Meningioma of the Mediastinum Causing Spontaneous Hemothorax

Ectopic thoracic meningioma: a diagnostically challenging case

Whilst meningiomas are common neoplasms of the central nervous system; ectopic meningiomas are very rare. When they do occur, they are typically in the head and neck. Due to their rarity, they propose a diagnostic challenge with interesting pathological findings. To date, only seven ectopic meningiomas arising in the mediastinum have been reported in the literature. We aim to shift the focus on the diagnostic journey of this rare entity which involved various imaging and histopathological techniques. Our patient was successfully treated with no complications after four years through input from specialists and the multidisciplinary team.

Simultaneous occurrence of primary aldosteronism due to aldosteronoma and ectopic meningioma in the adrenal gland: A case report

RATIONALE

Primary aldosteronism due to aldosteronoma is the most common form of secondary hypertension, with an estimated prevalence of 4% of hypertensive patients in primary care and around 10% of referred patients. Diagnosis is a clinical challenge with simultaneous occurrence of primary ectopic meningioma in the adrenal gland. To our knowledge this is the first reported case of simultaneous occurrence of aldosteronomas and ectopic meningioma in the adrenal gland based on literatures.

PATIENT CONCERNS

A 30-year-old man presented with resistant hypertension for one year. The computed tomographic scans were suggestive of left adrenal gland hyperplasia.

INTERVENTION

The patient underwent partial unilateral laparoscopic adrenalectomy.

DIAGNOSIS

The histopathological examination of the resected sample confirmed primary ectopic meningioma in adrenal gland and aldosterone producing adenoma (APA). The saline load test, captopril test, and plasma aldosterone/renin ratio were indicative of primary aldosteronism (PA).

OUTCOMES

The patient had controlled blood pressure postoperatively.

LESSONS

The patient was diagnosed with PA due to APA and nonfunctional primary ectopic meningioma in the adrenal gland which is very rare and dealt with unilateral laparoscopic adrenalectomy.

Posterior mediastinal ectopic meningioma: a case report

Primary ectopic meningiomas occurring in the mediastinal region are extremely rare. So far, only five cases of primary mediastinal meningioma have been reported in the literatures. The imaging characteristics and the clinicopathological significance of mediastinal psammomatous meningioma have not been detailed. Here, we report the case of a 42-year-old male with primary posterior mediastinal psammomatous meningioma. The clinical features, imaging, and pathological findings are carefully analyzed, and the relevant literatures were reviewed.

Non-traumatic and spontaneous hemothorax in the setting of forensic medical examination: a systematic literature survey

Spontaneous hemothorax is a well-known yet seldom-reported entity in forensic literature. While trauma-related hemothorax is frequently encountered in a medicolegal setting, non-traumatic and spontaneous hemothorax are relatively uncommon entities. The wide range of causes that can trigger fatal intrathoracic bleeding include thoracic aortic dissection, followed by vascular malformations, various oncological diseases, and connective tissue abnormalities. In rare instances, extramedullary hematopoiesis, ectopic pregnancy, congenital heart defects, amyloidosis, or parasitic diseases may constitute a source of bleeding. This etiological heterogeneity may, as a result, cause diagnostic difficulties during post-mortem elucidation of hemothorax. It should be borne in mind that hemothorax after low-energy trauma does not exclusively indicate traumatic hemorrhage, hence, the non-traumatic origin of bleeding must be taken into consideration. In this paper, we present a systematic review of the relevant literature enriched by the results of our observations to investigate the etiologies and recommendations for the post-mortem diagnosis of spontaneous hemothorax in an attempt to better delineate the possible medicolegal considerations. It is important that forensic pathologist as well as clinicians are aware of the diseases that could potentially give rise to fatal hemothorax.

Primary mediastinal atypical meningioma: report of a case and literature review

Meningiomas are common neoplasms arising from the central nervous system meninges. On the other hand, primary ectopic meningiomas are extremely rare and usually limited to the head and neck region or to the paravertebral soft tissues. Their occurrence in the mediastinum is even rarer. Until now, only 4 cases of primary mediastinal meningioma have been reported in the literature searched on Medline. Because of its rarity and intriguing pathogenesis, we report here a case of primary mediastinal meningioma that was treated by surgical resection. The clinical features, treatment, pathological findings, and prognosis are analyzed, and the literature on ectopic meningioma is reviewed.

Video-assisted thoracic surgery lobectomy for lung cancer: the point at issue

Among the four subjects addressed in this article, the definition of video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) lobectomy is fundamentally the point at issue, which leads to various obstacles for upcoming clinical trials. It is strongly expected that VATS lobectomy will be identified as a standard operation for primary lung cancer with confirmed clinical evidence. Standard surgical procedure with a certain oncological validity for lung cancer should be minimally invasive, safe, and technically simple for general thoracic surgeons. In conclusion, most patients with resectable lung cancer will be able to benefit from a validated painless VATS lobectomy in the near future.

Meningioma of the scapula

Meningiomas account for approximately 15% of all intracranial tumors and are the most common non-glial primary tumors of the central nervous system. Most meningiomas are benign neoplasms with characteristic imaging features. Primary extradural meningiomas account for only 1-2% of all meningiomas. They must be differentiated from intradural meningiomas with secondary extradural extension and/or metastases. The vast majority of extradural meningiomas are found in the skull or in the head and neck region. We report on an extremely rare case of primary extradural meningioma that was located in the scapula. The lesion was resected. Radiographic findings and pathologic features are discussed. To the best of our knowledge, this form of presentation of an extradural meningioma has not been previously described.