Hemangioma of the heart, presenting as a primary cardiac tumor is extremely rare; it accounts for approximately 2% of all primary resected heart tumors. In our patient, the tumor was located in the orifice of the right lower pulmonary vein. Few cases of cardiac hemangiomas have been reported to arise from the left atrial (LA) wall. Left atrial hemangiomas, especially those attached to the LA wall, may be erroneously diagnosed as myxomas. Cardiac hemangioma is a rare disease; furthermore, a tumor arising from the LA wall and misconceived as a myxoma is extremely rare. We removed a mass misdiagnosed as a myxoma; it was pathologically confirmed to be a cardiac capillary hemangioma. Therefore, we report a rare case of a cardiac hemangioma misconceived as a myxoma; the tumor was removed successfully.

BackgroundThe surgically created arteriovenous fistula has recently been recommended as the best available angioaccess for hemodialysis. Therefore, in this study, we carried out a clinical analysis on surgical procedures in the ligation and division of a distal vein to achieve similar effects as those of vein end-to-arterial side after side-to-side anastomosis.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed the clinical data of 113 patients who came for an outpatient clinic follow-up to the department of internal medicine of our hospital; these patients were among the 125 patients who underwent radiocephalic arteriovenous fistula (side-to-side anastomosis with distal vein ligation and division) in our hospital in the period from January 2006 to December 2010.ResultsThe patency rate showed no statistical significance with respect to sex (p=0.775), age (p=0.775), hypertension (p=0.262), diabetes (p=0.929), and cardio-neurovascular disease (p=0.717). Patency rates were 96% for the first month, 93% for the first year, and 90% for the second year for the radiocephalic arteriovenous fistula (side-to-side anastomosis with distal vein ligation and division) performed on the wrist.ConclusionThe patency rates revealed favorable results and few postoperative complications as compared to those of previous reports. Therefore, radiocephalic fistula using side-to-side anastomosis with distal cephalic vein ligation is considered a recommendable surgical procedure in the distal part for the hemodialysis of CRF patients.

Synovial sarcoma is a malignant soft tissue tumor that most commonly occurs in the extremities of young and middle-aged adults, in the vicinity of large joints. Although synovial sarcoma is frequently associated with joints, it may arise in unexpected sites, such as the mediastinum, heart, lung, pleura, or chest wall. Primary synovial sarcoma of the pleura is rare. To date, nearly 36 cases of primary synovial sarcoma of the pleura have been reported since Gaertner et al. published the first case in 1996. The oncologic characteristics, treatment, and prognosis for pleural synovial sarcomas are not well defined because of a paucity of data. However, a multimodal approach, including surgical resection, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, has generally been suggested. We report the outcome of one patient with primary pleural synovial sarcoma treated with radical resection and adjuvant treatment.

Esophagomediastinal fistula secondary to mediastinal tuberculosis (TB) lymphadenitis is a rare and unusual complication. A 32-year-old woman visited our clinic because of chest pain. Computed tomography (CT) demonstrated an esophagomediastinal fistula with subcarinal lymphadenopathy and no remarkable parenchymal lung lesions. The esophagomediastinal fistula was confirmed by esophagoscopy; however, the patient's bronchoscopy findings were unremarkable. The endobronchial ultrasound-guided lymph node aspiration did not confirm a diagnosis of TB. Finally, the patient was diagnosed via a lymph node biopsy. A drugsensitivity test revealed the presence of a multidrug-resistant pathogen. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of esophagomediastinal fistula secondary to multidrug-resistant (MDR-) TB mediastinal lymphadenitis.

BackgroundTreatment for patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in premature infants can consist of medical or surgical approaches. The appropriate therapeutic regimen remains contentious. This study evaluated the role of surgery in improving the survival of premature neonates weighing less than 1,500 g with PDA.Materials and MethodsFrom January 2008 to June 2011, 68 patients weighing less than 1,500 g with PDA were enrolled. The patients were divided into three groups: a group managed only by medical treatment (group I), a group requiring surgery after medical treatment (group II), and a group requiring primary surgical treatment (group III).ResultsThe rate of conversion to surgical methods due to failed medical treatment was 67.6% (25/37) in the patients with large PDA (≥2 mm in diameter). The number of patients who could be managed with medical treatment was nine which was only 20.5% (9/44) of the patients with large PDA. There was no surgery-related mortality. Group III displayed a statistically significantly low rate of development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) (p=0.008). The mechanical ventilation time was significantly longer in group II (p=0.002).ConclusionMedical treatment has a high failure rate in infants weighing less than 1,500 g with PDA exceeding 2.0 mm. Surgical closure following medical treatment requires a longer mechanical ventilation time and increases the incidence of BPD. Primary surgical closure of PDA exceeding 2.0 mm in the infants weighing less than 1,500 g should be considered to reduce mortality and long-term morbidity events including BPD.

True aneurysm of the brachial artery is a rare disease entity. The mechanism of aneurysm formation is considered to be compression of the arterial wall, producing contusion of the media and subsequent weakness of the wall and fusiform dilatation. It can be caused by arteriosclerotic, congenital, and metabolic disorders, and can be associated with diseases such as Kawasaki's disease. Doppler ultrasonography, computed tomography, arteriography, and selective upper extremity angiography may be performed for establishing the diagnosis of aneurysm. The best therapeutic option is operative repair, and it should be performed without any delay, in order to prevent upper extremity ischemic or thrombotic sequelae. Here, we report a case of recurrent brachial artery aneurysm with review of the literature.

Atypical adenomatous hyperplasia is a premalignant lesion reflecting a focal proliferation of atypical cells. These lesions are usually observed as incidental findings in lungs that have been resected due to other conditions, such as lung cancer. We report the youngest case of atypical adenomatous hyperplasia on record in a 12-year-old girl. In this patient, the lesion was found in association with pneumothorax.

Background: Congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation of the lung (CCAM) is a rare congenital developmental anomaly of the lower respiratory tract. Most cases are diagnosed within the first 2 years of life, so adult presentation of CCAM is rare. We describe here six adult cases of CCAM and the patients underwent surgical resection, and all these patients were seen during a five and a half year period. The purpose of this study was to analyze the clinical, radiological and histological characteristics of adult patients with CCAM. Methods: Through medical records analysis, we retrospectively reviewed the clinical characteristics, the chest pictures (X-ray and CT) and the histological characteristics. Results: Four patients were women and the mean age at diagnosis was 23.5 years (range: 18∼39 years). The major clinical presentations were lower respiratory tract infection, hemoptysis and pneumothorax. According to the chest CT scan, 5 patients had multiseptated cystic lesions with air fluid levels and one patient had multiple cavitary lesions with air fluid levels, and these lesions were surrounded by poorly defined opacities at the right upper lobe. All the patients were treated with surgical resection. 5 patients underwent open lobectomy and one patient underwent VATS lobectomy. On the pathological examination, 3 were found to be CCAM type I and 3 patients were CCAM type II, according to Stocker's classification. There was no associated malignancy on the histological studies of the surgical specimens. Conclusion: As CCAM can cause various respiratory complications and malignant changes, and the risks associated with surgery are extremely low, those patients who are suspected of having or who are diagnosed with CCAM should go through surgical treatment for making the correct diagnosis and administering appropriate treatment. (Tuberc Respir Dis 2008;65:110-115)