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INTRODUCTION: The feasibility and utility of a lung donor score that has been recently proposed was tested among a pool of lung donors referred to the Nord Italia Transplant program (NITp) organ procurement organization. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Each lung donor was assigned an Oto score including, age, smoking history, chest X-ray, secretions and ratio of arterial oxygen tension to inspired oxygen fraction (PaO(2)/FiO(2)). Based on clinical compromise, each variable received a score between 0 and 3, except for PaO(2)/FiO(2), which was scored between 0 and 6 given its overall relevance. RESULTS: Throughout 2010, 201 multiorgan donors were initially considered to be potential lung donors. Among these, 59 (29.4%) eventually yielded 67 lung transplantations (named "Used group"). Among the 142 (70.6%) refused lungs, 28 were not used due to logistic or medical problems ("general exclusion" group, GE) and 114, because of poor lung function ("lung exclusion" group, LE). Median lung donor scores were 1 (range, 0 to 3), 4 (range, 2.5 to 6.5), and 7 (range, 5 to 9) in the Used, GE, and LE groups, respectively (one-way analysis of variance, P < .001). Some donors with Oto scores ≤7 worsened over time so that the score had significantly increased by the time of organ retrieval. Overall, subjects who died after lung transplantation were characterized by higher lung donor scores, (2 [1-4] versus 0.5 [0-3], P = .003). CONCLUSION: Our analysis suggested that the use of a donor score as a dynamic tool over the donation process was of great utility to describe and analyze a pool of lung donors.

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Treatment of persistent air leaks due to pulmonary resection in pathological conditions of the lung involve a very large spectrum of available methods, from chest drainage and placement of Heimlich valves to surgical repair or pleural decortication. However, in some of these patients surgery may be contraindicated. This report describes an endobronchial approach to the control of marked and prolonged air leaks in four patients using a newly designed one-way airway valve (Pulmonx Corporation; Redwood City, Ca.USA) placed into the segmental bronchus that is the source of air leakage. As the device is a one-way inspiratory airway blocker, it can be used to control persistent air leaks while maintaining the drainage of mucus. This approach potentially provides an effective nonsurgical and minimally invasive alternative addition to the armamentarium of treatments for patients who suffer with persistent post-operative air leaks where other methods have failed or in frail patients who are categorised as a high surgical risk.

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In Italy, like everywhere in the world, the organ shortage for transplantation is a real problem. It is well known that lung donors (LD) are particularly difficult to procure and that management of the organ do not care during the diagnosis of cerebral death represents a difficult challenge. In this context, the salvage of the so-called "marginal donors" may increase the pool of donors, favoring organ retrieval. To increase lung procurement, the intensivist must recognize "marginal donors," optimizing organ selection and function. The aim of our study was to review LD procured in 2008, as identified by the unrestricted criteria, of the Nord Italian Transplant program Center (NITp). Particularly, the age and habits of donors and the presence of a parenchyma contusion were not sufficient per se to exclude donation. We revisited lung ventilation and monitoring modalities during cerebral death before retrieval. In 2008, the application of enlarged criteria for LD enabled us to collect 21 LD, namely 33% of all cerebral deaths, versus 13% in 2007. Seeking to maintain good gas exchange and lung function, we implemented a safe ventilation program avoided high peak pressures, and fluid therapy properly guided by the cardiac index and extravascular lung water index monitoring. Specific actions to improve LD procurement may help cope with the organ-donor shortage. Although our series was small, our results were encouraging; they underline the necessity to continuously review donor criteria and care, allowing good donor/recipient matching.

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BACKGROUND: Intra-operative PTH testing in the operating theatre has proven to be an accurate way to verify the removal of all pathological parathyroid tissue in primary hyperparathyroidism. Its limitation is the high cost. An alternative, more cost-effective procedure is proposed: intra-operative PTH dosage at the Central Laboratory. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifty-four patients underwent parathyroidectomy with intraoperative dosage of PTH at the Central Laboratory. Three blood samples were taken from each patient: just after the induction of anesthesia, 5 and 10 min after parathyroidectomy. The samples were sent to the Central Laboratory and analysed simultaneously. The results were phoned back to the theatre. The procedure was considered effective when PTH drop was >/=50% from basal value, 10 min after parathyroidectomy. RESULTS: 98.1% of patients proved recovered (average follow- up 31.1 months). The procedure had 3 false negatives, 1 false positive, with sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of 94.0%, 75.0%, 92.6%, 97.9%, and 50.0%, respectively. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The main disadvantage of the presented procedure is the long waiting time. Nevertheless this time is the same as that required for results from intra-operative histological examination, the only alternative to determine surgery effectiveness in centres where portable instrumentation for intra-operative PTH dosage in the operating theatre is not available. The advantage of intra-operative PTH at the Central Laboratory is the very low cost. If results in terms of sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and cost are taken into consideration, intra-operative dosage of PTH at the Central Laboratory may be deemed a viable alternative to the operating theatre.

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Fibrous histiocytomas are uncommon tracheal tumors. They generally involve only the lung parenchyma; endobronchial involvement is extremely rare. At present, surgical resection is considered the therapy of choice for definitive diagnosis and cure. Endoscopical treatment is uncommon in pediatric patients because of the technical endoscopical difficulties and the high recurrence rate of treatment by endoscopy alone. We report the first case of fibrous histiocytoma in an infant successfully treated by endoscopy and yttrium alluminum garnet (YAG)-laser.

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Antifungal therapy may be unable to eradicate invasive mycosis in leukemia patients. The presence of persisting pulmonary nodules owing to mycosis seems to increase the risk of fungal relapse after chemotherapy and transplant procedures. Between 1997 and 2004, 10 acute leukemia patients underwent pulmonary surgery for invasive mycosis. The median time from diagnosis of mycosis to surgery was 135 days (range 21-147). Three patients underwent emergency surgery, owing to hemoptysis. In the other seven patients with nodule/cavitation remaining after antifungal treatment, surgery (three wedge resections, four lobectomies) was scheduled before transplant. Pathologic examination confirmed two aspergillosis and three zygomycosis. The only side effect was pneumothorax in one case. Nine patients were considered cured. Six patients underwent bone marrow transplantation (three allogeneic, three autologous) with antifungal prophylaxis without relapse during the transplant procedure. In selected patients scheduled for bone marrow transplantation, surgical resection of localized pulmonary fungus nodules combined with antifungal prophylaxis seem to be an effective treatment for preventing mycotic relapse.

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The differential diagnosis and the identification of the source of ACTH in occult ectopic Cushing's syndrome due to a bronchial carcinoid still represents a challenge for the endocrinologist. We report our experience in six patients with occult bronchial carcinoid in whom extensive hormonal, imaging, and scintigraphic evaluation was performed. All patients presented with hypercortisolism associated with high plasma ACTH values. The CRH test and high dose dexamethasone suppression test suggested an ectopic source of ACTH in three of six patients. During bilateral inferior petrosal sinus sampling, none of the patients showed a central to peripheral ACTH gradient. At the time of diagnosis, none of the patients had radiological evidence of the ectopic source of ACTH, whereas pentetreotide scintigraphy identified the lesion in two of four patients. Finally, a chest computed tomography scan revealed the presence of a bronchial lesion in all patients, and pentetreotide scintigraphy identified four of six lesions. In all patients a bronchial carcinoid was found and removed. In one patient with scintigraphic evidence of residual disease after two operations, radioguided surgery, using a hand-held gamma probe after iv administration of radiolabeled pentetreotide, was performed; this allowed detection and removal of residual multiple mediastinal lymph node metastases. In conclusion, our data show that there is not a single endocrine test or imaging procedure accurate enough to diagnose and localize occult ectopic ACTH-secreting bronchial carcinoids. Radioguided surgery appears to be promising in the presence of multiple tumor foci and previous incomplete removal of the tumor.

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Bronchial dehiscence in lung transplantation is still a significant and threatening cause of morbidity, even if several progresses have been made in this field. In the present report we discuss a case of incomplete dehiscence of the right bronchial anastomosis in a patient who underwent sequential double lung transplantation for bronchiectasis. This complication has been successfully treated with endobronchial stent positioning, with the aim to allow the healing of the anastomosis around a rigid endobronchial support and to prevent the airway stenosis. The usefulness of 3D spiral CT reconstruction of bronchial tree is also underlined, for its capacity to detect the dehiscence and to monitor the healing of this complication.

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The aims of this report were: 1) to compare the strategy of bioptic approach in Italy during the last 4 yrs with a previous period; and 2) to compare efficacy and safety of video-assisted thorascopic lung biopsy (VTLB) versus OLB. We retrospectively evaluated: 1) the strategy of the bioptic approach in the Milan Sarcoid Clinic in the years 1992-1995 (201 patients) versus 1988-1991 (197 patients); and 2) data from 65 VTLB procedures in the years 1992-1995 versus 68 OLB procedures in the years 1988-1991 performed in patients with diffuse lung disease. It was found that the use of OLB (17-9%), mediastinoscopy (15-5%), and scalene node biopsy (20-7%) decreased, whereas transbronchial biopsy (TBB) increased (11-17%). VTLB biopsy is now performed in 17% of patients. VTLB compares favourably with OLB as there is less need for analgesia (7.5+/-7.5 versus 17.5+/-8.0 methadone mg i.m.: p<0.001), lower blood loss (61+/-58 versus 156+/-84 mL in the first postoperative day: p<0.001), and shorter postoperative stay (4.7+/-1.6 versus 5.7+/-1.4 days: p<0.001). Specimen adequacy (98.6 versus 985%) and diagnostic accuracy (86.1% VTLB, versus 92.6% OLB: p>0.05) were the same in the two groups. In conclusion, video-assisted thoracoscopic lung biopsy is replacing both mediastinoscopy and open lung biopsy. It is at present the best option when a surgical procedure is required for histological confirmation of diffuse lung disease.

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We report a case of leiomyosarcoma of the distal third of the esophagus in a 51-year-old woman presenting with a six-month history of severe epigastric pain, disphagia and weight loss. The diagnosis, suspected on endoscopic examination, was preoperatively acheived by biopsy and immunohistological stain. Surgical treatment was undertaken with good results. Differentiation between leiomyosarcoma and more common esophageal neoplasm may be difficult if based on radiographic and endoscopic appearance. Preoperative histological confirmation is therefore mandatory to schedule a wide surgical excision.

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Between January 1989 and February 1993, 52 patients were evaluated at Niguarda Hospital for lung or heart and lung transplantation. Of the 35 that entered the waiting list, a total of 19 were transplanted (14 at other institutes before our surgical programme became operative, and 5 at our hospital). Recipient selection and evaluation criteria, and timing of transplantation in the different diseases are discussed.

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To assess the diagnostic impact of transesophageal echocardiography in the evaluation of mediastinal masses, 30 patients with mediastinal abnormalities detected by routine chest roentgenogram underwent transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography. Subsequently, 29 of the patients underwent computed tomography and 16 underwent magnetic resonance imaging. The location and structure of the masses as well as their relationship to the surrounding structures were assessed. Anatomic confirmation and histopathologic diagnosis of the mediastinal masses by surgical resection and biopsy was available for all patients. Transesophageal echocardiography was more accurate than transthoracic echocardiography in detecting mediastinal masses (90% versus 73%), in identifying their structure (100% versus 90%), and in evaluating their relationship to contiguous organs (89% versus 81%). No complication was observed during the examinations. Computed tomography correctly diagnosed the location, structure, and relationships in all patients but one; magnetic resonance imaging correctly evaluated the mediastinal masses in all 16 patients. Our study suggests that transesophageal echocardiography is a valuable and safe complementary method of evaluating mediastinal masses. Moreover, this technique allows the obstruction of vessels and heart cavities, valve regurgitation, and right and left ventricular function to be easily assessed.

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The results of combined surgical resection of brain metastasis and primary lung cancer from January 1976 to April 1986 were evaluated. In all cases the brain metastasis was single and synchronous and was resected first. There were 20 men and one woman, with an average age of 53 years. All patients initially had neurologic symptoms related to an intracranial mass. In 19 patients the primary lung cancer was roentgenologically visible, but in two the lesion was recognizable only by bronchoscopy. There were no operative deaths. Nine of 21 patients had a poor postoperative course and died during the first 6 months. The combined surgical approach improved the short-term survival rate in four patients, who died 11, 12, 18, and 21 months after the thoracic operation. In six patients (28.5%) survival for more than 2 years was obtained (three died after 27, 30, and 40 months, three are alive after 25, 28, and 48 months). Two others patients are alive and well 4 and 16 months after the thoracic operation. Synchronous onset of brain metastasis from lung cancer does not necessarily contraindicate combined operations, which can provide long-term survival in selected patients. The absence of mediastinal node metastasis is a favorable prognostic factor. Computed tomographic screening of the brain improves patient selection.

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Three patients with postpneumonectomy bronchopleural fistula were treated with endoscopic gluing of the fistula. The technique and the results of this method are described.

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