Main Bronchus Research Articles

Bronchoscopic Balloon Dilatation for Tuberculosis-related Bronchial Stenosis: A Rare Case

Background: Bronchial stenosis is known as a complication of endobronchial tuberculosis (EBTB). The incidence of stenosis affects quality of life. A minimally invasive therapeutic strategy, bronchoscopic balloon dilatation (BBD), can be chosen to manage the disease. Case: A 29-year-old woman suffered from bronchial stenosis, which appeared after completing treatment for tuberculosis (TB). She was diagnosed with TB around the middle of her pregnancy. She received anti-tuberculosis treatment for six months. Two years later, she complained of a persistent cough for two weeks prior to hospitalization. A complete stenosis of the left main bronchus with atelectatic on the left lung was seen on a chest CT scan. The result was confirmed with a bronchoscopy procedure. There were no mycobacteria or other suspicious organisms found in bronchial washings. Bronchoscopic balloon dilatation action was successful. Discussion: Endobronchial tuberculosis is a tuberculous infection that affects the tracheobronchial tree. It can be treated with minimally invasive procedures like bronchoscopy or surgical interventions. If the stenosis is mild or moderate, several procedures such as balloon dilatation, stents, laser photoresection, argon plasma coagulation, and cryotherapy are often performed. Bronchoscopy balloon dilatation nowadays has become a more preferred treatment option for tracheal and bronchial stenosis because it may be areliable and effective method. Conclusion: The BDD procedure in this patient showed good results. This procedure is fast, easy, safe, minimally invasive, and the symptoms resolve quickly. It can be concluded that BBD is a safe and effective therapy for TB-related bronchial stenosis, but the long-term effects of the procedure remain to be monitored.

Demarcated by bronchial or vascular landmarks? a study on the lower borders of the lower paratracheal lymph nodes

IntroductionThe lower rim of the azygous arch and the upper rim of the left main pulmonary artery are used as the lower borders of the lower paratracheal lymph nodes (LNs) in the IASLC map. However, there is some confusion about it. Our aim was to investigate the best landmarks as the boundaries to stage N more accurately for lung cancer.Material and methodsOne hundred patients with benign lung diseases, fifty with lung cancer diagnosed by endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA), and thirteen with right metastatic LNs confirmed by surgery were included. The lymph nodes (including W1, W3, W5, 10R below W5, W4, W6) were classified with Wang's and IASLC map concurrently, and the different outcomes of N stage were compared.ResultsThe azygous arch and the left main pulmonary artery varied in relation to the airway, causing the following changes of classification, 9.4% benign LNs of W1 and 38.6% of W5 were down-regulated as IASLC-10R, 9.5% of 10R below W5 were up-regulated as IASLC-4R, 51.4% of W4 and 94% of W6 were down-regulated as IASLC-10L. In 50 patients diagnosed by EBUS-TBNA, the concordance between the two maps was 0.768 for the right 92 LNs, while it was 0.374 for the left 46 nodes. If based on the location of azygous arches, postoperative stages might be changed in 2 surgery patients.ConclusionsThe locations of the lower vascular boundaries of IASCL-4 were varied. The bronchial landmarks of the proximal right and left main bronchus might be used as such borders.

Magnetic Resonance-Guided Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy/Hypofractionated Radiation therapy for Metastatic and Primary Central and Ultracentral Lung Lesions

IntroductionThe recent results from the Nordic-HILUS study indicate stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is associated with high-grade toxicity for ultracentral (UC) tumors. We hypothesized that magnetic resonance-guided SBRT (MRgSBRT) or hypofractionated radiation therapy (MRgHRT) enables the safe delivery of high-dose radiation to central and UC lung lesions. MethodsPatients with UC or central lesions were treated with MRgSBRT/MRgHRT with real-time gating or adaptation. Central lesions were defined as per the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group and UC as per the HILUS study definitions: (1) group A or tumors less than 1 cm from the trachea and/or mainstem bronchi; or (2) group B or tumors less than 1 cm from the lobar bronchi. The Kaplan-Meier estimate and log-rank test were used to estimate survival. Associations between toxicities and other patient factors were tested using the Mann-Whitney U test and Fisher’s exact test. ResultsA total of 47 patients were included with a median follow-up of 22.9 months (95% confidence interval: 16.4–29.4). Most (53%) had metastatic disease. All patients had central lesions and 55.3% (n = 26) had UC group A. The median distance from the proximal bronchial tree was 6.0 mm (range: 0.0–19.0 mm). The median biologically equivalent dose (α/β = 10) was 105 Gy (range: 75–151.2). The most common radiation schedule was 60 Gy in eight fractions (40.4%). Most (55%) had previous systemic therapy, 32% had immunotherapy and 23.4% had previous thoracic radiation therapy. There were 16 patients who underwent daily adaptation. The 1-year overall survival was 82% (median = not reached), local control 87% (median = not reached), and progression-free survival 54% (median = 15.1 mo, 95% confidence interval: 5.1–25.1). Acute toxicity included grade 1 (26%) and grade 2 (21%) with only two patients experiencing grade 3 (4.3%) in the long term. No grade 4 or 5 toxicities were seen. ConclusionsPrevious studies noted high rates of toxicity after SBRT to central and UC lung lesions, with reports of grade 5 toxicities. In our cohort, the use of MRgSBRT/MRgHRT with high biologically effective doses was well tolerated, with two grade 3 toxicities and no grade 4/5.

Risk and prognostic factors of brain metastasis in lung cancer patients: a Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results population‑based cohort study.

Brain is a common metastasis site in lung cancer patients. However, homogeneous and heterogeneous risk/prognostic factors of brain metastasis for lung cancer patients have not been comprehensively elucidated. This study aimed to explore the brain metastasis risk and prognostic factors in lung cancer patients using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Lung cancer data were downloaded from SEER database to investigate risk factors for developing brain metastasis using logistic regression analysis. Univariate and multivariate Cox analyses were used to identify potential prognostic factors. Kaplan-Meier analysis was conducted to evaluate the survival. Propensity score matching was conducted to eliminate baseline differences between two groups. A total of 10 818 (14.1%) patients with brain metastasis were diagnosed among 76 483 lung cancer patients. For non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC), distant liver/bone/lymph node metastases, higher T, N stages were risk factors. Black race, bone metastases and distant lymph node metastases and T4 were brain metastasis risk factors for SCLC patients. Cox analysis suggested that older age, male, primary lesion at main bronchus, liver/ bone/distant lymph node metastases, T2-4, N1-3, no surgery/chemotherapy/radiotherapy were associated with worse prognosis of NSCLC-brain metastasis patients. Age older than 80, liver/bone metastases, without radiotherapy and chemotherapy were associated with worse prognosis of SCLC-brain metastasis patients. Surgery of primary site could prolong the overall survival (OS) of NSCLC patients with brain metastasis, but not SCLC. In this study, we analyzed the homogeneous and heterogeneous risk/prognostic factors of brain metastasis in lung cancer patients. What is more, our results showed that surgery of primary site was associated with longer OS of NSCLC patients with brain metastasis.

Left Bronchial Isomerism with Right-Sided Tracheal Bronchus: A Rare Case Report

The tracheal bronchus is a congenital bronchial branching anomaly defined as an aberrant bronchus arising in either the trachea or a main bronchus. Left bronchial isomerism is characterized by two bilobed lungs, bilateral long main bronchi, and both pulmonary arteries passing superiorly to their respective upper lobe bronchi. Left bronchial isomerism with a right-sided tracheal bronchus is a very rare combination of tracheobronchial anomalies. It has not been previously reported. We present multi-detector CT findings of a left bronchial isomerism with a right-sided tracheal bronchus of a 74 year old man.

FGF18 promotes human lung branching morphogenesis through regulating mesenchymal progenitor cells.

Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling is known to play an important role in lung organogenesis. However, we recently demonstrated that FGF10 fails to induce branching in human fetal lungs as is observed in mouse. Our previous human fetal lung RNA sequencing data exhibited increased FGF18 during the pseudoglandular stage of development, suggestive of its importance in human lung branching morphogenesis. Whereas it has been previously reported that FGF18 is critical during alveologenesis, few studies have described its implication in lung branching, specifically in human. Therefore, we aimed to determine the role of FGF18 in human lung branching morphogenesis. Human fetal lung explants within the pseudoglandular stage of development were treated with recombinant human FGF18 in air-liquid interface culture. Explants were analyzed grossly to assess differences in branching pattern, as well as at the cellular and molecular levels. FGF18 treatment promoted branching in explant cultures and demonstrated increased epithelial proliferation as well as maintenance of the double positive SOX2/SOX9 distal bud progenitor cells, confirming its role in human lung branching morphogenesis. In addition, FGF18 treated explants displayed increased expression of SOX9, FN1, and COL2A1 within the mesenchyme, all factors that are important to chondrocyte differentiation. In humans, cartilaginous airways extend deep into the lung up to the 12th generation of branching whereas in mouse these are restricted to the trachea and main bronchi. Therefore, our data suggest that FGF18 promotes human lung branching morphogenesis through regulating mesenchymal progenitor cells.

Video-Assisted Rigid Endoscopic Laser Ablation for Endobronchial Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma in Pediatrics Without Pulmonary Resections

IntroductionMucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) is a rare malignancy of primary endobronchial lesions in children. Early diagnosis is crucial for the disease, but it is often misdiagnosed as asthma or lung infection. Chest computed tomography and bronchoscopy are the most important diagnostic tools. Surgical resection is the current treatment of choice for low-grade MEC. In the past, lobectomy, sleeve lobectomy, or segmental resections were the most standard surgeries. Endoscopic treatment was used for lung preservation and effectual removal of the lesions. MethodsA retrospective study of pediatric patients with primary endobronchial lesions who underwent rigid bronchoscopic laser ablation since 2010 was conducted. Pre-operative images, endoscopic pictures, post-operative images, histological analyses, and patients’ clinical conditions were recorded and illustrated. ResultsFour patients were enrolled. Three patients presented initially with cough or hemoptysis. The lesion sites were the bronchus of the left upper lobe, left lower lobe, left main bronchus, and trachea. All patients underwent bronchoscopic laser ablation for tumor excision without anatomical resection. No major surgical complications were encountered. All patients survived without recurrence after a mean postoperative follow-up of 4.5 years (3–6 years). ConclusionVideo-assisted rigid endoscopic laser ablation for pediatric low-grade endobronchial MEC is a feasible, effective, and safe method. Close follow-up is essential for lung preservation management. Evidence levelLevel IV. Type of studyCase series with no comparison group.

Description of normal pulmonary radiographic findings in 55 apparently healthy juvenile Kemp's ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys kempii).

A total of 55 digital radiographic studies from 53 individual juvenile Kemp's ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys kempii) were retrospectively used to determine the normal radiographic anatomy of the lower respiratory tract in sea turtles that had been stranded due to hook-and-line injury and were otherwise clinically healthy. There were three or four projections available for each study: dorsoventral (DV), rostrocaudal (RoCd), and left and/or right lateral. The DV and RoCd were most conducive for assessing global lung volume and symmetry of lung volume. The DV and lateral views were most helpful for evaluating the main bronchus and its branching channels and for assessing lung margination. The RoCd view was most useful for assessing the symmetry of the lung opacity. The lateral views were most helpful for assessing the ventral margin of each lung lobe. On the lateral view, the main bronchus lay ventrally and coursed horizontally through the lung from cranial to caudal. On the DV view, the bronchus lay medially and was observed to be curvilinear coursing caudomedially. On the RoCd view, the main bronchus was located ventromedially. The RoCd view demonstrated the channels and niches end-on resulting in a reticulated or honeycomb appearance. The channels were seen as uniform striations coursing perpendicular to the main bronchus on the lateral views (vertical striations coursing dorsal to ventral) and DV views (horizontal striations coursing medially to laterally).

Characteristics analysis of 157 cases of central airway stenosis due to tracheobronchial tuberculosis: A descriptive study.

Tracheobronchial stenosis, particularly central airway stenosis, which frequently results in severe complications such as lung damage, occurs in patients with tracheobronchial tuberculosis (TBTB). To analyze the clinical characteristics of patients with central airway stenosis due to tuberculosis (CASTB). Retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical features, radiological features, bronchoscopic features and treatment of 157 patients who were diagnosed with CASTB in two tertiary hospitals in Chongqing, China, from May 2020 to May 2022. CASTB mostly occurs in young patients and females. Patients with CASTB exhibited different symptoms repeatedly during the disease, especially varying degrees of dyspnea, prompting many patients to undergo bronchoscopic intervention and even surgery. Patients with cicatricial strictures constituted the highest proportion of the TBTB subtype with CASTB and 35.7% of the patients with CASTB were found to have tracheobronchomalacia (TBM) under bronchoscopy. CASTB and TBM mainly involved the left main bronchus. Patients with lower levels of education had higher rates of TBM. Patients with TBM manifested shortness of breath more frequently than patients without TBM. Patients with TBTB who had undergone bronchoscopic interventions have a higher rate of TBM. Despite mostly adequate anti-tuberculosis chemotherapy, patients with TBTB can present with CASTB involving severe scarring stenosis, bronchial occlusion, tracheobronchomalacia and even destroyed lung.

Nocturnal continuous positive airway pressure offers symptomatic benefit in excessive dynamic airway collapse despite normal sleep study.

Excessive dynamic airway collapse (EDAC) and tracheobronchomalacia (TBM) cause debilitating symptoms yet are often misdiagnosed as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). EDAC/TBM should be considered in all cases of obstructive ventilatory defect refractory to medical management. Diagnosis is made with flexible bronchoscopy and/or inspiratory and expiratory phase computed tomography (CT) scans. Treatment should be individualised and "pneumatic stenting" with the use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) may lead to symptomatic relief, and in some cases regardless of the degree of collapse or absence of sleep disordered breathing in overnight oximetry. The case of a 63-year-old female referred to a tertiary respiratory department for a trial of CPAP due to EDAC is presented. Over the course of a few months, she had presented frequently to hospital with cough and shortness of breath which had been attributed to asthma. As she had not responded to treatment, an inpatient flexible bronchoscopy was performed which identified EDAC of the right main bronchus and she was referred to a tertiary ventilation department. Despite a normal sleep study whilst self-ventilating, nocturnal CPAP therapy significantly improved quality and duration of sleep, daytime symptoms and therefore quality of life. She was discharged with nocturnal CPAP and remains adherent to treatment.

An Unexpected 12.6 Centimeter Nail in the Thorax Damaging Vital Structures: A Case Report “Nailed It”

We report a patient who was referred to the emergency room with pulmonary complaints and where a computed tomography (CT) scan showed an unexpected 12.6 cm nail in the thorax penetrating part of the left pulmonary upper lobe, the left pulmonary artery, the left main bronchus, and the descending aorta, which had been in situ for at least three days. The quickly deteriorating patient had to be transferred to a tertiary academic hospital where the nail was successfully surgically removed. The comprehensive description of this unique case with a discussion of the critical decision moments could render insights into the management of challenging trauma cases.

Coil embolization of a pulmonary artery-bronchial fistula associated with intra parenchymal pseudoaneurysm, endovascular approach, and bronchoscopy monitoring – A case report

A 62-year-old man with a heavy background of the right upper lobe squamous cell carcinoma was admitted with massive hemoptysis. Computerized tomography (CT) showed a large right upper lobe lesion with infiltration of mediastinum and airways. A right pulmonary artery pseudoaneurysm slightly bulging into the right main bronchus was seen, suspicious for a pulmonary artery bronchial fistula. A combined endotracheal and angiographic approach was done. The right pulmonary artery angiogram showed a now occluded neck to the pseudoaneurysm which was selectively cannulated. Framing and packing coils were deployed. Contrast was endoscopically noted without bronchial bleeding. As the coils were entering the lung parenchyma, packing back to the neck was done carefully. No new bleeding was noted. A bronchial stent was inserted 6 weeks later and one coil protruding into the bronchus was seen. A 3 month CT follow-up did not show any residual pseudoaneurysm. Patient died 3 months after initial procedure of his progressive illness. Only three cases of endovascular management of bronchial-pulmonary artery fistula reported with different techniques including pulmonary artery stenting. Our case is the only one reported treated with only coil embolization. Limited data are available regarding the risk of pulmonary embolism after stenting. Anticoagulation required after stenting increases the risk of bleeding in patients with severe hemoptysis. Management with coils only facilitates further management. This preserves pulmonary circulation in patients with already compromised respiratory function. Coil only embolization of uncommon pulmonary artery bronchial fistula is feasible and facilitates further management as it does not require anticoagulation in patient with recurrent bleeding.

Endobronchial metastasis secondary to occulting renal cell carcinoma: literature review and a rare case report

BackgroundEndobronchial Metastasis from extrathoracic tumors is a rare neoplasm that accounts for approximately 1.1% of total endobronchial malignancies. The most common primary tumors associated with EBM are from the colorectal, breast, and kidney regions. Although it represents a late manifestation in the context of tumor progression, it can rarely antedate the diagnosis of the primary tumor.Case presentationA 67-years-old male was referred from another city hospital to our thoracic surgery department due to a 4-months history of hemoptysis and productive cough. A chest X-ray and computed tomography scan showed a soft-tissue mass within the left main bronchus and atelectasis of the anterior segment of the left upper lobe. Furthermore, a flexible bronchoscopy revealed a hypervascular lesion occluding completely the left upper lobe bronchus. The patient underwent lobectomy and pathological examination suggested endobronchial metastasis from clear cell renal cell carcinoma. A second computed tomography scan of the abdomen and pelvis showed a well-defined mass arising from the lateral aspect of the right kidney; therefore, the patient underwent right radical nephrectomy three weeks later and pathology confirmed the diagnosis of clear renal cell carcinoma with endobronchial metastasis.ConclusionDespite its rarity, physicians should consider the possibility of endobronchial metastases in the setting of endobronchial lesions. Proper diagnostic approaches should also be considered to rule out the potential of asymptomatic extrathoracic neoplasms. In this manuscript, we aimed to report a rare case -the first from Syria to our knowledge- of an endobronchial metastasis that preceded the diagnosis of renal cell carcinoma. Importantly, we reviewed the existing literature and discussed the diagnostic and treatment approaches.

A Case of Migratory Foreign Body in Left Bronchus -Scarf Pin.

Tracheobronchial foreign body aspiration is a life threatening emergency which requires immediate medical attention. Foreign body aspiration caused by sharp objects like scarf pins was more common in young girls, possibly due to casual handling of sharp objects. Most of the patients were symptomatic with cough and choking episodes. The penetration and dislodgement was the most commonly reported symptom in the majority of the patients. Here we are presenting a case of a young female with accidental swallowing of sharp scarf, following which she developed throat pain and cough. A detailed radiological examination was performed which showed that a foreign body had migrated into the left bronchus, which was removed with a bronchoscope. This case demonstrates the emergency management of a sharp foreign object that was inhaled into the airway.

Recurrent aortic-arch pseudoaneurysm eroding into the left main bronchus following descending thoracic aortic stent repair

BackgroundBehcet's disease is a form of systematic vasculitis that affects vessels of various sizes anywhere in the body. Aortic pseudoaneurysm is the most hazardous lesion in Behcet's disease and is associated with high mortality rate once rupture.Case presentationIn this report, we presented a patient with a known history of Behcet's disease, whose recurrent aortic-arch pseudoaneurysm eroding into the left main bronchus was identified after a 4-year duration of thoracic endovascular aortic repair for thoracic descending aortic pseudoaneurysm ruptured into the left lung. Repeated thoracic endovascular aortic repair combined with the chimney stent effectively controlled massive hemoptysis under the life-threatening circumstance, and the patient was in good condition at the 7-year follow-up.ConclusionsThoracic endovascular aortic repair can be used as an effective and problem-solving treatment approach for thoracic aortic aneurysms eroded into the lung, even recurrent pseudoaneurysm after thoracic endovascular aortic repair in BD patients. Among the imaging methods assessing the technical success, outcome and complications, computed tomography angiography offers a fast, accessible and sensitive imaging modality.

Distinguishing bronchoscopically observed anatomical positions of airway under by convolutional neural network.

Artificial intelligence (AI) technology has been used for finding lesions via gastrointestinal endoscopy. However, there were few AI-associated studies that discuss bronchoscopy. To use convolutional neural network (CNN) to recognize the observed anatomical positions of the airway under bronchoscopy. We designed the study by comparing the imaging data of patients undergoing bronchoscopy from March 2022 to October 2022 by using EfficientNet (one of the CNNs) and U-Net. Based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 1527 clear images of normal anatomical positions of the airways from 200 patients were used for training, and 475 clear images from 72 patients were utilized for validation. Further, 20 bronchoscopic videos of examination procedures in another 20 patients with normal airway structures were used to extract the bronchoscopic images of normal anatomical positions to evaluate the accuracy for the model. Finally, 21 respiratory doctors were enrolled for the test of recognizing corrected anatomical positions using the validating datasets. In all, 1527 bronchoscopic images of 200 patients with nine anatomical positions of the airway, including carina, right main bronchus, right upper lobe bronchus, right intermediate bronchus, right middle lobe bronchus, right lower lobe bronchus, left main bronchus, left upper lobe bronchus, and left lower lobe bronchus, were used for supervised machine learning and training, and 475 clear bronchoscopic images of 72 patients were used for validation. The mean accuracy of recognizing these 9 positions was 91% (carina: 98%, right main bronchus: 98%, right intermediate bronchus: 90%, right upper lobe bronchus: 91%, right middle lobe bronchus 92%, right lower lobe bronchus: 83%, left main bronchus: 89%, left upper bronchus: 91%, left lower bronchus: 76%). The area under the curves for these nine positions were >0.98. In addition, the accuracy of extracting the images via the video by the trained model was 94.7%. We also conducted a deep learning study to segment 10 segment bronchi in right lung, and 8 segment bronchi in Left lung. Because of the problem of radial depth, only segment bronchi distributions below right upper bronchus and right middle bronchus could be correctly recognized. The accuracy of recognizing was 84.33 ± 7.52% by doctors receiving interventional pulmonology education in our hospital over 6 months. Our study proved that AI technology can be used to distinguish the normal anatomical positions of the airway, and the model we trained could extract the corrected images via the video to help standardize data collection and control quality.

Tracheobronchial schwannoma: a case report and literature review

Primary tracheobronchial schwannoma is extremely rare. A woman in her early 60 s was admitted to our department with a 2-month history of cough and expectoration. Chest computed tomography (CT) revealed a high-density nodule at the opening of the right main bronchus, accompanied by atelectasis in the middle and lower lobes. Flexible bronchoscopy revealed a tumor at the opening of the bronchus of the right middle lung lobe, which protruded into the main bronchus. A high-frequency electrosurgical snare, endobronchial cryosurgery, and argon plasma coagulation (APC) were used under rigid bronchoscopy. Histopathological examination diagnosed the tumor as schwannoma. The patient's symptoms resolved after the operation. Follow-up chest CT showed that the right main bronchus was unobstructed, and the bronchus of the lower lobe was open. Bronchoscopic interventional therapy is an alternative treatment for tracheobronchial schwannoma.

Method of surgical treatment of recurrent pleural empyema with bronchial fistula after right pneumonectomy for destructive drug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis

Introduction. The treatment of patients with recurrent empyema of the pleural cavity associated with bronchial fistula of the main bronchus has been an urgent problem in phthisiosurgery for many decades. There are non-radi-cal methods of treatment using various variants of bron-cho-obturators and radical methods of treatment, but ac-companied by high trauma due to chest decostation. The authors proposed an original method for the elimination of recurrent bronchial fistula and pleural empyema after right pneumonectomy while preserving the frame of the chest. Materials and methods. A retrospective study for the period from 2016 to 2023 included 9 patients who were operated on for empyema of the pleural cav-ity with a fistula of the right main bronchus according to the original method after previous pneumonecto-my. The duration of the fistula before surgery ranged from 4 to 42 months. Bacterial excretion in sputum was preserved in 3 (33.4%) patients. 8 (88.8%) patients had pre-XDR MTB and only 1 (11.1%) had MDR MTB. In all patients, a mixed (specific and non-specific) flora was determined in the pleural fluid. The surgical strategy was multi-staged. At the first stage, upper-posterior thoracoplasty, thoracotomy, resection of the stump of the right main bronchus, its suturing and myoplasty were performed. At the second stage, an open cleaning of the pleural cavity was performed with tamponage of the residual empyema cavity from the thoracostomy, after that vacuum asssisted closure system was applied to the thoracostomy. At the third stage, myoplastic closure of the thoracostomy was performed. The im-mediate and long-term results of treatment of patients were evaluated. Results. All patients were operated on by the same surgical team. In all cases, resection of the stump of the right main bronchus was performed, for a length of 2 mm to 5 mm. Histological examination of the bronchial resection margin did not reveal tubercu-lous lesions. In the postoperative period, surgical com-plications requiring invasive interventions to eliminate them occurred in 22.2%. In 8 (88.8%) patients, the result of treatment was regarded as satisfactory (persistent absence of fistula, absence of progression of pleural empyema). In a patient with persistent recurrence of the fistula, the result of treatment is regarded as unsat-isfactory. In the long-term period, all patients with satis-factory surgical treatment were removed from the dis-pensary register, data for recurrence of empyema and bronchial fistula were not obtained during the control examination. Against the background of anti-tuberculo-sis chemotherapy, a clinical cure of tuberculosis of the sole lung was achieved with the formation of metatu-berculous fibrotic focal changes without destruction. All patients were persistently abacillated. Conclusion. The proposed multi-stage therapeutic surgical tactics for recurrent empyema of the pleural cavity associated with bronchial fistula of the main bronchus is an optimal alternative to supertraumatic and non-radical methods, since it allows reliable elimination of chronic, often re-current, bronchial fistula with successful treatment of empyema of the residual pleural cavity, and is also ac-companied by low traumatism and the best cosmetic effect while maintaining the frame of the chest wall

Case report: Small cell lung cancer presenting as the “sunray sign” in the chest radiograph and recurrent hemoptysis

Lung cancer prognosis has not changed in the last few decades due to diagnosis at an advanced stage. Themajority of cases with early disease are asymptomatic, and whenever clinical presentations with cough, dyspnea,hemoptysis, or chest pain occur, when these cases have progressed to an advanced stage. Lung cancer topsthe list of all causes of cancer-related deaths globally and is ahead of digestive tract malignancies. Small-celllung cancer (SCLC) has the worst outcome, with survival rates in the range of weeks to months from diagnosis.SCLC is usually manifested as an extensive disease due to its delayed presentation, early metastasis, systemicnature, and poor response to available treatment options. “sunray sign” in chest radiographs is first describedin literature and constitutes a hilar mass or radiopacity with inhomogeneous linear opacities spreading towardthe periphery like sunrays, which is a marker of interstitial lymphatic involvement due to malignant spread ofdisease. The “sunray sign” is an indicator of underlying lung malignancy with central airway or main stem bronchusinvolvement and lymphatic dissemination in linear opacities. In this case report, we have reported a 51-year-oldmale who presented with cough and hemoptysis with progressive worsening of shortness of breath. Chest X-raysdocumented round opacities occupying the right hilum with linear opacities emerging toward the periphery in lungparenchyma, showing the typical “sunray sign.” Bronchoscopy was done after clinical stabilization and showedendobronchial polypoidal growth in the right main stem bronchus, causing partial occlusion of the bronchial lumen.Endobronchial needle aspiration (EBNA) cytology and forceps-guided (FB) histopathology are suggestive of “smallcell histological type” lung malignancy for the “sunray sign” in our case. A high index of suspicion is a must to ruleout underlying malignancy, and bronchoscopy is the “gold standard” test in cases with the sunray sign to confirmthe diagnosis.

“Bulging fissure sign” on chest radiograph: Strong predictor of central airway malignancy

A bulging fissure sign in a chest radiograph is usually associated with right upper lobe lung collapse with horizontal fissural effusion or collection. Etiology and pathophysiology traced to infective and noninfective causes. Commonly bulging fissure sign is described with lung malignancy in old age. Infective etiologies are infective types in children and adults with comorbid conditions. In this case report, we have reported a 54-year-old male presented with cough and hemoptysis with progressive worsening of shortness of breath. Clinically tubular breath sounds in the right infraclavicular region with egophony were heard. Chest X-ray documented right lung consolidation or mass lesion with bulging fissures. Bronchoscopy was done after clinical stabilization and showed endobronchial polypoidal growth in the right mainstem bronchus causing near-complete occlusion of the bronchial lumen. Endobronchial needle aspiration cytology and forceps-guided (forcep biopsy) histopathology suggestive of “squamous cell” type of lung malignancy for bulging fissure sign in our case. A high index of suspicion is must to rule out underlying malignancy and bronchoscopy is “gold-standard” test in cases with bulging fissure sign to confirm a diagnosis.