Aged ; Calcinosis ; diagnosis ; pathology ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Mediastinal Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; pathology ; surgery ; Mediastinum ; pathology ; surgery ; Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted

Malignant transformation of a neurilemmoma is an exceedingly rare event. We describe a case of intrathoracic ancient neurilemmoma undergoing a malignant change in a 39-yr-old man. The patient presented with right flank and chest pain for several months. Plain radiography and CT scan of the chest showed a soft tissue mass lesion at the extrapleural space with erosion of surrounding ribs at the right basal lung area. The excised mass was encapsulated and measured 4.5 x 3.5 x 2.3 cm. The cut surface showed grayish-white and glistening with a focal cystic change and hemorrhage. Necrosis was not seen. Histologically, the tumor showed the features of classic neurilemmoma composed of the Antoni type A and B areas with perivascular hyalinization. In addition, obviously histo-logically malignant foci manifested by presence of markedly increased cellularity with fascicular arrangement, active mitotic activity, hyperchromasia, and gradual loss of original neurilemmomatous feature were noted.
Adult ; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic* ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Human ; Male ; Neurilemmoma/complications ; Neurilemmoma/pathology* ; Neurofibromatosis 1/complications ; Neurofibromatosis 1/pathology* ; Thoracic Neoplasms/etiology ; Thoracic Neoplasms/pathology* ; Tumor Markers, Biological

Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is a relatively rare carcinoma of the mesothelial cells, and it is usually located in the pleural or peritoneal cavity. Here we report on a unique case of MM that developed in the chest, abdominal and pelvic walls in a 77-year-old female patient. CT and MRI revealed mesothelioma that manifested as a giant mass in the right flank and bilateral pelvic walls. The diagnosis was confirmed by the pathology and immunohistochemistry. Though rare, accurate investigation of the radiological features of a body wall MM may help make an exact diagnosis.
Abdominal Neoplasms/diagnosis/*pathology ; Abdominal Wall ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Mesothelioma/diagnosis/*pathology ; Muscle Neoplasms/diagnosis/pathology ; Pelvic Neoplasms/diagnosis/*pathology ; Thoracic Neoplasms/diagnosis/*pathology ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Multiple myeloma usually shows homogeneous enhancement on contrast-enhanced Magnetic Resonance imaging (MRI), and is accompanied by a monoclonal gammopathy in serum or urine. We report a case of nonsecretory myeloma, the diagnosis was difficult due to the absence of a monoclonal gammopathy and the presence of atypical imaging features.
Tomography, Emission-Computed ; Thoracic Vertebrae/*pathology ; Spinal Neoplasms/*diagnosis/pathology ; Multiple Myeloma/*diagnosis/pathology ; Middle Aged ; Male ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Humans ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Bone Marrow/*pathology

Pathologic diagnosis of a cardiac mass is vital in determining the proper treatment modality. Open heart surgery or transesophageal echocardiography guided biopsy can be feasible methods to confirm the pathology. However, the former is highly invasive and both methods require general anesthesia. The introduction of intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) can provide good anatomic information of heart and does not require general anesthesia. In this report, we present two cases of cardiac tumors which were confirmed by percutaneous biopsy under the guidance of an ICE. The patients underwent cardiac biopsy without any complications.
Anesthesia, General ; Biopsy* ; Diagnosis ; Echocardiography* ; Echocardiography, Transesophageal ; Heart ; Heart Neoplasms ; Humans ; Ice ; Pathology ; Thoracic Surgery

Primary malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) of the chest wall is rare. We report a case of primary MFH arising from the chest wall, which was thought to be a metastasis or myeloma. The imaging study revealed a single mass of the chest wall involving a rib. Resection and chest wall reconstruction was done. The histologic diagnosis was storiform-pleomorphic primary MFH. Although MFH of the chest wall is an uncommon pathology, it should be considered in the differentiation of a single bony destructive lesion involving the rib with a soft tissue component.
Adult ; Bone Neoplasms/*pathology/radiography ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Histiocytoma, Fibrous/*pathology/radiography ; Humans ; Ribs/*pathology ; Soft Tissue Neoplasms/*pathology/radiography ; Thoracic Wall/*pathology

Endobronchial metastasis (EBM) secondary to extrathoracic malignancies is rare among the various modes of pulmonary metastases. Of the many types of extrathoracic tumors capable of EBM, only one case of EBM from hepatocellular carcinoma has been reported, but radiologic findings were not described. We present the radiologic findings of surgically proven EBM in a patient with hepatocellular carcinoma. A chest radiograph revealed a tubular mass-like opacity in the right suprahilar region combined with mild volume decrease of the right upper lobe. Fiberoptic bronchoscopy had erroneously led to a diagnosis of endobronchial aspergilloma. The metastatic lesion was manifested as a branching pattern of enhanced endobronchial mass at the anterior segment of the right upper lobe on computed tomography.
Bronchial Neoplasms/diagnosis/pathology/*secondary ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/diagnosis/pathology/*secondary ; Female ; Human ; Liver Neoplasms/*pathology ; Middle Aged ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; methods ; Bronchi ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Endosonography ; methods ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; pathology ; Mediastinum ; pathology ; Neoplasm Staging ; Thoracic Neoplasms ; diagnosis

OBJECTIVETo investigate the value of mediastinoscopy in diagnosis of the thoracic diseases and the determination of the operative indication.

METHODSFrom 1979 to 2000, 165 patients were given mediastinoscopy by local infiltration anesthesia (rare cases with additional vein bacic anesthesia). The exploration and biopsy were given to the neoplasms and lymph nodes around the trachea through the pretracheal interstice.

RESULTSThe diagnosis of 125 patients by mediastinoscopy accorded with the pathological diagnosis and that of 21 patients was not accorded with the pathology. The rate of definitive diagnosis was 85.6% (125/146). The other 19 cases were not included into the ground because 11 cases were not given definitive diagnosis and 8 cases with lung cancer were not be performed operation although the results of mediastinoscopy were negative. Twenty patients with lung cancer which had metastasis in the mediastium and 7 patients with malignant lymphadenoma avoided exploratory thoracotomy.

CONCLUSIONThe mediastinoscopy is a effective examinative method to the disease involving the lymph nodes in the mediastinum and the thoracic disease closing on the mediastinum. The mediastinoscopy in appropriate especially to the simple enlargement of lymph node in the mediastinum that is not given definitive diagnosis. The cases with lung cancer accompanied enlargement of lymph node in the mediastinum and that with tumors in the mediastinum may choose the mediastinoscopy.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; Lymph Nodes ; pathology ; Male ; Mediastinal Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; Mediastinoscopy ; Middle Aged ; Thoracic Diseases ; diagnosis

Bone metastasis from a spinal cord astrocytoma has been reported only twice in the English medical literature. It is generally known that bone metastasis is found after the initial diagnosis with/without intervening surgery rather than being found at the time of the diagnosis of astrocytoma. The purpose of this article is to report for the first time a case of concurrent bone metastasis from a spinal cord astrocytoma at the time of diagnosing the spinal cord astrocytoma.
Astrocytoma/diagnosis/*secondary ; Humans ; *Lumbar Vertebrae ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Spinal Cord Neoplasms/diagnosis/*pathology ; Spinal Neoplasms/diagnosis/*secondary ; *Thoracic Vertebrae