Serum and tissue miR-21 expression in patients with breast cancer (BC) is a useful biomarker for cancer diagnosis, progression, and treatment. Matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) is also important in breast cancer carcinogenesis. However, miR-21 and MMP-1/CD63 in urine exosomes in these patients have not been examined. Urine samples were collected from patients with BC and 26 healthy females. Urinary exosomes were isolated and confirmed by western blotting with anti-CD63 antibody and electron microscopy observation. MiR-21 and MMP-1/CD63 expression was examined by quantitative RT-PCR and western blotting, respectively. Patients with very early stage breast cancer were evaluated. MiR-21 expression in the patients was 0.26 [95% CI: 0.20–0.78], which was significant lower than in the 26 controls (1.00 [95% CI: 1.01–3.37], p = 0.0947). MMP-1/CD63 expression in patients was significantly higher than in controls (1.74 [95% CI: 0.86–5.08] vs 0.535 [95% CI: −0.01–2.81], p = 0.0001). Sensitivity and specificity were 0.708 and 0.783 for miR-21 and 0.792 and 0.840 for MMP-1/CD63, respectively. Sensitivity and specificity of combined expression were 95% and 79%, respectively. The sensitivity of MMP-1/CD63 expression in urinary exosomes was better than that of miR-21 expression. Thus, miR-21 and MMP/CD63 may be useful markers for BC screening.

Intravenous leiomyomatosis is a rare neoplastic condition characterized by the benign intravascular proliferation of smooth muscle cells originating from either the uterine venous wall or a uterine leiomyoma. In the present report, we describe the case of a 45-year-old woman without a history of gynaecological surgeries, who was referred to our institution due to repeated syncopal attacks. Computed tomography indicated the presence of an intravenous leiomyoma originating from the uterus and extending to the inferior vena cava, right atrium, and right ventricle. The patient was successfully treated by cardiotomy, which was performed under hypothermic circulatory arrest, and laparotomy in a single-stage operation. She continued to recover and did not exhibit any recurrence at the 10-month follow-up.

Post‐operative peripheral bronchopleural fistulas (BPF) are sometimes caused by post‐operative pneumonia and empyema. Conservative treatment options such as administration of antibiotics and chest tube drainage can have limited outcomes in certain cases. Bronchial occlusion is an effective treatment option if the target bronchi for BPF are identified. This case study describes a successful bronchial occlusion for peripheral BPF with endobronchial Watanabe spigots (EWSs) and a digital drainage system. This case involved a 70‐year‐old man who developed a post‐operative peripheral BPF after a left upper lobectomy. Bronchial occlusion with EWS was performed because the target bronchi responsible for BPF were clearly detected by a chest computerized tomography scan. The effectiveness of the occlusion was confirmed with the use of a digital drainage system immediately after the procedure was completed. The chest tube was removed one week following the bronchial occlusion procedure.

We report two cases of the comparison of diagnosis made with linked color imaging (LCI) and conventional white‐light imaging (WLI) on the same patients. In case 1, a 75‐year‐old man in whom right upper lobectomy with mediastinal lymph node dissection was performed due to lung cancer had signs of bronchitis on postoperative day 8. The LCI demonstrated slight inflammatory changes that were not detectable with the conventional WLI on the tracheal wall. In case 2, in a 61‐year‐old woman who was diagnosed with adenoid cystic carcinoma, the bronchial wall was checked to confirm the extent of the tumour. The submucosal vascularity and tumour margin on the bronchial mucosa were better visible on LCI than on WLI. We could easily detect the mucosal inflammatory lesion and the malignant lesion with LCI in comparison with conventional WLI. Both mucosal inflammatory and malignant lesions were better visible with LCI in comparison to WLI.

We describe a case of lung lobectomy and resection of the rib neck and head in a lung cancer patient with an invasion of the chest wall. The tumor was located in the upper lobe, adjacent to the neck of the third rib. We performed a right upper lobectomy and en bloc resection of the third rib, including the rib neck and head, by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery with an additional 6 cm posterior incision along the right paravertebral line. The costovertebral joint incision procedure is a useful technique to ensure tumor-free margins in cases where the tumor is located close to the rib’s neck and head.