Sasada S, Kawahara K, Kusunoki Y, Okamoto N, Iwasaki T, Suzuki H, Kobayashi M, Hirashima T, Matsui K, Ohta M, Miyazawa T.

Department of Thoracic Malignancy, Osaka Prefectural Medical Center for Respiratory and Allergic Diseases, Osaka, Japan. s-sasada@hbk.pref.osaka.jp

Abstract

Background: The biopsy size obtained with standard flexible forceps (SFF) during semirigid pleuroscopy is often insufficient for pathological examination. An insulated-tip diathermic knife (IT knife) allows safe resection of a larger lesion during gastrointestinal endoscopy. We sought to validate an electrocautery pleural biopsy technique using the IT knife during semirigid pleuroscopy. We compared the diagnosis of specimens obtained using the IT knife and SFF in 20 subjects with unexplained pleural effusion, and reviewed pleuroscopic parameters such as complications, procedure time, and diameter of the specimens.

Methods: After injecting saline with lidocaine and epinephrine below the affected pleura, the lesion was incised in a circular shape with full thickness by manipulating the IT knife.

Results: Diagnostic yields from specimens obtained with the IT knife and SFF were 85% (17 of 20 cases) and 60% (12 of 20 cases), respectively. The IT knife biopsy was superior to SFF in 8 of 20 patients (malignant pleural mesothelioma in three, nonspecific inflammation in two, metastatic breast cancer in one, and tuberculosis in one). These pleural lesions revealed thickened, smooth abnormal appearances. The overall diagnostic yield for both IT knife and SFF was 100%. Median time of the procedure, from first pleural injection to specimen removal, was 21 min (range 12–92 min), and median diameter of specimen was 13 mm (range 6–23 mm). There were no severe complications during the procedure.

Conclusions: Electrocautery biopsy using the IT knife during semirigid pleuroscopy has great potential for diagnosing smooth abnormal pleura which are difficult to biopsy with SFF.

Keywords: Insulated-tip diathermic knife – Electrocautery pleural biopsy – Semirigid pleuroscope – Smooth abnormal pleura – Full-thickness pleura.

De Filippo M, Onniboni M, Rusca M, Carbognani P, Ferrari L, Guazzi A, Casalini A, Verardo E, Cataldi V, Tiseo M, Sverzellati N, Chiari G, Rabaiotti E, Corsi A, Cacciani G, Sommario M, Ardizzoni A, Zompatori M.

Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche, Sezione di Scienze Radiologiche, Università degli Studi di Parma, Parma, Italy. massimo.defilippo@unipr.it

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to assess the usefulness of multiplanar reformations (MPR) during multidetector-row computed tomography (MDCT)-guided percutaneous needle biopsy of lung lesions difficult to access with the guidance of the native axial images alone owing to overlying bony structures, large vessels or pleural fissures.

Materials and methods: MDCT-guided transthoracic needle biopsy (TNB) was performed on 84 patients (55 men and 29 women; mean age 65 years) with suspected lung neoplasm by using a spiral MDCT scanner with the simultaneous acquisition of six slices per rotation. We determined the site of entry of the 22-gauge Chiba needle on native axial images and coronal or sagittal MPR images. We took care to ensure the shortest needle path without overlying large vessels, main bronchi, pleural fissures or bony structures; access to the lung parenchyma as perpendicular as possible to the pleural plane; and sampling of highly attenuating areas of noncalcified tissue within the lesion.

Results: Diagnostic samples were obtained in 96% of cases. In 73 patients, lesions appeared as a solid noncalcified nodule <;2 cm; 11 lesions were mass-like. In 22, the biopsy required MPR guidance owing to overlying ribs (18), fissures (2) or hilar-mediastinal location (2).

Conclusions: MDCT MPR images allowed sampling of pulmonary lesions until now considered unreachable with axial MDCT guidance because of overlying bony structures (ribs, sternum and scapulae) or critical location (hilar-mediastinal, proximity to the heart or large vessels). Compared with the conventional procedure, the use of MPR images does not increase the rate of pneumothorax or the procedure time.

Keywords: MPR – MDCT – Lung neoplasms – Transthoracic needle biopsy

Di Salvo M, Gambaro G, Pagella S, Manfredda I, Casadio C, Krengli M.

Radiotherapy, University of Piemonte Orientale-Hospital Maggiore della Carità, Novara, Italy.

Abstract

Introduction: Literature data show that mesothelioma cells can implant along the surgical pathway of invasive procedures such as thoracotomy and thoracoscopy. We investigated the use of hypofractionated radiotherapy for preventing such malignant seeding.

Material and methods: Thirty-two consecutive patients diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma were included in the present retrospective study. All patients underwent surgery and/or thoracoscopy for diagnosis, staging or talc pleurodesis. They were treated with electron external beam radiation therapy (21 Gy in 3 fractions over 1 week), directed to the surgical pathway after the invasive procedure. After completion of radiation treatment, 20 of 32 patients (63%) underwent chemotherapy.

Results: After a mean follow-up of 13.6 months (range 3-41) from the end of radiation therapy, no patient had tumour progression in the treated area. The treatment was well tolerated, as only erythema grade I (Radiation Therapy
Oncology Group, RTOG, scale) was noted in 11 patients. Seventeen patients died of disease with local progression after a mean survival time of 12.6 months (range 3-27); thirteen patients are alive with disease after a mean follow-up of 13.9 months (range 4-41); two patients are alive without evidence of disease after a mean follow-up of 16.50 months (range 6-27).

Discussion: The present study shows the efficacy and safety of local radiotherapy in preventing malignant seeding after thoracoscopy in patients with pleural mesothelioma although larger prospective trials are probably still needed to validate this treatment approach.

Yildirim H, Metıntaş M, Ak G, Dündar E, Ergınel S.

Department of Chest Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Osmangazi University, Eskişehir, Turkey. heylul2002@yahoo.com.

Abstract

Almost all cancers can cause distant pleural metastases. However, pleural metastases of soft tissue sarcoma that constitute less than 1% of adult solid malignancy are extremely rare. It is very difficult to distinguish them form sarcomatous malignant mesothelioma on histopathological features. We report a 57 year-old man who presented to us with left chest pain and progressive dyspnea and was diagnosed to have a pleural metastases of soft tissue sarcoma by thoracoscopic biopsy.

Sasada S, Kawahara K, Okamoto N, Kobayashi M, Iwasaki T, Michida T, Suzuki H, Hirashima T, Matsu K, Ohta M, Ishida A, Miyazawa T.

Department of Thoracic Malignancy, Osaka Prefectural Medical Center for Respiratory and Allergic Diseases, Habikino, Japan.

Abstract

A 72-year-old woman was pointed out a right pleural effusion and thickening pleura on the chest computed tomography. The patient underwent semiflexible thoracoscopy under local anesthesia at the endoscopy room. The patient was placed in the lateral decubitus position, and flexible trocar was inserted with the single puncture technique. At the macroscopic findings, the parietal pleura were thickened prominently, and patchy plaques were occasionally recognized. A standard biopsy forceps hardly grasped pleura because of presence of scar, so we performed pleural biopsy using Insulation-tipped Diathermic (IT) knife. A subpleural injection of saline containing 0.5% lidokine and 0.005% epinephrine was performed for raising the affected parietal pleura with an injection needle. After a pin hole was made, the pleural lesion was incised in a circle by manipulating the IT knife, and the incised pleura were removed. Pathology revealed extensive fibrosis and epithelial mesothelioma by the
specimen. This biopsy technique using IT knife through semiflexible thoracoscopy enabled to obtain a full-thickness pleura It is thought to be useful for the diagnosis of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) in which standard forceps are difficult to grasp.

Attanoos RL, Gibbs AR.

Department of Histopathology, Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust, Llandough Hospital, Cardiff, UK.

Abstract

Aims: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of closed and open pleural biopsies in diagnosing malignant pleural mesothelioma.

Methods and Results: The autopsy study group comprised 45 malignant mesotheliomas. All prior pleural biopsy investigations were reviewed. Forty-one of 45 (91%) had had an antemortem diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma. In these 41 cases, 57 prior diagnostic pleural biopsies had been performed [36 closed needle biopsies: 31 blind; five computed tomography (CT)-guided and 21 open pleural biopsies]. For definitive diagnosis open pleural biopsy yielded a sensitivity of 95% and specificity of 100%. For definitive diagnosis closed blind pleural biopsies yielded a sensitivity of 16% and specificity of 94%. Thirty-two per cent of ‘blind’ biopsies were inadequate. CT-guided pleural biopsies yielded a definitive diagnostic accuracy of 100% (5/5). Biopsy specimen size was important in obtaining a positive definitive diagnosis. Diagnosis was attained in 75% of specimens >10 mm in size compared with 8% <10 mm in size.

Conclusions: Overall, all procedures had utility but definitive diagnostic accuracy for ‘blind’ closed pleural biopsy was low (16%), dependent on biopsy specimen size and tumour subtype. Sarcomatoid subtype malignant mesothelioma yielded the lowest diagnostic accuracy. For all subtypes of malignant mesothelioma, open pleural biopsy produced the highest diagnostic accuracy (100% sensitivity, 95% specificity).

Keywords: diagnosis, malignant mesothelioma, pleural biopsy techniques

Jenkins LA, O-Yurvati AH.

OMS IV, 3500 Camp Davie Blvd, Fort Worth, TX 76107-2970, USA. lojenkin@hsc.unt.edu

Abstract

Solitary fibrous pleural tumors are rare masses of mesenchymal origin that may be mistaken for mesothelioma. A positive staining of vimentin, negative staining of cytoplasmic keratin, and expression of the CD34 antigen can confirm the presence of a solitary fibrous pleural tumor. Although most tumors of this type are benign, they possess a malignant potential and thus should be excised. We report a case of a 63-year-old man who had an inconclusive biopsy of a lung lesion 15 years ago. Further testing after excision revealed a solitary fibrous pleural tumor. A brief discussion of the clinical presentation and incidence of these tumors is included.

Karpathiou G, Argiana E, Koutsopoulos A, Froudarakis ME.

Department of Pneumonology, Medical School Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece.

Abstract

We report the case of a 56-year-old patient with malignant pleural mesothelioma of epithelial type, who responded to second-line chemotherapy with lipoplatin plus gemcitabine. Diagnosis and staging of the disease was done by medical thoracoscopy with biopsies of the right pleura in December 2003, when he was treated with talc pleurodesis. Eighteen months later, he presented with pleural effusion of the left side and underwent first-line chemotherapy with cisplatin plus vinorelbine. After 8 cycles, the patient presented renal toxicity limiting further cisplatinum chemotherapy and disease progression with peritoneal invasion of the tumor and ascites. Treatment with lipoplatin-gemcitabine was decided on in November 2006, and the patient showed important improvement in the clinical status and peritoneal effusion. He survived for 36 weeks, with symptom-free survival of 34 weeks.

Keywords: Lipoplatin, Gemcitabine, Mesothelioma, Second-line chemotherapy, Thoracoscopy, Cisplatin, Vinorelbine

Morokawa N, Takayanagi N, Ubukata M, Kurashima K, Yoned K, Tsuchiy N, Miyahara Y, Yamaguchi S, Tokunaga D, Saito H, Yanagisawa T, Sugita Y, Kawabata Y.

Department of Respiratory Medicine, Saitama Cardiovascular and Respiratory Center.

Abstract

A 51-year-old man presented with back pain in 1997. He had a 30-year-history of occupational asbestos exposure. His chest CT showed bilateral pleural thickening and pleural effusion. The pleural effusion of the right thorax exhibited both elevated level of adenosine deaminase and increased numbers of lymphocytes. Antituberculous chemotherapy had no effect on the exudates. Progressive bilateral pleural thickening were found on chest CT, and pulmonary function tests showed severe restrictive ventilatory impairments since 1998. Thoracoscopic pleural biopsy was conducted in 2001 to exclude pleural malignant mesothelioma. No malignancy was found in pleural samples. After 3-year observation and excluding other causes, he was given a diagnosis of benign asbestos pleurisy. In 2005, fibrotic changes were found in both lower lung fields in chest CT. He suffered from respiratory failure with carbon dioxide retention, and died in 2006. The autopsy disclosed asbestos-related lung diseases. We suspected that diffuse pleural thickening could be a major cause of fatal respiratory impairment in this case.

Rahman NM, Gleeson FV.

Oxford Centre for Respiratory Medicine and University of Oxford, Oxford Radcliffe Hospital, UK.

Abstract

Purpose of review: Pleural diseases are a common and increasing clinical problem. Establishing accurate diagnosis is an essential step in management of these patients, and approximately 40% of pleural effusions will remain undiagnosed after initial diagnostic thoracocentesis. Obtaining pleural tissue (by blind, image-guided or thoracoscopic pleural biopsy) is therefore a key procedure. Recent evidence provides important information on the relative value of each of these techniques.

Recent findings: For the diagnosis of malignant pleural disease, both thoracoscopic and image-guided biopsy have a far higher diagnostic yield than blind pleural biopsy. Cutting needle biopsies have a higher diagnostic yield in malignancy (and especially mesothelioma) compared with fine needle aspiration. The complication rate of image-guided biopsy is low. Rates of biopsy site tract invasion by mesothelioma may be lower using smaller biopsy ports, as used for image-guided pleural biopsy.

Summary: Blind pleural biopsy should no longer be conducted for the study of malignant pleural disease if facilities for other techniques are available. Image-guided and thoracoscopic biopsies have similarly high diagnostic rates, and are complementary techniques used in different clinical situations. Further studies assessing biopsy tract site invasion from mesothelioma with different biopsy techniques are required.