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Eur Radiol 2021 May 15. Epub 2021 May 15.

Department of Radiology, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, 114 Rue Edouard Vaillant, Villejuif, 94800, Paris, France.

Objectives: Vertebral invasion is a key prognostic factor and a critical aspect of surgical planning for superior sulcus tumors. This study aims to further evaluate MRI features of vertebral invasion in order to distinguish it from reactive inflammatory changes.

Methods: Between 2000 and 2016, a retrospective study was performed at a single institution. Read More

Rev Port Cir Cardiotorac Vasc 2021 Apr 8;28(1):61-63. Epub 2021 Apr 8.

Thoracic Surgery Department, Centro Hospitalar Universitário Lisboa Norte, Portugal.

Pancoast tumours are defined as tumours arising from the upper lobe and invading the thoracic inlet,representing less than 5% of all lung cancers. Clinical features depend on the involved structures. For many years invasion of the spine was considered unresectable and fatal. Read More

Cureus 2021 Feb 3;13(2):e13112. Epub 2021 Feb 3.

Internal Medicine, Saint Mary's Hospital, Waterbury, USA.

A 65-year-old man with 50 pack-year smoking history presented to the emergency department for evaluation of upper back and right shoulder pain secondary to a fall. Physical examination was notable for anisocoria with a constricted left pupil (miosis), mild ptosis of the left eyelid, and bilateral shoulder pain, right more than left, with both passive and active movements. Chest computed tomography identified a soft tissue mass at the left lung apex with extension into the pleural surface, associated with destructive osseous changes of the right scapula, adjacent ribs, and thoracic vertebral bodies. Read More

Thorac Cancer 2021 04 3;12(8):1256-1259. Epub 2021 Mar 3.

Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Zhongshan People's Hospital, Zhongshan, China.

A 60-year-old man was hospitalized because of numbness and weakness in the right upper limb. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a large mass in the right upper lobe invading the right eighth cervical and first thoracic nerve root. Biopsy pathology confirmed primary lung adenocarcinoma with a clinical stage of cT4N0M0 IIIA, negative for anaplastic lymphoma kinase fusion gene and epidermal growth factor receptor mutations but positive for programmed death ligand 1 (3%). Read More

Oxf Med Case Reports 2020 Sep 22;2020(9):omaa077. Epub 2020 Sep 22.

Queensland University of Technology, Faculty of Health, School of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Cancer and Ageing Research Program, Brisbane, Australia.

A 69-year-old male presented with early stage non-small cell lung cancer in 2016. The tumor was resected; however, the patient experienced recurrence 2 years later and subsequently received paclitaxel/carboplatin concurrently with radiotherapy. Within weeks of completing this treatment, he developed a symptomatic pancoast tumor secondary to disease progression and commenced second line nivolumab. Read More

Am J Hematol 2020 11 3;95(11):1430-1431. Epub 2020 Oct 3.

Department of Pathology, Maasstad Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

Agri 2020 Apr;32(2):109-112

Division of Algology, Department of Neurology, Dokuz Eylül University Faculty of Medicine, İzmir, Turkey.

A Pancoast or superior sulcus tumor is a rare, bronchogenic carcinoma. In the early period, shoulder pain is the most common symptom. In this case, the patient had presented with complaints of shoulder and arm pain at other outpatient clinics and was examined primarily for musculoskeletal causes and radiculopathy. Read More

J Dtsch Dermatol Ges 2020 Jan 19;18(1):47-49. Epub 2019 Nov 19.

Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

Proc (Bayl Univ Med Cent) 2019 Oct 20;32(4):582-583. Epub 2019 Aug 20.

Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Baylor University Medical CenterDallasTexas.

A 74-year-old man presented to an orthopedic spine surgeon with signs and symptoms consistent with cervical radiculopathy. Investigation revealed metastasis of a Pancoast tumor to the patient's brachial plexus. A year after initial diagnosis, the patient achieved full neurological function of his left arm. Read More

Clin Ter 2019 Jul-Aug;170(4):e291-e294

Department of Surgical, Oncological and Stomatological Disciplines, University of Palermo.

Background: Pancoast's syndrome is caused by malignant neoplasm of superior sulcus of the lung which produces destructive lesions of thoracic inlet and comes along with the involvement of brachial plexus and stellate ganglion. Computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans can detect early lesions otherwise missed by routine radiographs and can also define the local extent or metastatic progression of the disease. Protocols involving combinations of irradiation, chemotherapy, and surgery are currently being under investigation to determine the best management. Read More

Diagn Interv Radiol 2019 Jul;25(4):270-279

Department of Radiology, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan;School of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.

The tumor, node, metastasis (TNM) staging system approved by International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) and the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) to stage lung cancer was recently revised. The latest revision is the 8th edition published in January, 2017. This new edition made some important changes to the previous edition, including modification of the T classification based on 1 cm increment, downstage of T descriptor including endobronchial tumor disregarding its distance from carina (T2), merging total and partial atelectasis/pneumonitis into the same T category (T2), upstage diaphragmatic invasion to T4, new classification concept of adenocarcinoma in situ and minimally invasive adenocarcinoma for pure and part-solid ground-glass nodules, and further division of extrathoracic metastasis into M1b and M1c based on the number and sites of extrathoracic metastases. Read More

Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen 2019 03 11;139(5). Epub 2019 Mar 11.

Clin Transl Radiat Oncol 2019 Feb 6;15:83-92. Epub 2019 Jan 6.

Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX 77030, USA.

Introduction: Target delineation variability is a significant technical impediment in multi-institutional trials which employ intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), as there is a real potential for clinically meaningful variances that can impact the outcomes in clinical trials. The goal of this study is to determine the variability of target delineation among participants from different institutions as part of Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG) Radiotherapy Committee's multi-institutional quality assurance study in patients with Pancoast tumors as a "dry run" for trial implementation.

Methods: CT simulation scans were acquired from four patients with Pancoast tumor. Read More

Front Neurol 2019 22;10. Epub 2019 Jan 22.

Department of Neurology, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, United States.

Horner's syndrome is an established clinical finding unique to neoplastic brachial plexopathy. We present the case of a patient who developed Horner's syndrome as the first manifestation of neurolymphomatosis (NL) of the brachial plexus that did not have the usually associated bulky adenopathy/Pancoast syndrome phenotype. We discuss the clinical utility of Horner's syndrome with regards to brachial plexopathy of indeterminate etiology, as well as the utility of other diagnostic modalities in NL. Read More

BMJ Case Rep 2019 Jan 24;12(1). Epub 2019 Jan 24.

Emergency Department, Guy's and Saint Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.

A 54-year-old man presented to the emergency department with a 4-week history of right shoulder pain radiating down his arm, with some associated sensory loss. Further questioning and examination in the department revealed a classical Horner's syndrome; miosis, partial ptosis and hemifacial anhidrosis. An initial chest X-ray was deemed to be unremarkable; however, further review by a radiologist noted asymmetrical right apical thickening. Read More

BMJ Case Rep 2018 Nov 28;11(1). Epub 2018 Nov 28.

Department of Medical, Oral and Biotechnological Sciences, "G. d'Annunzio" University, Chieti, Italy.

Pancoast's syndrome may be the result of neoplastic, inflammatory or infectious disease. We report an unusual case of Pancoast's syndrome in a patient with metastatic breast cancer. A 54-year-old woman, affected by metastatic breast cancer, presented for severe shoulder pain, paraesthesia and numbness in the right arm. Read More

J Mycol Med 2019 Apr 12;29(1):80-83. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Department of Radiology, Zhejiang Hospital, 12, Lingyin road, 310013 Hangzhou, China. Electronic address:

Pulmonary mucormycosis is a rare opportunistic infection caused by Mucormycosis. This fungal infection is uncommon in immunocompetent individuals. Because of its various clinical and imaging manifestations, it is a diagnostic challenge to distinguish pulmonary mucormycosis from other pulmonary diseases, such as carcinoma. Read More

J Emerg Med 2018 09 23;55(3):399-401. Epub 2018 Jul 23.

Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California, San Diego, California.

Background: Pancoast syndrome is an uncommon complication of apical lung tumors. Symptoms include pain, brachial plexopathy, and Horner's syndrome, and are the result of extrinsic compression of tissues within the thoracic inlet. Lymphoma is a very rare etiology. Read More

Cir Esp (Engl Ed) 2018 Dec 20;96(10):655. Epub 2018 Jun 20.

Departamento de Cirugía Torácica, Universidad de Ataturk, Erzurum, Turquía.

Zentralbl Chir 2018 Jun 22;143(3):316-330. Epub 2018 Jun 22.

Pancoast or superior pulmonary sulcus tumour is a subset of lung carcinoma that invades the structures of the thoracic inlet - first ribs, distal roots of the brachial plexus, stellate ganglion, vertebrae, and subclavian vessels. The first symptom is usually shoulder pain; consequently, most patients are initially treated for osteoarthritis. Late diagnosis is common. Read More

Eur J Cardiothorac Surg 2019 02;55(2):377-379

Department of Thoracic Surgery, Kyoto University Hospital, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan.

A 74-year-old man presented with a left superior sulcus tumour invading the subclavian artery. After induction chemoradiotherapy, he underwent a vertebral artery reconstruction in addition to the subclavian artery reconstruction via a transmanubrial approach and video-assisted thoracoscopic left upper lobectomy. The final pathology was ypT4N0M0 adenocarcinoma. Read More

Infection 2018 Oct 25;46(5):735-736. Epub 2018 Jan 25.

Department of Emergency Room and General Medicine, Ageo Central General Hospital, Ageo, Japan.

BMJ Case Rep 2017 Dec 7;2017. Epub 2017 Dec 7.

Department of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC, USA.

Here we present a case of a large pleural lipoma which presented with paresthesias of the hand. This is an unusual presentation of an uncommon tumour. Read More

BMJ Case Rep 2017 Jun 13;2017. Epub 2017 Jun 13.

Department of Internal Medicine, King Abdullah Medical City, Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

Ann Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2017 Jun 9;23(3):161-163. Epub 2017 May 9.

Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Nara, Japan.

We describe our approach to resect a Pancoast tumor with thoracoscopic assistance in a partitioned incision. We used the LigaSure vessel-sealing system under thoracoscopy in chest wall resection for Pancoast tumor. This approach is of great utility: easy-to use and less invasive for Pancoast tumor resection. Read More

J Surg Oncol 2017 Aug 13;116(2):227-235. Epub 2017 Apr 13.

Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Austria.

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the impact of T stage and extended surgery on the outcome of patients with Pancoast tumors after induction chemoradiation therapy.

Methods: Forty-six consecutive patients who underwent chemoradiation therapy (platin-based, 45-66 Gy) followed by surgery between 1998 and 2013 were retrospectively reviewed and analyzed.

Results: In 28 (61%) patients with T4 tumors, extended procedures (more than rib resection) were performed. Read More

3D Print Med 2017 6;3(1):14. Epub 2017 Dec 6.

1Department of Medical Imaging, The Ottawa Hospital, University of Ottawa School of Medicine, Ottawa, ON Canada.

In this work, we provide specific clinical examples to demonstrate basic practical techniques involved in image segmentation, computer-aided design, and 3D printing. A step-by-step approach using United States Food and Drug Administration cleared software is provided to enhance surgical intervention in a patient with a complex superior sulcus tumor. Furthermore, patient-specific device creation is demonstrated using dedicated computer-aided design software. Read More

Pain Med 2016 12 1;17(12):2437-2438. Epub 2016 Jun 1.

Department of Radiology, Elbistan State Hospital, Kahramanmaraş, Turkey.

Rev Mal Respir 2016 Nov 29;33(9):808-811. Epub 2016 Aug 29.

Service de pneumologie, hôpitaux de Brabois, CHU de Nancy, 54500 Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy, France.

Introduction: Rhabdoid tumours usually develop in brain and spinal cord or kidney; they are highly malignant neoplasms that typically arise in infancy and early childhood. However, rare cases of pulmonary localization have been described, particularly among young adults.

Case Report: A 26-year-old man, smoker, had a right apical lung mass associated with a Pancoast syndrome leading to haemoptysis. Read More

J Coll Physicians Surg Pak 2016 Jul;26(7):623-5

Department of Medicine, Khyber Teaching Hospital, Peshawar.

This report describes a patient who presented with pancoast syndrome, secondary to spindle cell sarcoma of the lung. A 56-year man presented with dyspnea, engorged neck veins and bilateral upper limb pitting edema. The patient also had ptosis and miosis in the right eye. Read More