Removal of rare abscess from inside the chest
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, July 23 2016 :
Department of Cardio-Thoracic and Vascular
Science, Shija Hospitals has successfully performed a rare kind of
surgery in a unique case of pyogenic sinus tract found inside the
thorax or chest on the right side of the chest of a 29 year old lady.
A tunnelling wound or sinus tract is a narrow opening or
passageway underneath the skin that can extend in any direc-
tion through soft tissue and results in dead space with potential
for abscess or pus formation.
According to a statement, a team of surgeons led by Dr
Lukram Sidartha, Cardio-Thoracic and Vascular Surgeon per-
formed the complex surgery successfully.
Dr Sidartha stated
that it was a very unusual case.
The case presented as an
abscess inside the thorax and was treated with anti TB treat-
ment previously.
As the mass was non-resolving a CT guided
biopsy was taken which revealed nonspecific necrotic tissue
(dead tissue, which usually results from an inadequate local
blood supply).
Surgery was planned accordingly and thoracotomy (an op-
eration to open the chest) was done on July 15. But the
surprising thing which was come across during the surgery
was that the pus was discharging from a sinus tract not from
the main lung tissue, a tract arising from the sternum (breast-
bone or the long flat bone in the upper middle of the front of
the chest) supplied by internal mammary artery (internal tho-
racic or chest artery that supplies oxygenated blood to the
anterior chest wall and breasts) and running above the right
side of the heart and between the upper and middle lobe of
the lungs.
Proper decortications (the surgical removal of the
outer layer or covering of an organ or structure) and excision
of the sinus tract was done.
Following the surgery, the patient
recovered well and was discharged from the hospital on July 19 .
Dr Sidartha further stated that although it was an unusual
case, suspected to be a congenital cyst, any thoracic abscess
needs to be treated and monitored by a specialist in time.