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Thoracoscopic Extended Right Middle Plus Lower Sleeve Lobectomy for Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer
Published on: February 27, 2026
Squamous cell carcinoma in a postpneumonectomy cavity.
Alpay Orki1, Senol Urek, Mehmet Suat Patlakoglu
1Deparment of Thoracic Surgery, Sureyyapasa Chest Diseases and Chest Surgery Research and Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey. alpay-orki@yahoo.com
The Annals of Thoracic Surgery
|December 25, 2007
Summary
A woman developed squamous cell carcinoma years after a left pneumonectomy for tuberculosis. This rare cancer occurred in the context of a bronchopleural fistula and empyema.
Area of Science:
- Thoracic surgery
- Pulmonary medicine
- Oncology
Background:
- A 55-year-old female patient with a history of left pneumonectomy due to tuberculosis-related lung destruction presented with bronchopleural fistula and empyema.
- The patient's medical history included a left pneumonectomy 25 years prior to the current presentation.
Observation:
- A large mass was detected in the thorax via computed tomography (CT).
- The patient underwent open drainage and biopsy due to the detected thoracic mass.
Findings:
- Postoperative pathology confirmed the presence of squamous cell carcinoma.
- The diagnosis was made in the context of a bronchopleural fistula and empyema.
Implications:
- This case highlights a rare occurrence of post-pneumonectomy lung cancer.
- It underscores the importance of long-term surveillance in patients with a history of extensive thoracic surgery and tuberculosis.
- Further research may explore the specific mechanisms linking prior tuberculosis, pneumonectomy, and subsequent squamous cell carcinoma development.
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