1/184. Pseudomesotheliomatous carcinoma involving pleura and peritoneum: A clinicopathologic and immunohistochemical study of three cases.Pseudomesotheliomatous carcinoma is a rare variant of peripheral adenocarcinoma of the lung that can manifest clinical, radiologic, and pathologic features similar to malignant mesothelioma. We present three patients with pseudomesotheliomatous carcinoma of the lung. In one patient the carcinoma extended beyond the thorax and extensively involved the peritoneum, mesentery, omentum, and intestines. All patients experienced weight loss and chest pain. All were white men aged 63, 65, and 67 years. Two were smokers and had shortness of breath, cough, and pleural effusion. One had a history of asbestos exposure. No patient developed dyspnea or hemoptysis. One was successfully treated for prostatic carcinoma 18 months earlier. Radiographically, all tumors were pleura-based. Grossly, the tumors spread extensively over pleural (and in one case peritoneal) surfaces and mimicked malignant mesothelioma. Histologically, all tumors were poorly differentiated and necrotic; two tumors exhibited spindle-cell components and desmoplasia. Mucin production was detectable in none, 10%, and 50% of tumor cells. The percentages of tumor cells immunoreactive for Ber-EP4 were 70%, 100%, and 80%; for Leu MI 0%, 90%, and 50%; for epithelial membrane antigen 80%, 80%, and 100%; for B 72.3%, 0%, 90%, and 20%; for polyclonal carcinoembryonic antigen 0%, 10%, and 10%; and for monoclonal 5%, 0%, and 0%. Of these, Ber-EP4 and B 72.3 rendered the most reliable diagnostic results. The clinical, radiologic, and gross and routine histologic findings were similar to those of a malignant mesothelioma; the final diagnosis could be made based mainly on immunocytochemical results. We have reviewed the English and German literature regarding 65 such tumors and present our experience with three additional cases. We emphasize the application of immunocytochemical studies on pleura-based poorly or undifferentiated malignant tumors of unknown origin.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = chest (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/184. Subcutaneous seeding after ultrasound-guided placement of intrapleural catheter. An unusual complication of the intracavitary palliative treatment of pleural mesothelioma.Intrapleural catheters are useful in the palliative treatment of malignant effusions. Complications are infrequent and of little importance. We report a case of subcutaneous implantation metastasis along the course of intrapleural catheter, which had been placed under sonographic guidance in a patient with pleural mesothelioma. After drainage of the effusion, cisplatin plus cytarabine was administered via the chest tube, achieving complete remission of the pleural effusion. Subcutaneous metastasis became evident 3 months later and was the only sign of disease progression for 2 months. The seeding of cancer cells was probably caused by a small leakage of fluid around the chest tube that occurred during the placement procedure as a result of the increased intrapleural pressure caused by the large quantity of fluid that had accumulated in the pleural space.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2keywords = chest (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/184. Spinal epidural abscess complicating chronic epidural analgesia in 11 cancer patients: clinical findings and magnetic resonance imaging.We reviewed the records of all patients who had received an epidural catheter for management of chronic cancer pain in a 3-year period (1993-1996). patients with nervous system infections were identified, and pertinent clinical, radiological (magnetic resonance imaging), and bacteriological data were analyzed. We identified 11 patients who developed spinal epidural abscess (SEA). All of these had back pain; radicular signs occurred in seven patients and spinal cord compression in two patients. magnetic resonance imaging revealed SEA in all 11 patients. SEA was iso- to hypointense on T1-weighted images and hyperintense on T2-weighted images relative to spinal cord. After gadolinium administration seven lesions showed characteristic rim enhancement while three showed minimal enhancement. No signs of diskitis or osteomyelitis were present, and the abscess was always localized to the posterior epidural space. Cultures were positive in all cases and revealed staphylococcus epidermidis in eight and S. aureus in three. All patients were treated with intravenous antibiotics, and four had an additional decompressive laminectomy. Two patients died within 1 week of diagnosis from overwhelming septicemia despite apparently adequate antibiotic treatment. Within 4 weeks after diagnosis of SEA two patients died from widely metastatic disease, although infection may have contributed. One patient developed septicemia while receiving appropriate antibiotics and underwent emergency laminectomy. The neurological deficits recovered in all patients who survived the acute infectious episode. We conclude that patients with chronic epidural catheters for cancer pain require prompt neurological evaluation and magnetic resonance imaging when SEA is suspected. Early evaluation and treatment may lead to full recovery.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.22189635768076keywords = back pain, back (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/184. mesothelioma clinical presentation.OBJECTIVES: Clinical teaching of treatment for mesothelioma DESIGN: Case presentation SETTING: Postgraduate course. PATIENT: A 52-year-old man with chest pain INTERVENTIONS: Multimodality therapy consisted of surgery, intrapleural chemotherapy, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. RESULTS: Patient is alive and well 2 years after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Aggressive trimodality therapy for mesothelioma is presented as a successful treatment option.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = chest (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/184. diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma by fine needle aspiration of a cervical lymph node. A case report.BACKGROUND: Clinically documented distant metastases are rare in mesothelioma and tend to occur late in the course of the disease, well after the diagnosis has been made. In this instance, diagnosis was not made until a metastatic deposit was identified microscopically in the enlarged lymph node. CASE: A 65-year-old male with no definite history of occupational asbestos exposure presented with chest pain, pleural effusion and supraclavicular lymphadenopathy. Cytologic examination of material obtained by fine needle aspiration from his cervical lymph node revealed malignant mesothelioma. This was confirmed on histology. CONCLUSION: This was a particularly rare presentation and, as far as we are aware, was the first case in which mesothelioma was diagnosed by fine needle aspiration of a cervical lymph node. It serves to remind the pathologist that when confronted with a lymph node involved by tumor, the possibility of mesothelioma should be included in the differential diagnosis. The case also demonstrates the usefulness of fine needle aspiration in the diagnosis of metastatic tumor.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = chest (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/184. liposarcoma of the pleural cavity: clinical and pathologic features of 4 cases with a review of the literature.BACKGROUND: Primary liposarcomas of the pleura are extremely rare malignancies, and relatively few reports appear in the world literature. DESIGN: We compiled a small series of 4 cases of primary pleural liposarcoma from the files of the Armed Forces Institute of pathology (washington, DC) and compared the histopathologic and clinical features of these 4 cases with those of 9 previously published cases. RESULTS: Our investigation included the case studies of 9 men and 4 women, aged 19 to 80 years (average, 49 years). Histologic subtypes in the 9 cases with available information included 5 myxoid liposarcomas, 1 well-differentiated liposarcoma, and 3 liposarcomas with mixtures of histologic types. Surgical resection with or without chemotherapy appeared to be the most common form of treatment, although radiation therapy was used in some cases and seemed beneficial. survival information was available for 11 cases; 4 patients died of disease at 7, 9, 12, and 19 months; 1 died of heart failure 2 days after presentation; 1 died of unknown causes 16 months after presentation; and 3 patients were alive without tumor at 5, 16, and 66 months after diagnosis. One patient had local recurrence at 2 years. A second surgical resection in this patient failed, and he died of disease 9 years after initial presentation. A second patient experienced recurrence at 4 years and was free of disease 4 years after the second surgical resection. CONCLUSIONS: Primary pleural liposarcomas occur predominantly in older men, and the myxoid histologic subtype is the most common. Radiographic or surgical evaluation is important to distinguish primary pleural liposarcoma from chest wall or mediastinal sarcomas, as well as metastases from other sites. Although further investigation is needed, evidence from the cases reviewed here indicates that surgical resection with adjuvant radiation therapy may benefit patients with primary pleural liposarcoma.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = chest (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/184. hemangiopericytoma of the pleura causing massive hemothorax.hemangiopericytoma is an unusual soft tissue tumor. A 54-year-old man presented with sudden onset of chest pain and dyspnea for 1 day. The initial chest x-ray showed a massive left pleural effusion. A contrast-enhanced computed tomographic scan of the chest showed a homogenously enhanced mass in the intrathoracic extrapulmonary space. A tube thoracostomy was performed and hemothorax was confirmed. A posterolateral thoracotomy was performed and a tumor in the parietal pleura of the left chest wall was resected. Grossly, the resected tumor arose from the parietal pleura, and the cut surface was elastic, soft, and pale yellow. There were several cystic formations and hemorrhages. Based on histologic findings, hemangiopericytoma with lower grade malignancy was diagnosed. The patient was alive and free from tumor recurrence 1 year after surgery. Intrathoracic extrapulmonary hemangiopericytoma is extremely rare, and surgical excision is the treatment of choice. Adjuvant chemotherapy or radiotherapy is indicated because of the high risk of recurrence and potential malignancy.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 4keywords = chest (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/184. Malignant pleural mesothelioma presenting as spontaneous pneumothorax: a case series and review.BACKGROUND: Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is thought to arise from the mesothelial cells that line the pleural cavities. Most patients initially experience the insidious onset of chest pain or shortness of breath, and it rarely presents as spontaneous pneumothorax. case reports: We report four patients who presented in this manner. Three of the patients were exposed to asbestos directly or indirectly at shipyards during world war ii; the fourth was exposed as an insulator's wife. Two of our cases were not recognized to have MPM on histologic examination at first thoracotomy and remained asymptomatic for 12 and 22 months, respectively. In none of the patients described herein, was spontaneous pneumothorax the cause of death. CONCLUSIONS: Since many people were exposed to asbestos during and after world war ii, spontaneous pneumothorax in a patient with the possibility of such exposure should raise the suspicion of malignant pleural mesothelioma.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = chest (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/184. Malignant vascular tumours of the pleura in "asbestos" workers and endothelial differentiation in malignant mesothelioma.BACKGROUND: Three cases of diffuse malignant vascular tumours of the pleura are described which mimicked malignant mesothelioma clinically and pathologically (so called "pseudomesothelioma"). All had occupational histories of exposure to asbestos. The relationship of these tumours to mesothelioma and asbestos exposure is discussed. methods: To examine the histogenetic relationship between mesothelioma and these three tumours an immunohistochemical analysis of vascular marker (CD31, CD34, and von willebrand factor) expression was undertaken in 92 cases of pleural mesothelioma, in addition to these three tumours. Electron microscopic fibre analysis of lung tissue was performed on each of the three cases to assess asbestos fibre content. RESULTS: Diffuse pleural epithelioid haemangioendotheliomas may closely resemble malignant mesothelioma clinically and pathologically but, of the 92 pleural mesotheliomas tested, none showed expression of CD31, CD34, and von willebrand factor. Although all three cases had claimed exposure to asbestos, ferruginous bodies typical of asbestos were only seen by light microscopy in case 2, and only in this subject was the asbestos fibre content raised in comparison with the range seen in a non-exposed background population. The latent period in the pleural epithelioid haemangioendotheliomas ranged from 18 to 60 years. CONCLUSIONS: Endothelial differentiation does not appear to occur in mesothelioma and therefore should be clearly separated from it. No definite association between pleural epithelioid haemangioendothelioma and exposure to asbestos can be made from this small series but further investigation is warranted.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.012570234095182keywords = back (Clic here for more details about this article) |
10/184. Primary myxoid sarcoma of the pleura: 5 years follow-up.Primary sarcomas of the pleura are rare intrathoracic tumours. We describe a case of a recurring myxoid pleural sarcoma in a 51-year-old male patient with coronary heart disease, who initially was admitted for coronary revascularization surgery. Tumour diagnosis was based on pathological examination of a biopsy after radiological detection of a nodule in the right upper lobe. The nodule was excised. The first recurrence was diagnosed after 15 months. Pleuropneumonectomy was done. Four years after the first excision further tumour masses appeared above the diaphragm and were surgically removed and adjuvant irradiation carried out. A year later the patient is doing well.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.0062863798615462keywords = upper (Clic here for more details about this article) |
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