Left Hemothorax Research Articles

Minimally Invasive Resection for Mediastinal Ectopic Parathyroid Glands

We reviewed our experience with ectopic mediastinal parathyroidectomy. Between March 1980 and September 2010,mediastinal parathyroidectomy was performed in33 patients with hypercalcemia secondary to hyperparathyroidism. Primary hyperparathyroidism was the main diagnosis in 32 patients (97%). Technetium-sestamibi scan was used in 23 (70%) for preoperative localization. Minimally invasive resections were performed in 18 patients (55%), and 15 (45%) underwent open surgery. The most common minimally invasive surgery approach was video-assisted thoracoscopy in 9 patients (27%); the most common open approach was median sternotomy in 11 (33%). Intraoperative parathyroid hormone monitoring was used in 22 patients (67%). The ectopic glands were intrathymic in 15 patients (45%), in the aortopulmonary window in 7 (21%), and in other intrathoracic locations in the remaining 11 (33%). Parathyroid adenomas were identified in 21 patients (64%); parathyroid hyperplasia and carcinoma were identified in 9 (27%) and 3 (9%), respectively. No early mortality occurred in either group. Reoperation was required in 1 patient in the minimally invasive surgery group because of hemothorax. Morbidity occurred in 8 patients (24%), the most common of which was hypocalcemia in 4 (12%). The mean length of stay was significantly shorter in the minimally invasive surgery group (2 versus 6 days; p < 0.001) but mortality and morbidity were not statistically different between the two groups (p= 0.05). Mean follow-up was 3 ± 3.7 years. Minimally invasive mediastinal parathyroidectomy has similar outcomes to open surgery, with significantly shorter length of hospital stay.

Innominate truncal and arch blowout with left hemiparesis and right hemothorax followed by delayed cheese-wire perforation of innominate graft

We present the case of a 68 year old Caucasian woman, in extremis, with left hemiparesis and right hemothorax, in hypovolemic shock, secondary to a blow-out of a large penetrating ulcer at the junction of innominate trunk and aortic arch. She underwent interposition graft replacement of innominate trunk and repair of aortic arch, on cardiopulmonary bypass, employing total circulatory arrest and selective antegrade cerebral perfusion and had total resolution of hemiparesis. She, however, represented, 6 months later, with threatened exsanguination after a sternal wire cheese-wired through the sternum and perforated the anteriorly lying innominate graft. Following successful repair, she was found to have an old intramural hematoma of distal arch and descending thoracic aorta and changes suggestive of chronic dissection of the whole of abdominal aorta. This was managed conservatively.We believe this patient’s presentation initially with a spontaneous innominate blow-out, cardiogenic shock, hemothorax and hemiparesis, and later with cheese-wire perforation of the innominate graft is unique. Her surgical rescue at both presentations was equally unusual, and without surgical precedent to the best of our knowledge. Was the initial innominate blow-out the result of localised innominate dissection, or more unusually, part of retrograde descending thoracic dissection with skip penetration of innominate artery and sparing of the intervening arch? Was it secondary to the minor fall she had sustained 1 week prior to the event, resulting in a false aneurysm or a contained hematoma next to the innominate artery? More intriguingly, did diffuse aortopathy underpin these diverse etiologies and result in penetrating intimal ulcer with blow out in the innominate artery, intramural hematoma in the arch and descending thoracic aorta and dissection in abdominal aorta at different points in time?We review the current literature for these unusual afflictions of innominate trunk and its origin from the arch of aorta.

Acute respiratory failure due to hemothorax after posterior correction surgery for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: a case report

BackgroundAlthough posterior correction and fusion surgery using pedicle screws carries the risk of vascular injury, a massive postoperative hemothorax in a patient with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is quite rare. We here report a case of a 12-year-old girl with AIS who developed a massive postoperative hemothorax.Case presentationThe patient had a double thoracic curve with Cobb angles of 63° at T2-7 and 54° at T7-12. Posterior correction and fusion surgery was performed using a segmental pedicle screw construct placed between T2 and T12. Although the patient's respiration was stable during the surgery, 20 minutes after removing the trachea tube, the patient’s pulse oximetry oxygen saturation suddenly decreased to 80%. A contrast CT scan showed a massive left hemothorax, and a drainage tube was quickly inserted into the chest. The patient was re-intubated and a positive end-expiratory pressure of 5 cmH2O applied, which successfully stopped the bleeding. The patient was extubated 4 days after surgery without incident. Based on contrast CT scans, it was suspected that the hemothorax was caused by damage to the intercostal arteries or branches during pedicle probing on the concave side of the upper thoracic curve. Extensive post-surgical blood tests, echograms, and CT and MRI radiographs did not detect coagulopathy, pulmonary or vascular malformation, or any other possible causative factors.ConclusionThis case underscores the potential risk of massive hemothorax related to thoracic pedicle screw placement, and illustrates that for this serious complication, respiratory management with positive airway pressure, along with a chest drainage tube, can be an effective treatment option.

Left Hemothorax : An Unusual Complication of Delayed Right Ventricular Perforation by a Permanent Pacemaker Lead

Cardiac ventricle perforation by a pacemaker (PM) lead is an uncommon complication of PM implantation. We report a patient with a delayed right ventricular perforation from a permanent PM lead which presented as a left hemothorax.

Acute Left Hemothorax as a Late Complication of an Active-Fixation Pacemaker Lead

Perforation and migration of pacemaker electrodes into the pleural cavity is a rare event. We report the clinical course and surgical treatment of massive acute hemothorax resulting from intercostal artery laceration, caused by a retained active-fixation pacing lead implanted 10 months earlier.

Pulmonary puzzle: a precordial crunch

Three patients with unusual additional sounds heard on auscultation of the precordium were admitted to a military hospital in Afghanistan. Patient 1 : A male in his 20s was shot...

A Case Report of Iatrogenic Pulmonary Artery Injury due to Chest-Tube Insertion Repaired under Cardiopulmonary Bypass

The authors presented a case of a 50-year-old patient with multiple trauma who suffered from the inadvertent cannulation of the main pulmonary artery at the second attempt of left chest drainage. Pulmonary artery injury has been suspected because early chest tube production was 2300 mL of blood. CT scan showed injury of the trunk of the pulmonary artery, left hemothorax, and suspect damage of the right branch of the pulmonary artery. That chest tube touched the posterior wall of ascending aorta. Surgical approach was median sternotomy. Exploration showed a perforation of the trunk of pulmonary artery without lesion of the right pulmonary branch and the posterior wall of the ascending aorta. The lesion was repaired under normothermic partial cardiopulmonary bypass. Postoperative period was free of events. Review of the literatures for this rare case report has been done.

Hemothorax caused by spontaneous rupture of a metastatic mediastinal lymph node in hepatocellular carcinoma: a case report

Hemothorax caused by spontaneous rupture of a metastatic mediastinal lymph node in hepatocellular carcinoma: a case report

Pulmonary sequestration presented as massive left hemothorax and associated with primary lung sarcoma

Pulmonary sequestration is an uncommon disease, accounting for only approximately 1.5% of all congenital pulmonary malformations. In most cases, the diagnosis is a result of accidental radiological findings; it is rarely accompanied by clinical symptoms, and is more commonly associated with other congenital malformations. Herein, we reported a case of pulmonary sequestration presented as massive left hemothorax and associated with primary lung sarcoma. A pneumonectomy via thoracotomy was attended with complete resection of sequestration and of sarcoma. The postoperative course was unremarkable, and the patient was discharged on postoperative day 11.

Hemothorax induced by cardiac perforation resulting from two active screw-in leads: A case report

We describe the case of a 77-year-old female who underwent dual-chamber permanent pacemaker implantation using two active screw-in leads for complete atrioventricular block. The two active screw-in leads perforated the atrial and ventricular walls causing cardiac tamponade and a left hemothorax associated with ventricular perforation. An emergency sternotomy was performed to facilitate drainage and hemostasis. Although hemothorax due to pacing lead perforation is very rare, such a possibility should always be considered.

Huge Extrapleural Hematoma Initially Diagnosed as Massive Hemothorax

We report a 50-year-old man who presented with left chest pain after blunt thoracic trauma. A chest radiograph showed a fracture of the left 4th rib. Three days later, worsening chest pain and shortness of breath occurred. A repeated chest X-ray showed a complete opacity of the left hemithorax. The patient was reported to have a massive left hemothorax leading to a shift of the mediastinum to the right. Tube thoracostomy was performed immediately. However, only a small amount of blood-like fluid was drained and the left hemithorax still appeared as a near total opacity on the follow-up chest radiograph. These findings were interpreted as a massive clotted hemothorax. Surprisingly, an emergency video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) revealed no traumatic pleural collections but a huge pleural mass containing a large amount of dark, reddish blood clots. The blood clots were evacuated. No bleeding source was found. The patient made a good recovery and was discharged on the 3rd postoperative day. J Med Cases. 2013;4(4):247-249 doi: https://doi.org/10.4021/jmc1071w

Spontaneous Massive Hemothorax in a Patient with Neurofibromatosis Type 1 with Successful Transarterial Embolization

Vascular involvement in neurofibromatosis type 1 is rare but has the potential to be fatal. We report a case of a patient with spontaneous rupture of a left intercostal artery aneurysm, which presented as a massive left hemothorax and was successfully treated by transarterial coil embolization.

Traumatic aortic injury score (TRAINS): an easy and simple score for early detection of traumatic aortic injuries in major trauma patients with associated blunt chest trauma

To develop a risk score based on physical examination and chest X-ray findings to rapidly identify major trauma patients at risk of acute traumatic aortic injury (ATAI). A multicenter retrospective study was conducted with 640 major trauma patients with associated blunt chest trauma classified into ATAI (aortic injury) and NATAI (no aortic injury) groups. The score data set included 76 consecutive ATAI and 304 NATAI patients from a single center, whereas the validation data set included 52 consecutive ATAI and 208 NATAI patients from three independent institutions. Bivariate analysis identified variables potentially influencing the presentation of aortic injury. Confirmed variables by logistic regression were assigned a score according to their corresponding beta coefficient which was rounded to the closest integer value (1-4). Predictors of aortic injury included widened mediastinum, hypotension less than 90 mmHg, long bone fracture, pulmonary contusion, left scapula fracture, hemothorax, and pelvic fracture. Area under receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.96. In the score data set, sensitivity was 93.42 %, specificity 85.85 %, Youden's index 0.79, positive likelihood ratio 6.60, and negative likelihood ratio 0.08. In the validation data set, sensitivity was 92.31 % and specificity 85.1 %. Given the relative infrequency of traumatic aortic injury, which often leads to missed or delayed diagnosis, application of our score has the potential to draw necessary clinical attention to the possibility of aortic injury, thus providing the chance of a prompt specific diagnostic and therapeutic management.

Case report of death from falling: Did heart tumor cause syncope?

A healthy man in his 30s was working on the balustrade of stairs on the second floor. He suddenly fell downstairs without saying anything. On emergency hospitalization, chest echogram showed left hemothorax. Cardiac echogram showed a floating mass from the mitral valve in the left ventricle and severe mitral regurgitation. Surgery for hemothorax and pulmonary contusion was immediately undertaken. However, bleeding from pulmonary contusion could not be controlled and he underwent cardiopulmonary arrest. Autopsy showed a white, elastic, pendulous mass in the left atrium and a white mass in the lower lobe of the left lung. Tumor histology showed a reticular pattern, Schiller-Duval bodies, eosinophilic hyaline globules, and positive staining for α-fetoprotein. We diagnosed primary lung yolk sac tumor with metastatic intracardiac yolk sac tumor, a rare and highly malignant germ cell tumor. It usually arises in the ovaries and testes, and intracardiac yolk sac tumor is rare. Intracavitary tumors induce obstruction of inflow into and outflow from the ventricular cavity. The most common clinical presentation is dyspnea and syncope. In the present case, metastatic cardiac yolk sac tumor might have disturbed cardiac outflow and affected hemodynamics, probably causing syncope. Unfortunately, he was in a high place at that time and fell to receive pulmonary contusion that led to death. Autopsy may sometimes reveal latent diseases which might be related to the cause of death. We should perform autopsy thoroughly to diagnose not only the cause of death but also the factors leading to death.

A 35-Year-Old Patient With Midscapular Pain and Hypertension

A 35-Year-Old Patient With Midscapular Pain and Hypertension

Accidental insertion of a percutaneous venovenous cannula into the persistent left superior vena cava of a patient undergoing liver transplantation

Persistent left superior vena cava (PLSVC) is a rare congenital vascular abnormality found in 0.3% of the general population. We report herein a rare complication involving the accidental insertion of a large bore cannula into the PLSVC during liver transplantation (LT). A 63-yr-old man with primary sclerosing cholangitis presented for LT. Given the existence of a tunnelled dialysis catheter in the right internal jugular vein (IJV) and a triple lumen catheter via the left IJV, insertion of an 18 French cannula for venovenous bypass (VVB) was performed via the left IJV using the existing triple lumen cannula as a conduit for a guidewire. Upon initiation of VVB, profound systemic hypotension occurred, and liver transplantation was completed without the further use of VVB. A chest x-ray confirmed a malposition of the VVB cannula with a large left hemothorax. A mini-sternotomy was performed for removal of the VVB cannula, which was found to be inserted in the PLSVC. Retrospectively, the presence of PLSVC was not anticipated due to a normal superior vena cava and a left innominate vein, as revealed by the course of a pre-existing left internal jugular vein triple lumen catheter on a preoperative chest x-ray, and due to a normal-sized coronary sinus on preoperative echocardiography. Malpositioning of a venous cannula in a PLSVC should be anticipated as one of the potential complications of vascular access via the left internal jugular vein.

Successful Endovascular Repair of Two Ruptured Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms in Nonagenarians

Ruptured thoracic aortic aneurysm (rTAA) is a catastrophic and mortal event. Thoracic endoVascular aortic repair (TEVAR) has emerged as an alternative to open repair. We report the first two successful TEVAR performed for rTAA in nonagenarians. Patient 1 was a 92-year-old man with multiple comorbidities with a 5.6 cm thoracic aortic aneurysm who was admitted for anticoagulation for pulmonary embolism. Twelve hours later, he was found to be hypotensive and the X-ray showed an opacified left hemithorax (Fig. 1). A 40 mm × 20 cm Gore TAG stent-graft (W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc., Flagstaff, AZ) was deployed to successfully exclude the rupture. The postoperative course was uncomplicated and on day 9, he was discharged to a skilled nursing facility. Patient 2 was a 94-year-old man with a history of multiple comorbidites and endovascular aneurysm repair for ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm 3 years earlier, who presented to the emergency room in hemorrhagic shock. Computed tomography scan revealed hemomediastinum and left hemothorax suggesting thoracic aorta rupture (Fig. 2A). Emergently, a 34 mm × 30 cm Gore TAG stent-graft was deployed (Fig. 2B). A left chest tube was placed. Postoperative course was briefly complicated by acute renal failure and pneumonia and on day 14, he was discharged to a rehabilitation center. TEVAR for rTAA is an effective option and advanced age alone should not deter definitive repair of the thoracic aorta.

Reconstruction complexe de la région mammaire après traumatisme thoracique grave par arme à feu

This case report is of a 47-year-old woman who suffered a ballistic chest trauma with severe left hemothorax and heart wound. She was treated in emergency for the collapse by heart surgery. Then the coverage for her soft thorax tissue loss was done by an ipsilateral musculocutaneous latissimus dorsi pedicled flap. The patient was subsequently addressed to our team for a repair, especially for reconstruction of the left breast. Initially, rehabilitation of aesthetics units breast was achieved through the realization of an abdominal advancement flap, and breast volume was restored by several sessions of lipomodeling. The surgical alternatives were very limited for this post-traumatic complex breast reconstruction. Due to ballistic trauma, no reliable recipient vessels allowed a microsurgical solution, and the ipsilateral latissimus dorsi was used for the coverage. In conclusion, the restoration of the aesthetics units with lipomodeling has achieved a very good result in this extreme thoracomammary region repair.

Massive Hemothorax after Blunt Transverse Cervical Artery Injury

BackgroundBlunt injuries to the thyrocervical trunk or its branches are rare because these vessels are well protected and located deep in the neck. To the best of our knowledge, we describe the first case of a massive hemothorax after blunt injury to the transverse cervical artery. Case ReportA 42-year-old man was brought to our Emergency Department after he fell from a height of 10 meters. On work-up, a massive left hemothorax with extravasation from the left transverse cervical artery and pelvic fractures were detected. Endovascular embolization was successfully performed. There was no evidence of direct injury to the neck, lung laceration, or significant vascular injury that might have caused the massive hemothorax. A shearing mechanism associated with sudden deceleration caused by the 10-meter fall might have caused the transverse cervical artery injury in our patient. ConclusionConsideration of injury to the thyrocervical trunk or its branches by the emergency physician will result in more frequent consideration and more timely diagnosis when there is no chest injury and massive hemothorax.

Endovascular management for ruptured Stanford B acute aortic dissection

Surgery for a complicated Stanford B acute aortic dissection, such as rupture or malperfusion, is still a challenge. We undertook endovascular therapy for ruptured Stanford B acute aortic dissection in two patients. A homemade stent graft was deployed in an 84-year-old woman with a massive mediastinal hematoma; and an aortic extender of Excluder was used for a 76-year-old man with left hemothorax. Both patients recovered without major complications. Careful follow-up is mandatory. Endovascular therapy for a ruptured Stanford B acute aortic dissection seems feasible and efficient.