Endoscopic bronchial occlusion with silicone spigots under virtual bronchoscopic navigation

Utility of the endobronchial Watanabe spigot for intractable cancer-related pneumothorax: a retrospective observational study

BACKGROUND

The use of endobronchial Watanabe spigots for intractable secondary pneumothorax in patients with cancer has not been adequate. This study aimed to investigate the use of endobronchial Watanabe spigots for intractable pneumothorax in patients with malignant tumors.

METHODS

Consecutive patients with malignant tumors who underwent occlusion with an endobronchial Watanabe spigot for intractable pneumothorax associated with perioperative treatment or drug therapy at our institution between January 2014 and February 2022 were reviewed.

RESULTS

Of the 32 cases in which an endobronchial Watanabe spigot was used, six were excluded; we thus evaluated 26 cases in which the chest tube was removed. Chest tubes were removed in 19 cases (73.1%) and could not be removed and required surgical treatment under general anesthesia in seven patients (26.9%), of which four (14.8%) underwent open-window thoracostomy. Half of the patients were treated with both an endobronchial Watanabe spigot and pleurodesis. Although thin-slice chest computed tomography revealed a fistula in 15 patients, the chest tube was removed in 11 (57.9%) patients. A significant difference was only observed in patients with a history of heavy smoking.

CONCLUSIONS

The chest tube removal rate was comparable to those reported in previous studies. An endobronchial Watanabe spigot may be a useful treatment option for intractable cancer-related pneumothorax.

Pneumothorax in connective tissue disease-associated interstitial lung disease

Background

Spontaneous pneumothorax is a complication that occurs in patients with connective tissue disease-associated interstitial lung disease (CTD-ILD); however, few studies on the clinical implications of pneumothorax for patients with CTD-ILD have been performed.

Objectives

This study aimed to investigate the incidence and prognostic significance of pneumothorax and the risk factors for its onset in patients with CTD-ILD.

Methods

This study included 140 consecutive patients with CTD-ILD. Clinical characteristics, laboratory findings, pulmonary function test results, and chest high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) images were retrospectively evaluated.

Results

A total of 18 patients (12.9%) developed pneumothorax during their clinical course. The cumulative incidence of pneumothorax from the time of CTD-ILD diagnosis was 6.5%, 8.7%, and 11.3% at 1, 3, and 5 years, respectively. The 10-year survival rate was significantly lower in patients with pneumothorax (29.6%) than that in those without pneumothorax (81.3%). The development of pneumothorax was significantly associated with poor prognosis (HR 22.0; p < 0.010). Furthermore, a lower body mass index, greater extent of reticular abnormalities on HRCT, and administration of methylprednisolone pulse therapy were significantly associated with the development of pneumothorax.

Conclusion

Pneumothorax is a serious complication in the clinical course of patients with CTD-ILD and the onset of pneumothorax predicts a poor outcome.

Endobronchial removal of the high-risk osseous foreign bodies with evaluation and planning by virtual navigation system

We report herein on two cases where high-risk osseous foreign bodies that incarcerated or penetrated the bronchial wall. The foreign bodies were unable to be removed via flexible bronchoscope (FB), with the foreign bodies close to the pulmonary artery and aortic artery. After preoperative evaluation and planning with the virtual bronchoscopic navigation (VBN) system, the airway foreign bodies were extracted effectively and safely using advanced therapeutic endoscopic technique by rigid bronchoscope (RB), thus avoiding the surgical thoracotomy.

Endoscopic bronchial occlusion for postoperative persistent bronchopleural fistula with computed tomography fluoroscopy guidance and virtual bronchoscopic navigation: A case report

RATIONALE

The development of postoperative bronchopleural fistula (BPF) remains a challenge in thoracic surgery. We herein report a case of BPF successfully treated with endoscopic bronchial occlusion under computed tomography (CT) fluoroscopy and virtual bronchoscopic navigation (VBN).

PATIENT CONCERNS

A 63-year-old man underwent right upper lobectomy with concomitant S6a subsegmentectomy for lung adenocarcinoma. On postoperative day 24, he complained of shaking chills with high fever.

DIAGNOSES

BPF with subsequent pneumonia and empyema.

INTERVENTIONS

Despite aggressive surgical interventions for the BPF, air leakage persisted postoperatively. On days 26 and 34 after the final operation, endobronchial occlusions were performed under CT fluoroscopy and VBN.

OUTCOMES

The air leaks greatly decreased and the patient was discharged.

LESSONS

CT fluoroscopy and VBN can be useful techniques for endobronchial occlusion in the treatment of BPF.

The efficacy of dexmedetomidine-remifentanil versus dexmedetomidine-propofol in children undergoing flexible bronchoscopy: A retrospective trial

Flexible bronchoscopy has been more and more used for diagnosis and management diseases of respiratory system in pediatrics. Previous studies have reported that remifentanil (RF) and propofol are safe and effective for flexible bronchoscopy in adults, however, there have no trials evaluate the efficacy of DEX-RF versus dexmedetomidine-propofol in children undergoing flexible bronchoscopy.We divided 123 children undergoing flexible bronchoscopy with DEX-RF or dexmedetomidine-propofol into 2 groups: Group DR (n = 63, DEX infusion at 1.0 μg kg for 10 minutes, then adjusted to 0.5-0.7 μg kg h; RF infusion at 1.0 μg kg for 5 minutes, then adjusted to 0.05-0.2 μg kg min), Group DP (n = 60, DEX infusion at 1.0 μg kg for 10 minutes, then adjusted to 0.5-0.7 μg kg h; propofol infusion at 10 μg kg for 5 minutes, then adjusted to 0.05-0.1 μg kg min). Ramsay sedation scale of the 2 groups was maintained at 3. Anesthesia onset time; total number of intraoperative patient movements; hemodynamics; total cumulative dose of DEX; amount of and time to first-dose rescue midazolam and lidocaine; postoperative recovery time; adverse events; and bronchoscopist satisfaction score were recorded.Anesthesia onset time was significantly shorter in DP (8.22 ± 2.48 vs 12.25 ± 6.43 minutes, respectively, for DP, DR, P = 0.015). The perioperative hemodynamic profile was more stable in DR than DP group. More children moved during flexible bronchoscopy in DP group (P = 0.009). Total dose of rescue midazolam and lidocaine was significantly higher in DR than in DP (P < 0.001). Similarly, the time to first dose of rescue midazolam and lidocaine was significantly longer in DP than in DR (P < 0.001). Total cumulative dose of DEX was more in DR than DP group (P < 0.001). The time to recovery for discharge from the postanesthesia care unit (PACU) was significantly shorter in DP than in DR group (P < 0.001). The bronchoscopist-satisfaction scores were higher for DR than DP (P = 0.036). There were significant differences between the 2 groups in terms of the overall incidence of hypertension, tachycardia, and hypoxemia (P < 0.05).Although underwent longer recovery time and more incidence of rescue scheme, DEX-RF resulted in more stable hemodynamic profiles and bronchoscopist-satisfaction scores, lesser patient movements, and can hence be more effectively used in children undergoing flexible bronchoscopy than dexmedetomidine-propofol.

Endoscopic bronchial occlusion with silicone spigots under virtual bronchoscopic navigation

A 68‐year‐old woman with interstitial lung disease related to dermatomyositis and systemic scleroderma was admitted to our hospital with fever and dyspnoea. Although the fever was reduced after antibiotic therapy, a left pneumothorax suddenly occurred on day 27 after admission. A continuous air leak persisted despite chest drainage with three tubes and repeated pleurodesis. Chest computed tomography (CT) images showed a cavitary lesion with a pinhole in the left upper division, which was suspected to be the affected lesion with the air leak. Virtual bronchoscopic navigation images were constructed from CT data. Bronchial occlusion with Endobronchial Watanabe Spigots (EWSs) was performed on day 52. Two medium‐sized EWSs were inserted into the left B1 + 2a and B1 + 2b, and the air leak stopped immediately. No procedure‐related adverse events occurred. All three chest tubes were successfully removed by day 60. This case demonstrates that virtual bronchoscopic navigation can improve bronchial occlusion procedures using EWSs.