly in place with no granulation., Conclusions: Bronchoscopic lung-volume reduction with one-way valves can be performed with acceptable short-term safety and worthwhile functional benefits.

Background: Surgery remains the cornerstone of therapy for thymic tumors, but the optimal treatment for advanced, infiltrative lesions is still controversial. The introduction of multimodality protocols has substantially modified survival and recurrence rate. We reviewed our 13-year prospective experience with multimodality treatment of stage III thymoma and thymic carcinoma., Methods: Since 1989 we have prospectively used a multimodality approach in 45 stage III thymic tumors. Sixteen patients (35%) had myasthenia gravis. Twenty-three patients (51%) had pure or predominantly cortical thymoma (group 1), 11 (24.5%) had well-differentiated thymic carcinoma (group 2), and 11 (24.5%) had thymic carcinoma (group 3). Tumors that were not considered radically resectable at preoperative workup underwent biopsy and induction chemotherapy (15 patients, 33%) followed by surgical resection; all patients were referred for adjuvant chemoradiotherapy., Results: No operative mortality was recorded; 1 treatment-related death during adjuvant chemotherapy was observed in group 1. Complete resection was feasible in 91% of patients in groups 1 and 2 and 82% in group 3. The overall 10-year survival was 78%. Ten-year survival for groups 1 and 2 was 90% and 85%, respectively; 8-year survival for group 3 was 56%. During follow-up, tumor recurrence was noted in 3 patients (13%) from group 1, 3 (27%) from group 2, and 3 (27%) from group 3., Conclusions: Multimodality treatment with induction chemotherapy (when required) and adjuvant chemoradiotherapy offers encouraging results for stage III thymic tumors; the outcome is more favorable for cortical thymoma and well-differentiated thymic carcinoma.

Background: Severely symptomatic arterial insufficiency of the hand and upper extremities requires adequate treatment. Medical therapy and local care are usually unsuccessful, and thoracic sympathectomy can represent an effective procedure to control pain, to help ulcer healing, and to prevent or delay amputation., Methods: We performed 20 thoracoscopic sympathectomies in 15 patients (13 men and 2 women) with upper extremity ischemia. Mean age was 47 years (range 21 to 72 years). All patients were thought to have organic blockage of digital arteries. The condition was unilateral in 10 patients and bilateral in 5. Primary diagnosis was digital arteriosclerosis in 8 patients, Buerger's disease in 4 patients and the remaining 3 were drug abusers with severe ischemia due to accidental intraarterial injection of drugs. Eleven patients (73%) presented with terminal digital necrosis, gangrene, or ulceration of the fingers associated with severe pain. Four patients complained of coldness, pain, and some degree of soft tissue infection without permanent loss of tissue., Results: We performed 10 unilateral and five bilateral staged (mean interval was 3 months) thoracoscopic sympathectomies. We had two minor complications and no mortality. Mean duration of postoperative chest drainage was 2.5 +/- 0.4 days and mean postoperative hospital stay was 5.3 +/- 0.5 days. Follow-up ranged from 3 to 71 months, with a mean of 33 months. All patients demonstrated clinical benefit after operation., Conclusions: Thoracoscopic sympathectomy in patients with severe ischemia of upper limb extremities permits optimal symptomatic control and maximum tissue salvage. Because the procedure is minimally invasive, safe, and associated with a low rate of complications, it should be considered earlier the natural course of this disease.