A patient developed severe exertional dyspnoea and stridor eight months after a right pneumonectomy for a carcinoid tumour, with a progressive loss of lung function. These events were the result of compression of the left main bronchus against the vertebral column by the mediastinal contents, which had shifted into the right hemithorax with the herniated lung.

Following right-sided pneumonectomy and hemidiaphragm resection in a 58-year-old man with epithelioid mesothelioma, acute respiratory insufficiency and life-threatening circulatory collapse developed after a forced Valsalva maneuver. Major pulmonary embolism was diagnosed on clinical grounds, however computed tomography revealed herniation of the liver into the right hemithorax.

A 20-year-old male presented with chest pain lasting several days. A radiologic examination revealed pleural effusion in the right hemithorax. Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery demonstrated a bleeding focus at the diaphragm caused by injury due to a costal exostosis.

A 2.5 year old girl with metachromatic leukodystrophy presented with acute respiratory distress and was initially wrongly diagnosed with pneumothorax. Barium meal showed bowel loops in the left hemithorax, which prompted surgical intervention; spontaneous rupture of the diaphragm was diagnosed at surgery.

Pneumomediastinum after birth, without birth injury or resuscitation maneuvers, is an unusual situation that can present with grunting, deafening of cardiac sounds, and bulging of the hemithorax. If clinical condition allows, conservative approach is advised even if the pneumomediastinum does not spontaneously resolve in 1 or 2 days.

We present a series of cases of acute esophageal necrosis along with a video demonstration. The video captures a case showing the severity of necrosis of the esophageal mucosa; an orogastric tube easily passed through the esophageal lumen and into the right hemithorax. The series also demonstrates the severity of this illness, with an associated high mortality rate.

Acute aortic syndromes including aortic rupture remain lifethreatening, and represent a unique area in cardiovascular surgery. Thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) has become widely accepted as a major option in the treatment of thoracic aortic diseases, particularly for emergency patients such as those with a ruptured dissection [1,2]. We report a case with type B aortic dissection that...