Spontaneous pneumothorax is defined as the rupture of bleb or emphysematous bullae that develop just beneath the pulmonary pleura. Weather changes may influence the incidence of spontaneous pneumothorax. The aim of this study was to examine the influence of rainfall, temperature and atmospheric pressure changes on the onset of spontaneous pneumothorax. The study involved 669 spontaneous pneumothorax admissions to three reference hospitals in Ankara, Turkey between 1996 and 2006 (612 males and 57 females with the mean age of 34.0 +/- 15.5 years). The meteorological data were obtained from Turkish State Meteorological Services for temperature, atmospheric pressure, and rainfall. The correlation between these values and spontaneous pneumothorax clusters, which was defined as the admission of at least two patients with pneumothorax within three days of each other, was evaluated. Among 669 episodes of spontaneous pneumothorax, 472 (70.5%) occurred in 188 clusters. When compared to days without spontaneous pneumothorax, the amount of average rainfall on the day of admission with spontaneous pneumothorax, one day before and two days before the admission was significantly high. Similarly, the atmospheric pressure on one day and two days before the admission of spontaneous pneumothorax patients was significantly low. In addition, maximum temperature level was significantly lower on admission day of spontaneous pneumothorax patients compared to those on the days without spontaneous pneumothorax. This largest series of the literature shows that spontaneous pneumothorax occurs in clusters and suggests that rainfall, temperature and falls in atmospheric pressure might play a role in the pathophysiology of spontaneous pneumothorax.

No abstract

Intrathoracic ectopic goiters are rare. To our knowledge, only two reports of thyroid tissue on the aorta have been reported in the English literature. A 42-year-old woman was found to have a right paracardiac mass. Sternotomy revealed a firm and encapsulated tumor attached to the anterolateral surface of the ascending aorta and a defect in the right superior part of the pericardium. The mass was completely excised and histopathologic examination confirmed a multinodular goiter. We discuss the features of this rare tumor.

No abstract

Management of prolonged air leak with autologous blood patch pleurodesis is a safe, easy and effective method. To our knowledge, this is the first report in the literature on the use of this method after hydatid cyst surgery.

Bu çalışmada, plevral hastalıkların tanısında uyanık ve entübasyonlu video-yardımlı torakoskopik cerrahinin güvenliği ve tanısal doğruluğu karşılaştırıldı.Ça lış mapla nı:Bu prospektif randomize çalışma Ekim 2016 ve Nisan 2018 tarihleri arasında yapıldı ve çalışmaya video-yardımlı torakoskopik cerrahide deneyimli beş tıbbi merkezden 293 hasta (201 erkek, 92 kadın; ort. yaş 53.59 yıl; dağılım, 18-90 yıl) dahil edildi. Hastalar sedoanaljezi ile uyanık video-yardımlı torakoskopik cerrahi (entübasyonsuz) ve genel anestezi ile video-yardımlı torakoskopik cerrahi (entübasyonlu) olarak iki gruba randomize edildi. Tanısı konulmamış plevral efüzyonları ve nodüller, kitleler gibi plevral patolojileri olan hastalar dahil edildi. Ağrı, ajitasyon ve hipoksi gibi durumlar entübasyon için endikasyon idi. Gruplar demografik veriler, ameliyat sonrası ağrı, ameliyat süresi, komplikasyonlar, işlemlerin tanısal doğruluğu ve maliyet açısından karşılaştırıldı. Tüm hastalar nonspesifik, malignite şüpheli veya yetersiz örnekler için en az 12 aylık takip süresini tamamladı. Bul gu lar:Uyanık video-yardımlı torakoskopik cerrahi 145, entübasyonlu video-yardımlı torakoskopik cerrahi 148 hastada uygulandı. Hastaların %83'ünde (243/293) plevral hastalık tek taraflı iken %17'sinde (50/293) iki taraflı idi. Gruplar arasında komorbidite varlığı açısından farklılık yoktu (p= 0.149). Uyanık video-yardımlı torakoskopik cerrahi grubunda bir hasta (0.6%) dirençli ağrı ve ajitasyon nedeniyle genel anesteziye geçirildi. Ameliyat sonrası komplikasyonlar olarak uyanık video-yardımlı torakoskopik cerrahi grubunda bir hastada sıvı drenajı ve pnömoni gözlemlendi (0.6%) ve video-yardımlı torakoskopik cerrahi grubunda bir hastada sıvı drenajı saptandı (0.6%). Ameliyat sonrası 4, 8, 12. veya 24. saatte görsel analog ölçeği ile ölçülen ağrı yoğunluğunda farklılık yoktu (p>0.05). Ameliyat sonrası patolojik tanıların dağılımı ve oranları da benzerdi (p= 0.171). Hem ameliyat maliyeti hem de toplam hastane maliyeti uyanık video-yardımlı torakoskopik cerrahi grubunda daha düşük idi (p<0.001, p= 0.001). So nuç:Çalışmamız uyanık video-yardımlı torakoskopik cerrahinin güvenli, genel anestezi altında uygulanan video-yardımlı torakoskopik cerrahiye kıyasla benzeri güvenilirliği ve tanısal doğruluğu ve daha düşük maliyetli olduğunu gösterdi. Uyanık video-yardımlı torakoskopik cerrahi sadece komorbiditesi olan hastalarda değil, tüm hastalarda tercih edilen ilk yöntem olabilir.Anah tarsöz cük ler: Uyanık, lokal anestezi, plevral efüzyon, torakoskopi, video yardımlı torakoskopik cerrahi.

BackgroundChemical pleurodesis is widely recommended in the treatment of refractory pleural effusion or pulmonary air leak of different etiologies. Although several agents have been used, many questions have remained unanswered about their toxicity. Talc is the most commonly used agent for the treatment, with rare, serious complications reported. Oxytetracycline pleurodesis in clinical practice has been described in a few studies, but literature reveals no experimental studies using this agent. We performed a prospective, randomized, observer-blinded, controlled study to evaluate the changes in lung histology and systemic response to pleurodesis with oxytetracycline and talc in acute and subacute phases in a rat model.MethodsForty-two male albino Wistar rats were divided into three groups and 3 subgroups with 7 animals in each. Group 1 was given oxytetracycline, 35 mg/kg; Group 2 was given talc slurry, 60 mg/kg in 0.5 mL saline solution, and Group 3 was given only 0.5 mL saline intrapleurally. In subgroups "a" the nimls were sacrificed at the postoperative 72nd hour and, in subgroups "b", on the postoperative day 7. The surfaces were graded by microscopic examination.ResultsOxytetracycline produced alveolar collapse, hemorrhage, edema, inflammation at the postoperative 72nd hour and hemorrhage on the postoperative day 7, while talc produced significant edema, inflammation, proliferation, fibrosis at the postoperative 72nd hour and hemorrhage, edema, inflammation, proliferation, and fibrosis on the postoperative day 7 (p < 0,0042). Talc produced significant edema compared to oxytetracycline on the postoperative day 7. On contralateral side, oxytetracycline and talc produced significant hemorrhage on the postoperative day 7 (p < 0.0042).ConclusionsBoth agents were shown to produce pulmonary lesions. In acute phase, the pulmonary side effects of oxytetracycline were more pronounced, whereas the side effects of talc were prolonged to subacute phase. We propose that the occasional side effects in humans may be related to these changes as were observed in our rat model, and like talc, oxytetracycline must be used cautiously in patients with limited respiratory function.

Warfarin sodium is a commonly used oral anticoagulant agent. It has been well documented that, when effective anticoagulant therapy is employed in treating thromboembolic disease, hemorrhage is a possible complication that can be spontaneous without a history of trauma. The numerous sites of bleeding are the genitourinary and gastrointestinal tracts, the central nervous system, the nose (epistaxis), the penis (priapism), the retroperitoneum, wounds (surgical or traumatic), and subcutaneous tissues during warfarin therapy, but the hemorrhage rarely causes bleeding compromising a patient's airway. We report a case of a spontaneous lingual hematoma that developed during oral anticoagulation therapy. This life-threatening complication of warfarin therapy and its successful management without surgery indicates that observation, close monitoring and reversal of anticoagulation can be a reasonable management option.