In Brazil, the rate of complications associated with minimally invasive surgery (VATS) for anatomical lung resection is significantly lower than that of conventional OT.

Given that chagasic patients in the indeterminate form of this disease, can have abnormal motility of the digestive tract and immunologic abnormalities, we decided to assess the frequency of peptic disease and Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection in these individuals. Twenty-one individuals, 13 males and 8 females, mean age 37.6 +/- 11.1 years, were examined. Biopsies of the duodenum, antrum, lesser and greater gastric curvature and esophagus were performed. The endoscopic findings were of chronic gastritis in 20 (95.2%) patients, duodenal ulcer in 3 (14.3%), gastric and duodenal ulcer in 3 (14.3%), gastric ulcer alone in 1 (4.8%), esophagitis in 5 (23.8%), and duodenitis in 5 (23.8%). The diagnosis of infection by the Hp was done by the urease test and histologic examination. Hp infection was found in 20 (95.2%) individuals: in 20 out of them in the antrum, in 17 in the lesser curvature, and in 17 in the greater curvature. Hp was not found in the esophagus and duodenum. The only individual with no evidence of infection by Hp was also the only one with normal endoscopic and histologic examinations. The histologic examinations confirmed the diagnoses of gastric ulcer as peptic, chronic gastritis in 20 patients, duodenitis in 14, and esophagitis in 9. In this series the patients had a high frequency of peptic disease, which was closely associated with Hp infection.

Ramicotomy is a surgical procedure, with less adverse effects than conventional sympathectomy, however, it was abandoned due to the high recurrence rate. Twenty-eight pigs underwent bilateral videothoracoscopic ramicotomy and were divided into five groups. The animals were sacrificed at 15th, 45th, 90th, 135th and 180th postoperative days (POD). The segments were removed and evaluated for macroscopic regeneration and histological analysis. The data were compared to the control group of 10 intact segments of the sympathetic. There was no macroscopic regeneration on the 15th POD, and present on 41.6% on the 180th POD (P<0.05). The Schwann cells presented a similar evolution in both rami beginning at the 45th POD, with a smaller count in the gray rami. The collagen and reticular fibers presented a negative correlation (r=-0.414; P<0.01). The deposition of the collagen fibers was greater in the gray rami with a peak deposition on the 135th POD and a diminishing rate in the 180th POD (P<0.05). Ramicotomy allows complete section of all rami communicantes of the sympathetic ganglia. The histological regeneration might be greater than the recurrence rates of clinical symptoms seen in a human being due to non-functional regenerations.

No abstract

We describe the case of a 54 year old woman seen with an esophageal mass diagnosed as a primary esophageal lymphoma. The main symptom was dysphagia of seven months duration. The treatment consisted in resection of the tumor, and reconstruction of the defect with a reversed pleural flap, followed by a chemotherapy regimen that consisted of five drugs, cyclophosphamid, prednisone, doxorubicin, rituximab and vincristine (R-CHOP). The patient developed an esophageal pleural fistula treated with pleural drainage and irrigation that closed in 45 days. Two and one half years later she is doing well and disease free.