Evidence for two distinct classes of unmyeiinat~ nocieeptive afferents in monkey. R.A. Meyer and J.N. Campbell, Brain Res., 224 (198 1) 149152. Unmyelinated nociceptive afferents, responsive to intense mechanical and heat stimuli, exhibited either a quickly adapting or slowly adapting response to step increases in skin temperature. These two classes of C fibers were found to differ also in other properties. The quickly adapting C fibers had significantly lower threshold to mechanical and heat stimuli, and smailer receptive field areas than the slowly adapting C fibers. Whether these two subclasses play different roles in sensation is not clear at the present time.

During a 13-year period, multiple primary lung cancers were diagnosed in 80 consecutive patients. Forty-four patients had metachronous cancers. The initial pulmonary resection was lobectomy in 36 patients, bilobectomy in 3, pneumonectomy in 1, and wedge excision or segmentectomy in 4. The second pulmonary resection was lobectomy in 16 patients, bilobectomy in 2, completion pneumonectomy in 7, and wedge excision or segmentectomy in 19. There were two 30-day operative deaths (mortality rate, 4.5%). Actuarial 5- and 10-year survival rates after the first pulmonary resection for stage I disease were 55.2% and 27.0%, respectively. Five-year and 10-year survival rates for stage I disease after the second pulmonary resection were 41.0% and 31.5%, respectively. The remaining 36 patients had synchronous cancers. The pulmonary resection was lobectomy in 18 patients, bilobectomy in 3, pneumonectomy in 10, and wedge excision or segmentectomy in 8. There were two 30-day operative deaths (mortality rate, 5.6%). Actuarial overall 5- and 10-year survival rates after pulmonary resection were 15.7% and 13.8%, respectively. We conclude that an aggressive surgical approach is safe and warranted in most patients with multiple primary lung cancers and that the presence of synchronous primary cancers is ominous.

In this article, we describe an integrated approach for detection and evaluation of solitary pulmonary nodules. Initial evaluation of the solitary pulmonary nodule includes tomography, fluoroscopy, and comparison with previously obtained roentgenograms. Subsequently, thin-section computed tomography and phantom densitometry can be used for analysis, if indicated. The rationale for the use of computed tomography in the radiologic staging of bronchogenic carcinoma is to expedite and assist in the identification of the subset of patients with resectable tumors. For nonsurgical tissue diagnosis, fiberoptic bronchoscopy is generally the initial procedure for lesions 2.0 cm or larger in diameter, and transthoracic needle biopsy is used for those smaller than 2.0 cm.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate tracheal viability and to document histological changes in an autograft implanted in the abdominal wall after a 1-week period of cryopreservation. A 5-cm segment of cervical trachea was resected in 6 dogs. One-half of the segment was cryopreserved and stored in liquid nitrogen at -196 degrees C for 1 week. The other half was immediately implanted in an abdominal pouch fashioned from the rectus abdominis muscle (control). One week later, the cryopreserved segment was thawed and then implanted in a similar contralateral muscular pouch. Five weeks later, the control and cryopreserved autografts were removed and compared with the in situ trachea. Ciliary beat frequency was assessed by transmitted light technique. Histology was evaluated by light microscopy. Gross anatomy and mucus production were maintained after cryopreservation. Histologically the cryopreserved segment displayed both normal epithelium and smooth muscle cells, but the cartilage was abnormal as characterized by empty lacunae. Mean ciliary beat frequency of in situ, control, and cryopreserved segments was 13.3 +/- 1.8, 13.5 +/- 1.5, and 13.3 +/- 1.1 beats per second (+/- the standard deviation), respectively. We conclude that smooth muscle, epithelium with mucus production, and ciliary function were retained after cryopreservation and reimplantation. Histological changes, however, were suggestive of early cartilage ischemia. These findings support further evaluation of cryopreserved canine tracheal grafts.

The effectiveness of fibrin glue as a biological sealant for pulmonary air leaks was determined in 16 dogs. A standardized pleural defect was made in the left lower lobe, and the quantity of air passing through a chest tube was assessed with a Collins respirometer. For the 8 randomly assigned control animals, the air leak decreased over 90 minutes from a mean of 1.4 L/min to a mean of 1.1 L/min (mean decrease, 19.8%). In the 8 randomly assigned fibrin glue-treated animals, the air leak decreased from a mean of 2.1 L/min to a mean of 0.5 L/min (mean decrease, 80.8%) (p less than 0.0001). Postoperative evaluation of survivors disclosed no increased adhesions in the glue-treated animals and complete resorption of the glue at 3 months. We conclude that in this animal model, fibrin glue reduced the size of pulmonary air leaks in the early period after thoracotomy and did not lead to increased intrapleural adhesions.

Most patients with Schatzki's ring have dysphagia that can be relieved by esophageal dilation. We report an unusual case in which dysphagia caused by a Schatzki ring could not be managed conservatively. The obstructing ring was excised through a gastrotomy approached by a left-sided thoracotomy. An antireflux procedure was done after elimination of the ring. Five years later, the patient remained symptom free.

From 1958 through 1985, a total of 113 consecutive patients had completion pneumonectomy (CP). Indications for pulmonary resection resulting in CP were lung cancer (LC) in 64 patients, pulmonary metastases (PM) in 20, and benign lung disease (BLD) in 29. Operative mortality was 12.4% (14 deaths) but varied according to the indication for CP. Mortality was 9.4% for LC, 0% for PM, and 27.6% for BLD. Forty-three patients (38.1%) had major complications (26 of 64 with LC, 40.6%; 1 of 20 with PM, 5.0%; and 16 of 29 with BLD, 55.2%). Five-year actuarial survival for patients with LC was 26.4% but varied according to stage. Five-year survival for patients with PM was 40.8% and with BLD was 27.2%. We conclude that CP for BLD carries marked operative mortality and morbidity, usually due to intense reaction around hilar structures and concurrent active infection or fistula. In contrast, CP for LC and PM can be performed with low mortality, acceptable morbidity, and gratifying long-term survival.

One hundred adult patients underwent Ivor Lewis esophagogastrectomy for documented carcinoma of the esophagus from 1980 through 1982. After operation, 7 patients were classified in Stage I, 11 in Stage II, and 82 in Stage III. Major postoperative complications occurred in 27 patients and included pulmonary problems in 11, suture line leak in 9, wound infection in 5, empyema in 4, renal failure in 4, abdominal abscess in 4, bleeding in 2, myocardial infarction in 2, and chylothorax in 1. There were 3 deaths within 30 days of operation. Five-year survival was 85.7% for patients with Stage I disease, 34.1% for patients with Stage II disease (p = .052), and 15.2% for patients with Stage III disease (p = .001). Late morbidity included weight loss in 60 patients, dysphagia in 40, gastroesophageal reflux in 14, and gastroduodenal dumping in 5. Thirty-one patients required postoperative esophageal dilations (mean, 3.4). Most patients, however, were eating without dysphagia at the time of last follow-up or death. We conclude that the Ivor Lewis esophagogastrectomy can be performed with low mortality, can provide adequate palliation, and does result in satisfactory long-term survival for those patients with more favorable postsurgical stages of cancer. These results support the continued use of the Ivor Lewis esophagogastrectomy for treatment of carcinoma of the esophagus.

Reflux esophagitis and its complications are not only common clinical problems but also problems that can be accurately defined by careful history taking and a knowledge of the pathophysiology of the various manifestations. An element of objective assessment, however, is required to define and substantiate fully an individual patient's problem. Only when disabling subjective and intractable objective complications persist after good medical treatment should surgical intervention be considered. Various antireflux procedures are currently available and all can be effective. Surgeons should review their own experiences and make alterations that they perceive will correct the types of problems encountered. In our current technique for the surgical management of gastroesophageal reflux in the common clinical setting, normal esophageal peristalsis is present, the fundus is adequate for plication, and sufficient esophageal mobilization can be effected to permit reduction of the entire stomach and fundoplication below the diaphragm. In addition, the procedure should be restricted to patients who do not have stenosis or have stenosis that can be readily dilated to 50 French.

En bloc resection of chest wall and lung for primary non-small cell bronchogenic carcinoma with chest wall invasion, although often associated with a significant operative mortality, can be performed with a reasonable expectation of long-term survival if lymph nodes are not metastatically involved. Older age appears to decrease long-term survival, but age alone should not abrogate surgical resection. Non-small cell carcinoma cell type, tumor size, depth of chest wall invasion, and extent of chest wall or lung resection do not significantly influence survival.

Between 1955 and 1975, chest wall resection was done in 90 patients for primary chest wall tumors. Ages ranged from 8 to 96 years (mean, 44.3 years). A painful mass was the most common sign and symptom. Eighty-two tumors (91.1%) were located in the lateral chest wall and eight, in the anterior thorax. The tumor was malignant in 71 patients (78.9%) and benign in 19. All patients with benign tumors had complete excision and are currently free from disease. Malignant fibrous histiocytoma, chondrosarcoma, and rhabdomyosarcoma constituted 62% of the malignant neoplasms. Most malignancies were treated by wide resection. There were no thirty-day operative deaths. Overall 1-, 5-, and 10-year survival was 89%, 57%, and 49%, respectively. Recurrent tumor developed in 37 patients (52%); 5-year survival, however, was only 17% after recurrence. Cell type and extent of invasion significantly influenced survival. Both chondrosarcoma and rhabdomyosarcoma had a better prognosis than malignant fibrous histiocytoma (p less than 0.05). We conclude that early resection is the treatment of choice for primary malignant chest wall tumors and that development of recurrent disease is an ominous event.

Cancers of the esophagus and cardia remain serious conditions that cause many thousands of deaths every year throughout the world. In North America, cancer of the esophagus and gastric cardia is an endemic disease of low order and stable incidence. Nevertheless, it is responsible for many deaths and considerable suffering. With current methods of treatment, substantial palliation and amelioration of patient disability are possible, and some patients gain long-term survival with comfort and even cure. A combination of surgical resection and reconstruction is the chief modern method of management of such cancers. Herein we discuss a variety of standard surgical procedures that are currently available and present detailed illustrations of these procedures. The selection of a specific operation depends largely on the site of the neoplasm. With all these procedures, function is restored and the local and regional neoplastic tissue is removed without compromising the potential for cure. Associated operative mortality is approximately 7%. The late results of the operations illustrated depend primarily on the cell type, grade, and stage of the neoplasm encountered at the time of surgical treatment. For patients who have undergone resection, 5-year survival rates have ranged from 15 to 54%, the results depending on the stage of the cancer. Of equal importance is the fact that oral diet can be maintained in 93% of patients despite recurrence of the neoplasm.

The cases of 96 patients (55 male and 41 female) with primary chondrosarcoma of the chest wall were reviewed. Ages ranged from 17 to 78 years (median, 53.5 years). The tumor involved the rib in 78 patients and the sternum in 18. Seventy-two patients had treatment at the Mayo Clinic, 28 by wide resection, 25 by local excision, and 19 by palliative excision. There was 1 operative death. Follow-up ranged from 1 to 46 years. Recurrent chondrosarcoma developed in 37 patients. All had local recurrence, and 14 also had metastases. Within 10 years, recurrence had developed in 50% of patients who had local excision and in 17% of patients who had wide resection. Ten-year chondrosarcoma survival (Kaplan-Meier) for patients treated by wide resection was 96%; by local excision, 65%; and by palliative excision, 14% (p less than 0.0001). Tumor grade, tumor diameter, tumor location, and date of operation all had a significant influence on survival. This report documents the natural history of chest wall chondrosarcoma and demonstrates that early wide resection is the treatment of choice.

A review of 56 cases of primary malignant germ cell tumors of the mediastinum revealed that, as with benign teratomas, the tumors occurred in young adults (mean age 29 years) but that the sex distribution differed (86% male and 14% female). A single germ cell element was found in 37 (66%) of the tumors, and various combinations were present in the remaining 19 (34%). The tumors were classified among five recognized types of germ cell tissues. There were 24 seminomas (22 pure and two with mature teratomas), 17 embryonal carcinomas (nine pure and eight with mixtures), five teratomas, seven choriocarcinomas (three pure and four with mixtures), and three pure yolk sac tumors. Most (86%) of the patients were symptomatic at the initial examination, with chest pain, cough, and loss of weight being the most frequent presenting symptoms. The standard posteroanterior and lateral roentgenograms were the most helpful diagnostic tool, showing evidence of an anterior mediastinal mass in 53 patients. The diagnosis was established by surgical exploration of the mediastinum or by biopsy of a lymph node in 55 patients. Of the 55, 24 (43.6%) had complete resection of the tumor and 31 (56.4%) had incomplete resection or biopsy alone. The overall prognosis for mediastinal germ cell tumors is poor, partly because the tumors are far advanced at the time of diagnosis but also because some of the tumors that contain embryonal cell carcinoma, choriocarcinoma, and yolk sac elements are very aggressive. Factors that were prognostic in patients with seminoma--such as age, presence of the superior vena caval syndrome, lymphadenopathy, evidence of hilar disease on the chest roentgenogram, and resectability--were not predictive in patients with other types of malignant germ cell tumors. Although aggressive combination chemotherapy may represent a significant treatment modality for nonseminomatous mediastinal tumors, the present study spanned many years in which no chemotherapy was available. Patients in the later years of the study received combination chemotherapy with various treatment regimens. No conclusions concerning specific chemotherapy, therefore, can be derived from this study.

A middle-aged man with long-standing polyostotic fibrous dysplasia had severe progressive restrictive lung disease with hypoxemia and pulmonary hypertension with heart failure because of exuberant intrathoracic, extraosseous proliferation of dysplastic tissue. Subtotal resection of this benign tissue mass ameliorated the respiratory insufficiency and led to sustained improvement in exercise tolerance, increase in pulmonary reserve, and decrease in signs of heart failure and pulmonary hypertension.

A cytologic examination of pleural fluid was performed on a pleural lavage specimen collected at the completion of operation after pulmonary resection in 135 of 599 patients undergoing curative pulmonary resection for a non-small cell carcinoma of the lung between 1977 and 1982. The cytologic results of lavage was positive for malignant cells in 12 of the 135 patients (8.9%). The incidence of positive results was correlated with lymph node status (N2 greater than N1 greater than N0), cell type (adenocarcinoma greater than other non-small cell lung cancers), stage (III greater than II greater than I), and visceral pleural status (invaded greater than not invaded). No positive cytologic results were noted in 39 patients having a diagnostic excisional pulmonary biopsy prior to more definitive resection. The disease has recurred in nine of the 12 patients with positive cytologic results (only two in the ipsilateral pleural space), and eight have died. The prognostic role of pleural lavage cytology needs more study.

Seventy-three patients (57 men and 16 women) underwent en bloc resection of lung and attached parietes between 1970 and 1982. All patients had documented malignant pleural invasion. Chest wall parietal pleura was invaded in 33 patients, pericardium in 14, phrenic or vagus nerve in nine, left atrium in five, superior vena cava in four, esophagus in two, diaphragm in one, and multiple structures in five. No patient underwent chest wall resection. Parietal pleurectomy was performed in all patients with involvement of the chest wall parietal pleura; 37 lobectomies and 36 pneumonectomies were performed. Operative mortality was 12.3%. The actuarial overall 5 year survival rate (Kaplan-Meier method) was 39.7%. We conclude that en bloc resection for primary bronchogenic carcinoma with invasion of adjacent intrathoracic structures, although associated with a significant mortality, can be performed with a reasonable likelihood of long-term survival.

Recurrent pharyngoesophageal diverticulum is uncommon after a one-stage diverticulectomy. Among 888 operations at the Mayo Clinic, recurrence has been noted after only 32 (3.6%). The present report outlines our management during a 19-year period of 44 patients operated on previously, including management of various late complications seen in 13 patients after diverticulopexy and diverticulectomy performed at other institutions. The study then focuses on the results in 31 patients in whom reoperation for symptomatic recurrent diverticulum was performed at the Mayo Clinic during the same period. Although reoperation posed a technical challenge, there was only 1 operative death (3.2%). Surviving patients experienced highly satisfactory late results, with only two recurrences. Early surgical morbidity was considerably higher than for primary operations, but this did not interfere with most patients having excellent to good late results.