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Biomedical subjects

H C Grillo

Publications and source records attributed to H C Grillo.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Surgical management and radiological characteristics of bronchogenic cysts.

Forty-two patients with bronchogenic cysts were treated over a 30-year period (1962 to 1991). The location was mediastinal in 37 and intrapulmonary in 5. Cysts were symptomatic in 21 patients (50%) and complications occurred in 11 (26%). The complications included infection in 5 patients, hemorrhage into the cyst in 2 patients, dysphagia due to esophageal compression in 2, adenocarcinoma arising from a bronchogenic cyst in an 8 1/2-year-old girl, and an esophagobronchopleurocutaneous fistula as a result of previous incomplete resection in 1 patient. Magnetic resonance imaging has been found to provide specific diagnostic information about bronchogenic cysts. All but 2 patients were treated with complete excision. One patient was managed by observation and another had drainage of the cyst by mediastinoscopy. Complications of treatment occurred in only 2 patients. One had a minor wound infection and the other had Clostridium difficile enterocolitis. Only 4 patients were lost to follow-up. No late complication or recurrence developed in those patients having complete excision. We recommend complete excision in most instances to confirm the diagnosis, relieve symptoms, and prevent complications.

Adolescent↗

Pulmonary arteriovenous malformations: therapeutic options.

We have treated 21 patients (13 female, 8 male) with pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (PAVMs). Mean age at diagnosis was 37.5 years (range, 15 to 72 years). Presenting symptoms included dyspnea on exertion (67%), hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (57%), and major neurologic events (33%). In our early experience, 8 patients had no specific treatment; their case histories illustrate the major neurologic complications of untreated PAVMs. Nine patients (8 primarily, 1 after recurrence) underwent conservative surgical excision; 4 had lobectomy, and 5 had segmentectomy or subsegmental excision. One patient underwent staged bilateral thoracotomies for multiple bilateral lesions. The arterial oxygen tension was found to increase after excision of large or solitary PAVMs. All surgically treated patients were relieved of dyspnea, and none had postoperative recurrence of PAVMs or neurologic complications related to PAVMs. Five patients underwent balloon occlusion of PAVMs. Two patients chose to have solitary PAVMs occluded rather than undergo thoracotomy. One underwent surgical excision 5 years later, and the other required repeat balloon embolization 4 years later when recanalization of the PAVMs was documented. Three patients with numerous PAVMs received palliation with multiple balloon embolizations. The high incidence of associated major neurologic complications mandates aggressive treatment of PAVMs whenever feasible. Conservative surgical resection remains the treatment of choice. Balloon embolization offers an alternative therapy for patients who are poor surgical risks or those whose lesions are too numerous to resect.

Adolescent↗

Pathologic staging of papillary carcinoma of the thyroid with airway invasion based on the anatomic manner of extension to the trachea: a clinicopathologic study based on 22 patients who underwent thyroidectomy and airway resection.

We received the clinical and pathologic features of 22 cases of papillary carcinoma of the thyroid that invaded the trachea and were treated by thyroidectomy and airway resection with or without reconstructive surgery over an interval of 16 years. We studied the fine relationships between lamina propria and lymphatics in the region between the isthmus of the thyroid and the trachea. The manner of invasion of papillary carcinoma of the thyroid was by blunt dissection along blood vessels and collagen fibers oriented perpendicularly to the tracheal lumen between cartilaginous rings. Although lymph node metastases were found in 14 patients (64%), we observed lymphangitic tumor in the tracheal mucosa in only three patients (14%). We devised a staging system for papillary carcinoma of the thyroid based on the extent of invasion of the trachea. Of the 11 patients with stage I, II, or III disease, none of six (0%) followed for 5 years died of thyroid cancer in the 5-year observation period; one patient in this group died later of thyroid cancer. Of the 11 patients with stage IV disease, five of seven (71%) followed for 5 years died of thyroid cancer in the 5-year observation period; one additional patient in this group died later of thyroid cancer.

Carcinoma, Papillary↗

Upper airway compromise after inhalation injury. Complex strictures of the larynx and trachea and their management.

OBJECTIVE: Strictures of the upper airway caused by burns have features distinct from other benign stenoses. The authors reviewed their experience with burn-related stenoses to define the principles of treatment. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: The combined effects of inhaled gases and heat in burn victims produce an intense, often transmural, inflammation of the airway, further complicated by intubation. The incidence of laryngotracheal strictures in survivors of inhalation injury is high, but the reported experience with their treatment is limited and often unduly separated into injuries of larynx and trachea. METHODS: Presentation, treatment, and long-term follow-up are reviewed in 9 women and 9 men age 9 to 63 years, who were evaluated over a 22 year period for chronic airway compromise after inhalation injury. There were 18 tracheal stenoses, 14 subglottic strictures, and 2 main bronchial stenoses. Laryngotracheal strictures stenosis. T-tubes were placed in 15 patients, in low subglottic or tracheal stenosis below the vocal cords, in high subglottic stenosis through the vocal cords, and as a stent after resection of subglottic stenosis. RESULTS: There were two deaths during follow-up, one from respiratory failure and one from an unrelated cause. Two patients underwent evaluation only. Early in this series, one tracheal and one laryngotracheal resection resulted in prompt restenosis. Of the remaining 14 patients, 9 are without airway support from 2 to 20 years later. Four have permanent tracheal tubes. One patient required tracheostomy 8 years after successful subglottic reconstruction. CONCLUSIONS: Strictures of the upper airway related to inhalation injury are associated with prolonged inflammation and involve larynx and trachea in a majority of patients. These complex injuries respond to prolonged tracheal stenting (mean, 28 months) and resection or stenting of subglottic stenoses with recovery of a functional airway and voice in most patients. Early tracheal resection should be avoided.

Adolescent↗

Expiratory collapse of the trachea presenting as worsening asthma.

A 50-year-old woman with lifelong asthma had nearly total expiratory collapse of her distal trachea. The signs and symptoms were similar to those of asthma except for a pronounced upper airway component to her wheezing and the immediate onset of dyspnea on exertion. Surgical repair led to significant improvement in symptoms and resolution of tracheal collapse on expiration. Ultrafast computed tomography was a valuable adjunct to bronchoscopy in diagnosis and management. Expiratory collapse of the trachea should be considered in the differential diagnosis of wheezing and intractable reactive airway disease.

Asthma↗

Idiopathic laryngotracheal stenosis: radiologic findings.

OBJECTIVE: Acquired nonneoplastic laryngotracheal stenosis can be either focal or diffuse. Diffuse tracheal stenosis is caused by sarcoidosis, tuberculosis, histoplasmosis, relapsing polychondritis, tracheopathia osteoplastica, and Wegener's granulomatosis. Focal tracheal stenosis, on the other hand, usually results from placement of an endotracheal or tracheostomy tube or from previous neck trauma. At our institution, since 1971, we have seen 49 cases of focal laryngotracheal stenosis that could not be attributed clinically or histologically to any one of the aforementioned causes. The purpose of this study was to study the radiologic features of these idiopathic laryngotracheal stenoses. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review of records showed that radiologic studies were still available in only 15 of the 49 patients with idiopathic laryngotracheal stenoses. All 15 patients had radiographs and plain tomograms, and one patient had a CT scan of the neck. Three radiologists reviewed all the images. RESULTS: The radiologic appearance was variable: the stenoses were from 2 to 4 cm long with a lumen between 3 and 5 mm in diameter at the narrowest portion. The narrowing was concentric and shaped like an hourglass in eight patients (53%) and was eccentric in the other seven (47%). The margins of the stenosis were smooth in nine patients (60%) and irregular and lobulated in six patients (40%). A dominant mass measuring approximately 1 cm in diameter was present in two patients (13%). No evidence of calcification or ossification was seen. CONCLUSION: Idiopathic laryngotracheal stenosis produces focal stenosis of the cervical part of the trachea, 2 to 4 cm long. The lumen is severely compromised, measuring no more than 5 mm in diameter at its narrowest portion. The stenosis can be concentric or eccentric and can have either smooth or lobulated margins. Special attention should be paid to the airways when chest radiographs of patients with a history of prolonged dyspnea and wheezing are reviewed. The prevalence of focal stenosis of the larynx and the upper part of the trachea due to tracheal intubation has declined since the introduction of low-pressure, high-volume retention cuffs. Therefore, idiopathic laryngotracheal stenosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis in patients with focal narrowing of the airway.

Adolescent↗

Long-term follow-up of neoadjuvant chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin with surgical resection and possible postoperative radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy in squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus.

Seventy patients with local squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus were treated between 1981 and 1990 with preoperative chemotherapy, surgical resection, and possible postoperative radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy. Chemotherapy included two cycles of 5-fluorouracil (1000 mg/m2) by continuous intravenous infusion on days 1-4 and cisplatin (100 mg/m2) on day 4. Complete clinical response (CCR) was achieved in 28 (41%) patients, partial clinical response (PCR) in 17 (25%), and no response in 23 (34%). Fifty-five (81%) patients were resected, 6 (9%) were explored, and 7 (10%) were unable to have surgery. Microscopic analysis of 55 resected patients showed 50 (91%) with active tumor, 1 (2%) with necrotic tumor, and 4 (7%) with a pathological complete response to chemotherapy. Twenty-six of the 55 resected patients (47%) had no gross evidence of disease at the time of surgical inspection. Median overall survival was 21.86 months (range 2-107 months) for all patients and 26.71 months (range 2-107 months) for resected patients. Actuarial 5-year survival rate was 31% for all patients and 39% for resected patients. Prolonged survival correlates with complete clinical response to chemotherapy, low pathological stage of disease, and successful resection of the lesion.

Adult↗

Short-segment intestinal interposition of the distal esophagus.

Esophageal replacement remains a challenge. Colon and jejunum provide alternative conduits to replace the lower esophagus when stomach is not suitable. Between 1971 and 1991, 41 patients underwent short-segment interposition of the esophagus with jejunum or colon. Indications were failed antireflux procedures (n = 21), nondilatable stricture (n = 9), achalasia (n = 2), moniliasis (n = 2), Barrett's esophagus with carcinoma in situ (n = 2), hemorrhagic esophagitis after esophagogastrectomy (n = 1), motility disorder (n = 1), instrumental perforation (n = 1), carcinoma (n = 1), and leiomyosarcoma (n = 1). Thirty-one patients (75.6%) had prior surgical procedures. Interposition with colon was performed in 22 patients and with jejunum in 19. Major complications occurred in 45% after colon interposition (10/22) and hospital mortality was 4.5% (1/22). Major complications after jejunal interposition occurred in 31% (6/19) and hospital mortality was 10.5% (2/19). A contained anastomotic leak occurred in 1 patient, perforation of a colon segment in 1, and jejunal graft necrosis in a third. Late functional results in 34 patients with a mean follow-up of 87 months were excellent or good in 26, fair in 5, and poor in 1. Colon interposition failed to improve symptoms in 2 patients with gastrointestinal motility disorders. Six patients underwent manometry and barium food provocation study. Two colon segments and 3 jejunal interpositions were hypoperistaltic or aperistaltic according to manometry. There was 1 case of aperistaltic jejunum with a distended afferent loop. When stomach is not available, successful palliation of swallowing can be accomplished with either jejunum or colon. Surgeons involved in the management of esophageal disease should be familiar with the technical details of both procedures.

Adult↗

Clinical manifestation of mediastinal fibrosis and histoplasmosis.

We treated 20 patients thought to have mediastinal fibrosis secondary to Histoplasma capsulatum. All but 1 were symptomatic. The most common symptoms were dyspnea (8), hemoptysis (6), postobstructive pneumonia (5), and superior vena caval obstruction (2). Nine patients had severe stenosis of the trachea, carina, or main bronchus. Special stains identified Histoplasma capsulatum in surgical specimens in 9 patients. Surgical procedures were done for 18 of 20 patients (resection of subcarinal mass, 6; right middle and lower lobectomy, 5; carinal pneumonectomy, 4; esophagoplasty, 4; sleeve resection, 3 (with right main bronchus in 1, right lower and middle lobectomy in 1, and carina in 1); right upper lobectomy, 1; middle lobectomy, 1; and bronchoplasty of left main bronchus, 1. There were 4 deaths, 3 after complications of carinal pneumonectomy and 1 in a patient with tracheobronchial obstruction that could not be dilated. Two patients were treated with amphotericin and 4 with ketoconazole. Sclerosing mediastinitis secondary to histoplasmosis presents tremendous surgical challenges because of the intense fibrosis encountered. Bronchoplastic procedures are possible in spite of the intense fibrosis. High mortality rates after carinal resection may be encountered. The exact role of antifungal therapy is as yet undefined.

Adolescent↗

Laryngotracheal resection and reconstruction for subglottic stenosis.

Eighty patients with inflammatory stenoses of the subglottic larynx and upper trachea were treated by single-stage laryngotracheal resection and reconstruction. Fifty stenoses originated from postintubation lesions (endotracheal tubes, tracheostomy, cricothyroidostomy), 7 originated from trauma, 19 were idiopathic, and 4 were miscellaneous. Repair consisted of resection of the anterolateral cricoid arch in all patients, plus resection of posterior laryngeal stenosis where present, with salvage of the posterior cricoid plate, appropriate resection and tailoring of the trachea, and primary anastomosis using a posterior membranous tracheal wall flap to resurface the bared cricoid cartilage in 31 patients. One postoperative death resulted from acute myocardial infarction. Long-term results were excellent in 18 patients, good in 48, satisfactory in 8, and failure in 2. Three additional patients had good results at discharge but were followed up for less than 6 months.

Adolescent↗

Postpneumonectomy syndrome: diagnosis, management, and results.

Airway obstruction may be caused by extreme mediastinal shift and rotation after right pneumonectomy or after left pneumonectomy in the presence of a right aortic arch. Eleven adults (aged 18 to 58 years) with severe symptoms were treated surgically between 5 months to 17 years after pneumonectomy (7 right, 4 left). An initial patient with only one functional lobe was treated unsuccessfully by aortic division and bypass graft. Ten underwent mediastinal repositioning. After two recurrences prostheses were used to maintain mediastinal position. Five patients who underwent such repositioning are doing well from 5 months to more than 5 years later. One died 1 month after operation probably of pulmonary embolism. One who showed residual airway collapse after operation has some recurrent obstruction. Three other patients who showed severe malacic obstruction of the airway after mediastinal repositioning variously underwent aortic division with bypass graft and tracheal and bronchial resection. One is well almost 6 years later. Two died postoperatively. Occurrence of the syndrome is unpredictable. Where malacic changes have not occurred, mediastinal repositioning may reasonably be expected to correct obstruction. Optimal treatment for concurrent severely malacic airways is unclear.

Adolescent↗

Resectional management of thyroid carcinoma invading the airway.

Fifty-two patients had thyroid carcinoma invading the airway. Thirty-four underwent resection; 18 were male and 16 female. Age ranged from 17 to 79 years. Twenty-seven had resection with airway reconstruction (1 wedge excision, 10 sleeve tracheal resections, 6 tracheal resections with a portion of the cricoid cartilage, and 10 complex laryngotracheoplastic resections). Seven required cervicomediastinal exenteration with mediastinal tracheostomy; 3 of these had esophagectomy with colon interposition. Nineteen tumors were papillary, 6 follicular, 4 mixed papillary and follicular, 1 squamous, 2 undifferentiated giant cell, 1 anaplastic spindle cell carcinoma, and 1 carcinosarcoma. Three postoperative deaths occurred. Thirteen of the 31 survivors died of cancer from 1/4 to 10 1/4 years postoperatively (average, 4.4 years). Four died of other diseases. Fourteen are alive from 1/12 to 14 1/3 years postoperatively (average, 5.3 years). Only 2 patients had airway recurrence. Resection of the airway invaded by thyroid malignancy in the absence of extensive metastases offers prolonged palliation, avoids suffocation due to bleeding or obstruction, and may produce cure. Airway reconstruction should be performed whenever technically feasible.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Bronchogenic carcinoma: analysis of staging in the mediastinum with CT by correlative lymph node mapping and sampling.

One hundred forty-three patients with bronchogenic carcinoma were studied prospectively with computed tomography (CT) to determine the accuracy of CT in the evaluation of mediastinal nodal metastases. Mediastinal lymph nodes were localized according to the lymph node mapping scheme of the American Thoracic Society and were considered abnormal if they exceeded 1 cm in short-axis diameter. All patients underwent surgical staging, which consisted of either mediastinoscopy alone or mediastinoscopy and thoracotomy. At the time of surgical staging, all accessible nodes were either removed or sampled. The sensitivity of CT for mediastinal nodes on a per-patient basis was 64%, with a specificity of 62%. The sensitivity of CT for individual nodal stations involved with tumor was only 44%. The presence of obstructive pneumonitis did not appreciably alter the sensitivity of CT, but the specificity was lower (43%). The likelihood of metastases increased with lymph node size; however, seven of 19 (37%) lymph nodes that measured 2-4 cm in short-axis diameter were hyperplastic and did not contain metastases. The relative insensitivity of CT makes formal nodal sampling at the time of mediastinoscopy or thoracotomy essential to detect lymph node metastases.

Adult↗

Management of tumors of the trachea.

Experience in the management of primary tracheal tumors remains small because of their rarity. Adenoidcystic carcinoma (40%) and squamous cell carcinoma off%) are the most common histologies. They present with signs of airway obstruction or hemoptysis and are delineated by bronchoscopy, tomography, and CT scan. Two thirds of all tracheal tumors are resectable, followed by airway reconstruction. Postoperative irradiation appears to be indicated for malignant tumors. Surgical mortality in 147 resections was 5%, with most deaths following carinal reconstruction. Twenty of 41 patients with squamous cell carcinomas who underwent resection are alive without disease (some for more than 25 years) and 39 of 52 with adenoidcystic carcinoma (some for as long as 19 years).

Adult↗

A pilot study of neoadjuvant chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin with surgical resection and postoperative radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy in adenocarcinoma of the esophagus.

Fifteen patients with potentially resectable adenocarcinoma of the esophagus were treated with two cycles of preoperative chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and cisplatin (DDP). Response to chemotherapy was evaluated by comparative barium swallow, computerized chest tomography, esophagoscopy, and change in clinical symptomatology. Eleven patients (73%) were resected, two (13%) were explored and found inoperable, and two (13%) were not subjected to surgery (one because of death related to toxicity and one due to progressive disease). Ten of eleven patients (91%) had gross residual tumor. One patient (9%) had residual microscopic disease only. One patient (7%) had complete clinical responses (CCR), five (33%) had partial clinical response (PCR), and nine (60%) had no response (NR). Five of 15 patients (or 45% of resected patients) remain free of disease. Median survival time was 18.47 months for all patients and 23.83 months for resected patients.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Main bronchial sleeve resection with pulmonary conservation.

Twenty-seven main bronchial resections (19 left, 8 right) were performed without pulmonary resection between 1975 and 1991. The patients were 17 men and 9 women with an average age of 35 years (range, 20 to 65 years). Tumors comprised 55% of the lesions, including 9 carcinoid tumors (33%), 2 mucoepidermoid tumors, 2 fibrous histiocytomas, 1 hemangiopericytoma, and 1 large cell carcinoma. Scarring and stenosis secondary to multiple causes occurred in 10 patients (37%). Two patients had miscellaneous lesions. Presenting symptoms included dyspnea (52%), wheezing or stridor (44%), cough (41%), hemoptysis (37%), and pneumonia (18%). Preoperative chest roentgenogram was abnormal in 60% of patients, whereas tomograms delineated the lesion in 94%. All patients had bronchoscopy for lesion evaluation. Anesthesia was accomplished through a long single-lumen endotracheal tube in 19 cases and a double-lumen tube in 8 cases. Mobilization and exposure techniques to create a tension-free anastomosis were critical for left main bronchial resections and included pretracheal mobilization (100%), neck flexion (100%), tracheal and main bronchial retraction (85%), aortic and pulmonary artery retraction (44%), and intrapericardial hilar release (33%). All resections were for cure; there was no operative mortality. Morbidity in 4 patients (15%) included an anastomotic stenosis (successfully reresected), prolonged air leak and pneumonia, transient recurrent nerve palsy, and atelectasis. Median 5-year follow-up revealed 92% of patients alive, with only one of two late deaths being disease-related. Main bronchial resection is an ideal technique for selected benign and malignant lesions, allowing complete pulmonary parenchymal preservation.

Adult↗