Surgeons dealing with esophageal disease should be competent in using both the rigid and the fiberoptic esophagoscope. An esophagoscopy is a procedure that allows your doctor to examine the inside of your esophagus using a long thin instrument called an endoscope. The endoscope contains a light and a camera that transmits pictures of the inside of your…
Pectus excavatum, which is the most common chest wall deformity and is characterized by depression of the sternum. Pectus excavatum (PE), or “funnel chest,” is a deformity of the chest wall characterized by a sternal depression. The clinical significance of PE depends on three issues: ●Severity of the chest wall defect ●Cardiopulmonary morbidity ●Psychosocial impact,…
Chest wall resection and reconstruction is the primary surgical option for chest wall tumors. This surgery involves the removal of one or more ribs to extract the tumor, followed by reconstruction to recreate a normal appearance after invasive surgery. Chest wall tumors are a heterogeneous group of lesions that provide an interesting diagnostic and therapeutic challenge for surgeons. They make up less than…
Pectus carinatum is the protruding deformity of the chest wall. It is seen less frequently than pectus excavatum. Pectus carinatum occurs in the form of unilateral or bilateral involvement of the rib cartilage and structural disruption in the upper or lower projection of the sternum. Mixed deformities can also be seen. One side of the…
Hyperhidrosis is a condition characterized by abnormally increased sweating, which is more than necessary to regulate body temperature. Although it is primarily a physical burden, hyperhidrosis can impair quality of life psychologically, emotionally, and socially. This excessive sweat happens even when the person is not doing jobs that require muscle strength and is not due…
What Causes Body Odor and How Can I Treat It? What is bromhidrosis? Bromhidrosis is foul-smelling body odor related to your sweat. Perspiration itself actually has no odor. It’s only when sweat encounters bacteria on the skin that a smell can emerge. Other than body odor (BO), bromhidrosis is also known by other clinical terms,…
A pneumothorax is a collapsed lung. A pneumothorax occurs when air leaks into the space between the lung and chest wall; may be partial or complete. Pneumothorax may result from a blind or penetrating chest injury, some medical procedures, or damage from underlying lung disease. Or, it could appear without obvious reason. Symptoms often include…
Introduction Thoracic trauma accounts for up to 35% of trauma-related deaths in the United States and encompasses a broad range of injuries that can cause significant morbidity and mortality (1). Prompt evaluation during the primary trauma survey is key to identifying those injuries which are immediately life-threatening and require rapid intervention. Once these conditions are…
What Is Pleural Mesothelioma? Pleural mesothelioma is a type of cancer caused by asbestos fibers becoming embedded in the lining of the lungs. Over time, the fibers may cause inflammation and scarring. As the scarring worsens, it may develop into mesothelioma tumors. Pleural malignant mesothelioma is the most common form of mesothelioma cancer. Each year, about…
Hyperhidrosis, or excessive sweating, is a common disorder that produces a lot of unhappiness. An estimated 2%-3% of Americans suffer from excessive sweating of the underarms (axillary hyperhidrosis) or of the palms and soles of the feet (palmoplantar hyperhidrosis). Underarm problems tend to start in late adolescence, while palm and sole sweating often begins earlier,…
