PubMed Health⌕ Search

SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “THORACIC DISEASES”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed2000

Usefulness of thoracoscopic surgery in the diagnosis and management of thoracic diseases.

BACKGROUND: Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) has been recently utilised in the diagnosis and management of thoracic diseases. In this article we report our series of patients with established indications for VATS treatment. METHODS: Over the past 6 years we performed 104 VATS procedures for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes in 95 men and 39 women. The specific indications for VATS were: lung biopsy for undiagnosed diffuse lung disease, mediastinal biopsy and cysts, pleural effusion, empyema, pneumothorax and bullous lung disease, pericardial effusion and cyst, parvertebral abscess and solitary pulmonary nodules. RESULTS: There was no operative mortality. Postoperative non-fatal complications were seen in 7 cases. The overall median duration of chest tube drainage was 2.5 days and the mean postoperative stay 3 days. In diffuse lung disease a tissue diagnosis was obtained in all cases. Definitive diagnosis in the patients with undiagnosed pleural effusion was obtained in 90% of cases and the overall diagnostic rate was 98.5%. The success rate of the empyema (stage II) treatment and the therapeutic procedures is 100% after a mean follow-up of 12 months (range 6-30). Conversion to thoracotomy was needed in 6 cases. In all patients the postoperative pain was controlled with intake of non-narcotic analgesics with satisfactory results. CONCLUSIONS: VATS is worth considering and has been established as procedure of choice, with exceptional results in various chest diseases such as undiagnosed pleural effusions, recurrent, post-traumatic or complicated spontaneous pneumothorax, stage II empyema, accurate staging for lung cancer in the resection of peripheral solitary pulmonary nodule less than 3 cm, and lung biopsy for pulmonary diffuse disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Portable CT: assessing thoracic disease in the intensive care unit.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to assess the usefulness of a portable CT scanner to evaluate and treat thoracic disease in patients in the intensive care unit. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fourteen patients who were being treated in the intensive care unit underwent 20 portable CT scans. Twice a CT scan was obtained to guide an interventional chest procedure. The remaining 18 scans were assessed for findings not evident on portable chest radiography and for findings that altered treatment. Image quality was judged in comparison with fixed CT scans. RESULTS: Unsuspected abnormalities, most relating to the pleura or chest wall, were found in 13 of the 17 available portable CT scans. Treatment was affected in four (25%) of the 16 cases in which medical records were available for review. Two interventional procedures were performed successfully using portable CT guidance. Scan quality was judged to be comparable with that of fixed CT for mediastinal windows and somewhat inferior for lung windows. CONCLUSION: Portable CT gives images of diagnostic quality and allows confident guidance during interventional procedures in critically ill patients who therefore need not leave the intensive care unit environment.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

[Computerized tomography of AIDS associated thoracic diseases].

Pulmonary infections and tumors are a major cause of death in patients with AIDS. The combination of clinical, radiological, laboratory, and pathohistological data helps to narrow the spectrum of differential diagnoses or even allows a specific diagnosis in many patients. Nevertheless, an accurate diagnosis should be obtained as soon as possible during the clinical course of the illness to initiate treatment in time. Computed tomography (CT) has proven to provide promising results in the diagnosis of AIDS-related thoracic diseases. The aim of this paper was to demonstrate the diagnostic capacities of CT in the context of particular AIDS-related thoracic pathologies. Additional information on the spectrum of pathological agents and on differential diagnostic signs is summarized.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗
PubMed1977

[The value of lymphography as supplemental examination in thoracic diseases (author's transl)].

A literature review about the significance and incidence of lymphography in intrathoracic diseases (lymphogranulomatosis, reticulum cell sarcoma, lymphosarcoma, chronic lymphatic leukemia, giant follicular lymphoma, pulmonary sarcoidosis) is given. Intrathoracic manifestations of malignant lymphomas are absolute indications for lymphography. With the proof of retroperitoneal lymph node involvement alterations in staging of the disease and therapeutical consequences are emerging. In benign lymph node diseases, such as pulmonary sarcoidosis, lymphography will be also helpful for staging, but therapeutic consequences do not ensue, an absolute indication for lymphography is not validated. Lymphography is valuable for the diagnosis of diseases and injuries of the thoracic duct. The existing methods of lymphographic visualization of intrathoracic lymph nodes are not yet satisfying and need further research.

Hodgkin Disease↗
PubMed2001

Multidetector-row spiral computed tomography in the diagnosis of thoracic diseases.

Since its introduction in 1992, spiral computed tomography (CT) scanners constructed with a single row of detectors have revolutionized imaging of thoracic diseases. Current state-of-the-art models use up to 16 detectors and are capable of acquiring 4 contiguous slices of data with each gantry rotation; systems with 8 data acquisition units (and more) are currently in development. The principal advantages offered by these systems are increased scanning speed and the ability to obtain volumetric data in high resolution. These features enable imaging with enhanced contrast concentration, decreased contrast load, decreased respiratory and cardiac motion artifact, and multiplanar and 3-dimensional reconstruction capabilities. Herein we first review the technical aspects of multidetector spiral CT scanning. The arrangement and various combinations of the detector rows are discussed. Key scanning variables, including collimation (slice thickness), pitch (the rate of table travel per gantry rotation divided by the beam collimation), and gantry speed, are briefly addressed in the context of their interrelationships. Comparison is made with single-detector-row systems to emphasize the superior scanning speed and resolution. We then discuss the various clinical applications of multidetector spiral CT, including CT pulmonary angiography, CT aortography, virtual bronchoscopy, and multiplanar and 3-dimensional reconstructions.

Angiography↗
PubMed1987

Improved local control of thoracic disease in small cell lung cancer with higher dose thoracic irradiation and cyclic chemotherapy.

Over the past decade, improvement in survival has developed for patients with small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) due to treatment strategies that include: cyclic combination chemotherapy, thoracic irradiation, and prophylactic cranial irradiation. In this study, we assess the outcome of treatment with initial cyclic combination chemotherapy including: cyclophosphamide, VP 16-123 and methotrexate combined with radiotherapy (RT), 6000 cGY [corrected] to the thorax for patients with limited disease and 3000 cGy [corrected] for patients with extensive disease. Forty-six patients are evaluated: 26 patients with limited disease and 20 with extensive disease. In patients who received 6000 cGy [corrected], to thoracic lesions, in combination with chemotherapy, administered for 3 courses prior to and following RT, the rate of clinically detected failure in the thorax was 3.8%. Morbidity was considered acceptable, although the occurrence of encephalopathy in 6 of 19 cases who received cranial irradiation, 3000 cGy [corrected], and concomitant chemotherapy was a serious consequence. Control of the primary tumor achieved by the use of higher dose RT is shown to be superior to that observed at lower doses of RT. This suggests that for the small cohort of patients whose disease is truly limited at the time of diagnosis, therapeutic regimens, which include higher dose RT, could increase the number of long term survivors of SCLC.

Aged↗