IntroductionMalignant pleural effusion (MPE) is common in patients with advanced cancer and primary tumors are mainly lung cancer, breast cancer, lymphoma, ovarian cancer and gastric cancer. These malignancies account for 80% of all MPE [1][2][3][4][5] and unknown origin MPE is about 10%. 6,7) MPE are usually related to disseminate disease and median survival is from 3 to 12 months depending on cell type.

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This report describes a 35-year-old woman with unruptured aneurysm of the left sinus of Valsalva presenting as non-ST elevation myocardial infarction due to the compression of the left coronary artery by aneurysm. Cardiac multislice CT and angiogram revealed a large aneurysm of the left sinus of Valsalva compressing the left main coronary artery. Surgical repair was performed by closing the entrance of the aneurysm and aortic valve replacement. Postoperative coronary flow was restored and thus anginal symptom disappeared.

The use of bronchoscopy is central to the diagnosis of lung cancer. However, the sensitivity of bronchoscopy is low. In addition, bronchial washing cytology, which is a routine adjunctive test, does not significantly improve the performance of bronchoscopy owing to its low sensitivity. To enhance the diagnostic performance of bronchoscopy, the protocadherin GA12 () methylation biomarker in bronchial washings was introduced as a novel adjunctive diagnostic test. A total of 98 patients who underwent bronchoscopy owing to suspicion of lung cancer were analyzed. Cytological examination and methylation biomarker testing of the bronchial washing fluid were performed. The performance of the tests was analyzed. The final diagnosis in 60 patients was lung cancer and in 38 patients was benign disease. The methylation biomarker had a sensitivity of 75.0%, a specificity of 78.9% and a positive predictive value (PPV) of 84.9%, whereas cytological assessment had a sensitivity of 45.0%, a specificity of 92.1% and a PPV of 90%. Patients with positive methylation test had an odds ratio for lung cancer of 11.25 (confidence interval, 4.25-29.8) compared with negative subjects. The combination of the two tests exhibited an increased sensitivity (83.3%), a specificity of 71.1% and a PPV of 82.0%. Furthermore, considering the non-diagnostic bronchoscopy group alone, the test demonstrated a sensitivity of 61.9% and a specificity of 78.9%. The results of the present study demonstrated that methylation, as a lung cancer biomarker in bronchial washings, may be a used as an adjunctive test to bronchoscopy.

BackgroundVenoveno bypass (VVB) has been used to achieve hemodynamic stability and decrease the incidence of renal dysfunction. However, VVB has many complications. The purpose of this study is to verify the safety of total clamping of the suprahepatic inferior vena cava (IVC) without VVB during orthotropic liver transplantation (OLT) in terms of anesthetic management.MethodsTwenty-five patients without preoperative renal dysfunction who underwent primary OLT were enrolled in this study. Hemodynamic data and blood gas measurements were collected 1 hour after incision, 30 minutes after IVC total clamping and 30 minutes after reperfusion. Postoperative laboratory data, including blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine (Cr) and glomerular filtration rate (GFR), were assessed at postoperative day (POD) 0-7, 30, 90, 180 and 1 year.ResultsMean blood pressure was well maintained during IVC total clamping with infusion of inotropics. There was no case of severe acidosis (pH < 7.2) during the anhepatic period. The immediate postoperative Cr and GFR were not significantly different from those of the preoperative values. BUN increased from POD 1 and decreased after POD 6, while Cr increased at POD 90 only.ConclusionsIn patients without preoperative renal dysfunction, when IVC was totally clamped, VVB does not need to be routinely performed to maintain hemodynamics during the anhepatic phase and renal function after OLT.

Background and ObjectivesWe identified the impact of extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) followed by therapeutic hypothermia on survival and neurologic outcome in patients with prolonged refractory in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA).MethodsWe enrolled 16 adult patients who underwent ECPR followed by therapeutic hypothermia between July 2011 and December 2015, for IHCA. Survival at discharge and cerebral performance category (CPC) scale were evaluated.ResultsAll patients received bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR); the mean CPR time was 66.5±29.9 minutes, and the minimum value was 39 minutes. Eight patients (50%) were discharged alive with favorable neurologic outcomes (CPC 1–2). The mean follow-up duration was 20.1±24.3 months, and most deaths occurred within 21 days after ECPR; thereafter, no deaths occurred within one year after the procedure.ConclusionECPR followed by therapeutic hypothermia could be considered in prolonged refractory IHCA if bystander-initiated conventional CPR is performed.

Limited video-assisted LSB using clip provided good results with minimal complications and low compensatory hidrosis, contrary to the prejudice toward it. Therefore, surgical treatment is recommended for plantar hyperhidrosis.

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