Thoracic Surgery Flashcards
What is VATS?
Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery
What is thoracic outlet syndrome?
Compression of the subclavian artery, subclavian vein, or brachial plexus at the superior outlet of the thorax
What are the causes of thoracic outlet syndrome?
- Various congenital anomalies, including cervical rib or abnormal fascial bands to the first rib, or abnormal scalene muscle.
- Trauma: clavicular fracture or first rib fracture, dislocation of humeral head, crush injuries.
- Repetitive motor injuries.
What are the symptoms of thoracic outlet syndrome?
- Paresthesias (neck, shoulder, arm, hand) with 90% in ulnar distribution
- Weakness (neural or arterial)
- Coolness of involved extremity (arterial)
- Edema, venous distention, discoloration (venous)
What is the most common type of symptoms in thoracic outlet syndrome?
Neurologic
Which nerve is most often involved in thoracic outlet syndrome?
Ulnar nerve
What are the signs of thoracic outlet syndrome?
- Paget-von Schroetter syndrome (venous thrombosis leading to edema, arm discoloration, and distention of the superficial veins)
- Weak brachial and radial pulses in the involved arm
- Hypesthesia or anesthesia
- Occasionally, atrophy in the distribution of the ulnar nerve
- Positive Adson maneuver or Tinel’s sign
- Edema
What is the Adson maneuver?
Evaluates for arterial compromise:
The patient (1) Extends neck, (2) Takes deep breath and holds, and (3) Turns head toward examined side.
The physician monitors radial pulse on examined side.
The test finding is positive if the radial pulse decreases or disappears during the maneuver.
What is Tinel’s test?
Tapping of the supraclavicular fossa producing paresthesias
What is the treatment for thoracic outlet syndrome?
PT; decompression of the thoracic outlet by resecting the first rib and cervical rib (if present) if PT fails and as a last resort.
What are the most common benign chest wall tumors?
- Fibrous rib dysplasia (posterolateral rib)
- Chondroma (at costochondrial junction)
- Osteochondroma (any portion of rib)
What is the treatment for benign chest wall tumors?
Wide excision and reconstruction with autologous or prosthetic grafts
What are the most common malignant chest wall tumors?
Fibrosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, osteogenic sarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, myeloma, Ewing’s sarcoma
What is the treatment for malignant chest wall tumors?
Excision +/- XRT
What is Tietze’s syndrome?
Non-infectious costochondral cartilage inflammation
What is a pleural effusion?
Fluid in the pleural space
What are the causes of pleural effusion?
Pulmonary infections; CHF; SLE; RA; pancreatitis; trauma; PE; renal disease; cirrhosis; malignancy (mesothelioma, lymphoma, metastasis); post-pericardiotomy syndrome
What are the symptoms of pleural effusion?
Dyspnea, pleuritic chest pain
What are the signs of pleural effusion?
Decreased breath sounds, dullness to percussion, ego phony at the upper limit
What are the properties of a transudate?
Specific gravity: < 1.016
Protein: < 3 g/dL
Few cells
What are the properties of an exudate?
Specific gravity: > 1.016
Protein: > 3 g/dL
Many cells
What is the key diagnostic test for pleural effusion?
Thoracentesis with studies including cytology
What is the treatment for pleural effusion?
- Pigtail catheter or thoracostomy
- Treat underlying condition
- Consider sclerosis
What is an empyema?
Infected pleural effusion.
Must be drained, usually with chest tube; decortication may be necessary if the empyema is solid.
What is a decortication?
Thoracotomy and removal of an infected fibrous rind from around the lung
What are the signs and symptoms of a lung abscess?
Fever, sputum, sepsis, fatigue
What are the associated diagnostic studies for lung abscess?
CXR (air-fluid level); CT (define position and differentiate from empyema); bronchoscopy (cancer/culture)
What is the treatment for lung abscess?
Antibiotics and bronchoscopy for culture and toilet, +/- surgery
What are the indications for surgery for lung abscess?
Underlying cancer/tumor or refractory to antibiotics
What are the surgical options for lung abscess?
Lobectomy of lobe with abscess, tube drainage
What is middle lobe syndrome?
Recurrent right middle lobe pneumonia caused most commonly by intermittent extrinsic bronchial obstruction
What is hemoptysis?
Bleeding into the bronchial tree
What are the causes of hemoptysis?
- Bronchitis
- Tumor mass
- TB
Also, bronchiectasis, pulmonary catheters, trauma.
What is massive hemoptysis?
> 600 cc/day
What comprises the workup of hemoptysis?
CXR; bronchoscopy; bronchial A-gram
What is the treatment for massive hemoptysis?
Bronchoscopy, intubation of unaffected side; Fogarty catheter occlusion of bleeding bronchus; bronchial A-gram +/- embolization; surgical resection of involved lung
What is the treatment of moderate to mild hemoptysis?
Laser coagulation +/- epinephrine
What is a spontaneous PTX?
Atraumatic spontaneous development of a PTX
What are the causes of spontaneous PTX?
Idiopathic, bleb disease, emphysema
What body habits is associated with spontaneous PTX?
Thin and tall
How is the diagnosis of spontaneous PTX made?
CXR
What is the treatment for spontaneous PTX?
Chest tube
What are the options if spontaneous PTX is refractory, recurrent, or bilateral?
Pleurodesis:
Scar the lung to the parietal pleura with a sclerosant (talc) via chest tube/thoracoscopy or thoracotomy and mechanical dilation.
What is a catamenial PTX?
PTX due to intrathoracic endometriosis
What is malignant mesothelioma?
Primary pleural neoplasm
What are the 2 types of malignant mesothelioma?
- Localized
2. Diffuse
What are the risk factors for malignant mesothelioma?
Exposure to asbestos; smoking
What are the symptoms of malignant mesothelioma?
Dyspnea and pain.
Localized: pleuritic pain, joint pain and swelling.
Diffuse: chest pain, malaise, weight loss, cough.
What are the signs of malignant mesothelioma?
Pleural effusion:
Localized: 10-15%
Diffuse: >75%
What are the associated radiographic tests for malignant mesothelioma?
CXR (peripheral mass, often forming obtuse angle with chest wall); CT
How is the diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma made?
Pleural biopsy, pleural fluid cytology
What is the treatment for localized malignant mesothelioma?
Surgical excision
What is the treatment for diffuse malignant mesothelioma?
Early: Resection, then XRT.
Advanced: XRT, chemotherapy
What is the prognosis for malignant mesothelioma?
Localized: poor
Diffuse: dismal
What is benign mesothelioma?
Benign pleural mesothelioma
What pleura is usually involved in benign mesothelioma?
Visceral pleura
What is the gross appearance of benign mesothelioma?
Pedunculated “broccoli or cauliflower” tumor on a stalk coming off of the lung
What is the treatment for benign mesothelioma?
Surgical resection with at least 1 cm clear margin
What is the prognosis for benign mesothelioma?
Excellent: cure in vast majority of cases
What is the annual incidence of lung cancer in the US?
170,000 new cases
What is the number of annual deaths from lung cancer?
150,000
What is the #1 risk factor for lung cancer?
Smoking
Does asbestos exposure increase the risk of lung cancer run patients who smoke?
Yes
What type of lung cancer arises in non-smoking patients?
Adenocarcinoma
In which lung does cancer arise more often?
Right > left and Upper > lower
What are the signs and symptoms of lung cancer?
Change in a chronic cough; hemoptysis, chest pain, dyspnea; pleural effusion; hoarseness; SVC syndrome; diaphragmatic paralysis; paraneoplastic syndrome; finger clubbing
What is Pancoast’s tumor?
Tumor at the apex of the lung or superior sulcus that may involve the brachial plexus, sympathetic ganglia, and vertebral bodies, leading to pain, upper extremity weakness, Horner’s syndrome
What is Horner’s syndrome?
Injury to the cervical sympathetic chain:
- Miosis
- Anhydrosis
- Ptosis
What are the 4 most common sites of extrathoracic metastases from lung cancer?
- Bone
- Liver
- Adrenals
- Kidney
What are paraneoplastic syndromes?
Syndromes that are associated with tumors but may affect distant parts of the body.
They may be caused by hormones released from endocrinologically active tumors or may be of uncertain etiology.
What are 5 general types of paraneoplastic syndrome?
- Metabolic (Cushing’s, SIADH, hypercalcemia)
- Neuromuscular (Eaton-Lambert, cerebellar ataxia)
- Skeletal (hypertrophic osteoarthropathy)
- Dermatologic (acanthosis nigricans)
- Vascular (thrombophlebitis)
What are the associated radiographic tests for lung cancer?
CXR, CT, PET scan
How is lung cancer diagnosed?
- Sputum cytology
- Needle biopsy (CT or fluoro guidance)
- Bronchoscopy with brushings, biopsies, or both
- Mediastinoscopy, mediastinotomy, scalene node biopsy, or open lung biopsy for definitive diagnosis
What is the usual site of squamous cell lung cancer and what is its natural course?
66% occur centrally in lung hilus, may also be Pancoast’s tumor.
Slow growth, late metastasis, associated with smoking.
What is the usual site of lung adenocarcinoma and what is its natural course?
Peripheral.
Rapid growth with hematogenous/nodal metastsasis, associated with lung scarring.
What is the usual site of small (oat) cell lung cancer and what is its natural course?
Central.
Highly malignant, usually not operable.
What is the usual site of large cell lung cancer and what is its natural course?
Peripheral.
Very malignant.
What is stage Ia lung cancer?
Tumor < 3 cm, no nodes, no metastases
What is stage Ib lung cancer?
Tumor 3-5 cm, no nodes, no metastases
What is stage IIa lung cancer?
- Tumor < 5 cm and positive nodes to lung or ipsilateral hilum, no metastases, or
- Tumor 5-7 cm, no nodes, no metastases
What is stage IIb lung cancer?
- Tumor 5-7 cm and positive nodes in lung or ipsilateral hilum, no metastases, or
- Tumor that invades chest wall, diaphragm, mediastinal pleura, phrenic nerve, pericardial sac, or bronchus (not carina) and no nodes, no metastases
What is stage IIIa lung cancer?
- Tumor < 7 cm and positive nodes in ipsilateral mediastinum or subcarina, no metastases, or
- Tumor > 7 cm or extends into chest wall, parietal pleura, diaphragm, phrenic nerve, or pericardium, positive node in ipsilateral, mediastinal, or subcarinal nodes, or
- Any size tumor that invades heart, great vessels, trachea, esophagus, carina, or ipsilateral lobe, or positive nodes in peribronchial or ipsilateral hilum or intrapulmonary nodes
What is stage IIIb lung cancer?
- Any size tumor, positive nodes in contralateral hilum or mediastinum, or
- Positive supraclavicular or scalene nodes, no distant metastases
What is stage IV lung cancer?
Distant metastases
What are the surgical contraindications for non-small cell lung cancer?
Stage IIIb-IV, poor lung function (FEV1 < 0.8 L)
What is the treatment for stage I non-small cell lung cancer?
Surgical resection
What is the treatment for stage II non-small cell lung cancer?
Surgical resection
What is the treatment for stage IIIa non-small cell lung cancer?
Chemotherapy and XRT +/- surgical resection
What is the treatment for stage IIIb non-small cell lung cancer?
Chemotherapy and XRT
What is the treatment for stage IV non-small cell lung cancer?
Chemotherapy +/- XRT
What is the treatment for isolated brain metastasis from lung cancer?
Surgical resection
What is the prognosis (5-year survival after treatment of non-small cell lung cancer?
Stage I: 50%
Stage II: 30%
Stage III: < 10%
Stage IV: 1%
How is small cell lung cancer treated?
Chemotherapy +/- XRT
What are the contraindications to surgery for lung cancer?
STOP IT: SVC syndrome, Supraclavicular or Scalene node metastasis Tracheal carina involvement Oat cell cancer Pulmonary function tests poor Infarction (myocardial) Tumor elsewhere