Uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery in hemothorax

Primary pulmonary Ewing's sarcoma: rare cause of massive hemothorax in a young girl-case report

BACKGROUND

Ewing's sarcoma is a common malignant bone tumor in children and young adults. Rarely, extra-skeletal soft tissues and visceral organs can also be the site of origin of Ewing's sarcoma. Primary pulmonary Ewing's sarcoma is an extremely rare malignancy.

CASE PRESENTATION

We report an unusual case of primary pulmonary Ewing's sarcoma in a 15-year-old girl who initially presented with massive hemothorax. By histopathology evaluation of surgical biopsy specimens, the diagnosis of extraosseous Ewing's sarcoma was confirmed by both light microscopy and immunohistochemistry. Emergency, open surgery was performed by thoracic surgery at an early stage. After 3 cycles of chemotherapy, the patient was found to be stable at follow-up examination. No more hydrothorax or other symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

We have described an extremely rare case of primary pulmonary Ewing's sarcoma with massive hemothorax. The patient underwent surgical resection and postoperative chemotherapy, no sign of recurrence to date as an outcome.

Spontaneous hemopneumothorax after laparoscopy: a case report and literature review

BACKGROUND

Spontaneous hemopneumothorax (SHP) is defined as the accumulation of >400 mL of blood in the pleural cavity in association with spontaneous pneumothorax. This rare clinical disorder may be life-threatening.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 71-year-old woman presented with a 1-month history of recurrent bloody stool, and electronic colonoscopy suggested a rectal mass. Laparoscopic radical resection of rectal cancer was performed. Two days later, she developed chest tightness, shortness of breath, and slight pain in the left chest. Emergency chest radiography revealed mild left pneumothorax and pleural effusion. SHP was suspected and a thoracic drain was inserted. However, the patient developed hemorrhagic shock 3 hours after drainage. She underwent emergency video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS), which revealed left lung tip rupture with bleeding and adhesive band fracture at the top of the left thoracic cavity. The ruptured lung tissue was removed and electrocoagulation at the adhesion band was performed for hemostasis. The patient was discharged on postoperative day 11. At the time of this writing, she had developed no SHP recurrence or any other complications.

CONCLUSIONS

This case shows that conservative treatment may have serious consequences in patients with SHP. Thus, chest X-ray examination and VATS should be performed in patients with SHP.

Hemothorax: A Review of the Literature

Hemothorax is a collection of blood in the pleural cavity usually from traumatic injury. Chest X-ray has historically been the imaging modality of choice upon arrival to the hospital. The sensitivity and specificity of point-of-care ultrasound, specifically through the Extended Focal Assessment with Sonography in Trauma (eFAST) protocol has been significant enough to warrant inclusion in most Level 1 trauma centers as an adjunct to radiographs.^1,2 If the size or severity of a hemothorax warrants intervention, tube thoracostomy has been and still remains the treatment of choice. Most cases of hemothorax will resolve with tube thoracostomy. If residual blood remains within the pleural cavity after tube thoracostomy, it is then considered to be a retained hemothorax, with significant risks for developing late complications such as empyema and fibrothorax. Once late complications occur, morbidity and mortality increase dramatically and the only definitive treatment is surgery. In order to avoid surgery, research has been focused on removing a retained hemothorax before it progresses pathologically. The most promising therapy consists of fibrinolytics which are infused into the pleural space, disrupting the hemothorax, allowing for further drainage. While significant progress has been made, additional trials are needed to further define the dosing and pharmacokinetics of fibrinolytics in this setting. If medical therapy and early procedures fail to resolve the retained hemothorax, surgery is usually indicated. Surgery historically consisted solely of thoracotomy, but has been largely replaced in non-emergent situations by video-assisted thoracoscopy (VATS), a minimally invasive technique that shows considerable improvement in the patients' recovery and pain post-operatively. Should all prior attempts to resolve the hemothorax fail, then open thoracotomy may be indicated.

Uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopy approach to the management of non-pulmonary diseases of the chest

The use of uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopy (u-VATS) is becoming a commonly used surgical technique and can be an effective approach for the surgical treatment of many pulmonary and non-pulmonary conditions. This review article summarizes current medical evidence informing the practice of u-VATS for treating non-pulmonary conditions including hyperhidrosis, hemothorax, pleural effusion, and thymic disease.

Efficacy of uniportal video assisted thoracoscopic surgery in management of primary spontaneous hemopneumothorax

•

Primary spontaneous hemopneumothorax is an emergency and should be treated immediatley to prevent any dramatic complication.

•

Video assisted thoracoscopic surgery now is the gold standard in treatment of hemopneumothorax.

•

Applying the new concept of uniportal technique has a better outcome with fast patient recovery.

•

Ability to use thoracostomy tube opening for uniporatal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery.

•

Utilization of uniportal technique even in semi-stable patient is safe and well tolerated.

Introduction

Primary spontaneous hemopneumothorax (PSHP) is an accumulation of blood and air in the pleural space without trauma or obvious etiology. It is a rare surgical emergency and may lead to hypovolemic shock if not treated. Early and fast recognition will improve patient outcomes.

Presentation of the case

We present a case of PSHP in a young male utilizing the uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) through the same incisional site of the thoracostomy tube. The patient made an uneventful recovery.

Discussion

VATS has become the first line and the gold standard surgical management of most thoracic surgeries. In case of PSHP, some thoracic surgeons still skeptical about the minimal invasive approach in such emergency. Applying the concept of uniportal technique, which can be used for diagnostic as well as major therapeutic purposes. There is vast literature that support the notion that it reduces postoperative pain and paresthesia and lead to fast patient recovery.

Conclusion

As demonstrated in our case, uniportal VATS is safe and effective in the management of PSHP.