Primary pulmonary amyloidosis is a rare disease, and is classified as either tracheobronchial or parenchymal ; the latter is also divided into nodular and diffuse alveolar septal forms. The alveolar form is extremely rare and usually produces reticular and nodular opacities. We describe a case of alveolar septal pulmonary amyloidosis manifested as multiple small nodules on chest radiograph and disseminated micronodules mainly in centrilobular and subpleural location without reticular opacities, on HRCT.
Amyloidosis* ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Rare Diseases

No abstract available.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Thoracic Diseases*

Dynamic enhanced magnetic resonance lymphangiography can be used to provide anatomic and dynamic information for various lymphatic diseases, including thoracic duct injury, and can also help to guide the thoracic duct embolization procedure. We present a case of postoperative chylothorax demonstrated by dynamic enhanced MR lymphangiography. In this case, the chyle leakage site and location of cisterna chyli were clearly visualized by dynamic enhanced MR lymphangiography, thus allowing for management with thoracic duct embolization.
Chyle ; Chylothorax ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Lymphography ; Thoracic Duct

China ; Esophageal Diseases ; surgery ; Humans ; Lung Diseases ; surgery ; Thoracic Injuries ; surgery ; Thoracic Neoplasms ; surgery ; Thoracic Surgery ; Trachea ; surgery

Right aortic arch, a congenital malformation of the great vessels, can cause compression of trachea and/or esophagus. We experienced a case of ventilatory compromise in an infant with tetralogy of Fallot and right aortic arch immediately after insertion of transesophageal echocardiography probe during cardiac surgery. Although intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography can be safely performed in infants with congenital heart disease, it should be done with caution in patient with similar vascular malformation.
Aorta, Thoracic ; Echocardiography, Transesophageal ; Esophagus ; Heart Diseases ; Humans ; Infant ; Tetralogy of Fallot ; Thoracic Surgery ; Trachea ; Vascular Malformations

PURPOSE: To determine imaging findings among retired workers who were long-term exposed to asbestos. Lung and pleural diseases prevalence were studied on chest radiograph and HRCT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighteen workers who were long-term exposedto asbestos occupationally in shipyards were examined by chest radiographs (PA and lateral view) and HRCT (high-resolution computed tomography). RESULTS: In 12 of 18 subjects (66.7%), asbestos-related pleural abnormalities were evident in diaphragmatic, lateral chest wall and costophrenic angle of the pleura on chest radiographs. The thickness of pleural plaques at the lateral chest wall varied. Diffuse pleural thickening was evident in 2 workers. Parenchymal abnormalities were not found on chest radiographs. On HRCT, pleural thickening wasobserved in 16 of 18 subjects (88.9%), in the areas of juxtavertebral, diaphragmatic, anterior, lateral, mediastinal and fissural pleura. Curvilinear subpleural lines representing early parenchymal asbestosis were found in the lower posterior lung in three of 18 subjects (16.7%). CONCLUSIONS: In long term asbestos-exposed workers, the asbestos-related pleural disease was 66.7% on chest radiographs and 88.9% on HRCT. The authors suggest that this group should be followed up periodically
Asbestos* ; Asbestosis ; Lung* ; Occupations ; Pleura ; Pleural Diseases* ; Prevalence* ; Radiography, Thoracic* ; Thoracic Wall ; Thorax*

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this paper is to present a guideline for beginning video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) lobectomy to junior surgeons, and to review the first year experience of a new surgeon performing VATS lobectomies who had not performed a VATS lobectomy unassisted during his training period. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A young surgeon opened a division of general thoracic surgery at a medical institution. The surgeon had performed about 100 lobectomies via conventional thoracotomy during his training period, but had never performed a VATS lobectomy unassisted while under the supervision of an expert. After opening the division of general thoracic surgery, the surgeon performed a total of 38 pulmonary lobectomies for various pulmonary diseases from March 2009 to February 2010. All data were collected retrospectively. RESULTS: There were 14 lobectomies via thoracotomy, 14 VATS lobectomies, and 10 cases of attempted VATS lobectomies that were converted to open thoracotomies. The number of VATS lobectomies increased from the second quarter (n=0) to the third quarter (n=5). The lobectomies that were converted from VATS into thoracotomies decreased from the second quarter (n=5) to the third quarter (n=1) (p=0.002). CONCLUSION: It can take 6 months for young surgeons without experience in VATS lobectomy in their training period to be able to reliably perform a VATS lobectomy.
Learning ; Learning Curve ; Lung Diseases ; Organization and Administration ; Thoracic Surgery ; Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted ; Thoracoscopy ; Thoracotomy

Solitary plasmacytoma of the bone, and especially of a single rib, is a rare disease. Here we report a 73-year old male patient complaining of continuous chest wall pain around the right 5th rib shaft who underwent a wide excision of the rib tumor with surrounding connective tissue. He was diagnosed with solitary plasmacytoma and will undergo radiation therapy. We report this case with a review of the literature.
Connective Tissue ; Humans ; Male ; Plasmacytoma ; Rare Diseases ; Ribs ; Thoracic Wall

PURPOSE: Using dynamic range compression (DRC) processing, this study compared the detectability ofmediastinal lines by conventional film screen rediography (FS) and by storage phosphor digital radiography(DR). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We selected 200 normal consecutive chest radiographs (100 FS, 100 DR) ; dynamic rangecompression was applied to DR processing and moving grids were used in both systems. Seven mediastinal lines (leftfaraspinal, right paraspinal, azygoesophageal, left para-aortic, posterior junctional, anterior junctional andright paratracheal) were scored from 0 point to 3 point(0:not visible, 1:suspiciously visible, 2:visible, but notclear, 3: clearly visible) according to visibility and sharpness, as agreed by a radiologist and a resident. Thedifferences between the two modalities were compared and analyzed by chi-square test. RESULTS: Among the 1400mediastinal lines analyzed, 419 lines by DR(59.9%) and 232 lines by FS(33.1%) were scored more than 2 points. Inall mediastinal lines except the left para-aortic, DR was more detectable and clearer than FS, with statisticalsignificance(P<.01). CONCLUSION: DR processed with DRC visualizes mediastinal lines more frequently and clearlythan conventional FS, and is therefore thought to be useful for the evaluation of mediastinal diseases.
Mediastinal Diseases ; Radiographic Image Enhancement ; Radiography* ; Radiography, Thoracic

A 63 year-old woman visited our hospital with a palpable chest wall mass in the infrascapular region. We performed excision of the mass. The mass was histolocally diagnosed as elastofibroma. Elastofibroma is characterized by the proliferation of fibrous tissue with elastin. It is a relatively slow growing benign soft tissue tumor and it is most often found in the infrascapular region. We have experienced a cases of this rare disease and we report on it together with a review of the relevant literature.
Elastin ; Female ; Humans ; Rare Diseases ; Thoracic Wall ; Thorax