title: Successful thoracoscopic lobectomy for lung cancer in a patient with anatomic variation of the left inferior pulmonary vein.
abstract: We present a case of primary lung cancer with a rare distribution pattern of left inferior pulmonary vein (PV), encountered in the thoracoscopic left lower lobectomy. Thoracoscopic observation revealed 2 trunks of inferior PV (ventral and dorsal branch) at the stem level. The ventral trunk consisted of a branch of vein (V(5)) from the lingular segment and venous ramifications (V(8)a, V(9) and V(10)a) from the basal segment. On the other hand, a branch of vein (V(6)) from the superior segment in the lower lobe and other veins (V(8)b and V(10)b + c) from the basal segment emptied together into the dorsal trunk. We successfully carried out a thoracoscopic left lower lobectomy without excision of the aberrant vein (V(5)). Retrospective review of the preoperative chest CT demonstrates the double trunk inferior PV and the aberrant lingular branch emptying with V(8)a into the ventral trunk. Knowledge of the branching variations of PV from preoperative evaluations leads to appropriate thoracoscopic procedures for lung cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Kagawa Prefectural Central Hospital, Takamatsu, Kagawa 760-8558, Japan. km382jp@yahoo.co.jp
authors.forename: Kanji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Minamoto
authors.forename: Takahiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Misao
authors.forename: Seiki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takashima
authors.forename: Hideharu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakano
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D010690:Phlebography; D011013:Pneumonectomy / Q000379:methods*; D011667:Pulmonary Veins / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D020775:Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed