Appendiceal tumors and pseudomyxoma peritonei: current recommendations for clinical practice

Appendiceal tumors and pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) are rare tumors. Perforated epithelial tumors of the appendix are the most common source of PMP. This disease is characterized by the presence of mucin of varying degrees of consistency, partially adherent to the surfaces. Appendiceal mucoceles themselves are also very rare and usually their treatment involves only a simple appendectomy. The aim of this study was to provide an up-to-date review of the recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of these malignancies according to the current guidelines of The Peritoneal Surface Oncology Group International (PSOGI) and the Blue Book of the Czech Society for Oncology of the Czech Medical Association of J. E. Purkyně (ČOS ČLS JEP).

Antibiotic therapy of postoperative bronchopneumonia in patients after lung resections - single-site experience

INTRODUCTION

Infectious complications after lung surgery are the most important factor that affects mortality and morbidity, prolongs hospital stays and increases financial costs. According to various sources, 30-day mortality after lung resections reaches 123%. Infectious complications account for 2075% of overall mortality. The infections most often present as postoperative pneumonia (POP), and their treatment is based on empirical and targeted antibiotic therapy. Any time lag in initiating effective antibiotic therapy significantly increases morbidity and mortality. Postoperative pneumonia is defined according to current guidelines of the American Thoracic Society of 2016 as nosocomial or ventilator pneumonia in patients after surgery.

METHODS

Evaluation of risk factors, infectious agents, morbidity and mortality in patients after lung resections at a single site in the period from 1 January 2018 to 31 December 2019.

RESULTS

Of our group of 190 patients, 21 (11.1%) patients had POP which was severe in 6 (33% with POP) patients, and 11 patients with POP required artificial oxygenation for saturation below 92%. Two patients with POP had to be intubated for respiratory failure, and 3 patients required noradrenaline circulatory support. One patient with severe POP died of multiorgan failure after developing refractory sepsis.

CONCLUSION

Early identification of lung infection and early initiation of POP therapy are critical points for reducing morbidity and mortality after lung resections. Advanced antibiotic regimens for POP stratify the risk of mortality and infection with multidrug-resistant bacterial strains. However, the regimes require modification according to the epidemiological situation at the site with individualization of the specific procedure. Other research tasks include identification of valid markers of the initial stages of infection, and targeting of antibiotic therapy according to risk stratification and the relationship with physiological flora.

Hyperthermic intraoperative intrapleural chemotherapy and surgical cytoreduction as part of multimodal treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma - case report M. Szkorupa1, D. Klos1, J. Chudacek1, J. Hanuliak1, M. Stasek1, O. Fischer2, R. Lemstrova3

Malignant pleural mesothelioma is one of the most aggressive malignancies with a very poor prognosis. Multimodal treatment consisting of three modalities - chemotherapy, radiotherapy and cytoreductive surgery is optimal. The use of new therapeutic modalities, such as hyperthermic intraoperative intrapleural chemotherapy or photodynamic therapy can improve the current results of mesothelioma treatment. Combined hyperthermic intraoperative chemotherapy and cytoreductive surgery as part of multimodal therapy of malignant mesothelioma has been used since 2017 at the 1st Department of Surgery of University Hospital Olomouc. The authors report the case of a 47-year-old man with malignant epithelioid mesothelioma of the left pleural cavity. Following neoadjuvant chemotherapy, this patient underwent extrapleural pneumonectomy with intraoperative intracavitary hyperthermic chemotherapy. The postoperative period was complicated by circulatory instability and later by tension fluidothorax with signs of heart failure. Currently, 8 months have elapsed from the surgery and the patient remains without any signs of recurrence.

[Evolution of Opinions on Chest Wall Stabilisation and Our Experience]

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY Rib fractures represent one of the most common fractures sustained by 10-40% of all patients with blunt chest trauma, their incidence increases with age. In the current literature, however, new indication criteria continue to emerge. The purpose of this study is to assess the indication criteria, the timing of surgery and the use of individual plates in dependence on fracture location in our patients after the chest wall stabilisation in a retrospective analysis. MATERIAL AND METHODS Our group of patients (n = 349) included the patients who were hospitalised in the Trauma Centre of the University Hospital Olomouc from 1 January 2015 to 31 January 2019, of whom 16 patients were indicated for a surgery. In case of polytrauma, spiral CT was performed, while all patients with a more serious wall chest trauma underwent 3D CT chest wall reconstruction. The surgical approach was chosen based on the fracture location, most frequently posterolateral thoracotomy was opted for. The type of plates was chosen based on the location and type of the fracture. The most common was the lateral type of fracture. RESULTS The most common indication for surgery was multiple rib fractures with major chest wall disfiguration with the risk of injury to intrathoracic organs, present hemothorax or pneumothorax. The age of patients ranged from 44 to 92 years. 8 patients sustained a thoracic monotrauma, the remaining patients suffered multiple injuries, mostly craniocerebral trauma, pelvic or long bone fractures or parenchymal organ injury. The patients were indicated for surgery between 1 hour and 7 days after the hospital admission, on average 3 plates per patient were used and the most commonly used type of plate was the newly modified Judet plate made by Medin. All the patients underwent a surgical revision of pleural cavity, in 3 patients diaphragmatic rupture was found despite a negative preoperative CT scan. The duration of mechanical ventilation in polytrauma patients was 16 days, in thoracic monotrauma patients it was 2 days. CONCLUSIONS Prevailing majority of patients with a blunt chest trauma with rib fractures is still treated non-operatively, which is confirmed also by our group of patients. Nonetheless, correctly and early indicated stabilisation of the chest wall based on accurate indication criteria is of a great benefit to the patients. The aim of each and every trauma centre should be to develop a standardised protocol for the management of blunt chest trauma (the so-called "rib fracture protocol"), which comprises precisely defined criteria for patient admission, multimodal analgesia, indications for surgery, comprehensive perioperative and postoperative care and a subsequent rehabilitation of patients. Key words: rib fracture protocol, chest wall stabilisation, flail chest.

[Combined treatment of early tracheobronchopleural fistula after right tracheal sleeve pneumonectomy]

Extended tracheo-bronchoplastic resection for lung cancer with carinal involvement ranks among technically demanding procedures. Despite certain progress in oncological therapy, this type of resection remains the only potentially curative treatment of NSCLC in this localization. However, given the severity of complications postoperative mortality is relatively high (711%). The main cause of death is tracheobronchopleural fistula complicated by thoracic empyema, bronchopneumonia and septic shock. If ARDS (acute respiratory distress syndrome) develops, the mortality rate rises up to 70%. The treatment of tracheobronchopleural fistula is arduous, long-term and essentially multidisciplinary. In this case report, the authors present the case of a 58 years old patient developing the tracheobronchopleural fistula early after carinal resection and sleeve pneumonectomy for a centrally localised squamous cell carcinoma of the right lung. The fistula was primarily sutured and secured using a muscular flap. For recurrence of the fistula, tissue adhesive glue was applied in combination with the introduction of a plastic stent, which resulted in healing of the tracheobronchopleural fistula.Key words: sleeve pulmonectomy carinal resection tracheobronchopleural fistula tracheobronchial stenting.